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chapter thirty-four,
sorry
After Alice's dramatic (but very appreciated) announcement to always be there for Beatrice, the first evening back at school passed as it normally would.
The two girls spent the hour or so which was left of the train ride back to school chatting about normal kid things, like Alice's plot to get Dirk Cresswell to like her, which Slytherin boy in their year was the worst (as of right now it was a three-way tie between Avery, Mulciber and Snape), and which muggle TV show was the best.
Alice was somewhat of an expert in cartoons, knowing all the details of everything from the American Saturday morning cartoon Scooby Doo, Where Are You!, to the anime version of Anne of Green Gables. Beatrice had only seen one show in the hospital, but had to admit she enjoyed the animated faces her friend made as she re-enacted their plots.
Things became a bit more awkward when they arrived at the castle, and Sirius shot them some rather dirty looks (Alice: "This is exactly why you have to explain what happened this summer!", Beatrice: "Okay, but do I, though?"), while Regulus sat looking rather glum between Evan, Barty and Claudia at the Slytherin table.
"C'mon Bea," Alice said as the last couple of first-years were sorted and dinner began, "don't worry about them. You can talk to them after the feast, so stop stressing. Try some chicken alfredo."
Beatrice blinked, "Again?"
Alice looked rather confused by this, "What do you mean?"
"That's what you told me to do on our first day at Hogwarts. I was internally freaking out about my sorting, but you calmed me down by distracting me with pasta and school stuff."
Alice thought about this for a moment before grinning. "Wait I remember that! You told me that only men could get jobs!"
Beatrice groaned, "Don't remind me. And you told me you wanted to be an auror."
Alice smiled as she popped a sautéed potato into her mouth. "Still do."
☾
After the feast was over and Dumbledore had made his regular speech ("House unity... defying dark forces... promoting tolerance and friendship... blah blah blah"), Beatrice tried to track down Regulus, but was disappointed to find out from Lucius that he had headed back to the common room early.
