The daily paper lay untouched on the kitchen table in the Weasley house. No one read the papers anymore, they only checked who was missing. It couldn't have been any later than six in the morning, but Hayley Potter was already awake and sitting at the table. Later in the day, they would all be going back to Hogwarts, but for some reason Hayley wasn't feeling as excited about that as she should be. She felt like something had changed, but she couldn't decide what. She had her cousin, Harry and her best friend, Ginny. No one had died recently, which was un-usual, but her heart felt significantly emptier.

Hayley picked up the paper and scanned the page for something interesting. Her eyes rested on a story with a photograph of Draco Malfoy and his mother. She was one year below Draco and Harry at school, but she knew enough about him. She flicked over the page to read the full story, but before she had a chance to take it in, the kitchen door squeaked open and her cousin joined her at the table.

'How are you feeling, Hayley?' Harry asked her comfortingly. 'Ginny told me you got up early.'

Hayley forced a smile at her concerned cousin. He was always worrying about her, sometimes too much.

'I'm fine, Harry.'

He looked her in the eyes. 'Sure?'

'Yes,' She assured him. 'it just feels weird, Harry. Like something isn't right.'

'You ought to tell Dumbledore.'

She shook her head. 'That's your answer for everything. I don't get visions into Voldemort's mind like you, Harry. It's probably nothing.' She said quietly. Harry could sense that she was going to get annoyed with him again. She always did whenever something like this was mentioned. Harry got the mystical abilities, he was the one with scar, the connection to Voldemort – the Chosen One. And Hayley? She got nothing. She felt weak, more than anything. Everyone knew that Voldemort's aim was to take out those closest to Harry, and Hayley was the only real family he had left. But she was confident that she could look after herself, even though she didn't have her cousin's abilities in magic, she wasn't good at Potions, she could barely do a Patronus charm, and she definitely was no good at Defence Against the Dark Arts. The only thing she was any good at was Divination, and that was because she could make it up and still get the best grades in the class.

'I'm going upstairs.' Hayley said icily, suddenly rising from the table.

'Hayley, please don't be mad at me,' Harry said quickly.

Hayley sighed. 'I'm not, Harry. Just back off a bit, okay?'

'Sorry, did I pick the wrong week to argue with you?'

'Piss off, Harry.' She wasn't in the mood to go along with her cousins taunts. He could never tell when she was or wasn't in the mood to joke with him, and yet he expected her to be able to tell the difference when it was him. He had worse mood swings then she did!

Everyone boarded the train on time, which was quite shocking in and of itself. Hayley followed Ginny onto the train and they got a compartment together. Harry, Ron and Hermione were otherwise engaged. Ron and Hermione were Prefects and had to patrol the train at regular intervals. And Harry never told anyone where he was going, he just wandered off. Hayley noticed that Ginny did seem quite sad to see him leave so quickly, but her mood lightened considerably when Dean Thomas put in an appearance. He was in the year above, and Ginny's current boyfriend.

'Oh… hey Hayley,' He said once he noticed Ginny wasn't alone. 'I thought it was just Ginny.' He said awkwardly. Hayley stared back at him. She was always having to leave so that they could be alone. Ginny and Dean had more of a physical relationship than anything else.

'Right, yeah. I'll go and… not be here.' Hayley said, mostly to Ginny. Dean's constant presence had annoyed her last year, she hoped it wouldn't continue this term, but it didn't look hopeful.

'Thanks, Hayley. I'll catch up with you when we get to school, yeah?' Ginny said, as Dean took the seat next to her.

'Sure. I'll go find Lavender or someone.' Hayley muttered, slipping out of the compartment, and sliding the door shut behind her. She didn't really want to go and find Lavender. She'd suddenly taken quite a shine to Hayley and kept trying to get her to set her up with Ron Weasley.

She wandered slowly to the other end of the train, taking her time to avoid spending any longer with Lavender than she had to. She saw someone walking towards her in the opposite direction. She knew it would probably be a Prefect, she just hoped it was someone she knew who wouldn't ask why she was in the corridor. But it wasn't.

'Well, if it isn't mini Potter.' Draco Malfoy sneered.

'Saw you in the paper, Malfoy.' Hayley told him. She was better than her cousin at dealing with Malfoy's jeers and taunts.

He went slightly paler. 'Really? That's interesting.'

'I know, I did find the article very… enlightening.' Hayley said with a cold smile.

Draco cleared his throat. 'Why are you in the corridor?'

'Just passing through. Going to see a friend.' She told him.

'Well, could you make it quick, then. You're not supposed to be in the hallway while the train's moving.' He instructed her.

She rolled her eyes. 'If you say so.' She went to walk past him but he stepped in front of her.

'You know, I can issue detentions if you give me attitude, Potter.'

She shrugged. 'I know.'

He stared at her. Did she want a detention?

She leaned slightly closer to him. 'Guess I'm just willing to run the risk. After all, a detention's better than a spell in Azkaban… right?' She whispered.

'Get out of my sight, Potter.' He told her coldly.

'Gladly.'

A voice from behind her made both of them jump.

'Hayley!' A girly, Barbie-like voice squealed. Hayley didn't have to turn around to know that it was Lavender Brown.

'I think I'm going to be sick.' Malfoy muttered. Hayley couldn't help but smirk at his comment, then quickly wiped it off her face.

'Hey, Lavender.' She smiled falsely at her, and of course, Lavender believed her entirely – she wasn't the brightest of people.

'Watch yourself, Potter.' Malfoy whispered to her, before turning on his heels and striding off down the corridor.

'What was that about?' Lavender asked, linking her arm and walking her up the corridor.

'Oh, he's a Prefect. He was wondering why I was in the corridor.' Hayley explained.

'You dealt with that well, then. I'd have thought Malfoy would have lapped up the opportunity to serve you with a detention,' Lavender said, and it appeared to really be puzzling her.

'I'm sure he will before long.' Hayley agreed with her as she opened the door to their compartment. Parvati Patel was inside, and a girl from Hayley's year; Ashleigh. She was just as airheaded as Lavender. Parvati was actually quite clever, but she just chose to hang around with people who weren't.

Hayley smiled around the room and sat down.

'Good summer, Hayley?' Parvati asked her, looking up from her magazine.

'Yes, thanks. Spent the summer at the Weasley's house, actually.' She glanced at Lavender, who seemed to have sat up straighter since she mentioned that.

'Really?' Parvati continued. 'How curious. I can't think of anyone who might want to ask you questions about every detail of that.' She said sarcastically. Hayley smiled. Parvati was usually quite funny, but the main reason for it was that she managed to keep a straight face every time she made a sarcastic comment.

'That's nice,' Lavender said, seemingly not hearing what her friend had said. 'was Ron there?'

'Well yeah… he does live there, Lavender.' Hayley said slowly.

'Oh, yeah, of course,' Lavender giggled. 'did he say anything?'

'Many things.'

'About me?'

'No.'

'Oh.'

Lavender sat back and looked glum. 'You will ask him though, won't you?'

'Yes. I will ask him if he wants to be set up with someone, but you might actually have to engage him in conversation.' Hayley told her, after about the fifth time of asking.

'I know, and I will. Obviously.' Lavender replied, as if it was what she had been doing the whole time – it was not. She had been giggling every time he was near her, and she almost passed out when he said 'Excuse me' to her in a corridor once.

'Great.' Hayley muttered, staring out of the window, maybe in the hope she could make the train go faster by watching the country side passing by.