☆

THE TIME FOLLOWING THE AFTERMATH OF the quidditch world cup seemed to be shrouded by a dense and heavy feeling; a twisted feeling which Clover couldn't even possibly begin to describe. Like Amos had explained to them, the four were transported back by portkey to the hill in Ottery St. Catchpole the morning after the attack. They had hiked their way back to The Diggory household in a daze from their lack of sleep the night before. As soon as The Diggory household had come into view, they were instantly met with a frantic Mrs. Diggory, who was happy to embrace all four of them tightly.

It wasn't long until Hugo's mothers had arrived, both looking panicked and worried for their son and after they thanked Amos profusely, Hugo was flooed home.

While Mrs. Diggory continued to fuss over and coddle the remaining two teenagers, Clover and Cedric remained in their quiet, dreary states as they tried to digest what had happened at The World Cup.

Juliette had sent a letter in the afternoon, confirming that she wasn't injured or hurt and that she'd made it out alright. Hearing this news was like a fresh breath of air for the two and a subconscious weight of guilt from not finding her during the attack seemed to lift from their shoulders.

Clover had contemplated sending her mother a letter but soon brushed the idea out of her head as to not worry the woman. She wondered if the muggles even knew what had occurred the night before, if they knew that the same people who raided the campgrounds would kill a muggle without hesitation. Clover highly doubted it, but it was quite astounding just how much the Muggles weren't aware of.

The shock and silence had worn off eventually but Clover still shivered anytime the attack was brought up. She wasn't sure why she was so affected by the whole ordeal- for she wasn't injured or attacked, she had just been frightened. Maybe it was the fact that if Clover hadn't been spotted by Fred and George Weasley, she may have walked straight into a horde of Death Eaters, possibly risking her life.

It had been two weeks since the attack and Clover found that the first of September had crept up on her with remarkable speed.

So, as Clover and Cedric stood on the platform of nine and three quarters, bidding Mr. and Mrs. Diggory goodbye, the girl could only stare at the ground, wondering where all their days of summer had gone.

"Now, stay safe, you two." Mrs. Diggory fussed fretfully, her hands smoothing out Cedric's hoodie as if trying to make him a bit more presentable.

"We will, mum, don't worry!" Cedric chuckled, swatting his mother's hands away as she scolded him under her breath.

"Something big is happening this year." Amos declared almost bursting with excitement as he beckoned for the two to step closer. "We've been warned not to tell you...but something big is happening this year at Hogwarts and your year may be much more different than you think."

Clover and Cedric exchanged a confused glance and just as the boy opened his mouth to question what his father had said, Amos spoke up again. "No need to look so worried," The man reassured the two with a chuckle. "I suspect you'll find out everything once you arrive, now, off you go. Don't want the train leaving without you."

Clover stood off to the side as Cedric bid his last goodbyes to his parents. The girl felt a small pang in her heart at the sight of Mrs. Diggory embracing her son in a tight hug. It was times like this that the girl truly missed her mother and sister and it was times like this when she really wished that her family weren't muggles. The hoot of the train whistled throughout the platform causing Cedric to grab the girl's only free hand as the two ran to board the train. The two stepped in and quickly shut the door behind them.

Together, the two walked down the thin corridor, in search of Hugo and Juliette, who they presumed had arrived before them. People rushed to and fro, jumping in and out of compartments while others were staring out of the train windows, waving to their loved ones on the platform as the train pulled out of the station. Clover clutched her owl's cage as she followed Cedric down the corridor, scanning each compartment as they passed, in hope of seeing their friends.

"Maybe we should just get into the next empty compartment we find?" The boy suggested, and just as Clover went to reply she felt a hard hand slam down on her shoulder. The girl shrieked in fright, turning around and swinging her fist into the perpetrator's chest, (something she found herself doing quite often these days).

"What-Clover?!" Hugo winced, rubbing his chest while the girl collected herself. "What the fuck was that for?!"

"You scared me!" Clover defended, while Cedric tried to gather himself and stop laughing.

"All I did was put a hand on your shoulder?!"

"Yeah, and that scared me!"

"Whatever," Hugo grumbled, shooting the girl a piercing glare. "Still a dick move on your half."

"Where's Jules?" Cedric quickly cut in, diverting the conversation as Clover opened her mouth to rebuttal.

