Hogwarts Mystery Year 7

Conebush and Persimmons

The Spellmans were some of the first people to arrive at platform nine and three-quarters, as Sarah needed to wait in the Prefect's compartment to give out instructions as part of her Head Girl duties.

"Right, have a good term," said her mother, stepping in to give her a good hug.

"Write as soon as you know your quidditch schedule," said her father, stooping to pick up her heavy trunk, while Sarah clung to the top of Wingsworth's cage.

He helped her load her heavy trunk onto the train, then the family exchanged final goodbyes and hugs and promises to write. It all seemed a bit strange. Not since her first year had she felt a strange tugging in the chest at the thought of leaving, rather than the desire to get well away from home immediately. Sarah wondered if her parents felt it too.

The Prefects' compartment was at the front of the train. Sarah lugged her trunk and owl along, to find a single occupant already within.

"Hullo, Sarah," said Corey, rising from his seat to shake her hand enthusiastically.

"Hi, Corey."

Corey Hayden was in Gryffindor with her, but though they were both in the same year, Sarah had never really spoken to him outside of class. From what she'd heard, he kept as busy as she did, though generally on Hogwarts-sanctioned activities, rather than vigilante justice groups.

Corey was about Sarah's height and rather stalky, with messy, rusty brown hair and brown, almond eyes that always seemed alight with excitement. As he shook her hand, a large smile was plastered to his round face.

"Looking forward to working with you," he said. "I still can't believe I got selected, can you? Sure, it's probably no surprise to you, you are Hogwarts's hero, after all. I've been preparing all summer for this. I've read up on Hogwarts's previous Head Boys and Girls, made a clipboard of all the various duties will be expected to perform, and look, I've collected tons of chocolate frog cards to hand out to all the first years."

"Oh, wow. That's...nice," said Sarah.

She finally managed to pull her hand out of Corey's grip as he reached into his bag for the sack of chocolate frog cards. He also showed her his clipboard, and Sarah found herself wiping her brow as she flipped through its numerous sheets of parchment. She'd done nothing to prepare for the job, other than read through the list of requirements that had come with her Hogwarts letter in July.

"What are you most looking forward to?" asked Corey. "I'm really excited about finally getting to see the prefect's bathroom, to be honest."

"It is pretty cool," she admitted. She set Corey's clipboard on the seat in front of her before looking at all the charts and notes made her dizzy.

"Would you like a clipboard?" he asked. "I can make a duplicate."

"Uh...maybe later." She scanned the compartment for something to change the subject, not eager to feel like an inadequate Head Girl on her first day. "What are you reading?"

Corey had set a worn book down as he'd stood up to greet her. He picked up the book to show her.

"Thornton Hall's Missing Heir. It's the latest of the Detective Files of Conebush and Persimmons."

Sarah looked at the cover. The book was bound in black leather, with an image engraved in gold on the front, depicting two men standing back to back, a large mansion in the background. The man on the left held his wand out to illuminate footprints on the ground, while the man on the right held up a sneakoscope that spun in his hand. Every few seconds, the pair would share a suspicious glance and then turn to stare at the mansion behind them.