alrighty, this is a for fun story and yes i know i totally stole pounce from tamora pierce (may she have mercy on my soul, yaddayaddayadda. also random names from animes also stolen. im really bad at coming up with names, so sue me. i own none of the referenced material, or harry potter.

"But Mum I want to go!"

"Please? I'm almost old enough!"

Aly shut her eyes and tried to ignore the pleading of younger siblings. Then the chatter and yelling went quiet to be replaced by awe inspired whispers.

"That's him Da, isn't it? I'm going to go school with his son!"

"Did you really know him during school, Mum?"

"Stop staring darling!"

Aly opened her eyes to see a large group of people making their way toward the train. A tall black haired man led the group, a red headed woman behind him, a small child was on her hip and she was scolding two young boys that were racing about her feet. The black haired man was in the middle of an animated discussion with a tall red haired friend who was holding the hand of a small girl trying to hit her younger brother. Their mother, a bushy haired woman, was scolding them both while nodding vigorously to the slightly older woman trying to continue their conversation with difficulty. A tall, pale boy walked next to her. He looked about Aly's age and she was sure that he was in the first year along with her. He had the look of someone trying to look more confident than he was. Aly wasn't fooled, he kept slapping his hands on his legs and checking his watch. He was dressed as a muggle like the others but had done considerably better than some of them. He wore loose army green cargo pants and a black t-shirt with the logo of the muggle rock band, AC DC. His hair was an intriguing shade of blue that made Aly giggle. She had recently dyed her hair precisely the same color. Another girl their age was chattering excitedly to him, bouncing around her father's legs, who was red haired and heavily scared and patting the shoulder of the silver haired beauty next to him, who was sobbing into his shoulder. She strained to hear what the group was saying.

"Why does Teddy get to go?" Whined one of the children. "I'm already five!"

"Rose, you can go when you can beat me at chess," said the tall red haired man.

"Ron!" his wife slapped his shoulder. "Don't tell her that!"

"It's alright honey, she'll come back," the man with scars was reassuring his wife. "You know she'll be alright!"

"Y-yes," sobbed the woman with a thick french accent. "B-but it-it's ou-our little Victoire! She is getting so-so grown up!"

"Oh Mother," the girl flipped her strawberry blond hair expertly over her shoulder. She had a slight accent, but not nearly as thick as her mother's. "I grow no faster than anyone else! You seem to think I am some sort of weed!"

"Of coarse not darling!" her mother kissed both of her cheeks. Aly looked away. She couldn't bear to see these happy families seeing each other off. She stared at the opposite seat, her eyes filling with tears.

"All aboard!"

"You better go you two!" the bushy haired woman shooed the two older children toward the train. The oldest woman kissed the boy on the cheek.

"Grams!" the boy wiped his cheek but hugged her and ran.

"Bye Teddy! Bye Victoire!"

"See you at Christmas! And Easter!"

"You better write!"

"Beat up the Slytherins!"

"Ron!"

"Ow! I was just kidding!"

Aly layed back her head, hoping no one would enter her lonely compartment. Just as this thought crossed her mind, the compartment door slid open.

"Hey."

It was the pale, blue haired boy.

"Oh, hi," she tried to sound friendly. "Do you want to sit here?" she crossed her fingers under the folds of her bell bottoms that he would say no.

"Could I?" he said nervously. "Everywhere else is packed with older kids." He opened the window and waved enthusiastically at his family. "Bye everybody! I'll send letters the second I get there!"

Aly fought down the jealous anger boiling up in her. It wasn't this boy's fault that she had no family.

"I'm sorry," he stepped away. "I'm hogging the window aren't I?"

"No," she shook her head, feeling her face grow hot. "I don't have anyone to say good bye to." she didn't mean to sound so pitiful.

"Oh sorry," he bit his lip. "I don't have any parents either.Well, real parents anyway."

She stared at him. "Then who were all those people? I figured at least one of them was your-" she blushed a darker red at admitting she had watched the group.

"Well there was my Gram, and my godfather and some of his family and Victoire's of coarse," he shrugged. "Where is she by the way? We were going to share a compartment!" He looked out of the window. "My parents died in The Last Battle. What about yours?"

