It was dark by the time the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station. Even with a heavy downpour of rain, it was still easy to identify the rustling of the trees that surrounded the lake and a far-off hoot of an owl.
"Where's Harry?" Hermione had asked, once Charlie and Neville returned to the compartment.
They slid the door shut behind them; the distant chattering voices of other Hogwarts students faded behind the glass.
"Dunno," shrugged Charlie, as he sat down next to Hermione once again. "We turned around and he was gone."
"He probably just went to get some air," suggested Ron, passing Neville a chocolate frog. "Don't worry," he added hastily to Hermione, who's face had scrunched with evident curiosity.
Charlie leaned his head against the window, gazing mindlessly out at the passing trees. After weeks of awaiting the moment where he'd finally return to Hogwarts, it felt surreal to him that the moment had come. A sense of hopelessness spread through him, however, as he imagined the convoy of thestral-drawn carriages trundling up to the school, for it had dawned on him that no matter how hard he tried, things would never be the same again.
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(A/N: ignore the beard)
The train lurched, causing Charlie's eyes to widen. Everyone quickly gathered their things and piled into the corridor. Charlie pulled his cloak over his head as they ran for the carriages, trying not to look at the skeletal thestrals that pulled them.
The cool, crisp night air swept across their faces immediately. The pattering sound of droplets of rain hitting the ground rang loudly in the their ears. Charlie, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna trudged up the dark, deserted lane. When they arrived at the gate, a lantern appeared, bobbing at the distant foot of the castle.
"Names?" came the tiny voice of Professor Flitwick, who had been standing in the middle of the path with a clipboard in hand.
But Charlie's attention was quickly caught by the distant protests of Draco Malfoy, who appeared to be in a heated confrontation at the front gates.
"It's not a weapon, you cretin, it's a walking stick!" he yelled, snatching the cane away from a curious Argus Filch, who seemed to be instructed with the job of searching every student's possessions upon arrival.
Charlie ruefully chuckled, muttering under his breath, "Anything's a weapon if you can hit someone over the head with it, you slick git."
With a scolding look from Hermione, Charlie sighed. He gave his name to Professor Flitwick, who crossed his name off the list, and walked over to the mountain of trunks and owl cages, leaving his things amongst the pile. Charlie eyed Mr. Filch curiously for a moment as the caretaker raised a security detector across Ron's torso.
