Hand Me Downs.

“Be a good boy Padfoot.” I teased, patting the large black dog on the head as I got on the train, dragging my bag behind me.

It was just before eleven and I was shattered, as expected the morning had been hectic, after finishing packing and getting ready we had practically run to the station, having to have ‘guards’ for Harry everywhere was beginning to irritate me.

“See you guys later on,” I said, waving at everyone, “I need to go find a certain Miss Bell and the guys.”

“Ask Katie about Quidditch!” Harry asked as I stumbled away, heading towards the compartment we usually spent the trip in.

“I hear you spent the holiday with Potter.“ A cold harsh voice rang out and I sighed, turning around to meet his steel eyes.

“And I imagine you spent yours with mummy pandering after Drakey-kins every need,” I said pouting at him, “You’ll find it hard to get back into things won’t you, no servants to wipe your arse.”

He sneered, stepping forward with his wand clenched in fist. He stopped suddenly when he felt mine against his neck.

“Try it Malfoy.” he snorted, trying to play off he didn’t care although I could see his hand shaking, he was a coward.

He turned, his thugs of followers stumbling after him, “Oh and congrats on the Prefect bag, I’m sure Daddy is proud, any excuse to bully people with you Malfoys’ isn’t it?” He stopped again but went to continue until I went too far, I mentioned the thing I had explicitly been told not to.

“But you don’t have to wear a mask like he does do you?” I instantly regretted my words when he swung. Stupid stupid, my wand was in front of me again but this time he wasn’t scared, he knew I knew about his father and he was pissed.

“I will kill you.” he practically growled, the confident mask on my face almost slipping.

I gave him a questioning look, pushing him further, “Might get yourself a nice little mark for that sweetie.”

His jaw was tense, teeth gritting together so hard I could almost hear it, “You say another word muggle scum...” I rolled my eyes, leaning down and grabbing my suitcase, knowing as soon as I turned he was bound to strike.

I would need to deflect first, but Malfoy was a prefect and if they knew he attacked me he would lose that privilege. I smirked, realising he couldn’t do anything.

Yet.

I had to stop antagonising things...soon.

“Nice talk ferret, see you soon.” I winked, feeling my chest tighten as I began to head down the hall again, hoping I was right. I finally let out a breath when I reached the compartment, knowing that if he could find a way, Draco would be out for me.

“Amelia,” a deep voice called and I turned, smiling as Aaron quickly hugged me, “How are you? Where have you been?! You’ve been shit at letters.”

“I know, I’m really sorry! I’ve been stuck in France visiting some of Tammy’s wonderful relatives.” I lied easily and he pursed his lips slightly but nodded and helped grab my case, placing it in the space above the seats of the empty carriage.

I sighed, sitting next to him and instantly putting my head on his shoulder, “I missed you,” I pouted, looking up at him and causing him to laugh.

“You too, well done on your results by the way, you taking everything you wanted?” I nodded.

“Yeah, and you too! Mr smarty-pants.” I sat up, legs crossed facing him as we began to chat, conversation came easy, flickering from school to our absent friends and any other random things we could think of.

Eventually the carriage began to fill up with sixth year Gryffindors, at least the ones we liked.

Katie was first,dragging her broom behind her and looking as over-excited as always, crushing me with her hug before she instantly tried to draw me into a Quidditch conversation.

Leanne followed, gushing about this boy she had met abroad and how ‘in love’ she was, Leanne claims to be in love with most people she meets, she’s lovely but she’s a complete ditz if I'm honest.

Sarah is much quieter, often I wonder if she should be a Ravenclaw, she’s extremely studious and often when you go to bed her and Hermione are the only ones in the common room.

Boy wise you have Aaron, someone who was everyone instantly felt comfortable with, I respected him in a lot of ways, he dealt with a lot being one of the only openly gay people I knew. But he took it in his stride, only turning more camp whenever reproached.

Dale,he was tall, muggle born, rolling his eyes as the Quidditch chat began and instead trying to talk about rugby, his sport of choice.

And Ryan, who was basically an extension of Dale but was the certified, ‘funny one’ of the group and one of the only people, minus Fred and George who could reduce me to choking tears with one joke.

