Fate's Chosen (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 25: Real Magic

"Yet another year has gone, and what a year it has been."

Dumbledore stood with his hands folded together, calmly overlooking the great hall and the students gathered within it. Uttering his speech, he'd gained all the attention except for a few people, one of them being Ashley. She couldn't care less about his supposedly encouraging words; she was much too busy admiring the new decor of the vast room. Green and silver were hung from the ceiling to honor the Slytherins for winning the House Cup. Aside from the competitive folks, none were too upset with the knowledge. The Marauders (Ashley loved using that term, and Sirius and Remus were proud to have her use it) had succeeded in lessening the House rivalry, although there still was a bit of friendly completion in action. It was all in good fun though, and the Slytherins had earned their points fair and square (mostly). This time around, the headmaster could do nothing about it. Giving Ashley extra points would be useless since he'd then need to give points to Alyssa and Mitchelle as well, and that meant their respective Houses would rise with them.

"And now, I believe an awarding is in order. Well, might I say, the points seem to be quite close this year."

Hufflepuff came in fourth place which clearly disheartened the badgers. Maybe that needed to change, the whole House Cup aspect of school. That would certainly remove the rivalry in anything other than Quidditch and scores permanently. They could all focus on studying for their sake instead of worrying over such nonsense. That would be wonderful; nobody would feel the disappointment of not having won the cup at the end of the year. Ashley hated seeing the student body look so crushed.

With those thoughts in her mind, she cast a sympathetic smile towards Mitchelle who had slouched in her seat upon receiving the news. However, the brunette wasn't upset for long. She was immediately comforted by Cedric, causing her to lighten up drastically. Ravenclaw was in third place, next was Gryffindor. Honestly, the eagles surely would have made second if the lions hadn't won the Quidditch Cup.

"In first place with four hundred and sixty five points, we have Slytherin."

Enthusiastic cheers and victorious cries rang from the table off to the far right. Hats were thrown high in the air as the other Houses stood and clapped, happy for their fellow students. From her position, Ashley could see Alyssa jumping along with a few first years but then, she was pulled into a fierce hug by her soul-bonded. The Potter Heiress enjoyed seeing the redhead turn the same color as the signature Weasley hair. Ashley hid her smile behind the back of her hand when she noticed the glare sent her way.

The feast began when the excitement settled down. As per usual, Fred and George made it their mission to make sure Ashley ate the amount she needed and more. How could she complain? The food was always so delicious, and she did want to have the chance to actually grow. Sirius and Remus were quite tall so she had to be at least above five foot five. Malnourishment was not going to get in the way of that.

After breakfast, the students gathered their belongings and changed out of their uniforms. They assembled in the main courtyard, waiting for their turn as batches were transported by carriages off to Hogsmeade Station. It being their last day at Hogwarts, there was this odd melancholy feeling present in everyone's hearts. Ashley felt this twice as much since she was one of the school's Heirs. The sentient magic called out for her stay, and she was tempted to. The castle had accepted her wholeheartedly and it carried this sense of security and comfort. However, her home was with her soul-bonded. They held her heart, her soul yearned for them, and she would happily go wherever they went.

"Ashley."

Ashley turned from her camera to face the unwanted guest inside the small bubble of peace she'd created around herself. Of course, it was Dumbledore. He had cornered Ashley in a way by acting as a barrier between her and her friends. She suddenly regretted standing a few feet away from them but in her defense, she had to move back to capture a picture of the crowds. Unfortunately, she could make no excuse for him to leave and so, she had to tolerate Dumbledore's presence for the time being.