The next morning was a blur of chaos when Bryt first woke up. Sofí had Apparated into the middle of Bryt, Ginny, and Hermione's room, yanking their covers off of them in turn and calling for them to wake up and that they were already running late. Bryt groaned, pulling her pillow over her head, only to have Sofí yank it away. Bryt finally glared up at her friend and said she was awake. Sofí grinned brightly, flipped one of her twin braids back over her shoulder, and Disapparated.
"At least she's in a better mood today," Hermione noted as they got dressed as quickly as possible. Bryt agreed readily. It seemed Sofí was over whatever it was that had been bothering her the night before.
Joey flew in the window while Bryt was in the middle of combing down her short hair, having returned from delivering Hermione's letter to her parents. Bryt quickly got Joey in his cage, after giving Hermione her letter, and then began doing a quick check to make sure she had everything packed.
Once Bryt was sure she hadn't forgotten anything, Bryt locked her trunk and swung her orange mini-backpack over her shoulder before grabbing the trunk in one hand and Joey's cage in the other, following Ginny out of the room.
"OI! WATCH OUT!"
Bryt looked up then jumped back as two trunks came flying towards the stairs. Ginny hadn't been as lucky as she was hit square in the back and launched down the stairs. Bryt let out a yell, taking off down two flights of stairs after her. As Ginny and the trunks hit the ground floor, the curtains over Mrs. Black's portrait flew open and the woman began screaming again.
"Ginny, you okay?" Bryt yelled over the screams, helping the girl sit up. She winced, but nodded, which caused her to wince again. Julio came running down the stairs and squatted down in front of Ginny, already pulling out his wand. In a matter of seconds, Ginny was on her feet, good as new.
"Thanks," Ginny said loudly.
Fred and George came down the stairs just then, trailed by Sofí with her suitcase. Apparently, the twins had bewitched their trunks to fly down the stairs and that's what had thrown Ginny down. Mrs. Weasley hadn't been too happy with that, and was soon yelling at them.
To add to it, Moody was there, grumbling loudly about how someone named Sturgis Podmore hadn't shown up, which left them one guard short and they couldn't leave until he was there.
Bryt, wanting to get away from the noise, ran back up the stairs to check on if Harry and Ron were awake yet and passed Hermione in the hallway as the bushy-haired girl was dragging her trunk down and carrying Crookshanks.
Bryt pushed open the door to Harry and Ron's room to see both of them dressed and Harry grabbing his glasses from the nightstand.
"Got everything ready?" Bryt asked.
"Nearly. Ginny all right?"
"Yeah, Julio got to her right after she fell and patched her up," Bryt said, grinning, "He really is good at healing. Hurry up, we need to going."
"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!"
Bryt looked over her shoulder, then hurried over to help Ron with his truck. They hurried back down the stairs, Bryt's bag bouncing against her back as she ran. They got to the entrance where Mrs. Black was still screaming, but everyone was so busy that no one was bothering to close the curtain around her portrait.
Mrs. Weasley was yelling instructions over Mrs. Black's screams, and started to scold Sirius when he came into the entrance in his dog form, but finally gave in and said he could come. It wasn't long before they were outside, where Mrs. Black's screams stopped the second the door was shut.
They met Tonks at the end of the street—though Bryt hadn't realized it was her until she greeted Harry. Tonks had used her metamorphmagi abilities to the best today and was disguised as an old lady with curly gray hair.
Sirius seemed overjoyed to be outside and kept chasing his own tail, or chasing birds as he ran up and down the street. Bryt grinned as she watched him. He deserved at least a few moments of freedom whenever he could get them—even if those moments were still disguised as a dog.
Nearly half an hour later, they were on platform nine-and-three-quarters and giving very rushed goodbyes as they were herded onto the train. Bryt hugged Sofí and Julio with promises of seeing them the following summer—though she doubted she'd be able to visit them in the states. Julio made a comment that it wouldn't be necessary, which Sofí began smirking over as Julio moved over to say goodbye to Hermione.
"I suspect he's gonna move out here after finishin' at Salem," Sofí told Bryt in an amused whisper as she nodded towards Julio and Hermione, "One guess why."
Soon, the whistle was blowing and the train was starting off and Bryt leaned out the window with others to wave. She could see the black dog that was Sirius running along the platform after the train, getting laughs from people nearby. Soon even he was out of sight as the train made its way around a turn.
"He shouldn't have come with us," Hermione said anxiously.
"He deserves a bit of fresh air," Bryt said, "Besides, nothing's suspicious about a dog being here."
"Shall we go find a compartment, then?" Harry asked, turning to the others. Bryt noticed Hermione and Ron exchange an awkward look.
"We—well—Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage," Hermione said slowly.
