Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }

Chapter 71 - Back To Hogwarts

A few days after New Year, Harry, Ron, Ginny and I were lined up in front of the fireplace to return to Hogwarts as the Ministry had arranged this one-off connection to the Floo Network to return students quickly and safely to the school. Only Mrs. Weasley was there to say goodbye as all the others were at work. I said my goodbyes to both my dad and Lupin before they had left.

"Promise me you'll look after yourself. . . . Stay out of trouble. . . ." she told Harry as she hugged him.

"I always do, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry. "I like a quiet life, you know me."

She chuckled before turning to me. "In any case, you'll keep them out of trouble, won't you?" She said with a smile.

"I'll try my best," I said with a small laugh.

"Be good, then, all of you. . . ."

I then stepped into the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder.

"Hogwarts!" I shouted.

I had one last fleeting view of the Burrow kitchen before the green flames engulfed me. Everything was suddenly spinning quickly past me until it slowed down and finally stopped in Professor McGonagall's office. She barely glanced up over her work as I walked out of the fireplace, tugging my robes back in place.

"Evening, Rosier. Try not to get too much ash on the carpet," she said.

"Of course not, Professor."

I waited for the others outside of her office. Harry grabbed my hand as we headed toward Gryffindor tower.

"Baubles," Ron said confidently to the fat lady as we stood before her portrait.

"No," she replied.

"What d'you mean, 'no' ?"

"There is a new password," she said.

"But we've been away, how're we supposed to — ?"

"Harry! Liz!" I heard Hermione shout from behind us.

I quickly turned around just in time to see her engulf me in a hug, which I happily returned.

"Did you have a good Christmas?" She asked.

"Yeah," Ron said at once. "pretty eventful, Rufus Scrim —"

"I've got something for you, Harry," she said, ignoring Ron. "Oh, hang on — password. Abstinence."

"Precisely," the Fat Lady said before swinging forward to reveal the portrait hole.

"What's up with her?" Harry asked.

"Overindulged over Christmas, apparently," Hermione said as we entered the packed common room.

Hermione then handed a piece of paper to Harry. I leaned toward him to see what was written on it and saw that it was from Dumbledore.

"Great," he said. "I've got loads to tell him — and you. Let's sit down —"

But Lavender chose this very moment to come out with a loud "Won-Won!" making Hermione and I exchange a look. I grabbed her arm and dragged her into a corner of the room to a free table.

"So how was your Christmas?" I asked her as Harry sat down beside me.

"Oh, fine," she said. "How was it at Won-Won's?"

Harry and I exchanged a look before he spoke up. "Hermione, can't you —?"

"No, I can't," she said. "Don't even ask."

Harry gave me another look but I shook my head to tell him that I would not argue against Hermione when, in all honesty, I understood how she felt and sympathized with her much more than I did with Ron. Fortunately, he dropped the subject and went on to tell Hermione what we had overheard Snape and Malfoy say during the Slug Party.