ETHEREAL ╱ cedric diggory
*ੈ 🪄 ‧₊˚fifth year ── prisoner of azkaban
──── ❛ ©𝓡𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒. ❜
⸝⸝ ʚ ! ⌗ °• 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲, king's cross station .ᐟ
˙ . ꒷ 🌟 . 𖦹˙— . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

     𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺 𝑪𝑹𝑶𝑺𝑺 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑾𝑨𝑺 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑨𝑴𝑬 𝑨𝑺 𝑰𝑻 𝑯𝑨𝑫 𝑨𝑳𝑾𝑨𝒀𝑺 𝑩𝑬𝑬𝑵. The clamor of students rushing to catch the train, the smell of locomotive smoke curling up from the train's chimney, and the relentless noise of farewells between parents and their sobbing children. It never failed to stir something in my stomach — nervous excitement, maybe, or just dread.

     It was a feeling everyone got when starting a new school year, a strange cocktail of emotions swirling together until they settled somewhere just beneath the surface.

     Every year, the feeling never failed to resurface. That flutter of nerves, that tiny, persistent buzz of dread mixed with exhilaration that only the start of a new school year could bring. And it wasn't just the thought of the year ahead or the lessons I'd be subjected to; it was the process.

     The long trek through the throngs of families, the mad scramble to find an empty compartment, and the faint worry of who I'd sit with. There was no other time I felt so out of sorts, so unprepared, than at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

     I always tried to act like I was above it, putting on a façade of indifference or confidence, but let's be real. When you're standing at Kings Cross on the first day of the term, surrounded by a sea of bodies, you can't help but feel a little... well, overwhelmed. The flood of people trying to squeeze through the gates, the hunt for an empty compartment, the stress of trying to find my friends before the train departs.

     I checked the clock on the stone wall. 10:37. The train was set to leave in less than twenty minutes, and I still hadn't managed to get on or find my friends. Brilliant. My luck was never on my side when it came to this sort of thing.

     Sighing, I hoisted my luggage back into my arms and made my way toward the train, my boots clicking sharply against the stone. The crowd seemed to thicken the closer I got to the train. I ducked into several compartments, finding them all full with students already chatting away with their friends.

     I had no desire to sit with a group of strangers. I was in the mood for peace and quiet before the madness of the new school year took over.

     Finally, at the end of the train, I found a compartment that was empty. My heart gave a small flutter of relief as I stepped inside. The door clicked shut behind me, and I made my way to the window, staring out at the mist that clung to the panes. The chill outside made the glass fog up, and I instinctively rubbed my sleeve against it to clear a space.

     But just as I did, a face appeared in the condensation on the other side. I jumped back, heart leaping into my throat. For a split second, I thought it was some odd apparition or trick of the light. But then, the face grinned at me, and I saw the familiar cheeky smile of Wren Willoughby.

     For a moment, I couldn't help the shock that hit me, and my pulse seemed to slow down. Wren's antics had a way of making me feel things I wasn't sure I should. But it didn't take long for me to snap out of it and roll my eyes. "You're an idiot!" I scoffed, but my lips twitched despite myself.

     Wren only laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she waved at me through the glass. She tapped the window a few times before running off, presumably to board the train herself.

     I shook my head, smirking at her antics. Wren was one of those people who made everything look effortless. She'd been my first friend at Hogwarts, the first person I'd spoken to on the first day of my first year.

     And despite the fact that she could drive me mad at times, I wouldn't change a thing. She was a pureblood, ridiculously rich (not that it ever seemed to go to her head). She could have easily been a right cow, but Wren wasn't like that.

     She was kind, loyal, and refreshingly normal in her own, quirky way. That said, I still couldn't shake the surprise that she'd been sorted into Slytherin. I mean, I could see how her slyness and wit fit the house, but her warm heart and loyalty seemed better suited to another house entirely. But then again, Slytherins were full of surprises.

     I leaned back in my seat and sighed, rolling my shoulders, ready to zone out and let the train's gentle rocking lull me into some semblance of calm. But no sooner had I done so, the compartment door slid open, and in she came — Wren, of course, her luggage in tow. She threw her things onto the floor with a single swoop, shutting the door behind her with a loud click.

     "Oh, Dawn!" she greeted, her voice cheerful as she grinned at me. "I've missed you!"

     I barely had time to brace myself before she practically tackled me. "Missed you too, I guess," I muttered, a little put off by her sudden enthusiasm. Wren paused, her arms still around me as she studied my face with an expression that was half worried, half curious.

     Wren paused, her brows furrowing as she looked at me. She placed her hands on my shoulders, leaning in a bit as though trying to figure me out. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice suddenly soft. "You look a bit knackered, love."

     I shrugged nonchalantly, though the truth was that I hadn't been sleeping well over the summer. "I'm pulling your leg, Wren," I said, rolling my eyes as I leaned back in my seat. "I did miss you, alright?"

     Her lips curved into a smile, and she playfully slapped my knee. "Yeah, yeah," she teased back, sitting down beside me. "I know you love me really."

     Before I could respond, another figure appeared in the doorway, his silhouette framed by the corridor's dim lighting. "Oi, Cassian, you're late," I snapped, my tone sharp but not entirely hostile. Cassian Vale, a fellow Slytherin and my sometimes ally in various mischiefs, grinned back at me from the doorway, looking far too smug for someone who had only just shown up.

     Cassian had this way about him — charming, confident, and just a touch cocky. He had always been the type of person to take everything in stride, no matter the situation. I wasn't sure if that made him admirable or incredibly annoying, but either way, I couldn't deny he was fun to have around.

     He stepped into the compartment with a casual grace, tossing his own bag onto the seat opposite us. "I'm not late. I was just making sure I didn't get stuck in one of those bloody full compartments." His dark eyes twinkled with mischief as he glanced between Wren and me. "What've I missed, then? Still gossiping about my absence?"

     I raised an eyebrow, throwing him a pointed look. "Please. As if your absence could stop the flood of gossip we've got going on."

     Cassian smirked and flopped down on the seat, stretching his long legs out in front of him. "Fair enough," he said, his voice tinged with amusement. "But I'll have you know, I was just helping some first years get settled in. You know, showing them how to stand up straight and not trip over their own feet."

     Wren snorted. "That's rich coming from you, Cassian. I've seen you trip more than once."

     I couldn't help but chuckle, even though I wasn't exactly in a laughing mood. My friends were good at making me forget about whatever had been bugging me, even if just for a moment.

     "What about you, Dawn?" Cassian said, turning to me with a sly grin. "You got anything to share, or are you just gonna sit there brooding like the queen of the dungeon?"

     I shot him a look of disdain, though the corners of my lips twitched. "If you wanted gossip, you should've gone to Wren. She's got more of that than you can shake a wand at."

     Wren raised her eyebrows. "Oi, what does that mean? You saying I talk too much?"

     "Of course not," I said with a mockingly innocent expression. "I'm just saying that, between the two of us, you're the one who likes to run her mouth."

     Wren's face broke into a grin, and she leaned back in her seat. "Fair enough, love. I'll take that as a compliment."

     Cassian laughed, throwing his arm around the back of the seat. "You two are ridiculous. The way you two bicker all the time, it's like watching a pair of cats fight over a piece of string."

     I raised an eyebrow. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

     Cassian winked at me. "Means you two are both too stubborn for your own good, that's all."

     As the train began to pull out of the station, I leaned back into the seat, allowing the noise and movement of the train to wash over me. Another year at Hogwarts. Another year of surviving the madness, making memories, and dealing with people like Wren and Cassian. But somehow, even with the sarcasm and annoyance, I knew I wouldn't have it any other way.