Bryt knew this, but it would still feel awkward riding on the Hogwarts Express without Hermione and Ron.
"Oh," Harry said slowly, "Right. Fine."
"I don't think we'll have to stay there all journey," Hermione said, "Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."
"We'll save you seats," Bryt said, "Head on."
Ron glanced at Harry for a second.
"I'd rather—but we have to—I mean, I'm not enjoying it," he said, "I'm not Percy."
"I know you're not," Harry replied with a grin.
Bryt gave Ron a quick kiss on the cheek as he and Hermione started off down the train. Bryt could just hope that their prefect duties wouldn't take too long.
Bryt started down the train with Harry and Ginny, trying to find an empty compartment so they could save seats for Ron and Hermione. People were often staring as they passed, though Bryt knew they were watching Harry. Bryt wondered how many of them believed the lies in the Daily Prophet.
They stopped about halfway along the train so Bryt could check in on her brothers. Mike was sitting next to his friend, Natalie McDonald—a cute, freckle-faced girl with strawberry-blonde hair—while Drew was sitting between his two friends, Kevin Whitby—a black boy with dreadlocks—and Owen Cauldwell—a small boy with dark brown hair. Drew's black-and-white cat, Merlin, was curled up in Drew's lap.
"Don't worry, Harry, we all believe you, and so do my parents," Natalie said with a grin—she seemed the only one of Mike and Drew's friends brave enough to speak up in front of them, though Owen and Kevin gave agreeing nods, giving Bryt a wary look. Bryt grinned back at them, remembering how she had accidentally scared the two boys the year before. Apparently, they still hadn't quite gotten over it.
After that stop, Bryt, Harry, and Ginny didn't talk with anyone else until they reached the back of the train where they met Neville—one of the Gryffindors in Bryt's year, and one of Bryt's good friends, though she wasn't as close with him as Harry, Ron, or Hermione. Neville had the handle of his trunk in one hand and his toad, Trevor, in the other.
"Hi," Neville said, panting slightly from the effort of dragging his trunk through the train, "Everywhere's full...I can't find a seat..."
"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked as she looked into the compartment next to them, "There's room in this one, there's only Loony Lovegood in here—"
Bryt knew the name. Terry had often talked about Loony Lovegood, who was a Ravenclaw a year below them, and known for odd behaviors and believing in creatures that couldn't possibly exist. Bryt looked in to see a girl with waist-length dirty-blonde hair sitting alone, an upside-down magazine called The Quibbler hiding her face.
"Hi, Luna," Ginny said, "Is it okay if we take these seats?"
Luna lowered her magazine, looking over the group in the doorway. There was something about the shape of her face, her large gray eyes, and the almost daydreaming-like look on her face that seemed familiar to Bryt, but she couldn't place from where. Bryt became more sure that she'd seen the girl before when she noticed Luna had her wand behind her ear and was wearing a necklace of butterbeer caps. It was starting to annoy Bryt that she couldn't figure out where she'd seen the girl before.
Luna finally nodded and Bryt, Harry, Ginny, and Neville pulled their trunks into the compartment. Bryt and Harry put their owls' cages up before they finally all took seats, Luna watching them all closely over the top—or rather, bottom—of her magazine.
"Had a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked.
"Yes," Luna replied, the far-off, dreamy tone of her voice gave Bryt another pang of familiarity, "Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. You're Harry Potter." Luna stared back at Harry again.
"I know I am," Harry replied simply. Neville chuckled a bit and Luna looked over at him.
"And I don't know who you are."
"I'm nobody."
"No you're not," Bryt and Ginny said together.
"This is Neville Longbottom," Ginny continued, "And Bryt Watkins—"
"We've met before," Luna said, looking at Bryt now, "You're doing much better than the last time I saw you. I'm glad you recovered from the Blibbering Humdinger bite."
And then it suddenly dawned on Bryt where she had met this girl before. It had been the year before, only briefly. Bryt, Hermione, Julio, and Mr. García had shared a portkey with Luna and her father to head to the Quidditch World Cup. Bryt hadn't thought much about that encounter because right after the portkey trip, Bryt had started throwing up.
"Er, thanks," Bryt said awkwardly, glancing to Ginny, who was smirking.
"Anyway, everyone, this is Luna Lovegood," Ginny said, completing the introductions, "She's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," Luna sung before retreating behind her upside-down magazine again.
Bryt blinked, looking at Ginny again, who was fighting hard not to laugh now. Bryt turned her attention to the window where the sky outside began to grow gray, and Bryt made a face. She was hoping that it wouldn't start raining before they reached Hogwarts. She didn't like the idea of running through the rain. At least if it rained this time, she wouldn't be dealing with a sprained ankle as she did last year.
