Chapter 17
Gryffindor won the house cup that year. Harry had won the house sixty points while Ron and Hermione won them fifty points each and Neville pushed them into the lead with the ten points he earned making their total up to one hundred and eighty two, just a few points ahead of Slytherin.
Just as quick as the school year started it was time to leave. Each of the girls in the Ravenclaw dorm that Delilah had spent this year in continued the long running tradition of sending the seventh years off with a card signed by the roommates they shared a dorm with. Delilah signed Talisa’s card as both her and Florence waved goodbye as she left to enter her compartment of the train.
“I can’t wait for that to be us.” Florence said as they walked to the train entrance, “We’ll be all grown up and fully fledged wizards.”
“I’m not sure if I can survive a year without you.” Delilah lightly laughed, “Come on we have to find a compartment before they’re all taken.”
“Come try your luck!” shouted Fred from a nearby compartment.
“Guess it correctly, win a chocolate frog!” George continued to shout.
"Hey Florence, if you get a compartment I’ll meet you there.” Delilah told Florence as she walked over to Fred and George.
“Hey, Fred, George. What’s this?”
“Well this Ms.Black is the secret to our success,” said Fred.
“It only lets us see it at certain times.” continued George.
“But we are trying to figure out how to open it manually.” Finished Fred.
“So if you can figure out how to open this secret to your success you win a chocolate frog?”
“Correct!” They answered together.
“Well then let me see it.” Fred then reached into his robe and pulled out a piece of parchment that read, ‘The Marauder’s Map’. A moment of realization flickered in Delilah’s eyes as she touched her wand to the map and said, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” The map suddenly opened up to reveal the whole of Hogwarts with little footsteps all across it. Delilah then touched her wand to the parchment again, “Mischief Managed.”
“Well it seems” Fred started.
“Delilah,” George continued.
“that you”
“have won”
“this chocolate frog”
The rest of the train ride was pretty quiet until they got to the train station.
“Can’t you smell the air of London.” Sebastian said walking with Delilah off the train, “Home sweet home.”
“No,” Delilah responded, “Not for me atleast.”
“Black!” A voice shouted from the train as Delilah turned to look at him,”As doing my duties as prefect,” Delilah just barely caught her eyes from rolling at Percy’s remark, “Requires doing work for Dumbledore, he has asked me to inform you that someone different will be retrieving you from the train station.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t informed.”
Soon the station was pretty much empty. No one had come for Delilah yet and she wondered why Tonks wasn’t able to, she said she wanted to on her birthday so she was curious what changed between then and now. But just as soon as that thought went into her mind it quickly left as she saw what looked to be a familiar face in the crowd. At first she thought it was just someone she had seen the first time she was at the station until she looked closer.
Her legs couldn’t have possibly carried her faster. Even as she ran she was sure her eyes were deceiving her but as she got closer the more it looked like it was real that it was actually him. Her legs only stopped when she wrapped him in the tightest hug she has probably ever given in her life. She could feel tiny drops of happiness leaking from the corners of her eyes. It felt wonderful.
“Hi,” she said, still hugging him in a quiet voice. She didn’t have to go back to the Harringtons. She didn’t have to endure the torture of staying there anymore.
“Hi.” Her godfather responded in a simple word. And Delilah told herself it will be okay.
And for the first time in a long time she believed it.