Brighter Than the Sun

Chapter Fifty-One

There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day. Nobody was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang; even Potions was more bearable than usual, as it was half an hour shorter. When the bell rang early, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I hurried up to Gryffindor Tower to deposit our bags and books as we'd been instructed. As Hermione and I rushed into our dorm to grab our cloaks, we saw Lavender and Parvati freshening themselves up as well. Parvati had woven her hair into a tight, neat braid and was currently putting a large, bedazzled butterfly clip at the end.

"Butterfly," Jab muttered, his eyes fixed on the thing.

"He's been saying that since I got it out," Parvati said. "I think he's finally decided on a nickname!"

"Good for you," Hermione said, fastening her cloak and rushing out. I gave Jab a treat and rummaged through my trunk to grab my cloak. Once I'd found it, I quickly fastened the brooch and started for the staircase.

"Wait!" Lavender exclaimed. "You can't go out there with your hair like that!"

I frowned. "Hermione's going with her hair 'like that.'"

"Her hair is always frizzy, but even so, it's neater than yours," Lavender said. "At least take that ponytail down, it's almost all fallen out of the hair tie, anyway."

"Fine!" I yanked out the hair tie. "There, better?"

"At least brush it!" Lavender ran the brush through my hair a few times before taming it with some water and putting it in a half-up, half-down.

"Great, thanks," I deadpanned. I had no time to fuss about hair any longer, so I grabbed the two girls and dragged them both out of the dorm and down the stairs.

"What happened to you?" Ron asked when I found him, Harry, and Hermione in the common room.

"Lavender did my hair," I explained. "Now let's go before we're late!"

No time to lose, we rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall, where the Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.

"Weasley, straighten your hat," Professor McGonagall snapped at Ron. "Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."

Parvati scowled and removed the butterfly from the end of her plait.

I smirked at her. "All that primping and preening for nothing."

"Oh, hush." Parvati narrowed her eyes at me but gave me a wink a few seconds later to let me know she wasn't really mad at me.

"Follow me, please," said Professor McGonagall. "First years in front... no pushing..."

We filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. I stood between Harry and Hermione in the fourth row from the front.

"Nearly six," said Ron, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

"I doubt it," said Hermione.

"How, then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.

"I don't think so," I said. "Not from that far away..."

"A Portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could Apparate - maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"

"You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds," Hermione and I chorused at once.