Chapter 1
Warm sunlight already filled my room by the time I woke. Parts of the room tinted green from the stained glass windows.
It didn't take much to wake me. For it was the first of September after all. I reached for the clothes I had laid out last night. A pair of high waisted flared burgundy corduroy pants and a relaxed white button up shirt underneath a big and cozy grandpa sweater. I quickly ruffled through my shoulder length, light brown, curly hair, before stumbling happily down the stairs.
Downstairs was quiet, except for Loaf, my longhaired tabby cat, who was currently in the process of pushing around and chasing a spare button. I put on the kettle, and started preparing breakfast while waiting for the water to boil. The kitchen was rather small, and no two chairs around the table looked the same, but it was home. And in my personal opinion very cozy, despite the slight crookedness of it all. Almost everything had been purchased at thrift shops or handmade. The kettle began whistling and I quickly moved it off the stove and began pouring the water into two mugs previously placed on the counter. In the meantime a tall figure had entered the kitchen, still in his nightclothes.
"Ah, good morning Kira" he sighed softly "I meant to have breakfast ready by the time you woke, guess you beat me to it" he scratched the back of his head. He looked rough. Not surprising thought. It had been a rough night for him, I could tell.
"Mornin" I smiled and handed him a cup of blackcurrant tea, like usual. "Don't worry about it, couldn't sleep for long anyway", He took the cup and flashed a tired smile. "Let me at least help you out" he offered. "You could help out by sitting down, it's pretty much ready"
Remus sat down by the table, and placed Loaf in his lap. I placed the fried eggs, along with the bread, on two plates and sat them on the table before taking a seat myself. Although I was glad to return to Hogwarts and my friends, I would miss our slow mornings that I had gotten so used to over the last few years.
A knock came from my bedroom door, as Remus peaked through. "All packed?" I looked at my suitcase, arms on my waist "Yeah, pretty much, just gotta manage to close it" the suitcase was a little overfilled, but nothing a bit of pressure couldn't fix, I hoped. "Well, I got a few last minute items" He entered the room and held out a deep red, wooden, rectangular box. It wasn't very tall, but rather long. I gently clicked it open. Inside lay rectangular shapes wrapped in golden foil, chocolate, of course. When my eyes found the two small vials containing a familiar dark blue liquid, Remus quickly but softly said "Just in case", I nodded and agreed "Just in case" I knew there was no point in arguing. I closed the wooden box and safely tucked it between two sweaters. "Help me out will you?" I asked as I closed the suitcase and put all my weight on it, trying to get it to close.
The trunk of the car gave a satisfying "thud" as it closed, my fingers leaving blank spots on the otherwise dusty car. I got into the passenger seat, Remus being in the drivers, and Loaf in her cage strapped safely in the back.
"Alright, take it away" Remus said as he started the car. And take it away I did. I found a cassette I had purchased at a thrift shop in the nearest town, and inserted it into the slot below the radio. The music wasn't great. But it was tradition. There were seven songs on it, and it quickly became apparent that this was the recording of a bunch of teenagers who had taken a shot on starting a band. First time we played it, Remus and I shared confused looks before bursting with laughter. Now we sang along wholeheartedly to these absurd songs. We often went back to the thrift store for various reasons, but never once had we found a second album from The Banana Peel Radio Rockers.
"Give my regards to your friends for me alright?" Remus said to me as we said goodbye, this year he wouldn't be accompanying me to the platform after the events from before the summer break. Many parents would not be happy to see the "monster" of a man who taught their kids the previous year. So Remus and I agreed that it would be better to say our goodbyes outside the station.
"I will" I smiled before wrapping my arms around him. "I'll miss you tho." He placed a gentle hand on the back of my head.
"I'll miss you too Kira, take care alright?... Hm, no you always do, so instead: have some fun alright?" I chuckled, knowing it was all too true.
"I'll try, and with Paige around that won't be too difficult" Paige was one of my closest friends at Hogwarts, we've stuck together since first year, after I offered a crying Paige a piece of chocolate, that Remus had packed into my bag. Remus wasn't my biological father, but the similarities between the two of us could have anyone fooled. It didn't help that I used the last name Lupin either, but it felt much more like home than my old family name. Sure, I still had aunts, uncles and cousins, but with them all being muggles, I didn't have too much in common with them. I did attend the yearly summer party though. Remus did as well, sort of against his will and neither of us ever truly felt like part of the family.
