Brielle Anderson had always been a happy child, full of questions and a never-ending pit of things to say. But on the evening of August seventeenth, just days away from returning to Hogwarts, a terrific tragedy changed her life for good.
Being sent...
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s e c r e t e i g h t e e n
The days passed by quickly. They turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, until it was the last day of my third year. There were no classes, for it was a Saturday, which meant all the students of Hogwarts spent the day hanging out with their friends, laughing and enjoying the last few hours they had with each other before they returned home for the summer break.
I spent the relaxing morning eating breakfast with my friends, smiling and laughing and just being happy. Lily had immediately brought me to Alice and Marlene in the Great Hall that first day back after winter break, when I had finally built up the courage to apologize to her, and since then we've been a tightly knit group of four.
"I can't believe it's the end of the year already," Alice was saying, scooping a gloomy spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth. "I'm not going to see you guys for weeks."
"It'll be okay, Al," Marlene said. "You can always write letters."
"But that's just not the same."
"It's just a little while," Lily said. "And then we'll be back together again for fourth year."
Alice sighed.
The four of us were quiet for a few minutes, eating peacefully together and gazing around the Hall.
I loved the Great Hall. It was always decorated so beautifully. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the real sky, with rolling clouds of cotton and the glowing blue light of the heavens. The banners for each house were hanging by their respective tables, pridefully showing off their bright colors. Students milled around, switching house tables to say their goodbyes to their friends. It was such a marvelous portrayal of humanity at its finest, at its peak in love and friendship and bliss.
Alice groaned, burying her head in her hands and startling me out of my thoughts. "What?" Lily asked her, closing her book with a thud.
"It's just—" Alice started, eyes starting to water, "We only just got Bree back, and now we won't see her for ages." She turned to me and grabbed my hands with her own. "Ages."
I let out a soft breath of laughter and said, "I'm sorry, Allie. I'll write you at least once a week. Promise."
She smiled weakly. "Deal."
"OI EVANS!"
The girls all let out groans and prepared themselves for the rowdy marauders as they traipsed into the Hall and to our table, their steps filled with bounce and their smiles filled with mischief. I only shook my head with a small smile and continued casually eating my toast. I thought the boys were quite funny. I didn't know why Lily and the others were always so annoyed with them.
"Go away, Potter," Lily muttered as James, Sirius, and Peter sat themselves down next to us. Remus strolled in more casually, a book in hand, and sent me a soft smile before sitting next to Alice and engaging in a quiet conversation.
