Today was the day. At exactly 6:30 AM The train back to Hogwarts would leave for Hogsmead,leaving any stragglers to find their own way to school. For the last 8 years Oliver had struggled not to miss it, only doing so one year which wasn't that big of a deal because he could apperate by then. This year was bound to be different.

5:00 Am Vaness caws at Oliver, and prods his face with her beak, waking him up. Though it is still dark out he reaches a hand up to stroke her feathers, an action that provokes another caw. "Okay, okay i'm up," He states, not making a move from underneath the lavish blankets of his bed. The crow doesn't believe him evidently, as she continues cawing and pecking him. Finally he bolts up, bright grey eyes wide open, and startling the bird. Oliver simply can't help himself with laughter as the black bird flutters around uselessly, nocking artifacts from his shelves and walls. She settles on the window finally, her feathers still ruffled.

Oliver gabs his wand, a proud blackened looking stick, and flicks it first toward the window, then around his room. The window opens. Everything is back in it's proper place in seconds. Next he found clothes to wear. Being as it is that one should always make a good first impression his parents would have him wear proper wizarding clothes. A dark cloak over one of his uniforms, a black and yellow tie completing the look of formality. To bad for them, he was going to be in muggle public, and he was a seventh year anyway. He wasn't about to dress up.

At the bottom of the stairs he looked around, no sign of the house elf. He siged with relief and strode towards the door comfortably clad in muggle attire; dark jeans and a buttoned white shirt. Of course there was the house elf, Pipkin, Shining the door knobs, again. The wrinkled creature looked up with every ounce of happiness in the world and squeaked "Ohhohhh, Master Rivers! Would you like some breakfast before you go to school! Todays an important day!" to which Oliver tried to cut in "No, shhh. Pip shut up shh".

"I can wake your parents and have something together in just a few minuets, and"

"Pip, no pip I've got to-"

"Ohhh! And I can get you some coffee too right away of course I know you love coffee in the mourn-"

"Pipkin!"

The house elf finally stopped. "Yes Master Rivers?No need to shout.". Oliver gave The elf a serious look. Was it really worth 3 galleons a week to keep him around. Yes, but that was beside the point. "I've got to go, don't tell my parents, see you winter break, be good.". With a wink he slipped past the elf and out of the house, disaperating before the door was even shut.

Oliver Rivers appeared in an alleyway near a small coffee parlor in down town France. Okay, last day, last chance you've got, he thought as he checked his watch. 5:36, almost a whole hours. He grinned it was almost perfect. It was his worst idea ever what would other people think. No, but he really, really, really did actually for real this time have to do this. He was in so much trouble. He stepped inside the muggle coffee shop and ordered a caramel vente capachino from some chick, not the right person. He could still leave and find a someone else. Nope to late, out he came. Mathew, this summer's dream boy. He was absolutely perfect except one little thing. Mathew was an utterly unmagical, entirely muggle human being. The boy was ruining Oliver's life and they hadn't even spoken yet.

it's now or never Oliver thought as he contemplated ever different thing that could happen to go wrong if he just went up there and talked to the boy. Mathew got off at 6 and the train would leave at 6:30 plenty of time to get his phone number at the absolute minimum. Except that then he'd be gone until winter break, this was an awful idea he shouldn't have come at all. Okay, that didn't matter he had to do it. With all the courage Oliver could muster he strut up to the bar and sat down, coffee still in hand, waiting for boy to notice him. It didn't take long and he came over, freckled and smiling. "Did you need something?" He asked, very politely just like he did with all the customers, one would almost think it was his job. "Um I, well" talking suddenly became a lot harder. "Could we um, I mean I'm from out of town and. Well actually could we be friends maybe, please." Oliver gave his prize winning grin. He was doing such an awful job at making an impression. "Uhm, I get off at 6 I guess. I'm Mathew by the way"

"Oliver" He replied, just as Mathew finished. Nothing could be more perfect. This was the best plan ever. It was 5 minuets 'til 6, a beautiful morning everything was great. Oliver decided he might as well wait outside since it was so nice.

"pssst Master Rivers you need to go home, your mother wants to see you before you go to school. Also shes worried sick." oliver jumped Just around the corner was Pipkin, his great big green eyes beaming with joy as always. Oliver rushed over, pushing him deeper into the alleyway where he wouldn't be seen. "pip," he whispered in a hurried tone, "I'm meeting someone, and it's very important and you can not tell my parents.". Oliver looked at him pleading the elf. "but there are only muggles around here, Your dearest Father has ordered me to tell if you speak to muggles. You can't go around speaking to whoever you want, muggles aren't like wizard folks," The elf put a small hand on Olivers knee. "come home."

Before Oliver could protest he and the elf had appeared on the doorstep of the great big house of the Rivers. At the door stood none other than Lauren Rivers, Oliver's mother. "What in the name of Merlin did you think you were doing boy?! Get inside." The woman stood stern,
"yes mum..." Oliver sighed slipping back inside and sitting forlorn on the couch. His mom badgered him for nearly the whole 20 minuets about how he had an appearance to keep. How Magic was fine in wizarding villages but muggle cities what was he even doing before he mentioned the time. Other years had gone over better.

---

---

Sighing his mother pat his shoulder. "Comon' dear you can't be late." she said before apparating with him to the train station "You did bring your things didn't you? Or should we go back? Oh, sweetheart you look a mess too, we should fix you up before,

"Mom," Oliver cut in "I'm fine. My bag has an extension charm. I'm good," Oliver's face was stoic. He'd been doing this for years, and hated to be treated like such a child.

"Oh, alright. You better be going." His mom said, exasperated.

"See yeah," He blurted, already leaving towards platform 9 and 3/4

"Bye sweetie, I love you.. She called after him "See you soon!"

---

---

He raced through the wall, and into the hidden train station. The platform was full with frantic first years and their parents, no body he really felt like talking to after his parents raving just moments ago. Only stopping to pick up the morning issue of the Daily profit he made his way into the train. He took over compartment near the front of the train, now he had only to wait for his friends to arrive.

