"Yeah," I said, but chose not to reveal it. The guy's accent was really throwing me off. It was just so different from everyone I knew.

"I'm Brynn Jordan. This is Ashlynn Malfoy, and that's Cale Avery."

"Nice to meet you, Brynn, Ashlynn, Cale." He nodded at us all in turn and slid into the seat opposite me.

"It's Malfoy to you," I said darkly. I hated when I didn't get the respect I deserved. Sir and Nana thought I was just a little pawn in their games of power, but I would show them. I just had to figure out a good plan.

"Seriously? You go by your last names?"

I sneered at him. "Got a problem with that?"

"It's a bit stupid, don't ya think? I mean, do you have a sibling?"

"Yes," I answered curtly, wondering where this was leading to.

"Well, what if you're standing next to your... brother?" I nodded. "Okay, say you're standing next to your brother, and all of a sudden Brynn, here, wants to get your attention. She calls 'Malfoy,' but then both of you turn around. What then?"

"Brynn is my best friend. She doesn't have to call me Malfoy." I sighed. This guy was either a complete idiot or really smart and hated being wrong. I supposed I would have to wait to find out. Then, I would decide if he was worth my time.

He sighed too, exasperated my me. "Well, say someone whose not your best friend. See how that could be a problem?"

I chose to ignore his valid point by bring up one of my own. "There are two Hanna's in our year. Explain that to me."

"Fair point, Malfoy."

I wish I could strangle the guy or at least perform one of my signature hexes on him, but of course I couldn't because that would be childish, and I was a prefect.

"So, what house are you going to be in?" Keaton asked to break the tension.

"What house?" He looked utterly confused. Ha. Something I knew that he didn't. Score One for me. I smiled smugly, pleased with myself.

"You know like Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin," Jaxon explained.

"Oh, what are those like?"

"Well, Gryffindors are brave," Jaxon said, and Keaton had to add, "Woot, woot."

"Jaxon and Keaton are in Gryffindor with me," Brynn said. She was always so nice to everyone until they did something to get on her bad side. Triss for example. "Hufflepuffs are supposed to be hardworking and loyal."

"Jazz is a Hufflepuff. He's the perfect example. He's crazy hardworking," Jaxon said.

"Ravenclaws are really smart, like those two girls we were talking about, Bekki and Rikky," Brynn added.

"When were you talking about that?"

"Right when you walked in and interrupted," I said, smiling in a completely fake nice way.

"Okay, so that's three houses. What's the last one, Slytherin, like?"

"Slytherin is the best house," I said, pleased with myself. "Only those who have great ambitions and are willing to do anything to reach them get in. Plus it helps to be pure-blood."

"I'm assuming that you're in that house."

"Of course. So is Cale."

"Yeeah."

"Everyone used to hate Slytherin because all the Death Eaters were from it, but now we are the best house. A lot of people are in the same house as their parents, but of course that wouldn't help you since you're from the U.S."

"Yup. Cali. What are Death Eaters?"

Jaxon and Keaton had gotten bored of our conversation and were currently in a heated quidditch team argument, but at his question swiveled their heads around to gape at him. Brynn and Cale did the same.

"Does your family live under a rock or something?" Brynn asked incredulously.

"No."

"Haven't you heard of Lord Voldemort?" I asked. Children of our age had been brought up taught not to flinch at the name because of Harry Potter's example.

"I think so. Didn't he terrorize Britain in the late 1900's? Killing a bunch of Muggles?"

"Exactly," Brynn said. "His followers were known as the Death Eaters, and most of them came from Slytherin, giving it a bad reputation."

"Oh, so were your ancestors Death Eaters?" he asked me.

For a moment I was in too much of a state of shock to be offended, but anger quickly came over me. My hand slipped instantly to the wand in the back pocket of my jeans. Soon I was brandishing it threateningly in his face.

"Ash, calm down." Cale put a hand on my shoulder, but I couldn't calm down. That boy had just accused me of such a crime, like I was a bloody Death Eater. How dare he? It was true that Sir, Nana, and Grandfather had been Death Eaters, but they were good in the end.

"I was just asking a question." He raised his hands in the air, but I could see his eyes flicking from me to his pocket where I assumed his wand was hidden.

I glared hatefully at him. "A question? Come on. How dumb do you think I am? You implied- You accused-" but the rage had gotten the best of me, and I couldn't explain it anymore.

"I wasn't. I swear." Liar.

Brynn sighed. "What she means is accusing someone of having Death Eater heritage is the same as saying that they are one, and it's often used as an insult these days."

"Oh, well, I'm really sorry, Ashlynn. I was just curious because you don't seem the type to be apart of that kind of thing."

"Malfoy," I said through gritted teeth. I needed to cool off, so I asked Brynn, "Is it time to go to the prefects carriage yet?"

Brynn did a little spell and replied, "Yeah."

"Come on, Cale," I said, standing up. "We can leave Jaxon and Keaton to entertain..." I didn't remember his name. He'd never said, and I hadn't bothered to listen to Jaxon earlier because I'd thought he'd made him up.

"Holden," he supplied.

"Last name," I said.

"Chase."

"Okay, Chase, you can stay here with Jaxon and Keaton while Brynn, Cale, and I go to the prefects compartment." I walked out the door before he could say anything more.

"You okay, Ash?" Brynn asked worriedly when she'd joined me in the aisle.

"Yeah. I guess."

"That was rather rude of him," Cale commented.

"Well, you've got to cut the kid some slack. He's from the U.S. How's he supposed to know much?" Brynn pointed out, but I didn't really want to cut him slack. He deserved what he got.

"I suppose, but that was still inappropriate."

"Cale, you're too formal and odd."

