Second Year

James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Dawn all met up in one of the train's compartments on September 1st, 1972.

They were all talking companionably when a girl burst into their cabin. She had beautiful gold colored cat eyes, but her hair was all over. It had been the girl that had been sorted into Ravenclaw last year, Ashley Marie.

"Where's your sister?" The girl demanded at Dawn.

"She's going to be… late this year. She's being floo'd in from her mum's. She should be at Hogwarts by tonight, hopefully." Dawn explain almost cryptically.

James and Remus nodded at the information, but Sirius wondered if there wasn't more to it then she was letting on. He just shrugged and decided he would wait and find out later.

The girl gave a raised eyebrow, but said no more, leaving just as quickly as she'd come.

After that, Sirius was pretty sure James was asking about classes, but he really didn't much care to listen. He was too busy thinking over what Dawn had just said. What was it about that whole statement that just screamed not right.


The boy's walked into the school, for the first time of their second year, with one goal in mind… get the fastest detention in the school's history, and get it with style.

"What should we do?" Peter asked in his nasally voice as he finally caught up to the other three boys.

James, Remus, and Sirius just grinned. "We already have it all planed out." James said with a smirk towards the teacher's table.

"Now students. This year we have a surprise for all of our second years." Professor McGonagall informed everyone as she set up the Sorting Hat and stool before the newest first years walked in. "We have a student coming in for her first year at Hogwarts, but she is technically a second year and will be taking classes and living with all of the second years." Professor McGonagall explained. "I'd ask you all to be kind to her, for it is much more difficult for an older student coming in, then you who came in at eleven, add the fact that she isn't from England, so please be kind." And with that she left to get the new students.

The Marauder's and Dawn all sat with bated breath as a slightly taller girl came in with the first years, looking extremely cocky and laid back for someone coming to a new school full of people who'd already made friends. Most people coming into such a situation would be at least a little afraid, but the girl stood before them with her nose in the air and a collectedly calm look on her face.

"Slytherin for sure." Dawn heard Sirius whisper. "Look at how far she has that nose in the air."

Dawn scoffed. "You never know.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "If she's not in Slytherin, I'll let you borrow the Muggle coat made out of leather that I bought to piss my parent's off… for a month."

Dawn gasped. "You'd give up your new leather jacket?" She demanded. "You swore you'd never let anyone use it willingly. You love that damn jacket."

Sirius shrugged. "If she's not placed in Slytherin… or Ravenclaw either."

Dawn smiled. "How about this, she's placed in Gryffindor, you let me borrow the coat for the month of November, plus you have to help me on all my Transfiguration homework for the first two months of school."

Sirius cocked an eyebrow. "You really think a girl who's so obviously Slytherin, will be placed in Gryffindor?" Sirius demanded.

Dawn smiled slyly. "I've got a feeling."

Sirius stuck out a hand. "Deal." He said as they both shook on it and looked back towards the front.

By then, most of the first years had been sorted. There were only two more, and it seemed they were getting sorted quickly, then there was only the new second year.

Finally McGonagall called the last name.

"Tarasov, Anastasiya"

Sirius watched the tall, pale girl walk up to the stool and gracefully sit herself down. The hat sat on her head for many moments, finally the hat seemed to heave in a breath before shouting the words that would surprise most of Hogwarts, and knock Sirius off his own seat.

GRYFFINDOR!

Dawn smirked. "I expect that jacket in my hands November First before I head to breakfast."

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Deals a deal." This from Remus.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Sirius said with a huff. "You shall have it in your hand November First."

The girl went to sit at the end of the Gryffindor table, but Dawn quickly stood and walked up to the girl.

"Hey, my name's Dawn Elizabeth Smith," They heard her introduce herself to the girl. "what's your?"

The girl hesitated. "Anastasiya Katenka Tarasov." The girl answered, her Russian accent clear.

"Well," Dawn, the ever kind Gryffindor said cheerfully. "Seeing as you just earned me a right comfortable new jacket for the month of November, what say you come sit with me and my group and we can get to know each other."

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "Von you a zacket?" The girl asked.

