July 1, 2019, 5:15 P.M.

Thora skipped across the green lawn lying before the Larkstons' humble home.
"Thanks, Dad!" she yelled over her shoulder. Her father had flown with her back to her homeland, Ireland, from London and Kings Cross. Although Thora loved Hogwarts and all it offered, she was glad to be back in the crisp air of her countryside home. She flung open the door. "Hi Bethie!!" she cried. Elizabeth, her younger sister, flew down the stairs to greet Thora.
"Hi, Thora!" she yelled in delight. "How was weirdo school?!" Weirdo school? thought Thora. But she caught her younger sister in an embrace. Suddenly, Beth backed away cautiously as if Thora might have had some sort of disease.
"Wha-what's wrong?" Thora stammered.
"You look weird," her younger sister answered matter-of-factly. "Your clothes are weird..." she trailed off, before running back upstairs. Hurt, Thora turned away, even though she knew she looked quite different in her wizarding robes, which she still hadn't changed out of. With a significantly dampened spirit, she walked away from the staircase to the kitchen area.
"Hi, Mom," she greeted her mother halfheartedly. The red-haired beauty turned from the sink and fixed her piercing green gaze on Thora.
"What's wrong, honey?" she said. Thora noticed, sadly, that even her mother regarded her with a strange look, as if Thora had a virus.
"Nothing..." she answered as positively as she could, "I'm going upstairs."
As Thora trudged downheartedly up to her room, she sighed. Although slightly worried about a boarding school, her parents had been fine with Thora attending Hogwarts, assuming she still received a high-quality education. Not having much money, the Larkstons couldn't afford to send Thora to a good school, so they approved of Hogwarts. The one condition Thora and her parents had compromised on was that Thora would remain at the wizarding school only if her education kept up with her magic.
But now, she was finally back for the summer and her parents regarded her like...like there was something wrong with her. Thora was still the lively, redhead girl she used to be, it was just that...she had gone to Hogwarts. Thora didn't see anything wrong with that. 
Thora sat herself on her small bed, with plain, sea-green bedding. "I'm going to be lonely," the girl realized for the first time. In her entire first year at Hogwarts, she hadn't made any friends, albeit a few acquaintances whom Thora was still wary of. Now, back in Ireland, she didn't have any friends. She had grown to appreciate the company of so many lively kids her age, even if she didn't talk to any of them. Thora stared out her window at the green pastures beyond and fell into a deep state of thought.

July 2, 2019, 6:00 A.M.

Thora sat up in bed, rubbing her bleary eyes. Early mornings were no problem for her, as she used to wake up at the crack of dawn to help with farm chores before heading to school. 
The young redhead looked around, confused by her surroundings. Where were the stone walls of Slytherin's common room, the dark room lit by lanterns? Peering out the window, she remembered. Home. She was back in Ireland, miles away from her home for the last year, and isolated by acres and acres of farmland on all sides.
Sighing, Thora half-fell out of bed and got dressed. She hurriedly threw on an sea-green hoodie and a pair of old jeans and ran downstairs. 
"Hi, Mom!" she yelled as she raced to the back door. "Is there anything I can help with?" This was Thora's normal morning phrase. But the house was eerily silent. No reply, not even anything acknowledging Thora's presence. The girl wandered aimlessly around the house, hollering "Mom!" every so often. Finally, her eyes went to the kitchen window. Beyond the house, the rest of her family was completing chores, laughing. It looked like a perfect family scene. But without Thora. With a little gasp, Thora shoved her small feet into equally tiny boots and ran out towards her family. "HI!" she yelled, afraid that her parents and younger sister had forgotten her return from Hogwarts. 
The other three members of her family simultaneously turned their heads at the sound of Thora's call. Thora froze as they quickly became silent. 
"Hi, Thora," her dad said, rather coldly. The redhead girl was taken aback. What had she done wrong to deserve this? Why did her whole family suddenly hate her? She walked towards the barn to feed the animals, when her brunette sister stepped in front of her. 
"We're done already," she told Thora. A crystallized, almost steely glare was set on the younger girl's face. 
"O--ok..." Thora answered, face turning scarlet. Where was the kind family she knew? The foursome who laughed at each other's jokes, who comforted each other in times of sorrow? Thora gathered herself up.
"Mom? Dad? I just wanted to tell you, I plan to leave for Hogwarts again on July 14, if that's OK with you," Thora told her parents. Why should they care? They already acted like Thora was...gone. 
"Ok," her mom answered, rather indifferently. Even if this was what Thora had expected, she never expected an answer so flippant, and from her parents! Blinking fast-rising tears out of her eyes, Thora turned and ran. Flying up the stairs, she shut herself in her room. Oh, how she wished her family could be welcoming. She laid back on her bed and, turning over her wand in her hands, imagined Hogwarts.

Thora wandered through the dungeon-like hallways. Although the stone-walled corridors were a maze, Thora would have no problem finding her way out. A peaceful silence existed between her and the other students. She recognized most of them--even knew them by name--but didn't acknowledge them, as the others didn't acknowledge the young girl. The individual and groups of students with green and silver ties walked past her, smiling. Exams were over. This is what she wanted. Life in Hogwarts, the greatest place Thora had ever known, without the weight of exams on her back. Thora's greatest regret? No friends. She, honestly, had only met about three people in her first year, none of which she could call "friend". Even though she knew no one, although she, a Muggleborn, had no rightful place in the world of magic, she wished she could go back...