This is who you would normally find me with around Hogwarts, excluding the twins. We had a certain corner of the Common Room claimed, and intended to keep it until we all left.

“Oh Lord, I bumped into Cormac on the platform, he gets more insufferable every year I swear." I giggled, biting my lip as I nodded.

“I’m surprised you guys haven’t killed him by now, this is the sixth year of dealing with him, he’s such a plonker.”

We had been on the train for a few hours, and I watched envious as Aaron pulled a sandwich from his bag, half the eyes in the room fixated on it.

“Really guys? Get your own food! Vultures!” We huffed almost in sync, and I swapped sides, sliding between Ryan and Dale, slightly sad Molly no longer prepared sandwiches for us all.

I lowered my voice,“So, Leanne’s latest love interest, what do we think?”

“I think it was a Spanish waiter or something.”

“Someone got used for sex.” Ryan sang quietly, causing the two of us to crack up.

“Bless her,” I said, lightly slapping his arm, “Don’t be mean to her when she works it out though.” he stuck out his tongue but nodded.

"Not my fault she can be such a slut."

This time the slap was a lot harder and he fell silent.

Eventually the trolley lady appeared and before I knew it I was sitting on the floor leaning against Dale’s leg groaning, “So much chocolate.”

Aaron grinned, eating an apple and tapping me lightly with his foot, “Please don’t die, whose going to help me with my charms homework?”

I just glared at him and gave him the middle finger.

“Maybe, considering we’re doing NEWTS now you should try learn some of the stuff on your own,” I joked, well aware my potions would be far worse without his help, “Oh that reminds me,” I announced, “If Fred and George offer you sweets, please don’t take them.”

Sarah snorted, pulling her head from her copy of the prophet which I noticed with a frown, “I don’t trust anything those two touch. What are they planning now?” I explained about the ‘skiving snackboxes and she just rolled her eyes going back to the paper.

“Why you reading that?” I asked eventually when she had finished and folded it up, moving so I was opposite her, she looked confused, “It’s news, why wouldn’t I be reading it?” I sighed.

“Because it’s complete bullshit, you believe what they say about Dumbledore and Harry?” she sighed and I felt my face flush instantly, “You do believe it?” My voice was hard, accusing.

“I’m not saying I believe it all, but.. it’s Harry’s word against the ministry and why would the ministry lie Amelia?”

“To cover it up,” I said loudly, “Why would Harry lie about that? It’s just crap.”

Katie shook her head at me from across the compartment and I clamped my mouth shut, un-eager to fight with a friend but wanting to bash her stupid ignorant head against the glass of the window.

“Well, that escalated quickly,” Ryan said, popping his lips into the silence and trying to diffuse the tension, “Anyone wanna play a game? I’m so bored.”

I ignored him, wondering who else here may believed that, how many people went along with the rubbish spouted by the prophet, “I’m gunna go find Fred and George quick.” I muttered, standing and wincing as Katie completely ruined my lie.

“Why? You spent the whole summer with them!” I felt my eyes widen as Ryan's narrowed,

“I thought you were abroad with your Dad and Tammie the terrible?” I opened my mouth blankly a couple of times, Katie mouthing me a sorry from behind him and rambling to try and change the conversation.

I gave up and sighed, smiling sheepishly at him and leaving the compartment, searching down the train until I found the younger Gryffindor’s and that one strange, strange Ravenclaw.

“I’m just so irritated,” I complained, “I mean, we don’t know how many people believe all of this utter bollocks!” Harry half smiled, his eyes remaining hard.

"Well I’ve been getting some pretty funny looks so far.”

“This is fucking stupid, why would anyone believe a word Rita Skeeter writes!” I continued to rage, igniting irritation in Ron and Ginny.

“It doesn’t matter what people think.” Neville broke in, silencing us, “We believe Harry and he’s right and that’s all that matters.” I sucked in my cheek nodding at him.

“Since when did you get all mature Nev?” he blushed instantly and Luna, forgotten in the heat began to speak.

