Flame || F. WEASLEY

Chapter 3 - Return to Hogwarts

Hogwarts looms over us as we disembark from the train. I can already see the gathering crowd of first years, who will be taken to Hogwarts in the boats across the lake instead of the carriages like the rest of us. It gives us enough time to get to our dorms and get changed for dinner.

Adora and Stella find us quickly and the six of us all pile into one of the horseless carriages. Our trunks have always been delivered to our rooms by the time we get there, though I'm never quite sure how. With all of us settled, the carriage rolls forwards, tracing through the Forbidden Forest with wheels clattering on the cobblestone road. I have always liked the forest, despite all the warnings. It's calm in the late afternoon before the creatures that dwell in it come out to play.

Luna Lovegood loves to talk about the creatures that live on Hogwarts grounds. Someone started calling her Loony Lovegood at some point, which I despised and most of the younger students have learned not to say it within earshot of me. The girl is young and sweet and curious. Stella took a liking to her almost immediately as well, and they often sit together in their classes.

I let myself get lost in thought, eyes staring unfocused at the trees until our carriage grinds to a halt in front of Hogwarts. I love the castle, especially the Ravenclaw Tower. Stella hates it, often refusing to come to visit me due to the heights. They don't bother me, not when I spent so much time on a broom or looking out my narrow window. The best view is during autumn when the leaves were changing and the entire grounds looked like red, yellow, and orange paint had exploded over it.

We all quickly unload ourselves from the carriage and say our quick goodbyes before heading off to our respective dormitories. Everyone else except me stays together for a longer, both Hufflepuff's and Slytherin's dorms are in the basement while Gryffindor and Ravenclaw claimed the two towers.

Somehow, the stairs still leave me winded after 6 years. I know after the first week I'll be climbing them with no problem but my thighs and calves burn as I reach the landing where the door sits. There's a crowd of second-years around the door. They part to let me through as a chorus of their voices rings out.

"We can't solve the riddle!"

"We've all tried!"

"He won't let us in!"

I reach the door and plant my hands on my hips.

"Hello," I say to the eagle knocker. Usually, the riddles at the beginning of the year aren't too hard, they get progressively harder as everyone adjusts back to school. I wonder what could've stumped everyone.

"You have three stoves: a gas stove, a wood stove, and a coal stove, but only one match. Which do you light first?"

Everyone starts shouting again.

"We tried them all! He won't accept any of the answers."

"Say the wood stove!"

The answer comes to me quickly, I grin, feeling a little triumphant. I had been right, it wasn't exactly a hard riddle. Just one you needed to think about.

"The match," I tell the knocker.

Everyone falls silent as the door to the common room swings open. I smother my laughter as I step into the common room, everyone else trailing quietly behind me.

The Ravenclaw common room is my second home. Gracefully arched windows ring the curved walls, while blue and bronze armchairs sit before them. Our private library sits in an alcove out of the way, filled to the brim with books for us to browse. The statue of Rowena Ravenclaw stands as a proud guardian at the base of the stairs leading up to the rooms. A few people are already milling around the room.

My absolute favorite part of the common room is the floor and ceiling. A deep midnight blue rug covers almost the entire floor. Tiny silver constellations are stitched onto the plush fabric, making it perfect to lay on. And above it, the ceiling is painted with the same constellations. I'd spent many hours learning all of them for astronomy class, which was one of my favorite classes alongside transfiguration and divination.

Divination was an odd class, one many people despised, like Mini. But there was something about the flow of divination that intrigued me, something that called out. Not to mention my O on my O.W.L's for the class.

Leaving my trail of younger students, I begin my ascent up several flights of stairs until I reach my room. The door is already slightly ajar, meaning one of my three roommates was already there. I push open the door to reveal Malein tossing things from her trunk. My own sits at the foot of my bed. She's managed to find her Ravenclaw tie, which lies on the bed but there's no sight of her cloak.

She jumps as the door smacks against the wall.

"Amelia!" She shrieks as she spots me, running to hug me.

She almost bowls me over and I wonder why she doesn't try out for Quidditch. Then I remember what happened the first time we learned to fly. Her hijab had almost come flying off and she'd been excused from flying lessons after that.

Her hijab that she's wearing now is a beautiful blue that matches exactly to our ties. It's rare to see her wear any other color than black, brown, or navy. The girl loves her neutrals.

"How've you been?" She asks, releasing me and giving me a once-over.

"I've been fine, besides pining after your adventures from your letters."

She laughs. "We'll have plenty of adventures here."

All of the dorms look almost exactly the same. Four four-poster beds are placed across from each other in the circular room. To the right of each bed is a chest of drawers and to the left, there is a standing wardrobe.

Our other two roommates are the same every year. We're not particularly close with them but there have never been any issues in the room. Most of the time, we're not even in it at the same time besides when going to bed.

I quickly unpack, throwing my day clothes and an extra set of robes inside my wardrobe while setting up my books atop my chest of drawers. Malain has paintbrushes and pieces of watercolor paper floating around as she digs through her chest.

She gives a triumphant hurrah as she unearths her robes.

"You better hurry up," I tell her as I shuck off my traveling clothes and throw on my robes. I'm quick to check my hair and tie my necktie in the mirror attached to one of the inside wardrobe doors.

Malein's tie is even on correctly when she shouts done and grabs me by the hand, rocketing down the steps to the Great Hall.