Opening my eyes to see that I'm on my way to the Hogwarts Express, I mentally observe my usual habit, closing my eyes sometimes helps me regain my focus. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Fred and George are by my side. Molly and Arthur are sending us off, after I said goodbye to my parents at home.

I feel weirdly anxious, as I do whenever I go back to the place I call home once September arrives. Excitement and a bit of nervousness bubble up inside of me as I think of the future school year and what has been planned for us. Last year, Harry's godfather has proved himself to be innocent to us, after we found out that Harry was not desired to be killed, it seems as though there's always something going after Harry every year, I couldn't imagine how he felt.

I feel something different in my gut, as if something bad will happen this year, like the past three. Not trusting it like I usually do, I put the feelings away and take the thoughts out of my head as I hear Hermione calling my name.

"Heather? Are you all right?", asks Hermione, noticing me in my thoughts.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just thinking is all.", I assure her.

As we all say goodbye to Ron's mother and father, we run into the wall to enter Platform 9 3/4.

We all board the train, Ron, Harry, and Hermione and I taking our usual booth in the middle of the Express. We put our bags away, and we start conversing over our summers.

"Guys, I'm worried. What if something is trying to kill me again this year?", explains Harry to us, but before he can get another word out, a certain platinum haired boy stops in front of our booth and opens the door.

"Someone is trying to kill you? I assure there's a list of people who would like to do that, Potter. I'm obviously at the top", Draco says, smirking to himself.

"Piss off, Malfoy.", warns Ron, a little on edge because of the boy standing in front of us.

"Ah yes, Weasley. How was your summer? I imagine it was dreadful with all of your family in the same one room.", says Draco, once again smirking.

"Don't talk about him like that.", retorts Hermione, looking at him with anger in her eyes.

"What was that, Mudblood?", Draco says, not caring that the word has an inexplicable meaning, now looking at Hermione with a glare.

"Shut it, Malfoy. Go take your prissy arse somewhere else.", I say, all eyes are on me now, but I just keep staring into Draco's grey ones.

Draco's glare disappears, and he smiles as I catch a glimpse of his white teeth.

"Heather. What a pleasure seeing you again. Can't wait to mess with you and your band of blood traitors this year.", Draco said, seeming proud of himself and smiling at me.

I keep my eyes fixated on his, not breaking eye contact.

"I said leave.", I warn.

Draco keeps looking at me, until he finally slips further into the train after what felt like ages.

For the past three years, Draco has been a bully to everyone, but he paid special attention to Harry, Ron, Hermione and I. Usually, they would back themselves up with a simple, "Shut up, Malfoy." But I made sure that we would always get the last laugh, there was just something in me that forced me to throw a witty retort back at him.

Once he leaves, I let out a shaky breath and close the door again. This year is going to be fun.

We go back to our conversation, talking about which classes we would like to have this year and what we think is to come.

We arrive at Hogwarts. It still looks as magical as it did last year, and every year before that. I've always wondered how long it took the creators of Hogwarts to find and use the enchantments that kept it alive, Rowena Ravenclaw being no doubt the brains of the operation. I would be rushing with adrenaline, like I usually am when I come back to my home. But, alas, the bad feeling I had before is back. As I look up at the great castle, I imagine the dangers of what could possibly present itself, for this year, at least.

As we got off the train, I feel arms linking with mine on both sides, and see Fred and George walking alongside me, and the bad feeling instantly goes away once I feel the protection that seeing my two best friends provide me.

"So, here's what we were thinking. This year, we go hardcore. This year, we will prank the biggest prank of all pranks, yet.", says Fred, winking as we walk to the Great Hall.

George pipes up, "We were thinking of possibly slipping something to one of your teachers."

My eyes light up with excitement as the twins explain their idea to me. They want to give one of my teachers a potion. Alihosty Draught, they specify.

"So you're going to make one of my teachers crack up in laughter during dinner?", I ask.

George says, "Not just any teacher. It's going to be on Snape."

Fred joins in, "And we're not doing it; you are", the twins say the last two words in unison, looking at me expectantly with a gleam in their eyes.

My face falls, realizing that these two idiots want me to give a potion to the potions professor, and a damn scary professor at that.

"Why has it got to be me? Can't you get another student to do it?", I try to reason.

George looks at me and says, "Well, Heathen, it's got to be you. You're the only one close enough out of the three of us to get to him. You know that he likes you despite being a Gryffindor."

They both look at me with puppy eyes, expecting me to agree, and I almost say no, but I give in. I find that I can't say no to them, no matter how hard I try.

"Yes!", the twins exclaim and high five each other as I shake my head in regret.

We arrived at the Great Hall for Dumbledore's annual welcome back speech, accompanied by dinner afterwards.

As Dumbledore explains to us of what's to come this year, with our school being selected for the TriWizard Tournament, we all turn to each other with looks that don't need any verbal communication.

Then, Dumbledore announced that we will be having guests here at Hogwarts, the other schools that were selected to join in the TriWizard Tounrament alongside us.

