Back To Hogwarts
“Severus Snape, long-standing Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was today appointed Headmaster in the most important of several staffing changes at the ancient school. ”
Gia snorted, throwing the paper down onto the seat beside her. “Great. Just great.”
“Calm down, Gia,” said Selena, braiding a ribbon into her hair. “It’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad? Not that bad? Sel, we’re being taken over by Vol-”
“Uh-pup-up.” Megan’s finger covered her lips. “We don’t say the name.”
Gia sighed. “I know, I know. The Dark Lord is taking over us. We’re honestly lucky we were even allowed in, Meg. If muggle-borns are supposedly ‘stealing magic’, then technically we’re not witches at all.”
“Then don’t mention it to Snape,” sighed Selena. “Look, Gia, I get why you’re mad. I am too - we all are. But we value our heads. Slytherin is supposed to be on his side, and if we want to stay in his good books we’ll act like it.”
“We usually leave the acting to Michael,” Gia mumbled. They all looked at the empty seat, where the laughing boy had once sat. She remembered his laugh so clearly, ringing in her ears, getting everyone to join in until the whole room echoed with their mirth.
But he was gone now. The Blood Status took care of that.
“Gia.” Megan laid a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll write to him. It’ll be like he’s right there with us.”
Gia snorted and leaned her head on her other elbow. “Sure.”
---------------------------------------------------
The train didn’t screech as it reached the station - instead, it simply stopped, as though it had run into a silent stone. Gia lurched forward, crashing into Selena and upsetting the ribbons curled in her lap.
“Sorry,” she gasped, grabbing the seat and pulling herself back up.
“‘S okay,” Sel replied, gathering the ribbons and stuffing them into her pocket. They stood, waiting by the door as the crowd of shuffling students slowly thinned.
“Here goes,” Megan murmured, a hand on each of their shoulders. The other two nodded, and the trio stepped into the corridor and off the train.
Immediately, Gia noticed the differences. The carriages were waiting at the end of the track, each linked up to a skeletal black horse, tossing its head at the students. She swallowed.
Thestrals .
I’ve never been able to see them before .
With shaking steps, she walked towards the nearest one, hand outstretched. It snorted, nuzzling its head into her hand as though it had had this experience a hundred times before.
Around her, she could see more students noticing them for the first time - children gasping, pointing, greeting them with sad smiles and moist eyes.
“Thank you,” she murmured to the horse. It tossed its head.
“Gia? C’mon!”
She turned to see Megan waving frantically at her from a carriage. As she watched, a stumbling Gryffindor approached, second-year eyes imploring them. Sel glared at them, and they backed away, making the sign of the cross and scampering towards another carriage filled with rowdy fifth-years.
Gia snorted as she swung herself into the carriage. “The cross? Really? What does he think we are, demons?”
“We’re Slytherins,” Selena said, deadpan. “We may as well be.”
Silence filled the carriage as they sat, remembering the times people had gasped, made berths in the hallways, whispered in groups as they passed by. Gia bit her lip, looking through the window at the Ravenclaws in the next carriage, laughing and giggling with some Hufflepuffs.
That won’t be us , she thought. It never has been, it never will be. All because we’re Slytherin.
A hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Megan smiling sadly at her. “We’ll be fine,” she said. Gia returned the smile, listening to the rattle of the carriage as it reached the school.
If only she still had that innocence.