"Surprisingly enough, I wasn't expecting this," my voice is hard to hear over the sounds of people talking and laughing, owls toads and cats, people shouting across the platform to their friends or waving good-bye to their parents, and the large red train which is blowing smoke across the whole scene.

Albus laughs. "Most first years aren't."

"Uh...first year?" I ask.

"Well...yeah," Albus says with a slightly puzzled expression, "You're starting you're first year at Hogwarts, right?"

"Me? No!" I exclaim.

"What?"

"I'm in my fifth year," I say in a No Duh! way.

"What? Really? That's impossible."

"Huhuh, no," I lift my cap off my head entirely for the first time so he can actually see my face, "Do I look like a first year to you?"

Albus is shocked into silence. I rearrange my side pony and blow some stray hairs out of my face before replacing the hat on to my head.

"S...I'm Sorry. You're just so small...and you didn't really know you're way around...I just thought you were a first year who was a bit on the tall side." Albus blushed.

I cocked my eyebrows. "Small?"

"Well...not small...you know...just a little...shorter than the average height...not that you aren't average I mean you're very average... above average even...but you're just a little shorter than most people in fifth year would be,"

This kid wasn't doing great in my books. He's one to talk, he's a giant! He must be at least four or five inches taller than me. No wonder I looked small to him. In my opinion I am not small. I am of normal height.

I frown and crinkle my nose.

"Look, don't be offended. Being a Shorty isn't anything to worry about," he laughs, "not at Hogwarts anyways. You'll have a lot of other things to watch out for."

SHORTY?? UGH! mentally stamps foot and marches around blowing fire out of nose I WILL NOT BE CALLED "SHORTY"!

"Nuh-uh bud. You did not just call me Shorty," I glare up at him, "But you did. You see, I thought you did. Well I can't exactly say this has been a pleasant experience but sayonara buster."

I stomp aimlessly into the smoke in the direction of the train. Then, realizing that Albus still has my other cart, I double back.

And to my great misfortune he is no longer there. How did that happen? I look around my direct vicinity. Nope. No uber tall people around here. Well...actually, Albus' brother is standing a few feet from me. Looking at me. He has got to stop doing that.

I walk over to him.

"Uh...excuse me...you're Albus' brother, right?" I ask.

"Yeah. James Potter at your service." He brushes his hand through his hair and leans back giving a lazy smile as if waiting for me to faint at his presence. Egomaniac.

"Um, did you see where your brother went? He was just standing right behind me."

"Oh," James says, "Him."

I don't like this kid already. He spoke as if his brother was the bane of his existence. And I could tell he thought I should be more impressed by him. I can already tell how full of himself he is. Probably stands admiring himself in the mirror in his spare time. Also, he obviously thinks everybody else is lesser than him just because he's him. I can tell because so far he's been having a conversation with my jean-clad legs.

"Yeah...I think he went off somewhere that way," he points lazily in the direction of a nearby wall, "So...you're new I here I guess."

"Uh...yes, yes I am. How did you know that?" I asked. Albus had mistaken me for a first year, so how had I made a different and more sensical impression on this dufus?

"Oh, I was listening to you talk to my brother," he said without shame. That explains it!

"You know it's rude to eavesdrop."

"Yeah...your point?"

My temper was starting to fizz a little. "Look, your brother took off with my stuff so can you either help me find him or tell me where to go to get to somebody who can."

"Just come with me on to the train. My brother will have put it with the other luggage. It will be in your dormitory when you get to school."

"Oh...well in that case I suppose I could probably get on to the train myself. I don't need your assistance."

"But wouldn't it be nice to have the company? It looks to me like me and my brother are the only ones you know at this school and having just moved in fifth year...it could be difficult to even find a compartment for you." He said with what I easily detected as fake concern.

The idiot was trying to use the popularity card on me. He must think I am desperate for friends and would be utterly humiliated if I had no one to sit with. To the contrary, I would probably be glad to be just left well alone for the rest of eternity. It is tough trying to pretend to be civil to people all the time. It would be so much easier to be a loner. And as Lexa always said, 'Loners get more ice cream.'

I felt a pang of sadness at the thought of Lexa. I missed her and her silliness. I'm thinking of the time she told me that saying.

