Disclaimer: Hogwarts and all the Harry Potter characters and places belong to J.K Rowling. All new characters are created by me.

I really like the idea of this fan fic so please don't copy it. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter Three

I met up with Tyler in the morning to travel to the station. Now that he had mentioned the best of his news he wanted to know why I didn't look very cheerful. I made up some lie that he didn't believe for a second but I was grateful that he accepted that I didn't want to talk about it just yet.

'This is exactly like the time you had that crush on Jerry Matthews. You didn't want to tell me because you knew I'd make fun of you,' he shrugged. 'But you told me eventually.'

We were at the station and Tyler was counting his coins while we were walking, and in his mind I knew he was consulting himself on what to get from the trolley.

'Do you ever stop thinking about food?' I asked him.

Tyler grinned and looked up at me. 'Yes. In fact, I forgot to eat the day I found out about being captain.'

'Too busy screaming it out to the whole world,' I said to him. I could just imagine Tyler going up to everyone he knew and announcing it, and then announcing it again until they gave him the right reaction.

'Not the whole world,' he said, pointing a finger at me. A couple of his coins fell to the ground. 'You are in the world and you didn't know till yesterday. I know you are complete crap at Quidditch, but you know the game well. What I really need you to do is come to the practices, and take notes.'

'Take notes?' I sounded skeptical.

'Yeah, sure. Isn't that what you're good at?' he asked me, laughing at me silently as he picked up the coins. 'So you're sure you're okay? Because I don't believe you.'

'For now, very sure. And about Jerry Matthews, I had no crush on him whatsoever,' I looked at him sternly, 'you made that up.'

Tyler just rolled his eyes and looked away, stuffing his coins into his pocket. We had arrived at the barrier to platform nine and three quarters and we saw a few of our friends passing through it, unnoticed. Greta Simmons caught our eyes and waved. Tyler gave her a smile and winked at her.

'So is that who you're going to chase this year?' I asked Tyler. 'Greta Simmons?'

'What? She's hot,' Tyler gave me the look he always does when I comment on his many girlfriends. Slightly annoyed, but slightly amused. 'Besides, I never do the chasing as you call it. So, do you want to go through the barrier first?'

'Okay, then.'

'Good luck,' he said, smirking.

I glared at him. Whenever we went through the barrier he would always bring up the way we met, and his smirk was him doing just that. I had had no idea how to get through, I had heard from someone in Diagon Alley about platform nine and three quarters, and it looked as though it didn't exist. I dared not ask about it because I knew I'd get frowned upon by one of the security men. By now I was sure the place existed after the bricks in the wall all went away at the Leaky Cauldron. It was almost eleven and I was freaking out a little bit, and deliberated trying to tap the wall between platforms nine and ten with my wand. I had wandered over to the barrier, and then Tyler appeared, out of the wall and with a yell had knocked me backwards.

'Sorry, sorry,' he had muttered. 'Please don't make a scene,' he said because I had shrieked and was backing away from him with a confrontational look on my face.

'How did you do that?' I said sharply.

'Do what?' he said, getting up and brushing the dirt off his clothes.

'Come out of the wall like a crazy person,' I said with a hard tone.

'Well I was in a rush,' he said defensively. He looked at his watch and he said to me, 'I'll be two seconds, we have about eight minutes.'

He ran off, having forgotten something and I waited opposite the barrier, trying to ignore the stern looks other people were giving me for causing a racket. I didn't have to wait very long, and there was Tyler running back. 'Okay, come on,' he said, and grabbed my arm and pulled me over to the wall.

'You're just going to drag me through the wall?' I asked with annoyed disbelief.

'Yeah,' he said, looking back at me. 'And you kind of have to do it discreetly,' he said in a slow voice. 'There are Muggles everywhere.' I felt a little bit better after he used that word, and I composed myself a little bit.

'You are going to Hogwarts aren't you?'

'Yes.' Now I was getting defensive.

He looked a little impatient and decided to push me through the wall. I gave a small scream and then I found myself at another platform, with a scarlet train occupying most of the space. Again, I was looking a little amazed at the sight and then Tyler came through the door with all of my stuff.

'Come on,' he said, 'or we're going to miss the train.'

After that point, we found a compartment and we became friends, almost inseparable. It was only last year and a little in our third year where Tyler became more interested in girls, and he got very tall quite fast and it was deemed he was the best looking in our year. After that, he spent more time with girls he fancied and less time with me. I could always tell that some of the time, Tyler did actually want to spend it with me, but his admirers didn't like me and must have felt threatened by me because I was his best girl friend.

I didn't mind too much because it wasn't for all the time and he never asked me to go away. It was obvious that that was what was needed for those girls to be happy and for Tyler not to feel uncomfortable.

I traveled through the barrier, Tyler right behind me. As soon as we got through, we saw a flood of people that we knew and a bunch of kids who were obviously first years who mirrored the look I had when I first stepped foot and this platform. Mothers and fathers were giving last minute advice, tips, and making sure their kids had everything.