Dawn smiled as she led the girl to the table and pushed Sirius over. "Yeah," She answered. "we had a bet going - me and the dark one here - about what house you'd be in. I was right."

"A vet?" She asked. "Vhy vould you place zuch a vet?"

Dawn laughed. "We usually do such things, just to keep it lively."

The girl nodded a bit at that, but didn't speak.

"So, do you really go by Anastasiya?" Dawn asked.

The girl shook her head. "Anya." She answered. "My vriends call me Anya."

"So, can I call you Anya then?" Dawn asked.

The girl nodded. "And vhat do you vriends call you?" She asked.

"The boys call me Dawn, but my girlfriends call me Liz." She said, "If I had any girlfriends left that is." She finished with a shrug. "You can call me Liz."

The girl nodded, then smiled. "Liz," The girl said carefully, making sure to say the L. "I vike it." She finished, reverting back to her Russian accent with the added V's and Z's.

Dawn smiled, then turned to the front as Dumbledore's second speech began and everyone quieted.

The boys finally stopped looking at the new girl and turned their attention back to their original goal. Remus finally nodded and together they pointed their wands at the head table and fireworks blew in puffs of multicolored sparks and smoke. Which, incidentally, landed in Hagrid's beard?

When he tried putting it out, he knocked over the teacher sitting next to him, which knocked into the teacher sitting next to him, and like a domino effect, it went all the way till it got to Professor McGonagall, who stood up, and stepped back, letting the professor who'd been sitting next to her land, undignified, on the ground.

When Headmaster Dumbledore searched through the sea of faces he landed on the four boys, the twinkling in his eyes told them he knew.

Peter went red and started choking on air, which set the boy's to laughing again and, consequently, got them detention.

The rest of the feast went off without a hitch.


Sirius was pacing the Gryffindor common room two nights later when Zoe walked in. He noticed she looked exhausted, more circles then usual under her eyes, her skin paler then before, and her shoulders drooped more than usual.

"Where have you been?" He demanded in a much harsher voice then he'd intended.

Zoe jumped, swinging around to see Sirius standing in front of the fireplace. "What are you yelling about?"

He hadn't realized he'd yelled, and why was he so upset by her absence? "Sorry." He said softly, trying to calm himself. "I, I mean we – as in the group, all of us – were just worried about you. And Dawn, she missed you, and stuff. Oh, and Ashley Marie, that girl from Ravenclaw, she asked after you too." The last he rushed out as though hoping it would calm any anger she might have felt.

"Oh." Zoe said with a nod. "I guess I should wake them and tell them I'm here." She bit her lip at this, and looked towards the ground.

"Nah," Sirius said warmly. "Just tell them tomorrow, otherwise you won't get any sleep tonight."

Zoe looked back at Sirius with a grin, "K. I'll do that." She said and walked up and gave him a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."


"You didn't tell me your sister was back." James whispered to Dawn as they all watched Zoe walk into the Great Hall the next morning.

"I didn't know." She said. "You'd think she'd wake her own sister up."

"Sorry." Sirius said after hearing that.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Dawn demanded suspiciously.

"I told her to wait till today." He explained.

"Why?" Dawn asked. "And when did you even speak to her?"

"Last night. I was up when she got in." He said, deciding to answer her second question first. "She looked tired so I figured the morning was as good a time to tell you lot she was back."

"Oh." Dawn said, nibbling at the inside of her cheek. "I guess that's ok then." She said, nodding. "Thanks Sirius." Then she stood, nodding to Anya, then headed for her sister.

Sirius watched Dawn walk up to her sister and embrace her, then slowly lead her towards the table. When he looked back towards his friends, he saw their mixed expressions. Not wanting to deal with them, he stood and headed for Defense Against the Dark Arts with nothing more than a wave to show what he was doing.


"Hey Zoe." Dawn said, linking her arm threw her sisters.

"Hey Dawn." Zoe replied wearily.

"So… are you going to tell me why you're so late?" Dawn asked hopefully.

Zoe looked at her sister with a smile. "Nope." She answered and unlaced her arm, then headed for class, grabbing a piece of toast off the Hufflepuff table on her way out and throwing a wave Ash's way to let her know she'd returned.