"What?" I had asked.

"You heard me. Loners get more ice cream." Lexa said with a grin.

"How do you work that out?"

"If you're a loner you don't have any friends you need to share your ice cream with. It's a you win some you lose some sitiation,"

Eel and I had looked at her as if she were insane. Then again, that's how we always looked at her so there wasn't much of a fuss to be made. After a few moments Eel started to chuckle at Lexa. After a while we were all cracking up. It was so stupid it was funny.

Good times, good times, I thought.

Out loud I said, "No,'s okay. I'll be fine on my own."

"No," James said, "I insist."

"Look, I don't want to go sit with you. I'll be fine on my own."

James looked completely POd. He obviously wasn't used to people telling him no. Well, now he knows me. He's gunna have to get used to it because for as long as I am still in my right mind, I will always say no to him.

One of his friends walked over to him. His friend had shaggy dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was totally riding the whole surfer boy look. He gave me a quick glance and then looked back to James' face.

"Yo, man. What's happenin here?" I rolled my eyes.

"Nothing. Just another wannabe who's not worth my time." James snarled at me then turned around and headed off, not caring if Bubblehead Surfer boy followed him or not, but obviously expecting it. Surfer boy gave me one last glance and then followed after his master like a lost puppy.

"Ugh," I groaned in utter disgust.

I headed off towards the train.

After unloading my entire luggage (except my music case, which I now held protectively to my side) I went to find a compartment. By now almost all of the students had taken seats. I walked past several cars that were completely filled up. Finally at the last car there was a compartment with only a girl and a boy sitting in it. The girl had light brown hair with neon green tips. The boy had long black hair that fell over his eyes sloppily. They were both wearing school robes, which were hideous and to my dismay I realized I would also fall victim to this cruel uniform.

On the corner of both the robes was a dark green snake on a silver and green backdrop. Their ties were also silver and green. I didn't know what the houses were like here but snakes are usually the bad ones. Sadly there were no other compartments so I rapped on the window.

The girl didn't look up but kept scribbling manically in a notebook. The boy shifted his gaze lazily from the window to my face behind the glass. He nodded his head for me to come in and state my purpose.

"Hi. There are, um, no other compartments so I was wondering whether I could sit here or not," I said rather quietly.

The boy nodded. The girl still didn't look up. I took this as a yes.

I sat down opposite from the both by the window using up as little space as possible. My music however was another story. I refused to squish it away in a corner. Or even in the small luggage rack above us. That was out of the question. I placed it delicately on the seat beside me like you would place a newborn baby.

"Who are you?" The boy asked softly. His voice had a certain subtle roughness to it but also very quiet and dark. The English accent was tainted with something else as well. I couldn't put my finger on it. Irish maybe? Whatever it was it was quite beautiful.

"I'm Eddy," I said. Out of habit there was a tone of finality to it and a bit of spite.

"Eddy's an odd name," he said. I shrugged.

"What's your name then?"

"It's Eddy actually. Short for Edmond,"

I crinkled my nose. Another Eddy? He totally stole my thing. Maybe I should spell mine with an I or something. I think Eddy short for Editha is supposed to be spelled with an i anyways.

"What's your name short for?" he asked.

"It's not. My name is Eddy," I replied.

"Your parents actually named you Eddy?"

"Sure, why not? They were taking magic seeds or something,"

Eddy 2 looked at me strangely. Nope. In my mind he shall be called Edmond. It's annoying saying Eddy 2.

"I'm Pheobe if anybody gives a shit," the girl with neon green hair tips said still scribbling like her life depended on it, "Nice to meet you Eddy not Edmond-Eddy Eddy,"

"Uh...nice to meet you too," I said politely.

"So, why are you here?" Edmond asked flatly.

"Uh..." trick question? "There were no other compartments?"

"Your point? Why'd you sit with us?"

"Um...because there's only two of you in here so I thought you'd have room to spare. If it's too much I could leave," I offered.

"No, I mean why did you sit with us? Most people would rather be fed to the giant squid than get anywhere near us and here you are within mere feet of us,"

"What Eddy means," Pheobe said, "is that we're not exactly 'liked' by people who are still in ownership of their brains."

