(AN: Leave a comnt and a review, your feedback helps a lot.)
If you want to support and read ahead!
Patrë-on/Se7enX
Yeah! Here's the new chapter!
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Just as Nick had promised , he spent the rest of the vacation helping when he wasn't busy with his part of the plan to exonerate Sirius.
We didn't do much other than supplent my research with information and data that Nick had from so of his old research. However, this small advance was still more than I achieved in 4 months on my own, so I was not discouraged.
Between spending ti with my family, researching the aning of my dreams with Grandma Penny, trying to create the magic nullifying spell with Nick, and monitoring and organizing the Sirius case, I had little ti to really rest, not that it bothered .
Usually I would already spend my vacation busy with my projects, only this ti it went much smoother and better as all my projects were showing progress, so more than others.
But with all these projects, studies and research, the holidays quickly ca to an end, and now it was ti for to go back to Hogwarts for the second term of my third year.
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Hogwarts Express – January 7th, Friday morning
After saying goodbye to my parents and Cele who were the only ones to accompany to the platform, I boarded the big red steam train that was at the station.
Only my parents and Cele ca because they were the only ones not busy, and even if the others could co, they knew it wouldn't be wise.
Sirius couldn't co for an obvious reason, and Penny and Nick knew that the chances of them being recognized by soone from one of the wizarding families was high, and that could bring unwanted attention to .
Obviously they could use a little Transfiguration to change their appearances, but they decided this was supposed to be a mont between my family and , and that their presence wasn't necessary, even though my parents and I felt otherwise.
But that aside, after boarding the train I went to the compartnt of one of the last carriage, knowing that my friends would easily find there.
And it wasn't long before one of them appeared, opening the compartnt door to look inside.
"Hi Ethan, did you have a good Christmas?" Stephen asked , being the one who arrived.
"Yes, the best and most exciting one I've ever had" I said with an amused smile.
"I don't know whether to be worried or curious" Stephen said, taking the seat across from , "If a simple Christmas made Ethan 'Trollslayer' Night say it was the most exciting he's ever had, then I can assu you've done sothing phenonally stupid and dangerous"
"Maybe" I huffed, and Stephen stopped, eyeing warily.
"Yeah, I don't want to know," he said, leaning back in his seat.
"Oh, so you're here" Anthony, who had just arrived at the compartnt door, said.
He then turned, looking down the corridor, and yelled, "Hey, I found them!" and then entered the share.
He then sat up, taking off his coat, and turned to Stephen.
"Oh thanks for the crystal ball Stephen, now I can practice my divination at ho" Anthony said, and I looked at Stephen with a strange look, who just shrugged.
"What? This was the perfect gift for him," he said, and I snorted.
"The perfect gift for who?" Terry asked, arriving at the share, with Michael behind him scowling as usual.
"Oh, they're talking about the gift Stephen gave " Anthony replied.
"Ugh, the crystal ball" Terry moaned.
"How do you know the gift is a crystal ball?" I asked, and Terry rolled his eyes
"Because this insufferable badger wouldn't stop talking about this damn gift at the Christmas ball our families were invited to," he said, and Anthony had the decency to look embarrassed.
"Wait, weren't you kidding when you said you were going to get him a crystal ball?" Michael asked Stephen with a surprised look.
"Why are you so surprised? It's just a crystal ball" Stephen defended himself.
"What's just a crystal ball?" Lisa, who arrived along with the other girls, asked.
"It's just that Stephen gave one of them as a gift to Anthony" Terry replied.
"Did you get him a crystal ball for Christmas?" Sue asked Stephen, sitting down next to .
"Ugh... What's the matter with the crystal balls?!" he asked in exasperation.
And those of us in the compartnt looked at each other before turning to him and shrugging.
"""""""Nothing""""""" we said, and Stephen groaned again, slumping in his seat in defeat.
Deciding to ignore Stephen who was mumbling sothing about 'dumb friends and trauma with gifts', we all sat down in the compartnt augnted by expansion spells.
With everyone settled in we then started talking about how our vacation was, also talking about the gifts we got.
"Oh, and thanks for the scarf Ethan" Terry said, showing the scarf he was wearing, "I don't know what enchantnts it has, but it's softer, more comfortable, and much warr than the imported clothes my mother purchase"
"Hmm, really?" I asked, and he nodded, "Maybe I should start selling enchanted clothes then, I'll probably even use so fashion ideas from the Muggle world for these clothes... No offense intended, but wizarding world clothes are horrible"
And listening to this, those who were born into the wizarding world just shrugged, having already seen what Muggle clothes looked like on our visit to my ho town's shopping center over the holidays.
