Hannah was up bright and early the next morning and roused me with her. I fumbled for my glasses and pushed my messy hair out of my face. It was really getting out of hand in the morning and Hannah found it delightfully entertaining.
Cleaning a fingerprint off the glasses lens, I squinted over at Hannah who was brushing her long golden hair into ponytails and smoothing her robes.
"Morning!" She trilled after I had finally put my glasses on my face.
"Someone slept well," I said scratchily.
"Yes, but I'm really excited to get back to classes today! I missed so much last year and I'm taking a full schedule to make up for everything," Hannah explained.
"Full schedule? That's what I took last year and it was awful! I think I'll get at least one free period this time," I told her with a yawn.
"We'll just have to wait and see then."
I nodded and reluctantly climbed from my warm cocoon of blankets to sort out my robes. Susan was using the bathroom, but Leanne was just finishing up tying her shoes so I only had to wait for fifteen minutes until the bathroom was vacant. After I dressed, I spent several minutes flattening my hair down so it wasn't sticking up in every direction. Once that was taken care of, I headed back to the dormitory to find the necklace Draco had gifted me last year for Christmas.
"You're really going to wear it?" Hannah asked with a raised eyebrow as the two of us headed through the barrel and kitchens to get to the Great Hall.
"Of course! How could I not?" I exclaimed while running a finger over the small decoration.
"You're love-struck," she giggled as we entered the Hall and found our spot next to an already eating Ernie.
"Queen of The Nerds," I corrected Hannah as I reached for the toast.
"What now?" Ernie asked spewing a few crumbs at us.
"Gross, use a napkin," Hannah grumbled while wrinkling her nose at him.
"Sorry," Ernie mumbled and wiped his mouth crumb free. "What's up with Queen here?"
"She's in love," Hannah stated proudly.
"Not Malfoy, I hope!"
"Thanks for your support," I frowned at him.
"He's a D—" Ernie started to say.
Hannah smacked him upside the head and he stuck his tongue out at her.
"What was that for?" He asked as he rubbed the spot she had hit him.
"Davis and I talked this over last night and she's giving him chance. If anything bad happens, she'll find a way to get out the situation safely," Hannah explained.
"Fine," Ernie mumbled and went back to his breakfast. He had been somewhat supportive over the summer months, but I assumed the realization that we were already back at Hogwarts and that I was going to be interacting with Draco, he was just as nervous as Hannah had been skeptical.
Professor Sprout came by a few moments later with all three of our schedules and wished us all a very pleasant year. I grinned as I unrolled mine.
"I've got a free period!" I said happily.
"Me as well, what period?" Ernie asked inquisitively.
"First, you?"
"Fourth," he replied glumly.
Hannah grabbed my schedule and compared our classes.
"We have Charms and Potions together!" Hannah beamed at me over our schedules.
"Great! Now let's see yours, Ernest," I said trying to tug it from his grasp. "Looks like we have Defense Against The Dark Arts and the Double Herbology Block!" I said smugly.
"I forgot I had to take that this year," he said with a chuckle.
"You've got Astronomy with Hannah, too," I pointed out and he perked up a little more.
I caught sight of Johnny, Gwen, and a few other second years comparing classes and I smiled. Johnny had already made himself a makeshift family here at Hogwarts.
As I was starting to indulge in my toast, a flash of white-blonde hair attracted my gaze towards the Slytherin table. Draco was just sitting down and Pansy Parkinson was clutching at his arm earnestly and saying something. He roughly pulled his arm from her tight grasp and I absentmindedly touched my wrist remembering Pansy's death grip.
"Earth to Queen!" Ernie's hand waved itself in front of my eyes and I blinked looking back at him.
"What?" I asked.
"You were staring at someone," he responded with a wink.
I felt a blush creep up my cheeks and I stared down at my half-eaten toast.
"Don't know what you're talking about," I said grabbing the toast and taking another bite.
"You may want to make your crush a teensy bit less obvious, Davis," Ernie said.
"Trust me, he already knows," I replied as I finished my toast.
"He what?" Ernie almost spat out his breakfast in shock.
"Again, napkin," Hannah jutted in handing him one.
He rolled his eyes, but compliantly re-cleaned his mouth.
"We told each other last night and he kissed me again," I said dreamily.
"Wait a minute, you guys kissed again? Did you taste mint toothpaste?" Ernie asked rather loudly.
The blush on my cheeks rose higher and I stole a quick glance at Draco who was glaring heatedly at Pansy before looking back at Ernie and nodding.
