The Christmas truce ended. The halls flooded with happy laughter and chatter that had only been a ghost of a dream for the past week. As soon as the first train arrived back filled to the brim with excited students, Lucy was running to find Amelia. Probably faster than humanly possible Lucy found Amelia. Her mouth flew as fast as the speed of sound filling Amelia in on every single minute detail from her Christmas holiday; which happened to be one of the most ordinary affairs ever.
Athena found them a few hours later to regale her own, slightly more entertaining, tales. Throughout the merriment Amelia remained silent with an entertained smile plastered across her face. Hours passed much the same, all the way tell the next morning at breakfast where the eager conversations were only broken by the screech of the morning post. The excitement of the room soon quieted. Nervous friends who hadn't received a letter yet anxiously glanced over the others shoulders of see what the sudden shift in mood was about.
It was the most dread inducing moment that every student who has ever been and will ever be fears most of all.
Report cards.
Students looked over their parents disappointment or delight. Howlers began arriving and soon the cacophony of screaming parents filled the hall. In the chaos, Rowan swooped down to Amelia dropping a Hogwarts official letter into her hands. She quickly slid it open, read its contents, and snuck it into her bag before anyone could notice.
"My dad's going to kill me," Athena complained back in the common room surrounded by a few first years as the older students complained in their own groups around the room.
"It can't be that bad," Ivy said patting her on the back.
"I only got 40 on our last potions exam, he wrote that if it happens again he'd leave me here every holiday for the next seven years. Even summer holiday."
"My dad said he's gonna find me an internship with trolls so I could be with intellectual equals," Leilani said staring into the fire.
"Ouch," Lucy said.
"My mum said that I did better than my dad his first semester, it made me question whether or not he really killed Voldemort," James said turning to Amelia who had been silent the entire time. "What about you?"
"Me?" Amelia asked taken aback.
"I'm sure she got a hundred in every subject and two she's not even taking," Athena snarked.
"That's not true," Amelia mumbled quietly to her lap.
"Then let's see your marks for last term," James coaxed. Amelia looked around at everyone.
"No," she said standing and leaving the tower.
"See, I'm sure she got perfect marks," James said turning to the rest of the group.
"But what if she didn't," Lucy asked, slightly concerned for Amelia who had left very near curfew. "We should go make sure she's not out too late."
"She'll be fine," Athena said yawning into her hand. James turned to look out at the black night outside the tower. His brow pinched in thought as Lucy stood.
"I'm going to find her," she said going to the door. James stood to the shock of several in the group.
"I'll go with you," James said and they both left the room.