This fanfiction takes place in 2010.

1:

Alone

Twelve-year-old Kaziel Fawley was walking through Diagon Alley alone. It wasn't as if he didn't have parents. They just couldn't be here at present because they were working, so they had allowed him to come alone via floo powder to get his textbooks and school supplies. It was easy enough as he'd done this before. This would be his second year at Hogwarts.

Kaziel was tall and lean without looking emaciated. He had floppy brown hair that liked to fall into his face, but he rarely brushed it out of the way unless he had a real reason to. His brown eyes were often mistaken as black as they were so very dark, but the only time he's ever scared anyone because of them is when he became angry, which really didn't happen often.

He had just arrived and was taking the time to look around some. He was just as fascinated by Diagon Alley as he'd been the first time he'd come here. Though to be honest, he was also looking for his friends. He had actually been lucky enough his first year to gain five close friends – the heir of the Malfoy family, the daughter of Severus Snape, the Bradford twins, and a girl that went by the name of Denyara Kent. He was especially looking for Eileen Snape. He had been entranced by her on first meeting her.

"Kaz!" he suddenly heard a girl call out to him.

Kaziel turned quickly, hoping it was Eileen, but knew it wasn't as soon as the girl took his arm. Eileen didn't like physical contact much. It was just Denyara. "Hey, Deni. Have you seen the others yet?" He attempted to ask the question casually; unfortunately, Denyara had always been just too intuitive.

Denyara, or Deni, as she was known by the few people she interacted with in school, was a girl who floated around in the background, never really making herself known by action or deed. She had straight brown hair that was normally thrown up in a messy bun as she rarely took the time to do anything with it, and blue eyes that weren't all that noticeable behind a pair of thin, black, square framed glasses. She had an underweight frame.

She gave him a teasing knowing look. "You mean have I seen Eileen yet?" she asked in a drawling voice. Kaziel couldn't help reddening. "No. I haven't seen anyone yet."

He decided to get her back. "Not even a certain Bradford?" Now she was the one who reddened. "Not very fun to get teased, is it?"

Denyara slapped his arm lightly. "You aren't supposed to tease me back."

Kaziel chuckled and pulled out his list to look it over. He froze as he realized it was all new books that he didn't recognize the titles of. He sighed heavily. He really hoped he wouldn't have to go through getting lost every year. That would suck.

Denyara noticed his mood and smiled. "I've already got my books," she told him. "I was actually just heading back home when I spotted you. Need some help?"

Kaziel perked up, grinning. "Yes, please," he responded. "The last time I was in Diagon Alley I got lost after running off and got in loads of trouble."

Denyara released his arm and started to walk off. "Trouble is my middle name. Come along then." She gave him a smile. "Perhaps I'll take you on the Kent Grand Tour, if you're lucky." She paused when she realized he'd stopped. "Kaz? What is it?"

Kaziel was looking down the bad part of Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley. He had been forbidden to go down there, but he was alone now and curious. Most in his house of Slytherin had a tendency to shop down there. It was rumored to sell a lot of Dark Magic books and items. He moved to go down there. He just wanted to take a look.

Denyara stopped him and steered him away. "Are you crazy? Not even I'm into that much trouble. That place has a lot of bad wizards and witches in it."

Kaziel looked over at her. "You're just scared. You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters are gone." He shrugged. "There's no one to be afraid of now."

Denyara scoffed at that. "Why are you still calling him You-Know-Who then? He died the year we were born. I'm pretty sure that you can call him by his name now. Voldemort." She ignored the people around them who still cringed. "That is still funny to do."

Kaziel gave her a look. He supposed that it was pretty funny though. The last Dark Lord had only been gone twelve years though. As he was once gone longer even than that and still came back, it was no wonder some were still afraid. He honestly wasn't afraid of saying the name Voldemort, he just didn't like scaring people.

They walked around and got all of his school books and supplies. Afterwards, they stopped somewhere to eat. They were both pretty much stalling, him to be able to see Eileen, and her to be able to see the male Bradford twin. He supposed that it was bad that neither of them was keeping a lookout for their other two friends, at least not as much, but they were most likely keeping an eye out for each other. He couldn't help snickering.

"What's so funny?" Denyara asked him as she ate her burger.

Kaziel ate his slice of pizza and shook his head. "Nothing, nothing."

Their group had a strange and sometimes complicated dynamic. The Malfoy heir, Tempest, and the female Bradford twin, Marianna, very obviously liked each other. He liked Eileen, but she and Denyara both liked the male Bradford twin, Marcus. That caused him to pine, Denyara and Eileen to often fight over Marcus, and Marcus himself was pretty much oblivious to the two girls' attention.

At least Kaziel himself knew who he liked. Not that he'd ever tell Eileen. It wouldn't matter if he did anyway. She'd never give him the time of day with Marcus around. But Marcus was his friend. If he got the girl, so be it. He would have to settle for being friends with her.

That didn't mean, of course, that he wasn't rooting for Denyara to get the guy. He knew he should want Eileen to be happy, and he did, he just wished she could be happy with him. If she ended up finding happiness with Marcus though, he'd be happy for her. He wondered of Denyara thought of her situation in the same way. Probably not. Girls were weird like that.

"We're weird like what?" Denyara suddenly asked, her eyes narrowing.

Kaziel froze. Crap. "How much of that thought did I say out loud?" If he'd said the whole thing….

Denyara's eyes narrowed even more. "All you said was, 'Girls were weird like that.'"

Kaziel sighed in relief. "Oh, good," he responded. He ignored Denyara's slight growl as he looked over her shoulder and suddenly brightened, smiling and waving. "Hey, guys!"

He'd just seen the Bradfords with Tempest Malfoy.