The enormous double doors opened, and in came a couple dozen students. All female, wearing the same uniform and the same hairstyle. Everyone watched them in awe and envy as they bowed to each table while they walked in. They took their seats at a table near the Professors as their headmaster, an abnormally tall lady greeted Dumbledore with a kiss on the cheek.

Dumbledore then announced the other school, signaling its students to enter as the girls from Beaxbatons did. In came in the most synchronized, athletic, stupid group of boys I've ever seen. t
They all made a show of themselves as they entered the Great Hall with acrobatics and staffs at their sides. Durmstrang obviously liked to show off, I've noticed. All the girls around me gasped as they took in the sight in front of them, the boys doing the same when they all saw none other than Viktor Krum enter next to his headmaster. Sure, Viktor is famous, and I have admired his Quidditch successions, but finding out that he was attending Durmstrang made him seem less attractive as a person to me.

I rolled my eyes at the scene in front of me, not being very impressed like the other girls there. I even noticed Hermione looking bored, glad to know I'm not the only one. I did see her eyeing Krum though, how surprising. I was sure that she and Ron would get together this year.

I turn around in my seat, having seen enough, and Dumbledore continues on. Fred and George widen their eyes, then say, "Wicked.", in unison as Dumbledore explains to us that there will be three severely dangerous tasks that the Tournament holds.

I smile at the twins, knowing them well enough to know that they're going to try to pull something after Dumbledore says that every competitor must be at least 17 years of age. I know they're too excited to let an opportunity like this pass.

Then, I feel someone's elbow nudging my right arm. I turn to see Hermione looking at me with a confused yet concerned look.

I ask her, "Is something wrong, Hermione?"

She looks around, making sure that no one is listening. She lowers her head down to my ear. "I don't know why, but Malfoy is looking at you.", she whispers to me.

I'm taken aback at her comment. Malfoy? Looking at me? What could possibly possess him to-

As I turn my head towards the Slytherin table, I notice that the platinum haired boy is, indeed, staring right at me. I raise my eyebrow in question, just as confused as Hermione. What business does he have staring at me like that? And is he...smiling, a little? I look him up and down, standing my ground a little until I realize he's not going to look away.

My eyes leave his and I roll my eyes as I turn my head back to focus on the rest of Dumbledore's speech. What was he looking at me like that for? I make the thoughts leave my head as I realize that I'm thinking about Draco. Ugh.

As we head into our own common rooms, Hermione and I talk about the weird interaction.

"It was really weird, Hermione. He was even smiling a little. Why would Malfoy smile at me?"

We're barely out into the main hallway, and before Hermione could reply to me with a logical solution, a voice stops us in our tracks.

"Been thinking about me, Heather?"

Malfoy.

I turn to him, easily coming up with a witty reply.

"Not as much as you've been thinking about me.", I retort.

"Ah, so you have been thinking about me?", he smirks.

I'm taken aback by his reply, not expecting him to think so quickly with something to get back at me. I just keep my eyes on his silver ones, fixing him with a hard glare. His stupid signature smirk is still plastered on his face.

"Is there a problem here?", asks Harry. Thank Merlin, he came just in time.

Draco looks as if an idea just popped into his head.

He sneakily says, "Well, you should've heard. Your little girlfriend here has been thinking about me."

I glare at him. The audacity.

As Harry is about to say something to him, Draco turns to me once again.

"I'll be seeing you soon.", he says, walking away before any of us could reply to him.

"Well that was unpleasant.", Ron says. Yeah. Tell me about it.

As Harry and Hermione whisper to each other about Draco's weird interaction with me, the feeling comes back again. Will it ever go away? Doesn't it understand that I have other things to worry about? Like, the possible danger that I'm sensing this year, or the weird comments with Malfoy?

I decide to take a shower in my private shower room. It's an extra space in my dorm with the other girls, but it's mine and mine only. I need something to feel like it belongs to only me. When I came to Hogwarts and got sorted into Gryffindor, I was, to say the least, disappointed. My parents were both Ravenclaws, and despite inheriting their wit, quick thinking, and intelligence of my studies, I got sorted into the house that mostly everyone cares about. Of course, now I am glad to be here, having that I've met my best friends in Gryffindor, but back then I needed space for myself. Ever since then, this private Eden has been mine.

There's also another reason I was glad I was sorted into Gryffindor. My parents were not only Ravenclaws, but they were Death Eaters. Of course, none of my friends know this, I couldn't even imagine how freaked out they would be that my parents were followers of the Dark Lord, they wouldn't even talk to me anymore. They would probably think that I would follow in their footsteps. It surprised me that my parents weren't Slytherins, having that most of the past Slytherins became Death Eaters one way or another. I use the fact that I'm in a different house that they were in to differentiate myself with them. It was another difference between us, so how could I become a Death Eater like them? I don't even talk to them that much, coming back from school for the holidays has always felt unnatural. I couldn't even imagine myself as a Death Eater. I knew I had nothing to fear, but sometimes the thought keeps me up at night.

After my shower, I brush my hair and change into comfy clothes, then drift off to a blissful sleep.