“Me and my dad believe you. The quibbler is on your side,”

I had to duck out of the compartment so she wouldn’t see me trying to hold back laughter, bless her.

Ol’ Loony Luna.


“I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people eat so much,” Leanne said, her fork daintily held in her hand as she grimaced, her eyes on Dale and Ryan sitting up a few seats, both still piling food into their mouths. “And I thought you ate a lot...” she concluded, glancing at me.

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.” I said, shooting her a look and resuming eating my jelly, “You’re just all calorie conscious.” She frowned, swearing at me and placing her fork down, her pudding left untouched.

I rolled my eyes to myself, still out of the main conversation between my friends, a speech earlier in the evening worrying me.

The woman, Umbridge. Hermione had come to me halfway through dinner only affirming what I had thought, she had been at Harry’s trial.

The ministry was spying on Hogwarts, or rather, spying on Dumbledore.

Needless to say this worried me, I was wrong to have been surprised on the train at the idea that many people wouldn’t believe him and Harry, most people I had spoken to seemed not too, friends from other houses. And the stares and whispers that still were aimed at him only proved that further.

I’d been increasingly irritated since we had gotten off the train, and had already found a lot of people I was going to be a lot less friendly too.

Idiots.

Katie poked my side, pulling me from my inner thoughts, “Will you stop looking so pissed off?” She asked, leaning closer to me, “I get you’re annoyed, I am too, but you can’t bring people around by shouting at them.”

I met her eyes and sighed, grumbling, “I can try.”

“You’re only going to make it worse, you don’t want to give them any more fuel for the fire,” She said as sensible as always, a comforting smile on her face, “You know anyone smart knows the truth.”

“What about Sarah?” I fired back instantly, “She got pretty much all O's last year,”

“That’s because while she's book smart she lacks common sense,” Katie said with an unusual malice causing me to laugh shocked, she flushed, looking embarrassed, “I mean...”

“I love it when you’re mean. Makes me feel better about myself.” I joked, grinning up at her, “Come on,” I said a couple of minutes later when the food had vanished, “Better get going, I’m so tired and fat.”

She nodded in agreement and we stood, waving a goodbye to the guys who still seemed desperate for more food and would no doubt be taking a detour to the kitchen before bed.

Leanne walked alongside me, again on the topic of her summer-love, Katie taking the brunt of the painfully lovey talk whilst I watched Harry a few metres in front of him.

I made a quick promise to myself that I was going to look after him more this year, especially after everything that had happened with the tournament the previous summer and just a few seconds later I dived straight in.

“Watch out boys, here's Lord Potter, don’t faint Potter, you-know-who could be anywhere!” I frowned, ignoring Leanne’s tug at my arm as I approached the Slytherins, one from my year and the rest from seventh.

“You’d know wouldn’t you Riley, or does Daddy not keep you up to date?”

It was the second time I had gone straight for the death-eater insult and I had to say I was enjoying the flash of fear and anger that it caused.

“Wanna keep your emotions more in check than that darling, or you’ll give it all away.”

One of the elder one’s stepped forward but Riley pulled him back, muttering various swearwords at me as they merged again with the crowd and I turned to Harry.

“You’re going to make a lot of enemies doing stuff like that,” he warned as we continued up the stairs, “But.. thanks Amelia,”

“Anytime,” I said airily, “You know there’s nothing more I enjoy than pissing people off. Anyway, I’d mention his name in a letter to Padfoot,” My voice was hidden by the racket of others, “His Dad works at the ministry I think, worth checking out.” he nodded, disappearing once he found Ron and Hermione.

“You’re gunna get your arse kicked if you keep that up.” Katie scolded once we were in the common room and I rolled my eyes, the false indifference I held when talking to Harry wavering a little. Slytherins always made good on their threats.

“You don’t know the half of it Katie,” she nodded and didn't push it but I needed to tell her, popping my lips, “Tonight.” I said loosely, as I headed towards the twins to say hi again before I cracked any further.

She looked shocked for a second but nodded, making her way to Angelina, forcing a more relaxed expression on her face and I could hear the quidditch chat filtering through the room.

The order needed to be bigger than it was now, we needed more people to fight.