Jane chuckled to herself as she put on her pyjamas, recalling the events of the evening. She loved watching the first years' astonished faces as the long, barren oak tables became laden with food and drink in the blink of an eye. The new Gryffindors' nerves had been quickly replaced with relief and gnawing hunger after the Sorting, and their next big dilemma suddenly became choosing what to eat first.

Jane had found her table space occupied by an enormous basket of bread, a tureen of pumpkin soup, and a cottage pie. She wasn't new to this, and didn't bother wasting time gaping at all the choices. She knew what she wanted, and quickly scanned the table. The cannoli was right in front of Joey Grant, and she knew he'd take all of them, just to spite her. Now was the time for action! Out came her wand, and 'Accio cannoli!' was heard, uttered at lightning speed. An entire summer was a long time to go without practicing magic, and the spell didn't go as smoothly as she'd hoped. Instead of two or three of the pastry desserts coming to greet her, the whole plate had risen off the table, and come wobbling through the air. As it got closer, it started to teeter dangerously, and a few cannoli went rolling off onto the table. One landed in the bread basket, and a couple more threatened to join the soup when the plate flipped over the other way without warning, most of its contents falling into her neighbour Crowe's lap.

Those students local to the incident went suddenly silent, and Crowe seemed frozen, staring into his dessert filled lap. Jane was frozen too, a look of amusement crossed with guilt plastered over her face, waiting for his reaction. He looked up at her slowly, his robes smattered with ricotta, and dusted with powdered sugar. 'Jane,' he said, his voice dangerously calm. 'There is cannoli all over my uniform.'

'…Yup,' Jane acknowledged seriously. They continued staring at each other, and maintained eye contact for what must have been at least seven seconds, before a single snort escaped from Jane. She quickly put a hand over her mouth in an attempt to look apologetic, but the damage was done. Those around them started to giggle, then a few open chuckles broke through, and suddenly there were about six kids roaring with laughter around them. 'Can I trouble you to pass the cannoli, Darren?' she asked innocently.

'God damn it, Rizzoli!' he finally said, wiping a ricotta-covered hand down the side of her face and starting to laugh with her. 'How many d'you want?' he indicated his lap.

'Uh, three, please,' she'd grinned, picking up a decanter and holding it poised over his goblet. 'Cranberry juice?'

She'd had a shower after climbing the hundred staircases (or at least, it felt like it) to Gryffindor Tower, and now was preparing for bed. Her trunk and her racing broom had been brought up to the dormitories, and she tossed her soiled robe in the washing basket to have the ricotta splatters laundered off it. Padding barefoot around the room in cotton boxer shorts and a Holyhead Harpies Quidditch t-shirt, she wondered how Frankie was getting on. They weren't permitted to mingle between tables during formal events like the Start of Term Feast, and the Great Hall had been a circus when it had ended. Prefects were trying to round up the first years to show them the route to the common room and tired, bloated students were pushing through the crowd to try and get to bed. There was the usual competition for sinks and showers and bathroom cubicles. A day of preliminary classes was lined up for the morning, and then the next day the real work would begin. She resolved to catch up with Frankie at breakfast, and congratulate him on making Hufflepuff. She was genuinely pleased for him, though she knew he'd wanted Gryffindor badly. Combined classes with the Hufflepuffs were always her favourite. The Ravenclaws inadvertently made you feel stupid no matter how much you studied, and the Slytherins were too competitive. She was happy her little brother was one of the good guys. She'd write a letter to their parents in the morning, and show Frankie where the owlery was. For now though, she thought, as she slid into the crisp new sheets of her four poster bed and pulled the drapes, all she wanted to do was sleep. She was somewhat surprised to find the image of a flawless French plait tumble through her mind as she succumbed to pleasant exhaustion, though she would not remember having that thought by the time daylight swung round again.

Maura, second guessing if this was against her better judgement, had followed Frost and Anna as they led the way to Ravenclaw Tower after the feast, instead of joining the group of first years and getting a proper guided tour by the prefects. Frost and Anna had left the Great Hall with the hordes of other students. They'd climbed a couple of staircases – one had moved – and then ducked into an empty corridor on the second floor.

'Our common room is in Ravenclaw Tower. We're just taking a short cut,' Frost informed her.

