Penny sat aboard the Hogwarts Express, swishing her wand happily creating waves of colourful vapour form rings from the tip of her wand, illuminating the compartment. Sat with Draco, Crabbe and Goyle Penny had felt a stab of contempt for her cousin's body guards. However realising she could now do magic had wiped that from her mind. Draco had been talking about the Triwizard Tournament yet again, whilst the three of them had watched her display with less appreciation than Penny felt it deserved. After a while she had gotten up to see who else had boarded the currently stationary train.
"Hey Penny!" A familiar voice called. Heather Greengrass walked down the corridor, with her blonde older sister Daphne and a tiny dark haired girl just behind her. "What the hell is that?" Heather shrieked, pointing at a slim scaly shape coiled around Penny's left wrist. Penny extended her arm casually revealing a white snake with oranges patches, which had wrapped its two foot body tightly along Penny's arm.
"Birthday present" Penny said, gazing fondly at the baby snake. "Her name is Juno, she's a boa constrictor" Penny explained "I think they are scared of you" She hissed at the snake, who lifted its head to gaze at her owner. Penny smirked at the faces of the three girls in front of her, surprised by the smallest of them showing more curiosity than fear.
Daphne's face showed a mixture of disdain and nervousness as her crystal blue eyes met Penny's blue green ones. Though they had never exchanged a word directly, Penny contempt for her best friend Pansy was well known. It was her she asked after now.
"Pansy here yet?" She asked Penny politely, who looked the attractive older girl up and down as her body shifted defensively under her scrutiny. Penny shrugged as she answered, her eyes returning to the girls face.
"I suspect she'll be draped over Draco's lap the moment she gets here" Penny said with a sneer as the blonde frowned slightly "So I'd go wait with him" Penny said, jerking her head down the corridor behind her.
"Thanks" Daphne said making her way past, pausing very slightly as she drew level with Penny, looked over her shoulder "See you later Heather, Tori" She said before turning slowly back to face Penny, closer than necessary despite the narrow corridor. Their eyes locked for a half second that felt like an eternity before the blonde continued on her way down the corridor without a backwards glance. Penny looked after her, puzzlement on her face before looking back to Heather and the smaller witch, both of whom shared her expression.
"That girl is attracted to you" Juno told Penny matter-of-factly in her high pitched hiss, causing Penny to pull a face before turning back to the two other witches. When Penny turned her attention to the smaller witch Heather spoke up.
"Oh, this is Astoria, my little sister" Heather answered Penny's unspoken question. The little witch stopped staring at the snake on Penny's wrist and murmured a hello into the floor. "Her first year" Heather clarified unnecessarily. As the train got busier the three of them found a compartment and were soon joined by Ursula and much to Penny's exasperation, Theo. All looked warily at Juno, with a certain degree of reference, perhaps out of respect for the emblem of their house. Astoria watched as Penny resumed making her vapour rings with eyes like saucers, which caused Penny to smirk smugly. Sometime after the train had left, Ginny had popped her head into the compartment ignoring the sneers from the gang of Slytherins.
"Hey Pen"
"Hey Gin" Penny rose as they exchanged smiles. Walking down the train Penny showed Juno off to a very wary Ginny, disappointed Penny withdrew her wrist under her robe and continued down the train. Ginny and Penny talked excitedly exchanging their experiences at the World Cup as Ginny recounted her experience.
"Bill, Dad and Charlie went to try and break up the group, I went with Fred and George, we got separated from Ron, Hermione and Harry. They said they saw you and Draco" Ginny said pointedly. When Penny didn't answer Ginny went on "You Know Who's sign was cast over the forest." Ginny didn't flinch as Penny glared at her.
"First of all, I have no idea how to cast the Dark Mark" Penny said, her voice level but dangerous "And secondly, you need a wand" She emphasised with a hint of bitterness, her wandless time still struck a nerve.
"What even happened with that?" Ginny said curiously "Dad said something about a Muggle having severe brain damage, that he might never recover" She went on quickly, staring intently at Penny, who turned away to stare out the train window. "Penny?" Ginny asked, in an unusually gentle tone. "What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it" Penny said sharply as her eyes stung "Where is Hermione?" She asked walking down the corridor, keeping her back to Ginny as she blinked rapidly. As they walked down the train Penny groaned as she heard Draco's drawling tone.