"Thanks, Brynn."

"My pleasure, Cale."

At that moment two little balls of crazed energy with flaming red hair sprinted down the hall and barreled straight into Cale who staggered over, holding the wall for support. Brynn sniggered, and I suppressed a grin.

Elle and Eryn, my fourth year cousins, smiled evilly up at me. They weren't really my cousins, but their grandfather was Grandpa's brother. I wasn't quite sure what that made them, but I didn't think anyone else knew either. Just like how Xander's father, Uncle Albus, was my "uncle" even though he was really Mum's cousin.

I gave them a stern look. "Watch where you're going," but they could tell I wasn't serious. Some prefect I was turning out to be.

"Okay, Ashy!" they said in unison. They darted off in a rush, taking their signature Weasley hair that neither Jett nor I inherited and mischievous green eyes with them. I grimaced at the old nickname that Xander had come up for me when he was younger.

"Your cousins are mental," Cale commented.

"I know."

"Hullo, Ashy." I frowned yet again at my "cousin," Xander. "How was your summer?" His long lanky figure was framed in the doorway, and his jet black hair fell into his hazel eyes. He was identical to Uncle Albus, which was only a little bit creepy. He was obviously a lot younger looking and gorgeous. I was sure that if he wasn't related to me I would have had a huge crush on him.

"Good thanks." I spied a gleaming badge on his chest. "Congratulations, Head Boy."

He blushed. "Oh, um, thanks."

"Of course you got it. Why are you so surprised? All the teachers love you. Especially McGonagall, and the Headmistress's vote is the one that counts right?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

"Hi, Xander," Brynn said, beaming.

"Hi, Jordan. Avery."

"Oy, Potter!" Rachelle yelled from inside the compartment. "Quit mingling and help me start this thing!"

I noticed she also had a new shining badge pinned onto her robes.

"Oh, well. Gotta run. See you." Xander turned quickly to join Rachelle to bring all the new fifth year prefects into the loop.

"Your cousin's strange," Cale said.

"I know, but seriously, it must be hard if your grandfather is the Boy Who Lived."

Cale shrugged and followed Brynn into the cramped compartment. I followed suit and squished myself in with the rest of them.

Rachell cleared her throat to quiet the rowdy fifth years. "Attention."

A couple of the boys ignored her. One of them I recognized as Thom Finnegan, Bekki's cousin, and the other was none other than my brother, Jett. "Oy, you, Finnegan. Jett." Xander glared down at the three of them. The third was a Slytherin boy in Jett's year, but I didn't know his name.

I turned away. I did not want to be associated with him. Honestly, Jett was so stupid sometimes, but also extremely clever because he noticed my attempts to hide and yelled, "Hey, sis!"

I glowered at him. "Hi," I said through gritted teeth.

"I've gotta give it to him. Your brother's smart," Cale muttered in my ear.

He was. No wonder he was in Ravenclaw.

"Hey, hey. Everyone calm down." Rachelle was now glaring at anyone who dared to make eye contact with her. "Pay attention or I'll get your badge revoked." That got them all to shut up.

I stood at the side of the compartment for the next half hour pretty much tuning out everything Xander and Rachelle said. I loved them, but I knew the drill.

"Ash. Ash," Brynn said in a high pitched voice, waving a hand in front of my face. "Quit zoning. It's time to go."

"Oh, yeah, right." I joined her and Cale in the nearly empty hallway. Everyone else had left before us except Xander and Rachelle who were talking together. I had ten sickles on them getting together by the end of the month. Brynn said the end of the week, and Cale, well, he didn't have an opinion.

"So, we're patrolling the halls now?" I asked Brynn.

"Yeah." She did the little spell to see the time and added, "We should probably change into our robes soon too."

"Should we check on Jax and Keaton first? To check that the new kid hasn't tortured them," I suggested.

She shrugged. "I don't think he was that bad, ash."

"It was rude," Cale said, as we past a couple of giggling first year girls on our way back to our compartment.

"You already said that." Brynn laughed and punched his arm lightly.

"I know, but it's true." I joined in with her at this. Cale was such an idiot sometimes.

"Unless you have something original to say, Cale, don't say it," Brynn instructed.

"Sorry."

"I'm pretty sure you said that before," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Wow, Brynn. Harsh," I said, while waving to Bekki and Ricki who were sitting with Darren Smith and Jazz Longbottom.

Soon after, we ran into some girls I would've rather not met this soon. I usually needed to be heavily prepared before I could deal with them.

"Hey, Ash," Triss drawled, twirling a curly lock of blond hair around her finger. "Long time no see. How was your summer?"

"Uh, good thanks."

She was flanked on either side by two girls who were complete opposites. On her right was Jessyca Nott. She was the prettiest girl in our year by a long shot. Her glossy, straight brown hair was perfect in every way, with each and every individual strand resting perfectly in place. Her gray eyes were so fascinating that sometimes I got caught staring into them and looking like a complete fool.

Marissa on the other hand was no beauty. She wasn't ugly, but she wasn't pretty either. However she got really good marks in class, which was the only reason Triss and Jess were friends with her, and that she was a pureblood.

"Hi, Zabini," Brynn said to her icily, but gave Jessyca a genuine smile and greeting. Poor Marissa was left forgotten.

"How was your summer, Cale?" Jess asked, smiling a dazzling smile of white sparkling teeth. It reminded me of Cale's own charming one, and it occurred to me how cute they would be together. I made a mental note to tell Brynn of it later, despite the fact that I would probably forget.

"Er, good," was Cale's only response. I noticed a fain pink tinge had come to his cheeks. There was definitely something there, and I was determined to figure out what it was.