Aly pretended that she knew what this Last Battle was. "I don't know," she answered stiffly. "The orphanage people said I was left there with a note. All it said was my name. Aly, Aly Aisha."

"Oh, I'm Teddy by the way, Ted Lupin." he stuck out his hand, which Aly shook. "So you didn't know about our world until you got the note?"

"Yeah," she shifted uncomfortably. "I've only ever spoken to the lady they sent to help me shop. She's the first witch I've ever met. She was very nice but also very strange. She was wearing weird beats for earrings."

Teddy let out a long whistle. "Same with my god dad. Blimey! You probably don't even know him!"

She stared blankly at him.

"No wonder you haven't been badgering me with questions yet!" he laughed. "You've no idea who he is!"

"Who?!" she was getting mildly annoyed. "Who are you talking about?"

"Harry Potter!" he laughed harder. "He's my god father! You've no idea how refreshing it is that you don't know him! I'm sorry, it's just that usually no one will actually talk to me like a normal person after they find out!"

"Why?" she asked, now more confused than ever. Teddy was saved answering this by the door sliding open.

"Are we sitting in here Teddy?" The french girl asked curiously. Aly stifled a giggle. She hadn't noticed when the girl was surrounded by odd people, but she was dressed all in neon. Her Argyle leggings were lime green and bright purple under an electric blue tutu. Her blaze orange and black polka dot t shirt clashed horribly with her hot pink and silver striped gloves, who's fingers had been cut out and who reached her elbows. "Do you like it?" she twirled around. "Mother said I can wear it every year for the first day! I just love traditions don't you?"

Teddy snorted, "It's beautiful Toire. I think I'll buy special sun glasses to wear on the first day, my own tradition."

"Will you really?" Victoire gasped in delight. "That is wonderful! How silly of me, I have not introduced myself! I'm Victoire Weasley. But lots of people call me Toire! Who are you?"

"Aly Aisha," she accepted Victoire's hand and shook it. While the french girl commenced twirling around the small space on her tip toes.

"Both her parents are witch and wizard," he explained quietly to Aly. "They haven't a clue about what muggles wear. But I grew up with me gram mostly, and she's a muggle."

Aly giggled. Victoire's odd appearance wasn't helped by a black cat with purple eyes that was perched on her shoulder.

"This is Pounce," Victoire said, when she saw what Aly was staring at. "He is a very bad kitty. Curiosity killed the cat, you know, you naughty kitty. Remember that the next time you want to investigate something you shouldn't."

curiosity may have killed the cat, Pounced washed a paw lazily. But satisfaction brought it back.

Aly laughed. "That's really good! Did you think of it yourself?"

No, I read it in one of Mademoiselle Weasley's books, she has excellent taste. Of coarse, she did pick me out from the pet shop. Pounce jumped down to Aly's lap where he stretched luxuriously. So that much is obvious.

"You are a handsome lad, aren't you?" she scratched under his chin.

Pounce commented. They find it rather odd that we can converse. I don't find it odd, he yawned. You are obviously a paw sister on the inside, however human you are on the outside.

Aly looked up. Pounce was right, both of them were staring at her.

"What?"

"You're meowing at my cat," Victoire blinked. "And he's meowing back!"

"You must be like a parseltounge! Only with cats!" Teddy gaped at her.

"What's a parseltounge?" Aly was starting to get nervous. What if she was a freak? Even at the wizarding school? She didn't want to go back to that kind of life.

"It's someone who can talk to snakes," Teddy shook his head. "My god dad used to be able to, but well, long story short, he can't anymore. They're really rare and I've never heard of anyone being able to do it with cats before."

"I don't believe it," Victoire swayed where she stood. "This is, this is the most-"

Freaky? Weird? Unnatural? Dangerous? Aly waited for the usual stream of fearful words that followed any sentence about her.

"Awesome!" Teddy exclaimed at the same time Vitoire cried, "Amazing!"

"What?" Aly was even more confused than before.

"Don't you see?" Teddy explained excitedly. "You have a gift! Something only a few other people can do! Maybe no one else! Have you ever done it before? Can you only do it with cats?"