After a few turns the hubbub of students on the main staircases had faded to silence, and they reached the end of an eerily deserted corridor. It seemed like the only way to go forward was to climb a narrow flight of steps on the right. Frost and Anna turned to the left though, and lifted the corner of a tapestry. It looked as though the tapestry shielded a gaping black hole, but as Maura's eyes adjusted, she saw it was an incredibly steep flight of steps, carved very roughly into the stonework.

'Lumos maxima,' Anna muttered as she stepped into the cavity, illuminating the stairwell. Frost and Maura quickly followed suit.

All three had started to pant by the time they had scaled the steps, and were grateful for the comparatively flat passage that veered off to the west. After two minutes or so, the passage came to an abrupt halt. Anna, who was leading them as they walked in single file, pushed on the wall, which turned out to not be a wall at all, but the back of a painting. They stepped out of the passage immediately onto another flight of stairs, and Maura looked around her with her mouth agape. They were in a large, brightly lit, stone cylinder, around the inner perimeter of which was an elaborate spiral staircase. Maura looked over the bannister; they were about a third of the way up already. Students with blue hoods were at various stages of scaling the staircase, most in groups of twos or threes.

'Is this… Ravenclaw Tower?'

'Mhmm,' Anna nodded. 'It's a bit of a hike, but you'll get used to it as the year goes on.'

'Is that you, Barold?' an older voice sounded behind them that Maura definitely didn't recognise.

Frost spun around. 'Oh! Hey, Ignatia!' he greeted. 'I thought you were asleep.'

'I was,' the woman in the painting pursed her lips, though in obviously good humour. 'You woke me when you came through.'

'Yeah… sorry 'bout that,' Frost rubbed the back of his neck and looked sheepish. We just finished the Feast, and the main staircases are packed. Thought we'd take a shortcut.'

'Tell me, Barold,' the woman adjusted the purple cloak around her shoulders and peered at him. 'Has your mother had your fireplace connected to the Floo Network yet?'

'Not really,' Frost shook his head sadly. 'We had it connected for a few days in August, on a temporary basis, so that I could get to Diagon Alley for my school things. Mum came with me the first time, but… well, she threw up. A lot. Gets bad motion sickness, y'know? She's refused to have it connected ever again.'

'Oh, that is awfully regrettable. Keep at her, she'll come round to the right way of thinking eventually! Oh, but who's your new friend?' she asked, directing her gaze at Maura.

'This is Maura Isles. She's just moved here from Boston,' Frost introduced her. 'Maura, this is Ignatia Wildsmith. She invented fl-'

'Floo powder,' Maura nodded. 'I know. You were a student here in the late 1230s and early 1240s, is that right?'

'Yes, that is right,' Ignatia looked very impressed. 'Why do you know that?'

'My father is a Healer, specialising in Plant Poisoning,' Maura explained. 'He's impressed upon me the importance of your contributions to Herbology for quite some time.'

'Oh, marvellous! I trust you are connected to the Floo Network, then?'

'Yes, ma'am,' Maura smiled.

'Oh, come on!' Anna moaned, taking a few steps up. 'Why did we even bother taking that shortcut if you're going to spend all the time we saved talking to a picture?'

'Gotta go,' Frost grinned.

'Yes, yes, off you go. I'm sure it's been a tiresome day, with the train and all. A pleasure meeting you, Miss Isles.'

Maura smiled politely, before hurrying off after Frost and Anna. As they reached the top of the stairs and entered a corridor, they found a small group of second years gathered around a door. The door did not appear to have a knob or a keyhole; only a bronze knocker fashioned in the shape of an eagle, and Maura wondered what they were waiting for.

'We don't know the answer,' a redheaded boy informed them as they approached.

'What's the question?' Frost asked.

The knocker spoke up, startling Maura. 'Why is there something, rather than nothing?'

'Aw geez,' Frost cast his eyes to the ceiling. 'I'm too out of practice. Why so philosophical on the first day back?'

'There's always something,' Anna cut in, speaking loudly to the knocker. 'Having nothing is still something, in the same way that you might consider atheism a religion. The concept of nothing is something, and is categorised as such. There is something because nothing cannot exist.'

'Well reasoned,' the knocker spoke, and the door swung open.

'Nice,' Frost acknowledged as the second years hurried ahead of them. 'Maura, welcome to the Ravenclaw common room.'

'I have to answer a question like that every time I want to come here?' Maura asked, surprised. 'I thought we'd have a password?'

'The other houses do. Or at least, Gryffindor does. Their common room's on the seventh floor, by the main stairs.'

