Finally the Herd and Arthur made it back and saw Charlie running out of the tent.

"Dad! We all made it back but Erica and Ron- With the others-" Charlie rambled, he was worried about his siblings.

"Charlie, we're right here." Erica grabbed his arm.

"Oh thank Merlin." Charlie hugged Erica.

Erica hugged him back,"I didn't like that.."

"Are you hurt?" He stroked her hair.

"I don't think so." She shook her head.

"Good."

"Bill is." Percy shrugged.

"Bill?" Erica looked inside the tent.

"It's just a scratch Er, don't worry." Bill assured her as he held a cloth to his wound.

"You're bleeding.."

"Just a scratch." He nodded.

"Do you need help?"

"He's fine." Percy walked by as someone they least expected to come, walked into their tent.

"Malfoy? What are you doing here?" Harry questioned.

"I need my sister." Draco spoke.

"I'm busy, bugger off." Parker waved him off.

"No, I need you. Right now."

Parker looked towards him.

"It's urgent." Draco shook his head.

"I'll... See you guys on the train." Parker waved to the Weasleys and friends.

"Bye Parker." Erica sighed.

"Let's go to the portkey, quickly." Arthur nodded.

"Lead the way." Harry told him.

*********************************

The Herd sat in the compartment of the train, minus Parker. She hadn't arrived yet.

"Where is she?" Erica sighed.

"Probably still with Draco." Ron rolled his eyes.

"What do you think he needs her for?" Harry asked.

"You never know when it's with hin." Hermione answered.

"I still don't like him." Ron raised a hand while Parker walked in.

"Can I get two pumpkin pasties please?" Parker spoke in a Scottish accent, rolling her eyes.

"Parker, leave Cho alone." Erica sighed.

"She just gets on my nerves." Parker groaned and sat down, leaning on Erica.

"She's nice."

"She doesn't like you." Parker shook her head.

"Why wouldn't she?"

"Because she doesn't like the fact that you hang with Cedric."

"I'm sure she doesn't mind that much." Erica rolled her eyes.

"Okay hun." Parker patted her arm.

"Ced and I are just friends."

"I know you are." Parker nodded.

*********************************

Erica was sat at the Hufflepuff table eating a sandwich.

"Hi Erica." Neville slowly sat beside her.

"Why so slow?" Erica raised a brow.

"Hannah." Was all Neville needed to say.

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense." Erica shook her head,"What's she doing?"

"Just trying to talk to me. I don't like it."

"Shes a bit... Difficult." Erica nodded slowly.

"Tell me about it." Neville shivered.

"I don't need to, I share a bedroom with her." Erica patted his shoulder.

Neville looked at her with a smile,"How was summer?"

"Summer was good, I got a diagnosis too."

"You're-"

"No. I'm not dying." Erica cut him off,"Sherie said I have autism."

"Oh... Okay. At least you're not dying, I'd miss you too much." Neville hummed.

"I'm not dying any time soon." Erica assured him.

"I'm glad." He leaned against her.

Erica looked off to the side, she felt... Fuzzy.

"Maybe this summer we can hang out together?" Neville suggested.

"I'd like that." Erica smiled,"I'd like it a lot."

"Me too." Nevile got up,"How's that plant doing that I got you?"

"Its the only plant I've been able to keep alive." Erica sighed.

"Well, maybe I can help you out with some other plants."

"That would be great." Erica nodded.

"I'll see what I can do." He smiled.

Erica smiled too, it was nice not being harassed at this table.

"I'm gonna go back to my table cause I think Dumbledore's gonna speak." Neville pointed.

"Don't miss me too much." Erica hummed.

Neville chuckled and walked back over to his table. Meanwhile, Blaise was reading at the Slytherin table.

"What book do you have?" Parker sat beside him.

"Macbeth." He answered.

"Don't you know its a curse to say the name?" Parker hummed.

"Only when you're actually doing the play." Blaise nudged her.

"What did you do over the summer?"

"Not much, I spent most of it reading." Blaise shrugged.

"Course you did. All you do is read." Parker rolled her eyes.

"I did try to hang out with you but I was turned away at the door."

"You were?" Parker looked at him.

"It was weird. Then again, it was your dad that answered so I guess that explains it." Blaise shook his head.

"I'm sorry... If I knew you were there I would've came down."

"It was gonna be a surprise."

"Maybe... Send me an owl next time." She smiled.

"I will.' Blaise nodded.

"Maybe... We can hang out, alone? Without Draco watching from afar."

"That sounds nice." Blaise agreed,"But he's just over there so maybe talk quieter."