Terry then started to open his mouth to say sothing else, but then we heard soone knock on the door, and feeling this person's magic I smiled.
"Oh, it's Luna" Anthony said, and Padma looked at him strangely.
"How do you know? You haven't even opened the door yet" she asked.
"Well, Ethan has that silly smile that only cos when she's around, and he usually always knows when and who's around." He shrugged, and then everyone turned to .
And listening to him I imdiately froze, my smile fading.
'I don't smile silly whenever Luna is around' I ntally denied, but then an uncertain look appeared on my face, 'Right?' I asked myself.
Ignoring the silence that was in the compartint Anthony opened the door, revealing Luna, who was looking at us with a smile while wearing a strange glasses made of several leaves and shiny pebbles.
And now with the confirmation that it was indeed Luna who was at the door, everyone turned to look at strangely, or in the case of the girls and Terry, with knowing looks.
'Fuck' was what I thought, with a frown, trying to sink into my seat.
And while that was happening, Luna looked at all of us confused.
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Hogwarts – The next day
Coming back to the castle was awkward, and unfortunately not in a good way this ti.
The holidays had made so used to people's positive emotions thanks to the cheerful and festive mood of Christmas, that I felt a great weight fall on the mont I stepped into the castle because of the dentors and the horrible feelings they brought.
But I decided to put those bad feelings aside as I knew it would only last until the end of the school year, and if all went well with the plan to exonerate Sirius, then the Dentors would be gone much sooner than expected.
But back to the present ti, I was walking towards the Great Hall for breakfast, but halfway through I heard soone call my na, causing to stop and turn around.
"Hi Ethan" Susan said after catching up with , being the one who had called .
"Hi Susan" I said, smiling at her, "Need for sothing?" I asked, continuing to walk with her following .
"Hmph, can't I just want to talk to a friend of mine?" she asked with a huff, crossing her arms and glaring at .
And hearing that I just looked at her with a raised eyebrow, as I could feel her curiosity.
Realizing that I didn't believe her Susan pouted, "Okay" she said, "I wanted to talk to you to find out what you talked about with my aunt"
"Oh, a friend of mine wanted to talk to her about so matters involving the ministry" I lied, "I don't really know what they talked about but it must have just been so boring politics and bureaucracy matter" I shrugged.
"Are you sure?" Susan asked uncertainly, with a frown on her face, "My aunt arrived very stressed and tired that day, and when I asked her what happened she just dismissed saying it was a private matter"
"Well, I'm not 100% sure, but I think if it was that important my friend would have told about it...I guess" I said, with a fake doubtful look on my face.
"But then what made my aunt so worried and stressed?" Susan asked, with a worried look.
"I don't know, but like I told you, it's probably because of so political matter, and as you may know, politics is always stressful and boring," I said, with a genuinely disgusted face.
"...I hope you're right," she said, and I could sense that she was still worried and a little disappointed.
Realizing that Susan had dropped the subject I ntally sighed in relief, but to try and cheer her up I decided to change the subject.
"So, how was your vacation? Did you like the gift I sent you for Christmas?" I asked, a smile on my face.
Realizing what I was trying to do Susan smiled appreciatively at .
"I loved the present you gave ," she said, running her hand over the silver bracelet she was wearing.
The bracelet was simple but beautiful, made of silver and black gold, with a few crystal pendants.
The pendants were made by Susan herself, as in addition to the bracelet I had sent her a craft kit so that she herself could choose what her pendants would look like.
And looking from where I was standing, I could see two heart shaped pendants with two nas carved in the center, Eileen and Robert, and I knew those were the nas of her deceased parents.
In addition to these two pendants, there were also others, probably for important people and monts in her life, and seeing this I couldn't help but smile at her.
"I'm glad to hear that, as it ans that my gift for always choosing the best presents is still as sharp as ever," I said, brushing the dirt off my fingernails nonchalantly, but with a slight smug look.
"Idiot" Susan said, giving a playful shove.
"Blasphemy" I gasped in mock horror placing my hand dramatically on my chest.
Susan and I then looked at each other before bursting out laughing, happy that the mood had lightened.
End.
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(End AN: I watched Arcane, Wednesday, Loki, 1899, The Last of Us, Hawkeye, and Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
I really enjoyed these series, but my favorite was Arcane, followed closely by Falcon and the Winter Soldier.)
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