A/N There! The end of the first year! I hope you enjoyed it - I'll see if i can upload the other one soon (please keep checking!) as i have about 5 chapters done. Thanks to everyone! :)

Chapter Fifteen

The End of the Year

The next evening, Amara, Ron and Hermione went down to the Feast in good spirits. They knew that Harry was going to be let out, as Dumbledore had said he could. They hadn't been able to visit again, because Madam Pomfrey was annoyed she had let them stay for so long the day before.

"I'm glad everything's back to normal," said Amara as they walked into the Great Hall. The House Points had been counted that day and it was obvious Slytherin had one, for emerald green and silver banners lined the walls. Gryffindor, of course, had come last place, which Malfoy had a lot to say about whenever they saw him.

'Well,' she corrected herself in her head 'as normal as it would be in a magical school.'

Harry arrived after they had sat down. He sat next to Ron, with Amara and Hermione opposite them. There was a sudden hush when he walked in and people started talking loudly and standing up to get a good look at him.

Dumbledore arrived a moment later, so they all sat down and an automatic silence filled the hall, as though the volume had been turned down.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts...

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with two hundred and sixty two; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was banging his goblet on the table. It made Amara nauseous.

"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.

"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...

"First - to Mr Ronald Weasley..."

Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.

"... for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

At last there was silence again.

"Second - to Miss Hermione Granger... for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Hermione buried her face in her arms; Amara suspected that she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves - they were a hundred points up.

"Third – to Miss Amara Matthews… for keeping her bravery when hope seemed lost, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Amara blushed as the whole of Gryffindor house yelled in euphoria that they had overtaken Hufflepuff.

"Fourth - to Mr Harry Potter..." said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points - exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup - if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.

Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom."

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Amara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and poked Amara and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.

Amara was so happy she had tears in her eyes, she yelled herself hoarse in her excitement.

"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."

He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. Amara laughed at his expression of pure disgust.

It was one of the best nights of Amara's life – she couldn't wait to tell her stories to Tessie and Ethan. The yelling went on for ages, everyone was so happy. But when they finally settled down, they had an amazing feast, which tasted so much better with the knowledge that they had beaten Slytherin, and Malfoy couldn't gloat anymore. Amara helped herself to everything, chatting about her holidays with others. Fred and George bounced over too, to shake Harry's hand (so much his glasses fell off) and to hug Amara and Hermione, because they 'helped beat the Slytherins'. They also congratulated Ron, and said it was a pleasant surprise for them. All in all, Amara was sad that it came to an end, but hoped after the summer, her year would be just as exciting.

-OOOOOO-

It was a surprise when the exam results came out, and a surprise when Amara's score in Charms and Transfiguration was very close to Hermione's, who, of course, had the best results out of everyone. Harry and Ron had achieved great marks as well – even Neville had passed, with his Herbology mark making up for his Potions one. Goyle, Malfoy's crony, had passed as well, which dampened their spirits slightly, for he was so stupid Amara was surprised he could even pick up his wand. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.

All of a sudden, they had to pack their trunks and empty their wardrobes. Amara found it difficult, for she had left something everywhere – she had to find her tie in the Common Room, because it had somehow made its way down the stairs. Neville had found his toad in their bathroom and they were given notes telling them not to use magic over the holidays.

"I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred sadly whilst they were waiting in the Common room. Amara was sad to leave Hogwarts; she'd miss the stairs and passageways, the ghosts and the suits of armour – the paintings and the common room and defiantly her cosy four poster bed. She couldn't wait for the summer though – two whole months of relaxing!

Hagrid took them over the lake in the boats (after leaving the trunks behind, of course.) and soon they were boarding the Hogwarts Express, joking and laughing. They peered out the window for the last glance of the castle before it disappeared behind the mountains. They ate sweets from the trolley and chatted aimlessly about what they were going to do. Harry was a little glum – he didn't want to go back to his Aunt and Uncle's house.

"Cheer up, Harry, we'll write, don't worry." said Amara as she ate a cauldron cake. Outside the countryside became tidier and Amara and Hermione went to the bathroom to put on their normal clothes. They sped past Muggle towns and villages where the fields were greener. Soon, they pulled into Platform 9 and ¾ at King's Cross Station.

It took ages for them to get off the platform – a wizened old guard was standing by the barrier, letting them go in twos and threes. They dragged their trunks with them – Harry and Ron holding Hedwig and Scabbers too. They would have got trolleys, but they were all used up.

"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, whilst they were queuing. "all of you - I'll send you owls."

"Thanks," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to."

People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:

"Bye, Harry!"

"See you, Potter!"

"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at him.

"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry.

Amara and Hermione went after Ron and Harry went through the barrier. Immediately, they heard a voice.

"There he is, Mum, there he is, look!"

It was a small red-headed girl, who seemed to be Ron's younger sister Ginny.

"Harry Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mum! I can see –"

"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point."

Mrs Weasley smiled down at them.

"Busy year?" she said.

"Very," said Harry. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs Weasley."

"Oh, it was nothing, dear."

"Yes, thank you Mrs Weasley." Amara said and Mrs Weasley smiled at her.

"Ready, are you?" a gruff voice came from behind them. Amara turned around to find a purple-faced, fat man with a large moustache and a furious expression on his face. It seemed to be Harry's Uncle, Vernon. Amara knew immediately why Harry hated going home – the way he was looking at Hedwig would kill. Behind him stood a horsed-face skinny woman with a very fat boy standing, looking terrified, next to her. This must be Petunia and Dudley, Amara thought.

"You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs Weasley.

"In a manner of speaking," said Mr Dursley. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day." He walked away.

Harry hung back for a last word with Amara, Ron and Hermione.

"See you over the summer, then."

"Hope you have - er - a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.

"Oh, I will," said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer..."

Amara laughed as he walked away.

"Amara!" called another voice. It was Mrs Matthews, hurrying over to her, with Tessie and Ethan running behind her, looking ecstatic.

"Mum!" Amara squealed happily, hugging her.

"How have you been, dear?" she asked, smoothing imaginary creases out of Amara's coat.

"Fine, thanks – look, this is Ron and Hermione – Harry's already gone…" Amara introduced.

Mrs Matthews struck up conversation with Mrs Weasley while Amara hung back to chat with Ron, Hermione (who had introduced her parents too) Fred and George. Tessie and Ethan were rather shy of everyone, but talked to Ginny about Hogwarts.

"Well – have a great summer!" Amara said as they started to walk away.

"What did you do this year, Mara?" asked Tessie as they walked away.

"Well…" said Amara "Firstly we tackled a mountain troll, it was huge…"

~End of First Year~