Harry and Amelia Potter

6.5

In the light of the hall, Harry's blood-spattered face is quite the sight as our friends catch our eyes.

"He's covered in blood again. Why is it he's always covered in blood?" Ginny asks.

"Looks like his own this time." Ron jokes.

"Where've you two been?" Hermione asks us as we arrive to the table. "And, Harry, what happened to your face?"

"Later. What've we missed?" Harry responds.

"Sorting Hat urged us all to be brave and strong in these troubled times." Ron shrugs, still eating.

"Easy for it to say, it's a hat." I scoff.

"First Years seemed to enjoy it, though. Wankers. Filch give you both the wand outside?"

Harry and I nod. Ginny, damp napkin in hand, begins to dab my brothers face, then feels suddenly awkward. Harry takes it from her.

"Thanks..." he says. I smirk at the two of them.

Just then, the light in the Hall begins to gently dim and all eyes turn to Dumbledore, standing at the top of the Hall, ashen hand raised to the enchanted ceiling, where clouds respond to his gestures and shroud a gleaming full moon.

"What's happened to his hand?" Hermione asks.

"Don't know." I whisper to her. "He wouldn't tell us."

"The very best of evenings to you!" Dumbledore greets us all. "First off, please join me in welcoming the newest member of our staff, Horace Slughorn." A mild applause ensues. I clap perfunctorily, my eyes drifting to the entrance of the Hall as a pair of Aurors station themselves just outside.

"Professor Slughorn, I'm happy to say, has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master. Meanwhile the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts will be assumed by Professor Snape." This is greeted by stunned silence. Dumbledore frowns, then attempts to generate something by clapping his hands once. A few Slytherins join in and some dim-witted First Years. Harry and I look to each other, confused.

"Now, as you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival tonight. You have a right to know why." The headmaster continues. "Once there was a young man who, like you, sat in this very Hall. Walked this castle's corridors. Slept beneath its roof. He seemed, to all the world, a student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle."

The Hall goes utterly silent.

"Today, of course, the world knows him by another name. Which is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight, I am reminded of a sobering fact. Each day, every hour, this very minute perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle. But in the end, their greatest weapon remains... you." Harry eyes Malfoy, slouched low, lazily levitating a fork with his wand, as if Dumbledore were unworthy of attention. "Just something to keep in mind. Now, off to bed. Pip pip!"

"That was cheerful." Ron states as we all rise, heading to the common room.

We all make it back to the common room and Hermione and Ron head off to bed. Before my brother can follow, I stop him. Only the two of us remain in the room.

"So what happened on the train?" I ask, taking a seat by the fire.

"Malfoy." He says. "I was spying on him, he found out, used the body binding spell, then stomped on my face."

"What was the point of that?"

"He was trying to get back at us for sending his father to Azkaban." Harry tells me. "He told me to tell you to watch your back."

"Okay, great." I sigh. "But I meant, what was the point in spying on him?" I slap him across the arm.

"Ouch!" He exclaims. "Don't you think I've been beaten up enough for today?"

"Clearly not." I scoff. "Now why are you so insistent on Draco Malfoy being a Death Eater?"

"I don't know. I just am."

"Harry, that's a very serious accusation. You can't just go around accusing..." he cuts me off.

"I know Mia!" I go silent. My gaze falls and Harry takes in a deep breathe and places his hand on mine. "I'm sorry. It's just he said something. Back on the train."

"What did he say?"

"That he wasn't going to waste his time in charms class next year." I ponder on his words. "Mia, he won't come back to Hogwarts next year. And I think it's because Voldemort gave him a task. A task that he has to complete this year."

"A task? What kind of task?"

"I have no idea."

"Harry, we need to get to bed. We have classes in the morning." I tell my brother, starting to walk up the staircase to the dormitories. "Just try to get some sleep. We can talk more about this tomorrow."

He nods and we head up to our separate rooms. When I reach the girls dormitory, Hermione is still awake, waiting for me.

"What's on your mind?" She asks, noticing me as I plop myself down on my bed.

"Too much." I tell her.

She gets up from her bed and takes a seat next to me. "Talk to me, Mia."

"Well for starters, Sirius. And losing him brought up everything with Cedric again, and then I'm missing Fred, and now my brothers accusations against Draco Malfoy." I begin to lay it all out for her.

"You're going to be okay, Mia. You'll get through this. You always do." She tells me, wrapping her arms around me. "And as far as Harry goes, hopefully he lets it all go."

"I hope you're right, Hermione." I say to her, wiping the single tear that escaped my eyes and taking in a deep breath. "Well, we should get to bed. We have Potions in the morning."

"Goodnight, Mia." She tells me with a smile.

"Night." I return the smile and lay in my bed, letting the warmth of the covers consume me.