The sun had slowly started to trickle into the main hall of The Leaky Cauldron as Elliot sat by a table with his breakfast in front of him, it was a full English. A yawn escaped Elliot’s mouth as he took a sip of his drink and then cut off a piece of a sausage. Elliot had arrived at The Leaky Cauldron the day before travelling down from Manchester. He always found it odd that you could only get on the train in London, it would save him quite a lot of time if it stopped off in places further north. The room that Elliot stayed in was old fashioned and had never changed since the first time he’d arrived there when he was eleven but it did have its own beauty to it.

Elliot took his time with his breakfast not needing to rush knowing that he had quite a while before the train would leave. More and more people started to fill the hall ordering their own breakfasts. There were first years with their parents who were making sure that everything was in order and then there were other students who Elliot recognized but none who he was close enough to. He left before it got even busier and headed towards King’s Cross station, chucking on his new leather coat that his parents had bought for him as he’d rapidly outgrown his last one. Elliot was a big fan of the coat and hoped he didn’t outgrow it as fast as his last one. He had two big suitcases in either hand rolling across the floor and a backpack with him as he got closer to the station.

The station was already busy with people going about their daily tasks even though it wasn’t even six in the morning yet. Elliot sauntered over through the station casually approaching platform nine and three-quarters and stopped in front of it taking a quick breath and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before he went through. The Hogwarts Express was already pulled into the station and a few people had the same idea as him picking where they wanted to sit. Elliot was around half way down the train before he decided to get on it, finding a private booth with no one in it waiting for people to come and find him. He took a seat in the corner next to the window and pulled a book out of his bag called ‘Triwizard Tragedies’ and started to read.

Mike woke to something hitting his back and a muffled shout that might have been his name. His head popped up sleepily from where it had been half hidden under his incredibly _{(read: magically)} soft pillow and glanced drowsily around at his surroundings. Angie's room, he remembered, not the Hufflepuff dorm. He had a comfy pile of pillows and blankets on the floor, a spot that had been his the entirety of the break, and thanks to magic it had been the most comfortable place in the world, or so he liked to think. Oliver- or a number of other talented students he could think of - could probably cast better cushioning charms than him, but he made up for it by casting twice as many as necessary.

His eyes landed on the rubber duck that had rolled off him when he moved, and he assumed this must be what had hit him and woken him up. He glanced at the room's doorway to see Angie standing there with a small smile on her face. She was clad only in a tightly wrapped bath towel, her curly black hair dripping water on her shoulders. Mike stared at her in confusion, "What?" he asked, blinking away sleep.

"I said get up," she said, obviously holding back laughter, "only I said that half an hour ago." She smirked at him in amusement, but for the life of him he couldn't grasp what was so funny. Seeing he wasn't getting it, she clarified; "Have fun with the cold water."

Mike groaned, burying his head in his pillow for a second while Angie laughed at him. He muttered something under his breath she couldn't catch, but she knew him well enough to guess and grinned again. She stood by the door, waiting for him as he dragged himself out of his comfy pile of blankets. Angie was unreasonably patient for a sixteen year old, but Mike just counted himself lucky, he wasn't nearly awake enough to do anything at speed.

An hour later he was out on the streets again, pulling his jacket tighter around himself against the early morning chill. Today he would be returning to Hogwarts, and he was excited to see his friends again and get away from the stress of his family. His mother wasn't so bad anymore, but that didn't make their interactions any less awkward, and he couldn't wait to get away from his father, the man was an idiot.

His home wasn't far, just down the street from Angie's, and soon was walking through the door and unsheathing his wand. He fired a cleaning spell at his feet, cleaning his shoes before coming inside. His mother used to make him do it, then they'd fallen out and he'd stopped just to spite her, but now he was doing small things like this to make it up to her. "Mama?" He called, knowing she hated when he called her mum.

"In here, Mika!" She called from her room. "Just a minute, puiule!" He passed her room unhurriedly, deciding to just go upstairs to his room and grab his trunk. He'd packed it yesterday before going to spend the afternoon with his muggle friends, so all he needed was his mother to take him to the platform.

He barely spared his room a glance, it wasn't worth looking at really. A few posters were pinned on the wall over his bed, only two of them moved. A computer was on the desk by the window, but it was plain and undecorated, the area around it clean and new-looking. He'd slept in his room only a handful of times since coming back, but he had always come home during the day. He was worried about bothering his friends and their parents if he stayed with them too long, so he ate his meals with his family when he couldn't afford to buy something himself. Regardless, the result was a clean, boring, disused bedroom with a neatly packed leather trunk on dark blue sheets, ready to go.

He lifted the trunk with ease, unwilling to cast a levitation or lightening charm. It was already enchanted, by itself it weighed nothing, it was the contents that made it so heavy. He didn't think it was too cumbersome though, easily something he could deal with. He silently thanked his muggle friends for being health nuts and going to the gym as often as they did, he almost always got dragged along with them and he was happy with the results.

He came down stairs just in time to see a half dressed man slip out the front door with a bundle of clothes in his arms. Mike's eyesbrows rose in surprise, jumping to the only conclusion that he found plausible. His parents were fighting, his father was always out, was his mother so unhappy she was cheating on him? Apparently so.

Mike schooled his features when his mother stepped out of her room, dressed up like a proper pureblood witch, he doubted anyone would even guess she was a muggle if they saw her. He pretended he hadn't noticed the escaping bedpartner, deciding to deal with that later, if at all. "Ready, Mama?" He asked, forcing himself to smile.

His words and expression settled his mother's nerves as she came to the conclusion he hadn't noticed anything and she smiled in relief. "I'm ready." She confirmed, but she looked doubtfully at his muggle clothes. She didn't get that changing into his Hogwarts uniform on the train was part of the tradition. Others had broken it, showing up at the station dressed, but not Mike. "Do the honors?" She prompted.

Mike stepped forward and tapped his wand to his mother's head muttering the incantation that would disguise her from muggle eyes. He'd always found it weird how his mother had embraced wizarding culture, preferring to dress like a witch rather than the muggle she was. She looped her arm around his when he stashed his wand away, and for a moment Mike wondered if he was okay with that, but ultimately let it go. Clearly his mother was happy, or on the way to happiness anyway, and he had no desire to ruin it for her.

