~𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖚𝖆𝖌𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙~

i

𝒜𝓁𝑒𝓍𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓇𝒶

The train ride back to Hogwarts was a quiet one. Everyone was either sleeping or staring out the window in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Some were deep in reflection about what they had experienced, while others simply needed the time to digest everything. There were no more conversations or laughing like there had been on the way to Hogwarts. It was a stark contrast, and the weight of the war hung heavy in the air. Astoria was talking about some french wizard boy she met on our holidays and for once i felt everything might go back to normal....

It was just the two of them in our cabin...Alex and Astoria, funny thing is that its always been just them ever since they got assigned as room mates in their first year. They were best friends and loved eachother so much but things that seemed simple and silly before the war had begun were now tinged with grief, and they had to try and grapple with that new perspective. It was strange, seeing all of the same lessons and activities that brought them joy now cast in a somber light. The kids who had been so eager to learn about magic and enjoy their childhood years had grown so quickly and in a way that was harsh and painful.

The thestral ride to Hogwarts would have had a completely different tone than it used to have. It was no longer a peaceful and quiet ride with the occasional bit of excitement over seeing Hogwarts appear over the hills and rolling hills, it was now a much more solemn and quiet affair. The thestrals were no longer just transporting students to their school, they were carrying them on their backs to a place where they had experienced death and destruction. The children had been exposed to war and the brutal truth of the world, and that was not something that could be forgotten or ignored anymore. Most students could now see them...

The Great Hall was still familiar but not quite the same. The tables, seating, and general layout hadn't changed, but the atmosphere was different. The windows were cracked and broken, and there was a new grimness to the furniture that hadn't been there before. The tablecloths were faded and there was less food on the tables. The teachers were silent and grim-faced as they watched the students filter in, and the students themselves were quiet and solemn. It no longer had that cozy, welcoming feel.

And now Minerva our new headmistress gave her welcome back speech,

Welcome back to Hogwarts, students. It has been a while since we last gathered, but I am glad to see that you all have made it back safely. I know that the past year has been a whirlwind of events that you could have never anticipated or prepared for. Some of you have changed, and some of you have changed us. We were never meant to be a school at war, and it has taken its toll on us all. But despite the grief and sadness and fear that has gripped us all, we have survived. This year, as we try and get back to some sort of normalcy, we must also remember what we have been through. We must remember the people who didn't make it and the places that will never be the same. We must carry them forever in our hearts. We must honor their memory. We will survive and we will heal, and we will continue to educate and protect these walls and the people within. We will rebuild together, and we will honor the past. Welcome back to Hogwarts.

The Great Hall banquet was a far cry from the lavish feasts that were usually served. The tables were set with a simple buffet offering of basic dishes and ingredients. There was little decoration and everything seemed muted and simple. The silence was heavy and the students who were there seemed to be picking at their food rather than really eating. It was hard for them to find their appetites, and there was a somber mood across the hall. It was quiet and i hated it but eventually kids started talking and enjoying finding their old comfort and Astoria started talking with her mouth full as i looked around to see some familiar faces...

One that caught my eyes were the infamous 𝒹𝓇𝒶𝒸𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓁𝒻𝑜𝓎, the youngest death eater back in Hogwarts..sitting in our Slytherin table with his friends, Malfoy seemed thinner, haggard, and more worn. He had lost weight and his eyes were darker, with dark circles underneath them. His hair was messier and more frazzled, and he was less put together overall. There was a tiredness and exhaustion about him, and it seemed like he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in a long time. He no longer had that confident air about him.

His friends seemed more interactive but he was in deep thoughts and suddenly he noticed me looking as my eyes meet Malfoy's for the briefest moment. There's a hint of recognition in his gaze, but it's fleeting and he quickly looks away. His eyes flash with a mixture of curiosity and coldness. He looks away again, before you can read him, turning back to his own food and staring down at it idly.

That night we were in our dorms. Some students didn't sleep that night. They couldn't because of the nightmares waking them up. They were terrified of not only seeing the scenes of the war, but feeling them again- hearing the hexs and explosions, having their bones shake with the fear of sudden death. So, they sat at the window, their eyes wide as they stared out of the window at the darkness and let their minds wander in that way. None of them could look away from the window, none of them could get comfortable. They were all terrified and they were going back to the place where it all happened.

But Alex seems to find comfort in Astoria's constant yapping about her holidays, there was some kind of normalcy she could find in her best friends constants blabbering like its a lullaby to her...

she stumbled into a deep slumber with Astoria in her background who smiled warmly at her best friend sleeping in their shared dorm...

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

yippie-kay-yay motherfu!

I'm just kidding...

Best advisable to read in dark mode and it might go a bit gloomy in the first few chapter and this is my first book..hope u enjoy...please vote!!