Angelique Le Boursier could see Harry Potter from her compartment. Her eyes glittered with what could be easily mistaken as a lust for revenge. It was none of that. She simply watched him, persecuted by the stares of innocent, foolish Hogwarts students. Girls watched their once possible crush pass through the hallway of shame, as boys whispered and agreed the blasphemies the Daily Prophet let everyone on to see. "The Chosen One", that is what they called him now. If only they knew...
"Excuse me," Angelique looked up. Too busy with her own thoughts to quickly realize it was Neville Longbottom, son of Alice and Frank Longbottom, she stared at him disconcerted. "Yes, well, I was wondering if you would be using this compartment," he waited for some moments, his round face displayed and awkward smile. Angelique remained silent; this had been the moment she had been waiting for, but somehow she stopped. After all these years of waiting...
"Neville," said now a girl with long blond hair and misty eyes behind Neville. "Did you find a...? Oh!" Luna Lovegood stood in front of Angelique. Luna watched her and smiled; she knew who she was. Angelique looked away, her straight perfect brown hair being a curtain of half her face. Then she smiled, a perfect smile, and looked at Luna. The front hair was covering all the way to the top of her eyes.
"Of course you can use this compartment," Angelique's sweet, slightly high pitched voice said. It showed she was in a willing, good mood. "Actually, I would really hate to sit here all by myself all the way to Hogwarts," she said. Neville smiled and Luna simply sat, Angelique looked around and grabbed Luna's Quibbler Magazine, that was by her side.
"Harry!" Neville's voice was heard a long with imprudent murmurs.
"Neville!" Potter's voice could be heard. His steps were coming near and you could see him looking distantly. "Ginny" Angelique said in her mind with a small smile in her lips. She had seen it all before in every trip she had come to live it all over again. She looked up though, when Harry Potter entered the room. Their eyes met for a moment, and Angelique smiled. Confused about the two visions now clear and battling in his head, she smiled and continued reading an odd article about how Toad's tend to be a good luck charm when performing a Herbology spell.
Potter sat down, pushing slightly his own trunk and the altered Hedwig. Angelique put a finger in her mouth simulating silence. Hedwig looked and silenced now more calm and tolerable. Angelique watched her new companions.
Potter was at the left of Neville, near the compartment door, and Luna was beside Angelique looking at Neville and Potter amused of how they were sort of tranced with how quiet Angelique seemed. Angelique stood, and curtsied. "Angelique Le Boursier, if anyone wondered," she said sweetly, looking from Potter to Neville and then Luna while she sat. "And you are?"
"You seriously don't know who we are?" Neville asked disappointed. "How...pathetic," he murmured. Harry swallowed, probably thinking it was not so great. Angelique smiled.
"You are Neville Longbottom, son of Alice and Frank Longbottom, grandson of Augusta Longbottom. You are in 6th year as of today in the Great Hall. You have an eye for Hannah Abbot and have considered asking Ginny out, only you have not for the fear of rejection. You are a close friend of the legendary Harry Potter and try to not forget things to do well in school. Also, you are very afraid of what your family, friends and society says about you," Neville sat up incredulous, and turned to Luna. "You are Luna Lovegood, daughter of the man who made the Quibbler, the magazine often intended to be seen as a lie, when everything in there is the start of the truth. How can fantasy be a myth in such a fantastic world?" At Angelique's words Luna giggled.
"You may not know me so detailed, but I assume you do know what I like to hear," Luna said giggling and turning towards Potter. Angelique looked the same direction and a confused and puzzled look appeared in her face. She watched his eyes, green and filled with loneliness and pain. His dark black hair, incapable of being affected by a brush, hid the horrible scar that gave away the ability of being himself. It was his curse for eternity and the dirt and glory of his name. She watched him look at her expectantly yet with a distant expression.
"And you are?" she asked simply, watching as Luna looked at her amazed and Neville opened his mouth widely. Potter looked at her disconcerted, both surprised and thrilled. He was to open his mouth, but Neville interrupted.
"How can you not know who he is?" he said with pointless indignation. "Not even Muggles are unaware of whom Harry P-"
"Would you let him say it on his own?" Angelique said, her soft expression changing into a rather hard one. "He is a common person and he reserves the right to tell himself whom he is. Why should he be judge or introduced by what happened in the past and a simple scar on a forehead?" the compartment still stood open, and the chattering outside suddenly stopped. "He should be able to introduce himself for who he is and not by what he represents or what the media portrays him to be." She had stood up, grabbing her wand in her pocket like she always did when she was angry. It was a bad habit, it scared away the few possibilities of having friends of her age, other than professors, but it never failed her. She sat down, looking at Neville's red face and at Luna's understanding smile. Angelique looked at Potter astonished yet satisfied with what she knew had been an uncomfortable feeling since he had come to Hogwarts. He looked down and then at her; Angelique knew he had realized she did know him after all.
"Harry," he said finally. "Harry Potter".
"Oi, who was the girl screaming over here?" said Ronald Weasly at the doorway his hair redder than ever, followed by Hermione Granger and her unmistakable bushy hair. He looked over at Harry, Neville and then Luna, resting his eyes upon Angelique. Holding the area in which his Prefect Badge stood, he raised his brow and then sat down, leaving Hermione at the doorstep of the compartment. "And you are?" he asked looking from Harry's unconditional stare towards her and then at her whom was smiling to everyone. She closed her eyes for a moment but then looked directly at Ron.
"Angelique Le Boursier," she said closing the magazine and handing it over to Luna.
"You were reading the Quibbler?" Ron asked mockingly. "Great another odd one..."
