starstruck || hannah abbott

19 || hogwarts express(es) concerns

Theodore found Anastasia in her compartment all alone. She was wrapped up in her thoughts and her cloak, staring out the window.

He paused at the door of the compartment carefully. Ana appeared to not want to be disturbed from her body language, but Theo just wanted to make sure everything was fine.

The door sliding back on its well-worn hinges jolted Anastasia back to the train and she glared up at the intruder. Her face softened when she recognized Theodore entering with lines of concern etched into his forehead.

He sat across from his best friend and watched her apprehensively. Theo wanted nothing more than to ease her troubled mind, but he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"You, too?" Ana asked the young wizard sitting across from her.

Theodore was momentarily confused by what Anastasia was asking him, but it soon clicked with all the events that happened over the summer. He realized that this was real, this was actually occurring in both of their lives: assisting Draco Malfoy with his dangerous task.

"Yeah." His voice was thick with worry.

Ana motioned to her left arm and he did the same, confirming her fear that Lord Voldemort had also visited his home during the summer. His fathered was already a Death Eater and this came as no surprise, sadly.

"Ever think about the fact that we are just teenagers, Theo? Two teenagers who are expected to help another teenager. . ." Anastasia could not even bring herself to utter the words that would have followed.

"I know, Ana, I know," Theodore said quietly.

The rest of the train ride, for the two of them, passed by quietly. They took no notice of the instance in which a certain Gryffindor sixth year student put on his Cloak of Invisibility, carefully grabbed some Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, and snuck into the carriage of the Hogwarts Express that was carrying one Draco Malfoy. They also failed to hear the commotion caused by the powder coating everything and everyone which created quite the tumultuous turn of events for all of the students within said area. Nor did the two teenagers discover that this particular Gryffindor had meticulously stowed himself in the luggage rack just above the seat where Draco Malfoy had finally settled back down onto and now had the perfect chance to eavesdrop on whatever happened to be discussed between Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle.

For Anastasia and Theodore, the train ride was just as it should have been. They got to enjoy each other's silence and company without any rude disturbances the entire way to Hogwarts.

Upon the train arriving in Hogsmeade Station, the two Slytherin's exited the Hogwarts Express and caught up to Pansy and Blaise. They were discussing the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder incident are great length.

". . .and the entire compartment went black! My hair is a mess and it got everywhere! I cannot wait until I get a chance to wash this gross stuff off!" Pansy was ranting and raving about her hair as Blaise giggled at her discomfort.

"Dorhn! Nott!" Ana and Theo looked over as Crabbe and Goyle rushed over, huffing and puffing respectively.

"Crabbe, Goyle," Anastasia greeted them in turn as Theodore nodded to the other boys.

"Where is Malfoy?" Pansy complained as the group boarded into a Thestral-drawn carriage. Ana shivered while observing the creature.

"He said he had something to check on, I bet he will be along soon," Blaise explained as the carriage was pulled from the station and onto the main road to the castle.

"Well, he can check on me anytime he pleases," Pansy said raunchily before guffawing at her disgusting joke.

'He certainly does not fancy you, Parkinson. If anything, he fancies Potter,' Anastasia thought to herself coyly.

The group clambered off of the carriage and followed the rest of the upperclassmen into the Great Hall. Taking their seats on the familiar oak benches, the entire hall was soon packed with returning witches and wizards.

Ana noticed that Draco had caught up to them and was sitting in a very preoccupied manner. His chin was resting on his hand and he seemingly stared at nothing. A more sullen look than usual etched its way across his face. The sixteen year old witch watched him for a while before turning back to Theo to point this out.

"He looks awful," she commented softly to her best friend.

"Not like we look any better, eh, Ana? Knowing what he has to do this year and what we have to help with. . ." Theodore's voice faltered.

"I wish that we could—" Before Anastasia could finish her sentence, the Great Hall doors burst open and Harry Potter came stumbling through. He was clutching a bloody handkerchief to his nose and looked royally upset. He stormed over to where Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Ginny Weasley were seated and squished himself between them. All eyes were on Potter, except for Malfoy's. He had not even changed his countenance in the slightest.

Anastasia and Theodore exchanged looks of surprise as Professor Albus Dumbledore rose from his seat at the professor's table and clapped his hands to demand the students' attention.

"Good evening and welcome back to Hogwarts. The Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily. First, I would like to announce a few changes in our staff this year. Please join me in welcoming Professor Horace Slughorn who will be assuming the position of Potion's Master. This leaves the position for Defense Against the Dark Arts available for Professor Severus Snape to hold. I am quite sure we will all have a splendid year," Professor Dumbledore chimed too cheerfully.

A quiet acknowledgement of something less than excitement echoed through the Slytherin table as the other houses worried of the classes to come. Professor Snape has notoriously wanted this position for many, many years and the fact that Professor Dumbledore was finally letting him teach the class was cause for the Hogwarts students to be concerned.