CHAPTER SIXTEEN: WELCOME BACK
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ALEX SAT IN AN EMPTY compartment with Tianna and Neville, her feet propped up against the seat across from her. She didn't say anything at first, her eyes were staring out the window of her compartment, watching Draco hug Lucius and Narcissa. It was like a stab to her heart, they never treated her like that anymore. They never really did in the first place and ever since she ran away, she felt a little peace in her life, for the first time. Unfortunately, she would end up back there in a few months. Which was something she was dreading more than anything.

"So Neville." Tianna was the first to speak up. "How was your summer?"

He smiled cheekily. "My grandmother and I visited some places around Europe." He explained.

She nodded before she started to speak up. "My parents just bombarded me with questions about school and magic." She said."

Alex shrugged. "I don't blame them, if I was in their position I would be as well."

Before Tianna could say anything else there was a soft knock on their compartment door. Alex turned her head to see an unfamiliar face. He looked shorter, had dark brown curls, and a sort of baby face.

He slid the compartment open and cleared his throat awkwardly, fidgeting with his fingers. "Um. I wondering if I could sit with you guys. Everywhere else is full." He asked a small tremble to his voice.

The three of them exchanged some glances before Alex nodded, moving her feet off the seat in front of her. "Of course." She said. Neville scooted over slightly so the boy had more room. He took a seat beside Neville.

"I'm Anthony Greengrass but my family calls me Andy." He introduced, eyeing the three of them. "It's my first year." He gave an excited smile. Alex could've guessed he was a first year, by how nervous he was.

"Greengrass?" Alex asked. "As in Daphne?"

Daphne was in Slytherin, in Alex's year. She hung around Draco sometimes. "She's my sister. I also have a younger sister, Astoria, she'll be here next year."

She nodded. "Well, I'm Alex."

Anthony glanced over at Neville, who gave a cheeky smile. "I'm Neville."

"I'm Tianna!" Tianna blurted out. "It's very nice to meet you, Andy. What house do you wanna be in?"

Alex couldn't help but chuckle at Tianna's eagerness. "Oh um, my whole family has been in Slytherin so probably Slytherin. My sister Astoria thinks I'll be in Ravenclaw though. So I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad."

Tianna continued talking. "Allie and I are both Hufflepuff's and Neville's Gryffindor." She explained.

He nodded. "What year are you guys in?"

"We're all second years," Alex explained

Anthony smiled at them. "I'm so glad you guys are nice and let me sit with you." He said. "I tried sitting with my sister but she was with this blonde boy and two other boys."

Alex sighed a slightly annoyed tone in it. "Draco Malfoy." She said. "And his two followers Crabbe and Goyle. They're Slytherin's."

"They're trouble." Tianna corrected. "Draco picks on Neville all the time." Neville looked up at the mention of his name, growing. "Sorry."

He nodded. "Oh," he whispered. "My sister was talking about them all summer, and said they're cool friends."

Alex shrugged. "Well if he likes you it's not terrible but he doesn't like us." She said. 'He used to like me' she said in her head. It still hurt, like a cut being reopened.

A conversation between the four continued, before Hermione opened up their compartment door without a knock. Alex turned her head, her hair was less bushy than it was last year. "Have you guys seen Ron and Harry?"

"I assumed they would be with you," Alex said. "I haven't seen them since Diagon Alley."

Hermione sighed, she seemed worried. "I haven't either." She admitted.

"They have to be somewhere," Tianna reassured her. "Maybe they're sitting with someone else?"

Hermione shook her head. "Who else would they be sitting with?" She asked. "I already checked with the rest of Ron's family they're nowhere. They went quiet, and Hermione's eyes shifted to the unfamiliar boy who was with them. "I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?"

Neville shook his head. "No, we were just talking."

Hermione nodded slowly. "I'm Hermione." She introduced.

"I'm Andy." He said, smiling. Hermione put her hand out and he shook it.

"You kinda looked like—"

"Daphne." He finished. "Yeah I'm aware, she's my older sister."

Hermione nodded. "Well it was nice meeting you, I'm gonna keep looking around." She shut their door and walked off.

Anthony turned back to them. "Harry Potter?"

Tianna nodded. "Yeah, he's in our year! Surprised Daphne didn't talk about him! He's a Gryffindor."

"And Ron Weasley," Alex added getting a nod from Tianna.

"She really only talked about her Slytherin friends." He said.

"Ron's sister is in your year, Ginny Weasley," Neville told him. "I met her at Diagon Alley when I was there with my Gran."

Tianna leaned forward slightly, almost as if she was going to tell a secret. "There was a rumor last year, that You-Know-Who's daughter was going to be in our year, I think people have moved past that but I've always thought Malfoy is quite a contestant."

"It's not a game, Tianna." Alex interrupted. "And it's not Malfoy. His father was at Diagon Alley, they look alike. Platinum blonde hair, grey eyes"

"It's probably hard," Anthony said. "Being his kid, all that pressure. I mean, my family believes in blood supremacy." Tianna raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't! I don't believe in all that stuff. Neither does Astoria really, she just pretends to."

Tianna nodded. "It doesn't get much worse than Draco Malfoy."

—

Upon their arrival at Hogwarts, the first years split off from the rest of the students who gathered into carriages. The castle felt all too familiar.

Alex, Tianna, and Neville entered the Great Hall beside one another. The candles still floated above all the students.