"What do you mean mint toothpaste?" Hannah inquired.
"The first time we kissed, his breath was minty from what I could only assume was from his toothpaste and when I told Ernie about it, he found it hilarious," I told her.
"Malfoy uses mint toothpaste, that's actually pretty funny," she chuckled.
We giggled over the thought of Draco brushing his teeth and before we knew it, the time for first period had arrived. Hannah and Ernie headed off to Astronomy and I meandered my way back to the Common Room. A few other seventh year students lounged about the armchairs and barely took notice of me as I headed to my dorm. Feeding Echo, I decided now would be the perfect time to take him up to the Owlery. Gathering him up in his cage, I departed the Common Room and made for the seventh floor corridor. If I remembered correctly, it was near the Room of Requirement where Hannah, Ernie, and Zach had gone for meetings with Dumbledore's Army that was formed during our fifth year. I never joined because I didn't know Harry Potter all that well and I had a full schedule alongside Quidditch back then.
Rounding the corner of a corridor on the fifth floor, I was almost to a staircase that would take me to the sixth floor when a cold voice rang out: "Just where do you think you're going?"
I froze, clutching onto Echo's cage for dear life. Even the owl seemed a little ruffled at the sound of whoever's voice that was. Slowly turning to face the person, I was greeted with the sight of a stout man dressed in black robes: Amycus Carrow.
"Well? Are you just going to stand there gawking at me or are you going to answer my question?" He snapped drawing out his wand.
"I was. . .I'm just," my voice faltered and my legs started shaking.
"I didn't quite catch that," Amycus snarled.
"I'm taking my owl to the Owlery," I squeaked out.
"Why didn't you take your stupid bird there last night? Why aren't you in class right now?" His beady brown eyes bore into mine and for a moment, I thought I was going to pass out.
"I forgot to last night and I don't have a first period," I choked out.
"Don't have a first period, sir," Amycus corrected me indignantly.
"I'm sorry, sir," I muttered while desperately trying to get my legs to stop shaking.
"That's a warning, and twenty points from Hufflepuff for failing to refer to your superiors as their proper titles," Carrow snarled and left me still shaking on the fifth floor.
After a long while of standing rooted to the ground, my legs calmed down enough for me to climb the stairs to the sixth and seventh floor. I passed the Room of Requirement and took a set of side stairs to reach the Owlery.
The room was open to all the elements which made it extremely windy. Straw and owl dropping littered the floor so I made sure to step carefully over to an empty cubby. Setting Echo's cage into the cubby, I opened his cage and coaxed him out onto my right arm. He cooed as I brushed his feathers and he eyed the other owls around us. Some were sleeping, some were preening their feathers, and a few were perched around the stone room looking quite bored. Echo took flight and soared around the room. I watched him land near a barrel of feed and look at me expectantly. I smiled and scooped out some owl feed into a tray and placed it in his cubby. He flew over and started nibbling away. I had fed him earlier, but Echo was a very hungry owl. Content that my owl was going to be perfectly fine up here with every other owl, I made my way down the stairs and back down to the Common Room.
Thankfully, I did not run into either of the Carrows on my way back and was able to relax for the rest of my free period. Once it was time for second period, I gathered my bag and headed off to Defense Against The Dark Arts in search of Ernie. He was already in the classroom when I entered and I immediately saw the relief on his face as I walked up to him.
"I'm so glad you have this class with me. I'm not sure I could survive this class without you or Hannah," Ernie breathed gratefully.
"I'm super excited that you're in this class with me, too," I said with a grin.
It was true, the majority of this class was comprised of mostly Gryffindors and Slytherins. I counted two Ravenclaws.
Zach strutted in through the door and glanced around the room. His eyes landed on Ernie and I and he froze for a moment before respectfully nodding to us, but he made no effort to come over to us. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and suddenly Ernie elbowed me.
"What?" I hissed.
"Look," he said pointing over towards the other side of the room.
Standing in the midst of Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, and Parkinson was Draco. I blushed and looked away, but Ernie was laughing. I shoved him gently and he just mussed my hair in a manner of an older brother.
Just seconds later, Amycus and Alecto Carrow strode into the classroom and sized up the class. Amycus had his wand out and tapped it expectantly against his fingers.
"Welcome to Defense Against The Dark Arts, seventh years," Amycus said with an evil grin. "Alecto has the seating chart so when she calls your name, you will sit there without a complaint."