They walked into the city at a reasonably fast pace, it was a bit of a trek to the station, but it didn't warrant calling a taxi. They didn't talk, which was the way Mike preferred it, but his mother seemed to be enjoying herself anyway. It wasn't long before they reached the station and he prepared himself for a long drawn out goodbye. He stopped a bit away from the barrier, his mother had only been beyond it once and it hadn't gone well, so they stayed outside.

To his surprise, when he turned to face his mother she looked worried and uncertain. He paused awkwardly, unsure what to say himself. "You know I love you, right Mika?" She asked him seriously. "No matter what?"

Well. That wasn't worrying at all.

Mike hesitated, wondering if he did know that. After a moment he nodded, he wasn't sure if it was true, but it was what his mother needed to hear. He decided to cut it short, uncomfortable with the idea of holding what was sure to shape into a dramatic and emotional conversation. "I'll write." He promised, knowing that would be enough. It was, she smiled gratefully and sniffed, wiping at her watery eyes. Despite his effort to be brief, it seemed to have gotten emotional anyway.

"Have fun, Mika." She told him softly. Mike ended it there, nodding quickly and heading through the barrier. He felt unusually detached about his mother these days, but at least it was an improvement. Still holding his trunk, he finally gave in and cast a levitation charm on it, using his wand to steer it through the crowds so he could board the train.

He entered at the front and started checking compartments for anyone he knew- well, that included all of Hufflepuff House and he was not sharing with anyone below fifth year. He mentally amended his search to only include anyone he knew who wouldn't annoy him. Lucky for Mike, he found a familiar face fairly quickly. He maneuvered his trunk so he could open the compartment door and direct his levitating trunk into the raised storage areas. "Hey, Oliver." He greeted casually, stowing his wand away again and sinking into the seat opposite of the older Hufflepuff. He briefly wondered if he should have asked if it was okay to share before making himself at home, but it was too late for that now.

Melanie Ariana Stryder

The sound of her mother's voice calling her from downstairs jerked Mel out of her thoughts, it took her a moment to process why Anya Stryder's voice was so frantic. 6AM, she kept shouting loudly up the stairs, it's 6AM why wasn't Melanie downstairs?! Melanie's brow furrowed in a frown as she tried to remember what was so important about 6AM this morning. Why did she have to get up so early...? The only time she had to get up that early was to...the train! They were going to miss the train! She suddenly seemed to realise the error, and quickly leapt out of the covers to get ready as quickly as she could.

Grabbing her wand which she had set on the bedside table, a quick flick of the 12 inch yew apparatus and a few mumbled accio charms flung open the lid of her trunk and packed her clothes, books and other belongings inside. Thank Merlin she'd gotten the hang of that charm in fourth year or she would have been in a tight spot this morning. Melanie quickly rummaged through the remaining clothes left in her closet, finding something that would be both comfortable and acceptably neat to wear. Her usual pick of jeans with a simple shirt and a turtleneck sweater over the top would do just fine. What took her the longest of course, was coaxing Kindle, her pet snake, into the travel case that she and her mother had prepared for her. Not quite like the vivarium that she spent time in at the Stryder's house, it consisted of a small box inside of which Mel's mother had managed to place a complicated hot-air charm to ensure that the serpent had an adequate heat source while they were out in the cold air. Once they were on the train, it would be less of a problem because Mel could allow her out of the carrier (assuming anyone she ended up sharing a compartment with didn't mind the snake, of course. If they did Kindle would have to sulk in the carrier for the journey to the castle until Melanie had changed into her robes where there would be an appropriate pocket for the snake to remain close to her in) and the train would be warm enough. Quickly fixing the tangles in her hair with another wave of her wand, Mel grabbed Kindle's carrier and headed downstairs at a run, dodging around Peony, their family's house elf, who was polishing the bannisters this morning.

"Cutting it a bit fine, young lady." her mother scolded as she joined the older witch in the kitchen. Letting her trunk thump to the floor next to them, Mel stowed her wand away in her jeans pocket temporarily, so that she had a hand free to hold onto Anya's arm. She wasn't old enough to apparate herself yet, and so she would have to side-along apparate with her mother until she could take the test at the end of this year. The two quickly gathered a trolley to place Mel's belongings on (they couldn't very well float them along in front of a bunch of muggles, after all) and made their way through the wall when the coast was clear, arriving on Platform 9¾.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Mel said a quick goodbye to her mother, promising of course, to try and write as often as she could, and to write to her father at St Mungo's too, if she got the chance, before they could visit him again at winter break. She grabbed a copy of the latest issue of the Daily Prophet as she boarded the train and wandered along the compartments to find somewhere to sit. She found Oliver Rivers and Mike Kholodov, two Hufflepuff students in a compartment near the front. Oliver was a little older than her, though they had spoken a few times, she thought she remembered him saying he was practising to be an animagus, which she thought was pretty cool; Mike was in her year, they shared a few classes too and she didn't see anyone else she recognised yet, so she stuck her head around the door and mumbled.
"Hey Oliver, Mika." Mel greeted them politely. "Do you guys mind if I sit in here with you?" the Slytherin made sure to ask before she simply sat herself down, in case they were saving space for anybody else who had yet to arrive to the train.

Karen Antonius

---

Click, clack. The sound of solid heels on cement resounded clearly despite the crowd at Kings Cross station. Parasol in one hand, and shoulder bag in the other, a certain blonde made her way through the mass of people rushing to catch their train. A pleasant smile was on her face, as if she were somehow recalling a joke that has been heard thousands of times over, yet still retains its hilarity. That joke, of course, was what Karen knew as "life". And currently, Karen stopped in front of a certain pillar marked "Platform 9" to once again partake in the hilarious events that life was beholden to.

Life consisted of many things, one of the foremost among those things was "knowledge" -- knowledge was an inevitable part of growing. One started out with little knowledge, and a lack of knowledge could lead to any number of situations, usually funny, but all too often tragic as well. Thankfully, it was the former that Karen bore witness to at the moment, as she did every year for the past six years of her life at Hogwarts.