Parker leaned closer to Blaise,"How about we meet at the library one day?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Parker smiled and looked at Blaise,"I'm gonna go see Erica."

"Have fun." Blaise waved.

Parker got up and felt warm inside, crossing her arms as she walked over to Erica.

"Parker." Erica smiled.

"Erica. Sorry I had to run when I got off the train." Parker hugged Erica.

"It's fine, you're here now. Besides, Dumbledore looks like he's gonna do his usual speech."

"Should we sneak over to the others?"

"I think we should stay, the foods better here."

"We can go over and see them after." Parker hummed as Dumbledore began his speech.

Erica didn't pay much attention to the speech... Until she saw the doors open and Filch run in.

"They're here!" Filch clapped as he ran to the teachers, young girls following behind him.

Erica was confused before she saw the girls in light blue entering so... Gracefully. They stopped occasionally to let origami birds fly around the hall before ending at the front.

"They're kinda pretty." Parker smiled.

"Do you think we'll ever be that coordinated?" Erica raised a brow.

"We can't walk two feet without banging into each other." Parker chuckled.

"So-"

Then came loud bangs as a group of boys with sticks entered, marching together. Some did flips and another made a serpent of fire.

"There's Krum!" Parker pointed,"Ron, it's your boyfriend!"

Rom glared at the pair across the table but soon when back to admiring Krum.

"Get yourself a boyfriend that looks at you the way Ron looks at Krum." Erica giggled.

Parker laughed and watched as Krum did a flip, looking at the Golden Trio before he sat down.

"Y'know... I can see why Ron likes him." Erica nodded slowly.

"He's too... Big for my liking."

"I like it."

Parker looked at Krum before she shook her head.

Erica chuckled,"I'm kidding... Maybe."

"They look like they could crush us."

"Maybe crushing... Is nice?"

"Nice?" Parker looked at her.

"I'm sorry!"

Parker laughed and nudged Erica,"Some of them do look nice... What about the ladies?"

"One hundred percent."

"She has a nice smile." Parker pointed to a girl.

"They're all just beautiful."

"Stop drooling over someone you guys can never get." Hannah rolled her eyes.

"I could say the same thing, Hannah." Parker hummed.

"Neville came and told me how he didn't like you trying to talk to him." Erica rolled her eyes.

"He's warming up to me. I think we're going on a date soon."

"I've got a better chance going out with Krum than that happening." Erica shook her head.

"Just wait and see Weasley." Max, a boy from the year above butted in.

"Even someone who's blind can tell that he doesn't like Hannah, even as a friend."

"Well he doesn't like you either, even as a friend. So keep dreaming." Max scoffed.

"What was that Max?" Parker leaned forward.

"You heard me, Malfoy."

"Right- Calm down, we're not fighting at the table." Erica sighed.

"Just a little punch." Parker whispered.

"No, no punches." Erica shook her head,"Wow, this really isn't like me."

"Maybe-"

"I have an announcement!" Barty Crouch Sr stood up.

With that, almost the whole hall turned to look at him.

"At this year's Triwizard Tournament, no person under the age of 17 may enter."

"Ugh, I would've done so well in it." Parker sighed.

"I was going to try and sneak Draco into it for fun." Erica shrugged.

"That's rubbish!" They heard Fred and George shout.

"Boo!!" Some more older boys and girls shouted.

"This just means we'll have a normal year." Parker smiled as she leaned on her arms.

"Thank god, I don't need any more stress." Erica shook her head.

"Think I've got wrinkles started." Parker looked at her hands.

"I'm gonna go grey before I'm 20." Erica sighed.

"I think I already am." Parker held up a small white streak of hair.

"Oh dear." Erica patted her shoulder.

That's when the food arrived on the table, looking as good as always.

"Dig in." Parker hummed.

"With pleasure." Erica smiled.

*********************************

"New year, new crazy teacher." Parker sighed as the Herd walked to DADA class.

"Can't we just... Have a normal teacher for once?" Ron questioned.

"Maybe he might be normal." Hermione suggested.

"It's Mad Eye." Parker nodded.

"Hermione, we're not allowed normal teachers. They're either evil, insane, stupid or the try to kill us." Erica shook her head as she sat down.

"Or all of the above." Parker shrugged.

"Even better." Erica laid her head on the desk.

Parker sat down next to Erica, Ron and Hermione sitting next to each other while Harry sat next to Neville. Then... He entered. Professor Mad-Eye Moody. He was a bit too... Intimidating for Erica's liking.

He then began writing his name on the chalkboard,"I am your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I am only here because Dumbledore asked me to. End of story. Okay? Thank you."

