Okay, expect a long Author's Note coming up.

So I started writing this story ten years ago, but never finished it. After rediscovering Harry Potter fan fiction just now, I figured I'd give it a go again. I had, after all, planned the story all the way to the bitter end and I do still actually like it. What I soon realized was that 16-year-old me was a sucky writer, and the thing was not only written in very bad English, but also full of inconsistencies. So instead of just picking up where I left on, I'm going to write the whole thing again.

What's the point of all this babbling? There are two: 1. Don't be alarmed if you realise you've read this all before because I did indeed publish it here in 2006. It doesn't exist anymore, thankfully. And 2. Because I did have my moments in high school, I'm leaving some of it untouched. It's a whole lot of copy-pasting, so don't hesitate to point out if it gets confusing.

Don't hesitate to point out any the other mistakes I'm making, either. I'm not exactly new here, but a lot has changed in ten years.

Now I'm done. Enjoy the story!

I cursed loudly as I checked the clock on the wall of the subway station. 30 minutes. I had 30 sad little minutes before the train to Hogwarts would leave, with or without me inside. I peeked into the tunnel again, wishing for the headlights of the next train to appear. Still nothing. I let out another string of M-rated words. Stupid mother.

"Sure we can let Andy go to London and get herself to the train alone. What would be the harm in that?"

Well, mommy dearest, let's start with the fact that Andy is a careless, easily distracted screw-up, who would get lost inside her own pocket if she were able to fit her thick head in there.

How do I know? I'm Andy.

For the past four years my parents had, like everybody else's, brought me to London and seen that I got on the train safe and sound. This year, however, both my brother's and my parents' summer vacation had ended before mine, and making the trip from Zilina to London had seemed redundantly difficult, not to mention expensive. So my mother had come up with the wonderful idea of me flying to London alone.

My father had opposed it –"What if she gets lost? What if she misses the train? What if something happens to her?" – and I had wanted to scream that I agreed with him; there's no way I'd be able to find my way to the station without trouble. But as much as I was aware of being a screw-up, I was also ridiculously stubborn. And if my mom thought I was going to make it to the station alone, then damn it I was going to make it. I wasn't a baby anymore, after all. A 15-year-old should be able to get through a little trip like this on her own.

And I had. For most of it, everything had gone very smoothly. I'd gotten my luggage through the security –despite the suspicious magical objects in them- and I'd made it to London. I'd even been able to find my way to the city center without getting lost even once!

And then there was a sale in a candy store.

Like a stupid little puppy I'd followed the signs, gotten lost and ended up in this godforsaken part of town where the subway only ran once a decade. And I was going to miss the train. All because of a few liquorice wheels.

I was just about to sink into a state of self-pity there would be no coming back from, when I noticed, finally the subway speeding towards the station. I made a little whoop of joy before rushing to the doors. Once inside I checked the clock again. I still had time.

I arrived King's Cross exactly three minutes before the train was supposed to leave. Grabbing the nearest trolley I could find, I took off in a sprint my Muggle soccer coach would be proud of. I managed to find the platform 9 and 3 quarters with relatively little hustle. I only knocked down one old lady on my way, and even she bounced back quite quickly. I think.

I breathed out a sigh of relief at the sight of the train still there. That relief didn't last long, however, when I at that moment heard the whistle pierce the air. I grabbed my things, once again grateful I didn't own enough clothes for the trunk to be overly heavy, and ran towards the nearest open door.

I jumped in, trunk and all in tow. And landed smack on a human body.

My trunk was knocked out of my hands as the person I'd charged fell down, me on top of him. I realized it was indeed a him, from their strong build and hard chest that I was currently lying on top of. As obviously embarrassing as my current situation was, for a second there I was also kind of proud of myself, for being able to knock down a person so much bigger than my small 5-foot frame. Until that person spoke.

"Miss me this much during the summer, Dacres?"

Okay, not proud anymore. Just my luck, why couldn't I have landed on a harmless Hufflepuff?

"Very funny, Black," I grumbled, moving my face away from his chest so that I could speak. Then, because I had after all just bulldozed him possibly painfully to the floor, I glanced up at him apologetically. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

He smirked. I blushed. Annoying.

"Extremely. You?"

I didn't have time to answer before a voice made us both turn our heads.

"Andy? What's going on?" Zoey looked confused and amused at the same time.

I realized I was still lying on top of Black, and scrambled back as quickly as possible, bumping my head against the door handle behind me in the process. Black barked out a laugh and I sent him a scowl. He brushed it off with another cocky smirk. Did I mention, annoying?

Instead of focusing on that, though, I turned my attention back to my friend.

"Nothing," I said, finally picking myself up from the floor. "Zoey!" I exclaimed, as if having just really seen her, and jumped to give her a huge bear-hug. "How are you?"

"I'm good," she laughed, hugging me back. "Missed your clumsy butt, though. What happened here?" She added the last bit with a lowered voice so that Black, who was still sitting on the floor, watching us exchange greetings, wouldn't hear.

"Later," I mumbled. "Where's Lily?"

"Other end of the train. We took off to find you, thought you'd get lost again or something, but apparently Black beat us to it."

Black, at the mention of his name, did a salute and said, "At your service, ladies. " Then he got up from the floor and brushed past us with another grin on his face. "Nice bumping into you, Dacres. Looking good, Frost," he winked at the both of us on his way out.