Ernie and I exchanged worried looks as Alecto began rattling off student's names. She placed the two Ravenclaws next to each other, paired Gryffindors with Gryffindors, and Slytherins with Slytherins. When she finally reached the back row, she placed Crabbe and Goyle next to each other, Pansy and Blaise together, and Draco with Zach. I felt my hands start sweating as they both sat down eyeing each other oddly. Ernie and I were placed at the desk next to them. Observing Zach from the corner of my eyes, I watched his expression carefully. His face was set and his mouth was pressed into a thin line as though he were suppressing something from popping out. My gaze studied Draco's face and noted that he wore a pained look and kept glancing at Zach as though Zach were about to explode.
"If you'll please take out your textbooks and open to the first lesson, that would make for a good start to this year," Amycus instructed.
The familiar scuffle of bags ensued as we dug through our bags to produce the book. Alecto was strolling up and down the aisles with her wand out and she glared at every student that dared a glance her way. I pretended to be busy with opening my book, but I was still sneaking small glances over at Draco and Zach. Neither of them had made a move to pull out anything from their bags which had me worried. Alecto paused at their desk and stared at the two blonde boys.
"Why aren't your books out?" She snapped impatiently.
"I haven't actually got my book," Zach fired back.
"What do you have to say for yourself? What's your sorry excuse?" Alecto asked Draco pointedly.
Draco simply shrugged and avoided eye contact with her.
"No answer? Very well, twenty points from Slytherin for being rude and twenty points from Hufflepuff for being non-compliant," Alecto said with a grin and moved on up the row of desks.
That was forty points gone from just our house today and the blame rested on Zach and I. No one had known about my brief encounter with Amycus this morning and I hoped to keep it that way. Though with my luck, I'd end up telling Hannah about it later.
"If you read the title of the chapter, you'll be delighted to see that we are going to begin your training with—"
"Unforgivable Curses?" Dean Thomas practically shouted from the front of the room. "Sir, those are illegal!"
Amycus' mouth twisted into a malevolent smirk and he looked down at his wand fondly.
"Is that so, boy?" He asked Dean without blinking an eye. "Disregard your textbooks. Here's lesson one."
Amycus pointed his wand at Dean Thomas and, before anyone had time to even think or react, shouted, "Imperio!"
Dean Thomas' face instantly appeared to be calm and at ease. Under the influence of Professor Carrow's spell, he wouldn't be at ease for much longer. Amycus directed Dean to stand up, push his chair in, and walk out of the classroom. Once Dean was gone, Amycus smiled evilly again and tucked his wand away.
"Sir, where exactly have you sent him?" Lee Jordan, another Gryffindor, asked boldly.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for speaking without permission. To answer your question, he'll be quite fine where he's going," Amycus answered nonchalantly.
No one said anything for the rest of the class and when the end of second period arrived, I grabbed my book, bag, and made for the door. Ernie grabbed my arm before I could get too far and I frowned up at him.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Seen as how you don't have a first hour and probably forgot from Snape's welcoming speech, we are escorted to our next classes by the professor," Ernie said in a hushed whisper.
"Right," I responded dully.
I waved goodbye to Ernie as Amycus led him and half of the class off in one direction and Alecto directed the rest of us to third period: Charms.
Zach wasn't in this period, but Hannah was so I made a beeline to go stand by her the moment Alecto left our group alone. She beamed at me when I sped over to her.
"Hey!" I said cheerfully.
"Hello there! Having a good first day back?" Hannah asked.
"Not particularly, the Carrows are horrible people. I just came from Defense Against The Dark Arts and Amycus took twenty points from our house because Zach didn't have his book, twenty points from Slytherin because Malfoy was being an ass, and ten from Gryffindor because Lee Jordan spoke out of turn," I said in one breath. "Before second period, Amycus found me in the hall on my way to the Owlery and took twenty points from our house because I didn't call him sir."
"You're making me nervous, I've got that class sixth period, right after Herbology," Hannah groaned.
"Just don't open your mouth or breathe near either of them and you'll be all right," I joked, but she just frowned at me.
Charms was actually quite charming today. Professor Flitwick didn't care where we sat and had a much more relaxed ambiance to his classroom. He had us levitating objects at random as a review. It was going along fine until Wayne Hopkins tried levitating Justin Finch Fletchley and Justin screamed.
At the end of this period, Flitwick led us off to fourth period which was Potions and the other class that I had with Hannah. Slughorn gave us all a tired smile as we entered and he began directing everyone to assigned seats. I was placed with Hannah, Pansy, and Draco near the front of the room and did my best to ignore Pansy's death stares. Draco found it highly amusing which only added to her fury.
