yellow ribbon | a harry potter fanfiction

don't need superpowers to be heroes

THE SKY WAS STARTING TO change colour and the streets were starting to fill with more and more students from the three schools. Because of the dress code, everyone was blending in; if it weren't for the fact that you could recognise your classmates and housemates, you wouldn't know that there were two other schools in there. Everyone was one and the same. Was that what the twins were going for?

Most were holding the famous golden ticket to the party. Wendy remembers a few days before that, the twins asked her how Muggles gave out their invitation without owls. Because she couldn't explain how emails worked, she went for the next best thing. The following days, students all over the castle received a special chocolate bar with a golden ticket inside, the kind that would invite you to a chocolate factory run by a wonker of a man and tiny identical men.

She found it quite interesting assisting people to open their bars of chocolate and little confetti coming out of it. Of course, the twins had to spice it up and the few muggle-borns who understood the reference were so delighted. Even when Draco Malfoy found his chocolate bar in the middle of his potions book was able to crack a smile.

"Are you ready?" Cedric asked her, holding out the shiny golden ticket.

"Of course!" She answered.

Together, side by side, they walked towards the pub. Some angry students were waiting outside, not able to come in as a line, drew probably by Hermione, limited their passage. The two were able to pass without worries. The Three Broomsticks has never been so vividly lit before, the colourful fires around the pub gave Wendy the feeling of an 80s disco. The music coming from the enchanted instruments by the bar filled the air, but the talking of people drowned the music. All the tables were gone, and instead, a crowd of people divided into tiny groups, too scared to socialize with others.

Wendy and Cedric tried to find a circle to join and that's when they saw Ginny waved for them. The couple waltzed their way to Ginny who was in the good company of Neville.

"Hello guys, how was your date?" Ginny asked with a knowing tone.

Cedric stood there in silence waiting for Wendy to answer, he wanted to know what she thought of it. Wendy was too shy to answer, but she found some courage within herself to find some words to spit out. In the end, she decided to settle the curiosity of her friend with just enough to keep her calm for the actual talk that would for sure take place later that night in the dormitory, "it was truly lovely."

Ginny nodded taking in the short answer, Neville was about to ask more but Michael butted in, "Wendy! Where were you?! We found Ginny but you weren't with her!"

Wendy looked at the brother, he was wearing similar clothes to what he used to wear when they still were in London, memories gracing her mind. But the worried look of his brother was enough to ruin it. She glanced at Cedric beside her and Michael followed her eyes, it didn't take him long to lean back and nod his head knowingly.

"Oh, I see," he said, "could have at least told me and speared me the worry."

"You would have told other people and we can't have that, right now," said Ginny and she quickly followed with an apology.

Michael looked over at Neville who, for the whole time, preferred to stay quiet and not wanting to get involved. Unfortunately for him, Michael had to ask, "did you know?"

The boy struggled to find the words. He didn't even know why Ginny and Hermione told him about any of this, he wasn't interested at all. Worse than being under the spell of petrificus totalus in the first year by his classmate.

"Uh... Y-yes?"

Michael took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The four looked at each other, scared he might start making a scene, but when he opened his eyes he looked calm and at peace. He nodded and ordered a drink from the bar. It was typical for Michael to say what he thought about the people Wendy dated; but with time, that habit of his calmed down. But the idea of her being a teenager again, brought back his old protective side.