Yours for Mine ~ Sequel Edmund x Reader Hogwarts AU

Hogwarts Is Not As It Used To Be

(Image not mine)

"Nothing!" I slammed the book shut, startling Lucy who sat in the chair next to me in the quiet library. "I have no idea what he is trying to tell me!"

"You've gone through three books already, maybe there isn't anything," she sighed.

"There has to be," I mumbled, inspecting the book, "There's something I'm missing."

"Or maybe you just need to go to bed," she stood up, offering me her hand, "You've gotten very little sleep these past few days. We can't have you falling asleep at the welcoming feast tomorrow."

I grumbled a complaint but eventually gave in, tucking Edmund's book under my arm before grabbing her hand. She pulled me up and immediately launched into all of her worries for tomorrow. Her biggest one being the staff. Now that Snape was headmaster, Lucy was worried there would be some sketchy new faces as our professors.

Honestly, as much as I disliked Snape, I didn't want to believe he would hire people more loyal to Voldemort than to Dumbledore. Of course, if I found out that he did, I would revoke any remaining trust in the man.

"I'll see you in the morning," Lucy smiled before parting to go to her own room.

"Night!"

I pushed open the door to Edmund's room and stashed the book in my trunk with all of my other things. It was a mess, but I didn't care. Soon, we would be off to Hogwarts and I would have to unpack it all anyway.

---

The ride to Hogwarts was drearier than it had ever been. Last year, I was bursting with excitement. This time, I was dreading going back to that castle with everything so different. I got the feeling many other people felt the same way. We all sought comfort in each other's presence, so we joined a couple of other people in the dining car.

Neville sat across from me and Ginny, Lucy asleep beside him. It was a pretty quiet ride, we shared a few snacks over conversation but most of our time was spent staring out of the windows or reading the paper. That is until the train stopped much too early.

I sat up straighter, curiously looking around for the reason for our sudden halt. Everyone else looked just as confused. Since I was at the end of the booth, I peered down the stretch of seats, noticing a few figures making their way towards us. I looked back at Neville who could see them too.

Unconsciously, I felt for my wand in my pocket and sat on high alert. How Death Eaters had gotten on the Hogwarts Express was beyond me, but I intended to make sure they didn't get what they wanted.

Just as the three men in dark robes reached our booth, Neville stood up, glaring at them. "Hey, losers... he isn't here."

I looked up at him, impressed by his foolish bravery. The Death Eaters weren't happy about it, but they could tell he wasn't lying. Silently, they turned around and went back the way they came. Not long after, the train started moving again.

"That was very brave, Neville," I stared at his angry expression.

"And very stupid," Ginny scolded, hitting his arm with her copy of the Daily Prophet, "You could've gotten yourself killed."

He batted the paper away, "Someone had to do it. They shouldn't have gotten on the train at all. Hogwarts is being too careless."

"I have a feeling this year is going to be one to remember," Ginny sighed, opening up the Daily Prophet again.

I finally let go of my wand and returned to staring out of the window. The landscape looked far bleaker than I remembered. It was like even the earth was affected by the rising of Voldemort's followers.