"Maybe your father's too junior to know about it, Weasley" She heard him say, smirking as she felt Ginny make a hissing noise behind her, not dissimilar to Juno's.
"Don't feed the Weasel, Draco" Penny said drily as she drew level with the compartment, the three of them parting to let her through. Draco sniggered at her comment, turning to a grunt of pain as Ginny stamped on his foot on her way through. Glaring at the little redhead, he glanced to Penny before beckoning Crabbe and Goyle to follow him, Penny could hear them continuing to snigger as they disappeared.
'Hi Hermione" Penny said, settling next to the bushy haired witch as Ron stood and slammed the compartment so hard the glass shattered. Flicking her wand, the glass repaired as Hermione looked reproachfully at Ron. His glare intensified as Juno stuck her head out of Penny's sleeve to peer at the commotion.
"What do you want? Come to gloat now you get to prance around Snob Manor?" Ron spat at Penny, his ears and neck glowing red as Penny watched him coldly, Juno tightening on her wrist "One of many presents they shower you with? They must be so proud to have You Know Who's daughter strolling around, with half his mark slithering on your arm" Penny's eyes flashed but she simply continued to stare coldly at Ron, her hand clutching her wand in her robes.
"Ronald that's enough" Hermione snapped "Stop taking out Malfoy's comments on Penny, don't let him get to you!"
"Him! Get to me! As if!" Ron replied smashing a Cauldron Cake into a pulp. "You won't be able to keep that handbag" He snapped at Penny "It's an owl, a cat or a toad, not a slime stick" He said accusingly. Penny shot him a look of contempt.
"Yeah, not a rat either…no wait, a wizard that you shared your bed with for years" Penny shot back, Ginny snorting loudly behind her.
"Enough both of you!" Hermione snapping her book shut with a loud thud. Silence followed as she glared between the two of them. Eventually a movement on her wrist distracted Penny and she looked away from the stringy wizard.
"Greetings" Juno hissed across the apartment at Harry whose eyes shifted as he recognised the Serpent's Tongue. "May I?" Juno asked before slithering across as Ron shot her a dark look from the corner where he had sat brooding. Juno nestled herself into Harry's sleeve, taking advantage of his warmth as she did with Penny.
Now satisfied the current feud was over, Hermione huffed before opening her book again. Penny glanced over her shoulder at the spell on the page she was on.
"Accio" Penny said flicking her wand at the book in Hermione's hands, which promptly flew into Penny's grip. "Think I have the hang of that one" Penny said smirking playfully at the look of indignation on Hermione's face.
"Penny! Give that back!" Hermione demanded, as Penny stood holding the book out of Hermione's reach. Harry laughed as Hermione dove for the book and slammed into Penny who cackled as they wrestled over the book, Ron glared grumpily at them, and Ginny simply watched, a strange expression on her face. Wrenching the book out of Penny's grip Hermione smiled triumphantly as she settled back down as flicked through to find her place. Penny also resumed her seat smirking before she caught the strange look on Ginny's face .
"What?" Penny asked.
"Nothing" Ginny said coldly, causing Penny to frown slightly.
"Feeling left out?" Penny said smiling mischievously, Ginny looked at her alarmed but before she could react Penny flicked her wand and hit her with a Tickling Charm. Wriggling on the floor Ginny laughed uncontrollably as Penny grinned her Cheshire cat grin. "Is that better?" She said playfully.
"Please" Ginny gasped as she nodded frantically, clutching her ribs as Penny lifted the hex. Ron had glowered the rest of the journey as Penny chatted away with Hermione, resuming her smoke rings, ignoring the dark looks Ron kept shooting them. Ginny had spoken little, as was always the case when Harry was around. As the darkness drew in Penny and Ginny made their excuses and went to their compartments to get changed, Juno nested into Penny's robe pocket as she pulled them over her head. Looking at the weather outside Penny turned to Astoria eyeing her thoughtfully. Raising her wand the small girl let out a squeak and tried to hide behind Heather, who looked questioningly at Penny.
"Impervius Charm" Penny said continuing when she was answered with a blank expression "To keep some of the rain off" She said gesturing the downpour outside. As comprehension dawned Heather pushed her little sister from behind her and allowed Penny to tap various part of the Astoria. As the carriage began to slow Penny turned her wand in turn on all of her compartment mates including herself, paying particular attention to Juno's resting place. Flicking her wand Penny floated their luggage out behind them as they joined the platform. Heather had to practically shove Astoria down towards Hagrid before joining the rest of them in a carriage up to the school.
