The Hope beneath the Dark - Sebastian Sallow

9. Secrets are a Gaunt's middle name

My grandmother decided to accompany me at King's cross station today. It will be my first and last time taking the train to Hogwarts, as I was about to start my 7th and final year.

Last year, I didn't get to travel the usual way, as Professor Fig and I flew over there in a carriage. Well, that was the original plan, but it ended with a ridiculously long detour.

Pushing my cart around the station, I walked until I reached where the platform 9 3/4 was. My grandmother hugged me goodbye there, as she didn't feel comfortable following me beyond that brick wall.

"Be safe this year, my dear." She pleaded, squeezing both my hands in hers, before letting me go.

"I will, don't worry. I love you grandma!" I told her, turning around and sprinting right into the brick wall. I magically found myself in a completely different train station, where I could see some of my friends waiting next to the Hogwarts Express.

"Maude!" Poppy screamed happily, noticing my arrival.

I quickly walked over to her, where she was waiting with Ominis and Freddie, who I guessed we'll be sitting with, as we would've done back in June on our way back if I hadn't encountered the Forsythe siblings.

"I'm so glad to see the three of you! I've been counting the days since the beginning of summer." I admitted, catching glimpse of Freddie nervously smiling at me.

We greeted some other students that we met on the platform, like Nerida, Everett Clopton, Amit Thakkar and Adelaide Oakes, amongst others. After some time, we were instructed to hop on the train. We followed Freddie, who was leading the way to a cabin where our little group would sit.

For most of the ride, we all took turns at telling each other about our summer. I didn't have much to tell them, so I just quickly recounted them about my birthday and some activities I did with my grandmother. The truth was that I studied a lot this summer. And by studying I really meant an awful amount of it. I wanted to be as much prepared as I could, and not to be running behind again as I did part of last year.

Poppy also spent the summer with her grandmother. They mostly took care of creatures, rescuing some more over the last two months. After Poppy was done telling us about it, it was Freddie's turn to share his vacation's stories.

He comes from a rather wealthy family, so he spent most of his summer traveling around Europe with his parents and his two sisters. I was surprised to learn that he has two older sisters. That explains why he seemed to know so much about how to talk to girls and understanding them.

As for Ominis, he didn't have much to say either. It was awkward for him to spend the summer with his family, with whom he doesn't get along that well. He usually spent part of the summer in Feldcroft with Anne and Sebastian, but for evident reasons, it wasn't possible to do so this year.

Freddie and Ominis hung together quite often this summer, in between every time Freddie and his family were going away. I was glad that Ominis had a friend to spend some time with while away from school, living with his family.

Towards the end of the ride, Poppy got up to find Lenora. She wanted to catch up with her and Cressida before arriving at the castle, leaving me alone with the two boys we boarded this train with.

"Maude, I got your owl back in June, followed by another one from Imelda after you found her in Marunweem." Ominis started.

I looked at him confused as to why he wanted to go over that now while Freddie was sitting with us. For a second, I forgot he couldn't get the hint with just my facial expression, so I needed to say something.

"Hum... Can we talk about that later? I'm too... Tired to remember what I wrote in my letter!" I said awkwardly, trying to let him know now's not the time.