One month later

When Bette decided it was time to leave her favourite place in the house, she was still tired as hell. She had barely had any sleep, so it was hard for her to abandon her bed. Shane had thrown a party because it had been the last night of the holidays and of course, Bette couldn’t miss it. Not only was Shane her very best and probably only true friend, she also had to attend to ensure everybody that she was ready to rule over Hogwarts again.

She knew she had to get up early as today, the annual trip to Diagon Alley was planned. She had to get her books, new parchment, some new quills, a few new robes. All of them had to be top-quality. She knew her father ‘kindly’ reminded the shop owners to ensure this.

As she entered the kitchen, the smell that filled her nose woke her up soon enough. Feeling a tad bit less hungover, she walked over to the table and sat down. Good food was great for her mood. The House-Elves working in the kitchen were more than excellent cooks, that’s why her father had hired them. This morning, however, they seemed to have surpassed themselves. They must have known about the party and that their boss had a foul mood when she was hungover, they knew from experience. She would never let them know how magical their cooking was, however. They were only House-Elves – to provide her with the very best was only natural. It was their job.

She tapped her fingers on the wooden table impatiently. She sighed loud and deep when a few House-Elves hurried towards her, carrying pans, plates and pots. She knew their names – they were somewhere in the back of her head – but she could never be bothered to remember them or call her servants by them. A few minutes later, she sighed again, but happily this time.

Sausages, toast, eggs and bacon, fresh coffee, orange juice, lemon juice, pineapple juice, jam, marmelade, milk, pancakes, waffles, hot chocolate, whipped cream and chocolate. She wondered how on Earth she was supposed to eat all of this, but she began the brave journey anyway. It wasn’t often she let herself go like this, but on this day, she always did to give herself courage for the new school year. Of course, this one would be different. She was a prefect now. She swallowed a piece of pancake and realised that she couldn’t even remember what her House-Elves looked like. She wouldn’t be able to tell which one was which and grinned. Just as it was supposed to be.