"I'm fine. Well, I'm not fine - I'm here."
"Is there something wrong with that?"
"Absolutely."
― Ned Vizzini

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"IRRESPONSIBLE! PUTTING ALL THE STUDENTS HERE AT RISK!! HOW DARE YOU!!" Slughorn rages at all of us. All six of us were in the Headmaster's office.

"Professor, we did not commit any error! Abby is the lass that shot the spell!!" Pan demands, blue eyes blazing in anger at the accusation.

"How did you do that?" Claude asks me, eyes trained on the disastrous scene in front of us.

"Do what?" I say innocently.

"You used non-verbal and wandless magic." He replies in a whisper.

"Spur of the moment thing," I reply, eyes hardening as I watched Pan, Abby and Slughorn scream at each other. "Accidental magic most definitely,"

"I'm only thirteen. It's a rare thing for fully-grown wizards to accomplish nonetheless a thirteen-year-old." I say calmly, telling him the rehearsed phrase I always used whenever someone caught me using magic too powerful for someone like me.

Adele could also use wandless magic. She had known how to do it since she was young ever since Albus had travelled to tell his granddaughter precisely what she was.

"Ms. Dumbledore, Mr.Zabini, Mr. Killick and Ms. Ollivander. You four have been quiet. Would any of you mind informing me of exactly what happened during this ordeal." Headmaster Dippet questions.

The three students around me were silent, so I sigh, stepping up. "Headmaster Dippet. We were all having dinner when I believe an argument occurred regarding Ms. Diggory's previous grades. Ms.Lovegood was asking her if she required any assistance regarding the homework, considering her past failed grade in potions." I point to Slughorn, making him flush, at the jab towards his teaching skills. Abby looked ready to throttle everyone in front of her.

"I believe Ms.Diggory got too emotional regarding the sensitive topic, and her wand fired a spell because of that emotional input she had provided it. Accidental magic is highly common in overemotional children. Ourselves, we didn't think the mere argument would cause such a ruckus, and I humbly apologize for not interfering in the argument beforehand. I had never thought the situation would escalate to such an extent." I proclaim.

My friends were staring at me weirdly, but I ignored them; this was not my first time talking my friends and me out of trouble. "Mr. Zabini, Ms.Lovegood, Mr. Killick, Ms. Ollivander and myself were too busy trying to dodge the spell that had erupted from Ms.Diggory's spell. Thankfully none of us were hurt, and I do believe that the extremely foolish  argument." I glare at Pan and Abby, making them cringe. "Has come to a conclusion." I tell Headmaster Dippet.

"So it would make no sense to punish one or the other. We were all involved, and hence we all need to take responsibility for our actions." I say. I hear my friends start to disagree, but Dippet stops them.

"The lot of you... Silence!" He booms, and we all fall quiet. "Thank you, Ms.Dumbledore. I do believe you are right. No harm has come to anyone, and no one was drastically hurt; hence I will turn a blind eye this time. Ms. Diggory, please be more careful next time and Ms.Lovegood no one likes a smartarse." He quips, making us all gape at him. Slughorn looked flabbergasted.

"You are all dismissed." Dippet continues, not looking up from the papers in his hands.

We all leave before he could change his mind.

"Val, that was amazing!" Chris breathes and wraps his arms around me in a bear hug.

"None of us got in trouble!" Abby looked shocked.

"Yep. Not my first time talking myself out of trouble." I wink at them, and they all looked so relieved.

"Thank you, Val," Pan tells me, cheeks still pink from the insult Dippet had thrown her way.

"No problem." I grin at them. Then we all walk silently back to the Great Hall before stopping.

"Do we really want to go back in there?" Claude asks us. As one, we all shake our heads drastically.

"Nope!" Abby shrieks, going a bright red. Her expression has me bursting out in a fit of laughter, making Greta giggle beside me. Pan and Chris then join in laughing and then Claude and Abby as well.

I would always love Neville, Luna, Harry, Ettie, Adele, Ginny, Cedric, the twins and Percy, but for now.... I felt like I'd be okay with these five by my side.

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Abby and I skip up to our dorm room when I suddenly remember grandmama. "Oh! Abby! I just remembered! I need to speak to my cousin about something!" I tell her, lying quickly, and her expression softens into one of kindness.