"Ron!" Hermione said hitting him and setting beside Harry. "That is awfully rude of you. Excuse him, he is not good with new peop-"
"It's alright, I am aware," Angelique said smiling and then standing up to close the compartment. The murmurs of Hogwarts students ceased after a long "thump" of the compartment door. "Sorry," she said while sitting. "Gossip bothers me". Everyone sat in their place not knowing what to do or say. They looked around each other and simply stayed quiet. Angelique looked through the window.
"We saw a 5th year we had never seen before today," Hermione said, making conversation. "He looks serious and interesting," she proceeded seeing as nobody really cared about the 5th grader.
"Rather boring, in my opinion," Ron said.
"He is not boring he is simply smart Ron, you should stop labeling people as boring just because they can make an interesting and sophisticated conversation!" Hermione implied. Luna sighed and headed her attention back to the Quibbler.
"Are you saying I am not capable of making an interesting and sophisticated conversation?" Ron asked loudly, looking at her with his face matching the color of his hair. Angelique ignored, as the two quarreled over Julyan. She looked through the windows, watching the mountains pass, like every other year and like she has seen them pass for such a long time. Dumbledore had been right all along, it was only the matter of finding the right time.
"So, where are you from?" a distant voice hit the ears of Angelique drifting her away from her thoughts. She looked around to see that everyone left out of the quarrel was interested in this information. Ron had settled for silence and was now looking for his little owl and Hermione was crossed of arms silently listening to what the answer might be.
"Born in France," Angelique, immediately explaining the name origin.
"Really?" Luna said smiling. "Yet you lack the accent," she said.
"But never the looks," Neville added. Angelique laughed and Ron looked at Neville.
"I admire the courage, Neville," Ron said playing with Pig. Luna and Harry laughed and Hermione muttered something like "Boys!" Angelique laughed as well.
"Thank you Neville," she responded to the compliment. "And yes, I was born in France, raised in London, England. Explains why I am almost completely deprived of the accent. Until of course, I speak the language," she ended up.
"Speak," a sulky and taunting voice together with the harsh opening of the compartment door was heard. A blond boy appeared with two bluntly looking boys following him. Draco Malfoy was at the door followed by Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. "Speak French, Madam Le Boursier,"
"Get out Malfoy," Harry Potter was standing up with his wand in hand. Angelique looked wary, remembering the past fights had lead Sir Potter to no good. She stood up, watching as Ron also did no good to the situation.
"Have you not noticed, that I am not speaking to none of you pathetic fools. Just the Angelique girl in the end," Ron turned as did Harry.
"Do you know him?" Harry asked a little disappointed Angelique looked at Malfoy strictly in the eyes, yet answered Harry's question.
"I do," she admitted with a severe expression. Draco smiled playfully.
"See, you overreacting imb-"
"Sortir d'ici si vous ne voulez aucun ennui. Nous tous les deux savons ce qui s'est produit la fois passИe,*" a perfect French accent appeared from the voice of the girl standing up with a wand in her hand. She pointed directly to Draco. She watched him with fierce eyes, creating a memory in his. His smile vanished and he looked at her with curiousity. "Draco, go," she ordered. Draco glanced at his enemies and chuckled.
"Comme vous souhaitez, Mlle Le Boursier**" he paused and looked around. "It dissapoints me to see you with such people, Angelique," and with this Draco Malfoy was about to leave the room but he glanced back and added. "Remember Potter, Weasely and all of you pathetic fools" he said eying Luna, Neville, and Hermione mockingly. "Respect your superiors".
"Oh Malfoy, shut up already" Hermione said standing up. Draco's face turned into a disgusting curl in the lip.
"You shut up Granger, I don't listen to Mudbloods," Draco replied and Ron launched at him.
"Aresto Momentum!" Angelique yelled and Ron stopped moving. Malfoy laughed louder, Vincent and Gregory following in behind.
"Good work, Angelique," Draco said leaving to his right. The spell on Ron was soon to wear off. His eyes moved confused and in anger. All eyes were on Angelique, a million questions striking out.
"Why did you do that for?" Harry said angrily towards Angelique.
"What? You'd rather have him expelled?" Angelique asked her anger building up.
"Well why didn't you hit Malfoy then?" He continued to yell holding Ron. The rest remained quiet listening waiting for both Angelique's reply and her spell on Ron to wear off.
"It was Ron or the case was lost. I am in no favor of Dra-"
"Why do you even call him Draco? How close are you with the Slytherin?" Harry asked accusingly.
"It's a long story, actually," Angelique said with equal annoyance. "You seem rather accusative for someone who you just met minutes ago. Besides who are you to mess in my business?" Harry held back a moment, whatever he might be thinking it was of no concern to Angelique. Mr. Harry Potter couldn't have it so easy always. Not this time at least...
"I-I, it's not like that," he began to say the room tense with silence. Simultaneously as Ron fell to the floor because of the spell wearing off, the compartment door opened. Reacting fast Angelique raised her wand ready to murmur a spell thinking it was Draco again, when she suddenly realized it was a female third year with two pieces of parchment. She trembled, scared at the sudden commotion and her being in the danger zone of a wand.
"M-mr. P-Potter and L-longbottom?" she gagged. Angelique sighed and held down the wand.
"Excuse me," she said and sat looking away through the window again. She could feel Harry's weary, questioning eyes leave her and be now paying attention towards the invitations he received from Professor Slughorn. Moments later Ron got the ability to speak again and Angelique simply rolled her eyes. After being stuck in the shadows for so much time dealing with them seemed to be harder than usual. Blocking the conversations out of her head she heard the last "Bloody Hell" Ronald Weasely had to say. Angelique closed her eyes and sighed. "Just until we get to Hogwarts," she thought desperately and then mockingly, falling into mental rest with a sigh. "Then I'll be able to help the famous Harry Potter get out of Draco Malfoy and Voldemort's dirty hands and the waiting will finally be over..."