Chapter 1 - Hogwarts Express
A cool gentle breeze lapped at a young girl's cheek as she stepped out of a black town car. Her dark brown hair danced with the wind, when it fell back to her shoulders it feel to her the middle of her back. She turned back to look into the car and her blue eyes sparkled with life. She smiled and adjusted her rectangle glasses, they had been slightly askew when she got out of the car. As she stood and walked toward the back of the car, two boys climbed out after her, the elder of the two, had a neatly trimmed goatee that matched his jet-black hair. He looked adorable and handsome with a touch of charm wrapped into a perfectly smiling package. His eyes too sparkled with life and joy just like the girl that exited the car before him. The shorter and younger of the two boys had dark hair like the girls it was neatly combed, his eyes too, sparkled like the girl's and the older boy's.
A tall man stepped out from the driver's seat and a shorter, thin woman out from the front passenger side. The women gracefully walked toward the girl and placed her left arm across the girl's shoulders with a smile, she said, "My little girl's off to her fourth year at Hogwarts."
"Mom? What if a Muggle were to hear about Hogwarts?"
"Leona, you forget the rules too easily. I can use magic, and I know more about memory charms then you do. After all, I perform them practically everyday at work. Ever since I graduated from Hogwarts myself," the women said, hinting at the fact that she worked for the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Catastrophes.
The older boy quickly chimed in, "I still find it completely unfair that we can't use magic outside of Hogwarts."
"Miles, they created that rule for your protection," the man said with a laugh.
"And to protect Muggles." Leona smiled.
The man had opened the boot of the car and was pulling out three large trunks; each of the trunks had a name engraved on the top. "Leona," her father handed her one of the trunks clearly engraved on the top of hers was 'Leona Helix'. "Miles," he handed on to the older boy. "Corin," he then handed the younger boy a trunk. With the last trunk out of the boot of the car he closed it.
The woman had quickly pulled three carts over to where her children were standing. "Put them down," she said hastily. "Muggles well start questioning things if they were to see you three just happily carrying those trunks around, as if they were weightless." Each child quickly set their trunk down on one of the carts. "Your father is going to wait here in the car and I will see you all off onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters." They began walking toward the entrance to the station when she squeaked, "Oh I nearly forgot to give you the start of term gift." She opened her bag and handed one small box to each of the three children, each a different shape and size. "You can't open them till you're on your way to Hogwarts."
The four made their way down the platforms, the three teenagers eagerly chatting back and forth between themselves. Leona looked at Miles, "I can't wait to see Oliver's face when I tell him that Gregory got signed to the Caerphilly Catapults reserve team as chaser."
Smiling Miles said, "Knowing what I know about Wood it wouldn't surprise me if he already knew about Gregory making the team."
"Here we are," their mother said quietly. "Go on. No sense wasting time."
One by one, the three walked casually into the pillar between platforms nine and ten. Magically they disappeared as they walked into the pillar, reappearing on a hidden platform, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
As Leona walked further onto the platform she heard a few familiar voices yelling from the train. A little girl with the Weasley red hair stood holding her mother's hand, and next to her was the all too familiar face of Percy Weasley. Leona smiled as Mrs. Weasley began lecturing Fred and George about staying out of trouble they were starting their second year at Hogwarts and they had already served a combined total of at least 20 detentions and lost Gryffindor many house points. Although because they brought a certain entertainment to the Gryffindor common room, their failures and mistakes were always quickly forgiven.
"Percy!" Leona cried out enthusiastically, as she pushed her cart to get it going again.
Though he had been afraid of her barely eight months before, Percy turned around with a smiled as he hugged his friend and he quickly introduced Leona to his mother, "Mum this is Leona Helix, Leona this is my mum. Leona is in Gryffindor with us."
"Are you Gregory Helix's little sister?" Mrs. Weasley asked with a smile.
"Yes. Gregory is my older brother."
"Oh, he and Charlie were on the house Quidditch team together. During Charlie's last few years there, he would write to us about the new chaser Gryffindor had. He was so impressed by your brother. What is Gregory up to now?"
"He was recently signed to Caerphilly Catapults reserve team as one of their chasers."
"That's terrific!"
Percy looked at his watch, "Mum, Leona, I hate to break up the Gregory Helix fan club meeting, but the train is going to be leaving in less then ten minutes."
"Right then. Fred, George help Leona with her trunk." Mrs. Weasley smiled and the twins grinned as each grabbed a side of the trunk. "It was very nice meeting you, Leona."
"You too Mrs. Weasley." Leona said walking after Fred and George, Percy walking by her side. "Your mum seems nice."
