A Blue Raven [1] // Harry Potter // Draco Malfoy

Home, Sweet Home

CHAPTER TWENTY: Home, Sweet Home

The Great Hall was decorated in all house colours and the point had been evened out during the night. For the first time in centuries, the red, blue, green and yellow sands sat at the same mark.

A plaque in remembrance of Lisa Turpin next to Myrtle Warren's, two Ravenclaw girls gone before life gave them a chance.

Hadleigh, Padma and Isabelle and I pulled our trunks into the hall where we picked up some food. Our trunks went in the pile by the front door; Hermione stood with Neville, Seamus, Dean, Harry and Ron. We waited with them, climbing into the ten-person carriage.  Drizella used my knees as a pillow as we jolted around in the carriage – Ron and Harry kept looking as if they wanted to say something to us but decided not to.

We piled into the carriage, Isabelle giving us a quick hug before joining Mandy and Anthony in another carriage.

"Say it." I breathed as we sat down, "before it eats you up."
Ron coughed, "We are sorry – about Lisa and what happened to all of you so we, harry and I, are here if you or your Ravenclaw mates want to talk."
I gave them a kind smile as they entered the compartment." I should be ok, I talked to Neville, Hadleigh and Hermione."
"What?" Hermione asked, stopping me from entering.
I smiled," I had a lot of time on my hands so I learnt how to move my consciousness as I dreamt."
Hadleigh smiled," So Dreamwalk you, sat next to us in the night."
I nodded," it took a couple of tries though, I'm trying to project it next so I can share what I see or walk other people's dreams."
Hermione smiled, "If you need help, ask."
Wrapping the girls up in a hug, I smiled." I will."

We sat opposite the boys, Drizella chewing on one of her chew sticks, We watched as the other students climbed in.  Somewhere crying on the last day of school, huddled together on the platform, taking photos for the last time.

"You know has they have a Wizarding High school, do they have Wizarding College or University; maybe even a wizarding Primary?" I asked out of nowhere.
Hermione looked puzzled," I don't know."
We looked at her in shock," What's that, Hermione Granger doesn't know something?"
"Shut up." She said punching my arm and I faked pain and turned my lips into a frown and run my finger from my eye to my chin in mock tears.
"Mum sent us to muggle primary school to learn to count and write." Ron shrugged," then other Pureblood families get private tutors from other wizard families."
"I went to primary school but I can't say it was a good experience." Harry confessed, "Dudley is evil"
"What did he do?" Seamus asked.
Harry shuddered," He chased me so I had to climb on top of the school to get away from him and his gang. Aunt Petunia wasn't exactly happy, not that she would believe me anyway."
"Didn't Dudley get in trouble?"
Harry shuck his head," they didn't believe me soo."
"That sucks, kind of glad Gran let us stay home. "I asked," But, what about after this? What do we do?"
The train jerked forwards. The school moving into the distance as we left the Scottish Highlands.
"I think we'll know when we get there." Hadleigh nodded a few times.
We talked for a while about next year and what crazy dangerous thing we can get ourselves into.
"The only thing I hope for next year is a teacher who doesn't try to kill us," I said.
"Or spends too long in a mirror." Neville shuddered
"Even better thought," Hadleigh turned to look at us," A teacher who knows what the Bloody Rowena they are talking about."
"Keep hoping as that's not going to happen." Dean Smiled as the trolley came through.

The sweet trolley parked up next to us," Anything from the trolley dears?"
Neville looked up at me," What do you want."
I smile," Two Barty bots every flavour beans, I have a game plan."
He nods cueing up with Dean, paying for the sweets; he tossed them to me.
"Roulette with sweets if you chicken out you're out. If you get a bad floured one and eat it you're in for the next; if you get a nice floured one safe." I explain, opening the box and held it out for Ron.

He picks one out, turning it in his hands looking at it warily.  His eyes darted around us as e chew, his face morphing into nausea.
"Dirt, I got Dirt flavour." He confessed taking a sip of water to swallow.
"Candy floss."
"Boggy."
"Watermelon."
"Apple."
"Earwax."
"Grass."
"Cherry."
"Rotten Egg."
"Marshmallow."
"Blueberry."
"Vomit."
"Soap."
"Black Pepper."

The game went on until we ran out of beans by that time the train had pulled into the station.
"Play it again when school starts?" Hadleigh asked, with a smirk.
The others nodded with a groan, during the ten-hour journey, Hadleigh had managed to pick all the nice tasting ones.
We clambered out of the compartment, holding Drizella's lead – we waited by the cargo hold to collect our trunks.
"Dean Thomas!"
We waved good-bye to Dean as he collected his trunk and met his parents somewhere on the crowded platform.
"Neville Longbottom."
Standing with Drizella between my legs, Neville came back and waited with me. Trevor sat in his cage, croaking away not moving  very much.
"Hadleigh Lovelace."
Hadleigh gave Hermione and I a fleeting hug as she wheeled her trunk out if the crowds to meet her parents and brother.
"Seamus Finnigan."
Neville and Seamus bumped fists as it left me and the golden trio to collect our belongings.
"Celin Longbottom."

I rolled my eyes at their mispronunciation – it wasn't that hard of a name. With a tight smile, I pulled my trunk by the handle – pushing my way through the crowds. Neville and I looked around for a woman in a hideous stuffed hat and large red tapestry bag.
"There!" Neville pointed.
Gran stood near the back, a large stuffed vulture on her head that was stitched onto a navy wide brim hat. With a shrug, we pulled our things through the rest of the crowds.
She looked up, her normal serious face spread into a smile – she wrapped her arms around us in a bone-crushing hug.
"Oh How I'm glad to have you back!"
I coughed," Gran, this is nothing like you – what's up?"
She kept us at arm's length," With the death of that girl and you being petrified – maybe I've been too hard on the both of you."
Neville looked at me then gran," No, you've been brilliant Gran."
Gran looked at us hopefully," Really?"
I nodded," Yeah, I don't think Uncle Algie or Aunt Enid would let us see mum and dad as much as you do. We really couldn't ask for anything more."
She nodded with a proud smile," Let's go home – we have Hot Pot tonight."
Walking through the wall, we saw the Weasley's talking to a rather plump man with a moustache; a woman clung into the man's arm she was spindly with a long neck but she had Harry's green eyes. Behind her was a boy around Harry's age who looked extraordinarily like his father.
"Later Harry," Neville called," Have a good summer."
"See you next year Harry," I yelled as Drizella trotted next to me.

The women jumped out of her skin as she tried to squeeze next to her husband even more as we skipped passed towards the underground where we took the train to the Leaky Cauldron.
Sitting in the pub – we had a drink if butterbeer, gran got some funny looks off the odd witch or wizard but other than that it was a good catch up between the three of us.
Around nine, we used the fireplace in the wizard bar as people came in for a drink after work. With Drizella sitting next to my trunk – I took a handful of floo powder.
"Vicarage Farm Stoke-upon-Trent" I yelled, dropping the powder on to the logs.

Spinning around in the green fire, when it stopped - I left my trunk by the washing machine and raced Drizella to the sofa where we stayed as the summer wind blew through the cracked open window.

Home Sweet Home.