Hogwarts: The beginning of terms...

Fae Youngblood closed her trunk with a loud BANG! This is it! The day she'd been praying for all summer. Finally, she was going back to Hogwarts for her fifth year. She'd been waiting for an escape from this gloomy house with her father. She'd had her trunk packed for weeks, and she'd gotten her books the day that she got her list. She's just rechecked over her list of things she needed to bring. It was about the fifteenth time that she'd gone through her trunk when she heard a light tap on her door.

She eagerly pulled the door to her bedroom open. Her bright smile looked out of place in the glum house and next to her father's dull face. He hadn't been the same since her mother died...

"Ready to go, Father?" Fae asked excitedly. He responded with only a nod. She grabbed her trunk and ran down the stairs with it, sending echoes through the empty house. She held out her hand and her father slowly took it. They apparated to the train station. Fae let out an excited squeal and ran over to her friends. They all walked through Platform Nine and Three- Quarters together. She looked around her circle of friends. There was Andreas, Luis, Evelyn, and Belle. When they caught sight of Fae rushing their way, they all turned and welcomed her in a warm embrace. Evelyn was jumping up and down waiting to tell Fae all about her summer.

Luis patted Fae on the back, "Hey! We missed you! I was so lonely! Spent most of my summer with Belle, over there! Don't ever leave me again, Fae!" Belle pretended to be hurt my his statement, and they all had a big round of laughs. Belle had gotten together with Luis before fourth year ended. They were perfect for each other. Fae was happy for them both. Belle had been one of her best friends since first year, and Luis was practically like Fae's older brother.

Andreas opened his arms, silently asking Fae for a hug. She was happy to oblige, and she gave him a friendly hug. Andreas smiled to himself. He had had a crush on Fae since third year, only problem was, no one knew it. Andreas was Fae's best friend, even before Hogwarts. Andreas family and Fae's family were very close.

There was a lot of chatter that was soon interrupted by a familiar whistle. The train was almost ready to depart. She looked over just in time to see her dad walk away without so much as a goodbye. She felt her heart ache. However, Andreas mother, Mrs. Turner, treated Fae like her own daughter.

Mrs. Turner gave Fae a tight hug and said, "So glad to see you, dear. We would have loved to have had you stay with us over the summer, but we had to go out of the country with Mr. Turner."

Fae wished that she could have stayed with Andreas and his parents over the summer. Being home was like being in prison... Her father only let her send one owl a week. "I understand Mrs. Turner! Thank you, though." The whistle blew again and everyone grabbed their trunks. Fae, Andreas, Luis, Belle, and Evelyn found a few empty booths in the train and sat down. Fae sat awkwardly while, what seemed like every other student onboard, hung out the window waving and shouting out last goodbyes to their parents. They all stared out the window at the countryside that was rolling by.

Then, Belle broke the silence. "ANDREAS TURNER! I AM APPALLED BY YOU!" Everyone jumped from their seats and glared at Belle, who was wearing an innocent grin. "Well, look at him," she said. "He's dressed like this is the 1930's! Get with the decade, Turner! This is the 1940's. Got it?'

Everyone was cracking up laughing and Andreas blushed a light pink and looked down at his clothes, "Doesn't matter... We are going to get into our robes soon, anyway."

Fae caught her breath and decided to change the subject, for Andreas' sake. "Who's hungry? Chocolate frogs are on me!" Everyone raised their hands immediately. Fae chuckled and stood up. She walked down the train cars in search of the candy cart.

Syrin Goldry was sitting in the back of a train cart. She sighed as she watched some other Slytherin girls talk and gossip. She smiled slightly imaging what it would be like to have friends like that. She was tired of being lonely! She made up her mind that this year she was going to get a real friend. Not like the girls that you just have polite conversation with... She wanted a friend that she could tell everything to. A friend to laugh and cry with. A friend who would stay by her side no matter what. She could feel it in the air. This was a year for change.

Syrin suddenly felt very uncomfortable as a chill ran down her spine. She tucked a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear and turned around. Her eyes met a pair of dark, cold eyes. She let out a gasp, that was Tom Riddle! She quickly turned her head away. Syrin had secretly had a crush on him for the past few years. But then again, what girl didn't have a crush on Tom Riddle. He was smart, mysterious, and breathtakingly handsome. She couldn't deal with it anymore. She never had good people skills, and talking to boys made her even more nervous. She had to get out of there.

She got up from her seat and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Syrin walked over to the door and went down the aisle. She walked through some other cabins in the train. She found it funny how the houses separated themselves even before they got to their tables at the Great Hall. She went down a cart filled with Hufflepuffs and scoffed to herself. She'd always had a dislike for the girls in Hufflepuff. Next she crossed a group of Ravenclaws, and she finally found the snack cart in a train car full of Gryffindors.

Syrin approached the lady driving the snack cart and asked for a chocolate frog. She took the candy, paid, and spun around, butting heads with a girl who was walking behind her. They both fell onto the ground.

"Ow... Bloody hell...," Syrin groaned while rubbing her head. She looked ahead and saw she had run into another girl that she'd recognized as a Ravenclaw.

"I'm so sorry! I should pay more attention. I've never been very good at walking," Fae said.

"It's fine," Syrin mumbled as she stood up.

Fae handed Syrin the chocolate frog that she'd dropped. "Here you go. My name's Fae Youngblood, by the way." Fae said while holding out her hand.

Syrin stopped rubbing her head to shake Fae's hand. "Hello. I'm Syrin Goldry... Slytherin," she said rather shyly.

Fae smiled bent down and collected her five chocolate frogs. "Hello, Syrin. I hope I didn't hurt you."

"No I'm fine," Syrin smiled and the two walked back to the train car filled with Ravenclaws. Syrin stood awkwardly as Fae introduced her to Andreas, Belle, Evelyn, and Luis. She couldn't help but notice the way Evelyn wrinkled her nose when Fae mentioned that Syrin was a Slytherin.

Syrin mumbled, "Nice meeting you all," and she began to walk back to the door. Fae stood and grabbed Syrin's arm.

"Syrin, wait."

"What?"

Fae smiled brightly, "Why don't you sit with us? I mean, unless you have other people you'd rather sit with..."

Syrin, rather shocked by her offer, stood there blankly for a moment.

"I mean if you don't want to, it's fine!" Fae blurted out.

"N-No... I'd love to!"

"Great!" Fae said as she yanked Syrin down into the booth.

Syrin gradually grew less shy around Fae's group of friends and they were all laughing together by the time the train stopped at Hogwarts. Yes... Syrin thought to herself... This is the year for change.