A child, probably no more than 10 years old, accompanied by confused looking adults, probably his parents, looked around Platform 9. Obviously, they'd been told to go to Platform 9 ³/₄, but not where it actually was. Thus, the inevitable clucking about like a helpless chicken for the entrance ensued. Over and over again, they looked around the platform, finding nothing to clue them in on what to do or where to go. Finally, it looked like that parents had given up and most likely assumed they'd been scammed, and patted the child on the shoulder, preparing to disappoint him then before leaving. The child's face crumpled and tears welled in his eyes as his parents most likely convinced him of what they probably saw as a very elaborate practical joke.

Well, there was indeed a joke, but it was far from reaching the punchline. All that was left was someone to deliver it.

Karen smiled slightly. She always did enjoy having to commit this honor.

"Excuse me," said Karen, in the light, pleasant voice she was known for, "are you perhaps looking for Platform 9 ³/₄?"

Immediately the boy's eyes brightened. With a wide smile, he ran up to her, trolley still in hand. "Yes! Yes! Do ya know where i' is miss? Are ya a wizard too?"

"Now Jake, calm down," said the woman, probably the child's mother. She glanced at Karen for a moment, and Karen found a sliver of distrust in her gaze.

All the better then, she thought.

"Yes, I know where it is, no, I am not a wizard," replied Karen. "I'm a witch, which is basically a wizard, only we're girls instead."

"Oh! I gettit. Well, ca' ye tell me wheh the Platform i' then? I's my first time hea' an' I dun' wanna be late!"

"of course." In response, Karen lifted her hand and pointed. By this point, even the parents were dragged into the flow of events, and as one, the family turned to where she was pointing. The family did nothing at first, just staring and staring at the sight before them

Staring back at them was a single stone pillar with the sign "Platform 9" hung over it.

Annoyance crossed the fathers face as he snapped at Karen. "Is this some kind of joke young lady, because I've had it with this," he said levelly. "You had better explain yourself before I report you to the police."

Karen returned a cool gaze of her own. "It's no joke sir, I assure you. The entrance to the Hogwarts platform is right there."

Perfectly in time with her words, a family of wizards walked right passed the wall and into the Platform. Karen had to pat herself on the back for that. Getting the timing down was rather difficult.

At once the family's jaws metaphorically hit the floor as they stared with wide eyes as one by one members from a family of a different sort disappeared into the apparently non-existent wall.

"That is the the entrance. All you have to do is walk through it, simple as that."

Nodding dumbly, the three slowly approached the wall. Just as they were about to reach it, Karen suddenly said, "Oh, but do take care not to be too nervous as you go, else the wall becomes solid again."

The family abruptly stopped in their tracks, looks of alarm on their face. And there was the punchline. The priceless looks on their faces practically made Karen's day as a mixture of shock, horror and fear played across them.

Chuckling softly, she walked passed them and let them off the joke, pulling the three of them in with her as she went through the barrier. At once, the sight that greeted them was one that was so similar, yet inherently different from what they were used to, for a moment, they were stunned into silence.

"It's really something else, isn't it?" said Karen, staring along with them. "The magical world really never loses its charm, no matter how old you get. Of course, the same applies to the muggle world, but I digress."

Turning to them, she gave a short bow of her head. "I do hope you enjoy your time here. I know I did. I'll be seeing you soon then."

Waving dumbly, still a little culture shock, the family disappeared from Karen's view as she stepped into the train. That joke was practically a routine of hers ever since her fourth year, when her parents stopped escorting her to the station. Father wouldn't have minded, but Mother would have surely stopped her before raising a fit. Of course, she changed up her methods overtime and switched things up a bit every now and then, but the end result was always the same, and always left her with a smile on her face.

A spring in her step after what she considered a good start to the year, Karen was halfway into the train when she opened the closest compartment door. Unsurprisingly, it was already occupied. It was also someone she knew.

"Hello, Elliot, a pleasant morning isn't it?"

Elliot Forrester, a fellow Gryffindor and Quidditch player. He was one of the teams Chasers and quite popular among the Gryffindors -- well, as popular as most the other Quidditch players were, anyway.

Karen stepped inside, but remained standing.

"You don't mind if I sit with you do I?"

@josephb

The sounds of people getting on the train had started to get louder but Elliot wasn’t really paying attention to the outside world. He was deep in his own world reading up on the dangers of the Triwizard tournament, it was the latest edition and it had a big section on the death of Cedric Diggory, who was murdered by Voldemort. Even though many more people had died in the tournament, this was the only time someone was murdered by outside events. After reading loads on injuries and deaths that occurred in the tournament, Elliot still really wanted to compete in it.

As Elliot continued to read he didn’t notice that somebody had walked into the booth and started to talk to him. “Hello, Elliot, a pleasant morning isn’t it?” It took Elliot a few moment to comprehend what they were saying. He looked up to see Karen, she was a year older than him and they didn’t really talk much, but Elliot was really fond of her. She was a nice girl and Elliot liked her even more seeing that she was amazing at Defence Against the Dark Arts. (Elliot’s favourite class.) She continued with, “You don’t mind if I sit with you do you?”

Elliot quickly closed his book and put it down. “No, no. I don’t mind, take a seat.” Elliot gestured to the seat with his hands and smiled at her. “Yeah it’s a nice day!” Elliot replied to her first question and followed it up with, “But it’s that rare that there’s only blue skies and no clouds in England that you can never complain about that!” Elliot let out a little chuckle as he looked up to Karen.

@TheHangedMan

Emira shoved the last of what she'd been planning to pack absently into her backpack, a smile spreading across her face as the extendable charm made her clothing pass into the void. She slung the backpack over her shoulders, turning to stare at the wooden perch erected near her window. Ludo was gripping the wood, staring at her calmly, blinking his beady eyes.

"You know the drill. See you at the dorm." she stated holding out a fist. "Fist bump."

Ludo hesitantly raised one of his talons, clenching it into a fist and setting it on her hand before letting out his signature croak-like hoot and gliding out the window. Emira watched the owl disappear into the morning darkness, a chill surging down her spine.

This was Emira's last year at Hogwarts. Her last year. That meant this year had to be better than all the others. She had to do something amazing.. Something unforgettable.. something that would leave her name on the school for all eternity. She'd been planning all summer for her final prank, leaving her legacy on the school before moving into the world and leaving her legacy as a wizard.

