Variety [D.M]

one

If you told me, that I'd be back here, in the Great Hall, once again, I'd have laughed in your face. After the war, I wasn't going to go back to school. But, then if I didn't, I had no future plan, no career goals, nothing.

And I wanted to be a healer, I always had the same career dream, so I didn't have a choice. I needed those N.E.W.Ts, and so, I had to go back.

So here I was, sat at the Hufflepuff table once again. I wasn't a seventh year student this time. They were so kind enough to add an eighth year.

Sitting next to my best friend, Hannah Abbott, we caught up about what we had done over the summer holidays. We were both half-bloods, and sometimes had to face the torment of slytherins Pansy Parkinson, and even worse, Draco Malfoy.

"So, Thalia , what did you get up to this summer?"

"Not much, dad was at st. mungo's working a lot, and mum was working at her cafe "

My mother is a muggle, and my father is a pureblood. He met my mother when exploring the muggle world, and decided he fell in love with her. He told her about what he truly was, and the wizarding world.

My mother owned a cafe/bookstore down in the south of England. We had a muggle house in a small seaside village called Swanage. My father loved the simplicity of the muggle world. He flooed to St.Mungos for work using the fireplace we had at home.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" McGonnagal spoke, as most people we finishing up with their meal.

"Could the seventh and Eighth years stay behind? Everyone is dismissed to their dormitories." She spoke.

Looking at Hannah, I raised an eyebrow, as she shrugged in response. Maybe it was about the N.E.W.T examinations at the end of the year?

After the younger years cleared out of the hall, we all grew anxious as we awaited the news from McGonnagal.

"I have some news to discuss. Please be aware, that we, as professors have tried to fight against this" she started, making my heart beat faster, and my hands become clammy.

"The ministry has decided and voted that witches and wizards aged 17 to 22 are to be paired and be married by the end of july, to help rebuild the wizarding population" She said.

There were outcries and shouting. But I kept quiet. This couldn't be real, could it?

"To be accurately paired, everyone is to fill out this survey, which includes, your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and will be sent off tonight. The results will be back tomorrow evening, and we will tell you who you are all paired with"

The outcries and shouting continued, as some of the professors handed out the parchments with the questionnaire survey on it.

Everyone pulled out their ink pots and quills and eventually started to fill them out. I started by writing my name on the top, ' Thalia Avery '

I answered the section of likes with 'long walks, reading, quiet times to rewind, the occasional party, shopping'. I filled the dislikes with 'cold weather, know it-alls, failing assignments'. Well, i wasn't too sure what to put in that section. Lastly, i filled out the hobbies section with swimming, reading (again), and going on adventures. The last part was true, I liked exploring the castle, bits I hadn't seen yet.

Once it was all filled out, I got up, handed it in, and waited for Hannah outside so we could head back to our dorm.

"I just can't believe it" Hannah started,

"Yeah, me too, Han" I said back with a sigh.

"I hope I get paired with someone nice" Hannah spoke as we went down to the Hufflepuff common room.

"Me too, I'd hate to get paired with a total git"

Hannah mhm'ed in agreement as we entered the hufflepuff common room, and up to our room.

I sighed and started to get ready for bed, taking of my hufflepuff robes, my golden and black tie off as well.

Changing into my pj's, I got into bed and sighed.

"There's no point worrying about it now, Thalia. Try and get some sleep" Hannah said as she also got into bed. And that's exactly what I did.