I got my suitcase and the cage with Loaf inside. Remus gave me a last hug, before ushering me inside to make sure I didn't miss the train. The station was full of people, and I recognized many teenagers to be students from Hogwarts. It was a steady stream of people, but it never got too crowded as people seamlessly slipped through the barrier between platform 9 and 10. Eventually I slipped through as well, the familiar uncomfortable feeling of expecting to hit something that wasn't there hitting me. On the other side, the platform was packed with parents, kids, and various pets making all kinds of noises. There was no use for me to try to find anyone out in this chaos, so I might as well head inside and find a compartment for me and my friends to share. It took a while to find an empty one, and I waved and had short conversations about the summer with classmates or people I knew from my house.
I continued down the wagon as a voice called from behind me. "Oy, Kira!" I turned to see a familiar redheaded figure peeking out of a compartment I just passed. Throughout the years Remus and I had occasionally visited the Weasley family, quite a bit in the beginning when Remus first took me in. Partially for me to have people around my own age to hang out with, but also for Remus to get some tips from Molly. Recipes, motherly advice and a sense of network as well. I considered the Weasley kids my friends, but we weren't super close, as the visits hadn't been more than a maximum of twice a year. So a Weasley calling after me was a bit of a surprise, but a pleasant one. "Hey Georgia, it's been a while" Georgia flashed a genuine smile before continuing. "How's your summer been? Thought you were supposed to join us for the world cup!"
"Oh, yes, we were supposed to, but the tickets sold out" I awkwardly shrugged. "Ah" she responded "well that's a shame". I was about to answer as a pair of arms flung themselves around my neck, almost knocking me over. "There you are! Come on, Oliver and I have secured a place" I quickly realised that the attacker was my good friend Paige. She immediately began dragging me towards the previously mentioned carriage. I gave an apologetic smile to Georgia, who was still standing in the doorway of her compartment, which I assumed also contained her twin brother Fred and their friend Lee. Georgia however, just looked amused. "I'll see you around" she nodded before slipping out of sight.
"Yeah… See you" I muttered, a happily awkward expression lingering on my face, as I began following Paige.
Within the compartment Paige barely waited til I had put down my suitcase and cat cage before impatiently embracing me in a big hug. I gave her a tight hug back.
"Don't suffocate ‘em alright? That's my job" Oliver was now standing ready for a hug. "Hi Oliver!" I embraced him as well before we all sat down comfortably. Emilia, Paige's little sister sat with us for the first half hour of the train ride, as we shared all the interesting, and uninteresting, happenings of the summer. Eventually she figured it was time to get to know some of the other first years.
"If you need anything, you know where to find me alright?" Paige called after her sister, before turning to us "Would have imagined her being a bit more nervous about the whole thing, being the first year and all. But she's just finding everything amusing. Like the brick wall? She loved it! Ran through it 3 times before we could get a hold of her." Oliver quickly snapped the gummy worm Paige was about to eat out of her hand and propped it into his mouth before saying." She'll be fine, you were like that too remember? Insisting on befriending anyone you laid eyes on, not shutting up" Paige painted an exaggerated offended look on her face. "Ohmygosh how very dare you" she stood up and dramatically sat down beside me on the couch seat, leaving Oliver alone on the one side. "Consequences, Oliver, consequences, now I'll get all the candy" I said as I took one from the bag Paige was clutching.
The train ride continued with pleasant talk and pleasant company. It had started to rain quite heavily, which created a cozy atmosphere, with the droplets pattering rhythmically on the windows. Oliver discussed what subjects to pick this year, Paige rambled on about rumors and romances from last year, and I sat contently petting Loaf. I offered responses and commentary, but it was also pleasant to just listen in silence.
Eventually they all slipped into their robes, Paige and I with matching yellow detailing, and Oliver with his green. Loaf unwillingly got back into her cage, and Oliver retrievedthe cage holding his sleeping barn owl from a shelf. The train gave a screeching sound as it began to slow down, approaching the station. The train finally stopped, and the wagons filled with students eager to step onto Hogsmeade station. The familiar voice of Hagrid could be heard, assembling the first years. The rest of us headed towards the carriages, pulled by beautifully creepy black horses. Oliver, Paige and I hopped onto one, glad to escape the rainfall, and were joined by a pair younger looking Ravenclaw students. "Oh!" I exclaimed, suddenly very excited, briefly waving my hands in excitement.