"Guess what I got for my birthday!" Neville said excitedly and Bryt looked back over at him, glad for a break in the silence.
"Another Remembrall?" Harry asked, referring to a small sphere with smoke in it that turned red when the holder had forgotten something.
"No, I could do with one, though," Neville said, "I lost the old one ages ago...No, look at this..."
Neville opened his bag with one hand, as his other was still holding Trevor, and soon pulled out what looked like a small, potted gray cactus, though instead of needles, it had little boils on it.
"Mimbulus mimbletonia," Neville said with a distinct note of pride. Bryt recognized the name as a potions ingredient—or more-so, the Stinksap it gave off—but didn't know much about the plant itself. She had a good feeling Neville did, though. If there was one thing Neville was good at, it was Herbology.
"It's really, really rare," Neville said, "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show Professor Sprout. My great-uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."
"Good for you, Neville," Bryt said, grinning. Neville was normally timid and didn't do well with most classes, so it was always nice to see him so proud of his talent with plants.
"Does it—er—do anything?" Harry asked.
"Loads of stuff! It's got an amazing defense mechanism—hold Trevor for me..."
Harry took the toad and Neville dug through his bag again, pulling out a quill. Bryt leaned forward, curious, and she noticed even Luna was lowering her magazine to watch. Neville held up the gray cactus and lifted up the quill, poking it into the plant.
Bryt jerked back quickly, raising her arms over her face as the plant spewed rancid-smelling green liquid from every boil, splattering everyone in the compartment. Bryt gagged against the smell as she lowered her arms and looked around. Luna and Ginny had both covered their faces—Ginny with her arms like Bryt had, and Luna with her magazine—though Harry and Neville were both covered completely with the rancid green slime.
"S-sorry," Neville gagged, spitting out a mouthful of the slime—Bryt gagged again, very happy she had managed to cover her face, "I haven't tried that before...Didn't realize it would be quite so...Don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous."
'Gotta wonder if this is the stuff they use in dungbombs,' Bryt thought, putting the clean-side of her sleeve over her nose, though it didn't help much considering the other half of her arm was covered in the slime.
The door opened and Bryt looked up to see Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw a year above her with long black hair, standing in the doorway. Bryt glanced over at Harry in sudden pity. Harry had had a crush on Cho for the past two years, and this couldn't have been the best way to greet her on the way to Hogwarts.
"Oh...hello, Harry," Cho said nervously, glancing around at the slime covering everyone, "Um...bad time?"
"Oh...hi," Harry said, staring at Cho as if he wished she were anywhere else. Bryt couldn't blame him.
"Um..." Cho glanced around the compartment again, "Well...Just thought I'd say hello...Bye then."
Cho slid the door shut and left. Bryt heard Harry groan next to her and glanced over at him, noticing he looked extremely embarrassed.
"Look, we can get rid of all this easily," Ginny said, pulling out her wand, "Scourgify!"
Bryt gave a sigh of relief as the Stinksap disappeared, along with its smell. She sunk back in her chair, talking with the others until the food trolley came and they all bought several Chocolate Frogs and Pumpkin Pasties, making sure to get extra for Ron and Hermione, who didn't show up until nearly an hour later.
"I'm starving," Ron said, flopping down next to Bryt and taking the Chocolate Frog she offered him. He stuffed nearly the entire frog in his mouth with one bite and leaned back, grinning.
"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each House," Hermione said as she sat down, "Boy and girl from each."
"Let me guess," Bryt said sourly, "Malfoy's the Slytherin prefect."
"'Course," Ron replied around a mouthful of chocolate.
"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," Hermione added, "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll..."
Bryt smirked. It was always amusing to hear Hermione bashing on anyone, probably because she so rarely did it.
"Who's Hufflepuff?" Harry asked.
"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot," Ron answered.
"Good for Hannah," Bryt said, grinning. She had always liked the girl.
"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," Hermione added.
"Anthony's a pretty good guy," Bryt said with a nod. She didn't know him as well as most of her friends, but Anthony was friends with Terry Boot, the boy Bryt dated for half a year, so she got to know both Anthony and Terry's other friend, Michael Corner.
"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," Ron said, checking his watch, "And we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something..."
"You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!" Hermione snapped.
"Yeah, right, because Malfoy won't abuse his at all," Ron replied, rolling his eyes.
"So you're going to descend to his level?"
"No, I'm just going to make sure I get his mates before he gets mine."
"For heaven's sake, Ron—"
"I'll make Goyle do lines, it'll kill him, he hates writing," Ron cut in, grinning as he started to mimic writing, getting a pained look on his face, and continuing in a very Goyle-like grunt, "I...must...not...look...like...a...baboon's...backside..."
