"Viola! You're here!" Hugo yelled jubilantly upon her entrance into the train compartment where he and Ava were seated.

Viola staggered back alarmed as Hugo tackled her in a hug. Viola hadn't been hugged very much as a child, so too much physical contact made her rather uncomfortable.

"Yep, I'm here," Viola said, prying Hugo off.

"We were so worried you wouldn't be able to come," said Ava, smiling at her from where she sat.

It was the end of the holidays and the Hogwarts express was already on it's way back to the castle.

As soon as her mother had left her bedroom way back at the beginning of the holidays, Viola had written to Hugo and Ava, telling them what had happened and that she might not be coming back to Hogwarts.

Several minutes later Viola's father had arrived. Roderick Lestrange ranted to his daughter about the statute of secrecy for a good ten minutes, and made sure she was aware she had broken it severely. However Viola was already knew all of this. She hadn't meant to cast that spell, but when she saw Jinx about to fall, at a height that would've hurt him severely, she couldn't stop herself.

And with Jinx curled up in her lap, safe and sound, Viola knew she wouldn't change what she had done for all the galleons in the world.

Luckily her parents had been able to convince her grandparents that it had just been a little magic trick she'd been working on. And that wasn't exactly a lie.

However Viola's future at Hogwarts was still on the line until two day's before her departure when Roderick finally convinced Ira that their daughter needed to go to school.

Roderick was not especially fond of his daughter, nor was he  close to her at all, but he didn't see any point in taking her away from school. For all they knew, she might end up a famous witch someday.

Ira probably wouldn't have agreed if Roderick hadn't mentioned how hard it would be to get Viola into different boarding school at this time of year, so she would probably just have to stay at home.

But thankfully he did mention that, and Viola was allowed to head back to Hogwarts.

"I'm so glad the holidays are over, and I'm so glad I'm going back to Hogwarts," said Viola, entering the compartment and sitting beside Ava. She opened up her pets cage, allowing the rat, bat and snake to come out.

"Of course you are," said Hugo, with a smirk, sitting across from the girl.

Viola raised an eyebrow, "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing," said Hugo, "Just . . . how else are you supposed to see Harry?"

Viola groaned and hid her face in her hands.

"Ugh! Not this again Hugo!"  said Viola.

Ava giggled.

"I won't stop until you admit you fancy him!" Hugo started to sing, "Viola and Harry sitting in a tree, S- N-O-G-G-I-N-G-"

Viola let out a screech then launched herself across the room at the boy.

He shrieked at a very high pitch and put up his hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Viola moved back into her seat, while Hugo sat up, straightening himself.

"It's alright to fancy someone," said Hugo, "I'll tell you who I fancy!"

Viola rolled her eyes then asked without interest, "Who?"

"Everly Selwyn," said Hugo.

Viola immediately knew the dark-haired, rosy cheeked Hufflepuff girl by her name.

"Is that so?" said Viola.

"Yup," said Hugo, "Now will you tell me that you like Harry?"

"NO!"

🦇🦇🦇

Ginny was surprised to find, upon her arrival to Hogwarts after the holidays, Hermione sitting alone at the Gryffindor house table in the great hall. Her head was tucked in a book.

"Hello Hermione!" Ginny called, walking over and sitting in front of the bushy haired girl.

Ginny thought there was something slightly strained in the smile Hermione gave her.

"Hello Ginny," said Hermione. She put down her book, "Did you have a nice Christmas?"

Ginny nodded. She pointed to the sleeve of her dark yellow jumper, with pink flowers on the front, "Mum made me another jumper! I think she's got a bit of an addiction to knitting . . . Actually I know she does. How was your Christmas?"

Hermione gave a slight shrug and another tight smile.

"Alright."

Due to Hermione's lack of conversational stimulation at the moment, Ginny found herself searching for something to say.

"Where's Ron and Harry?" 

At the mention of her two best friends, Hermione's expression crumpled slightly.

"I don't know," said Hermione, with a careless sniff.

"Hermione . . . " said Ginny cautiously, "Did something happen between you three?"

"If you want to call it that, yes I suppose it did," said Hermione, not meeting Ginny's gaze.

"Er . . . What was it? That happened?" Ginny asked when Hermione didn't elaborate.

"Oh . . . Well, if you must know I'll tell you," sighed Hermione's.

Ginny listened, completely split between both sides of the story Hermione's explained that Harry had gotten a Firebolt broomstick for Christmas, and for some reason Hermione's had got the impression that it might've been sent by Sirius Black so she'd gone to McGonagall, who took the broom away for examination.

At first all Ginny could do was stare in awe at Hermione, just thinking about a real live Firebolt. Ginny had seen one in Diagon Alley when they went to buy their school supplies, but it was more than her family could ever afford.

"And now they won't talk to me," said Hermione, finishing her tale.

Ginny could see why the boys were mad. You didn't get a Firebolt every Christmas, but then Ginny also knew that Hermione was only looking after them. And Ginny knew Ron needed a lot of looking after. 

Ginny was about to say all this when the twins came up behind her.

"Hermione, did we just hear you say Harry got a Firebolt for Christmas?" asked George, goggling at Hermione.

"And more importantly," said Fred with a frown, "Did we just hear you say you told McGonagall about it and she took it away?"

"Yes," said Hermione.

"I just have one question, Hermione," said Ginny, ignoring the horrified expressions on her brother's faces, "Why would Sirius Black send Harry a cursed broom?"

"You . . . Er, never know," said Hermione.

"Well, I'll go talk to Ron," said Ginny, getting up from the table bench.

"No!" said Hermione quickly, "Don't do that! I don't regret what I did, and I don't want them to think I sent you to go begging for them to forgive me."

"But Ron's being a prat!" protested Ginny.

"Actually," said Fred, "For once a in my life, I can't agree with that. It's a Firebolt, Ginny!"

"Please don't," said Hermione to Ginny, ignoring Fred's comment.

"Oh . . . Well, alright," said Ginny, "but I need to go put my things away."

Ginny grabbed her luggage and headed out of the great hall. She had, in fact, no intentions whatsoever of listening to Hermione. Ron needed a talking to.

Ginny spotted her brother immediately sitting by the fire. Dropping her stuff, Ginny put her hands on her hips and marched towards Ron. If she knew how much she resembled her mother, when Molly was in sabertooth-tiger mode, at that moment, she probably would've stopped everything she was doing just then.

"Ronald Weasley," said Ginny sharply. Her brother looked around in alarm. "You better go apologize to Hermione right n-"

Ginny faltered to a stop when she saw Harry Potter sitting on the other side of Ron. She blushed.

"Well, hello to you too," said Ron grumpily, crossing his arm's over his chest.

Ginny tried to ignore Harry as she eyed Ron angrily.

"You aren't being fair to her! She was just trying to help!" said Ginny.

"She was not bloody trying to help!" said Ron, "She's just being a nuisance!"

"Hermione's isn't a nuisance!" said Ginny firmly.

Ron snorted. "Oh yeah? Well I've known her for three years, she's a nuisance! Besides, it's a Firebolt!"

"And she's your best friend!" said Ginny, "I think that's a little more important than a broomstick.

With that, Ginny turned on her heel and stalked away.

"She has a point," Ginny heard Harry say to Ron as she headed across the common room, which was filled with students greeting each other after a few weeks apart.

Ginny continued to walk away a slight smile spread across her face, encouraged by Harry's comment. She gave a little skip before hurrying up the stairs to her dorm.