The portal to platform 9 3/4 opened up and she rushed through as all witches and wizards did at this time of year. It was time for another term at Hogwarts to begin. She pulled the hood of her burgondy cloak over her head, before anyone could see her face. She grabbed hold of her trunk and pulled it off of the cart she pushed through the portal, then took her wand from the pocket of her pants and bewitched it to follow her as she made her way across the train station, keeping her head down. She was nervous, and seeing all these people didn't ease her jitters any less. She could feel their eyes upon her, burning thru her cloak. This was her first time away from home, first time out of the house even. If not for the Ministry of Magic forcing her mom to enroll her into Hogwarts, she would have remained in her house, and her mom would have continued teaching her the spells, potions, and other things that were necessary for her to function in this world. But she needs to recieve her NEWTS and OWLS so that she can obtain a career of some sort once she is of age. She boarded the Hogwarts Express and walked down the corridor, listening as the compartment doors simultaneously slid open as she passed them. She heard them whispering, everything from "is she new?" to "goodness, is she even a human?", but she wouldnt look up to acknowledge such comments. There was no need to frighten anyone and give them more reason to whisper. She finally found an empty compartment and entered it, sliding the door shut and placing her trunk on the rack above. She then sighed and sat down on one of the seats, able to relax now that she was on the train and no longer under the watchful eyes of others. The trip itself had exhausted her greatly. She lied across the seat and curled up, closing her eyes and falling asleep.

Harry boarded the train with Ron and Hermione, their bewitched trunks following them. They had nearly missed it. Ron's father had an emergancy in the Ministry of Magic to deal with, which delayed their ride to the train station. But they made it in the nick of time, which was a relief. Harry didn't want a repeat of his second year, when he and Ron were forced to get to Hogwarts by driving the Ministry's flying car, and nearly getting killed by the whomping willow. It was their seventh and final year, and Harry didn't want anything to compromise it. "I wonder what the big emergancy was." Ron said, polishing his head boy badge which was pinned over his heart. It became a habit after he recieved a prefect badge his fifth year, which was what Percy had done as well. Hermione straightened her head girl badge and then replied "Whatever it is, im sure they have it under control."

"Don't you want to know though Hermione?" Ron asked.

"No. I want this year to be as carefree as possible." A carefree year? That was like asking Hagrid to stop bringing dangerous creatures to his class, Care of Magical Creatures. Since starting at Hogwarts, each schoolyear had been anything but carefree. Trouble always seemed to find them, or they seemed to always find trouble. Harry, who had been rather silent most of the way there, finally spoke up. "Dumbledore told us not to worry," he said. "Besides, we all have too much to worry about as is." He was lying to himself though, as well as to his friends. Of course he was concerned about the emergancy, as well as everything else. The Daily Prophet(having been delivered to him daily by Hedwig)gave him no hope that Voldemort or the Death Eaters were ever going to be located and seized. And the dementors from Azkaban were still on the loose as well. But he couldn't let Hermione and Ron see his concern. And in a way he did have enough on his mind, with being picked as Quiddich team captain for the Gryffindor team. He had surpassed his father's legacy.

"I guess you're right Harry," Ron replied. "I mean me being head boy, Hermione being head girl, and you being Quiddich team captain, we don't need any distractions this year."

"We'd better go sit Ron." Hermione said. The train had begun to move. Ron and Hermione bid Harry farewell and went to the Head Boy and Head Girl cars of the train. Harry turned and went to seek a compartment that he could have to himself. He needed to think, for he had been having strange nightmares again. He needed to analyze them, perhaps discover what they meant. One of the compartment doors slid open and Seamus Finnigan peered out. "Greetings Harry," he said cheerily. "How was your summer holidays?"

"It was okay i guess." Harry replied warily. The summer holidays weren't something that Harry enjoyed too much, being that he had to spend it with the Dursleys. But all that would change after this year. He was planning on going to live with Lupin in that great(that word being thought with much sarcasm) house on 12 Grimmauld Place and learn how to be an Auror for the Order of the Pheonix. Sirius would be proud of him. But he shook his head slightly, pushing the thought of his fallen god-father from his mind. Dean Thomas, who was boarding with Seamus also peered out. "Would you like to sit with us?" he asked.

Harry gave a warm smile "Thanks for the offer Dean, but i would much rather sit by myself."

"Alright then," Dean replied. "Good luck finding one. I think someone is in the one at the end, a new student. We couldn't see her face because she had her hood down."

