"E-excuse me," Peter said, stepping into the compartment with as much confidence as he could muster. It had taken a full minute of steeling himself to get up the courage to open the door, but he knew he had to.

This was his compartment, after all. Or, more accurately, James' and Sirius'. They had sat here the past two years, and were determined to sit there every year to come, so whoever arrived first was expected to keep it for them.

Unfortunately for Peter, he was first. Which wouldn't really be so bad, because the odds of someone showing up an hour early (dad had work, and mum wanted to go out so she had dropped him off a bit early) and taking this specific compartment was slim. Except that it had happened, and now he had to be the brave one who told the interloper that this was a taken compartment.

Peter, for all his faults, was not deluded. He knew he wasn't the bravest person. However, seeing as the person was a tiny blond girl (who Peter would have thought a first year had she not been clearly sorted into Ravenclaw), he thought he could probably do the job.

"Yes?" The girl replied, clearly distracted by the book she was reading. She didn't look up at him, and Peter felt a bit of relief at that; things were always easier when people weren't looking at him.

"M-my friends and I sit in this compartment every year- It's kind of a… a ritual? Well, y-you know what I mean, right? It's just a thing we do every year and this year we want to do it again so-"

"Do you want me to leave?" Serena asked, still not raising her eyes from her book. If he did, then he should tell her and she would. But if he was just informing her that his friends would be sitting here too she was perfectly willing to sit here and read without speaking to them. That would be what happened in practically any compartment she sat in, after all, and in the past two terribly awkward train rides she had become rather confident in her ability to ignore those confined in a compartment with her.

"N...no?" It seemed more like a question than anything- mostly because it was. Peter, for one, wouldn't mind if this quiet girl stayed, and he doubted Remus would either. James and Sirius might, though. She wasn't Slytherin, which meant she didn't automatically have to go, but maybe James and Sirius only wanted the four of them in here?

Serena finally looked up, hoping to gauge if the boy she had not yet identified was just trying to be polite, and nearly groaned out loud when she saw who it was.

Peter Pettigrew.

Of course, of all the compartments she could have randomly selected, it would be theirs. That was just her luck.

Now, Serena had no qualms with Peter; it was his friends that drew the reaction. She also didn't dislike Remus, although he had nearly eaten her last year, it was the other two.

James Potter and Sirius Black.

Serena was very confident in her ignoring abilities- when those with her were content to be ignored. But from what she had observed they seemed to thrive on attention, especially when it was drawn forcefully from those determined not to give it (Case study: Lily Evans). She had also seen what happened when they were denied.

This compartment was a one-way ticket to getting on the pranking-list, and Serena was not interested in being any part of that. She was glad it had been a question now, because it would look considerate of her to leave rather than rude; though it wouldn't have stopped her. No way was she going to be holed into a compartment full of those hooligans.

"I'll leave, there are plenty of open compartments," she stated easily, snapping her book closed and dragging her trunk down from its perch almost before Peter could rush to help her. For half a second he was really worried she was going to get crushed, because the trunk was almost as big as she was and yet she yanked it one-handed from directly above her head, but then she lowered it to the ground as if it weighed no more than the book she was carrying in her other hand. "My mum put a charm on it," Serena explained, seeing Peter's shock and feeling like she should at least try to be civil and pretend she wasn't running from his friends, "probably as an apology for leaving me here this early."

After she'd said it, Serena supposed that probably went a titch beyond just being a civil conversationalist. However, it was already said and there was nothing to be done about that.

"Goodbye," she rushed out, before she could say anything to make the situation even more awkward. Every moment spent was a .5 percent increase in the probability that she was mentioned to Sirius and James, and every word said was another ten that could be used to describe her, which would make it more likely for them to bother checking her out on a particularly boring day.

On top of Janie, Xeno, and even Reg (who, heaven help her, was the most normal of her friends) she did not need to add a pack of dangerously bored pank-master Gryffindors to the list of people that interacted with her. She'd had quite enough pranks to last a lifetime last year, and didn't want a repeat performance.

Peter was left standing in the compartment feeling torn between relief that the girl had left and guilt for having chased her out, however accidentally it may have been. After a moment he sighed, deciding there was nothing to be done about it and it was probably for the best anyway, and set about placing his things on the chairs so it was clear they were reserved.

Serena passed fifteen perfectly empty compartments before she decided she was far enough away that whatever those boys did during the train ride (because they always did something) wouldn't affect her. It was nearly thirty minutes before a steady stream of passengers began to board, and another ten before anyone bothered her.


A group of Slytherins had been walking, trying to find an empty compartment (or, as Evan Rosier, a fifth year, suggested they could just chase someone out) when Seventh year Narcissa Black happened to glance into a compartment containing only a small blond girl.

