𝙮𝙤𝙪 || 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐢𝐱: 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫

"You remember where your father put your trunk?"

You sigh. "Yes, Mum—"

"And your permission form? Don't lose it or you won't get to see whatever this Hogsmeade place is."

You peer over her shoulder to look at your father, silently pleading for him to intervene. He mouthes 'just go with it' and shoots you a helpless smile.

"What was the headmaster thinking, sending children out and about in a town while a wanted criminal is on the loose?" She rants while patting your clothes for invisible dust. "What if Black suddenly holds any of them hostage?"

Her fussiness was tripled with her added anxiousness. She was especially hesitant to sign your permission form for Hogsmeade if it weren't for your father convincing her. Running into Black wasn't something you wanted either, but you're certain Dumbledore would do his best to protect the whole school. If only your mother would think the same.

"Mum, it's not like Black can just prance into town whenever he pleases," you said jokingly. "He's on the run. And it's not like he has a reason to be at Hogwarts."

You can see from her face that she wants to believe that, but then the what-ifs start clouding her mind and her whole expression would wrinkle in worry. Trying to comfort her would only resume that cycle.

"You and Dad still have to go to Aunt Cecilia's," you remind her. "And I still have to wait for my friends. Just," you pause to find a measured response. "Just, take it easy, alright?"

Your mother was about to say something but seems to think over it. Hesitantly, she nods with a forced smile, bits of her composure piecing together until she was ready to let you go on the steaming train. After giving your parents one last hug, you're entering the Hogwarts Express with the rest of the students before you remember something.

You thrust your upper torso out of an open window. "Give me some of the coconut shampoos when I send a letter!" You shout to your parents with a wave. "Tell Auntie I loved it!"

"We will!" Responds your father just as loudly, both him and your mother waving back.

With a nod, you go back inside the train. As you step backward, you bump into someone. It shortly made you reminisce of when you first met Oliver in Diagon Alley, but this time, no hands were there to catch you. Instead, they pushed you roughly that you almost went out the window.

"Watch it!"

Draco Malfoy is alone, but the sneer of disgust on his face was uglier than Crabbe and Goyle's combined. One difference you noticed was that his hair no longer looked like it was slicked back by a cow's tongue overnight. His bangs were hanging freely and even parted in the middle.

Just let his hair grow a few more inches and he'll look just like his greasy, gremlin father.

Just when you're able to stabilize yourself, he saunters past you while purposely shoving you against the window again with his shoulder.

"Stay out of my way, Mudblood," he seethes, fixing you with a loathsome scowl. "That Basilisk should have finished you off when it had the chance."

You watch him with a glare as he walks away. "What a gentleman," you mutter, rubbing the aching side of your face.

Even with his father sacked as a school governor, he still has an air of superiority. With an ego that big, you're surprised nobody has jumped on him yet. You entertain the idea of cursing him with boils again this year.

"Oh!"

You look to your right and see Ginny. Her face lights up as she said your name, her cheeks turning slightly red. You notice she had more freckles this year.