"Seemed a bit creepy in my opinion." Seamus added, shuddering. They sat down and slid the compartment door closed. Harry kept moving, all the way to the end and opened up the compartment door. There he found the new student. Her hood was indeed pulled down over her face and she was curled up on one of the seats and sleeping ever so soundly. Harry secured his trunk and Hedwig, then sat down. He stared out the window at the passing scenery, relieved to be away from the Dursleys, and he was even more relieved because this time it was permanently. No more loathing, no more Dudley bullying him, and most of all no more Uncle Vernon yelling at him. Hedwig began to go ballistic, hooting wildly and flapping her wings. Something was spooking her, something within the compartment. But what? Just then, Harry heard it. Hissing over Hedwig's fit that was clearly someone or something speakin Parseltongue.

Serenity, the hissing said. We are not alone.

The new student sat up, and her hood fell off. Harry was taken back by her appearance. Her skin was pale, resembling the color of new fallen snow. Her eyes were scarlet, her hair was midnight black and long, stopping at the small of her back. Her lips were a pale purple color, and all around her eyes there was gray, which mixed with her black eyeliner she looked remotely like what muggles called a goth. Around her neck was a snake choker, and her nails were painted black. She looked more startled at him, then he did at her. "Where did you come from," She asked, having to project her voice to compete with Hedwig's hooting. "And what is with your owl?"

Harry stood up and opened his trunk. he removed a shirt from it and placed it over Hedwig's cage. The hooting ceased, and just in time. Harry was beginning to develop a headache. He looked from Hedwig, back over to the new student, who was still looking at him. Her eyes darted up to his scar, and as they made contact with it Harry felt a sharp pain. It was similar to when Voldemort had looked at him through the turban wrapped about his body donor Professor Quirell's head during his first year at Hogwarts. He winced and rubbed it, but tried not to let the new student know that he was in any pain. He pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose. The pain disappated as soon as it had arrived. "I've read about you," she said. "You're the famous Harry Potter."

Harry slightly blushed and smiled. "Well, you know who i am, but i have yet to kno who you are."

"My name is Serenity," She replied. "Serenity Cobble." Harry gasped, but transformed it into a cough. That name had been uttered by the disembodied hissing. But who had said it? Harry decided it was best not to worry about such things at the moment. This girl, who was called Serenity seemed to interest him slightly. She had a certain feel to her that made her different. That made her sort of special in some way. "Are you new?" He inquired stupidly. Of course she was new! He had never seen her before in all of his six previous years at Hogwarts.

"Yes," Serenity replied. "My mum homeschooled me up until now. The Ministry forced her to send me this year so i can take my NEWTs."

"Have you been sorted into a house yet?"

"You mean when they placed that tattered hat with that irritating song on my head? Yes, i have been. I'm in Slytherin."

Harry's heart sank slightly. If there was one house he despised, it was Slytherin. Not only because they always won the house cup at the end of the year, but also because Draco Malfoy was in that house and the leader of that house was Professor Severus Snape. Those two despised Harry with a passion. "Oh," Harry replied with a bit of disappointment. "Well I am in Gryffindor myself."

The conversation was disrupted when the compartment door slid open and standing in the doorway was Draco. He was going to introduce himself to the new member of Slytherin, when he noticed that Harry was sharing her compartment. His smile faded into a smirk, for he always took an opportunity to torment his rival. "Potter, im surprised you even stepped out of your house," He sneered. "What with the dementors still out there. We all know how scared you are of them!"

"Malfoy, it will take more than a few dementors to scare me away." Harry snapped.

Malfoy's attention then turned to Serenity, who was sitting patiently. "So you're the new Slytherin." He said, his tone of voice changed, but the snottiness still remained in it.

"Well aren't you sharp." Serenity muttered.

Malfoy was slightly startled at her tone, but kept his cool. "Why on earth are you sitting with a Gryffindor? We Slytherins stick together. We are of the purest--" Serenity stood up quickly and approached him, her face only an inch from his. He now took notice of her red eyes, which resembled cat's eyes and his own eyes widened. "Look you little maggot, I stick with whomever I please to stick with!" And with that, she shoved a very shocked Malfoy out of the doorways and slid it shut, then took her seat. Harry was just as shocked as Malfoy had been. He had never in his six previous years seen a Slytherin tell off another Slytherin. Perhaps she was different. Perhaps the hat had misplaced her. Well misplacement or not, Serenity was now seen in a whole new light. But there was still something about her that made her special in a much different way. The Head Boy and Girl of each house began to go down each corridoor, reminding the students to start putting on their robes, for they were close to their destinaton. Harry and Serenity started putting on their robes and a few minutes later the train came to a halt. They had reached Hogwarts at last.