Harry wandered through the Hogwarts Express, scarcely noticing Ron and Hermione's attempts to talk to him.

Mrs Weasley and a few other members of the Order had come to see them off, but Harry couldn't help remembering the big black dog that had raced after the train last year. Gone, disappearing over the horizon of his life as surely as he'd disappeared when the train steamed out of the station.

Ron and Hermione had stopped trying to talk to him now, instead pushing open a comportment door and pulling the trunks inside.

"Hey Harry! This one's empty, look!" Ron called, shoving Pig's empty cage into the rack.

"What was that?" a frosty voice inquired, as the girl who had been sitting unobserved in the corner raised her head, thick sable curls falling away from her face. Baleful golden eyes glared at the trio, hesitated for a split second on Harry's scar, then dropped back down to her book. "Whatever. It's not that important anyway." She drew her legs up under her and withdrew into a cocoon of silence.

"Are you new?" Hermione inquired, noting the girl's unadorned robes and lack of house badge. "Hogwarts doesn't get many new students. People tend to stay at the same wizarding school, I read about it in Wizarding Schools of Europe."

The mystery girl let out an annoyed sigh. "My name is Sabina Redgrove. I transferred from Durmstrang because my father didn't want me attending that school anymore. I will be in sixth year. Are you satisfied?" She ducked her head again, obviously not wanting to speak with them anymore.

"What, because of Karkaroff?" Ron asked.

Sabina hesitated and said slowly, "Partly..." Catching herself, she ducked her head back down to her book and let those soft ebony coloured curls fall over her face again.

Through the trio tried to speak to Sabina often as the train steamed onwards, they only received monosyllabic answers or empty silence. But long after Hermione and Ron tired of Sabina, and sat discussing Arithmancy, Harry watched those sooty curls hang over the pale face and was drawn to this strange, silent girl.

He was still musing on her as he sat at the Gryffindor table, chewing listlessly at a forkful of beef, and watching the Sorting. "Ravington, Daisy!"

"Ravenclaw!"

"Redgrove, Sabina!"

Harry's head snapped up as Sabina uncoiled from among the first years, rising to her full height and stalking to the stool, her robes swaying around her pale knees. She slumped down on it and pulled the hat over her head. To his surprise, she cast a glance at him under shadowy eyelashes as the hat dropped over her head.

The hat mused for a long time. Seconds slipped away, and he saw Sabina's elegant long fingers knotting in her lap. "Gryffindor!" the hat cried finally, and McGonagall lifted it off her head. Harry blinked.

Sabina's enigmatic golden eyes had widened, candlelight dancing in their depths, and her pearly teeth bit into her lower lip. Slowly, oh-so-slowly, she rose and walked to the Gryffindor tale, as they cheered. She slid into a seat, hands still trembling, and stared at the coffeepot. Then, so quickly Harry thought he might of imagined it, her head flicked up and she shot him a wicked, mischievous smile.