Chapter 186 - Professor Pollen (1/2)
Rather pale-faced, Rowan returned to the compartment much sooner than expected. Seeing her pale face, Terry asks, ”What happened to you?”
Rowan mutters one word, ”Boys.” Before grabbing a bar of chocolate from her snacks and begins to stuff her mouth as if to cleanse it. Terry seems genuinely intrigued by the response, but seeing as Rowan seemed rather out of character, he just made a note of it.
The rest of the train ride went by rather quickly as Rowan stared out of the window in a daze as she absentminded patted the purring figure of Alchemy in her lap. Soon enough it came time to dress as Alchemy sadly meowed, before climbing into his basket. With three of them continued to chat as Rowan shuddered every now and then reliving the terrible memory.
Shaking her head, Rowan followed them out onto the Hogsmeade platform. As usual, Hagrid was bellowing for the first years as the now wiser second year shook their heads in pity. The older, wiser students had transfigured items into umbrellas as dark clouds overhead began to thunder as the rain began to pour down.
They were lucky as they came prepared with Lily and Severus sharing an umbrella, while Rowan and Terry did the same. They all hurried forward as they all ran down the muddy track towards the waiting carriages in the field. Hurrying forward they dived into a carriage as Rowan murmured a cleaning charm on her clothes to rid herself of the mud. Before pointing her wand at her clothes as hot air blasted out to dry her clothes as the other three did the same.
With a soft rattle, the carriage moved forward as they watched other scrambling students jumping into carriages squeezing up to six people in some of them. Ignoring the familiar scent, Rowan says, ”Well, at least we're not out on the lake.”
”Mm, we were lucky it didn't rain and pour that year,” Terry said with a violent shudder as he finished drying his clothes. Even Lily and Severus nodded their heads in agreement. They quietly chattered every now and then as they watched the rain steadily continue to fall.
Finally, the carriage rolled to a stop before the great front door as they all ran out into the brightly lit hall. Brushing some of the droplets out of their hair, they made their way into the Great Hall. Waving goodbye, Terry said, ”I wonder who the new DADA professor is?”
”Well, last I heard they still haven't found Professor Adric,” Severus remarked as they took a seat.
”Who's this years, head boy and girl?” Rowan loudly asked, changing the subject.
”Some Hufflepuff boy and Ravenclaw girl,” answered, Silvia as she sat down across from them.
”Huh, were all of you in the carriage behind us?” Rowan asked at seeing Tiffany and Bethanie have a seat as well.
”Mm, and you didn't even notice us,” Tiffany pouted.
”Yes, well, I don't tend to stick my head out of the carriage, when it's raining cats and dogs,” Rowan drily countered.
Bethanie laughs and says, ”Well, that's true enough.”
The girls and Rowan make small talk about how their summer trips went, while Severus and Terry discuss some boy in the year above them. Apparently, the boy had gotten into some trouble over the summer. And as a result, had been transferred over to Durmstrang.
From the corner of her eye, Rowan spots Regulus sitting with his two friends, two girls in his year. Hiding a smile, Rowan returns to their conversation to only seem them become silent.
Glancing over to the front hall they all wait for Professor McGonagall to be seen. Unlike the year before Rowan noticed a certain sad air about her. But it did make perfect sense given the fact that the love of her life and been killed by the now-deceased Fenrir Grayback over the summer. But at least this time around both of McGonagall's brothers were still alive with their families.
Turning away, Rowan from the pale line of nervous 1st years, she eyes the dark ceiling above. Lightning can be seen brightly flashing amid the dark clouds as endless rain seems to fall. Soon enough the sorting hat begins to sing, but she drones out the sound instead enjoys the scenery up above. Finally, the Great Hall is silent again as the 1st years go up one by one.