I do not own Harry Potter. Direct quotes from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be in bold.

My early Christmas present for you xD

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

On the Tracks for Hogwarts

"Charlie! Wake up!"

"Don't wanna," grumbled Charlie, rolling over and shoving her head under her pillow.

Sighing in exasperation, Hermione yanked on her other sneaker before going over to her best friend's bedside. She pulled roughly on the pillow and whacked Charlie with it. "We're going to be late! The train is going to leave without us!"

At this, the raven-haired girl sprang up and stumbled over to her trunk. "Like heck it is," she said as she yanked out a pair of jeans, a shirt and her Ravenclaw robes. "I did not make it through that trial scot-free just to miss the train."

Hermione grinned in amusement and left the room, her things already together. Charlie got dressed and finished throwing the last lingering items into her trunk. Snagging her broomstick from its place under her bed, she rested it against her trunk and hunted down Snowy's cat supplies, which were stuffed in various places around the room.

"Alright," she said in satisfaction once everything was gathered. "Ready to move on out to the Hogwarts side."

She left the bedroom and headed for the stairs, where she met Ginny. "Ready for school?" she asked.

The redhead smiled. "As ready as I'll ever be. There may or may not be a few homework questions that went unfinished."

"You've been hanging too much around Ron."

Ginny laughed. "He actually got his work done, thanks to Hermione. Mum wishes Fred and George were influenced by good Ravenclaws like you two."

"Heads up!"

The panicked holler was courtesy of said twins. The two girls turned to see a couple of trunks racing their way, their back ends clunking against the stairs as they went. With no time to react, they braced for impact.

The trunks smacked them right in the stomachs, sending them flying down two flights of stairs. Charlie managed to sling her arms around Ginny's waist and bring the girl closer, so that when they crashed to the ground Charlie received the brunt of the impact.

Ginny clambered to her feet, eyes wide with worry. "Charlotte! Are you okay?"

"What happened?" Mrs. Weasley demanded, hurrying into the entry to investigate the source of the noise just as Mrs. Black started screaming shrilly.

"Filth! Vermin! Get out of my house!"

"It was an accident!" Fred said quickly as he and his brother reached the downstairs.

"They sent their trunks down the stairs with magic!" said Ginny. "They didn't even look to see if anyone was in the way!"

"Disgusting Mudbloods and blood traitors!"

"Fine," said Charlie dazedly, the pounding in her head starting to cease. "I'm fine."

But Mrs. Weasley was furious. "How dare you?" she shouted. "You could have given them a severe injury! You can't just use magic whenever you feel like it!"

"We're sorry," said George sincerely. "Charlotte, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she assured, climbing carefully to her feet. "Nothing's broken. Just a bit of a jolt."

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Weasley asked anxiously.

"Positive."

"There's some breakfast waiting in the kitchen. You two," she pointed at her sons, "can silence Mrs. Black."

As the twins went to do their task, Charlie and Ginny headed for the kitchen. "Are you really okay? That was quite the hit you took-and you took it for me!"

Charlie smiled. "A fall down some stairs is nothing against the brawls I'd get into with Dudley when we were younger. Pain is something I'm quite used to."

Ginny stared at her in admiration. "I wish I could be as tough as you."

Charlie laughed. "I wouldn't consider myself tough, but thanks."

They entered the kitchen, where there were plates of eggs and bacon waiting. "We gotta eat fast," said Ron thickly, his mouth full. "Mum's gonna go nuts if we don't leave soon."

Soon all the children had their trunks piled near the front door. Snowflake, Crookshanks, Hedwig and Pigwidgeon were secure in their cages and Charlie kept her cat by her feet as she sat on the front stairs. Ron, Harry and Hermione lingered by the door, while the rest waited in the kitchen, listening to Mrs. Weasley and Mad-Eye Moody argue.

"We can't wait any longer," Mrs. Weasley was saying in as soft a voice she could manage. "The train can't leave without the children and if we don't leave now we're going to miss it!"

"We have to wait for Podmore!" insisted Moody.

"Don't know why we need a guard," said Charlie, resting her chin in her hands. "Voldemort isn't going to be hiding in the bushes, waiting to nab me." She paused. "At least, I hope not."

Mrs. Weasley strode into the entry hall in that moment, lips pursed tightly with Sirius strolling behind. "Charlotte, you're with us and Tonks," she instructed. "You can leave your trunk and cat. Alastor will take care of it."

"Alright. See you guys on the train."

Her friends nodded in agreement and Charlie followed the adults outside. "I still don't think you should be coming," said Mrs. Weasley to Sirius pointedly. "Hanging around Charlotte too much might make others suspicious."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "It was common knowledge in my schooldays that James and I were best friends. Many of the Death Eaters were in our year, if not older. If they can't connect the obvious dots then I don't think we'll have to worry about them."