Entering the Entrance Hall Penny scowled up at Peeves who was water bombing students as they past underneath. Professor McGonagall was shouting up at him but he merely cackled. Settling in the Great Hall Penny used her wand to blow warm air over herself and her friends, ignoring the looks of longing from Draco. A few minutes later the Great Hall doors opened an some very wet looking first years appeared, one wearing what had to be Hagrid's coat. Astoria, Penny noted smugly, looked less soaked than her fellow students. After the Sorting Hat sang, the Sorting began, the tiny boy in Hagrid's coat staggered forward and was pronounced a Gryffindor with Penny's table letting out a hiss of disapproval as he joined Colin Creevey, who was undoubtedly his brother.
"Greengrass, Astoria" McGonagall called as the tiny dark haired witch walked forward trembling. Heather and Daphne straightened up to watch as the Sorting Hat was lowered on her head. Even Penny held her breath, as she knew the Greengrass family were proud Slytherins and would be most displeased if their daughter were in a different house.
"Slytherin!" The hat proclaimed to the Hall at the large. Penny, Daphne and Heather all breathed a sigh of relief as Astoria joined their table. Soon after the Feast had started and Penny had duck in enthusiastically, scooping a large amount of lasagne onto her plate and digging in. Feeling Juno peer out of her pocket, Penny carved a small lump of beef and placed in on the table when Juno stretched her jaw over it and swallowed it whole. Glancing over at Hermione, Penny frowned to see that she wasn't eating, but instead eyeing the food darkly, as if it personally offended her.
Part way through Dumbledore's speech the doors had again opened and a man like no other had entered the Hall. Penny stared at the scarred face, and the electric blue magical eye whizzing around the Hall. When it landed on Penny the whole man started, as quick as a flash his wand was draw and pointing directly at Penny's face from across the Hall. The silence in the Hall was palpable as people looked between the two of them startled, the man stared intensely with both eyes at Penny, his wand did not lower.
"Alastor" Dumbledore called calmly down the Hall. His voice seemed to shake the new arrival out of his reverie and his lowered his wand and made his way up the Hall once more. Penny was sure however, the magical eye was still upon her, even as he spoke in an undertone to Dumbledore, who answered shortly then gestured the seat to his right. The stranger sat and began eating, his beady eye on the plate, but his electric blue eye stared fixedly at Penny who scowled and looked away.
"That's Mad Eye Moody" Draco had leant across to whisper hurriedly at Penny "He is an ex Auror, a lot of people are in Azkaban because of him" He said, with emphasis that caused Penny to look at him intensely. She saw her mother flash across his eyes and understanding, nodded in acknowledgement.
Dumbledore had gone on to explain about the Triwizard tournament and the new restrictions. Penny sniggered as everyone around her erupted in rage, particularly the Weasley twins who no doubt were rapidly thinking of ways around the age limit. Next to them Ginny met Penny's eyes and smirked clearly thinking the same thing of her older brothers.
As the hall emptied everyone seemed to talk continuously of the Tournament and the age restriction. Penny laughed as Draco boasted to Pansy and her gang of girls that he would be able to overcome the tasks with ease, he shot Draco an annoyed look as she past him.
"You should enter" Theo said at Penny's shoulder "You are the best student in the school" He gushed, blushing as the others wolf whistled his flattery.
"Thanks Theo" Penny replied patting his shoulder condescendingly "But unlike some" Penny paused to look over at Draco and Pansy "I don't have to make a fool of myself trying to prove my skill" Pansy glared at her with hatred as Penny smirked and went up to her dormitory where the other girls were settling to bed.
Waving her wand, Penny constructed a small vivarium, tapping it causing the inside to warm itself. Penny lowered her wrist into the cage, but Juno didn't seem willing to leave her wrist.
"What's wrong?" Penny asked impatiently as the other girls stared at the use of the Serpent's Tongue.
"Can't I stay with you?" Juno hissed. Penny looked down at her pet's dark eyes with confusion. Eventually Penny put her wrist down near the bed where Juno nestled among the sheets. Penny climbed into bed and Juno slide up to her chest and curled up on her pyjama chest.
"Night Mistress Penny" Juno hissed from under the sheets "I'll keep watch"
"Thanks" Penny replied smiling as she closed her eyes and drifted.