Harry Potter characters, names, and related indicia are property of author J.K. Rowling. I own only what you don't recognize!

Adalia looked out her window to see the platform and smiled, the platform was exactly like the picture she had seen.

"It's so beautiful even just here; I can't wait to see the castle!" The boys grinned, and Sirius replied,

"Yeah. The castle's pretty magnificent – shut up Remus, I'm allowed to use big words too – probably even without being magical. But to be honest, I really can't imagine Hogwarts without magic…" Adalia grinned at that, and stood up with the boys, exiting the train with them. As they stepped off the scarlet train onto the quaint Hogwarts station platform, Remus asked Adalia,

"Do you know if you're in the boats with the first years, or will you ride in the carriages with the rest of us?"

"Carriages." Was the prompt, decisive reply, "And I'm supposed to go to Professor McGonagall's office upon arrival at the castle… you wouldn't happen to know where that is, would you?" she asked them, hoping maybe one of them would know the location of the headmistress's office.

James answered right away, the smirk on his face nearly matching Sirius's. "All of us have been to her office"

"for a number of reasons"

"and we would be delighted"

"to escort a fair maiden such as yourself"

"to Minnie's office!" James finished the sentence he and Sirius had shared. Adalia grinned, and raised one of her eyebrows,

"Do I even want to know why you've been so often?"

Remus interjected before his friends could reply and scare her off, "No!"

She laughed quietly. "All right then, I won't ask."

As they rounded the corner of the station and came into view of the horseless carriages, Adalia stopped dead in her tracks, and with light tones of surprise and shock in her voice, queried, "What are those?"

James raised a bemused eyebrow. "The… horseless carriages? That take us up to Hogwarts…?"

"No."

Adalia jumped, spooked both by what she was seeing and at hearing Peter speak again – she had almost forgotten he was there.

"They're called thestrals. Remus has been telling me about them."

Adalia then turned to James and Sirius, who looked a bit confused. "Can't you see them?"

Remus smiled sadly as he replied for them, "They can't, neither can I. Only people who've seen someone die can view thestrals, to everyone else they're invisible. Ergo the title, "horseless carriages". Speaking of which, we'd better get one before they all leave.

As the group shifted back into motion, Remus continued is explanation, now in full professor mode. "Peter says they're quite friendly really, although from his descriptions, they sound rather monstrous in appearance…"

"No," Adalia replied thoughtfully as their carriage began rolling. "they're not monstrous. Certainly frightening and yet... somehow beautiful at the same time. It's difficult to explain. So you can't see them, but you're trying to understand them?..."

The conversation continued between them all the way to the castle, with frequent interjections and commentary from the other three marauders. The conversation drifted into oblivion as each person climbed out of the carriage, and reveled in Hogwarts in their own personal ways. Sirius saw it as home, James thought of it more as a place to have fun, to Remus, it was pure grace and opportunity, and for Peter, it was acceptance. Adalia didn't have any feelings as strong as those, but something inside of her felt the integral magic of Hogwarts welcoming her in, and she embraced it warmly in return.

The marauders took her inside, and led her up to Professor McGonagall's office, showing off statues and paintings, and explaining the castle the whole way. They stopped in front of a sturdy, clean, door made of a dark old wood.

"Well, this is Minnie's office. Come to think, she's probably about on her way out to see the first years…" James muttered the last bit to himself as Sirius raised a fist to knock on the door. Just as he was about to rap his knuckles against the wood, the door swung open to reveal Professor McGonagall herself.

Well my dear readers…. I am very ashamed of myself. I'm so sorry I haven't updated sooner! All I can say is that I am most deeply and sincerely sorry… and if you want a list of the reasons I haven't updated, just ask, and I'll put up a list on my profile. Again, I am so so sorry! I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible! Reviews are still very much appreciated!

God bless you,

DragonQuill