Mentions @Hjørdis Jensen, @Bridget Collins 

July 6, 2019, 7:04 P.M.

Thora sniffled. Crying. It was a trait she hated, but inevitably possessed. She had excused herself early--well, ran away--from dinner, finally giving in to her family's strange looks. She gave a small smile as she remembered her father's face as he tried to understand Thora's experience.

"So...how's Hogwire? I mean...Hogwart...whatever your magic school's called..." her father asked, disgust evident on his face.
"It--it was good..." Thora stammered.
"I hope you're having a good education, Thora," her mother emphasized the "education" making it obvious to Thora that she disapproved of the school's teachings.
Not being able to take her family's behavior anymore, the girl turned and ran. Upstairs she flew, faster than a hare. Finally, reaching the comfort of her bedroom, the redhead slammed the door and locked it tightly. 

Thora rubbed her red-rimmed, puffy eyes. It had only gotten worse. At least the first few days, her family would talk to her without...without looking at her with absolute disgust. What was happening? Their hate seemed...unevitable...However much Thora tried to help, to act like what she had before with everything she had, her parents hated her. Even her younger sister, following her parents' example, turned up her nose at Thora. Before Thora's time at Hogwarts, she loved Beth. She was always, always kind to Thora, as Thora was kind to her younger sister. They always backed up each other's stories, stood up to people together. But every time Elizabeth would curl her lip, Thora's mouth would, again, drop open. No one had ever treated her like that in her life.
Pulling out an old, battered journal from her Hogwarts trunk, Thora ran her hand over the ripped cover. Her notebook. Everything from Thora's most private thoughts to her newest novel ideas were etched on the narrow lines. Sighing, she took out her quill and ink (she was beginning to appreciate the wizarding world's method of writing more than her old Muggle pens) and began to write.

July 6--

I miss Hogwarts so much. That's all I can say. Everyone back home is treating me like trash (again). I wish I could actually be around people like me. Nice people, even the mean ones. But I have a whole week to wait. 
Even if I can't learn...the summer events sound fun. Didn't Professor Jensen say there was going to be some summer camp at Hogwarts? I sure hope so... Maybe I'll even meet some nice people, like Bridget Collins. She seemed quite nice, although I still need to talk to her again.

At this, Thora had to stifle a smile. She, herself, would admit how bad she was at general social interaction. While she could see other first years had made close or many friends, Thora had barely talked to anyone. Drifting off into distant memories of Hogwarts, the girl smiled in contentment. Suddenly, Thora yawned--she hadn't realized how tired she was, after sleeping at 1 A.M. the last night and waking up at 5 A.M.
With a small sigh, the exhausted, young Slytherin lay her head on her arm and fell fast asleep. 

July 12, 2019, 4:00 P.M.

Thora sat on the floor of her room, door tightly closed and locked. Heaving a sigh much too deep for a young girl her age, she walked over to her trunk. It opened with a loud groan. Thora cringed--her parents had made it clear she was not to show any signs of "freakishness" inside the Larkston homestead.
Digging around in the smooth wooden box, Thora took out her books and robes. Ah...there was her set of quills... Empty glass vials balanced precariously upon Thora's protective gloves. Thora quickly snatched out all her magical items--she couldn't afford for them to be broken. After all, she had barely a couple precious Galleons to spare at Diagon Alley. 
The redhead grabbed a piece of paper off the floor and began writing with a quill. She loved writing with quills--it was so much smoother, unlike the new pens Muggles used. 
I'd better hurry and put these away before my parents see... thought the young girl. She hastily folded the dark robes and stashed everything away into the trunk. And she was not a moment too soon.
A loud knock on the door announced Elizabeth's arrival. Thora sighed, then walked over to the door, dragging her feet. Unlatching the door and pulling it open a sliver, then said, rather flatly, "What." To her surprise, no one was outside. Well, that was good. Thora would rather spend her days as a solitary creature than be disturbed by her ditzy sister or worse, her annoying parents. Trying to take her mind off this situation that, just a year ago, would never have happened, Thora grabbed a few of her favorite Muggle reads to keep her company on the Hogwarts Express. Heidi and the full Percy Jackson installation went into her trunk. 

Even if my family hates me, Hogwarts will always be my family, concluded the young red haired girl. Lonelier than ever, Thora sat in the silence, reflecting on her past year and hoping about her second year. Friends. They were all she wanted. She no one to turn to--not even anyone to take a quick library visit with. Now, Thora couldn't even owl her parents out of boredom--who knows what they would do with the letter. Besides, Thora's mom was still startled every time an owl dropped letter outside their door. But again, the girl still had six years ahead of her at Hogwarts. Better yet, she still had time--time to make things right with her family. Shrugging, as if to remove the thoughts, Thora Larkston propped her chin up with her arms and stared out into the green pastures.

@Thora Larkston leaves thread
Continuation of RP: A Long Ride Away