I'd like to say that if there are historical inconsistencies, such as CDs, LIVE WITH IT. That's why it's called "fanfiction", people.
Fanfiction: A fictional story about a book/movie/anime that the writer did not create. NOTE: This definition contains nothing pertaining to re-writing the book/movie/anime.
-ShadowInTheHall.
P.S.: Enjoy.
"Meowmeowmeowmeow meowmeowmeowmeow meowmeowmeowmeowmeowmeow meowmeowmeowmeow meowmeowmeow mee-ow." The girl shifted farther from the sunlight streaming from the window. "Freakin' Hogwarts with its freaking rules and freakin' Mother, and freaking Dahlia for taking so long!" Black hair fell into dark blue grey eyes. She shook her head to remove the offending hair. She and her cousin were on the legendary Hogwarts Express, hurtling toward the school itself. Howle was supposed to be changing into her school robes. Dahlia was in the next compartment over. Howle's attempt at dressing was to take the robe and put it on over her pants and t-shirt. The door slid open. Five foot five inches, a hazel eyed, darkly tanned girl stood. Dark red hair hung around her shoulders.
"Hey, you're still dressed!"
"Mmmfh." came the mumbled reply.
"Do not make me forcibly remove your clothing!" Dahlia took a threatening step toward her counterpart.
"Noooo!" The grumbling witch jumped up to the luggage rack. "Um, Dahl, I think I forgot my robes……."
"I thought you would." Dahlia picked up a box. "My mother handed me this before we left. She said it was your stuff."
"……Oh." Howle took the box.
"I have to pee." Dahlia said suddenly.
"When don't you?" Howle remarked. Dahlia's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Dahlia turned to find the restroom and Howle begrudgingly donned the black shirt and pants before replacing her Hogwarts robe. Not long after Howle kicked her trunk onto the seat and made herself comfortable on the luggage rack, Dahlia returned
"Howle, have you seen Queso?"
"No. Come to think of it, Kiwi hasn't been around either…" Queso and Kiwi were creatures-Dahlia and Howle assumed were type of a boggart- their uncle of no relation brought home from one of his trips. They could imitate most every animal, and a limited number of inanimate objects. The two creatures rarely spoke, but when they did, it was mostly sarcastic comments. Howle removed herself from the luggage rack and the search ensued for the two missing creatures. Multiple high-pitched screams emanated from down the train car. Dahlia threw open the door.
"Kiwi?" Howle peered in. In the middle of the car was a toad the height of a cat with the circumference of a turkey platter, sporting bright aqua colored eyes.
"Queso!" Dahlia drew herself up to her full 5'5'". "Queso, get over here now!" The toad glanced over at her and morphed into a two foot tall giraffe.
"Have you seen Kiwi?" Queso shook his head. "Damn…" The five prep first years climbed down from the seat. Howle took off down the train hallway. Dahlia Obliviated the girls before closing the door.
"Bloody hell! Moony, is that a-" a boys voice started.
"Back up, James!"
"But how did a chimera get on the train?!"
"I don't know, Sir, but back up! Don't look it in the eyes!" Moony said.
"Peter passed out!" James shouted. People were beginning to open their doors and peer into the hallway. Howle drew her wand and flicked it, promptly closing people into their compartments. She threw open the last compartment's door.
"Kiwi!" she half shouted, half warned, in what could only be described as a Voice of Wrath. The lion head, goat head, and dragon-faced tail all looked to her. The chimera's hands reached the ceiling of the train. Kiwi promptly shrank down to a foot tall skinny black cat with periwinkle eyes. "Back." she ordered in the same Voice of Wrath. The cat slunk in to the hall and to the only open compartment. Howle closed the door without even taking a look at the poor quartet of Hogwarts students. Before Dahlia closed their door, she gave a flick of her own wand, allowing the others to open their doors.
"Where did Kiwi learn the Chimera form?"
"I don't know." she half glared at Kiwi.
"That was pretty cool, though." Dahlia smiled.