Seamus nodded slowly and went to stick his chewing gum underneath his desk.

"You will need to find another place to hide your chewing gum rather than the underside of your desk, Mr Finnigan!" Moody yelled.

"The old codger can see out the back of his head." Seamus scoffed.

"And hear across classrooms!" Moody threw his chalk at Seamus before shaking his head,"Now, who can tell me how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"

"Three." Parker answered as she doodled on the desk.

"Good, Miss Malfoy. Although I'd appreciate if you stopped graffiti'ing on my tables." Moody began to look around the class,"Who can name one of the curses?"

To everyone's surprise, Neville slowly raised his hand.

"Go ahead, Mr Longbottom." Moody turned to him.

"There's the... Cruciatus Curse." Neville spoke.

"Very good." Moody nodded as he returned to his desk, taking out a spider from a jar,"The torture curse."

"Ron, cover your eyes." Hermione chuckled.

"Crucio." Moody aimed his wand at the spider on the desk, casting it to writhe around in agony.

Neville looked away, closing his eyes.

"Stop it! Can't you see it's bothering him? Stop it!" Erica slammed her hand down on her desk.

Moody stopped, bringing the spider over her desk and placing it down,"Miss Weasley, may you tell me the worst unforgivable curse?"

Erica looked away from Moody,"The killing curse, sir."

Moody nodded, pointing his wand at the spider,"Avada Kadavra!"

With that, the spider died in front of her. Erica grimaced and quickly swatted it off her desk.

"..Fuck." Parker whispered.

"I hate him." Erica muttered.

Soon enough the class was over, the Herd leaving the class,"That was intense."

"I want Lupin back." Erica shook her head,"I mean, can you belive the nerve of him?"

"Why do we never get a fucking normal year?" Parker cursed.

"Because the universe hates us." Ron shrugged.

"Hopefully he's just the worst of our problems." Hermione shrugged.

"I'm praying." Erica nodded.

Parker hummed,"Everyone's putting their names in, wanna go watch?"

"Yeah!" Erica perked up.

"I heard Fred and George were gonna try." Ron added.

"They better not." Erica sighed.

When they walked into the Great Hall, they saw Cedric placing his name in the goblet. Erica clapped her hands excitedly, she really hoped Cedric got chosen.

"Let's sit down." Parker chuckled and sat down as the twins ran to them.

"Idiots." Hermione shook her head,"You're not going to get through, there's an age line. Dumbledore drew it himself."

"Ah, but look here." Fred smirked as he held up a vial.

"What is that?" Harry questioned, eyeing the vial.

"We brewed it last night. It should let us go over the line." George nodded.

"Boys, its not going to work." Erica sighed.

"How so, little Er?" Fred wrapped his arm around her.

"Well, Dumbledore drew that age line himself, like Hermione said. Someone as smart as him isn't going to be fooled by your amateur aging potion."

"You're starting to sound like Percy." George shivered.

Erica crossed her arms and looked away. They were right and she hated it. If they said that a year or two ago, she would've been happy but now..?

"Ready Fred?" George held up his vial.

"Resdy George." Fred raised his vial too,"Bottoms up."

They clicked their vials, drinking them before chucking them away. The twins grew long beards, their hair turning white and frizzy.

"Bit older than I was expecting you to look." Ron chuckled.

"I think he looks very handsome." Fred nodded.

"You look- Y'know what? I think you should go for it, guys." Harry shook his head.

The twins clapped, turning to the line, crossing it and... They made it!

"No way." Erica blinked.

"How did they do that?" Ron looked at them.

"I... Don't know." Hermione began before both boys were thrown out of the ring by the Goblet.

"You said it would work!" Fred pointed at George.

"You said I looked handsome!" George pointed back.

"You-" Fred tackled George to thr ground.

That's when the crowd went silent as Krum walked into the room, putting his name into the Goblet.

"Ron, it's your boyfriend." Erica nudged him.

"Shut up." Ron glared at her.

Meanwhile Hermione was staring at Krum with a small smile.

"If you don't want him then- Oh, 'Mione's beat me to it." Erica sighed.

"Mione has a crush~" Parker teased.

"On Ron's boyfriend." Erica gasped.

"I do not." Hermione shook her head.

"You sure? Your eyes tell me a different story." Parker hummed.

"I know he's handsome but he's an athlete. Wait, no, ahem- More than an athlete." Erica looked at Ron who kept glaring.

"You sure you don't have a crush?" Harry chuckled.

"Harry, don't encourage them!" Hermione pointed.

The Herd laughed as they all exited the Great Hall to head for their next classes.