Corey grinned as he stepped through the hidden barrier to Platform 9 and ¾ for the first day of school. It was his OWL year and he had been given the honor of being one of the two Slytherin Prefects this year. He had yet to learn who the other Slytherin Prefect would be. His father of course was off on some mission from the Dark Lord and therefore nowhere to be seen.
"I'll see you at Christmas, mother," he said, hugging her before heading down the platform, pushing his trolley. His right upper arm itched, it was a constant thing that ever since he'd been marked. Marked in a irreparable way. He sighed, eyes searching for Jardia. He had missed her company over the holidays, but had enjoyed writing to her. They'd decided to let his owl do all the work, it was a lot easier.
So many people. The silver Prefects badge was pinned onto the expensive Muggle shirt he wore at the moment. He had a new broom too for Quidditch as a reward for becoming a Prefect.
Where was that pretty black haired girl? She might be a Muggle Born, but he cared for her, more than she knew. Sometime this year, he would have to tell her, she was becoming rather beautiful.
The blond fifteen year old kept moving,
"Corey!"
He turned at the sound of her voice and grinned as he spotted her waving an arm to get his attention. Corey headed in that direction, dodging between different families as he went. "Jardia!" He grinned at the glasses wearing, green eyed fourteen year old. "How've you been?"
Another perfect birthday, he thought. Starting the school year on his birthday, and getting to ride the train with her ever since she'd come as a First Year in his second year, were fast becoming his favorite way to start the year.
"Oh I've been alright, stayed home and didn't get up to much," Jardia said, shrugging. "What about you?"
"Ah it was okay I guess. A lot of fathers friends were constantly there. Sorry I couldn't visit." He sighed. "Wonder what was with the new additions that school list... Dress robes? What do we need those for?" He grinned.
"Oh yes, dress robes are for the yule ball!" She smiled softly, knowing that she wouldn't end up going.
Corey helped her through the crowd toward the train, and when she struggled to get her trunk onto the train, he helped lift it on. "Yule ball huh? Sounds like trouble." He grinned. "Dont think I'll go with a house mate." He paused. "Found out something interesting. I'm one of the Prefects this year! How cool is that?"
"It's alright, I was just studying my new books anyways..." she said and cracked a smile at his news "congratulations! You deserve it." She looked back at him as they headed along the corridor to find a compartment. "It's alright, I was just studying my new books anyways..." she said and cracked a smile at his news "congratulations! You deserve it."
"Someone as nice as you? Someone will ask," he said, helping lift her truck up into the train. He grinned. "And thanks. Though I'm not so sure I do." Not after summer.
She blushed deeply and shook her head, the long locks of raven dancing around her face.
"Thanks, but I doubt that..." she mumbled, forcing entry into the nearest empty carridge, looking at him questioningly "are you going to sit with me...or do you have to go sit with the other prefects?"
He chuckled. "I'll talk to the other slytherin prefect later. For now I'll sit with you." He smiled at her.
"going to be an interesting year."
She smiled thankfully at him, settling herself in the corner with her brown tabby cat curling around her. Adjusting the glasses on her nose, she studied him in quiet. She wasn't one for many words, preferring the silence.
"Are you going to get in trouble for sitting with me?" she asked quietly.
"I don't think so," he replied. He grinned, "Might let my owl out."
She nodded hesitantly, stroking the soft fur of her cat.
"Sure, go ahead... Missy won't hurt him."
The brown tabby gave a yawn, snuggling against her leg.
"I know she won't, how long have these two known each other now?" He chuckled, opening the bird cage. The owl flew out, landing on his shoulder. "Good boy, Domicus."
Jardia smiled, knowing that the two were friends despite being completely different breeds. But odder things had happened she was sure of it.
He chuckled. "So, you getting anything from the trolley later?" he asked. He smiled.
Jardia looked up from the book beside her longingly and nodded.
"Of course," she grinned "I've been wanting magic frogs since the day I went home."
He laughed. "They're easy to get. You collect the cards don't you?"
He nearly had all of them now. "For me though its the flavoured beans and the frogs." He smiled.
Jardia flushed and shook her head, she used to but not anymore.