"Can you teach me?" Victoire asked hopefully. "My uncle Ron isn't a parseltongue but he opened the chamber of secrets during the last battle. Oh will you please teach me? I want to know what Pounce is saying!"

"I-I don't know," she stammered. "I've always been able to understand cats. I thought it was part of being a witch. I don't know how I do it myself so I doubt I could teach anyone. Sorry."

"Oh well," Victoire sighed. "I wish I could talk to animals. I love animals. Daddy says I take after my uncle Charlie, he is a dragon tamer. It's not fair!" she huffed. "Everyone else has wonderful abilities! But I've got nothing! Aly is a Felitounge, Teddy is a metamorphmagis and a werewolf."

Aly blanched, unconciosly drawing away from the boy.

Teddy fiddled with a hole in his T-shirt, not meeting her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Aly mumbled. "I just didn't know there were actual werewolves."

"Yeah," Teddy tried to smile. "It's easier for our generation. When my dad was a kid he had to sneak out and hide in an old building. That's what people tell me anyway." He grinned. "All I have to do is take my meds! But I still feel like death for a few days."

"Daddy gets the flu on the full moon sort of," Victoire offered. "He's not a real werewolf. But he does like really rare meat. He was bit by Greyback when he wasn't transformed."

Aly nodded. She had no idea what Victoire was talking about but didn't want to admit it. "I like your hair," she tried to change the subject. "I saved my money for some dye and did mine the same color as that about a year ago. I let it grow out so I still have the ends." she let her hair out of it's messy bun to show him.

"I like that look!" he examined a lock of her hair with interest. "You've got good color, even without the blue." he screwed up his face, and to Aly's utter amazement, his hair rippled. When it was done, it had turned the same golden brown color as hers, complete with blue tips. Aly gasped again. "Do you have a mirror?" Teddy tried to pull some of his hair in front of his face.

"I do!" Victoire pulled a hand mirror out of her bear shaped back pack and handed it to tossed it to Teddy. Aly didn't have the heart to tell her that such accessories were meant for muggle children alot younger than her.

"I think I'll keep this," Teddy ran his fingers through his hair, admiring his new do. "Thanks Aly!"

Aly just stared at him. She hoped she would learn to do that.

The girl walked carefully on the cobble stone floors of platform nine and three quarters. In her right hand she carried and thin silver walking stick, and with each step she took she tapped cane once in front of her. Even to a muggle it would have been obvious that this girl was quite blind. That would explain her rather odd dress as well, not being able to see what you're putting on could lead to some very unusual combinations. The girl wore a long velvet burgundy skirt that reached the ground, and a perfectly fitted purple silk Jacket . Her hair was wispy and brown and fell past her shoulders. She maneuvered expertly through the tangled knots of people, working her way toward the sound of steam and the feel of heat that was the train.

"All aboard!" Shouted the conductor. He sounded rather bored, but when he saw the blind girl coming, he offered her his hand. "Can I help you miss?" He asked with a thick cockney accent.

"Thank you, but I can manage," she did not turn, but continued to look straight ahead.

"Uh, well all right then," the conductor looked slightly taken aback. And with that the girl disapeared onto the train.

The soft tapping made heads turn as the girl strode slowly through the corridors of the train. She continued without stopping, even when a handsome fourth year offered to share his compartment, thinking her older.

At last, when she could go no further, she turned and entered the compartment on the right.

"Oh!" She exclaimed no sooner then she had closed the door. "I didn't realize that this compartment was occupied." she said in a voice no more than a whisper. "Would it be okay if I sat here?"

The three people in the compartment had fallen silent. Victoire spoke up.

"Of coarse," And, noticing the silver cane and the girl's blank expression, she added: "There's a free seat by the window, on the left."

"Thank you." The girl said simply, she seemed almost to be made of glass as the glided to the seat and settled her self gracefully. "Forgive me for not introducing myself." She began at last. "I am Katerina Nickoliovna Triova." Her accent was distant and far away. Katerina held out a thin pale hand with silvery rings on each finger.