"Yeah, of course. I'll just see you later? And we can work on Charms?" She asks, looking unsure. I nod with kind eyes.

"Of course." I beam. She exhales in relief.

"Thanks, Val.... for today. You saved my arse." She admits, and I grab her hand.

"What are friends for." I muse, making her grin.

"So... we're friends?" She asks, and I nod.

"Of course! Would I be hanging out with you if it were otherwise?" I say, making her nod.

"Valid point." She grins.

"I'll see you later then!" I wave and spin on my heel only to ram headfirst into a hard chest. I stumble back almost falling on my arse, but someone grabs my wrist hauling me upright.

"Ow!" I demand, rubbing my nose only to look up and see Tom Riddle staring down at me. His eyes were hard, and his stance rigid in annoyance.

"Watch where you step." He sneers at me, making my eyes turn to irritated slits.

"Why don't you apologize for ramming into me?!" I taunt, immensely angered at his presence.

He raises an eyebrow at me but ignores me, ultimately continuing along his route. I look around, not seeing anyone else except us, and wave my hand. Tom stops in place in an instant, superglued to the floor. I stroll towards him, my lips curving up into a smirk.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle." I muse and watch as my words have his head whipping up to stare at me in barely concealed shock. His mane of black locks follow the movement of his head, and I find my eyes following the sway of those black strands of hair.

"How do you know my middle name?!" He snarls, dark eyes getting darker, and I raise a brow.

"Ah. So I have your attention now. How quaint." I chortle, utterly disgusted by him.

"Valentine Dumbledore." He replies, voice bored but strained. "Who doesn't know the cousin of our Transfiguration professor." He says, looking away. "If you wanted attention, I'll have you know I find you utterly hideous and have no intention of ever looking at you twice. There are trolls who exceed in raw beauty." He drawls, and I blink in surprise at his words. Damn, he sure knew how to talk to girls. I sit on the rails of the stairs, staring at him silently.

How does this mere child become Lord Voldemort? "I didn't hear you say a spell, so how am I stuck here?" He asks, eyes curious.

"I didn't," I muse back, making him scoff.

"So what you did back in the Great Hall was truly non-verbal magic." He thinks out loud, and I smirk again.

"I thought you didn't want to look at me twice." I muse, making his eyes narrow on my form.

He waves a hand, silent, and he can move again. He slams his shoulder into mine, continuing his descent down the stairs. "Very mature," I tell his retreating back, hopping down from the stairs to watch him with a scowl filled with hate.

So the guy knew nonverbal and wandless magic as well. How marvellous. I scowl again and whirl around, literally marching in a fit of rage to see my grandmama.

I needed to see her smile again, even if it was just for a second.

I walk down the halls and round a corner. Her portrait was near the Hufflepuff dorms, so I didn't need to walk as far as I did when I lived in the Slytherin dorms.

I reach her portrait staring at my grandmama in adoration. Helga Hufflepuff wore a gorgeous brown and red dress that brought out the stunning shine in her matching hair. Her blue eyes so much like my own meet my own in confusion. "Hello, child. How can I help you?" She asks, and my eyes whelm in tears.

"Hi, Grandmama," I say with a watery smile. Her eyes crinkle in more confusion and the cup she was holding drops as she finally sees my face when I hold up my wand with the Lumos spell lit on it.

"Val!?" She demands, eyes widening in shock.

I thought that since I'd travelled to the past, she wouldn't have any recollection of ever meeting me.

"You remember me!?" I say with a happy cry, and she scoffs.

"As if I would forget my own grandchild. Honestly, child." She demands, making me I grin. "Why are you here?" She demands in worry, and I sigh, shaking my head.

"I can't really say." I cringe, looking around the hallways for anyone listening in. She nods, understanding alight in her eyes.

"Come, my child." She reaches out a hand, "Join me for tea, my sweet." She gives me a soft smile.

I look around, and thankfully, no one was around. Grinning back at my grandmama, I raise my wand. "Nox," I whisper, turning off the light and channelling my inner black magic to have it surround my entire body.

I reach towards the portrait my hand going straight into it.

Grandma Helga grabs my hand, pulling me into the painting, allowing the colours and paints to engulf my vision.

Perhaps I am the only person in the world, then, who never becomes sad. Perhaps I am lucky.

― Jonathan Safran Foer