"So your teacher, who turned out to be an imposter all along, helped lead a school boy into a graveyard via the means of an approved school championship where children had to face fire breathing dragons - and that poor boy was then brutally murdered?"

"Yep."

Another summer; another exciting year at Hogwarts gone. My parents were starting to get used to the tales I came home with, seeing as my mother's response to this latest one was:

"Lovely. Fish and chips for dinner tonight OK with you?"

The truth be told I felt utterly exhausted after the year we just had. Poor Harry had to face going through the Triwizard Tournament after being selected as a champion against his wishes. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had spent many sleepless nights in the library trying to research any help for Harry's tasks which meant that, thankfully, I had little to do with the rest of the Slytherins throughout the year. And also, luckily for me, Pansy and Draco were far too interested in each other to bother making my life hell.

A horrible heaviness hit me when I recalled Harry returning Cedric Diggory's body outside the maze. It is a memory that I try not to think about but one I'll never forget. For the first time I had been at Hogwarts, there was no end of year joy as the train chugged us home for the summer. Just sadness and an empty feeling inside of us all.

I was worried about Harry and how he was coping at his horrible aunt and uncle's after everything that had happened. He needed to be around people who loved and cared for him to help him through his ordeal.

So I was relieved when I received an owl from Ron letting me know that the Weasley's were going to pick me up to spend the rest of the holidays together, along with Hermione, and eventually Harry.

I was surprised when we didn't arrive at the Burrow, but on a street in London lined with townhouses. I was even more surprised when a house appeared magically out of nowhere between two other houses and we entered into a creepy, large, dark hallway.

I later learned that twelve Grimmauld Place was the house of Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, who was currently in hiding there. More importantly it was the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation founded by Dumbledore that fought against Voldemort and his followers.

Harry arrived not long after me and it was obvious he was struggling.

"I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN'T YOU, ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER!"

"Harry, please, I've only just got here myself!" I pleaded with him. I tried placing my hand on his arm but he shrugged me off angrily.

We managed to placate Harry by bringing him up to speed on the Order and of what we knew about it, which was very little. It also transpired that Ron and Hermione had been made prefects which didn't seem to sit well with Harry.

"Hey don't worry Harry," I sympathised with him, "at least we won't have to do all those extra prefect duties - it's probably a right bore."

It had not surprised me to learn that I hadn't been made a Slytherin prefect at all. Although I had a sinking feeling I knew who would be.

"Rosie's talking sense!" I jumped as Fred and George apparated right behind me; they had gone crazy using magic outside of Hogwarts now they were seventeen.

George slapped Harry on the shoulder. "Yeah Harry mate, no one wants to be a stickler for the rules," Fred slapped his other shoulder, "be more like us Harry - fun!"

Over the next few days Mrs Weasley had assigned us all chores to try and make the house 'liveable' but it was a long and thankless task. Harry had made a trip to the Ministry of Magic after being caught using magic outside of Hogwarts yet again but, luckily, did not get expelled.

Soon enough, September the first rolled around and we made our way to Kings Cross Station with Sirius - as Padfoot - in tow, much to Mrs Weasley's anguish.

Once on the Hogwarts Express, Harry, Ginny and I went in search for a compartment whilst Ron and Hermione headed for prefect duties.

We ended up sitting with Neville and a Ravenclaw called Luna who seemed nice but quite dotty.

"You are in Slytherin aren't you?" Luna said dreamily as she smiled at me. I nodded mutely. "Well you certainly don't seem like one, although..." she added softly in an almost sing-song voice, "I suppose the hat speaks the truth and one day we will see it."

Harry and I glanced at one another and gave a small shrug of our shoulders in unison, both of us slightly befuddled over this strange girl.

Ron and Hermione came and joined us after what seemed like hours. Ron was grumpy and claiming starvation.

"Guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" He spoke whilst stuffing a chocolate frog into his mouth. Hermione tutted in disgust.

My stomach lurched - even though I had expected it, it still filled me with dread. "Malfoy, by any chance?" I muttered, my head down, hands twisting at my sleeves.

"Of course he is," Hermione said viciously. "And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson."

Great. This meant my year was going to be even more hell with the Slytherins than usual.

But little did I know, this year was going to be not quite what I was expecting.

***