After leaving Draco, instead of moving to one of the carriages, I started walking back towards the train and met Ron and Hermione halfway.
"Why are you still here?" Ron raised a brow.
"Er... Luna and Neville had already gone, so I thought I'd come back and go with you guys," I said briskly. "Would that be alright?"
"Of course, Lexi," Hermione smiled warmly at me.
To me, it seemed like that year Hermione was trying to sympathize with me now that my three friends had graduated and I was frankly alone.
"Harry didn't show up, by the way," said Ron. "He's probably went off without us."
"Er... right," I nodded, avoiding their glances. "Should we go, then?"
"Yeah," Ron shrugged and so the three of us walked back towards the carriages. Only two were left and to my relief Draco and Pansy were both gone.
I still held my wand in my hands, feeling a tingle run up my hand, which never used to happen before I had my magic.
When we reached the Great Hall and walked through its doors, we were immediately welcomed by the noise of talking and laughing students.
"Harry's not here," said Hermione, looking anxiously at the Gryffindor table up and down.
"I'm sure he's fine." Ron shook a reassuring hand at her as we sat down, but Hermione still looked nervous, her eyes fixed on the Great Hall's doors.
Soon after the sorting ceremony, the magnificent feast began and everyone started helping themselves with the delicious food.
I smiled to myself, still not believing how two years had passed so quickly.
I thought back at my first day here. I was so shocked as I found myself in platform 9 3/4 that I even forgot to go back and take my friend Kiara with me. Perhaps that was why I didn't end up in Hufflepuff.
But then again, I was so sure that this was all a dream and before I figured that I was wrong, I had done many foolish things; probably the reason I wasn't sorted into Ravenclaw either.
But the thing was, even though I thought I was dreaming back then, I still expected to be sorted into Slytherin, just like how my friends always told me that I would.
Maybe that was because of the possibility of the Black blood running through your veins.
I shook my head promptly at the thought.
But for some reason, I ended up here, in Gryffindor. If I was a really Black, I would be in Slytherin right now.
But the sorting had considered putting you in Slytherin. And besides... Sirius was in Gryffindor too, said a nasty voice inside my head, which I tried to shake away again.
Soon after dinner, dessert was served and it was just then when the doors to the Great Hall opened and Harry walked inside, his face covered in blood.
"Where've you — blimey, what've you done to your face?" said Ron, goggling at him along as he sat down beside us.
"Why, what's wrong with it?" said Harry, grabbing a spoon and squinting at his distorted reflection.
"You're covered in blood!" said Hermione. "Come here —"
She raised her wand, said "Tergeo!" and siphoned off the dried blood.
"Thanks," said Harry, feeling his now clean face. "How's my nose looking?"
"Normal," said Hermione anxiously. "Why shouldn't it? Harry, what happened? We've been terrified!"
"I'll tell you later," said Harry curtly.
"But —" said Hermione.
"Not now, Hermione," said Harry, in a darkly significant voice. "What did I miss?"
"Not much," I shrugged. "Just the sorting."
"Hat say anything interesting?" asked Harry, taking a piece of treacle tart.
"More of the same, really," said Ron, "advising us all to unite in the face of our enemies, you know."
Soon, the moment Dumbledore got up to his feet to make his speech, everyone fell silent immediately, turning to face him as he welcomed us.
He then went on, "Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."
I sudden murmur fell upon the hall. As I looked at the Slytherin table, I saw that Draco wasn't even looking at Dumbledore, but making his fork hover in midair with his wand.
"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety."
Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over the students before he smiled once more.
"But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be wellrested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"
As usual, by those words the students got to their feet to make their ways to the dormitories.
But as I stood up, I saw a note laying beside my empty plate. Curious, I picked it up and read it thoroughly.
Miss Hooper,
Please come to my office after the feast.
A.D