human again / hp.

Chapter 21

The end of the year arrived in a whirlwind of celebrations and farewells. Celeste joined her friends in the courtyard as students loaded their trunks onto carriages bound for the Hogwarts Express. The Gryffindors were still riding the high of their House Cup victory, their laughter and chatter filling the air.

"Hard to believe it's over, huh?" Ron said, hoisting his trunk into the luggage compartment of the carriage.

"Feels like we've been here forever," Harry added, looking back at the castle wistfully.

"Not forever," Hermione corrected with a smile, "but it has been a year we'll never forget."

Celeste folded her arms, gazing at the towering spires of the castle. "It's weird. I didn't think I'd get attached to this place... but now I don't want to leave."

"Don't worry," Hermione said reassuringly. "We'll be back before you know it."

As the carriage began to move, Celeste felt a pang of longing. The castle grew smaller in the distance, but she pushed the feeling aside. She wasn't going to let sentimentality get the better of her—at least, not yet.

The Hogwarts Express rattled along the tracks, the rhythm of the wheels a steady backdrop to the chatter and laughter filling the compartments. Celeste sat with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, their trunks stashed neatly above their heads.

Ron was enthusiastically recounting their adventures to Harry, who laughed and occasionally chimed in. Hermione was reading Hogwarts: A History again, though her eyes occasionally flicked up, clearly amused by Ron's embellishments.

Celeste leaned against the window, watching the countryside blur past. The excitement of their victory had begun to fade, replaced by a quiet unease she couldn't quite shake. She hadn't told her friends yet, but she was nervous about facing her parents—particularly her father.

"Celeste?" Harry's voice broke through her thoughts.

She turned to see him watching her curiously. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said quickly, forcing a smile. "Just tired, I guess."

Ron looked up. "Bet Malfoy's sulking in some corner of the train. He must've hated losing the House Cup."

"Draco doesn't sulk," Celeste said dryly, though her lips twitched. "He broods. It's more dramatic that way."

The group burst into laughter, the tension in Celeste's chest easing for a moment.

The train continued its journey, and soon, the countryside gave way to the familiar outskirts of London.

As the Hogwarts Express pulled into Platform 9¾, the station buzzed with the sound of families reuniting. Celeste spotted the distinctive blond heads of her parents waiting near the barrier, her twin brother Draco standing just behind them.

"Well," she said, grabbing her trunk and standing up. "Looks like my ride's here."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances, sensing her hesitation.

"Stay in touch, okay?" Hermione said.

"Definitely," Celeste promised, forcing a smile.

As she stepped off the train, her father's piercing gaze locked onto her. Lucius Malfoy stood tall and imposing in his black robes, his cane clutched tightly in one hand. Narcissa Malfoy, elegant and composed as ever, greeted her with a cool smile.

Draco smirked as she approached. "Well, well. Back from your little adventure, are you?"

Celeste shot him a warning look, but he just chuckled.