"Very end of this carriage, but beware...she's in a foul mood."

Clover didn't need to hear more, instead, she found herself walking swiftly in the direction that Hugo had pointed out to them. The girl squeezed past a group of seventh years as Herold squawked indignantly from his cage. She stopped at the last compartment in the carriage before sliding it open to immediately see Juliette flopped across one of the long seats.

"Alright there, Jules?" Clover asked lightly, her eyebrows rising as she spoke. Juliette grunted in response causing the girl to stifle her chuckles.

"What's wrong then?" Clover queried, placing Herold down onto the seat beside her backpack as she kneeled on the floor, so she was at eye level with the miserable girl.

"Annabrokeupwithme." Juliette huffed, running a stressed hand through her hair. "Said long distance isn't her thing."

"When?"

"This morning, before I left for the station."

"I'm so sorry, Jules... I know how much you liked her."

"She's a whore and I hate her."

"No, you don't."

Juliette sighed and lifted her head to meet Clover's eyes. "No, I don't." She agreed, flipping over so she was lying on her back. "Wish I could, but I can't."

"I've never seen you so screwed up over someone." Clover mused, placing a hand on the top of the girls head. "If you ask me, I'd say that little miss cold heart here was in loveeee."

"Well, that's just it isn't it?... Nobody asked you." Jules hissed defensively before letting out another long sigh.  "I didn't love her. I liked snogging her and I liked feeling wanted..."

Clover found herself frowning at her friend's words. She knew that the girl had meant a lot to Juliette but she never thought she'd witness the girl cry.

"She fucked me up good, Clove." Juliette sniffed as she continued, leaning into the girl's touch. "I really thought we would work out, y'know?"

"I'm sorry, Jules." Clover frowned, biting her lip as her friend wiped away a few stray tears. "But maybe she wasn't the 'one'- there's plenty of people who would kill to date you, you just gotta open your eyes." The door to the compartment opened slightly causing Juliette to bury her head in her arms, trying to hide her misery.

"Uh, hey Jules, how you feeling?"

Hugo peeked around Cedric's shoulder as he spoke, in fear that the dejected girl may lash out and hit him as she had earlier when he'd first attempted to talk to her. His voice alone caused the girl to raise her head slightly as she glowered at the boy.

"Fuck off, Hugo."

Cedric stepped into the compartment and placed his owl and backpack up on the railings, moving Clover's bag and owl up there also. The two boys shrugged at each other before sinking into the opposite seat while Clover remained crouched at her friend's side.

"Bad day?" Cedric cautiously started, wary of his friend's temperamental state but unfortunately, Cedric wasn't able to escape the girl's wrath as she shot him a glare.

"No shit, Diggory."

"Jules, it's not their fault." Clover chided lightly, "Now, move your legs or I'll sit on you." Juliette ignored the girl, insistent on scowling at the train's ceiling.

"Fine." Clover huffed, standing up from the floor and promptly sitting atop of Juliette's chest.

"Get- off, you t-twat." Juliette spluttered, trying to push Clover off as she sat smugly and although the girl below her was struggling, Clover noticed a faint smile pull across Juliette's face. "GET OFF!"

"Should've moved your legs."

☆

"SO YOU WERE WARNED ABOUT THIS YEAR TOO?" Hugo questioned, as he shifted in his seat. A few hours had passed since they'd first boarded the train and both Juliette and Cedric had drifted off from pure tiredness, leaving Hugo and Clover to talk quietly amongst themselves.

"Yeah, Ced's parents told us at the station that something 'big' was happening," Clover answered, popping another jelly slug in her mouth. "Bit strange, honestly."

Hugo nodded in agreement, stealing the girl's sweets from beside her. "I hope it's something fun," he spoke, chewing on the jelly slug as he spoke. "It'd be a bit boring if it isn't."

"Hugo, do you honestly think we have ever had a boring year at Hogwarts?!"

"I mean first year was a bit shit-"

"You're impossible."

Clover stood up from her seat, reaching up and grabbing her backpack from the rails above. The girl wobbled as she tried to avoid stepping on Juliette's feet while Hugo just watched in confusion, as he popped another jelly slug into his mouth.