At the end of the street was an old woman with grey hair. "It's about time," remarked Tonks. "We're cutting it close."

"I know," groaned Mrs. Weasley as they strode briskly off. "But Alastor insisted on waiting for Sturgis, but he never showed."

"Do you think he's okay?" ventured Charlie, unable to banish the photograph Moody had showed her from her memory.

Mrs. Weasley quickly placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Of course!" she assured. "He probably forgot or is just late. Absolutely nothing to worry about!"

"Yeah, kiddo," said Sirius, rubbing her hair fondly. "Start worrying about yourself instead of focussing so much on others."

Charlie only smiled noncommittally.

It took twenty minutes, but they reached King's Cross with only a few minutes to spare. "This wouldn't have been a problem if Arthur could have borrowed some cars from the Ministry," Mrs. Weasley muttered as they strode for platform nine and three quarters. "But they barely let him do anything nowadays."

Ensuring no one was watching, the group passed casually through the barrier. Charlie grinned widely at the sight of the Hogwarts Express, which blew a steady stream of soot over the platform.

I'm almost there.

"I hope the others get here soon," said Mrs. Weasley anxiously.

"Look, there's Alastor now," said Sirius, pointing to where the man lumbered towards them, a cap covering his magical eye. He pulled a trolley behind him, which was piled with luggage.

"We're good," he whispered to them once he was near. "We weren't followed."

Mr. Weasley soon arrived with Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Just as they unloaded the trolley, Remus approached with Harry and the twins.

"Run into any problems?" asked Moody.

"None at all," replied Remus.

"Okay, you lot better get going," said Mrs. Weasley, giving everyone a hug. "Be careful."

"Watch what you write in letters," added Moody.

"Stay safe," said Remus, giving Harry a hug. "All of you."

"I know this is going to sound extremely out of character, but don't get into any trouble," said Sirius, placing his hands on Charlie's shoulders. "Please."

"I'll do my best," promised Charlie, giving him a strong hug.

Soon they were all on the train, trunks in hand. The train started its slow departure, and Charlie only stopped waving when the adults were no longer visible.

"Well, we're off to discuss some things with Lee," said Fred. "See you later."

The twins left and Charlie glanced at her friends. "So where do you have to go?"

"To the prefect carriage," said Harry, fingering his badge self-consciously. "Sorry."

"Don't be silly. We'll grab a compartment and I'll see you guys later." Charlie smiled. "Have fun."

"We won't," assured Ron, and the three filed off next.

"I guess you'll have to settle for me," said Ginny apologetically.

Charlie grinned and slung an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Nothing wrong with that. You're rocking."

They trekked down the train, trying to find a relatively empty compartment. The majority of them were full, and as they passed people gave Charlie interested looks through the glass. Resisting the urge to touch her scar, she wearily wondered just how many of her peers believed the words written in the Daily Prophet.

I have a feeling I'm going to be greatly outnumbered…it'll be the Heir of Slytherin thing all over again. A girl can talk to snakes and all of a sudden she's either setting a Basilisk on innocent students or making up lies about Voldemort being back because I'm insane.

They reached the very last compartment, where they found Neville hanging around, trunk in one hand and Trevor, his toad, in the other. "Hey, Neville," greeted Ginny.

"Hey," he returned, relieved. "I'm having a rough time finding a compartment."

Charlie peered into the one he was standing in front of. "This one only has one person in it."

Neville darted his gaze about uncertainly. "I'm not sure…"

Charlie smiled. "It's only Luna. She won't mind."

With a push, she opened the compartment door. "Hey, Luna. Is it cool if we sit with you?"

The pale, dirty blonde-haired girl glanced up from The Quibbler, which she was reading upside-down. Her wand was tucked behind her ear and her large eyes, which always made her seem surprised, roamed over them. After a moment she gave a nod.

They all settled into the seats and Ginny shut the door behind them. "Did you have a good summer?" she asked.

Luna nodded. "It was enjoyable, thank you." She glanced at Charlie. "Hello, Charlotte."

"Hey," she greeted back with a smile.

"I don't know you," continued Luna, looking directly at Neville.

The boy's eyes grew wide. "I'm nobody important."

"Lies," said Ginny promptly. "This is Neville Longbottom. Neville, this is Luna Lovegood. She's in my year, but in Charlotte's House."

Luna hummed in confirmation before returning to her magazine, lifting it high enough so that it covered her face.

"So…do you want to guess what I got for my birthday?" asked Neville conversationally.