Zoey and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes in unison. Sirius Black was a notorious playboy –a confusing title for a 15-year-old, I know– who was, both to our amusement and annoyance, in our year and house. He was a nice dude, in his own way, but also ridiculously good-looking and not afraid to use that trait to his advantage. Your best bet with Black was not to take anything he said seriously. Otherwise you were bound to end up fooled.

"He was right about one thing, though," I said to Zoey as we took off to find our other friend. "You do look good."

And she did. Zoey was another one of those people who probably could've pulled off arrogance matching Black's, merely because of her looks. She was extremely tall, with short black hair and deep brown eyes and now, as a result of the previous summer, also a tanned skin. But luckily her good looks were the only thing she had in common with Black, because Zoey was a cool, humble and loyal –yet often also brutally honest– friend.

"Thanks," she smiled.

We found Lily in a hallway next to an empty compartment. I tackle-hugged the redhead much like I'd done to Zoey, and a few moments later we were already deep in conversation about our past summers, and the upcoming year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As I doubled over on the floor in laughter for the umpteenth time, I realized something I always knew but never let myself think about too much during the summer. I'd really missed my friends.

"So, OWL-year," Lily said, once our conversation had taken a more serious turn.

I groaned at the mention of the big exams that would wait for us in the end of this year.

"Don't even mention that," I moaned, in physical pain at the mere thought of the things.

"Sorry," Lily grinned apologetically.

"You think you'll have hard time with them?" Zoey asked, she, too, for once looking sympathetic, something she only reserved for special occasions.

"I think I'll fail them," I grumbled.

"You know, Andy, I read something over the summer," Lily started. "I was reading Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions when I came across this chapter about, erm, mental stuff." She said the last part a bit hesitantly.

"Lily I'm not mentally ill," I rolled my eyes.

"I know, I know," she rushed to say. "My point is, there are magical cures to stuff Muggles can't do anything about. Andy I think you could get rid of your ADD with magic!"

I was shaking my head before she'd even finished talking.

"No."

Zoey and Lily didn't argue, but looked at me as if waiting for an explanation. I sighed.

"McGonagall suggested that when I first started at Hogwarts. Said it'd make things easier for me. But my mom refused, instantly, and now that I think about it I'm glad she did. I mean, who knows what kind of a dull dud I'd be without a hyperactive brain," I grinned, in a desperate need to put a positive spin to the conversation again.

"I agree," Zoey then said. "You wouldn't be you if you were normal," she grinned, too, to show she was kidding.

"Yeah I guess you're right," Lily smiled, too. "I just hate to see you struggle with the exams every year."

"Meh," I shrugged. "The exams aren't for another nine months. Let's worry about that when we get there." Really, I was sick of the topic.

I knew Lily meant well when she fussed over my –and, occasionally, Zoey's– studying. She was a perfect student herself, always making sure to do the work and achieve top grades. And while we did get annoyed at her nagging us from time to time, she also knew Zoey and I were incredibly grateful for her.

As for the ADD, the topic of a magical intervention had indeed been under discussion in my family. At first I'd thought it was just my Muggle parents being afraid of the unknown, but had soon realized it wasn't just –if at all– about that. I'd been diagnosed when I was very little. It'd become a part of who I am, and even if that part did have a habit of getting me in trouble from time to time, I wouldn't change it for the world.

For now Zoey and Lily just nodded, and the conversation quickly turned back to more positive things than exams, like the Welcome Feast, Sorting, and all the wonderful adventures we had waiting for us for the next year. Before we knew it, it was time to change into our school robes and head to the carriages waiting for us outside. We were walking in the slow line of students when Zoey suddenly turned to me.

"Hey Andy, you never told us. What was the deal with you and Black cuddling on the floor earlier?"

I was about to roll my eyes at her ridiculous way of describing the situation, when a voice came up behind me.

"Yeah, Andy, kinda rude to just ditch me like that after such an intense moment."

I looked up to see Black, once again grinning down at me. He tried to feign a hurt look but wasn't clearly even buying it himself, for he was already laughing. I rolled my eyes, but laughed, too. He might've been an arrogant asshole but there was no denying Black was also fun.

"Now you know how all those girls you've snogged and tossed feel," I shot back, extremely proud of my remark. Zoey extended her hand for a high-five, which I gladly gave her.

"Nice," another male voice commented next to Black.

I looked over to see James Potter grinning at his friend.

Potter was Black's best friend, and just as much of a troublemaker, and just as full of himself, too. Despite this, we'd actually become kind of friends. On our third year, Potter had come to me with a confession. He was head over heels in love with Lily, and he needed my help. That was two years ago and Lily still hated him, so I think it's needless to say I'd done pretty poor job. But, well, during the years at least we'd managed to get to know each other, so I guess he got my friendship as a sad consolation prize.

I high-fived Potter, too, and he laughed. Black seemed to take the hit laughing. If anything, he was probably proud of all the times he'd got to do the snogging and tossing.

"How was your summer, Potter?" I then asked the curly-haired boy.

"Missed me?" He grinned, patting me in the head. Something he'd been doing for years now for the mere reason of it annoying me. When I rolled my eyes he laughed. "It was pretty great, actually. How was… where are you from, again?"

I smacked him lightly in the head.

"Czechoslovakia, you moron," then added cheerfully. "It was great, couldn't have been better."

After this we all climbed into the carriages. Sat between Lily and Zoey, I watched the outlines of the castle silhouette in the horizon. It was good to be back.

The first one is short, but I'm still glad if you stuck 'till the end. Now let me know what you thought of it!