We just started off this class with notes and before I knew it, it was time to be escorted to lunch. Hannah and I found Ernie already in the Great Hall stuffing his face. It was then that I remembered he had fourth period free and probably had spent it here. We plopped down in front of him and each took turns discussing the day's events so far. Ernie explained that Dean Thomas had been sent to the Carrows' office and given the job of cleaning it and then was promptly 'imperioused' back to his next class meaning he was fine.
Hannah was absolutely taken aback that a professor had used an Unforgivable Curse on a student, but as Snape had hired these two, going to him with this complaint would be oddly self-serving. We finished lunch and Hannah headed off to Herbology. Ernie had Ancient Runes after lunch so he reluctantly dragged himself off towards that class and I climbed the winding stairs to the top of the Astronomy Tower.
The stone stairs eventually opened up into the the spacious tower top where a few students lounged against the railings or nearby pillars as they waited for the Astronomy Professor to show up. This year for Astronomy, we were going to sit through lectures during the day and every Wednesday at midnight we were to report to the tower to actually study the sky. I was really excited to hear what Professor Sinistra would be lecturing about.
She arrived a few minutes after the last Ravenclaw and taken his respective place next to his friend. She stared down her pointed nose at everyone with those calculating black eyes and took us in. Thick black hair swept up under a large-brimmed hat and flowing robes settled over her caramel skin, Professor Sinistra was quite intimidating. She welcomed everyone and waved her wand causing a circle of chairs to materialize around her and we all took our seats. The moment we had all sat down, Professor Sinistra launched into a speech about Jupiter's moons and I began taking notes.
I barely noticed I had filled up two pieces of parchment with notes by the time the class ended. The Astronomy professor waved her wand and the chairs vanished which caused many students to fall at the unexpected loss of seating. I was securing my notes in my bag and starting to follow Professor Sinistra when I bumped into Malfoy.
"Hey," I breathed out a little surprised.
"Hey," he said. "I would have gotten your attention earlier, but I've never seen anyone that dedicated to a lecture about the bloody sky in my life."
"This class is the closest class I have to something back in the Muggle world. I find the stars absolutely fascinating," I responded as the two of us began traipsing down the stairs.
"It's just a whole bunch of nonsense to me," Draco stated bluntly.
"I think the stars are beautiful, but to each their own," I replied with a raised eyebrow. "Where are you heading?"
"History of Magic. If Binns wasn't already dead, I'd strangle him because that class is such a waste of my time," Malfoy muttered heatedly.
"I didn't have to take it this year," I said with a grin.
"Why not?"
"Double Block Herbology," came my smug answer.
"Nine, that's also a waste of time," Draco laughed.
"I'm curious, is there a class that isn't a waste of your time?" I pressed.
"Potions."
"Another good class. Though I'm not looking forward to having to face Pansy on a daily basis," I grumbled.
"Leave her to me," Draco said with a smirk. "See you round."
He left for Binns' classroom and I continued following the few students in my Astronomy lesson that also had Double Block Herbology. I met up with Ernie at the greenhouses and we spent most of the Double Block period joking around. It felt good to not be under the scrutiny of the Carrows.
After Herbology, Professor Sprout marched us up to the Great Hall in time for dinner where Ernie and I located Hannah to recount the day. She hated the Carrows just as much as everyone else seemed to, but nothing awful had occurred during her class.
No one spoke above a whisper at all during dinner between the four houses and it was relatively quiet except for the scraping of silverware on the plates. When we headed back to the Common Room, I stuck close to my friends as to avoid another confrontation with Pansy. The three of us planted ourselves near a tall window and chatted quietly until Johnny came up and interrupted us.
He was terrified of the Carrows and according to him, Amycus had made Gwen cry today. I reassured him that all those professors actually were were bullies and told Johnny to mind his own business during Defense Against The Dark Arts to be safe. He nodded and ran off the tell Gwen what I had said
"Your brother is so cute, Davis, I wish I had a sibling!" Hannah cooed.
"No, you don't," Ernie interjected. "They're awful, loud, and steal all the food."
"She said sibling as in singular. One sibling. Not seven like you," I huffed.
"Still, my younger sister is annoying and my older brothers are just horrid," he mumbled.
I shrugged and Hannah suggested we all head off to bed for the night. Agreeing, we both patted Ernie's head and pushed him off in the direction of his dormitory and we retired to ours.