Charlie tapped a finger against her lip thoughtfully. "Um…a leash for your toad?"

Neville grinned. "That would be useful, but no. Can you hold Trevor for me while I show you?"

"Sure thing." Charlie accepted the squirming toad.

The Gryffindor dug out a small grey cactus covered in boils. "It's Mimbulus mimbletonia."

Charlie studied the plant with intrigue. "Cool."

"My Great Uncle Algie got it for me," said Neville, beaming. "It's really rare, and I don't think there's one at Hogwarts. I really want to show it to Professor Sprout."

"She'll love it," said Charlie confidently. "Does it do anything?"

"It's got a cool defense mechanism," said Neville excitedly. "I'll show you."

He pulled a quill out of his bag and gave his plant a firm poke. Immediately, green jets of thick, stinking liquid squirted from every boil. Ginny protected her face with her arms and Luna was protected by her magazine. Charlie, however, was too focussed on keeping a grip on Trevor to defend herself.

"Sorry," said Neville, eyes wide as she shook his hands up and down, drops of liquid splattering to the floor. "I didn't know it was going to do that. It's not poisonous!"

"Good," rasped Charlie, spitting out a mouthful. "What is it?"

"Stinksap. I really am sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

The compartment door slid open and Cho Chang stuck her head in. Her nose immediately wrinkled at the rancid smell that came from the Stinksap. "Er…everything okay in here?"

"Perfectly fine," said Charlie. "How are you?"

"Great. I saw you through the glass and thought I'd say hi."

"Well, hi." Charlie grinned. "How's Cedric doing?"

Cho blushed lightly. "He's fine-we're fine. He's going to miss Hogwarts, but he's also kind of glad he graduated. He's going to try to visit when he can."

"Cool, I'll have to catch him when he comes by."

"I gotta get going, but I'll see you at dinner. Great to see you again!"

"You too!" said Charlie, waving after Cho as she departed.

"Right, let's take care of this." Ginny gave her wand a wave. "Scourgify!"

The Stinksap vanished and Charlie took a breath of fresh air. "Much better."

Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived an hour later, and when they entered the compartment the table was already piled high with sweets from the food trolley. "Good, I'm starving," said Ron, collapsing beside Neville and snagging a Chocolate Frog.

"There's a pair of fifth-year prefects for each House," informed Hermione as she took a seat.

"You won't believe who the Slytherin prefects are," said Harry with a groan.

"Draco and Pansy," answered Charlie, and smiled when her brother shot her a look of surprise. "It's me. Things don't tend to go well for me. Who are your partners?"

"Hannah Abbott," answered Harry.

"Parvati Patil," said Ron. "I guess she's okay."

"I've got Anthony Goldstein," said Hermione.

Charlie nodded. "At least you've got good partners, then."

It was then Ron noticed the blonde behind the magazine. He looked at Charlie quizzically and she mouthed Luna Lovegood. His eyes glinted with amusement, and Charlie knew that the girl's reputation preceded her.

"We're allowed to give out punishments," Harry informed Charlie.

Ron grinned. "I can't wait to nail Crabbe and Goyle for something."

Hermione shot him a look. "You're not supposed to abuse your power."

"Well, I can't get Parkinson, since she's a prefect too. So I have get his other mates before he gets mine."

"They don't do anything without Malfoy," reminded Harry. "What would you get them for?"

"Is looking like a baboon's backside grounds for detention?"

Luna let out a shriek of laughter at the ginger's joke, causing everyone to jump in surprise. "What?" asked Ginny in bafflement.

"His joke was funny," choked out Luna, holding her sides as tears of mirth fell down her cheeks. "A baboon's backside!"

As the others watched the girl laugh in bemusement, Charlie picked up the magazine, which Luna had dropped in her fit of laughter. Her right eyebrow arched upon spotting a horribly drawn cartoon of Cornelius Fudge. It was above the article, which detailed Fudge's plan to overthrow the goblins and take Gringotts into his power.

Yeah, Fudge likes power, but he's not going to go through the goblins in order to get to Gringotts. And he's most definitely not placing orders to have them baked into pies.

Fudge was power hungry, not a demented sociopath-of that Charlie was certain.

Shaking her head at the absurdity of the article, she closed the magazine and handed it back to Luna, who had calmed down.

"Anything interesting in there?" asked Ron.

Before Charlie could answer, Hermione snorted. "Please. Unless you find rubbish interesting, I sincerely doubt it."

Eyes suddenly developing a steely quality, Luna looked at the bushy-haired girl. "My father is the editor, thank you."

Ooh. Awkward.

Hermione turned red with embarrassment. "Uh…sorry," was all she managed to say.

