"You haven't forgotten your badge right Ron!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed at the same moment the Hogwarts Express made a loud noise, signifying it had 5 minutes until departure.
"Yes mum it's already pinned on me," he said embarrassed and pulled away from her tight embrace.
"Alright be safe," she called out to us giving kisses to everyone's cheeks.
"C'mon Vi," Fred called from over his shoulder as he climbed on the train with George. I stuck my hand up with my index finger, telling him I need one more minute to say bye to my dad real quickly.
"I'm assuming you wont be riding with us," I asked.
"No, I'll be apparating there later like last year," my dad informed Ruby and I.
"Okay then see you at dinner!" Ruby replied and jumped on board leaving me on the platform. This time was different; she wasn't the timid first year that was holding onto the folds of my t-shirt. She had grown and was much more confident with her surroundings, so she didn't wait for me and headed off to her own compartment. I understood though, while I was reunited with my friends at headquarters she only really knew Ginny.
A large black dog then came up to me and hit my hand with his head. I cooed at the animal petting it's head but then wondered why a dog was on a train platform, especially 93/4.
"That's Sirius," my dad whispered quietly.
"What!" I exclaimed but the dog-I mean Sirius, pushed my knee with it's nose to shut me up from making a scene.
"Yes not many people know he's an animagus. He did it when he was a student at Hogwarts. It was a foolish thing for him to come here however," my dad emphasized the last sentence. The dog simply trotted away and pushed Harry's butt with it's nose. I laughed and assumed that this was Sirius's way of saying goodbye, and I can't imagine how long it's been since he's wandered outside.
"Alright I'll see you at the feast." I gave him a kiss on the cheek and boarded the platform along side the trio.
"Which compartment should we sit at?" Harry asked.
"Oh well actually," Hermione stammered, "We kind of have to sit in the prefects compartment."
"Just to patrol the corridors some, we'll be back before the train get's there," Ron tried to assure.
"Brilliant, see you later then," Harry turned away quickly and started making his way down the hallway. I looked back on the compartment we were standing outside of with Fred, George, and Lee and turned around from it. Fred furrowed his eyebrows but made no move to go after me. I hoped once I explained during dinner what Sirius had asked of me, that Fred wouldn't be too bothered about me not sitting in the compartment. I'm sure he hardly noticed anyways so I wasn't worried about it.
"Wait Harry," I called after him.
"Aren't you going to sit with Fred?" he said confused.
"No, I'm going to sit with my bffl," I poked his side, "that stands for best friend for life you know." We approached one compartment that was cracked open. Inside was Ginny, Neville, and a blonde witch I didn't recognize.
"Hello I'm Violet, this is Harry," I introduced holding my hand out. The blonde girl put her upside-down newspaper to her lap and shook my hand back.
"Hi. I'm Luna Lovegood," she said with a dazed look in her eyes.
"Luna? You're in Ravenclaw?" I asked recognizing her name. She shook her head to confirm, "my sisters mentioned you before! Her name is Ruby, a second year."
"Oh your sister is very kind. She helped me walk back to the dorms when I slept walked one night," her pink glasses were placed back on her eyes and she returned to her reading.
"How was your summer then?" I carried conversation on with Neville. Harry still didn't seem to be in the best mood to talk and no one else was speaking. I found out that Neville had been interning at St. Mungo's for the summer and acquired the position through the help of his grandma. I was surprised to hear since I knew that being a healer wasn't his career of interest.
"Anything from the trolley?" a familiar voice called from outside the corridor and I saw Harry stand up at this.
"Oh Harry can you also grab me a licorice wand so I don't have to get up," I asked him.
"2 pumpkin pasties please," Cho, the girl who Harry had originally asked to the ball last year, stood outside of our compartment. Harry seemed to go still and I had to concentrate to see if his body was even breathing. She gave a shy smile to him, and he sat back down without buying anything.
"Thanks for not getting my candy," I rolled my eyes, "your girl skills are really pathetic," I said in a sympathetic yet teasing voice to him.
I kept small talk going with everyone until I felt sleepy. Everyone seemed to be just as tired as I was because Luna yawned from across me, and Ginny was resting her head in my lap. Since I was in the middle of two people, I had no wall to lean on, so without asking I tilted head on Harry's shoulder. I and messed with my fingernails and picked off the nail polish for the remainder of the ride.
At one point I could've swore I saw a glimpse of red hair go by the compartment, and I perked my head up hoping it was Fred. But no one came in so I just assumed Ron was patrolling the hallways.
Hermione and Ron came back about 20 minutes before the train arrived to Hogwarts and their presence didn't seem to make Harry any happier like I thought it would. Hermione and I shared confused glances but we left it alone. Once the train came to a complete stop, we all stood up and headed to this years carriages that would take us to the castle.
"A loony case if you ask me," a voice said from behind us and I turned to meet the eyes of Draco Malfoy. He had grown a lot taller since last year and he now towered over me as he insulted us.
"What," I hissed.
"See look at him. What did I tell you about Potter, complete nutter," he snarled in our faces and Harry jumped at him agrssively. Ron was quick to hold his arms back and keep him from getting into a fight. Draco just smirked at us and winked my way before walking away.
"He did not just wink at me," I gagged and pretended to dry heave, "sorry I think I just lost my appetite for dinner."
"C'mon were not going to get a ride back to the castle," Hermione said and tugged my arm to walk faster.
