Enchanted | James Potter

Chapter 17: What Are Friends For?

"Welcome!" Said Dumbledore. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all…."

As the speech ended and they were introduced to their new DADA Professor, the feast began and Flora finally felt at home again. At long last it was time to go to bed.

James called an emergency marauders meeting as they reached their room. He had written to the mystery girl multiple times but there was no answer. He had decided to finally tell the Marauders about the Enchanted Diary.

After he had finished telling his story, all the marauders stared at him. There was no reply. He looked at them confused.

"That was one of the most interesting things we've ever heard…" Sirius started.

"..and you decided to tell us now?" Mathias finished, very dramatically. 

"It's quite romantic, Prongs" Remus said as Peter wriggled his eyebrows. James sighed and sat down on his chair.

"If it was romantic, she would have replied by now." He said with a sad expression.

"Don't worry, Prongs. The marauders are here to provide their service." 

James smiled. Only they could make him smile at such a moment.

The conversation soon drifted to Sirius's escape from his house and then to Mathias and Evanna. They did not sleep till three in the morning.

Professor Mcgonagall soon arrived with the timetables and cleared Flora to continue with Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology  and Care for Magical Creatures. The classes were in full swing again. Flora qualified for all the classes she wanted to take, as did her friends, and she was happy about it. 

Their first lesson was Potions with the Slytherin's , and all the students were asked to brew the Draught of Living Death. Professor Slughorn had announced that the one who made the best potion would get a bottle of Felix Felicis. Everybody was excited and encouraged to do their best but in the end Edward Rosier made the best potion and got Felix Felicis. It was obvious because Potions was his best subject. In Fact he had annotations all over his Potions book. Edward had looked towards Flora multiple times during the class since this was the first time he saw her in months. She had only grown more beautiful, if it was even possible.

Snape had to nudge him several times to stop him from staring at her. 

In their Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, they had started lessons on Non- verbal spells and their new professor had told them, much to their disappointment, that they would learn Patronus charm in seventh year as opposed to sixth.

Everyone was exhausted by the time the day ended. They didn't imagine that anything could be as tiring as fifth years. They all regretted staying up late the previous night.

By the time weekend arrived, they were all glad to have a day off. The girls were sitting in their rooms, talking about their summer. Lily told them about her trip to France and how her and her sister met a bunch of cute french guys. They all giggled at that. Evanna told them about Sweden and her newborn cousin. She showed them his picture and he was very cute.

When Flora was in her first year, she had decided not to tell anyone about her parents till they were her very good friends and could be trusted. Over the summer, Flora was showered with their love and she was very happy when all her friends sent her stuff without asking many questions. She wanted to tell them now and so she did. 

It was an awkward conversation but she told them about everything. How Florence and Ezra met, their relationship, their marriage and then eventually Florence dying due to cancer and Ezra dying in a plane crash. Her friends were extremely sympathetic to her and were glad that she told them even if it took some time. They were all also very angry at her step mother and sisters. How could anyone treat a child like that? It was despicable. They started making plans of pranking Catherine and Kimberly and Alice immediately invited her to her house next summer. They would not let her go to that house again, they promised. She thanked them for being so nice to her but Alice only replied "What are friends for?"

Flora felt like crying. She would never let her friends go. Talking about her parents had made her emotional again. She had often wondered why she went to her home every summer. Of course she didn't have anywhere else to go but she could simply have gone to live with one of her many friends. Then she thought about the house and even though now it was Karla's and was tainted by her presence, the same cottage had once belonged to her parents and they lived there very happily. It still had many memories of Flora. Even her parents were buried nearby. 

And as much as she wanted to deny it, Catherine and Kimberly were her half sisters. They were her father's daughter too and she felt close to him there.