Chapter 1

A clock chimed thirty past ten and a raven haired girl ran back and forth through the house, throwing random items into her trunk. Her books and supplies lined the bottom with a few personal items scattered on the top of it all.

"Urg! Where is it," she shouted angrily. "Where the bloody hell is it?"

"Language, Dear," her mother called from the hallway. "What are you looking for, anyway?"

"My journal. The journal that Harley gave me our first Christmas at Hogwarts. I haven't ever gone to school without it!"

"I'm sure it's here somewhere," said Mrs. Perth sweetly. "Where was the last place you saw it?"

"It was on my bed. I wrote in it this morning and put it where I knew I could find it. It was right here until . . . Colin." With a crack she was gone and then screams could be heard from down the hall. "You little, Git! Give that back or I'll petrify you and leave you that way until I come back from school."

"You can't do that. You're not allowed to use magic on someone without it," he said sticking out his tongue and bolting out the door.

"Why you rotten little squib!"

"Mummy," called Colin still running, "Rhia called me a squib."

"Rhiannon Elise Perth, I'm ashamed of you. You know your brother is sensitive about his condition."

"But Mum, he got my journal."

"That may be so, but that's no reason to call names. Now Colin, give your sister her journal and both of you apologize."

"I'm sorry," said the children in unison.

Rhiannon finally tucked the journal in her bag and slammed her trunk. She picked up her rat, Brisby, and placed him around her neck. "Mum, I'm gone," she yelled swinging her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you at Graduation."

"You mean you're leaving now," whined Colin.

"Yes, I'm going to Apparate to the train station, and then go to school."

"But I wanted to see the train! It's my last chance to see it."

"No, it's not. You get to ride it all the way to Hogwarts come time for Graduation."

"Alright," said Colin in defeat.

"C'mon and give us a kiss. You won't be seeing me for a while." Rhiannon leaned down, put her arms around her brother, and received a lick on the cheek. "Ewwww, Colin," she exclaimed wiping her cheek then with a crack she was gone.

- - -

Crack!

"Hey!"

Rhiannon jumped, nearly dropping Brisby. "Harley! I hate it when you do that."

"Then don't meet me in the same place every year."

"Where's your trunk," Rhiannon asked looking around.

Harley put down her owl, reached into her pocket, and pulled out her shrunken trunk, "Did you actually think I was going to drag this thing 'round?"

Rhiannon laughed and levitated her trunk behind her as she walked towards the station.

Harley looked a lot like Rhiannon, tall, slender and fair skinned. However as Rhiannon's hair was long, wavy, and black, Harley's was short, mussed, and reddish-brown. Also as Rhiannon's eyes were a piercing green, Harley's alternated from forest green to an eerie yellow on full-mooned nights. Many had ventured to guess that Harley was, in fact, a werewolf, but no one was brave enough to confront her. To be honest, not much was known about Harley except to Rhiannon. Her name was actually Harlequinn Edwards, named such by her muggle mother (who had quite a love of smutty romance novels). Ms. Edwards raised Harley alone, never knowing what her daughter was. Her "fly by night" was apparently a wizard, but how was she to know that? She'd never even heard of Hogwarts until seven years ago when a letter came, by owl, addressed to Harley. In this way the girls were also different. Rhiannon lived her whole life expecting to go to Hogwarts just as her mother and father did, and their mother's and father's before them. (Colin was the first Perth in over one hundred years not to go to Hogwarts.)

The walk through the train station had become so ingrained in their heads that neither girl seemed to look ahead as they walked and talked. They simply made their way to the pillar between platforms nine and ten, passed through the portal, and boarded the train. After leaving their trunks in the luggage car, the girls looked for an empty compartment. Being seventh years, they were very particular of who they sat with. This was, after all, their last eight hour trip.

Rhiannon poked her head in a silent compartment, and then jerked it back. "I think not."

"What? Who is it?"

"Colin Creevey... and what I suppose is his brother."

"Oh, not another one!"

"They'd probably spend all eight hours trying to get a picture of your eyes."

"Not much to worry about, still green just now. There's not a full moon for weeks."

After trying a few doors, they finally took their seats. The girls sat across from each other with their legs taking up the extra seats. This would assure that no unwanted guests would inhabit those seats. Within minutes, someone burst through the door and a pair of brutish redheads entered the room. Had the girls not known better, they'd have sworn they were seeing double.

One of them sat down on Harley's outstretched legs. "Hello girls, did you miss us?"

"Terribly," said Harley kicking him off.

"C'mon, Harley! I was just getting comfortable."

"What do I look like, Freddie, a settee?"

"No," he said patting her stomach, "I was thinking more like St. Nick. Put on a few, haven't we?"

For this, he received a swift slap to the head. "If I have, it's muscle. We've trained all summer for this year's Quidditch cup. We're determined to beat the pants off of you two."

"Oh, so you want our pants off do you," asked Fred in a naughty way.