'How do you know that?' Maura asked, surprised. 'I thought it was forbidden to reveal the location of your common room to students of other houses?'

'You're not supposed to,' Frost agreed. 'But my friend Jane's a Gryffindor, and, well, you know. Friends share things. I haven't been in,' he added quickly. 'I've just met her outside a few times.'

'That wouldn't be Jane Rizzoli, would it?' Maura's interest suddenly spiked.

'Yeah,' he said, surprised. 'How do you know Jane?'

'Oh, I don't. I just know of her. I met her younger brother earlier this evening.'

'Oh, you met Frankie? Nice kid. Anyway,' Frost pointed to a door behind a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. 'Your dorm's through there. You'll be in the same room as Anna, and they'll have brought your stuff up already. I'm pretty shattered, so I'm going to go grab some shuteye, but I'll catch you at breakfast tomorrow?'

'Thank you,' Maura smiled, trying to take it all in, as Frost went off to bed. Anna saw Maura looking around the room in wonder, and decided that she wasn't sticking around to wait for her, either. Maura barely noticed her stalking off, as she looked up at the sprinkling of stars on the domed ceiling, and then to the arched windows, hung with blue and bronze silks. The room was large and circular, which was consistent, Maura thought, with being in the upper reaches of a tower. The lush looking carpet underfoot was midnight blue, and while the room as a whole was not as entirely polished-looking as her common room at Fort Acton had been, it definitely looked more welcoming. She went to the window to try and make out the view, but it was too dark. A stream of students suddenly came through, led by a tall boy with very short hair, and an Asian girl wearing glasses. The group halted in the centre of the common room, and Maura recognised a few of them as first years from her ceremony.

'And this is the Ravenclaw common room,' the male prefect waved his hand around in the air. 'It's used as more of a mingling space than a study space, so I recommend utilising the library when concentration is paramount. If you fail to answer the eagle's question, I'm afraid you'll have to stay and wait in the corridor for another Ravenclaw to come along, since the question won't change until a satisfactory answer is received.'

'All of our meals are served in the Great Hall, where we just had the Feast and the Sorting Ceremony,' the female prefect continued. 'Breakfast is served from 7am. You are expected to be in uniform, though because it is an informal meal, you are permitted to intermingle with students from the other Houses. Tomorrow the entire school will have a day of preliminary classes. This is especially important for all of you, since you will meet your professors and locate your classrooms. For this year and next year, you will have all your lessons together, and it is not uncommon for those lessons to be combined with another House.'

'Your dormitories are through there,' the prefect pointed to the door Frost and Anna had disappeared through moments ago. 'Boys are up the stairs to the left, and girls, the stairs to your right.'

'Where's all our stuff from the train?' a girl Maura remembered as Chloe Cameron spoke up.

'Waiting for you,' the prefect answered. 'Go and get settled in. We'll wait around for ten minutes or so down here in case you have questions.'

Maura followed the group in through the door by the statue, and found herself in a bright passage. A flight of long steps veered off to the left, and another to the right. Here the sexes segregated, and Maura followed the girls to the right. The first years quickly located their dormitory and exited from the main stairway, leaving Maura quite alone. She could hear giggling and muffled banging as drawers were opened and trunk lids were dropped closed, and she suddenly felt very isolated in this lonely passage. She passed an archway that read 'Second Year Girls', and kept going, knowing the room she was after must be next.

As she neared the doorway to her dormitory, she heard a voice from within ask: 'Why's there an extra bed in here?'

'New transfer student,' a voice she recognised as Anna's answered. 'Her name's Maura, she's a bit weird. Asked me if Hogwarts took precautions against microbial growth in the kitchen, and wouldn't touch the finger food.'

Maura's heart sunk as she stood frozen outside the doorway. The spring rolls and the roasted nut assortments had looked tasty, but what about Chromobacterium violaceum? Most witches and wizards didn't have a clue about microbiology. Flesh eating bacteria weren't something to take chances with. She took a steadying breath and stepped through the doorway.

'-plum pudding was a-mazing… oh! Speak of the devil,' a girl with long black hair spoke from her position on her bed. She was lying topsy-turvy, with her bare legs propped up on her pillows, and her thick hair spread out in a fan around her head. Her trunk was only half unpacked, and while she was wearing pyjama shorts, her school blouse, tie, and grey knit sweater still adorned her top half. 'We were just asking after you,' her eyes rolled back as far as possible to try and meet Maura's gaze. 'Anna says you're called Maura, is that right?'