She stripped off her pajamas and jammed on the first thing she could find in her closet. A pair of black jeans with a tattered hole in the left knee, and a simple red t-shirt. After thinking for a moment, Emira slid into a sleek leather jacket, throwing her backpack over her shoulders.

Emira took her wand from behind her ear, tapping the banister to the spiral stairs which lead both up and down so far it was impossible to see where each ended. "First floor please." The staircase shuddered, wooden steps folding into a slide. A faint yowling sound was heard from above as a massive grey cat slid down the slide, scrambling for purchase against the slippery steps.

"Ah.. Senior.." Emira reached over and plucked the cat from the slide before it could continue to fall, placing it beside her. "You gained weight you fat cat." she stated.

Senior stared at Emira, his squashed face making him look a lot like a goblin. He lashed his tail as he stalked away down the corridor. Emira snickered before settling down on the slide and laughing as she slid down into the void. As she finally reached the first floor, she came to a stop, staggering back and forth as she attempted to regain her bearings. That slide was amazing fun, but it always left her feeling dizzy.

Emira tapped the banister again. "Thanks." And the slide folded back into steps ever so slowly as she headed off into the kitchen, placing her wand over her ear. Her uncle had told her when she was little that food tasted better if one didn't use magic to create it. She brought out a few potatoes, chopping them with quick knife strokes, pausing to glance up as some racket came from the other room. Two strange things burst through the doors to the kitchen. First was an old black and white television which was sprinting around on barefoot hairy man legs, and the second was a toaster with tiny t-rex arms on wheels breathing fire at the television.

Emira paused to watch as the two oddities chased each other, clicking her tongue. "Oi.. You two know that you aren't allowed in the kitchen!" She shouted, pointing out the door. "Go make yourselves useful and wake up Simon."

The two creations turned at hearing Emira's words, scampering out the kitchen door and back into the other room, where loud crashes of fragile things could be heard shattering in the distance. And then an explosion and a loud scream and some loud cursing as her Uncle was woken up. Emira smirked as she shoveled the potatoes into a pan, bringing out the milk, cheese and eggs.

Moments later, her uncle came into the room. He looked remarkably like an older male version of Emira, with his red hair speckled with white, and his face stained with glitter. A mischevious grin spread across Emira's face as she admired her handiwork. "I see you got my morning present, Simon." her eyes glittered.

Simon laughed. "I did indeed. You know i'm going to get you back really good for this one."

"In your dreams." Emira laughed. "Now.. you'd better try washing that glitter off your face."

Simon folded his arms. "Already tried that. You put a sticking charm on it.. didn't you."

Emira grinned. "Not at all, that's just the power of glitter. Its like fairy aids. No one wants it and you can't get rid of it. I packed a few of those for school this year."

Simon laughed, watching as she cooked up the eggs. "I'm just glad it wasn't a Niffler in a dress and wig this time." He wandered over to the sink, washing some of the glitter from his face. "You make sure you do your chores before you head out, alright? I'll send you a letter when you get to school."

"I'm not going to open it.... it might be one of those ones with a dungbomb in it, like you did three years ago." Emira stated.

"What?? I'm not going to repeat the same prank on you.. That would be boring. No.. i'm going to think of something far better." Simon rubbed his hands together, then walked over to her. "As for now.. a little payback." He rubbed his hands in her hair, scattering sparkles along her head.

"AHH. YOU DICK." Emira shouted, laughing as she squirmed away. "Now i'm going to go to school with sparkles on my head!"

Simon smirked. "You get what you deserve." he reached out a hand and snagged a piece of potato, laughing as he strode from the room, leaving Emira on her own.

Emira took a hand towel and wiped away what she hoped was most of the glitter before finishing up making breakfast and stuffing her face full of food. She set her backpack down on the ground and sprinted outside barefoot to do her chores. First things first.. feeding the Thestrals. Waving her wand, she furrowed her brow as she hefted four buckets of meat into the air, levitating them towards the barn one at a time. She whistled loudly as she dumped the meat into a large trough.

Loud wing and hoofbeats were heard as the Thestrals streamed out of the sky. The creatures were as eerie as ever, with their skeletal bodies and draconic faces, bat-like wings folding into their bodies as their glowing white eyes focused on their food. They were creatures most wizards and witches hated.. considering that a person who saw them had to have seen death before... not to mention.. they were most definitely not the prettiest creatures in the world. Nonetheless, Emira loved them.. she couldn't remember a time when she hadn't been able to see them. She brushed her fingers against one of the females of the herd, her fingers pressing into the female's swollen belly. "Ra." She stated, "How are you doing today?"

Ra nickered happily, swishing her tail as she turned to Emira and pressed her face against Emira's hands.

"I'll miss you too, Ra. You take care of yourself, alright?" Emira's hands danced along the creature's head, scratching behind her jaw before moving away to let the female eat. She smiled as she took one last look at the creatures, sprinting across the floor to her home once again. She let her hands lightly brush one of the lion statues outside the door as she burst through and grasped her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Simon! I'm on my way to school!" She called.

Simon slid down the spiral staircase, most of the sparkles cleaned from his face and hair. He moved towards her and brought her into a hug. "See you later sweetheart. And be careful when you apparate. Keep focused.. can't have you splinching yourself."

"I'll be fine." she laughed as he pulled away, reaching towards the door and picking up her Thunderbolt VII. The smooth racing broom was known for sacrificing safety for speed. She only needed to use it until she reached the outskirts of her Uncle's property, where she could then apparate to London.. so she could board the Hogwarts express.

She kicked off the ground, waving to her uncle as she rocketed into the air, the wind whipping past her short red hair. As she soared through the air, a few Thestrals joined her, whinnying their goodbyes as she exited the territory and they turned around and left.

As soon as Emira was well out of the range of her Uncle's charms, she landed, stuffing her broom into her backpack. She took a breath and clenched her wand, doing a small spin. Her lungs felt like fire as she was pulled through the slightly uncomfortable sensation of Apparition. With a faint crack she was on the streets of London, catching her breath from the vice-like tube. Good. Perfect location. A dark alley were muggles wouldn't see her. She was getting much better at this. She strode out of the alley and onto the main street, staring at the dilapidated buildings around her. She hailed a taxi, whispering as she counted her muggle money and told the man to take her to King's cross.

