Heir Of Gryffindor

Chapter Twenty-One

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and sighed. Thankfully my uniform covered all the cuts, bruises, burns, and welts that lined almost every part of my body. The only thing it didn't cover was the cut that went from the bottom of my right ear to the top of my forehead. I refused to be healed with magic. I didn't want a fast fix for this. I wanted each mark to serve as a reminder of what had happened to me.

Ginny walked in wearing her robes, and hugged me tightly. The only reason I was going back was to protect her, Bian, and the friends I cared too much about. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were off on some quest to find and destroy the rest of Voldemort's horcruxes. They had left me a note explaining everything. I wasn't mad at them, but I needed to know they were okay. I hadn't seen Draco since his, Tonks', Lupin's, James', and Eliza's crazy rescue mission. I didn't want him to see me when I was so weak. He tried to see me, but I wouldn't let him.

I was embarrassed. I was completely taken advantage of. Every inch of my skin was marred by the people who he had known since he was a baby. I didn't blame him, but I couldn't help but remember that I was almost killed in his home, by his father, for loving him.

I grabbed Andromeda's cage, and my trunk, and followed Ginny downstairs. Fred and George were on their way to work, and quieted when they saw me. They had spent the last couple weeks trying to convince me to not go back. Voldemort was controlling the whole school and me walking in was just a death wish. I tried to explain to them that if I walked in, they'd realize they had to do a lot more than beat me down to scare me away.

The ride to the station was pretty much silent. Molly was trying not to cry, and Arthur was glum. Ginny was visibly shaking, but I held her hand to keep her calm. We got to the station, and most conversations were cut short. Everyone knew what happened to me, word travels fast. I stood tall, and smiled as Bian came running towards me.

"Harley, I'm so sorry. I'm so happy you're okay, and Draco really wants to see you..."

She trailed off as Draco walked up to us. He'd been staying with Snape for the last few weeks since his father wanted to kill him. He looked like crap, and I felt a tear drop down my cheek before I grabbed him and kissed him. Everyone who didn't know stopped what they were doing and stared at us in shock. Draco wrapped me up in his arms, and I buried my head into the crook of his neck. He grabbed my bags, and I hugged and kissed Molly and Arthur goodbye. Ginny and Bian followed closely behind Draco and me as we boarded the train.

"I wish I could sit with you girls, but I'm still a prefect, so I have to do my duties. Neville, Seamus, and Dean are waiting for you three right here."

Draco opened the second to last cart door, and I was squished into a group hug by three boys. I hugged them back, and they let go. I kissed Draco's cheek, and closed the door behind him. The boys stared at my scar, and I sighed.

"Guys, will you just chill? Yes, I have a huge cut on my face. There are welts, and cuts, and burns, and bruises everywhere else too, but it's not stopping me. I'm not giving those arses of death eaters, no offense Bia, the satisfaction of seeing me scared. No one is going to scare me away, and they forget one thing, I'm a lot more powerful than they think."

I managed to make wind appear in our cabin, and made it rain outside. Lighting cracked across the sky, and thunder rumbled. I smirked at everyone's bewildered expressions, and made everything go back to normal. Conversation was normal for the rest of the trip, and I smiled. We got to the castle, and everyone became nervous.

We grabbed our things, and walked silently off the train. I was the first one off, and everyone seemed to follow behind me, well everyone besides the Slytherins loyal to Voldemort. No boats or carriages were waiting for us, so we began to walk. Bian and Ginny were on either side of me, and right behind them was Dean, Neville, and Seamus. We walked silently, and straight into Hogwarts. McGonagall, and the other professors that weren't loyal stared at me in shock. They reluctantly led us into the Great Hall, and the looks I got from every death eater in the hall was beyond anything I was expecting.

I smirked, and walked in. Everyone filed in behind me, and sat around me. "Alecto, Amycus, Bellatrix, you're looking great, so when's dinner?"

They all glared at me, and Snape tried to hide the smirk that formed on his face. I'm not afraid, and I'm fighting against the people that have threatened everyone I know and care for. This is my seventh year, and they're not taking that away from me.