Ami wasted no time in explaining what happened during her summer to her two friends once they boarded the Hogwarts Express for the last time. She rambled on about how her family was practically going mental trying to find a suitable pureblood for their "precious" Ami.

The annoyed red head explained to them how frustrated she was with the thought of being married off with someone who wouldn't even love her for herself, but for her pureblood status.

Amber relayed the news from her family, who had told her they had already found a lovely boy who was a year older than her and from Drumstrang. The soon-to-be newlyweds actually liked each other a decent amount; so Amber wasn't too bothered marrying him once their last year of Hogwarts was over.

When they asked Tom about his summer, he didn't tell them much. The place where he stayed was a joke; and he couldn't wait to be back at the castle, where he could make his plans for the future in peace. Ami and Amber didn't ask what his plans were because they knew he would tell them in due time.

Once the trio hopped off the train and went to to the carriages, Ami and Amber broke off into a conversation about the Quidditch World Cup that had happened the past summer. Tom did not care for the sport so his mind had swept himself into his reoccuring thoughts and developing plans.

He did not know how he was going to tell Ami or Amber that he would "move away" to study more into the Dark Arts, which he definitely had a knack for; but he knew he had to tell them at some point.

Tom promised himself that he would never allow Ami or Amber to be involved in the early makings of his plans for domination. He knew he could not empathize if his friends were caught; but he also knew he could not hurt them as well, especially Ami.

Amber looked over in Tom's direction to see him in what Ami and herself refferred to as his "Constipation and Anticipation" face when he wasn't around. They knew not to disturb him when he was thinking; but Amber decided to annoy him anyway.

"TOM RIDDICULOUS RIDDLE WE HAVE ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION!" Amber screamed so loudly that the carriage lurched in what Ami could assume as surprise. She gave a quick glare at Amber, who was grinning with the carriage's reaction, and then looked at Tom. She was surprised to see that Tom simply offered Amber a glare and then hopped out of the open door of the carriage. Ami didn't even realize that they had stopped with the commotion her best friend had caused.

Tom lended a hand to Ami as she was leaving the carriage, but guided Ami away with his arm wrapped around her waist as to leave Amber behind. He heard Amber cursing their names in the distance but did not care enough to listen to her rambling on; so he chatted with a slightly-flustered looking Ami when they made their way into the Great Hall. When the duo sat down, he removed his arm from her waist and they patiently waited for their headmaster to make his evening speech.

Ami noticed how the respected professor, Dumbledore, was eyeing Tom as the young man fiddled with his fingers, avoiding the professor's hard stare. However, when the food appeared on the table, Ami realized how hungry she was and any thoughts of wonder disappeared from her mind as she filled her plate with food.

Once the feast was over and Amber, Tom, and Ami reviewed the classes that they had together, they all bid each other a good night and went into their dormitories.

"Hey, Ami?"

"Yeah?" Ami replied, fluffing her pillow routinely before she crawled under the green covers.

"Do you think another student will die this year, like that Myrtle chick?" Ami stopped what she was doing and looked at her best friend, who had a worried look in her eyes.

They never talked about the Ravenclaw girl who met a tragic death last year. In fact, Ami had never heard Amber mention the incident at all. The mysterious petrifications that happened last year had students from every House worried that they would be the next target. Ami personally believed that the creature who had done those horrible things was connected to Slytherin; but she never voiced her opinion. Everybody had been suspicious of each other and Ami did not want to cause more suspicion towards her House nor herself.

Ami shook her head to rid her mind of the bad memories of last year and looked at her best friend. "I don't think so, Amber. No one should die this year. After all, Tom said that it seemed like everything had stopped last year after poor Myrtle died."

"Good thing he's so confident then." Amber muttered under her breath. Ami heard her crawl into her bed and immediately heard a snore. Damn, that girl can go to sleep faster than the killing curse can be casted.

Ami rolled to her side and looked at the picture she had brought from her home that summer. It was herself and her brother being tackled into hugs by her mothers. She never felt homesick when she was at Hogwarts; it was her second home. This year, she thought, felt different from all the other years though; but she couldn't figure out why.

The young woman didn't think it was because it was her last year at Hogwarts. Something about her personal life and not academics felt off to her. She couldn't tell if it was the fact that Tom had taken a sudden interest in her or the fact that the events of last year began circulating in her mind since Amber mentioned it.

She remembered Tom's demeanor throughout the scary events. The red head believed him to be a suspect; but Ami never thought hard about it until the summer. He had seemed way too content and relaxed with all of the petrifications that happened during sixth year. Ami wondered if he knew something about it that no one else in the school knew.