'Mum,' I heard one girl say, 'just send it to me by owl if I've forgotten something, I have to go catch the train.' It looked as though she wanted to get away from the high amounts of affection parents seemed to always give while saying goodbye.

Tyler overheard too and he said, 'what happens if you forget something? It's not like your Mum can just send it back.'

'I don't forget anything.'

'Of course not,' he said under his breath. 'So you have prefect stuff, don't you?'

I nodded. 'Save me a seat with you. Not a compartment filled with loads of girls who hate me, okay?'

Tyler smiled and shook his head. 'Okay. I'll sit with the guys. Even though you are my best friend Matilda, I do have male friends.'

'God, I know. I wish some of them noticed me as girl, you know? They treat me like a guy because you don't treat me like a girl,' I said, sighing.

'Sorry,' he grinned, helping me out my bags on the train. 'But I don't treat you like a guy either, you'll be pleased know.'

I shook my head and laughed at this and out my luggage where they were supposed to go. I had no one to wave to outside so I went straight to the prefects carriage. Only one other person was there, the other fifth year prefect for Gryffindor, Lucas Michelson. I was glad that I had to do prefect duties with him and not with Henry Burton. That guy had had this crush on me since second year and had tried numerous times to get me to go out with him. He was rather short, had ginger hair and masses of freckles. Sometimes he would come to the library while I was studying and just sit opposite me, not doing any work but would just stare. After a while I stopped being nice to him and I let Tyler make fun of him a little bit in an effort to get him to stop. My annoyance at Henry greatly amused Tyler who just told me to get a boyfriend so he'd leave me alone. Somehow I didn't think that it would be that simple.

'Hello Matilda,' said Lucas, with a friendly smile.

'Hey Lucas, how was your summer?'

'Pretty good,' he said. Lucas was tall, had a nice face and was pleasant for me to be around. He was one of Tyler's friends, and the one I was most comfortable being around because he didn't treat me like another dude off the Quidditch team or something like the rest of them did, even though he was on the Quidditch team. Out of all the fifth year boys in Gryffindor there was Tyler, Lucas and Ben Howard who were on the team and they were all very good. Ben treated me like a guy friend, fist bumping me and even calling me dude. He was another one of the good looking folk who didn't fancy me because they thought me a friend.

I had given up on all the guys in Gryffindor, because that was all they saw me as, a dude, because they saw me hanging out with Tyler and his friends all the time and treated me the same as they did.

I sighed out loud and Lucas asked me if I was okay.

I smiled, 'yeah, just thinking about my single status.'

He shook his head but he was smiling, 'I swear that's all that girls think about.'

'It's not,' I assured him. 'I'm going to go change into my robes before everyone else comes here.'

'That's a good idea,' he agreed.

I went off to find my things and got changed. As I put my Muggle clothes back in my bag, I saw my St. Mary's uniform and wondered how my mother could believe I even went there. I stowed my wand in my pocket and headed out, not looking where I was going and so I bumped into someone else.

I was brought back to reality as I stumbled over, but someone held me steady by the arms.

'Oh, sorry,' I muttered, and then I looked up. I had to look up to see him because he was just as tall Tyler, had just as broad shoulders and was just as good looking, if not, more. But it was Hunter Andrews, a sixth year Slytherin.

'Um, hi,' I said, a little nervous.

He gave a small smile and let go of my arms, 'you okay? It seemed like you were lost in your own thoughts.'

'They were okay thoughts,' I said, 'so, I'm good.' I was nodding, trying to convince him that I was fine. He was someone that I didn't want to know that there was something wrong. He was a Slytherin, and he was also a very good looking Slytherin who had the most grey eyes and messy jet black hair.

'Okay then,' Hunter said. 'I'll see you around then Matilda.'

He moved around me headed down the other end of the train. My eyes followed him until he was gone and I realised how stupid I was being and quickly headed over to where the rest of the prefects were.

We were told the passwords of our common rooms and other announcements. My mind kept on wandering to my meeting with Hunter and more than once Lucas waved his hand under my face to get my attention. Again, I told myself that I was being silly. I couldn't like a Slytherin even though he was rather mysterious and what could I say, hot.

I patrolled down the corridors of the train, and then found the carriage that Tyler was in. There with him was Ben Howard, Jeff Waters in the year above us who was also in the Quidditch team last year as seeker and two girls squashed together on the seat next to Jeff, who was the skinniest out of Ben and Tyler so they all could fit on the same seat. The girls were Greta and April Skiers who were both obviously checking out Tyler and Ben with greedy eyes. They both glared at me when I opened the door and stuck my head in.

'Matilda!' said Tyler, who grinned when he saw me. 'I did save a seat for you, but these girls came in anyway.' He looked as though he didn't mind.