Scowling softly, Luna hid her face resolutely behind her magazine again. Hermione shot her friends a mortified look, and received amused grins in return.

The compartment door slid open then, and Charlie glanced over her shoulder to see Draco, his second-in-command and cronies gathered in the entryway. Resisting a groan of annoyance, she attempted a civil tone as she addressed them, "What do we owe the pleasure?"

"I just thought I'd let you know that Pansy and I are prefects," drawled Draco, his badge flashing against his robes.

"So you better watch your step," added Pansy.

"And you better watch your mouth," snapped Ron, red in the face. "I don't know how the two of you made prefects."

"Obviously, we have something Potter doesn't." Draco smirked. "To be second-best to Weasley…how far you've fallen."

Charlie only smiled. "The day I fall is the day I decide to join your side-and that'll never happen, so I'll still be up high, with these guys with me. I'm afraid I can't say the same about you."

"You think you're so great," hissed Pansy, "just because you have Dumbledore on your side. But he's not going to be influential for long-not at this rate. Soon both of your names will be nothing but dirt. Like I said, you should watch your step. I don't think you have too many left."

"Leave!" snarled Ron, getting up and glowering at the Slytherin quartet.

With soft smirks, the group left. "Don't listen to them," said Harry.

"I hardly do," replied Charlie.

A couple more hours passed and soon they were only a few minutes away from the castle. Harry, Ron and Hermione left to supervise the other students as they gathered their luggage. Luna and Ginny carried Crookshanks and Pig out, and Charlie held onto Trevor while Neville carried Hedwig.

They shuffled out onto the platform, where they could see rain sloshing down. Charlie caught the familiar glow of a lantern, but it was not Hagrid's voice hollering out for the first-years like she expected, but Professor Grubbly-Plank.

Bewildered, Charlie followed after Ginny into the wet weather, brow furrowed in confusion. Grubbly-Plank is only ever here when Hagrid is unavailable.

She remembered what Hagrid said before summer holidays, about being sent out on a mission by Dumbledore.

I hope everything's okay.

Rain drizzling down her face, she soon lost track of Ginny, Neville and Luna in the flow of students and came up to the horseless stagecoaches alone.

At least, they used to be horseless.

Green eyes wide, she stared at the horses, which were completely fleshless, their black coat sticking to their skeletons, so tightly that every bone was visible. Their heads had a dragonish quality to them, and their eyes were white and pupil-less. They bore a pair of vast, leathery wings.

Okay…so this is either new or I've lost it.

"Hey," said Ron from behind her, causing her to jump. "Where's my owl?"

"Luna has him," she informed, turning around. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets to the owlery."

Ron smiled. "Thanks. So, you see Grubbly-Plank?"

Charlie nodded. "You think Hagrid's okay?"

"I hope so," said Ron feelingly.

Harry and Hermione joined them. "Malfoy's already being nasty to the younger students," she huffed. "I'm going to report him. He's only been a prefect for a few minutes and he's already causing terror. Where's Crookshanks?"

"And Hedwig?"

"Right there," said Charlie, pointing at Ginny, who was approached with the animals.

"Here," the redhead panted, handing Hermione her cat and Harry his owl. "Luna's got Pig, but I lost her. Neville's waiting for me near a carriage-"

"Go," said Ron, waving her off. "Charlie can get Pig for me later if I don't see Luna sooner-which would be perfectly fine with me."

Rolling her eyes, Ginny took off. Harry and Hermione started to climb into the carriage, and Charlie took a look at the horses. "Where do you think they came from?"

"What?" asked Ron curiously.

Blinking, Charlie pointed at the horses. "Them. The horses-"

Luna came hurrying up just then and Ron smiled with relief, taking his owl. "Thanks."

"No problem," said Luna. "He really is cute. Is it okay if I ride with you? I can't find Ginny and Neville."

"Of course," said Charlie.

"What were you saying about horses?" asked Ron as the three joined Hermione and Harry in the carriage.

"Can't you see them?" asked Charlie in confusion.

"Er…no," said Ron, brow raised. "Should I be seeing something?"

Charlie stared at the black creatures, and soon realized that she was the only one who could see them. They weren't new additions-they'd always been there. But for some reason, she could suddenly see them.

"Never mind," she finally said.

Ron shrugged and climbed into the dark interior of the coach.

"I can see them too."

Charlie glanced at Luna. "You can?"

The girl nodded. "They've always pulled the carriages, they've never moved on their own. You're not mad. You're just as sane as I am."

She climbed into the carriage, leaving Charlie to stare after her.

Not exactly reassuring, but probably not wrong, either.