The Secret Twin: Chapter 16

Hours passed by. I sat, staring out at the peaceful vallies and rocky countryside as they drifted by, but my mind had wandered elsewere. My eyes were glazed and unfocused as I sank deeper into my ponderings. Though it may seem silly, part of me was still set on that dream. Something bothered me about it, and though I tried to push the thought away, it was still there, at the back of my memories, obscuring my other thoughts with it’s overwhelming sense of fear and confusion. As I struggled with my mind, I thought about what the voice said. All you have to do is follow along with my plan. What plan? And why would he want me, of all people, to help him? I groaned. Everything was so confusing. Just then, a voice rang out across the train. Next stop- Hogsmead Station. I sighed and heaved my heavy trunk out of the compartment just as the train slowed to a halt. As I stepped out into the cool air, I heaved a sigh of relief. It was over. I was back. I made my way through the village. People were bustling around, buying Christmas decorations and gifts. There wasn’t any snow yet, but the air was icy and the leaves were stiff with frost. Shivering, I pulled my cloak around me, but the chill seeped right through the thin fabric. I sped up, longing for the warmth of the crackling fires in the Hufflepuff common room. Soon, I reached the huge, gilded iron gates of Hogwarts Castle. I flicked my wand and they swung open. I dashed down the winding path and up the stone steps, past two stone hogs guarding the oaken double doors. I had just made it to the top of the steps when Ivan and Selena burst out of nowhere. Selena enveloped me in a huge hug, squeezing my ribs and constricting my breathing. Finally, she released me and I gasped for breath, wheezing in air through my desperate windpipes. Immediately, a stream of questions flowed out of her mouth. “Are you okay? Why are you late? What happened? “. She talked so quickly I could barely keep up. Finally, she stopped to take a breath. Her face was flushed. “Selena, I’m fine,” I replied. “Really, there’s no need to worry. I’m just tired, okay.” She stepped back, still looking worried, but said nothing more. Then I turned to Ivan. He gave me a small smile. “It’s good to see you again Bella,” he said. We hugged. “The house elves have baked some delicious cookies for us in the Gryffindor common room,” Selena told us. “We had better hurry, or the others will eat them all!” We followed her inside. Just as I was about to shut the door, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It was Magnus. He smiled and nodded at me before disappearing into the undergrowth. I stared at the spot he had been for a few moments. Then I turned and ran after my two friends.