Author's Note: So I barely have this story planned out and we're just gonna wing it. Stick with me here!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Vienna:

I looked out of the bright expanse of land the train was crossing. I had to admit it was amazing, but nothing compared to back home. What am I doing? I asked myself. I don't owe this people anything. It was true, I had come all the way here from America on a request from their Headmistress. Apparently the school was having a hard time healing after their war. The idea was I would be a foreign exchange student who wouldn't have a house and I would try to promote house unity among the students. At first I had said no, but my parents had told me it would be a great distraction after all that had happened to me. Finally, I had agreed.

"Is the compartment taken?" I looked up carefully.

Before me stood eight people, all war heroes or whatever. I shook my head. They hurried into the compartment before slamming the door behind them. I looked up again to find them all staring at me. I knew I must look strange with my dangling American flag earrings and bullet shaped locket, along with my blond hair tied back with a red bow. Also along with the fact that while they were all dressed in school robes when I was wearing a white shirt that had my softball team logo on it, dark wash jeans, and red flip flops.

"Find something amusing?" I snapped menacingly.

They shook their heads. I glared at each one of them in turn.

"Hello, there." One of them finally spoke up.

I surveyed him closely. "Who are you?" I finally asked.

They all looked at me in disbelief.

"Surely you've heard of Harry Potter." Said the red-headed girl who was sitting next to him.

I thought for a long moment. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"War hero, defeated Lord Voldemort?" She tried again.

I shook my head no.

"Everyone has heard of him." A blond headed boy remarked looking surprised.

"Sounds uninteresting." I said beginning to flip open my novel.

"You like to read?" The brunette asked.

"Yes." Was my short reply.

"What kinds of books?" Was her next question.

"Mainly war novels, but historical books are just as good." I replied stiffly.

"Pearl Harbor?" She said reading off the title. "What is that about?"

Now it was my turn to be shocked.

"You've never heard of Pearl Harbor?"

"Isn't it American or something?" Someone else chirped in.

"It's a truly amazing story." I sighed. That seemed to generate their interest. "Well you see during World War II…"

When I had finished they all sat in silence, absorbing everything I had just told them.

"Wow…so it that were you're from?"

I rolled my eyes while I played with my necklace.

"Of course it is!" I exclaimed.

"Then why are you here?" The brunette asked me.

I didn't like her very much to be quite honest. She asked way too many questions.

"I can't tell you." I said turning a page in my book while propping up my feet.

"Why not?" She asked again.

"Official business." I snapped.

"What kind of official business?" She prodded.

Didn't the girl ever take a hint?

"It doesn't involve you so I'm not going to tell you." Annoyed I slammed my book shut.

That shut her up.

After a few minutes of tense silence the boy named Harry asked, "So what's your name, America?"

A couple people laughed. I huffed and looked up.

"Vienna." I told him.

"Just Vienna?" He asked confused.

"If I told you anything more, I'd have to kill you." I warned. "Not that I wouldn't mind."

A couple more people laughed. I smirked, quite pleased with myself.

"So what part of America are you from?" The red-headed guy asked.

"I can't tell you exactly, all I'm aloud to say is wine country."

"Isn't that what your name means?" The brunette asked speaking up again.

"Yes, I was named after my homeland and for my father's mother." As an afterthought I added, "She was an amazing person and nurse too."

"She sounds wonderful." A raven-haired girl said, obviously trying to make peace.

"Anything else you can tell us?" The Italian looking boy asked.

I was sick of all these questions.

"I think that is enough for now." I said with a sense of finality.

"Americans are so stubborn." The blond-headed boy muttered.

My head snapped up at the comment.

"We might be stubborn but we have lost so much, more than you would understand." I glared, daring him to talk back.

"We've lost more these past years than you ever have." The boy snapped.

"You know nothing about me or any other American, so why don't you just shut it?" I replied sharply.

The person next to me rested their hand on top of mine, I pulled away.

"Please excuse me." I said grabbing my purse before escaping out of the apartment.

X0x0x0x0x

Later that night as we sat around the long tables waiting for the feast to begin McGonagall asked me to stand. I did slowly.

"This is Vienna. She's come all the way here from America to attend our school and help us after the war. Please give her a warm welcome." McGonagall said as she introduced me.

During her speech my cell phone rang in my pocket. I slowly slid it out and checked the number.

"Excuse me for just a moment." I said holding putting the phone to my ear and hurrying out of the Great Hall.

"Vienna?" The voice asked frantically.

"Yes? Who is this?"

"Chelsea." The voice replied.

"Chelsea? Is something wrong?"

"Yes. I'm sorry to inform you that…that my brother…" She began to choke on her words.

"Oh, Chelsea." I sighed. "What is it?"

She sniffled.

"He's missing. Miles is missing."

"What do you mean…missing?"

"The military just informed us…he's MIA."

I took a sharp breath. "That's not possible."

I closed my eyes tightly and opened them, hoping everything would disappear. But I knew that wouldn't happen. Chelsea was bawling on the other end of the phone.

"I just wanted to let you know…he really loved you. There's a letter he wanted me to give to you if anything happened to him. I sent it by owl as soon as I found out. Oh gosh, Vienna, I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed trying to pull herself together.

I was crying now too. "How long have you known?" Was my reply.

"A few hours, I just couldn't work up the courage to call you. I didn't want to tell you…it was like, if I did it would actually be real. Not the dream I was hoping it would be."

"I should be there right now," I said after a few minutes. "I should be with you and your family. I should have been there when you received the letter. I should have written more often, I should have…"

"Oh Vienna! This isn't your fault and you know how the mail is. It seems like no matter how much you write you don't get a quick reply."

"I know it's just that…I miss him so much."

"I do too, Vienna."

"He always wanted to fly." I said laughing at the memory of the first time he told me. He'd acted like a small child, showing the motions with his hands and even making noises to go along. "That's all he'd ever wanted, to fly and to fight."

"I know Vienna. He was amazing at both, and if I know him he hasn't given up yet."

"He never was one to go down without a fight."

"Remember that, Vienna. Always remember that."

"Why?"

"Because you will need to one day. Trust me."

I nodded even though she couldn't see me, then hung up. I tilted my head towards the sky and looked up at the strange ceiling. This isn't my home. This isn't me. What am I doing here? This wasn't part of the plan.