"No, what Eddy means is that people avoid us like the plague," Edmond said.

"Oh...that's nice," I say.

Edmond looks at me expectantly. Pheobe scribbles more slowly, but refuses to look up from the notebook.

"So...when's the running and screaming going to start?" Edmond finally asks.

"Um...never?"

"You're weird,'

"Same to you," I mutter under my breath.

For the first time since I have arrived Pheobe looks up. Her face is quite dramatic. High cheekbones, a sharp buttony nose, small blood red lips and strangest of all bright orange eyes. She looks at me incredulously.

"Are you serious?" she asks.

"Oops," Understatement, "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to like call you weird or whatever. Didn't think you could hear," I say.

"No, no, not that. It's just...I've never had anyone back talk us before. This is new," she smirked, "I like you already."

"Ookaay then," I say.

Pheobe returns to her scribbling. Edmond sits and stares at me questioningly. After a few moments of this I turn to my music case and open it up. I take out my walkman and pop in my Evanescence CD.

No matter what, Amy Lee's voice can always soothe me. I can feel every word she sings like they're my own emotions. Soon I've fallen asleep listening to the soundtrack of my life.

--/\--

"Wake up," a voice said through sleep mist.

"Get out of my room," I said groggily.

"Eddy, wake up,"

"No, you get out of my room!"

"Eddy!"

I open my eyes. Then I jump back. Barely inches away from my face are Edmond's chocolate brown eyes. His hand is outstretched and shaking my shoulder. Behind him Pheobe is standing up, looking at me, her notebook tucked under one arm.

When I jumped back someone's cloak fell off me and onto the floor. I realized either Edmond or Pheobe must've covered me while I slept. I feel loved.

"We're gunna be there in fifteen minutes," Edmond said, breath sweet in my face, "Better put on your robes."

"I don't have any robes," and hopefully I never will. Those things are hideous.

He looked at me confusedly. "Why don't you have any robes?" he asked.

"Cause I didn't get any yet. I just transferred," I explained.

"What? Really? How old are you?" Pheobe asked from behind Edmond.

"I'm fifteen."

"Huh," Pheobe said, "Well waddya know. Here I was thinking you were just a tall first year."

"Yeah," I said through gritted teeth, "I've gotten that before."

"Well, you can borrow a pair of Pheobe's then," said Edmond, "She won't mind sharing."

"Yes she wi—"Pheobe began to protest but Edmond held up a hand to silence her.

"She won't mind," he repeated.

Pheobe grumbled something then pulled out some robes for me. My face twisted in distaste but I quickly recomposed my face to one of delight.

"Thank you," I said.

I waited for them to leave the compartment so I could change. They just sat there.

"I'm going to change now," I said slowly. They still didn't clue in.

"I'm going to take off my clothes and change into these new ones now," I said just as slowly.

"Oh!" they said in unison.

"Sorry. It's just Pheobe and I are brother and sister and we're not used to that."

They left the compartment. I sat there for a moment shocked at how two people who looked so little alike could be related, and then disgusted at how they didn't give each other privacy to change, siblings or not. Then I started getting changed into Pheobe's robes.

They were pretty big on me. The collar which looked high and stiff on Pheobe revealed much of my collar bone and the skirt dipped low on the waist and went down past my knees. I looked as if I were drowning in my clothes.

I pulled my poor boy cap back on and opened the door. Instead of Pheobe and Edmond though, I saw Albus.

"You took off on me," I said.

"Me? You took off on me if I recall."

"Yeah, well I turned around. You'd already disappeared by then."

James just rolled his eyes.

"Come on, let's get off this train," he said.

Just then I realized that the train was no longer moving and that we must have arrived.

I walked to the window like a curious little child. I stared at the sight before me for a long time contemplating.

Turrets rose above a dreary black lake. Candle light flickered in most of the windows casting eerie flickers of light across the grounds. Trees reached menacingly from the forests, trying to gobble the whole landscape up. Birds fluttered up in random places among the trees showing lots of activity even 

at this ungodly hour. I could just barely make out the outline of a goal hoop on the quidditch pitch behind the castle. Instead of the cheery feeling I always got from quidditch this brought on a feeling like I was going to be sick.

"...It's the magical boarding school from hell," I said with dread.