"No, not anymore...the chocolate is just the best," she smiled pleasantly, picking up her book once more and stroked Missy's head as she read the dog-eared book.
Standing up, Corey reached into the rack over his head. From there he pulled his broomstick, a brand new Nimbus 2001. He sighed, resting it on his seat, looking at the twigs at the back. A few of them needed straightening a bit, there had been some hard wind where the Quidditch World Cup had been.
"I did get to do something exciting in the holidays. My father got tickets for the whole family to go watch the final match of the Quidditch World Cup. There was turmoil afterwads, damn Death Eaters."
She glanced up again, watching him work over his broomstick and nodded.
"Yeah? Who won?" she asked, not really caring about the sport. She enjoyed reading a lot more. "Oh and Happy Birthday Corey."
She grinned, reaching into her bag and pulling out a well wrapped parcel and handing it to him.
She blinked at the mention of Death Eaters, turning slightly pale with worry and appeared a little bit shaken. "Y-yeah? What happened, I haven't been getting the newspapers lately. Mum and Dad freaked out with the moving images..."
He chuckled taking it. "Thanks," he replied. "Ireland won, One hundred and seventy to Bulgaria's one hundred and sixty. Abrupt end that one… Bulfgaria's seeker got the snitch when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead." He sighed.
"Death eaters showed up after and decided to have some fun with a family of Muggles watching over all the camp grounds. One of the set off the Dark Mark in the sky too. Bad end to a great day if you ask me."
He looked down at the present in his hands and started unwrapping it.
Jardia blinked, taking in the sudden rush of information and the matter of fact way he spoke about it.
"What...what happened to the muggles?" she asked quietly, sitting on the edge of her seat and studied him with a small, tight smile as he worked at unwrapping his present.
"I wasn't sure if you'd like it… but the man at the store said it's what all guys like," she shrugged slightly "its a book about Quidditch and the history behind it and stuff...oh and stick polish and care kit."
She shrugged "I thought you might like it."
"I think they'll be alright. Won't know what happened in the slightest, the Ministry's Accidental Magic Reversal Squad will have obliviated any memories of the incident from them." He sighed. "I'm sure they will be fine." He smiled as he looked at what was in the gift. "Thanks Jardia, this was the one thing I was not able to get in Diagon Alley when I went there to get my OWL year books."
"OWL?" she asked with a questioning look "what's that? And I am glad, those poor people..."
How could I forget that you wouldn't know that anagram? "Ordinary Wizarding Tests. Thats the fifth year exams. Tells you what level you really achieve at and if you have a set career in mind you have to do well in that year to be able to take the needed classes in the final two years. In seventh year, the final year, they're called NEWTS. Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests." He grinned. "I'm sure those Muggles will be fine." Just went to show how un-Slytherin like he was.
Jardia smiled, wondering how that had passed her mind. She better start studying for them! Though she had no idea what she wanted to do after passing though Hogwarts.
"I'm glad," she said finally, "sometimes magic is a good thing."
He grinned. "Daresay Professor McGonagall will end up talking to all of you sometime this year about the future. Professor Snape did that with all of us last year." He knew it was unlikely that he'd end up an Auror, but that was what he wanted. He had the brains and courage for it. "I told him I wanted to become an Auror. Dark wizard catcher. Never something any normal Slytherin wants to become."
Jardia smiled and nodded.
"I've read some stories about Auror's...but I doubt I could do such a thing...perhaps I'll become a teacher," she smiled at the idea "I've always liked working with children and teaching..."
Corey grinned. "I think I can see you doing that, you know."
The train was slowing down now.
"Looks like we're almost at Hogwarts. I'll go get changed elsewhere." He rose to get his robes from his trunk, and headed out to get dressed in them, ensuring the Prefect badge was in place on his robes as he walked back to the compartment.
Shortly after they were getting out of the train and heading to the carriages once more. "Wonder what pulls these things. Hopefully we'll find out eventually," he head a Hufflepuff student saying.
"Thestrals," he replied, looking over at her. He could see the skeletal horses. His grandmother had been killed several weeks ago by one of Voldemort's supporters.
Jardia looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not saying how I know," he said. "That's private."
"I understand."