"I'm going to get changed before the bathrooms start getting busy." Clover told the boy, running a hand through her hair as she jumped over Cedric's outstretched legs. "Coming?"

"Smart...Yeah, I'll come." Hugo deliberated, jumping to his feet and roughly snatching his backpack from above causing it to swing down and smack Cedric in the face. The unsuspecting boy opened his eyes tiredly before staring angrily at Hugo. "oops? My bad, Ced..."

Hugo practically ran from the window seat to the compartment door as he grabbed Clover's hand and pulled her out of the compartment to avoid Cedric's looming wrath. The girl grinned in amusement as Hugo continued to drag her down the train corridor before promptly letting go once he knew the coast was clear.

"Y'know, you could've just taken your bag down slowly as a normal person would..." Clover mused, "-but noooooo, you have to go and wake up Cedric, which will only make him cranky for the rest of the evening."

"Oh shove off," Hugo scoffed, knocking his shoulder against hers playfully. "Cedric's always cranky on the first night. It was inevitable."

The girl scrunched her eyebrows together before shrugging, "Can't really argue with you there." She chuckled, the girl looked into compartments as she passed but she found herself hesitating as she looked inside the second last one before the bathroom.

In the compartment sat Fred and George Weasley, accompanied by Lee Jordan, all three of them leaned back into their seats lazily. Flashes of the aftermath of the Quidditch World Cup danced through Clover's mind as she had glanced in at the three boys. Hugo and Clover soon reached the bathrooms but the girl looked quickly towards Hugo before looking back at the compartment they'd passed.

"Hey, Hugo?" Clover asked, "Would you mind if you went ahead? I'll only be a few seconds?" The boy raised an eyebrow at her before shaking his head and turning around to enter the bathrooms. As soon as Hugo was out of sight, she took another deep breath in before making her way back to the compartment they'd passed moments ago.

Clover precariously raised a hand and knocked on the glass door before sliding it open. The three boys stared up at her in confusion as she stood there. "Um, hey." She started, pulling at her sleeve nervously.

"Hey." The three chorused back, their confusion unwavering. Clover suddenly felt a cloud of awkwardness shroud her as she cleared her throat quietly.

"Um...I just realised that I...uh, never thanked you for helping me that night at the World Cup, I sorta just ran off as soon as I saw Hugo and Cedric." The girl stumbled, looking towards Fred and George with a weak smile. "So, uh...thank you, I guess? -and I'm sorry for not saying it sooner."

Fred and George exchanged a look, Clover couldn't decipher before the two turned back to the girl. "No problem." One of them grinned.

"We're glad you found your friends and all." the other smiled, shifting in his seat so that he was now completely facing the girl.

"Yeah, thank Merlin." Clover chuckled, "Although, your sister was the one who found them for me, guess I have to thank her again for that too." The girl tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Well, uh, I should get going." She patted her backpack lightly. "Got to get changed before everyone decides to get ready, -and, I'll, uh...see you around."

"See ya." The twins spoke in unison while Lee merely waved slightly. The girl backed out of the compartment and closed the door before walking back towards the bathroom with a wide grin plastered across her face.

☆

"YOU ARSE!" CLOVER SCREECHED, as she stood up from the puddle she had toppled into, courtesy of Hugo shoving her out of the train carriage. Thankfully the rain had eased up an hour or two ago, but it didn't stop the girl from getting soaked. "I WILL KILL YOU, HUGO!" Hugo bent over with laughter, using Juliette's shoulder to stabilise herself, while Cedric shook his head, trying to suppress an oncoming smile.

"Sorry, Clover, I fell." Hugo wheezed feebly as Cedric held the girl's arms back to stop her from pouncing on the boy.

"Can we please get to the carriages now?!" Juliette whined, "My tits and toes are going numb!"

The other three nodded in agreement as they ran across the train platform and over to where the carriages were waiting. The four soon found themselves huddled together in the enclosed carriage, shivering from the cold, Scottish air. Through the chattering of his teeth, Clover could hear Cedric mutter out a quick spell, sending instant waves of heat over the group, warming them up quickly.

Clover huffed as she wrung out her hair, sending sharp glares towards Hugo who still had his signature cheesy grin plastered across his face. The carriage ride was short and it wasn't long until it had slowed to a stop outside the gates of Hogwarts' grounds. The girl hopped out of the carriage, noticing students running up the path and gesturing to each other excitedly. Clover felt Juliette slip her arm through hers as they began walking up the slope towards the castle occasionally being pushed and shoved to the side by students as they rushed past.