"I'm going to sit in here, with Serena," she glanced at Regulus, who was pointedly staring at the ground, "I'll see you all at the banquet, then."

"Serena," Mulciber mused, looking at Avery in question, "I feel like I've heard that name before…"

"Well it doesn't sound familiar at all to me," Regulus cut in, turning and beginning to walk away without hesitation, "come on, before we have to share with some lousy Gryffindor."

"Hey Serena," Narcissa grinned as she slid the compartment door open, gaining a little bit of amusement from the way Serena jumped at the sudden interruption. She didn't miss how Serena's eyes immediately flicked to look behind her, and knew exactly what she was looking for. "Reg's sitting with some other Slytherins; you know how he is," she said a mite apologetically, sliding the door shut once more and settling herself across from the third year.

"I figured he would," Serena replied truthfully, but couldn't help but to feel a bit disappointed anyway. She hadn't been able to properly thank him for his gift yet, since she wasn't supposed to write him and Kreature had left so quickly she hadn't been able to even write a note back. She was just about to ask about Narcissa's summer- more to change the subject than of serious interest as she still didn't really like small talk, but Narcissa had that crazy glint in her eye she got whenever a boy was brought up- but just then the compartment door slammed open, accompanied by an explosive voice.

"Ciss, where's Regulus?!"

Serena stared intently at her book. Didn't duck behind it, but didn't look up either. Showing interest would be a death blow, but no way could she hide- it would only draw attention.

Because she recognized that voice. It was none other than the infamous prankster, Sirius Black.


"He stole my quidditch robes!" James, not having to even look around to know that the voice was that of one of his best friends, Sirius Black, jumped up. Remus merely raised an eyebrow, not standing from the seat of their compartment, and Peter merely watched with wide eyes.

"Let's get him!" James declared, swiveling to face the longer-haired boy with a savage grin.

"Thanks mate!" Sirius smiled back, throwing an arm around James' shoulders.

"Anytime! … So, who are we getting exactly?"

"Yes, that would be good to know first," Remus interjected dryly, but the two black-haired friends ignored him.

"Reg of course, who else would've been able to nick my things before we even got to Hogwarts?" He had known before, of course, but he couldn't really say anything when his parents were there. Even with Regulus shooting him smug smirks.

"Alright, come on boys, we're going on a hunt!" James crowed, and the two of them shot off toward the rest of the train without waiting for the other two. Peter immediately lurched to standing and scrambled after. Remus took a moment to let loose a put-upon sigh, and them proceeded after them in a leisurely (or rather, exasperated) stroll.

Peering into compartment after compartment, Sirius made sure to fix his patented Black Glare just in case they ran into his little brother- for a really impactful first impression of course. Before they found Regulus, they stumbled across a compartment containing two blonds, one seventh year and one who probably couldn't have been more than a second year.

The older was Narcissa, who Sirius of course knew usually sat next to Regulus and their creepy snake buddies on the train, so without delay he threw open the compartment door and burst in calling, "Ciss, where's Regulus?!"

"I'm not sure," Narcissa smiled, not seeming shaken at all by the sudden entrance. "He sat with some of our housemates in a different compartment."

Sirius groaned, annoyed that he'd got his hopes up for nothing.

"Well, do you know where he is?"

The other three boys looked on, not having entered the compartment. Peter hovered nervously in the doorway, looking torn between wanting to follow after Sirius and wanting to stay out of any possible confrontation. Remus stayed outside and simply tried to get others to keep moving along- even though their group was only third years they were probably the most infamous people at Hogwarts, so of course they drew attention wherever they went. James was looking into the compartment like Peter, but the object of his gaze was not Sirius or Narcissa. Rather James was looking at the third person in the compartment, the little blond girl who was insistently reading her book.

While Sirius continued to explain the situation to his cousin, James continued unobserved to scrutinize the girl. She was a small girl, he may have thought her a first year if she wasn't clearly wearing the colors of a ravenclaw, and the way she was acting was intriguing. Or, rather, the way she wasn't acting. Usually there were two possible reactions when meeting their pranking troupe- either fan-like excitement and admiration, or absolute horror.

This girl was acting like she didn't know who they were, and even more strangely like wasn't even curious as to who Sirius was even though he had just burst loudly into her compartment.

"Well, thanks anyway, Cis. C'mon guys, let's keep searching!" Sirius declared, just as rambunctious as ever as he once again burst from the compartment. Peter scampered after immediately, and Remus followed with only a small sigh. James paused a moment longer, giving one last lingering look towards the girl, smirking, and finally following after his friends.