Victoire took it and shook it lightly. "I'm Victoire Weasly." She said. "And Aly and Teddy are here too." She said carefully.

"It is a pleasure to meet the three of you." Katerina said politely, withdrawing her hand and resting it on her lap.

There was a long silence. Teddy watched the stange girl's eyes. They were silver and stared ahead, as if she was watching the luggage rack.

The black haired boy sauntered down the train, glaring at anyone who met his gaze. Unlike the rest of the children his age, he had dressed in his school robes before he arrived. He had boldly taken the liberty of attaching a Slytherin snake to the front. He knew what house he would be sorted into. Let the rest think he was conceited, he didn't care. His eyes shifted around, as black as his hair. His skin was, in contrast, extremal pale, as though he did not get alot of fresh air and sunlight. He skipped over a fallen cage, eying it's contents with mild interest. An owl, the pale boy sighed to himself. It's never anything good. He continued down the train, glancing into each compartment as he passed, taking no notice that everyone went silent where ever he decided to go. Finally he came to the last compartment. He slid back the door and scowled as he found it occupied by four quiet students his own age.

"I don't suppose you have any more room," he drawled.

"Of coarse," a girl dressed up like a highlighter mumbled. "There's still two empty seats."

"Hi! I'm Ted Lupin,"the only other boy asked good naturedly. " This is Victoire, Aly and Kat-katarina." he struggled slightly with the last girl's name. "Who're you?"

"Now why would I tell you a thing like that," he said icily. Then sighed. There was no reason to terrify the other students more than necessary. "Some people call me Growler. It's a nickname I suppose." He swept in the room and sat next to the girl on the right by the window. She looked uncomfortable but was too polite to say anything. His eyes traveled from her to the boy, bemused. "Are you siblings? Or is this the latest fashion I've yet to hear about."

"No," Teddy sized up the other boy, trying to decide if he liked him or not. "I'm a metamorphmagis. I copied Aly's hair because I liked it."

"Hhmm," Growler nodded, all the approval he would give. Just so long as these others would stay as quiet as they were now, he would spend the rest of the journey in this compartment. He leaned back his head, day dreaming.

"Excuse me," the girl next to him peered at him timidly. "Are you feeling alright? You look a bit pale."

Growler sighed inwardly. He hated when people didn't say what they meant. A bit pale, honestly. Why don't they come out and say I look like death? People are too polite. "I'm fine I assure you. Go back to staring at me quietly, please, I'm trying to think."

To his surprise, the apparently timid girl bristled. "I wasn't staring at you!" she snapped. "Forgive his royal Majesty my concern, git!"

"I'm liking you more by the minute," he commented with a smile. "I like people who don't mince words."

"Really? Cuz I like people who's heads aren't the size of a watermelon!"

He continued to grin as he closed his eyes and returned to his thoughts. Aly kicked at a gum wrapper on the ground moodily. Growler blocked out the sound and searched the room with his ears. A soft meowing made it's self known from the direction of the brightly dressed girl. Mmmm, a cat. He thought. But a pet none the less. I suppose she would cry if she lost it. He ran his tongue along his teeth. He hadn't eaten in days. A sudden thought struck him.

"Hey girl, Victory or what ever."

"It's Victoire," she scowled.

"Whatever, listen, what do you feed your cat?"

"Excuse me?"

"Just answer the question." he sighed.

"Cat food, and the occasional mouse, if he can catch one."

"I don't suppose he would share?"

"Urg! you eat mice?" she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Where are you from!?"

He shrugged. "Transelvania."

"Your kidding!"

"Naturally." he sighed again. "I lived in Germany until I was eight. Then my mother and I moved to Japan for three years and we only arrived in Britain three months ago. I've a different nickname wherever I live."

"Your English is excellent," commented Aly politely, forgetting their previous argument. She rather liked his dry sense of humor, even if he was stuck up.

"Thank you," he touched a finger to his temple, a sort of salute he had taken up in Harajuku. Thinking of the small district in Japan, he grinned at Victoire. "I like your outfit, I know alot in Tokyo who would pay good money for those tights and those gloves."

"They're called leggings," Vitoire tried to sound aloof but she beamed at the compliment any way.