Defend

Fifty-One Smartest Fucking Slytherin

With almost the same awe I had when I first climbed aboard the boat, a surreal smile is plastered across my face as I follow Hermione, Ginny, and Luna into the small boat. Hagrid apparently takes all the seventh years back across the lake in the boats like he took us in our first year. He seems a bit teary-eyed as he gets into his own boat to guide the seventh years across the lake. My eyes flick around their sockets so quickly I feel dizzy as I try to take everything in. The towering castle, the smooth, dark water that I slept with as a constant companion at my window for seven years. The beaming faces of Ginny, Hermione, and Luna. I can feel tears welling in my eyes at the overwhelm.

Hagrid's hand swallows mine as he helps me from the boat, and I smile at the deja vu. "Thank you so much Hagrid. For everything." I throw my arms around him, smiling so hard I feel my eyes growing moist.

"It was my pleasure, Eliza." He smiles at me as he moves to help Ginny from the boat. I grin at Ginny, thinking about my first year. When I climbed on that boat for the first time, I definitely didn't expect all the insanity of Voldemort's return. Although, considering my first year started with my best friend almost dying, I don't see why I'm surprised.

"Eliza!" A shrill voice jolts me from my reverie, and I twist around to see Silwel running at me, his Ravenclaw robes flapping behind him. "I'm going to miss you." He pouts, revealing his bottom lip. "Will you write to me?"

I let out a laugh. "Of course I will, my dear. As often as possible." I assure him, adjusting to the realisation I no longer have to bend down to give him a hug. I forget he's a second year now, and he feels like he's a big boy. I know he is, he's grown much too quickly with the trauma he had to face last year when he was only eleven. "I love you, Silwel. I do hope you have fun next year." I insist, bending down and placing a kiss on his coco hued forehead.

"I love you, Eliza, and I promise I will!" He smiles so widely, it's contagious.

"Come visit Weasley Wizard Wheezes, I promise I'll be there." I tell him, hugging him once more. I completed my N.E.W.T.S as best as I could, but since I won't get my results until later this summer, I've decided to work at George's shop for a while to get into a routine and give him company.

~~~~

"I absolutely can not believe we graduated from Hogwarts. It feels like such a long time since the whole thing with the Chamber." Ginny reflects, hooking her elbow with mine.

"Seriously." I reply, thinking about it myself as the ginger holding a top hat comes into view. A little lump grows in my throat as I try to come to terms that only one half will greet me. I can't believe it's been a whole year.

"Godric, don't cry, Eliza! Then we'll all start doing it." Ginny laughs as she nudges me and I force myself to laugh as well as we enter the shop to hang out with George and Ron.

~~~~

"Eliza! Owl for you!" Mrs. Weasley calls from the kitchen, and I pause my conversation with Ginny, leaving her room to the kitchen.

"Who's it from?" I'm hanging out with the Weasley's today, and Draco should know just to send any letters to my house. I'll go home after dinner, so I wonder what's so urgent that it has to be sent to the Burrow.

"Hogwarts, dear." A big smile is plastered across her face as she hands me the letter. Still in disbelief that I won't be returning next year, I take the letter from Molly, my brain drifting to the second time I held a Hogwarts letter. I had held Cedric's when he received his, but when I got mine I was ecstatic, jumping around the house and yelling. Cedric played keep away with it, and I was about to burst into tears when another letter shot out of the fireplace and smacked him in the face.