The next day marked the departure for my second year. I said my goodbyes to my mother—the only one present to see me off—and made my way onto the train. Opening the door to the compartment, I found Draco and Pansy already inside. We exchanged greetings as the train departed, and Pansy and I took out our books to study. I avoided reading Lockhart's stories, finding them as dull as history books—mere accounts of what someone supposedly went through rather than factual, useful information.
Draco sighed and rolled his eyes.
"School hasn't even begun yet, and you two are already studying like Ravenclaws."
I glanced at Pansy, who was skimming through the Herbology book we would be using this year. Unfortunately for me, there were no books on magical beasts (aside from Lockhart's drivel), and I couldn't purchase any without my parents finding out. Reluctantly, I resigned myself to studying potions during the train ride.
"You never know when this information might come in handy," I said, focusing on the Forgetfulness Potion.
Draco shrugged, and a quiet calm returned to the compartment. Pansy and I continued reading, lost in the pages, until Draco suddenly shouted.
"Whoa! Look! Someone's flying a car outside the window!"
Startled, Val hissed from beneath my robes.
"Flying car? That sounds fun!" he said, his love for flight still strong after the summer. He slithered up to my collar, barely poking his head out to see, while keeping hidden from Draco.
To my surprise, Draco was right. A light blue, old-fashioned car was indeed flying alongside our window. However, it quickly soared over the roof and disappeared from view.
"What on earth…?" Pansy muttered, just as baffled by the bizarre sight.
"Who do you think that was?" Draco asked, smirking at the ridiculousness of it.
"Perhaps it was a late student?" Pansy guessed, and I felt inclined to agree.
After the train ride, we were left wondering what became of the flying car, but our attention turned to the carriages waiting to take us to the castle. I smirked at the sight of the Thestrals ready to pull each one and placed my belongings in the back of our chosen carriage. Once I was done, I watched as one of the Thestrals bowed its head toward me. With a gentle smile, I encouraged it to lower itself slightly, allowing me to climb onto its back.
Being near the back of the crowd, I didn't draw as much attention as I had the previous year, but a few students still blinked and rubbed their eyes, unsure if they were seeing things correctly. Among them was Hermione, who stood alone, staring slack-jawed at the sight of me seemingly sitting on thin air.
"Potter and Weasley leave you behind?" I asked with mock sympathy, earning a scoff from Draco.
Hermione quickly shifted from surprise to irritation at my snide remark.
"No. If anything, I left them behind. They apparently didn't make the train on time," she sighed, clearly exasperated by their knack for trouble.
"Wait. That was them flying that old blue car? Oh, this is brilliant!" Draco cackled, clutching his stomach in amusement.
As the carriage in front of us began to move, I glanced at Hermione, still holding her luggage. I then looked behind me and spotted the Hufflepuff students in the next carriage. The most notable was a girl with short, silver hair that shimmered in the moonlight, sparkling like stars.
"You can at least catch a ride with your other friend from Hufflepuff," I suggested, pointing toward the girl.
As if sensing my gaze, she turned and met my eyes. We stared at each other for a moment, and I once again felt that strange sense of familiarity. I couldn't place it, but something about her was oddly recognizable. Shaking the thought away, I patted the Thestral beneath me, signaling it to move. It huffed and began walking at a slow, steady pace.
Hermione frowned, noticing how spacious my carriage was and realizing I hadn't offered her a ride. She considered the idea briefly, but the thought of sitting next to Malfoy made her feel queasy. Perhaps it was for the best.
She turned her attention to the next carriage, where she spotted her silver-haired Hufflepuff friend.
"Chiara!" she called out.
Chiara turned from the road ahead and, upon seeing Hermione, instantly brightened. She shuffled over, making room for Hermione to climb aboard.
As the carriage started moving, Hermione introduced herself to the other Hufflepuffs before turning to Chiara, who spoke timidly.
"W-Where are… your other friends?"
Hermione smiled at Chiara's nervousness, charmed by how careful she was to avoid overstepping.
"They're your friends too, you know?" she replied warmly.
Chiara's eyes widened slightly, touched by the sentiment.
"They both missed the train," Hermione explained. "Apparently, they used Ron's car to get to school instead. No doubt they almost died in the process."
Chiara's expression turned to worry, and she began rambling about contacting search and rescue.
"They could be lost in the forest! I've heard… w-werewolves roam those woods, a-and it's the full moon tomorrow!"
Hermione gently placed a hand on Chiara's to calm her. She appreciated the girl's kindness, even if it came with a bit of anxiety.
"They'll be fine. Hagrid—" Hermione's words caught in her throat. The memory of the forbidden forest flashed in her mind: Lucas holding the lifeless unicorn, his hands trembling, his expression hollow. She knew all too well that death lingered in those woods.
"...Hermione?" Chiara's soft voice pulled her back to the present.
She shook her head with a reassuring smile.
"They'll be fine. If anything, they'll probably beat us there."
After arriving at the school, I gave the Thestral I had ridden a small treat before collecting my belongings. We made our way inside, heading to our dormitories. My new room had a window beside my desk—a perfect view of the lake. I placed my trunk down and ran my hand across the glass, staring out into the vast underwater world.
Drawing my wand, I emitted the low, resonant ringing sound I had discovered last year. Within moments, a massive yellow eye appeared outside the window, peering in at me.
"Abarrane!" Val cheered, slithering down my sleeve to greet the enormous squid that lived in the Black Lake. She had been my friend since my first day at Hogwarts.
I continued to let my wand resonate, sending my emotions through the glass—a crude form of communication, but the only way I could express myself to her through the thick window. Her large eye remained fixated on me, and she slowly raised a tendril, pressing it against the glass to match my hand. Her suckers clung tightly, as though she wished she could reach through and pull me closer.
While I unpacked my things—setting up Val's tank on my desk and arranging my clothes—Abarrane remained at the window, staring at me. I could almost feel her boredom from the lonely summer, having had no one to visit her.
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I opened it to find Pansy smiling, her gaze immediately drawn to the massive eye at the window. She jumped slightly but quickly relaxed upon recognizing Abarrane.
"Already excited for your new room?" she asked, walking inside and heading over to greet Valdemar.
I closed the door and smiled.
"Indeed. Although I can't talk to her through the glass, it's nice to see Abarrane more often."
Pansy waved slightly at the giant eye, still a bit uneasy with the massive creature staring back.
Abarrane tapped lightly on the glass in response, making me chuckle.
"Regardless," Pansy grinned, "are you ready for our first class tomorrow?"
Her mischievous expression made me nervous.
"Is it Herbology?" I asked with dread, already disliking the class for its prickly, sharp, and sometimes disgusting plants.
Pansy's grin widened as she nodded.