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────────────── 'NEW GIRL' ──────────────
♡
Chin resting on her palm, Mina was only able to pull her eyes away from the back of Harry's head as Dumbledore announced that the sorting ceremony would begin. She sat straighter in her seat at the Hufflepuff table and turned to watch with the rest of the school as the shy first-years entered the Great Hall.
She smiled at the awe on their faces as they eyed the ceiling bewitched to look like the night sky. It was odd to think that she was that little when she first came to Hogwarts—or that she only had two more years left in the school. It had become so homely, so familiar; a place of comfort, the setting of some of her fondest memories.
Mina cheered along with her house whenever a first-year was sorted into Hufflepuff, grinning as they beamed at the generous welcome, and clapped even as they were sorted elsewhere. Keeping a mental tally, she internally groaned as the final first year was sorted into Gryffindor. Looking to Harry on the next table over, he was already looking at her, grinning smugly, and she scrunched her nose at him in response.
The two had made another bet just twenty minutes prior.
If Gryffindor got more first years than Hufflepuff, Harry would win, and vice versa would mean Mina's victory. Despite her lack of luck when it came to bets, she'd agreed to it because, if shewon, she wouldn't have to learn how to fly on a broom—but since it was Harry that won, Mina now owed him a favour that he could redeem at any time.
It was safe to say the Hufflepuff would no longer make bets with the boy.
"And now, it is time to sort our wonderful transfer students!" the two turned to the front as Dumbledore spoke. Mina finally noticed a small group of students with varying heights, ages and complexions standing at the front where the first years had just been. "In no particular order," the headmaster started, adjusting his half-moon glasses as he read from the parchment. "Heather Thompson from Australia, going into sixth year."
A girl with an air of confidence strode from the small group, and Mina instantly recognised the sandy blonde waves from the girl Harry was talking with on the train. Heather was in her new robes now, and as she turned around and sat on the stool, Professor McGonagall put the old, ragged sorting hat on her head.
Students around Mina craned their necks to spy the new girl, and kept their gaze on her for longer than usual, particularly the boys; most of whom seemed so transfixed on Heather it was as if the mere sight of her was something intoxicating. Glancing Harry's way, she caught sight of him stuck in this same trance—just in time to see his face light up as the sorting hat announced, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Amidst the cheers and clapping that arose as a beaming Heather made her way to the Gryffindor table, Mina looked away, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach; trying not to think about the fact that she and Harry would be in the same classes, or that they'd be in the same common room in the same midst of the same obnoxiously loud parties, with the same drinks on the same couch—
Mina shook her head a little, pushing away the thoughts, trying her best to pay attention to the rest of the ceremony, or the way Ella fiddled with her fork, eager for the feast to begin, or even just the feeling of the wooden bench beneath her. Anything, anything, to distract herself from the smile that Heather just sent Harry from across the table.
♡
a/n:
chapters are gonna be shorter from now on, but updates will be a lot more frequent! :)