'Yes, that's correct,' Maura inclined her head and offered the hint of a smile.

'You're over there,' the dark haired girl pointed somewhat inaccurately over the end of her bed. 'I'm Runa. That's Avalon, Cerys, Elowyn, you know Anna, Sera's in the bathroom, and that's Illy. Arwen and Viv are still on their way. The other half of the third year girls are through there, but I reckon that's probably enough names for now.'

'Thank you, it's nice to meet you all,' Maura made her way across the room to investigate her space. Her heartbeat quickened considerably as she realised immediately something was missing. Or rather, someone. She lifted the lid of her trunk in vain, and then looked under her bed in sudden desperation. Her clothing was here, her textbooks were here, her pewter cauldron and brass scales and crystal phials were here. Bass was not.

'What are you looking for?' one of the girls asked, scorn lacing her voice.

'Have any of you seen an African spurred tortoise? He's in a large crate made of wiggentree?'

'What's a tortoise?' another girl asked.

The seventh year prefect suddenly appeared in the doorway. 'Is there a Maura Isles in here?' she asked. 'Professor Korsak wants to see you in the common room.'

'Oooohhhh,' several of the girls teased obligatorily as the colour drained from Maura's face.

'He said something about pet regulations?'

Runa gave a single laugh of amusement as Maura dashed from the room without a word.

The professor stood in the very centre of the common room. He wore robes of chocolate brown, and had a white goatee. He looked stern, but as Maura got closer she saw he had kind eyes. On the ground at his feet was a familiar crate, which Maura was almost positive contained her beloved Bass.

'Maura,' the teacher spoke. 'You're a transfer student, I understand? My name is Professor Korsak, I teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, and I am Head of Gryffindor House. This guy was found on the train, and nearly confiscated by Mr Stanley earlier this evening. I stepped in just in time, and said he belonged to me. But I see, in fact, he belongs to you. Are you aware that this creature is not on the approved animals list, sent out to you with your school requirements in July?'

'Yes, Sir,' Maura spoke to the floor, unable to lie.

'I was raised with one foot in the Muggle world,' Korsak volunteered. 'But I've never encountered this creature before. Our Care of Magical Creatures professor has examined it, and he's assured me it's not magical.'

'No,' Maura confirmed. 'He's an African spurred tortoise. His name is Bass. And he's quite harmless.'

'Why bring him to Hogwarts?'

'I was afraid my parents would neglect him. He's my responsibility, and he requires closer monitoring than I believe they're capable of.'

Korsak gave a series of quiet chuckles. This kid was definitely sure of herself. 'What kind of environment does er, Bass here need?'

'He thrives in a warm climate, though he does need some moisture. Semiarid grasslands are best, and he prefers things to be quiet. I'll admit a dormitory of teenage girls is far from ideal, but my only other option was risking him dying of neglect and starvation. I'm sorry I didn't garner approval for his arrival,' Maura's voice seemed to shrink. 'I was afraid his presence here would be rejected.'

'Well, Maura, I'm sympathetic to your case. I have a squib friend who's a veterinarian. A Healer for Muggle pets, you know? I'll have her come here and examine Bass. If she gives the all-clear, I'll make Bass a space in my office, and you can visit him whenever you need. How's that?'

'Thank you, Professor,' Maura gushed at the unexpected gesture. She bent down to open Bass' crate and found he had retreated into his shell. 'Hear that, Bass? Once you pass your vet check, you're going to live in Professor Korsak's office. I'll visit you often, I promise.'

'Wiggentree wood is prized for its magical properties against dark magic,' Korsak indicated the crate approvingly. 'Though something tells me you knew that already. I'll send an owl to the veterinarian in the morning, and let you know the verdict when the exam is complete. I hope you're settling in alright?'

On the contrary, Maura was feeling decidedly unsettled. She didn't know the main route back to the Great Hall, she sensed Frost had only accompanied her this evening out of a sense of obligation, and her roommates were already discussing her more unusual traits out of supposed earshot. What's more, the relationships between all the third year girls in her dormitory seemed to be well established, and she felt well and truly like an outsider. And yet, she couldn't tell a lie to the professor. 'I expect I will feel more at home here in the weeks to come.'

That was true, even if this place turned out to be awful. She didn't very much like being with her parents. At least here, even if most of the attention directed at her came in the form of taunting, she would have confirmation she existed.

