Taking Over Me

Chapter 7 - Year 3 - 1940

     "Marianne, do you have everything you need for school? Is your trunk packed? We need to be heading to King's Cross Station. I'd hate for you to miss the train," my father called up the stairs of our house to me.

     "I'll be down in a second. I've just got to throw a few more things in my trunk," I hollered back.

     "You'd better hurry. Your mother is getting impatient."

     I sighed and dove on top of the lid of my trunk to get it to close with everything I had stuffed into it. I finally managed to latch it shut and sighed in relief.

     I was thrilled to be returning to Hogwarts. My time at the school always seemed to fly by and I was both happy and apprehensive. I couldn't wait to see Ronnie again along with Iris, the seer. Over the past two years at Hogwarts, they have both become good friends of mine. I'll admit that I believe Iris is really a seer. She was able to see that Jeremy Lovegood had needed help in Transfiguration. I volunteered to tutor him and we'd become good friends in the process.

     Iris hadn't been able to see what I'd really wanted answers about; my unknown future after Hogwarts. She'd said the exact same thing as the Sorting Hat, that my future was blank and she wasn't able to see beyond the inky black cloud that blocked her sight. She had been able to give me a better idea of when to be on the lookout for whatever was coming my way.

     She had seen me taking my O.W.L. exams, but refused to tell me how I did, and then it was after that when her vision started to grey over. Near the end of my sixth year at Hogwarts something was going to happen, there was no denying that, but what? I shook my head and tried not to panic about not reaching graduation.

     I hefted my trunk off my bed and lugged it down the stairs to the car my father and mother were waiting in. I dropped my trunk in the deck of the car, popped in the backseat and we drove through London to King's Cross Station. Most of the drive was occupied by my mother lecturing me on how it would be my fault if we were late. We got to the station with twenty minutes to spare. My mother worries over nothing. Occasionally, I find it endearing; mostly it's just annoying as heck.

      My father found a spare trolley for my trunk and my cat's cage. I bent down to check on Chandler. He opened sleepy green eyes and meowed at me as if to say that he shouldn't have to sit in a cage for so long. I scratched his chin and he purred for a second, before curling back in a ball, asleep.

     Mother tottered forward on her high heels and shooed me towards the train platforms. My father pushed my trunk and cat, following Mother and me. We reached Platform 9 and ¾ with eleven minutes to spare. My father handed my trunk off to one of the train workers while my mother fussed over my hair. I'd cut it over the summer and she hadn't approved. If she'd had her way, I'd have drank a hair growth potion right then and there. I liked my new hairstyle. I thought the shorter style made my black hair seem more mysterious.

     The train whistled and Mother grabbed me in a tight hug while shouting to my father to come over and say goodbye to me. My father jogged over after saying farewell to one of his colleagues from the Ministry. My mother let go of me and Father's arms replaced hers.

     "Have fun this year Mari," he said.

     "And make sure you behave. Also keep up with your homework, and tell Rolanda hello for us and make sure you came back for Christmas. And for goodness sake don't get friendly with any Slytherins." My mother chirped.

     "Actually now that I think of it, maybe you should just avoid boys all together." My father cut in. "With all of the dangers at that school, it might be safer for our Mari to stay home this year so we can keep an eye on her."