Remember | June Potter and the Battle of the Ministry | Book Four |

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven: A Song of Warning

　　The carriages travelled towards the castle together up the road. June's anticipation only grew when they passed between the tall stone pillar topped with winged boars, the sign that they had entered the grounds. She tried her best to catch a look at any light coming from the edge of the Forbidden Forest when Hagrid's cabin sat but she couldn't see any.

　　"Did any of you notice that Grubbly-Plank?" she asked the carriage. "What's she doing here?"

　　"Yeah, seem's like Hagrid's left," Amanada shrugged.

　　"No, no, I doubt it," June insisted, hoping as they moved deeper into the grounds that she'd see a flicker of light. Maybe he was sick.

　　Hogwarts Castle, with its towering turrets, loomed against the dark sky. Here and there windows were bright and blazing warmly revealing some form of life was moving through the castle. The carriage jingled to a halt by the steps leading up to the oak front doors. June was the last one out, her eyes still stuck on the darkness of the grounds by the Forest but still, there were no signs of life.

　　"June?" Clements was the one to grab her attention. He grinned at her with a slight laugh in his voice. "You coming?"

　　"Right ... yeah," she nodded quickly.

　　Daniel was back at her side with Clements giving him a strange look. The Entrance Hall was lit with flickering flaming torches, echoing with the loud footsteps of students of all years clambered across the stone floor towards the double door on the right that led into the Great Hall. Four familiar long house tables slowly filled up under the starless black ceiling which mirrored the dark sky framed by the windows. Candles floated above the tables, illuminating the hall alongside the torches accented the walls. Silvery ghosts dotted the Hall alongside the eager faces of students talking, shouting greetings at friends from other houses, complementing new haircuts or robes.

　　"Would you like to join us at the Ravenclaw table?" Daniel asked, his hands still on hers.

　　She gulped. "I'll join you tomorrow after I get my timetable. I'd like to catch up with my mates."

　　"Alright," he looked slightly crestfallen. "Night baby."

　　He gave her a peck on the lips and June stood still for a moment, a wave of uncomfortably washed over her. Now alone she couldn't help but again notice people putting their heads together to whisper as she passed, that feeling of uncomfortably weighted heavier. The moment she reached the Gryffindor table she noticed James hailing her and she rushed over through the crowd to join them. The feeling was pushed aside as she leaned over the table to hug Megan before hugging James. When Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny made it over to the table both Maribelle and June made sure to hail her over.

　　"Did either of you notice Grubbly-Plank on the platform?" Ginny questioned once they all settled onto the benches.

　　"Yeah, what the hell?" June insisted.

　　Ginny stood to look over the sea of students' heads at the staff table that ran along the top wall of the Hall.

　　"He's not there."

　　"What?" asked June sharply. "I thought for sure he'd be here."

　　June used James's shoulder to stabilise herself as she stood on the bench to get a better look at the staff table, but it was deemed unnecessary; Hagrid's size would have made him instantly obvious no matter where he stood in the Great Hall. He was nowhere in the Hall. When she sat back down the discussion started again.