Unity & Perseverance

Back To School

A/N: Next Chapter: Classes start up, the gang has their first Defence lesson with Professor Umbridge, and the mystery around the new Astronomy teacher continues

The next morning, Amelia was up at seven. She was excited to start another new year at Hogwarts, and although she was definitely going to miss Sirius and the house, there was the Defence Association to look forward to. She was positive she was going to form new friendships, and most likely with people she would never have dreamed of getting along with on a friendship level this time last year.

When she enthusiastically got dressed and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast, she found Sirius already in there. Gosh, this is rare.

"Hey, Amelia." Her godfather smiled warmly.

"Morning," she replied back, as Ditsy and Dippey prepared her usual breakfast choice - warmly toasted bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

"You seem excited for school," Sirius smirked.

"This year's going to be a good year, I know it." She replied enthusiastically. "Harry's club is definitely going to be a massive hit, and even though there is the O.W.L's, I just know things will look up."

Harry came down twenty minutes later, and Dorea came down at seven fifty. "When are we meeting the Weasley's, and where?" Dorea asked as she boiled the kettle.

"We'll Floo to the station, and meet them at Platform Nine and Three Quarters." Sirius explained, "they hope to get there within plenty of time, so all your luggage gets on safely. Have you definitely packed everything?"

"Yes," Amelia confirmed - she had triply-checked last night. Harry and Dorea nodded yes's as well.

"Are you going to miss us, whilst you're here all on your own?" Harry asked.

"Oh, don't worry about me. Remus will be coming over more often, as will the other Order members. I might persuade them to just occupy the umpteen other bedrooms here permanently and literally only use Grimmauld Place for meetings." Sirius brushed off any concern. Amelia couldn't help but notice the tiniest twinkle in her godfather's eye, but maybe she was just imagining things.

After breakfast, she found herself quite bored. All her stuff was packed, and she didn't quite want to take something out in case she forgot to pack it again. It was only half past eight, they didn't have to leave until twenty-past ten.

She wandered down the corridor to Dorea's room. She knocked once before poking her head round. Dorea was scrambling to hide something, as she heard a slight crumbling of paper. "What's up?" She asked.

"Erm, nothing much." Dorea tried to sound inconspicuous.

"What's that bit of paper?" Amelia asked.

Dorea sighed, but then revealed it. "Back at Grimmauld Place, I stole this off Kreacher. It's.... A letter that my uncle wrote to my grandparents."

Amelia tried to connect the dots. "You mean, a letter that Regulus wrote to Walburga and Orion?"

"Yes," Dorea admitted. "Do you wish to read it?"

Amelia nodded, and her godsister handed the lengthy bit of paper to her.

She had read it twice within the space of minutes, and still kept whistling lowly. "Regulus was forced to be a Death Eater."

"It certainly implies that, but I don't know... He could have easily willingly joined but then changed his mind." Dorea sounded unsure.

"Have you shown this to you dad?" Amelia pondered.