"I swear if one more tiny fucker elbows me, I'll-"

"I wonder what's happening?" Clover questioned, interrupting  Juliette as she scowled. Hugo and Cedric seemed to have pushed their way ahead and disappeared out of sight. The two girls glanced at one another before picking up the pace and following after the two. The sound of chatter and buzz of excitement grew louder and soon they turned the corner of the path, coming face to face with a large gathering of students.

"What's all the fuss?!" Clover yelled over noise, as she weaved through the crowd, rejoining Cedric and Hugo's side.

"Look up!" Hugo laughed while he pointed up at the sky. Clover let her eyes drift up and what she saw caused her jaw to drop in astound.

Seven flying horses seemed to be pulling a gigantic, powder-blue, carriage through the air. Clover could see Hagrid directing the flying carriage down before inevitably having to jump out of the horse's path. The carriage landed on one of the fields surrounding Hogwarts, causing the students all around them to cheer loudly.

"What in Merlin's saggy left ballsack?!" Juliette murmured, grabbing onto Clover's shoulder to balance as she went on the top of her toes in order to see. Clover stifled a laugh but as soon as she went to reply, she was stopped by another voice yelling for everyone to look towards the lake. All the students rushed forwards, only to spot a large ship emerging from underneath the water. Clover gasped as a giant ship revealed itself, approaching the castle.

"Oh my god, that's so cool!" Hugo exclaimed, jumping up and down clutching Cedric's arm in excitement. "Look at it! IT'S A PIRATE SHIP, CED!"

"Hugo, calm down." Juliette scoffed, still holding Clover's shoulder tightly as she shifted her weight. "You're not six!"

"Jules, are you even seeing what I'm seeing?!" Hugo questioned, turning around with a wide grin. "IT'S. A. FUCKING. PIRATE. SHIP!"

"Why do I even bother?"

Clover chuckled as Juliette sighed. She pulled at the girl's shoulder and the two began to make their way towards the castle, as many people had now found themselves doing. Clover hummed lightly as they weaved in and out of the gaggle of students, trying to make their way inside the grand doors. The girl faltered as she heard a loud scream erupt from inside the castle, causing both Juliette and Clover to exchange a confused glance.

As they walked through the doors, they were immediately met with the sight of Peeves floating above the corridor, cackling as he launched water-balloons down on top of unsuspecting students. Without another word, Clover grasped Juliette's arm before running through the crowds, her head ducking as she avoided the balloons. She had already been soaked once tonight and she wasn't keen for it to happen again.

The two found themselves out of breath and tired when they finally reached the Great Hall. All around them people chatted heartedly, while Clover huffed and sat down at the Hufflepuff table, her stomach gurgling as she looked at the empty plates ahead of her. 

"I'm so hungry I could eat a Hippogriff!" The girl complained, burying her head in her arms as more and more people began to file into the Hall, some of them soaking from Peeves' welcoming gift.

"No, you couldn't," Juliette said pointedly, earning a confused, raised brow from the girl. "Or, have you miraculously forgotten that you're fucking vegetarian?"

"Oh, piss off! It was a metaphor!"

"A shit one."

Clover rolled her eyes, adjusting her head so she could watch the people entering the hall. The girl had to cover her mouth in shock as she spotted Cedric and Hugo amongst the sea of people. Cedric was dying of laughter while Hugo stormed towards the table angrily, his clothes leaving a trail of water on the floor as he walked. Cedric sat down beside Clover while Hugo plopped down onto the seat beside Juliette, causing her to cringe and scoot away from him.

"Hugo...you're dripping onto the table." Clover stated, biting her lip to suppress a laugh.

"Do one, Clover." The boy scowled, pushing back his wet curls in annoyance.

"See, this is a perfect example of karma."

"I hate you."

☆

ALRIGHT! Life has been shit to me so far! I'm currently back in hospital which isn't fun :'(

anyways hopefully everything will go well, DONT FORGET TO VOTE AND COMMENT TO MOTIVATE ME ✨

(Also this isn't an edited chapter lmao sorry!)

LOVE YALL!