"I'll see you later," Alex said to Neville as he split from them, walking to the Gryffindor table. He waved and then Alex and Tianna went to the Hufflepuff table.

They took a seat beside one another. Across from them, Cedric Diggory spoke up. "Hello." He greeted, smiling at the two girls. He eyed Alex. "Quidditch this year?"

Every time Alex had a conversation with Cedric it somehow led to Quidditch. She nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna try out this year. I'm not sure if I'll make the team though."

He shrugged. "I didn't make the team until last year." He admitted.

She glanced at Tianna, who had been listening to their conversation. "Are you still interested in trying out?" She asked.

She shook her head. "Not really, I'd rather just watch, or maybe commentate."

Alex frowned slightly but decided not to say anything right now. "Lee Jordan has been commentating since last year. Although, I don't think Professor McGonagall exactly approves of some of the things he says." Cedric explained a light shrug to his shoulders.

Just then, the Great Hall doors opened and the first years entered. Alex spotted Anthony toward the front and Alex recognized the Weasley red hair that belonged to Ginny.

She glanced toward the Gryffindor table, she still didn't see Ron and Harry. She nudged Tianna, pointing toward where Hermione was sitting. "Ron and Harry still aren't here." She whispered.

Tianna glanced at where Alex was pointing an alarmed expression came upon her face before she shrugged at Alex. "Maybe they were late for the train?" Tianna suggested.

"What would happen then?" She asked.

"Not sure." She admitted. The first years gathered in front of the teacher's table. McGonagall had the hat in her hand and a chair for the students beside her.

She cleared her throat. "I will call your name and you will come forward and I will place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted into your houses." She explained. "Cara Anderson."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Alex turned to Tianna, ignoring the next few students to be called up. "Do you think the Professors will have to go pick them up? Or ride another train here?" She asked, her eyes widening slightly. "What if they can't come this year at all?"

Tianna frowned. "I don't think they wouldn't come at all, maybe a little delayed."

Alex turned her attention back to the sorting. "Colin Creevey," McGonagall called up.

A boy with blonde hair and a cheeky smile stepped up, taking a seat on the chair. The hat was placed on his head and a few seconds later the hat spoke:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The boy skipped to the Gryffindor table, taking a seat beside Seamus Finnigan and another first-year student. He immediately started talking only to be shushed by Percy Weasley.

The next familiar name Alex heard get called up was, Anthony. "Anthony Greengrass."

As the hat touched his head, there wasn't an immediate answer. The hat sat there for about a minute before saying anything. Alex could see the nervousness growing on the boy's face. She couldn't help but glance at the Slytherin table where his sister was sitting, who was chatting to Pansy Parkinson while keeping an intent eye on her brother.

"Smart I see." The hat finally said. "Also has quite an ambitious mind and loyal!"

"That's like three out of four of the houses," Tianna mumbled, loud enough for only Alex could hear. She saw Tianna's eyes shift up to a clock, reading the time before watching Anthony again.

"He wanted Slytherin." Alex reminded her. "Though he seemed like he wouldn't be upset about Ravenclaw."

The hat was silent for a few more seconds before ultimately making a decision.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Anthony seemed to let out a sigh of relief before walking over, and sitting beside his sister.

"I did not expect that," Alex admitted, turning to Tianna again.

"It makes him a hatstall," Tianna whispered reading the confused expression on Alex's face, which made her continue. "It took him about 5 minutes and 45 seconds to be sorted. Anything over 5 minutes is considered a hatstall, they're very rare. Harry was almost one last year, which they call a near hatstall."

Alex nodded slowly as she looked over at the Slytherin table where Anthony was. He seemed out of place beside the other Slytherins he was near. He seemed like such a sweet person surrounded by not-sweet people.

She sighed slightly as she looked back up at the sorting ceremony. It was a lot more boring when you weren't a first-year.

"Luna Lovegood."

A girl with long, wavy blonde hair, almost the tone of Draco's, stepped forward and took a seat in the chair.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Tianna turned to Alex. "Her mother is Pandora Lovegood, originally Rosier. She was a spell creator she died a little less than two years ago." She whispered. "Her mother's brother was Evan Rosier, he was loyal to You-Know-Who, he was killed by an auror."

"How do you know everything about everyone?" She asked, almost amused.

"I read a lot. I was already at a disadvantage because I'm a muggle-born." She explained. "So I took it upon myself to learn everything. Her mother wrote some books, I've read one."

Alex cracked a smile and nodded. "Ginny Weasley."

Ginny stepped up, she looked nervous although Alex could predict where she was going to go, where all the Weasleys went.

When the hat touched her head. "A Weasley!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Figured that," Alex mumbled to herself as she watched Ginny walk to the Gryffindor table, receiving smiles from all of her brothers, minus Ron who was nowhere in sight.

—

The sorting ceremony came to an end, Professor Dumbledore went over the same exact rules he went over the previous year. Then, he delivered the feast on all four tables with a flick of his wand.

The Great Hall quickly got several octaves higher as students broke out into conversations. Alex grabbed some food and placed it on her plate.

She felt relieved to be back at Hogwarts, even if the past few weeks she had been staying at Andromeda, she still felt like a burden. Like she had her entire life. But Hogwarts was different, she felt like she was accepted. She had people who truly cared about her, people who chose to help around her.

authors note

yay, another chapter, it's been a while since i've updated this much but i hope you guys love anthony. he is the loml.