'Right,' I said. I looked over at Greta and April who were carefully avoiding my gaze. It didn't look as though they were going to move.

I said hello to Ben and Jeff and tried to assure Tyler that it was alright that I didn't sit with him. He did look a bit guilty as I left and I went off to find the compartment that had the rest of my friends. It pained me a little to think that all my friends were the guys off the Quidditch team, and other than Lucas they were all sitting with Tyler and those two girls I didn't like very much. The other person on the team was Jerry Matthews who last year had left too, and so I went past carriages until I found one with some girls in my year that I shared the dormitory with.

Greta, unfortunately and April were two of these girls, the other two were Rose and Alicia who were very tight nit. I didn't sit right with either pair, but at least Rose and Alicia were nice to me. I found the compartment that they were sitting in and after taking a breath, I pulled open the door.

Rose smiled when she saw me, 'oh, hey Matilda, how was your summer?'

'Alright, I suppose. I stayed at home the whole time and didn't get to see anyone. What about you?' I asked.

'It was good.'

'If you haven't seen Tyler and the rest of your guy friends, why aren't you sitting with them?' Alicia asked, a little bit resentful because I did hang out with so many guys. She had the straightest hair I had ever seen, and her brown hair went well past her shoulders. Her face was rather pale, but not so much as mine and even though she was nice and polite to me, some of the time she came across as cold.

Rose was always bright and friendly though; she had curly red hair and rosy cheeks and always was friendly to everyone. She gave Alicia a stern look in response to her cold tone towards me.

'Greta and April stole my seat, may I sit with you?' I asked.

Rose nodded almost straight away and said of course. Now it was only just the three of us in the carriage. Rose and I made polite conversation for a long while, trying to avoid Alicia's steely gaze. She had seemed to have enough if it and claimed to want to find the trolley.

Rose gave me a small smile. 'Don't worry about Alicia. She's just broken up with Jeff, and she's a little upset.'

'Oh, I didn't see that anything was wrong on Jeff's side,' I said.

'I think that's why she's a little upset, too. You'll have to forgive her.'

'Then why is she so mad at me?' I asked. 'Have I done something?'

Rose laughed quietly and shook her head. 'Oh, no, no. It's just that she's a little jealous of you.'

'Why?' I asked curiously. I didn't think that I had anything to be jealous about.

'Um,' she looked a little embarrassed. 'It's because you hang out with so many guys. And you kind of hang out with all the, you know, nice looking ones.'

'That's because I hang out with Tyler, and he hangs out with the Quidditch team, which has all the buff guys, and so of course anyone would think they're all hot,' I smiled, shaking my head. 'What, she thinks that they all like me or something, 'cause I'm always hanging out with them?'

'Something like that,' she muttered.

Alicia came back into the compartment at this point and she saw the awkward look and Rose's face, and the smirk on mine that I refused to hide. She sat down with her head tilted a little higher than usual and with a chocolate frog in her hand.

'Is that all you got?' I asked.

'I'm watching my figure,' she said.

'But your figure is fine,' I was a little confused.

'Well, some of us can't impress boys just like that,' she said, with a sniff.

I had to laugh at that. 'Alicia, I know I hang out with all those hot guys all the time. But they don't see me as a girl at all. I'm like a guy who has long hair to them and who doesn't think their stink jokes are very funny. You know what Ben Howard calls me? Dude, just like he calls the rest of them. I'll only ever be a friend for all of them.'

'But you're really pretty,' said Alicia.

'Not to them.'

This seemed to make her happier, and as I stopped thinking that her reaction to all this was quite funny I got a little sad because I wasn't acknowledged as a girl. I would've liked it if someone like Ben or Jeff would ask me out, but they wouldn't have even thought of it. The other guys around the school saw how they treated me and took their lead and treated me that way too.

The train finally arrived at Hogwarts, the cold night air fresh against our skin.

I was just about to go off and find Tyler, hoping that I could at least be in the same carriage as him when Rose grabbed my arm, 'Hey, Matilda?' she asked.

I looked at her, 'yeah?'

'I know you hang out with all those Quidditch guys and I was wondering if you thought I stood a chance,' she said, looking at the floor and blushing.

'What do you mean?' I asked.

'I mean, you know, if I tried out for the Quidditch team this year.'

I smiled, 'why not? That sounds like a great idea.'

'Why not?' said Rose. 'There were only two girls on the team last year and they've all left, now it's just the guys.'

'I think it'll be good them having another girl around them,' I said, almost chuckling. 'And seriously, your chances are no different just because you're a girl. They still need three more players now that it's only Tyler, Jeff, Ben and Lucas. You've got quite a shot.'

Her face burst into a smile when I said this, 'thanks Matilda. Find out from Tyler when try outs are, I've heard he's captain. Will you be there?'

'Yes,' I said. 'But not trying out.'

She grinned at that. 'See you Matilda.'