Chapter One

Halia woke up on the morning of her thirteenth birthday, August 21st. She sighed happily, got out of bed, and twirled around.

"I'm a teenager!" she was chanting. Just then, she realized there was a snowy owl outside on her windowsill, accompanied by a twittering little hyper thing called Pig. She opened the window and let Pig fall in before Hedwig flew in and took her usual spot on the post of Haley's Headboard.

"Is Hedwig here?" Hermione said, swinging the door open. Halia nodded.

"Why?" she asked.

"Harry was supposed to send me something."

Hermione should have been at her flat in London with her roommate, Ginny, but she was visiting her old home for a few days, until her little sister Haley got to Hogwarts. Though she wouldn't admit it, everyone knew Hermione had a crush on Harry, except Harry himself. In Haley's second year, Ron had tried to make Hermione kiss Harry on the lips, but his plan failed and instead she went toppling into Sherry.

Haley snapped out of her memories and took the parcel and letter tied to Hedwig's leg.

"Yeah. Here's a letter for you…" She threw it over to Hermione, who rushed out of the room with it in her hand. Haley tore open her own parcel, and out dropped a box of Honeydukes chocolate and a book entitled "Quidditch Through The Ages". These were from Sherry and Harry.

Next, she took the small brown wrapped package that was weighing down Pig. She gave the two owls an Owl Treat each, and they flew out the window and into the blue sky. In Ron's, Ginny's, and the rest of the Weasley's package was a 24-pack of chocolate frogs.

Ten days later, Haley was on Platform nine and three quarters with Ron, Hermione, Harry, Sherry, and Marina.

"Okay, bye you guys!" Hermione said, leaning down to hug each thirteen-year-old girl in turn. She hugged Haley the tightest, and Haley felt something drop into the messenger bag she was carrying, but she ignored it. Hermione turned to Harry and hugged him, too.

"Hermione, God, we go to Auror School together!"

"I know." she whispered. Everybody looked quizzically at them.

"LAST CALL!" shouted the conductor. Haley, Marina, and Sherry waved good-bye to the others and walked into the train.

"Same compartment as usual?" Sherry asked. Her two best friends nodded. They walked down the corridor and turned into the compartment. Haley put her messenger bag on the table as the train started to move. The three girls sat in silence for a few moments. The door slid open, and there stood Daniel Mathoy, his friends Greed and Crab standing behind him. Mathoy was rather dim; he had blonde hair that was sleeked back, much like Harry's archenemy, Malfoy's, once was. Haley closed her eyes, wishing he would just disappear.

"Go away, Mathoy."

"Make me, Mudblood. How'd you get the best compartment on the train?"

"We just did."

"Move. I want to sit here."

"You're so stupid, little Blondie," Haley pried his hand off of the door and slid it shut.

"God, he's so annoying!" Marina exclaimed. "Why can't he just leave us alone?"

"It's not in his nature." There was a knock on the door this time, and Haley didn't even get up. "Ugh. Go away, Mathoy!"

"Last time I checked I had brown hair, and I wasn't a Slytherin brat," it wasn't Mathoy's voice; it was Alex Edgecombe's, Haley's crush. She sprang up and opened the door.

"HI!" she said. Behind her, Sherry and Marina were smirking. Surprisingly, Alex was alone. He was one of the more popular students in the school, and usually had his friends trailing him. Like Halia, he was in Ravenclaw.

"Hi…Could I, err, stay here for a few minutes? These first years are chasing me…" he said. Haley smiled back at her friends and smiled at Alex.

"Sure," she took her place next to Marina. Alex awkwardly sat next to Sherry.

"How was your summer?" Marina asked Alex.

"Not to bad. We visited our old neighbours from America," he told us. He was born in America, and lived there until he was 10. Haley liked his American accent. A noise outside the cabin made the teenagers jump. Voices arose.

"Where'd he go?" one voice, a girls, said.

"I don't know, I saw him run this way!" another girl said.

"Fine, Gina, you knock on the doors of the compartments and see if he's in any of them!"

"Okay…" a different girl, obviously Gina, said, and they heard a knock next door.

"Aw, crap. I'd better go and take refuge somewhere else," Alex muttered. He got up, opened the door, and bolted.

"THERE HE IS! GET HIM!" one of the 1st years screamed. Haley shook her head and closed the door.

"Do you think he likes me?"

"Ooh, yes, Hal, I'm sure he does. I could tell he wanted to snog you to death," Sherry said sarcastically. Haley laughed falsely.

"How long do you think we have left?" Marina asked. Haley and Sherry shrugged.

"Dunno, but I'm hungry. I wish the cart would pass," Sherry said, and at that moment, the Cart Lady, as she was called, opened the door.

"Would you like anything, dears?"

Five minutes later, there were wrappers of candy everywhere. Haley reached into the front pocket of her bag and withdrew not the book she was looking for, but a piece of parchment. She tilted her head and folded it open.

Dear Hermione

The wedding is planned for this Saturday. Have you told your sister about it? I'm sure she'd understandSherry wouldn't. Which is why I haven't told her. Anyway, what is your dress going to look like? Uh…Luna wants to know so she can coordinate.

Yours, Harry

This was odd. What would Haley understand? It sounded to her like Harry and Hermione were getting married or something. The Luna part she could understand, seeing as how they shared an apartment, right across from Ginny, Ron, and HermioneShe gave the letter to Sherry, who read it over, who gave it to Marina. After she finished, everyone started at the piece of parchment.

"Who do we know that could be getting married…?" Haley asked.

"Cho Chang? Harry's ex-girlfriend?" Sherry suggested.

"Maybe…" Haley answered.

"Hah. Ginny and Neville," Marina said.

"Uh, no. Ginny's hardly legal," Sherry ruled that one out.

"Maybe it's them that are getting married!" The three of them looked at the note once more.

"Gina Travolta," The headmistress, Professor McGonagall, said one of the crazy girl's names, and she walked up to the stool. Haley hoped it was anything but Ravenclaw.

"I hope she's not a Ravenclaw" she mentioned to Marina, who was sitting next to her. (Sherry was a Gryffindor)

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted. Haley gave an annoyed sigh as Gina ran over to the Ravenclaw tables and took the empty space next to Alex, who was surrounded by his popular friends. Haley could see Alex inch away from her.

Halia sighed. This was going to be an odd year at Hogwarts.