Upon arrival, she saw the normal hustle and bustle.. first years all the way to seventh years like herself, gathering around the platform, vanishing inside of it easily. It was remarkable that none of the muggles noticed the first years with their Hogwarts robes and massive carts with owls, running smack dab into a wall and vanishing. She snickered, casually striding towards the wall and wandering through. Of course... here it was.. the beautiful Hogwarts Express. She felt a twinge of regret as she realized.. this would be her last time riding it to school.

A sad smile danced across her face as she leaped onto the train, darting across the ground and sliding open the first compartment she saw. This was one already occupied. She recognized the boy as one of the Gryffindor chasers. Last year, she'd sent her fair share of bludgers careening into him. Her interference, and the skills of their seeker had won Ravenclaw their first game against Gryffindor in almost twenty years. Ravenclaw wasn't really known for winning anything except for academic exploits. So this had been celebrated all year last year by the Ravenclaw house. What was his name again? E... er.. no.. ah.. right. Elliot.

"Oh.. its you." she stated "Elliot, right?" She perched beside the female Gryffindor. "Hope its alright i sit here. I try hard not to sit with my house all the time. We all have character traits that are too similar and stuff, so i tend to get bored because there is no variety." She stuck a hand out to the female Gryffindor student. "I don't think we've really met yet. I'm Emira. Some people call me Firestorm. I answer to both."

@TheHangedMan @josephb

Megan could hear them still celebrating down stairs just as they had been since Friday afternoon when her mom had discovered she was once more an expectant mother. It had spread within two hours from London, Berlin to Dublin and all the way up into the Shetland islands an points beyond. The house had been invaded by the Sprites and the Hanovers of London eager to wish her mother an dad congratulations on their second child.

This drop of the hat party had been expanded exponentially by the Sprite family's joy for life and deep pockets filling the house with sound and over 100 people trouble rwas that they'd all but forgotten Megan but she didn't mind. Her parents were happy and she knew once the regained their senses they'd feel guilty an lavish her with gifts on forgive her for any trouble she's got into for a time. Had Meg been a more mercenary type of personality she could have anything she wanted and honestly it was difficult for her to resist though she managed.



Walking into the party to bid her parents farewell she heard the band begin playing =To Es Foutu= (You Promised Me) a fast modern Tango that they said was the song her parents had fallen in love to when they first met. Uncle Willard grabbed Meg forcing her to tango with him causing her to giggle in delight and smile brightly when she manages to catch her dad's attention.

"M! Where have you been?" he asked as he swept up his daughter and took her out on the dance floor.

"Packing, school, today" she laughed as she was spun in his arms and he almost dropped her as he came to a screeching stop

"Oh no, how could I be so scatter brained; please forgive your poppa dearest M" he asked blushing

She laughed an kissed her dad saying "How could I be even miffed when you and momma are drunk with joy and preparing to give me a sibling to love"

She was suddenly embraced from behind by her mom who said sadly. "Goddess please forgive your mom for being such a twit, I had so much planned for the last days an then the Doctor an grandmother Sprite, Uncle Will an the others"

"I'll live mom; Niece no curfew, jewelry and the Friendship for two days I pick." said Megan just before spinning in her mother's embrace an kissing her cheek.

"Oh, it's a a love fest over here an none thought to offer" teased Grandmother Sprite pinching Meg an causing her to giggle



It had taken Megan a great deal of effort to leave the celebration and make her parents stay with their guests but now it was just her, Chauncy and her mother's driver Rajesh headed to the train station.

"Chauncy you still love me don't you? she asked in a baby tone as she hugged the huge 260+ pound Mastiff as she tried to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I know I shall miss driving you around Miss Megan" chimed in Rajesh from the driver's seat

"And my congratulations on the wonderful news" he quickly added

Megan giggled as she teased her driver "Rajesh! You make it sound like I had some part in it. But thanks ever so.



Her luggage covered the cart that Rajesh pushed as Megan dressed in gray and black clothing looking like a Victorian era librarian with neon blue hair walked a dog nearly three times her size through Kingscross station. She looked forward to this her sixth year at Hogswart and perhaps next year she might become Prefect in Ravensclaw.

So when she, Chancy an Rajesh burst through the barrier an on to platform 9 3/4s she had her dog at a trot. The huge Mastiff. Ran into grandpa Sprite

"That animal is a menace! Why Donnie gave it to you escapes me. shouts the little man who Megan had't expected to see till Christmas.

"I wanted a pony he got me a dog the size of a pony; the saddle will be ready by spring". Said Megan calmly

Her grandfather laughed while Rajesh helped the old man up. He stood only 4' 7" and many mistook him as being a non human not suspecting her was a midget (proportional dwarf). Handsome like his son Finn Sprite was also an author of popular children's stories, magical history and poetry; but the title he adored most was Grandfather.

Meg dropped Chauncy's leash an threw her arms around him showering the old man with blue kisses of her lipstick. Grand father I thought you were in Bombay till November"

"My fortune is doubling, I'd fly to the moon an back to be near your mum and the added bonus of having you to myself is wonderful." he chuckled as her gently stepped back from her "Just look at you now, could be that you've gotten even taller since last Boxing day; soon you'll be near six foot."

Meg chatted with her grandfather till the first whistle then kissed he an Chauncy before boarding.

@Ceta de Cloyes@The Elvenqueen
Oliver sat alone in the compartment for several minuets catching up on the daily prophet. There had been a lot of writing about The Cloaks lately, and he was interested to see how their movement was coming along. Personally he doubted it would get very far considering how conservative most wizards were. Not that he disliked their agenda, it sounded like a good plan to him, at least then he could shove it in his moms face.

About halfway though flipping through the paper the door slid open. It as Mika, a huffelpuff only a year younger than him. "Hey," he said, smiling. "Nice weather, right. So, how was your summer?"

Just as the question left his mouth another student joined the pair. Melanie, another sixth year. He tried to remember if she was in slytherin or ravenclaw, it was defiantly one of the two houses. "Hi Malanie, sure you can sit here." He chimed, answering her question.

