Hogwarts Express – Prefects' Compartment

  Anne sat upright on a long, cushy sofa, flipping through a hefty book titled A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Indian Wizarding Families. The compartment door opened and closed now and then, sixth- and seventh-year prefects strolled in casually, greeting one another before finding seats. Fifth-year newcomers, however, entered more stiffly, lingering awkwardly or chatting nervously with their seniors.

  “Hey Anne, morning! How was your summer?” Ernie Macmiln and Hannah Abbott, both sixth-year Hufflepuff prefects, came in and greeted her.

  “Pretty good, and you?” Anne replied politely, gncing up. After a brief exchange, two seventh-year Hufflepuff prefects also nodded to her before moving on.

  The door opened again. Two fifth-year Slytherin prefects entered, pausing upon seeing Anne in conversation with the Hufflepuffs. Once the Hufflepuffs left, the pair exchanged a gnce and approached.

  “Oh, Maddox? Paulina?” Anne looked up. “Congrats on becoming prefects. Don’t just stand there, sit. We’ve got rounds to do ter.”

  The two obediently nodded, greeted her with a quiet "Good morning," and sat at the other end of the sofa. If Malfoy’s clique was the murky tide of Slytherin House, Anne and Fanny were the refreshing current, top-tier role models.

  Their families were well-established, and both girls were striking in appearance. Anne, often dragged along by Fanny, occasionally helped younger students with their studies in the common room. Thanks to her photographic memory, Anne had memorized every student's name, a powerful advantage. Simply greeting someone by name earned her quiet admiration, even though her usual demeanor was reserved and distant. She was as popur as Fanny among the younger years.

  Completely absorbed in her book, Anne remained unaffected by the growing chatter, until the train whistle blew and Hermione dropped into the seat beside her, still catching her breath, her hair slightly tousled.

  Anne gnced over and smiled gently. Without thinking, she tucked a stray strand of Hermione’s hair behind her ear.

  The two fifth-year Slytherins at the other end nearly bit their tongues in shock. They swore Anne had never smiled like that in public.

  Hermione’s ears flushed, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned in to peek at Anne’s book. “A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Indian Wizarding Families? Your aunt is putting you in charge of business in India now?”

  “She already did,” Anne replied. “She’s been swamped tely, so she had to rely on someone smart and efficient. Namely, me.”

  “Wow, confident much?” Hermione teased. Then she picked up Anne’s bookmark, a square of parchment surrounding a clear pstic window holding a small, oval-shaped green leaf.

  “This is a beech leaf,” she said. “Why use it as a bookmark?”

  “It’s special to me,” Anne said softly.

  “Special how?” Hermione asked, twirling it.

  Before Anne could answer, the compartment door smmed shut. The Ravencw Head Girl cpped for attention.

  “Alright, prefects, listen up!”

  “I want to hear this,” Hermione whispered, sitting straight with ears perked.

  Anne stayed lounging, unimpressed. She closed her book, though, and gnced around. Every prefect was paying attention, especially the new fifth-years.

  But… something felt off.

  Where was Malfoy?

  She scanned the room. There were only five Slytherin prefects present. He really hadn’t shown up.

  Skipping it completely? Probably busy with that task. Snape likely took the Unbreakable Vow by now, too. Once back at school, she'd need to talk to Dumbledore about it...

  “Anne? We should start rounds,” Hermione reminded her.

  Snapping out of her thoughts, Anne packed away her book. The prefects had begun filing out behind the two Heads. Hermione tugged Anne to her feet; Ron had already joined the Gryffindor prefects, not interrupting them.

  Anne smiled slightly at his promptness. Hermione saw it too, and responded by quickening their pace.

  “You don’t want to hear what that leaf meant?” Anne said as they left the compartment. “It has something to do with you, ”

  Hermione gripped Anne’s hand but kept walking briskly. “I don’t think the two things are mutually exclusive. Besides, with one Slytherin prefect missing, you have more responsibility.”

  Anne pouted but didn’t argue.

  Outside, the summer skies were unpredictable as ever. The train passed through cold mist into warm sunlight, which grew stronger until it flooded the windows.

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  “Why’d it take you so long?” Harry asked as Ron returned to their compartment.

  Ron flopped down next to him. “Those new Head Boy and Girl are way too thorough. We had to patrol the whole train, every compartment.”

  “It’s necessary,” Hermione said, entering with a bag of snacks. She sat near the door, frowning slightly at Luna’s outndish gsses as she read The Quibbler.

  Anne followed, looking frustrated. “He skips it, and I get bmed too?”

