1
Beth stepped onto the train, the familiar hum of the Hogwarts Express filling the air. The faint scent of Honeydukes sweets lingered, mixing with the dusty smell of old leather and wood. She could hear the excited chatter of students in the background, but none of it seemed to reach her. The two-month vacation had dragged on endlessly, and now she was just eager to be around her friends again.
As she walked down the aisle, glancing into the train cars—some occupied, some empty—she decided her friends simply hadn't arrived yet. Slipping into an empty car, she stowed her luggage in the overhead bin and watched students board through the window. That's when someone caught her eye. Ellie Williams.
Ellie bounced onto the train with her usual confidence, her laugh ringing out like a bell. Jesse and Dina flanked her, both grinning. Beth rolled her eyes before she could stop herself. The last thing she wanted was to deal with Ellie's attention-seeking antics again.
Beth and Ellie had hated each other from day one. It was something their parents had passed down—generational hate. They were always destined to be rivals—or at least, that's what Beth had been taught.
As Ellie and her friends walked past Beth's car, Beth turned her head, staring out the window. She hoped Ellie wouldn't notice her sitting alone—it would be exactly the kind of thing Ellie would find amusing, something to make Beth feel small.
Because of course, Beth couldn't have a moment of peace—Ellie had to slide the door open, standing over her with that stupid smirk.
"What do you want, Williams? Lost your way?" Beth said, not bothering to look up.
"Nothing," she said. "Just wondering why you're sulking here alone."
"None of your business. Now shove off."
Ellie snorted, "You first."
Beth crossed her arms, leaning against her seat. "Funny, I don't remember inviting you in."
"Admit it, Beth. You'd miss me if I didn't come bother you," Ellie said, leaning against the doorframe as if she owned the place, her arms crossed, and her eyes scanning Beth up and down.
Beth scoffed and looked back out of the window, uninterested. "Don't flatter yourself, Williams."
"You say that like you have better things to do than obsess over me," Ellie retorted.
"There's that Williams arrogance that I hate so much," Beth muttered. "You strut around like you're Merlin reincarnated, but all I see is a self-centred showoff who can't seem to shut up."
"For someone who 'hates' me, you sure hang onto every word I say," Ellie said.
Beth's fingers curled into fists. She refused to let Ellie see that she had gotten to her. "I don't have time for this," she muttered.
Ellie smirked. "Sure you don't." Then, with a satisfied tilt of her head, she finally strolled away, leaving Beth fuming.
***
The train lurched as it came to a stop, steam curling past the windows. The sudden movement forced Beth from her mind as she—along with several other students—made her way towards the front of the train. Rain drummed steadily against the glass, and in the distance, thunder rumbled low and deep.
The faint patter of rain continued as Beth slipped into the Great Hall. She glanced up at the enchanted ceiling, watching the storm clouds swirl overhead. Her eyes scanned the room until she spotted her house ghost, Peeves, zipping through the air. She shot him a quick wave, and he cackled gleefully in response. Peeves had always taken a liking to Beth for reasons beyond her understanding.
The storm on the enchanted ceiling flickered with an eerie green hue—just for a second, barely noticeable. But Beth caught it. A ripple of unease curled in her stomach. That wasn't normal.
Beth stood there for a moment, contemplating what that could mean, but before she could dwell on it too much, a blur of chaotic energy swooped down. Peeves. His usual shrieks and cackles were absent; instead, he hovered unnervingly close, his voice dropping into a sing-song whisper.
"Storm's brewing, little witch... best watch where you tread."
Beth stiffened. For once, Peeves wasn't laughing. He hovered there, head tilting as if seeing something she couldn't. Something she wouldn't want to.
"What? Peeves, what storm? What are you talking about?"
The poltergeist grinned, spinning upside down in the air. His voice twisted into a ghostly chant:
"Storm's brewing, thunder's near,
Watch your step now, dearie dear.
Doors will creak and whispers crawl,
Best stay sharp—or lose it all!"
Then, with a gleeful cackle, he blew a raspberry and vanished straight through a suit of armour, sending it clanking in protest.
Beth exhaled sharply. Typical Peeves—never making sense, always delighting in confusion. But that strange feeling in her gut refused to fade.
She barely took a step forward when someone bumped into her shoulder.
"Watch it, Winters. You look like you're about to pass out, and I'd rather not be the one to catch you," Ellie quipped, raising an eyebrow. "Or should I be worried that you're about to explode?"
Beth blinked, forcing herself to snap out of it. She straightened her shoulders, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please. If I were about to explode, I'd make sure you were standing closer."
Ellie raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Right. And yet, you look like you've just seen the Bloody Baron in a tutu."
Beth hesitated—just for a second—before scoffing. "It's nothing, Williams. Go bother someone else."
But the fact that Ellie had even noticed made Beth's stomach twist.
Shaking off the feeling, Beth turned towards the long tables, where her friends sat, deep in excited conversation. The Great Hall buzzed with energy—laughter echoed off the enchanted stone walls, people talked, and the warm glow of floating candles flickered above the sea of students.
Her gaze drifted to the front of the hall, where Professor McGonagall stood beside the Sorting Hat. A group of nervous first-years huddled before her, wide-eyed as they awaited their fate. Just as the hall fell into expectant silence, Beth slipped into her seat, murmuring a quick greeting to her friends.
The brim of the Sorting Hat cracked open, its familiar, raspy voice filling the room:
"Another year, another feast,
A song to sing, a tale at least..."
As the hat launched into another cryptic verse, Beth barely heard the words. Her thoughts drifted back to the storm-touched sky, to the flicker of eerie green light, and to Peeves' warning. Best stay sharp—or lose it all. What had he meant by that? Had he just been toying with her, or was there something real behind his nonsense?
A burst of applause jolted her from her thoughts. The first student had been sorted. Beth forced herself to clap along, shaking off the lingering unease.
For now.
———
Not sure if anyone's going to read this, but if you did, I hope you enjoyed it ^^
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Not sure when the next update is coming, but I will try to publish it ASAP! Thanks for reading! <3