Yule Balls and Old Foes

Chapter 1

Norah Lee could get used to this.

She arrived at King's Cross station, pushing her trolley that had her trunk, the cage of her tawny owl Starlight, and her trusty nab-sack where she kept most of her magical belongings. It was an understatement to say that her start in Hogwarts, albeit late for a young witch, was full of ups and downs. Her extra-curricular activities were the talk of the school since then, and even leading up to their OWL exams.

The summer break was also just as eventful. Frequent meetings at Diagon Alley as well as Hogsmeade with her newfound group of friends: Poppy Sweeting, Natsai Onai, Amit Thakkar, Ominis Gaunt, and Sebastian Sallow. They each had their own group of friends, but they were hers, especially after what she went through with each of them the previous year. Fighting goblins with Natty and Amit, inferi with Ominis, poachers with Poppy, and all of the above with Sebastian. She always made it a point to remind each of them that she didn't do all of what she did on her own whenever they'd tease her.

Entering the magical barrier that led her to Platform 9 3/4, Norah saw crowds of parents saying goodbye to their children as they were to board the Hogwarts Express. She knew she could get used to this during the rest of her time at Hogwarts. Norah pushed her trolley to the side and got her things as she boarded the train, looking around for an empty compartment to sit in.

She was excited to return, to say the least. Norah wondered what else would be in store for her in the coming year. Norah knew that it was going to be NEWT exams this time, especially as she kept thinking about her OWL results. She was told she had the makings of an Auror, and by Professors Hecat and Sharp nonetheless. They cited her ability to tap into ancient magic as the primary reason.

Professor Sharp, as exasperated as he always seemed with regards to his students, even cited her fight against the goblin Ranrok as a big enough reason why she was fit to be an Auror. Norah wasn't sure. She didn't even know what she wanted to do after Hogwarts, but she appreciated how helpful all of them have been. Even if their exams were hard at times.

"There you are!" The compartment doors opened and in came the Hufflepuff herself, Poppy, followed by Natty and Amit. The three of them immediately settled inside, placing their trunks on their overhead compartments. "Ominis and Sebastian will be coming. We just saw them come in through the barriers. They'll know we're here."

Norah felt even more comforted by their presence. "Nice to see the three of you too," She chuckled.

"Your adventures are still the talk of the school. Even they're all looking at me like I'm so cool," Amit grinned. "I'm friends with the school heroine, after all. I heard you're even called Troll-Slayer in some hamlets."

"It was just one troll," Norah pointed out.

The three of them gave her a questioning look. Just then, Ominis and Sebastian had arrived. "It wasn't just one troll, Norah. No need to be so modest around us, you know," Sebastian teased as he sat down, the two of them having overheard the conversation. "There were those two trolls in Hogsmeade, and that one I heard while you were trying to put back the Marmaduke crest."

"And those other ones at the goblin camps and in the forbidden forest," Ominis grinned, joining in the teasing. "Norah, you may as well come out and say you fight trolls for fun."

"Well, I'd pick that over Imelda's broom trials any day. I don't know why she even tells me to try out for the Quidditch team," Norah said in defeat. She was fully aware she wasn't as fast as her even after those broom trials. She didn't mind it either. The rest of them laughed.

The train was on its way. Amit talked about the newest constellation he saw, which Natty would recall having seen it in her homeland. Natty got to visit her homeland for a short while with her mother, Divination Professor Onai during the summer. Ominis opted to stay at the Sallow household in Feldcroft during their break, out of not wanting to see his own family members for a change. While all of them were half and purebloods, Ominis knew that his family called them blood traitors.