"All yah had to do was ask," added George reaching for his belt.

"What do you think you're doing," asked a snide little voice. The twins whirled around to see Penelope Clearwater.

"Well, you see," said Fred, "these lovely girls have just offered us ten Gallons a piece to provide them with some entertainment for the trip."

"Personally," said George "I'm not sure Fred's worth that much, but who's to argue?"

"Well I never!" said Penelope taken aback. "If Percy heard the way you're speaking to me, he'd have a thing or two to say to you. He is Head Boy after all. I have a mind to tell him exactly what you're doing."

"Well, Penelope," said Rhiannon with a considerable amount of pomp. "I'd think you, being a prefect as well, would show a little more respect to the Head Girl. You aren't questioning my grasp of the situation, are you?"

"No, Rhiannon. I was just..."

"I think I have this quite under control; so, if you wouldn't mind, please vacate this compartment."

Penelope skulked off, embarrassed.

"Now she's gained weight," said Harley.

"Just like a Ravenclaw," said Rhiannon, "Find some dumb bloke who's willing to have you and you decide to let yourself go."

"Unlike Hufflepuff girls who can't find anyone willing to have them," joked Fred.

"Well you seem pretty satisfied with yours," exclaimed Harley.

"Funny you should mention satisfaction," said Fred. "You do realize we haven't seen each other in over three months and I haven't gotten so much as a kiss?"

At that, Harley leaned forward and kissed him. "There. Happy now?"

"Awww, poor Freddie," laughed Rhia. "Had to go all summer without his Harley."

"Poor Freddie, nothing," said George, "I've had to go just as long without mine."

"Awwww," said Rhia wrapping her arms around him and kissing him.

"Well, you boys had better get your fill of kisses right now," piped Harley, "cause once we hit the Quidditch Pitch all this mushy stuff stops." The trip went by relatively fast as did much of the time the girls were able to spend with the twins. Occasionally, someone would poke their head in to say hello, or, in the case of Oliver Wood, would kid the twins about fraternizing with the enemy.

When they reached Hogwarts, the four of them climbed into a carriage and were driven to the castle. In the great hall, they parted ways and made for their respective tables. Rhia sat at the end of the Hufflepuffs so she could greet their first years. Harley, naturally, sat beside her. The dinner began and Harley plopped her chin onto her palm, closing her eyes. "Wake me when it's over," she said in an all-too-serious tone.

The Sorting Hat began it's song and started sorting students. One name jarred Harley from her slumber. "Creevey, Dennis."

Both girls sat straight up. "Please not Hufflepuff. Please God no," they begged in unison.

"Gryffindor."

"HA!" they said loud enough to be heard above the applause. When the whole Hall turned to look, Rhia covered her mouth in embarrassment as Harley looked towards the Slytherins with disdain, trying to pin it on them. "Serves Wood right for calling us the enemy," whispered Harley, "let him deal with the little mice."

The sorting was finished and Rhia lead the first years towards the Hufflepuff Dorms, which were straight out of the great hall, down a flight of stairs, along a corridor and behind a tapestry of the School Founders making a toast. "This is the entrance to the Hufflepuff dormitory. It is to remain secret to all others. The password is Snarfblaph."

Just then the tapestry rolled aside to reveal a doorway. The first years stood in awe as they stepped into the common room. It was round with a black rug bearing a large yellow H. Tapestries hung on each side of the fireplace, Helga Hufflepuff on the right and the Fat Friar on the left. A black leather settee sat in front of the fire (which crackled in the house colors at all times) and overstuffed armchairs chairs were scattered about. High backed ebony chairs, cushioned with yellow velvet, sat around the work tables. To each side was a door leading off to the dorm rooms, girls to the right, and boys at the left. A series of hallways split each year into separate rooms. Once she'd seen them to their rooms, Rhia made her way to her own room. Harley was already there with her wand drawn. "Still using the Homestead Charm, Harley?"

"No," she said quickly lowering her wand. "I haven't used that in years."

"Whatever you say, poppet."

About an hour was spent unpacking their things and then it was time to make the rounds. Harley (herself being a prefect) checked the boys' hall, and, aside from reminding a few boys that it was past lights-out, she had no problems. She returned to find Rhia summoning her to the first year dorm. The room was quaking with giggles and shrieks. They opened the door to find the girls jumping on the beds and throwing pillows.

"Now girls," said Rhia sounding very motherly, "you get straight to bed. Classes start first thing in the morning, and believe me when I say sleeping in class is frowned upon." She closed the door in silence. "Were we like that our first year," asked Rhia as they returned to their room.

"I don't know, but let's just be glad the Creevey's didn't bring a sister. Ten Gallons say she would have ended up in here."

As they laid in bed, Rhia slowly drifted to sleep giving Harley a chance to activate her Homestead Charm, making the room look (to her at least) like her bedroom back in Marble Arch.