"What?", " What's going on?" Came from Paige and Oliver, looking concerned.
"I hope there's chocolate mousse!" I grinned at them. They exchanged looks and sighed. "You and that bloody mousse" Oliver shook his head.
"You had me worried for a brief second" said Paige "You only do that if something is seriously bothering you, or if you're very excited" she continued, now also shaking her head. I didn't realize that she had picked up on it before now, but I was kinda glad she had.
"What? Can't a gal be excited about chocolate mousse?" I grinned. We were all soaked by the time we reached the stairs leading up to the castle. Of course, it didn’t help much that Peeves was basically drowning students with water filled balloons. People were rushing to get inside to dry, but more importantly get away from Peeves. I could hear Professor McGonagall roaring “Peeves, get down here NOW!” but Peeves - being Peeves - of course, did not listen. My hair was drenched and therefore constantly getting in my eyes and it felt as if my very bones were shivering.
Entering the dining hall, the cold subsided a little. But the gloomy weather displayed itself above us on the enchanted roof. Paige and I parted ways with Oliver, but made sure we took seats so we could make eye contact and strange faces at him. You know, the essentials. A large door opened and a wave of first year students flowed in, led by Professor McGonagall. Their little faces displayed a variety of emotions ranging from thrilled to terrified.The stool with the old sorting hat was placed at the front of the great hall, and sang an ominous song. Then the students were called up one by one and got sorted. I didn't pay much attention, I was quietly longing for dinner (and chocolate mousse), as my stomach rumbled unhappily with hunger, but I clapped and smiled like everyone else.
"Tally, Emilia" McGonagall's voice rang clear in the great hall. Now this would be interesting. The little girl took a seat on the stool, the hat placed over her head.
"GRYFFINDOR" the hat roared out. Applause erupted from the table dressed in red. Emilia was beaming, and headed over to her new house table. Paige and I offered her encouraging smiles and thumbs ups when she looked over at us.
The last of the students got sorted before Dumbledore stood up, arms open. “I have only two words to say to you: tuck in” He had clearly noticed the students longing looks at the empty plates before them. The great hall quickly filled with the sound of light conversation and people eagerly filling their plates.
Eventually dinner cleared away, making space for all kinds of delicious desserts. Unfortunately, there was no chocolate mousse present. I still enjoyed a delicious slice of blueberry pie and some pudding. Dumbledore stood again, going over the usual rules of the school grounds. His next statement however, was a bit of a shocker.
“It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter- House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.” I immediately caught Olivers eye, I had never been on the Hufflepuff house team (altho I did attend the tryouts last year, which ended in pure embarrassment on my end), but Oliver was a chaser for the Slytherin team. We exchanged confused looks, before he broke contact to reply to something a fellow slytherin had just said. I heard Paige muttering beside me “Damnit, this was gonna be my year”, last year she had barely not made the cut, she was bloody talented and it had taken a toll not making the team. Dumbledore went on, “This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing through‐ out the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -” the headmaster didn’t get to finish, before the wooden doors to the great hall swung open loudly, and a cloaked figure stepped through. As he was walking up towards the teachers table his features became more clear. His skin was covered in scars, one of his legs was wooden, but the most surprising feature was the electric blue eye that was strapped in leather where his right eye should have been, and it was twisting around in the socket, while his normal eye was staring straight ahead.
“Well, that’s not creepy at all,” I whispered to Paige.
“Right? Who is this guy?” We didn’t have to wait for long before getting an answer. He was apparently our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody.
“As I was saying” continued Dumbledore “we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.”
“You're JOKING!” said Fred Weasley loudly. Dubledore was in fact, not joking, and while he continued on explaining the event, I clocked Fred and Giorgia talking to each other in hushed voices.
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"Bloody hell! Why does it have to be Monday?" Paige exclaimed, toothbrush in hand, as she realized that they would start classes the next day already. This year we didn't have the luxury of a weekend before classes properly began.
"We've got until lunch tho" I offered, but when Paige shot me a look that would kill me on the spot if it could, I continued "Which, of course, is an absolute crime, a school should of course never expect students to study when they get there" I dramatically flared with my arms, grinning at her before starting to brush my teeth. Oh, how good it was to be back.