A Study in Wizardry

This year will be different

No one really knows what this year will hold. After Dumbledore's death last year it was clear something dark was going on in the wizarding world. All the student and all of the teachers had gathered under the astronomy tower that night. No one wanted to talk about it but everyone was thinking about what happened.

The Hogwarts Express didn't have it's usual hum of excitement about when John boarded it this year. All he could hear now was the dull but piercing whispers of students who were too afraid to speak louder. First years didn't rush down the train today but sat, subdued by older pupils, with their heads in books they weren't reading. There was only one thing on everyone's mind.

What now? People asked themselves this, time and time again over the summer. What will happen to Hogwarts now that he has gone? Is it safe for us there?

But John wasn't thinking about any of that. At least, not in the way that the others were. He truly hated himself for being so selfish at a time like this.

John hadn't had many friends at Hogwarts. Michael Stanford was his only true friend that he had made at school. Mike had left two years ago, because he was three years older than John, when John was only a fourth year. John had always found it easier to talk to people older than him but he still didn't make friends very easily. It wasn't that he didn't want to befriend people; they just never seemed like they wanted to befriend him.

Maybe this year will be different, John thought. He didn't like thinking this way. Thinking like a Slytherin! It disgusted him but the thoughts came anyway. With all the angst and worry that's going around, people seem to be making unlikely friends all over the place. Maybe, this year I'll make a friend too.

John shook his head as if to rid it of all Slytherin-like thoughts. He was walking up the train, looking in each carriage. The emptiest one he could find had a brown-haired girl sitting by the window. John could tell who it was by her dress sense. It was what you could call unique; Although, most people didn't, they called it other things...

When Molly Hooper turned to see John hovering by the door, she beckoned for him to come in. His hand hesitated by the handle for a moment before opening the door. From her yellow striped tie, in the pile of robes beside, her John remembered that she was Hufflepuff. They hadn't spoken much in the last couple of years but he could remember a few things about her: She was kind-hearted. She spent most of her time in the library. When she was there, she would be helping Madame Pomfrey. If he was honest John didn't really understand why she was in Hufflepuff and not Ravenclaw. John wasn't even really sure he belonged in Griffindor but he did try to be brave.

"Are you going to sit down?" Came Molly's voice. John was standing in the doorway with the door open and his hand still on the handle. He let go of the handle and sat down opposite Molly.

"Hello," he said to her, looking out the window.

"Hi, wow we haven't spoken in ages" Molly said counting the years on her fingers. "Why are you speaking to me now?" A friendly teasing smile crept onto her face, "Who died?" John looked at her in shock! "Oh God! No-I didn't mean to...I was just..."

She had her face in her hands. John was about to comfort her. About to tell her that he knew what she meant and that it was alright.

Then, a tall figure appeared in the doorway of the carriage. He said, in a husky, bored tone "Don't try and be funny Molly. It's really not your area."