Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 07

It felt like an hour had passed until I finally found my way up the Gryffindor tower and spotted the Fat Lady's portrait. All the paintings around snored as they were sleeping in their frames, including the Fat Lady. So I cleared my throat a few times until I got her to wake up at last.

"I swear to Merlin, some of you have no regards! Waking me up at this hour of the night – oh, and who are you?" She said quickly after finally opening her eyes and spotting me.

"I'm Lexi Hooper," I answered, my heart pounding in my chest out of excitement.

"Oh, yes. The new student. I've heard of you," she said casually. "Welcome to Gryffindor."

"News travels fast," I said mostly to myself, in meantime trying to remember what the password was.

"Password?" she questioned.

"Pig Snout?" I tried but shook my head quickly. "No that was for the first book. Balderdash!"

The Fat Lady looked extremely confused at my choice of words, but nevertheless the portrait swung open, revealing a hole which I climbed into and in a matter of seconds, I found myself in the Gryffindor's common room.

I was overwhelmed with emotions as I looked around. Everything was gold and scarlet, from the armchairs to the curtains, and a crackling fire which warmed the big circle room. I smiled to myself, wishing that I could stay here forever.

I walked towards the girls' dormitory and found the room which had a sign saying 'fourth years' and opened it, seeing five four-poster beds inside.

I quickly spotted Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, chattering away as they were getting ready to sleep. I saw another girl with blonde hair who was sleeping already, yet I didn't recognize. On another bed Hermione was laying down, studying God knows what.

But when she glanced at me, she smiled and put the book down for a second to say, "That would be your bed." She pointed. "Dumbledore must've added it recently. In the last three years it was only us four in this dormitory."

I gave Hermione an appreciating smile before taking my black cloak off and putting it on the stand next to my bed. Although I remained in my other clothes, seeing as I had no pajamas with me.

Hermione seemed to have noticed this, but said nothing on the matter as I used the toilet and went straight to bed after only taking my shoes off.

I tossed and turned in my bed again and again, but couldn't get myself to sleep, no matter how tired and exhausted I felt.

So after an hour or two, when the whole dormitory had fallen asleep, I wore my shoes again and snuck out of bed, getting back to the common room.

I sat on the couch before the fireplace, staring into the dancing flames. I could imagine the Marauders sitting right here, working on their map, or Lily Evans whom I imagined sat here studying all the time like Hermione.

I can't believe they were all real, I thought to myself. Although the trouble was that the further away I got from my denial, the more real and scary this all became; the war, the deaths, the fear of never being able to go back home...

"Why are you up?" I nearly jumped with a yelp when I heard someone's voice behind me.

With my hand on my fast-beating heart, I looked back, seeing one of the Weasley twins.

"You scared the hell out of me!" I said sharply, even though my lips had twitched up into a smile at his sight.

"Yes, well," he shrugged with a grin, "that was kinda the point."