Mike glanced out the window of the train, wondering if it was nice weather, but he couldn't see the sky from where he sat. Well, this was England and it wasn't raining, so it was probably nice weather. His eyes landed on Oliver again, trying to decide if he even wanted to talk about the weather. Again, this was the UK, if there was one thing British people loved to talk about it was the weather. Mike didn't feel the same though, he'd much rather talk about something interesting. Like Magic, Oliver wasn't too shabby with transfiguration, maybe he had some insight Mike didn't?

He didn't get to ask though, because someone else opened the door to the compartment. It was Melanie, a Slytherin he knew- and by her greeting, Oliver knew her too, or at least she knew Oliver. Mike had managed to snag her as a partner a few times in Potions, when Slytherin and Hufflepuff shared anyway, but no matter how closely he watched her work, he could never figure out what she did so well that he didn't. Her skill was just as nonsensical to him as the instructions themselves were.

He shrugged his acceptance, completely unbothered to share the compartment with her- not that he would have room to contest it. Oliver had welcomed her and Mike hadn't even asked if he could be here. He decided to use the distraction to his advantage, not answering Oliver's question and instead putting the spotlight on Melanie. "Nice summer?" He asked, pretending to have forgotten Oliver had asked him exactly the same just moments before and looking at Melanie so they knew who he was talking to.

His home issues were no one's business, especially the parts that made him feel guilty or angry. His father yelling at his mother came to mind, his mother's tearful hugs and an unknown man's back sneaking out of the house were close behind. That didn't mean he wanted to be rude though, better to pretend he was distracted than to tell his friend to shove off.

Megan had climbed aboard the Express before the second whistle and quickly found herself a compartment where she could inventory her day's take and had to laugh when she counted 217 Galleons an 74 Sickles.

"I guess the guilty do pay" she said to the empty seats around her

She enjoyed her little private giggle recalling her relatives as each in turn realized that they'd not remembered her and it being the last weekend home before school. She could have turned down the money they had thrust on her to assuage their guilt but she knew that there were Muggle born kids at school that she'd need to help obtain items much needed either for classes or social reasons.

The Muggle economy was still depressed and many of the non-magical parents were just recovering which meant that they didn't enjoy a good exchange rate with Gringotts.
"Greedy Goblins" said the Blue haired little witch as she came crashing back to reality.

Meg was aware that she was lucky even though she was technically Muggle because her dad had been born without magic he was a member of the wealthy Sprite family and the Hanovers on her mom's side were old Muggle money. Her circumstances meant that she had options not available to others in both worlds and it bothered her sense of justice. In the Muggle world the government at least sought to try and make sure the educational system held the promise of balance but the Wizarding world still operated a bit archaic in it's mindset and it was a world she must eventually enter.

"You worry too much about things that you shouldn't concern you." said the ghost of an incredibly beautiful woman with hair that drifted as if caught in a gentle breeze

"What? Just because you don't have a life you need to pop in an meddle with mine?" asked. Megan with a sigh.

Aunt Liv laughed as she gave her niece an annoyed expression
"Very nice; remind me of my state of immortality. You aren't nearly the sweet but odd girl you appear to be, no you're actually a cynic in disguise.

"Actually I like cynics, they are more often presently surprised because they expected the worst and received mediocrity.
Must be delightful. answered Meg as she looked out the window.

"Cheeky girl" said Aunt Liv

Megan turned to the ghost an waved he hands through the deceased witches ethereal form
"Why won't this work, it works with smoke but not you?"

Her Aunt took the hint vanishing but as she did stuck her tongue out at her niece.

Megan loved the ghost of her Aunt but today she wanted the simple pleasure of seeming normal an not the haunted Ravenclaw girl. Normality was something Meg dreamed of in either world Muggle or Wizarding but seldom received. She had to constantly guard her actions around the Muggle children of her mom's business partners on holiday then switch to dealing with a world where magic was do common when around her dad's family.

Now she had a sibling on the way who'd arrive just after her 17th birthday who might not be blessed with any magical talent. She herself had been thought of as lacking any talent till she was 10 years old when she'd been exploring the Briar Manor and found a wand.

She had like any child held the fantasy of being able to cast spells only for her the spells had been real. The beautiful wand had responded immediately to her call causing a table to kick around the room like a wild horse. She been rightly frightened by what happened next when an angry Aunt Liv had appeared demanding to know who had disturbed her rest.

After that day her life course had been altered irrevocably as she suddenly went from being the family Muggle to the potential family Matriarch of am old Wizarding family.

@Classpet@Ceta de Cloyes

Melanie Ariana Stryder

Melanie smiled gratefully in return and took a seat on Mike's other side. She was quiet for a moment as she considered his question, recalling what she had done that summer, and shrugged.
"Yes, I suppose it was...I still can't get the hang of some of those Transfiguration spells but I suppose we can't all be good at everything, can we?" the witch shook her head carefully, glancing across at Mike again. She wondered if he'd gotten any more to grips with his difficulties with Potions since they'd last spoken. "How did you get on with that Potions assignment over the summer?" of course she fully expected the answer to be something along the lines of 'it was a disaster' and that he needed her help to fix it.

She had partnered with him a few times in some of their lessons, and somehow, it seemed the Hufflepuff boy just had a knack for ruining Potions and reading even the simplest of instructions wrong in some way. Thank heavens the cauldron had never backfired in their faces yet, though Melanie wasn't so sure if she was prepared to say that out loud for fear of jinxing it somehow.

Karen Antonius

---

"Yes, mornings such as this are indeed a gift from God," said Karen on her usual religious tangent. Not that she was ever proselytized in earnest around her peers, but her belief was an inescapable part of her. It was inevitable that it would influence the way she spoke. Just as she was about to take her seat, another person entered through the door.

Karen recognized her before she even introduced herself. "I'm well aware, you're rather infamous among the "small" circle of pranksters in Gryffindor." By small, she meant "the consistently largest in the school centuries of history" -- of which she was considered something of a ghost member, mostly because Karen's pranks were all rather low-key and tended to be very well covered. Even being just a ghost member, however, she still had her ear to the ground about the notable troublemakers in the castle. They all tended to know each other in some way or form, so that usually gave her a head start on how to avoid their exploits.