Korsak nodded, and uttered 'Locomotor crate'. He bid Maura good evening, and with a slight swish of his robe, he turned to retreat towards the spiral staircase.

When Maura returned to her dormitory, she found several of the four poster beds had their drapes pulled, and the dark haired girl called Runa was kneeling at her trunk wearing only her pyjama shorts and a lacy bra. 'I can't find my tank top,' she looked up as Maura walked in. 'I think my bloody sister's nicked it. Any luck with the turtle?' she asked, as she continued to rummage through her trunk.

'Tortoise,' Maura corrected automatically. 'And yes, Professor Korsak has Bass in his possession. I'm incredibly relieved. Do you have a pet here?'

'No, but three or four of the girls in here have owls, and Viv's got a massive silver tabby. I hope you're not allergic?'

'No,' Maura shook her head. 'Would you like to borrow something to sleep in?'

'Yeah, actually, that'd be great,' Runa gave up on her trunk and stood. 'Have you got something light? I think we're going to roast up here tonight.'

Maura crossed the room and knelt at her own trunk, lifting the lid to reveal stacks of perfectly folded clothing. She removed a navy blue item and unfolded it to show Runa it was a tank top. It was a few years old, but had not been subjected to much use. The front was inked with the silhouetted profile of the Dutch author and musician J. C. M. van Riemsdijk, and the date 2009 was printed next to it.

'Will this do? It's gauze fabric with a 97% organic cotton blend. Very breathable.'

'Yeah, that's great,' Runa took the top with a laugh. 'Hey, you like van Riemsdijk? Right on, girl!'

'You know van Riemsdijk?' Maura asked, surprised.

'Yeah, my mum plays his stuff all the time. I think I was exposed to it in the womb,' she turned her palms to the ceiling. 'Didn't have a say in the matter.'

'My mother took me to a tribute show in New York. It was wonderful!'

'Woah, jealous!' Runa seemed genuinely interested. 'Say, can you tell me about it tomorrow? I'm about ready to hit the sack.'

'…Hit the sack?' Maura asked hesitantly.

'Yeah, uh… go to sleep?' Runa tried again. 'Do they not have that saying in North America?'

'I'm not sure,' Maura answered truthfully. 'But yes, I can tell you about it in the morning.'

'Cool,' Runa climbed onto her bed and shut the drapes. A few seconds later a bra was tossed out in the direction of Runa's trunk.

'That happens a lot, you'll get used it,' another girl informed Maura as she got into bed herself. 'You haven't seen Moon, have you? My tabby cat,' she clarified at Maura's questioning face. 'He's huge, you can't miss him.'

This must be Viv. Maura shook her head. 'Sorry.'

'He must be off visiting. One of the fifth year boys has a toad, and he loves chasing it. Keep me posted?'

Maura was suddenly very glad that Bass would be having a private living space, and nodded. She turned finally to her own bed, where she needlessly smoothed a hand over the wrinkleless sky blue eiderdown. Runa had been right; it was very hot in here. She folded the eiderdown back to a narrow strip at the foot of the bed and closed the drapes. She changed into her silk pyjamas while sitting atop her sheets, before placing her folded robes and uniform neatly on top of her trunk and slipping into bed.

Sleep came a lot easier than she'd anticipated on this first night. The drapes around her four poster made her feel irrationally safe, and she grew drowsy listening to the sounds of the last few girls preparing for sleep. She lay and thought involuntarily about the eyefuls of Runa's ample cleavage she had been granted not ten minutes ago, and her trail of thought effortlessly went to the brief glimpse she'd had of Jane Rizzoli prior to the Sorting Ceremony. She had stared at Jane for no more than three seconds, and made eye contact for no more than two. Jane was… well, stunning. In a wonderful, wild kind of way that Maura was quite taken with. She herself had been raised to be quite prim and proper, though she had noticed more recently that the things she was supposed to find prim, she found alluring. Like Jane's unruly mane of curls, and the casual way she'd sat at the Gryffindor table when Maura had passed: leaned back with one elbow on its surface to steady herself. Maura liked Jane's dark eyebrows and high cheekbones, and that slight calculating look on her face she had glimpsed right before she'd averted her gaze. This captivation with the facial feature combinations of certain females had been happening more frequently in the last year or two. Maura had been uncharacteristically avoiding confronting what they might mean. Tonight was not about to change that, but she let her mind wander uninhibited, and fell asleep creating clothing combinations that Jane Rizzoli might choose to wear when she was out of uniform.