Have you ever heard the saying "New year new me!"

Bullshit right?

You don't change just because you say you will. You actually need to practise it, work on it, act upon it. Saying you will do something is different than actually doing it. It's selfish.

So me telling my mom "new year new me" as I hugged her goodbye on the platform 9 3/4, felt hypocritical, fake. It tasted metallic.

But it's what she had to hear, otherwise you would never let me step onto the train. And I had too. Just because of what happened during the summer doesn't mean we need to stop living, I need to keep living...

My mum is sweet, caring, and above all protective. But that sometimes comes as a detriment, especially when you want you live your life...in a world that's not all that loving.

"Be careful please Ophelia" She pushes, brushing my brown hair away from my face.

"If things get too much, owl to come home, please don't wait. You can study at home or finish Hogwarts another time."

I smile and hug her, tightening my grip. I breathe in her scene: strawberries and cream.

"Mum. I promise I will be okay. I can't not go to school mum, I have friends there, Sarah is coming back too, and the professors will be there...I admire most of them mum. I cant leave my studies. I can't stay in the house, its so...dark."

She hugs me tighter, kissing my cheek.

"Okay honey, just...write to me okay?"

I nod picking up my trunk. Waving her goodbye as I climbed onto the train.

I'm going into my 6th year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. A heaven to most students, a gateway to a world that was so hidden and impossible to the muggle eye.

But its real, and we are currently in the midst of a war, a dark one.

I moved down the carriages, most of them filled with past students, eager to go back to normality.

The amount of new students had dwindled, not many parents wanted their children to attend Hogwarts anymore, especially since what happened during my year 5. Between Umbridge and the break in at the ministry, the safe world of magic suddenly felt desolate. Dangerous.

I found a carriage at the back of the train, eager to be left alone.

I'm in the Slytherin house, the dark house of Hogwarts. Commonly known as the "Dark Lord's" slaves. And there was a clear divide in Hogwarts about what house were liked, and what ones were not. Slytherin being the main one. People don't sit beside me unless they too are a slytherin.

I placed my trunk above me, and slide into the seat.

Peace. Finally.

I place my earphones in my hear and blast my chosen song, watching the train pull away from London King's cross, eager to leave and get the year started.

The song blasts through my ears, my mind wandering over the lyrics as I tap to the beat with my hand, creating steps and moves in my head. I miss dance.

"Hey guys this carriage is free. Oh- Hey Clark, cool if we camp here? Most places are getting full."

Fuck, Blaise Zabini.

A nice guy! Sweet and all, and never had a bad bone to pick with me, but his posey, thats the main issue.

And just like that, they all filed into the carriage.

Pansy Parkinson, the year slut. A bitch if you ever know one. A horrible person, both inside and out. But boys love her, and apparently they love between her legs more. Gag.

And then there was...

Draco, fucking, Malfoy. What else is there to say about him a part from "DICKHEAD OF THE YEAR" The blonde bint of a boy who's 6 favourite words are "My father will hear about this." A bully. That's what he is, a bully who enjoys mocking people less than him, myself included.

I groan internally, cursing the world around me.

Pansy enters first, her skirt no bigger than a belt.

"Blaise, would you move out my fucking way or. OH- Clark, pleasure to see you....kidding, could you like, em, move. I need foot space."

I ignore her request and grunt, turning to face the window. Turning my music up as load as it could go.

Malfoy comes in next, tall, blonde and moody. He ignores me completely, sitting opposite me, his feet stretching out as he places them on the chair beside me, crushing my purse in the process.

Dickhead of the year.

I turn and face out the window again, placing the song back to the start, determined to ignore them.

It didn't last long.

Blaise says something, and when I don't answer, he pulls an earphone out my ear.

"What ya listening to?" He asks, mouth filled with a chocolate frog.

"And why do you use all that muggle stuff" he gestures to my phone and earphones.

I open my mouth to speak, but its not my words that come out, instead Malfoy speaks up.

"Because she's a fucking mudblood Zabini."

I freeze. 1 word that causes so much hate, it means someone that isn't born of wizard decent, that both of your parents are muggles (non magic people.)

"Fuck off Malfoy. At least my father doesn't lick the Dark Lord's ass. How does it feel having a puppet for a dad? And i'm not a mudblood arsehole. My dad works in the ministry of magic."

One rule of Malfoy. Don't bring up his father in an insult. You'll regret it.

His eyes turn grey, cold. And he smirks. Christ be with me.

"Oh so he's a blood traitor. Hm..Interesting, Hopefully he'll get his punishment when the time is right. I heard the cruciatus curse is a real popular way of dealing with Ministry folk."

My blood boils, and tears begin to well. Fucking asshole.

I shove my earphones back in my hear and turn to face the window, the hills and trees blurring as I fight back tears. I hope someone feeds him vomiting Bon bons one day.

Worse, I hope he eats slugs.

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