"What is that? Pulling the carriage," I said in awe looking at the scaly creature pulling the carriage. It looked like a horse, only a dead one. The fur was no longer on the back of it's body and you could almost see it's bones. The color of each animal was a pitch-black color.
"Nothing's pulling the carriage Violet, it's pulling itself like always," Hermione said looking to Ron unsure.
"No I see it too," Harry said from beside me staring up at the same animal I was looking at.
"Don't worry I can see them too," Luna said in her starry voice, "you're just as sane as I am." The carriage ride to the castle was a quiet one. Harry was still acting weird, and Hermione and Ron were scared to step on his toes by saying anything. So again, it was left to me to spark up some kind of conversation with everyone, who were only responding to be nice.
When we finally arrived at the castle, I felt a sense of home rush through me. Standing on Hogwarts grounds, I knew this was where I belonged. I took my suitcase off the carriage and walked alongside everyone else into the gates.
Once we had left our luggage along with everyone else's, we made our way to the hall. I hadn't eaten this morning so I was in a great rush to get to the feast.
"Hermione I'm starving," I whined trying to walk as fast as I could.
"Goodness you sound like Ron," she told me, but I ignored her.
The great hall was just as I remembered it; yellowy lights brightening the house tables below them, a sky full of stars that seemed to twinkle no matter which one you looked at, and my dad raising his goblet to me from the teacher's table while I waved hello.
I looked for Fred but was taken aback when he already was sitting next to a group of people, and there was no room for me. On his right was George, and across from him was Lee and Alicia. But the thing that upset me most was Angelina sitting directly to his left. My eyes narrowed on them and I felt a wave of jealousy go through me. Anyone with eyes knew that Angelina still had a massive crush on Fred and I thought out of respect to me, he wouldn't entertain it.
"Boys," Hermione muttered noticing where my stare was and pulled me down to sit next to her, "just forget it he's being an idiot."
"What do you know something I don't?" I asked but she had no time to reply since Professor McGonagall brought in a line of nervous looking first years. Just like last year she spoke out the instructions, and one by one they sat on the stool to be placed in their house.
Once the sorting was over, Dumbledore stood up and welcomed everyone back.
"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts! The very best of evenings to you! Now... to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you." He smiled while everyone clapped politely, "I would like to welcome back our usual staff, and introduce to you all Dolores Umbridge who will be filling in the defense against the dark arts position." Another quiet round of applause went around the hall.
"Now this year-"
"Ahem," a squeaky voice interrupted his speech. We all looked at the mad women who was covered in pink from head to toe, as she stood up and approached where Dumbledore stood.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. And how lovely to see all your bright happy faces smiling up at me." Glancing around the table I saw everyone hold the most blank expression on their faced, "I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends."
"That's likely," Fred and George said sarcastically making Angelina and Alicia giggle. I swallowed my anger and tried to focus on the pink woman in front of me speaking.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizard of vital importance. Although each Headmaster has brought something new to this historic school. Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." No one really understood her speech and just stared at her in confusion.
"I just want to eat already," I complained.
"Thank you Professor Umbridge, that really was most illuminating. Now without further ado, dig in!" My eyes went wide as I had almost forgotten how big the feasts were at the school. I took a plate of chicken nuggets and loaded some fries on them, sighing in happiness.
"The beast has been fed," I announced to everyone making them laugh."
"Did you hear what she said? Illuminating? What a load of waffle!" Ron exclaimed taking a bite of his drumstick. I just shrugged since I didn't even know the woman, although her voice was definitely going to give me a headache during class.
"Yeah what did she mean about progress must be discouraged," Harry asked, not touching his plate of food.
"It means the ministry's interfering with Hogwarts," Hermione said with a look of disgust.
If the ministry was interfering with Hogwarts, then what did this mean for the school? Surely, they didn't have the right to limit their use on magic. After all each of their O.W.L's this year had a practical bit at the end.
I kept talking to Ginny while glaring at Fred from the corner of my eyes. He hadn't even looked at me so far and I was extremely confused over why I was being ignored. Everything was completely perfect between us at headquarters so why did he change once we got on the train. Maybe he had become embarrassed of me.
And to make things worse he had Angelina in the spot I normally sat in.
That little bitch, I thought. She was fully aware of the flirty eyes and obnoxious giggles she was making to get his attention. I was glad he wasn't really paying looking at her but he wasn't stopping her either.
"Did I miss a fight between you two or something?" Ginny asked.
"No dude," I shrugged, "everything was fine but as soon as we got on the train he started ignoring me."
Once the plates were empty, I stood up to walk back to the dorm.
"Uhm we actually have to go escort the first years," Ron gulped.
"That's fine we'll go back on our own," I assured them. I desperately wanted to go talk to Fred and see what was going on but Sirius's voice echoed in my head, 'watch over Harry for me' 'I'll watch over your godson I promise into his shoulder.'
Since Hermione and Ron had prefect duties to complete, I couldn't leave Harry to walk back on his own. I could see Fred looking at me almost waiting for me to make my decision on walking over to him or to keep going. I decided then that Harry's needs were greater than my own and I could always explain to Fred what Sirius told me.
"Ready?" I asked Harry trying to put a smile on my face.
"Yeah let's go," he said. And with one last glance of Fred with his group of friends, I shook my head and followed Harry out of the hall.
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A/N oops this is one of my longest chapters I just had so much I wanted to include 😂