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"ʜᴏᴍᴇ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ,
ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰɪɴᴅ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀʟʟ ɢʀᴏᴡꜱ ᴅᴀʀᴋ."
- ᴘɪᴇʀᴄᴇ ʙʀᴏᴡɴ
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⋆★⋆
The remaining few weeks of term seemed to fly by, Hogwarts had almost completely returned back to normal, with a few minor exceptions. One of them being that Defence Against The Dark Arts classes where now cancelled for the rest of the year, due to Lockhart's 'accident'.
Estella's life was nearly back to normal, or well as normal as you could get considering the whirlwind of a year she has had. If you were to tell 10-year-old Estella Evans that in just over a years' time she would be reunited with her child-hood best friend, living in a castle studying magic whilst being surrounded by some of the best people, she would have down right laughed in your face. It felt like a dream to her, she still felt like she was in some sort of dream even after a year.
But alas it wasn't a dream, and she was in fact stood in her dorm room at Hogwarts, currently packing up her trunk to return back to the orphanage for the summer. Her and Grace had promised that they would see each other throughout the summer, and had agreed to go to Diagon Alley to buy their school supplies for their second year later in the summer.
Estella was dreading leaving her friends for the summer (well apart from Harry because the boy lived a mere 10 minutes away from her), she knew it was going to be weird not seeing them for months considering the fact she had spent practically every day with them since September. She had gotten used to the company of Grace, Jace and Colin, and didn't exactly like the feeling of leaving them for a prolonged time.
Life at Hogwarts was perfect. She didn't want to leave the castle and go back to her old life, it was just too different now.
The only thing that had been troubling the girl over the past weeks was the fact that Ginny Weasley seemed to be distancing herself from the girl. Since the attack, Estella had heard of course, that Ginny was possessed and had opened the chamber, and for not one second did Estella blame the Weasley girl for this, but it seemed that no matter how many times Estella reassured her that there were no ill feelings involved, Ginny carried around this enormous feeling of guilt, meaning there was a strain on their friendship.
After some talk with Ron, Estella decided to give the girl some space and let their friendship return naturally, she didn't want to push the young girl any further than she had already been pushed recently.
With a slam, Estella closed her Hogwarts trunk and slumped onto her bed besides Grace.
"I can't believe were going home tomorrow" Grace said.
"Me neither" Estella replied, "Promise me you'll write me every week"
"Ell we both know that's not going to happen" Grace laughed, causing Estella to laugh in agreement.
"Before we go, I need to speak to you about something" Grace said, sitting up.
"Oh my God. You're not breaking up with me are you?"
"Would I ever?" Grace said, pausing and taking a deep breathe, "It's actually about my family".
Estella instantly sobered up from her burst of excitement, "Grace you don't have to-"
"I do" Grace said, cutting the girl off, "You we're right, your my best friend and you deserve to know. My mum, she was murdered not long after I was born, I don't remember her at all. All I know is what my god-father has told me and the pictures of her and my father. My dad, we'll that's a different story. He's in Azkaban"
"Is that the prison?"
"Yes." She replied, "he's in for murder. It's all complicated and I don't really know what is true, all I know is that he supposedly killed a lot of people a few years ago, just after you-know-who was defeated"
"Supposedly? You don't think he's innocent do you?"
"I don't know what I think. I can't imagine my father being a murderer, I don't want to believe he is. I grew up with my god-father and all my life people have judged me because of who my father is. I don't blame him, and maybe it is stupid but I just can't see him being the person everyone says he is"
"I never wanted to tell you because when I found out you grew up in the muggle world and didn't know much about our world I thought you wouldn't know. Then when you never reacted to my last name I knew you didn't know who I was, for the first time I made a friend who didn't judge me because of my last name. I didn't want to lose that, I'm sorry. If you don't want to be friends now I completely understand"
"Grace, are you really that stupid?" Estella snorted, "Nothing you can do is going to get rid of me, your stuck with me. I couldn't care less about whether your dad is in jail or not, it doesn't change who you are. You're my best friend and if you think I'm giving up on our friendship because of that then your even more stupid than I thought"
"You're one of a kind you know that Evans. You really are"
"
Oh, I know, I know" the girl laughed.
⋆★⋆
The next morning came quicker than Estella had hoped for. Before she knew it she was sat in between Harry and Grace in a compartment on the Hogwarts express, flying through the endless green fields of the English countryside.
It wasn't long until they were pulling up to King' Cross Station, and they were hauling their luggage off of the train and onto the platform.
Estella bid the Weasley's good-bye as they stepped onto the platform, and remembered to give Ginny an extra-long hug, before herself, Harry and Grace parted ways from them and made their way through the crowds.
And together, they crossed over the barrier back to the muggle world, already wanting to go back home.
⋆★⋆
A/N
AHHHH THAT'S FIRST YEAR DONE OMG🥺🥺
I can't even tell you how much I love my babies, and how excited I am that first year is done. This is quite emotional.
I can't wait to get started into second year, I actually can't wait.
Also, Estella and Grace make my heart so happy I love them!!
I'm also sorry for the long break that I took, I had final grade deadlines for college so was slumped with college work, but now that's all done and it's only 2 weeks until show week then I am done for the year! I honestly can't wait for summer.
Thank you as always for the support, I love and appreciate you all <3
- Han