I sauntered out of my room, dragging my large chest behind me and down the stairs, listening to the loud thuds that followed after. It was time to head to Hogwarts and I should have been excited, but there was one little thing bothering me. There was a killer on the loose. Sirius Black had recently escaped Azkaban, and his face was on the front page EVERY single day.

My mom stared at me, raising a brow as I sighed and gently tossed the chest into the back of the car. “What’s wrong with you today, Avalon? Aren’t you excited to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione again?� And to be completely honest, I was. I hadn’t seen them since my first year when I had attended Hogwarts, until I had to move to Beauxbatons.

“I am, mom,� I groaned. “The fact that there’s a killer out there, that’s loose, is kinda killing my vibe. You know what I mean?� My sarcastic tone came out, and I slammed the back door shut as I turned to face my mother.

Her hazel eyes gleamed brightly in the cloudy fall weather, and she had her hair tied up in a loose ponytail. The wrinkles on her face were more prominent than I had ever noticed before. Was it from all the things she’s gone through since her younger years? A pureblood, all Gryffindor housed. James and Lily’s best friend. One of the best. Probably.

My mother had been the only person to take care of me since I was a baby. I’d never met my father, but whenever I’d ask about him, all my mom would tell me is that he ran away from us. Never even cared to leave a note.

But I didn’t particularly care as to why he had done it, I just wanted to know who he was. It sounded pretty selfish when I had first thought about it, but the more it grew in my mind, the more reason I had to give myself.

A small smile formed on her lips as she bent down and kissed my forehead. “You’ll be fine, I’ve taught you way more than enough.� I said nothing else and instead smiled in response as I made my way to the passenger’s seat and huffed inside. With my earphones plugged into my ears, the rumble of the car as it geared to life was barely audible.

Mother’s quiet hum to the song playing in the background was making me tired for some reason. I tried to keep my mind busy by thinking of my friends from Beauxbatons. They had an owlery in Hogwarts didn’t they? Maybe I’ll send some letters to Jenine and Mary… I thought to myself, my eyelids slowly fluttering closed.

I drowsily turned my head to look outside the window. The last I remember were dozens of buildings whizzing by, and a large black dog sitting under the maple tree. Its leaves fell, swirling around the dog like magic.