"It would have been cooler if he had attacked some preps." Howle looked at her cousin/bestest friend forever/cohort. Queso, in his favourite shape of a green and purple cockatoo, spoke.
"Howle, what is your wand made of?"
"Ash wood."
"From?"
"A tree." She replied simply. After receiving an unamused stare from Queso, she said, "Fine. The Upper Mountains, in Greece."
"That field was watered with the blood of a chimera."
"How do you know?" Dahlia asked.
"I read your books."
"So can you turn into a thestral?" Howle asked. Kiwi remained curled on the cushion, feigning sleep. Dahlia pulled her wand out.
"Hawthorne grown in soil fed with ground dragon bones, with a core of vampire sheep wool. Touch this." She held her wand out to Queso, who took it in his beak and handed it back.
"I'm not morphing." he said.
"Dahlia," Howle started, "why did we get kicked out again?" Dahlia put a hand on her chin.
"I think it was because we uprooted all the mandrake plants . Or did we set fireworks off in the office?"
"I don't remember. I thought we set emus loose in the library." They laughed. "It's really stupid we have to start first year."
"No we don't. Weren't you listening to your mom?"
"Do I ever listen to that old bat?"
"We're going straight into fourth year."
"Oh." Howle thought. "So…that Sorting hat thing, from the history book…Do we have to be sorted with the first years?"
"Probably. How likely is it that we'll have a private sorting?" Dahlia pointed out. The rest of the train ride was uneventful.
Upon arriving at Hogwarts, despite being told to leave all their luggage on the train, the cousins each grabbed a small case. Kiwi and Queso followed them. They followed a red headed girl away from the train station and over to where invisible horses pulled carriages of four or five students. As they waited for an empty carriage to arrive and ferry them to the castle, Howle cooed over the winged horses
"Look, Dahl, thestrals!"
"What are you talking about, thestrals?" Howle and Dahlia turned to see four boys.
"Pulling the carts. Thestrals are pulling the carts." Dahlia stated, as if it were obvious.
"There's nothing there!" another said, with longer black hair. The first boy with the glasses nodded.
"Yeah, what's a thestral?" he asked. The boy with slightly ruffled brown hair spoke.
"James, a thestral is a type of horse. Much like a Pegasus, but-"
"It has bat-like wings, glowing red eyes, talons, and fangs." Dahlia finished.
"They're so cute!" Howle added.
"Uh, not what I'd call cuddly, something like that approaching me." the longer haired one said.
"Yes, but Sirius, you could only see one if you have seen death."
"What?" Howle said. Dahlia shook her head.
"Don't you read anything?"
"Do the restricted books count?" Dahlia saw how the others were looking at them as if they were crazy raving mad and dressed as a muffler or something else insane enough that would merit such a look.
"I'm sorry. My name is Dahlia Abbey. This is my cousin slash best friend forever slash cohort slash business partner."
"I'm not sorry, and my name is Howle Druze. This is my…….see aforementioned titles." she finished flatly.
"Remus Lupin." The brown haired one started, being the closest.
"James Potter." The boy with glasses said.
"Sirius Black." the one with longer hair introduced himself.
"My name is Peter." the last boy in the back said quietly.
"What?" Dahlia leaned forward slightly.
"Peter Pettigrew." Remus said. "He's kind of quiet."
"Look who's talking." James remarked.
"Hey…" Sirius said, "aren't you the one with the chimera?"
"Nope." Howle said. "Do you see a chimera? Don't you know chimeras don't live on trains?"
"Especially when that's where they belong." Dahlia added.
"Exactly." Howle said. Simultaneously, the two turned and linked elbows, and headed for the nearest thestral-pulled cart.
"Eh…" James said.
"Have any of you seen them before?" Sirius asked.
"Nope." James replied.
"Not me." Remus answered.
"So these loonies are first years?"
"It seems so." Remus said.
"I think they're too loony for first years. They might even out-loony me!"
"Doubtful." Remus muttered.
"I heard that Moony." The four headed to a cart.