  “Anne, you are the other fifth-year prefect,” Hermione said, though she handed her a sandwich anyway.

  Anne grumbled but took it, greeting Luna and Neville as she sat between them.

  “You’re talking about Malfoy?” Harry asked, perking up.

  “Yeah. He skipped the prefect car and was just chilling with Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy,” Ron expined. “But the new Head Girl made him join us halfway through.”

  “He skipped showing off his prefect badge? That’s... suspicious.” Harry frowned. “What was he doing?”

  “Just chatting,” Ron said dismissively.

  “That’s it?” Harry seemed disappointed. “What was he saying?”

  “No idea. The door was closed.”

  “Why are you so interested?” Anne asked, reaching for another sandwich, only to have Hermione swat her hand away.

  “You’ve already had two,” Hermione scolded.

  Anne shrugged and grabbed a chocote frog instead.

  “Speaking of Malfoy,” Harry leaned in, “yesterday at Diagon Alley, Ron and I followed him, he ditched his mum and snuck into Borgin and Burkes…”

  As Harry expined, Luna lowered her magazine, and Neville stared in arm. Anne unwrapped her third chocote frog. Hermione calmly opened a book on Ancient Runes.

  Harry continued, describing Malfoy’s odd behavior and how he reacted violently when Madam Malkin tried to touch his left arm.

  “I think he’s been branded, the Dark Mark,” Harry said. “He’s a Death Eater now.”

  Neville looked stunned. “But he’s only sixteen. Why would You-Know-Who want him?”

  “Maybe he’s hiding out of shame,” Ron offered.

  “Or maybe you’ve got Wrackspurts,” Luna added sympathetically.

  “Wrackspurts?” Anne mumbled through a mouthful of sweets.

  “They're invisible creatures that mess up your brain,” Luna expined.

  Hermione rolled her eyes. “That’s completely illogical. If they’re invisible, how would you know?”

  “With these!” Luna pointed to her gsses. “They came with The Quibbler!”

  Harry was about to argue when a third-year girl rushed in, blushing furiously as she handed invitations to Harry and Neville. Moments ter, a boy delivered one to Anne.

  Anne thanked him. He turned crimson and bolted.

  Opening her scroll, Anne grinned. “Lunch invite? Let’s go!”

  Hermione raised an eyebrow.

  “Fine, I won’t overeat,” Anne promised.

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  In Carriage C, it was clear Slughorn had invited more than just the three of them, but Harry was clearly the guest of honor. Anne came second in attention.

  Slughorn gushed about her family motto, which Anne accepted with a polite nod. When he turned to Harry, he unched into wild praise, calling him the “Chosen One.”

  Zabini scoffed under his breath, prompting Ginny to snap, “Right, because you’re so talented… at being smug.”

  Slughorn ughed nervously. “I wouldn’t cross her, she cast a bat-bogey hex that was spectacur!”

  The rest of lunch dragged on as Slughorn told endless stories about famous ex-students and his “Slug Club.”

  By the time the train entered golden twilight, Slughorn finally released them.

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  Back in the compartment, Anne changed into her robes as she expined Slughorn’s motives.

  “He just wants powerful students in his little club.”

  “What’s the Slug Club?” Hermione asked, helping Anne with her tie.

  “You’ll be invited soon,” Anne said, smiling. “He’d never overlook the top student.”

  When Luna asked where Harry went, Anne shrugged. “Probably off saving the world.”

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  At the Welcoming Feast, Anne reluctantly left Hermione to join the Slytherin table.

  “Tsk, tsk,” Fanny teased. “Looks like someone didn’t want to part ways.”

  “Oh, come on,” Anne said, sitting beside her.

  When Fanny asked about Slughorn, Anne nodded toward the staff table. “He invited us to lunch. Harry left early, though.”

  “Oh, right! My parents mentioned him, used to be Head of Slytherin, had that club…”

  “Slug Club,” Anne confirmed. “You’ll probably be invited too, maybe even tomorrow.”

  Eventually, Dumbledore stood. His bckened hand drew hushed murmurs. He smiled, brushing it off.

  He welcomed them back, gave the usual announcements, and introduced Slughorn as the new Potions Master, while Snape, to many’s shock, was now teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts.

  Fanny looked thrilled. Slytherin burst into cheers.

  Dumbledore’s tone then turned somber as he reminded students of the dangerous times. They were to remain vigint, follow rules strictly, and report anything suspicious.

  After his farewell, the students began filing out.

  Anne made her way to the front to help the first-years, Malfoy, as expected, was nowhere to be seen.

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  The complete release can be accessed through .com/Crimson_Lore