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As the quartet exited the train,they excitedly jumped in the moving carriages to the castle. Ron and Hermione on one side with Harry and Zinnia on the other. The space was small and they were a bit cramped. Harry and Zinnia, their arms heavily pressed together, looked at each other with a half smile and looked back down at the floor bashfully. Just as the carriage was about to depart, a familiar smiling face jumped in at the last minute. Fay Dunbar. Catching the attention of Zinnia.
"FAY!" the girl shouted, jumping almost entirely over Harry in order to embrace one of her closest friends. The groups was startled at the energetic response but laughed the girls' reunion
"Hey Z, I see you're eager for a new year," Fay laughed through her intoxicating smile. Fay had the kind of face where if she smiled then everyone around her couldn't help but smile too. She was a ray of fucking sunshine that Zinnia reeded amongst her gloomy nature.
"Not so much for a new year but to see everyone again, I don't notice how much I miss you guys until I see you again" Zinnia stated, receding into her seat as the carriage took off.
The group had lively conversations about Fay's holiday events and the trials of the Quidditch world cup. Fay had expressed how she wanted to go initially but was glad she didn't. Zinnia wasn't too keen on the subject, tired of talking about what happened as it brought up many unpleasant memories she would rather bury.
As the rickety carriage pulled up to the castle, everyone proceeded into the building distracted by a near off sight in the distance. The group hurried to the side to get a good look at what was happening.
Amongst the clutter of 'oohs' and 'aahs', Zinnia was immensely confused
"What on earth is that" she blurted out
"Must be what dad was talking about, this is definitely something different" Ron suggested, with a nod from Harry and Hermione. As the object became clearer, Zinnia noticed that it was a carriage unlike the ones at Hogwarts, this one was ornate and decorated with white and gold accents. It was pulled by large horses with the white wings similar to that of a Hippogriff. Zinnia was reminded of the story of Cinderella her mother used to read her as the carriage closely resembled that. She smiled to herself at the memory.
"CLEAR THE RUNWAY!" The crowd let out a series of winces as the descending carriage almost wiped out the signaling Hagrid.
"Well there's something you don't see everyday" Fred joked from above the group
"You can say that again" Zinnia remarked to be met with a smirking Fred
"Well there's something you don't see everyday" he repeated, testing the girl
"Oh shut it" she frowned and hit him on the arm, Fred opened his mouth to reply but was distracted by something in the black lake, he grabbed Zinnia's head and turned it to the object emerging from the water. A grandiose ship emerged from the depths of the Black Lake to reveal its elaborate sails and woodwork, adorned with a fierce carving of a dragon that spilled out water as the ship approached. Zinnia's eyes went wide, fixated on the ship as the sails revealed the school emblem. Before she could react, everyone was sweeped into the Great Hall by the professors for the sorting ceremony.