Everyone started laughing, including Hermione, in spite of her complaining. Though their laughter died down as they realized Luna was shrieking in her own laugher, dropping her magazine and hugging her sides.
"That was funny!" she said, staring at Ron, who suddenly looked uncomfortable.
"Are you taking the mickey?" he asked.
Bryt laughed again, shaking her head as Harry picked up the fallen magazine.
"Can I have a look at this?" he asked, looking over to Luna, who nodded while still staring at Ron.
Bryt and Ron looked over at Harry as he read through The Quibbler some before closing it, an odd look on his face.
"Anything good in there?" Ron asked.
"Of course not," Hermione cut in, "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that."
"Excuse me," Luna snapped, "My father's the editor."
Hermione suddenly looked embarrassed.
"Well...it's got something interesting..." she said awkwardly, obviously scrambling to cover up her insult, "I mean, it's quite..."
"I'll have that back, thank you," Luna said sharply, snatching the magazine out of Harry's hand and turning it upside down before hiding her face behind it again.
The compartment door opened again and Bryt looked up, unsurprised to see Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle in the doorway. It almost seemed like some type of obsession with Malfoy to always show up at some point on the trip to Hogwarts.
"What?" Harry asked sharply, glaring at Malfoy, who was smirking at them.
"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," Malfoy said with an air of superiority that made Bryt want to hit him, "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."
"Yeah, but you, unlike me, are a git," Harry said, "So get out and leave us alone."
Bryt and the others laughed and Malfoy glared at them.
"Tell me, how does it feel to be second-best to Weasley, Potter?" he snapped.
"Piss off, Malfoy," Bryt snapped.
"I seem to have touched a nerve," Malfoy smirked, turning back to Harry, "Watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."
Bryt pushed herself to her feet, but Malfoy laughed and left, Crabbe and Goyle following. Bryt went over and slammed the door shut before sitting back down next to Ron, glaring at the door, fuming. If Malfoy didn't stop taunting her friends, Bryt had a feeling she was going to end up punching the boy. It definitely wouldn't be the first time—and it seemed Malfoy just couldn't learn from his mistakes.
The weather stayed dreary the rest of the day, but to Bryt's relief, it didn't rain. As the train started to slow into Hogsmeade station, everyone started to pull on their robes and Bryt grinned as she noticed Ron was checking how his prefect badge looked by staring at his reflection in the train window.
Hermione and Ron had to go supervise as everyone was getting off the train, so Bryt and the others headed off on their own, Luna carrying Pigwidgeon for Ron. When they got off the train, Bryt looked over for Hagrid to wave to him, but couldn't spot him among the crowd. Instead, she heard the familiar voice of Grubby-Plank—who had substituted for Hagrid the year before—calling for the first years.
"Where's Hagrid?" Harry asked. He had apparently noticed the same thing Bryt did.
"I don't know," Ginny said, "But we'd better get out of the way, we're blocking the door."
"He's probably just sick or something," Bryt said worriedly as she and Harry made their way across the platform, separating from Ginny and Luna in the crowd.
When they got to the thestral-drawn carriages, Bryt and Harry stopped to wait for Ron and Hermione. Bryt jumped slightly when Harry suddenly grabbed her arm and she looked over at him.
"What?" she asked.
"What are those things?" he asked, looking from the thestrals to Bryt, "Why are they pulling the carriages?"
Bryt looked over at the thestrals, then back to Harry. She should have known he'd be able to see them after what happened with Cedric. Still, it was odd to realize Bryt now shared this uncomfortable ability to see thestrals with Harry.
"They're thestrals," Bryt said simply, "They're pretty harmless, they've always pulled the carriages."
Harry stared at Bryt, confused.
"But...How come I haven't seen them before?"
"They can only be seen by those who've witnessed death," Bryt said, looking away and felt a wave of relief when she noticed Ron and Hermione coming over. Bryt headed towards them, not wanting the inevitable questions Harry would probably ask next. After all, even though Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew that Bryt's paternal grandparents had died when she was nine, none of them—not even Hermione—knew Bryt had watched her grandmother die in the hospital.
"Where's Pig?" Ron asked as Bryt readjusted the weight of Joey's cage in her arms.
"Luna offered to carry him," Bryt said, looking around for the girl. She noticed Malfoy and some other Slytherins shoving some second years out of the way to take the carriage for themselves.
"Malfoy was being absolutely foul to a first year back there," Hermione said, glaring towards Malfoy herself, "I swear I'm going to report him, he's only had his badge three minutes and he's using it to bully people worse than ever...Where's Crookshanks?"
"Ginny has him," Harry said, "There she is."
Bryt looked over to see Ginny coming over, carrying Crookshanks in her arms, followed shortly by Luna with Pigwidgeon. Once Hermione and Ron had their pets back, they made their way to an empty carriage.