Back to Hogwarts

1 and 1/2 years later...

I was getting ready to start my third year at Howarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

We were currently staying in the Leaky Culdron in Diagon Alley,  after a trip to Egypt to visit the oldest Weasley brother, Bill.

I had just gotten back from buying all my school stuff with George, and he asked if I wanted to go for a walk.

"We just got back from one!" I exclaimed, laughing.

"I meant so we could check if Draco is around."  he grinned.

"Ok."

I could tell that Mrs. Weasley was watching me and George closely, like she did last summer.

We got into Diagon Alley, and we ran into half the quidditch team.

We talked to Angelina, Katie, and Oliver, and yes, that counts as half, because the only other members are me, George, Fred,  and Harry. Fred and George act like they're the same person.

We walked aound randomly, and once we were in front of Florish and Blotts, the book shop, we finally ran into him.

He almost crushed me in a death grip hug. I started gasping for breath, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, uh Draco? I don't know for sure, but you might want to let her breath, or you won't have a sister for long." George grinned.

"Sorry Cora." Draco laughed.

We talked for a little while, but then Draco had to go home. Oh well, I thought. I'll see him tomorrow on the train.

The next day, we were up early to get to the station. When we got there, Lee was waiting.

"Ah, there are my partners in crime!" he exclaimed.

"You three have Cora involved in your pranks? Really?" Mrs. Weasley asked exasperatedly.

We just walked away, after she gave me my Hogsmeade permission slip. Once we were out of sight of her, Lee snatched it out of my hand.

"Well, well, well. What is this?" he asked teasingly.

"Hey! I need that or I can't go to Hogsmeade!" I laughed, trying to get it back.

"Then maybe we should get rid of it, Lee. That way, George has no reason to ditch us." Fred said thoughtfully.

"I don't have to show her around this time guys, so we might hang out with you, now give it back." George retorted.

We quickly got into our compartment.

We found a newspaper, and decided to look over it.

"Sirius Black escaped Askaban!" Lee cried.

"HE WHAT?!?!" Fred and George exclaimed.

"Good." I said.

"Are you mad?" Lee asked.

"He murdered 13 people with one curse!" Fred said.

"He betrayed his best friend! He sold Harry's parents to you-know-who!" George exclaimed.

"No he didn't. You forget who's daughter I am. Peter Petigrew betrayed them. The Potters switched secret keepers at last moment because Black thought Voldemort would come after him. No, I'm not too scared to say his name." I explained.

"Oh, ok." George said. Nothing else was mentioned on the trip about that.

Then, the dementors searched the train.

They came into our compartment, and I don't know what happened.

I heard my parents telling me I could never speak to Draco ever again, then the Weasleys saying I could not be friends with their kids. I knew it was all in my head, but I broke down into tears.

I curled up into a ball, and burst into tears. All my bad memories of my parents abusing me, of everything, came flooding back. My fear of being put in Slytherin, my parents beating me constantly and Draco never found out, my loneliness before I hung out with Fred and George.

Once the dementor left, I felt George put an arm around me, and either Lee or Fred sat on my other side, and the other slid in front of me.

"Cora, are you ok?" Lee asked quietly.

I shook my head.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked. I knew it was Fred, because the voice came from my left, not my right where I knew George was sitting.

"M-m-memories. B-bad m-memories." I managed to stutter at a whisper.

"Why don't you guys go make sure Ron and Ginny are ok?" George suggested quietly.

"Instead of you creating excuses, you could just ask us if we're hungry and give us some money to go ti the trolley. We'll get about two chocolate frogs each for you guys." Lee said.

Once they left, George turned me around on the seat, and since I had my knees pulled up to my chest, it was easy.

"Cora, what memories?" he asked quietly.

"My parents abusing me, beating me,  Draco... Draco doesn't know. I-I'm t-too afriad to tell him. I... I've... n-never t-told anyone." I replied, still crying. I felt weak, powerless, vunerable.

George moved to let me sit by the window, and I leaned against the side of the seat, with my back to the window, and my knees pulled up to my chest.

When Lee and Fred came back, they gave me two chocolate frogs, because chocolate is supposed to help after you've been around dementors. It actually did too.

Fred and Lee both shot George questioning looks, but he shook his head. Then he attempted to change the subject.

"Cora, what classes are you taking this year?" George asked me.

"The required ones, care of magical creatures, arithmacy, and divination." I replied.

"Trelwany is just an old hag, I don't see what's so great about seeing the future." Lee said.

"I thought it seemed easy, so I'm giving it a shot." I replied.

Then we arrived at the school.

We got inside for the Sorting,  and sat in our normal seats.

None of the names really penatrated my thoughts, except one, that seemed to have been added at the end, as if the name had been forgotten.

"Black, Missy." said Professor Flitwick.

A small, black haired girl stepped forward nervously,  and sat down. As soon as the hat touched her head, in fact, it was an inch away when it yelled,  "Griffindor!"

The only seat left was next to George, so I made him move over so the girl could sit on the end.

She walked down, looking for a seat, and found the one next to me.

"Hi, I'm Cora Malfoy." I said.

"I'm Missy Black." she smiled nervously.

"I know everyone here thinks your dad is a murderer, but I know he's not. I have explained this to my friends here. This is Lee Jordan,  and Fred and George Weasley." I told the girl.

"Thanks, and hi." Missy replied. The three boys waved to her, and Lee invited her to join our group. She signed the paper, and hung out with us.

The next day, I showed her to her first Transfiguration class,  and she followed people in her year the rest of the time.

I had my first divination lesson after lunch.

I arrived to Trelwany's class with Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

Trelwany was telling everyone what she saw in their future.

She took a long look at me.

"You, my dear, you will be used as a test subject by one you trust most  near Christmas time. The product to be tested is one the person wishes would be active forever, not just a temporary effect." she said.

"Oh! Will the product be a love potion, because what else would someone want to last forever?" Lavender Brown asked.

"That remains to be seen." Trelwany told her. I already hated this class.

Lee was right, she is a hag.