Home, Where The Brave Ones Roam| Draco Malfoy

9

The rest of the train ride was full of long fits of laughter as well as an extensive history about the past years the trio had served at Hogwarts. "Woah, Woah, Woah, so you're telling me the best friend of your dad who went to jail is actually innocent and Ron's rat did the whole thing?" Some of these stories were wild.

"Don't forget the werewolf professor bit" food spewed out of Ron's mouth when he tried to talk, it was quite disgusting.

"Did you really kill a basilisk, Harry?"

"Yeah, it was terrifying" he shuddered. I felt horrible, to have had to fight so hard since such a young age, must have been dreadful.  "How about you? Have you done anything nearly as terrifying?" He asked. All I could do was shake my head.

"Oh come on, you're Athena Grey, you must have something to tell."

"If I do I don't think I'd remember"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione sat puzzled, unsure of how to approach the situation.

"Well, you see I don't really remember much" I started. Trying to put the words together. "I only remember up until 7, maybe 8. I don't know what happened or why that is, anything past that is blurry if there's anything at all. I get flashes of things, faces mostly, but I just can't remember who they are and I never know what they want. I try not to ask too many questions about it since every time I do my mom starts to get spooked out and changes the topic."

"What do you see?" She pressed, the whole cart silent now.

"Fire, a lot of fire." I admitted "I hear yelling, growling, sometimes screams. And these voices shouting out to me but I never know what they want." No one spoke. Everyone sat in a state of shock.

"Did you" Hermione started "no of course not, sorry"

"No go ahead, honestly I really I don't care" she looked hesitant, I knew there was something she was dying to ask but something inside of her would not let her say it. "Mione please," I said softly.

"That voice you heard when the dark mark appeared, have you" she sucked in a sharp breath "have you heard it before?" I leaned back in my seat

"It's played before, never tells me what it wants though, just growls."

"Hey guy's better get changed, we'll be there any moment" Ginny popped her head in the compartment door "Athena aren't you excited! You get to find out your house!" she squealed, I suppressed a small smile as she exited the cart. I glanced back at the others to see them exchanging similar expressions.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything now you guys just think I'm weird-"

"Trust us, that's far from what we're thinking" Harry interrupted. "It's just, well" my stomach dropped. "It means a lot that you trust us with something like that, the three of us haven't exactly been through the easiest of things, it isolates you from other kids, so knowing someone else has had some stuff going on as intense as us, it's comforting."

"Thank you?" they all let out relaxed laughs as Hermonie pulled me away to get changed. As I slid the new black robes on, I couldn't help but feel panicked.

"Hey, honestly don't worry, no matter what happens we will still be friends, you probably will end up in Gryffindor anyway" she comforted, patting my shoulder.

"Do you know who I go with? Freddie told me the first years go with Hagrid, but technically I'm not, so do I go with you guys and just stand up for the sorting? I don't know where to go" I cut myself off as I knew I was going to be rambling for a while. Hermione pondered the thought for a minute

"We can ask Hagrid when we get off the train, Dumbledor is an organized man I'm sure he told him" I still didn't feel super confident as we walked back to our compartment, I was met with a few odd stares but I didn't mind entirely.

"Woah, look who's looking spiffy in her new robes" I rolled my eyes and smiled as Fred passed me.

"Yeah Lee, why don't you tell the girl how nice she looks" George added. I felt so bad for Lee, these guys could be stupid.

"Okay that's enough thank you," I said quickly trying to spare him any embarrassment.

"Trains about to stop, you ready?" Fred was grinning from ear to ear as he faced me, it calmed me down a little bit.

"Not really" I answered honestly, Hogwarts Here I come