I entered the common room for the first time this school year and felt a rush of emotions coming at me. This was the place I was most comfortable with, the place I called home, and it felt good to be back.
The walls were still a deep red color, but I saw a second couch had been added in front of the fireplace. The paintings inside were all greeting returning students, and entertaining the first years that stared at the place in awe.
Harry and I had gotten there after pretty much everyone else and a weird hush fell upon the room when we entered. Every eye was looking at Harry, almost expecting him to make some kind of speech. I could feel the tension and had no idea what was happening.
"Dean, Seamus," Harry said nodding, "have a good holiday?"
"All right," Dean responded politely, "better than Seamus', anyway."
"What happened with you Seamus," I spoke with a frown, not knowing why the details of someone's summer had everyone silent.
"Well me mum didn't want me to come back this year," Seamus stood up.
"Why not?" Harry asked.
"Let me see. Because of you! The Daily Prophet's been saying a lot of things about you and Dumbledore." I opened my mouth in shock not believing that this conversation right now was real. It didn't make sense to me that so many people were trying to discredit Harry's story and for what? What would he possibly be gaining from spreading around lies about the man who tried to murder him.
"And what, your mum believes them?" Harry snapped.
"Nobody was there the night Cedric died."
"I guess you should read the Prophet, then, like your stupid mother."
"Don't talk about my mother!" My eyes were going back and forth the two boys, as was everyone else.
"I'll have a go at anyone that calls me a liar," Harry said angrily. I was about to stand up to defend him but Ron beat me to it.
"What's going on?" Ron said coming back from escorting the first years to their rooms.
"He's mad, is what's going on," Seamus pointed at Harry, "do you believe the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who?"
"Yeah. I do," Ron said sternly, "Has anyone else got a problem with Harry?" Everyone kept to their silence and both boys turned around to go upstairs.
"Seamus you're an idiot," I told him while walking upstairs to go to my own dorm. As I was approaching the stairs I saw Fred sitting down on the couch. I went up to go talk to him, but as soon as he saw me coming he stood up and walked away.
"He's being so weird" Ginny shook her head.
"I literally have no idea why too! He's been ignoring me since we got to Hogwarts. Is it something I did?"
"What could you possibly have done? We've been here for 3 hours. He's just being a git, best to leave him to it." I follower her instruction and just went up into my dorm. I saw Hermione's stuff on top of the bed next to mine. The names Lavender and Parvarti were written ontop of the other beds and I frowned in confusion.
This year we only had 4 beds in our dorm room, which was different from the five we normally had. This meant that Anastasia wasn't in our room but why?
I figured I would just find out why tomorrow when I saw her in my classes. My mind, as hard as I tried to avoid it, went back to the issue at hand with Fred. Is this what happens when you get a boyfriend? I honestly expected Fred and I to sneak out of the castle tonight, maybe go down to our spot by the lake, and stir trouble the first day back. Never did I imagine he would be upset with me over something I had no idea of, and not try to fix it.
Fine then. I didn't always need the peacekeeper and put in all that effort. Two can play at that game. If he was going to be immature and pretend like I didn't exist then I would do the same.
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"I can't believe I messed up the last part," I whined loudly. In Transfiguration we were supposed to turn the schools barn owls into a lamp, and mine had a large beak at the front of it.
"Yeah mine could have been better too," Hermione added.
"Shut up yours was literally perfect." She gave me a small smile knowing that there was nothing wrong with hers and proceeded to turn her lamp back into an owl.
"Hey have you see Anastasia anywhere?" I asked Hermione, "I didn't see her in our dorm last night and she wasn't there when I woke up either."
"Oh I forgot to tell you!" she exclaimed, "since I'm Prefect I get any letters pertaining to living situations forwarded to me. Her parents requested for her to have a single room this year."
"What can they do that?" I said confused.
"Nope but their money can," she replied giving me a knowing look. I wondered what would have made her family request a single for her? I know we hadn't talked over the summer but that's only because I wasn't allowed to send to receive letters. I hoped she didn't think I was purposefully ignoring her or anything.
"Maybe we should find her and see if she's okay," I suggested.
"I saw her last night when I was walking the first years," she said quietly, "she looked away as soon as we made eye contact. I don't think she wants to talk to us." I huffed sadly. Besides the trio and the twins, Anastasia had been my first friend I made at Hogwarts. It felt wrong to not have her sitting next to me in classes and eating copious amounts of chocolate frogs.
"Alright for homework I want each of you to complete one roll of parchment over the process to become an animagus," Professor McGonagall announced, "and Miss Pine if you could see me after."
Hermione made a face to ask what she was holding me back for, but I just shrugged not knowing. The class began to clear out until it was only me left in the room.
"You wanted to see me," I stated nervously.
"Yes, as a member of my house I wanted to see if you were settling in okay," she said not looking up from her papers.
"Oh uhm yeah I'm fine thanks for asking," she closed her book and looked up at me.
"Your father has told me you're interested in trying out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year?"
"Yeah I am! I played back in Ilvermorny but with all the craziness from last year I hardly found time to practice."
"Yes well your school did send a letter with your transfer claiming you were to be the next captain," she said impressed.
"Right..." I said not knowing where she was going.
"Well I'm sure you can understand that I can't make you captain of a team you haven't joined yet, but because of this letter from your old school I wanted to compromise and offer you the position of co-captain."
"wait you're offering for me to be co-captain!" I exclaimed.
"Yes I do believe that's what I just said. We hardly designate two captains at Hogwarts unless it's a special case scenario like yours," she smiled at me, "so what do you think? Do you accept?"
"Of course I do!" I shouted jumping in place.
"Perfect, you'll be joining your co captain in my classroom tonight at 7:00pm right before dinner," she handed me something, "here is your badge. I expect big things from you Miss Pine." I took the badge from her hands and felt my heart erupt. I had wanted so badly to try out for the team last year but since the tournament was being hosted here there wasn't any time.
"You wont regret this," I assured and skipped off to find someone to tell them the news. Quidditch captain! I mean co-captain but it still held the same amount of honor with the title. I saw two redheads from afar and almost ran over to them. Then I remembered that Fred wasn't speaking to me and I let my pettiness take over and refused to go over and tell them.
So instead I found my dad's office not too far from Professor McGonagall's and went inside. He was in the middle of a class, in hindsight I probably should have knocked first, but the students were clearly all collaborating on some kind of group project which left my dad free to talk.
"Violet what a surprise," he said smiling, "missed your old man already?"
"Well I just wanted to be the first to break the news to you." His face weirdly went pale and he looked at me nervously.
"Maybe we should speak about this in my study," I furrowed my eyebrows but followed him regardless. When he had made sure to shut the door he turned back to me, "I swear to merlin if you're pregnant I will put you on house arrest."
"What," I gasped, "what I havent even-what I didnt-what!" I stumbled over my words. Instead of speaking I pulled'll out the badge and handed it to him.
"Quidditch captain?" he mumbled reading it, "oh thank goodness that was the news."
"It scares me that you think I could casually tell you something like that in front of your class of students," I laughed while he hugged me.
"Congratulations that's amazing! Looks like you'll be getting that new broom after all you asked me for last year."
"Really?" I squealed, "I'm so excited!"
"I'll take you to Hogsmead this weekend then. How does Saturday sound?"
"Perfect," I grinned, "Thank you dad."
"No problem sweetheart. But I should probably get back to the classroom of students I have waiting on me," we laughed and I left his class waving goodbye.
I ran around the hallway in excitement trying to find the next person I could tell.
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