Taking her hand, Karen gave it a firm shake. "But it's nice to meet you in person, Emira. I'm Karen, sixth year Gryffindor. Let's hope to an exciting year, yeah?" Afterwards, she took a seat right next to Elliot, setting her parasol and satchel to the side.

@josephb @Draconequis

Mike grimaced, the effort he put into his homework was negligible, and he had spent as little time as possible on it. That said, he only had a chance to work on it when he had meals with his family, spending the rest of the summer among muggles, and his mother knew a bit about potions. She was subscribed to every wizarding magazine she could get her hands on; including The Practical Potioneer. It was kind of funny actually, a muggle was better at a wizarding class than he was. He wasn't complaining though, this way he was sure to get a better grade than if he'd scribbled the gibberish he'd planned on saying.

"S'pose it's alright." He admitted, looking away. "My mum bought some books for me, so I'll improve." That was an understatement, she was determined that they would bond over potions work now, so she'd went on a bit of a crusade and bought all kinds of guides and manuals for the subject. With any luck they would help, but he wasn't as keen on the bonding part as she was. Maybe that was to be expected though, she was a mum after all.

"What about you, Ollie?" he asked, deflecting the attention once again. Nicknames made life much easier, no matter how annoying they were to some he was unlikely to remember their names at all unless he gave them a nickname. "Trouble with your assignments?" He was pretty sure Oliver wasn't having any trouble, he was fairly talented as far as Mike knew.

@Classpet@The Elvenqueen

@Ceta de Cloyes@The Elvenqueen
To be perfectly honest Oliver had attempted to do all of his summer homework, except for transfiguration, on the last day of summer break. He'd done pretty well on most of it. Potions was a little rushed, and probably filled with dumb mistakes. Astronomy and history were probably going to get low marks as well. But he'd had fun over the summer so that was the important thing.

"Well," he started "I did fine on the transfiguration homework." He shrugged, the rest of the assignments couldn't be that important any way. "I think I'm ganna' pass the animagus test over Christmas break."

He remembered fondly all the time he spent over the summer turning between a giant bird and his human form. He'd nearly perfected everything about it, only paperwork and the test was left before he was officially recognized as an animagus.

@Classpet@Ceta de Cloyes



It would seem Mike's attempt to deflect the attention from himself had, for the time being, been successful; because as soon as Oliver mentioned taking the Animagus test when Christmas break came around, Mel leaned forward eagerly to look at the older Hufflepuff boy.

She'd always thought studying to shape change was cool, but she'd never considered it herself. The thought of how difficult it could be, put her off almost instantly, given that she struggled to transfigure a simple goblet into a mouse without it going horribly awry.

"Oh, you are? That's neat! What do you turn into?" she'd heard him mention it in conversation before but had never actually seen Oliver change shape herself before. "Do you think you could show me sometime?"

Megan took out of her book bag an fetched her Gamp's Laws of Elemental Transfiguration book and then two large journals.

One Journal was nearly filled with her handwritten notes as dictated by her Aunt Livonia an titled "Transfiguration, Toads and other Forms" which was likely one of the definitive outlines of Human and Animal Transfiguration she could ever get her hands on. The other journal was only partly used because it was labeled 6th year Transfiguration notes and she'd only been writing in it for the past two weeks.

She opened the books on the seat across from her then took out her pattern circle and activated it so that it would float in the air before her. Next she retrieved false wand (a practice wand with no magical potential) both items were of her own design with the pattern circle costing her over 395 Galleons to have fabricated to her specifications.

She tapped the ring with the false wand as she pictured the precise pattern of a transfiguration spell. The she stuck the wand inside the ring and wove the pattern as exactly as her hand could trace. The ring responded to the wand by making a glowing replication of what she 'd traced overlaying what it should be showing her how accurately she'd used her wand.

She gazed critically at her work annoyed with the flaws she saw there because of how they could effect her spell. Transfiguration required a level of control that was beyond those required to cast charms and hexes. She wanted to become an expert in the field and an Animagus without parallel.

Karen went on to mention God giving them the gift of a nice day. It was strange for Elliot to hear someone mentioning God in the wizarding world. Even when Elliot lived in the muggle world before he received his letter of acceptance he never really followed the religion. His mother who was the muggle of the family, didn’t really bother with the whole religion thing and never raised Elliot as a christian. He just simply smiled at her answer, it didn’t bother him if people had their beliefs.

Another person walked into the carriage just before Karen was about to take her seat, Elliot recognised and knew who she was straight away, she was called Emira. Elliot got vivid flashbacks of her smashing bludgers aimed for his head. A shudder went down the back of his spine at the memory. Even after all of the bad memories, he was still somehow drawn to her, he didn’t know why.

“Yeah it’s Elliot.” He said with a smile. “And yeah I have no problems with you sitting here.” Elliot moved up a little bit because he was sat in the middle of the seat so Karen could sit down next to him. He listened to them both introduce each other and they went on to talk about pranks. Elliot never bothered doing pranks, mainly for the fact he could never plan them properly and he was always slightly bothered of going a bit too overboard with the prank and seriously hurting someone.

The idea she was actually infamous for something in another house was fairly amusing to Emira and a sly smirk danced across her face. "Really? I didn't think that what i was doing was grabbing that much attention." She really hadn't ever thought about people talking about her exploits. She'd wanted to leave her mark, and a name for herself.. and apparently according to Karen, she was already well on her way. She watched as the girl perched next to Elliot, setting what she had brought on the seat. "How do you know that? You a part of their inner circle?"

She leaned back in her seat slightly, biting her lip as the wheels turned in her head and she surveyed Elliot. "I hope there is no hard feelings about the Quidditch match last year." Emira stated. "Seeing as we lost our keeper and two of our chasers last year, I'm almost ninety five percent you guys are going to be back on top." She chuckled. "That doesn't mean I am not going to try though. All bludgers aimed in the general direction of your face and or body aren't meant to kill you. Just maybe maim or seriously injure you." Another laugh at her own joke as she balanced her wand over her ear.

@TheHangedMan @josephb