"When she isn't yelling at George or Fred, she's great. " Percy smiled at Leona.
Leona laughed she recalled the Howler that Fred and George had gotten the year before, they had opened it in the Great Hall, and everyone at the Gryffindor table's ears were ringing for days afterward. "That must not happen too often."
"No, not really. She's always on our tails about something," Fred added jokingly.
"And she's always bring up things we've already gotten yelled at for," George said as they stopped, looking into one of the baggage areas.
"Well, this year just stay out of Filch's way," Leona said.
"He appears out of NOWHERE!" Fred said with a smile, as he moved down the train with George, trying to find a place to put Leona's trunk. Thankfully it was still light from the spell so they really weren't having any trouble with it.
"We're walking down the corridor at night, minding our own business and, all of a sudden, poof! There he is," George gestured with his free hand as he said 'poof'.
"Well you shouldn't be wandering the halls at night anyway," Leona said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Leona has turned into a prefect," George smiled, as Fred looked into the baggage area of yet another car.
"Leona?" A familiar voice caused Leona to turn, as she turned her eyes widened as she saw Oliver Wood standing before her.
"Oliver!" The two of them embraced. Leona's head was spinning, Oliver had grown up so much over the summer. He had cut his hair so it was nearly the same length everywhere; his eyes sparkled as they had since his first year, but this time they looked different.
"Percy," Oliver smiled at Percy and then looking at the twins. "Fred, George."
"Hey Wood," the twins chirped at the same time.
"Wood, how have you been?" Percy asked.
"Did you enjoy the World Cup?" Leona asked, knowing that that was the question he was really waiting to answer.
"It was great!" Oliver began excitedly talking about each of the games he had seen.
Percy shot a look at Leona, it was a look of, 'what have you started?'
The four of them made their way onto the train, Leona gestured Oliver to the front with her, and he continued to babble about the World Cup. Leona was only half listening to him, she enjoyed Quidditch as much as the next wizard or witch but Oliver reveled in the sport. He talked about each team's strategy, and what had worked and what hadn't. Leona peeked into each compartment looking for her three best friends. As she walked through the doorway connecting the cars, Leona heard a voice from a compartment ahead of her, that she wished she hadn't heard.
"I think that is Wood." A high pitched voice said.
Wood stopped talking and looked to where the source of the voice had come from, just as Leona turned to walk back through the door. She heard the girl say, "Wood, and is that little Leona Helix?"
Leona turned and looked at the girl standing ten feet away from her, it was Gwendolyn Ackles. Gwendolyn Ackles in all of her beauty. With her perfectly straight blonde hair that just brushed her shoulders, her gleaming green eyes and her perfect smile, her perfect teeth, and her perfect complexion. Leona had at least a one zit every second of her teen years, but not Gwendolyn. She was perfect, and it made Leona sick.
"Nice to see you, Gwendolyn. Oliver, I am going to find Amber, Helen and Janette." she had been holding her tongue. What she really wanted to say was, 'Oh, it's Gwendolyn the evil hag of Ravenclaw.' Leona managed to walk past her nemesis, without letting Oliver see the nasty face she made in Gwendolyn's direction. It had been Gwendolyn who had started those rumors. It had been Gwendolyn who had caused Leona's friends to treat her as if she were the plague. It had been Gwendolyn that look at Leona with disdain in her eyes as she received flying lessons the last two years from Oliver. She looked straight ahead, but she glanced to the side upon seeing a familiar face out of the corner of her eye, it was Dylan Timbers.
"Leona," he said surprised to see her. "I thought that you would be sitting with Amber and Janette."
"Well actually I was looking for them. You wouldn't have seen them would you?"
"No. I got here early for a seat on the train, so I could choose who I sat with, not the other way around. If you can't find them you can always sit with me."
"Thank you Dylan. Well, if I don't come back I'll ride with you in the carriages to the castle when we get to Hogsmeade." Leona smiled, stopping in the doorway. "See you later," Leona walked away without hearing Dylan's response, instead simply started smiling and looked back out the window at the platform. Leona was good friends with Dylan, even though he tried extremely hard to get as close to her as possible. Leona knew how he felt about her, and she felt terrible that she didn't feel the same way. He was a follower, whoever was doing something important he attempted to hang out with them. He was smart and charming, but he had just never managed to charm Leona into submission.
She made her way down the corridor yet again. The train started moving, as she looked back into the corridor where she had left Oliver. She saw Gwendolyn blocking the path, twirling her hair, and talking about her summer. "Poor Oliver," she said under her breath as she continued on route to find her friends.