Right, it's me PolgaraSorceress. I forgot to do a disclaimer, so here it is- I own nothing here except Harper. By the way, this is set the September after Red Knight. I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as possible.

Thanks to moowashere14- she faved chapter one after it hadn't even been up for a day! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

Right. Yeah. So. On with chapter 2!

Once everyone was in the dining hall, they found themselves moving into their usual groups from before the holidays. Charlie, Fidelio, Billy Raven and Dagbert Endless sat together on the Music table, as did Emma, Tancred and Lysander on the Art table. Dr Saltweather stood up and called for silence.

'It is a pleasure to welcome you all back to the Bone Academy,' he was saying when Charlie finally started listening. 'In addition to our younger students, there is a new endowed among us. Harper Sorrows, please stand.'

A girl stood up and three thousand pairs of eyes turned to her. She had straight black hair that fell to her waist and ivory skin. Her eyes were amber- not yellow like Asa's, but a deep rich gold. She was tall and slim and wore a blue cape pinned with a gold brooch in the shape of a harp.

'Dagbert Endless, Charlie Bone, you are both in music and in the same year, so I expect you to look after Harper. Show her where to go and make sure she doesn't get into trouble. Ms Sorrows, you may sit down.'

The girl nodded to the top table and sat gracefully. Charlie nudged Dagbert. 'Well, Dag? What d'you think of the new girl?'

'I wonder what her endowment is,' Dagbert murmured, not taking his eyes off her. 'Fire, maybe, with those eyes. That would be a shame.'

'Why?' asked Charlie, more than slightly startled by the change in his friend.

Dagbert quickly snapped out of it. 'Because I'm water of course. We'd clash like hell, and I don't need any more of that. Not after last year. Not after my father…' He didn't finish but Charlie understood. When the children were finally dismissed the boys hurried over to where the new girl was sat.

'You're Harper, right?'

'Yeah. Harper Sorrows. Weird name, I guess, but…' she fingered her brooch. 'I kinda like it.'

'All the endowed have unusual names,' Dagbert said with a shrug. 'Take me, for example. Dagbert Endless, anyone?'

Harper laughed. 'I see what you mean. So… if you're Dagbert, that must mean you're Charlie Bone.'

'Guilty as charged,' Charlie said with a grin.

'So,' she asked. 'What do we do now? Do we go to lessons or what?'

'Normally we would have two hours of homework in the King's room with the rest of the endowed.' Dagbert told her.

'But seen as we haven't had any lessons we'll just go up there and talk.' Charlie completed.

'Right,' Harper laughed. 'Let's go introduce me, shall we?'