Emerald Moments
Prologue
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize does not belong to me.. and I'm a poor college student, so it wouldn't be worth your time anyway...

As Big Ben chimed the eleventh hour, a train began to pull out of Kings Cross Station. Parents stood on the platform, waving as their children headed towards Scotland for another year of school.

While the train picked up speed, the students on board began to catch up with friends and, as it happened every year, there was also a group of children meeting for the first time. They were making friendships that would last them the next seven years and beyond. However, there was one missing from the ranks of first year students; Harry Potter had not gotten on the train.

"Seb!" A voice called through the house. "Sebastian Carter! If you don't get up this instant, you'll be late!"

A green-eyed youth grumbled as he rolled out of bed and padded towards the bathroom. Stepping into the shower, he let the warm water run over his shoulders and down his back, washing away the remnants of his nightmares. Sebastian had not had nightmares in many years, but recently they had returned at full force. In the past two weeks, he had had this same dream at least eight or nine times. It was always the same dream. However, when he woke up in the morning all he could ever remember was a woman's screams, a door slamming, and a loud roaring noise, which Sebastian now assumed was an engine of sorts.

The youth sighed as he shut off the water. There was no use delaying the inevitable. Looking into the mirror, he could not help but glare at the young man who stared back. Taking his time, he took in the messy hair, once pitch black, now with silver and blue highlights, the emerald green eyes, and lean shoulders. Sebastian had always been small for his age, and he seriously hoped it would not be that way forever.

Eventually Seb was able to draw his gaze from the mirror. He reached into the drawer and pulled out the case for his contact lenses. After making sure they were clean, he quickly put them in; he hated touching his eyes, but he hated wearing glasses even more. Looking back at his reflection, he was happy to see ice-blue eyes looking back. It was not that he truly disliked his green eyes, but he could not help but feel that they did not belong to Sebastian Xavier Carter.

Another shout from downstairs prompted Seb into action again. He walked back to his room and started pulling different items of clothing out of his closet. Quickly enough he settled on a pair of black slacks and a tight black tank top with a short-sleeved button-down that had a Chinese dragon on the back. Taking the time to check his hair in the small mirror by his door, he grabbed his boots and book bag and headed downstairs.

"Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?" Sebastian just grunted in response to his mother's question as he continued to dig around in the refrigerator. "Sebastian Xavier, you know better than that. Please articulate when you speak." The movement behind the refrigerator door stopped.

"Sorry Mom." Seb pulled some orange juice from the icebox and shut the door with his foot. "I had another nightmare last night."

"Oh, sweetie. Was it the same one?"

"Yeah, it hasn't changed, nor has what I can remember when I wake up." He stared at his juice, refusing to look at his mother. Suddenly the theme from Inspector Gadget broke through the uncomfortable silence that had settled in the kitchen.

"Yeah, X here." Laura Carter glanced at her son as he answered his cell phone. She knew only his closest friends were allowed to call him X. "Hey Mike… yeah, it sucks that summer's over…. No, I'm taking my bike today, while I still have the chance… yeah, alright. I'll meet you at the Cave. Hasta."

Sebastian hung up and finished his juice, then glanced at the clock on the wall behind him. If he did not leave now, he would be late on the first day of classes, not good.

"Mom, I gotta split. We'll talk when I get home this afternoon, okay?" Laura nodded as her son kissed her on the cheek and watched silently as he pulled on his boots and headed to the garage.

Out in the garage his baby waited. A black Honda Shadow with silver and blue flames, to match his hair. He pulled his jacket and helmet out of the closet and threw his books into the case on the back of the bike. He started the engine and let the familiar rumble soothe his nerves. Sebastian did not know why, but he had always felt more at home behind the handlebars than behind the wheel of a car. It had been an uphill battle when he first got his bike, but eventually his parents relented. Sebastian was allowed to use his bike as long as he always wore his helmet and motorcycle jacket, even in the

As Sebastian took off down the road, he could not help but feel relieved as he was finally able to focus on something other than those damn nightmares. The ride to school was generally a peaceful one, and Seb loved it, especially at this time of year. Tourists always complained about the amount of rain during the summer, but the locals knew better; there are few things more beautiful than the Emerald City on a clear day in early autumn.

When he pulled into the high school's parking lot, Seb laughed at the madhouse he did not have to take part in. Because he rode the motorcycle, Sebastian was allowed to park anywhere there was enough space for him to fit. He pulled into the closest spot and shut down the engines, then undid the chinstrap on his helmet and yanked it off. When his head finally escaped, he shook his hair to get it looking right and waved to a few people he recognized. With that, he started towards the oppressive looking building, completely unaware of what the school year would have for him this year.