"So...How old are you guys?" Harry asked breaking the awkward silence.

"16." They replied together. "You?"

"Same." Harry said. He had just turned 16 last week.

Harry grew a lot over the summer. He was about 6"2 and had quite a lot of muscles, though he was still quite skinny because he didn't eat a lot. He still couldn't get over the fact that Sirius was....dead. He felt that it was his fault. His eyes got dull and dark instead of bright sparkling emerald.

"Why don't you go to Hogwarts?" Harry asked curiously.

Aimee shrugged. "I don't know. We've never really thought about it. I mean, we learn at home, too."

"Oh...So, are you all pure bloods?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Ashleigh answered for them.

"Oh." Harry said. "Who's your teacher?"

"Emmaline Vance." Aimee said.

"Hey, I've heard that name before...I think I've met her...Oh, yeah! She was one of the people to pick me up from the Dursley's last summer. She's part of the Order!" Harry said.

"Hey, Keag, why are you so silent? You're usually the talkative one." Aimee said.

"I've been observing...You look incredibly like me...except your eyes are like Ash's, don't you think?" Keagan said, not taking her eyes off of Harry. The other two looked at Harry, then to Keagan, then to Ashleigh curiously.

"Yeah..." Aimee said slowly.

"Harry...Your eyes aren't usually dark green, are they? They're more bright and emerald like Ash's, right?" Keagan asked slowly.

"Er, yeah, I guess....They're usually emerald." Harry said uncertainly.

"Why are they dark and cloudy?" Aimee asked curiously.

Harry looked down. "Oh...something bad happened at the end of the school year..." he murmured.

The girls decided not to question him any further.

"Do you want some butterbeer?" Ashleigh asked brightly.

Harry nodded. "Sure."

Ten minutes later, they were all drinking bottles of butterbeer.

"Why don't you go to Hogwarts this year and see if you like it? It's really cool, I mean, you can go back to home schooling if you don't like it. Plus, I'm thinking Emmaline Vance is busy with Order stuff-You do know what the Order is, right?" Harry asked caurtiously.

They nodded. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea...Right, guys?" Keagan said.

Aimee nodded, but Ashleigh was a bit hesitant to the idea, but in the end she agreed."Er, sorry...My mum's not going to be home in a while...we could take a Portkey to your house." Keagan said hours later. "She's probably working late tonight...she's a Healer."

"That's fine." Harry said. They all grabbed the Portkey Keagan made and they were transported to Number 4, Privet Drive.

"Er, well, thanks." Harry said to them.

"No problem. You can owl me anytime. Your owl will find me. If you want to come over, just owl me and I'll come and get you with a Portkey." Keagan said.

Harry nodded gratefully. They said their goodbyes and the girls left.

The weeks whizzed by and Harry went over to Keagan's house almost every day. He had bought his school stuff with the girls since they would attend Hogwarts this year. He couldn't wait to tell Ron and Hermione about them. Harry was almost as close to the girls as he was with Ron and Hermione. Them knowing about the Order made it easier to talk with them Harry thought. Soon it was time to go to King's Cross to aboard the Hogwart's Express. He went with the girls.

"All you have to do is just run through the barrier." Harry explained to them. Once they were all on the other side, Harry looked for red heads. He spotted them. Ron and Hermione were running over to Harry.

"Harry!" Hermione squealed, giving him a tight hug.

"Hey, mate." Ron said grinning.

"Hey guys." Harry said, also grinning.

Harry saw that Hermione had gotten prettier and tamed her hair. Ron had gotten a lot taller, about 6"4 now. Hermione looked about 5"5.

"Guys, I want you to meet Ashleigh Lawrence, Aimee Harrington, and Keagan Montgomery." Harry said happily to them.

"Hi. I'm Aimee. Harry's told us so much about you guys and your amazing adventures." Aimee said smiling sweetly.

"Yeah, I wished I've gone on half of them! It must've been bloody brilliant!" Keagan said enthusiastically. "Oh, and I'm Keagan."

"I'm Ashleigh. Nice to meet you." Ashleigh said politely.

"Er, hi...." Ron said awkwardly.

"Erm, Hi...I'm ,well, Hermione. Nice to meet you all." Hermione said uncertainly.

"Let me explain on the train." Harry said.

They all found a compartment at the end of the train.

"Ginny's been made prefect, too." Ron said.

"Nice, what'd she get?" Harry asked grinning.

"New dress or something." Ron said.

"Harry, we've got to go to the prefect's meeting. We'll see you later." Hermione said getting up.

"Okay, see you later..." Harry said knowing that Hermione didn't want to be late.

As soon as they left, Harry started to tell them about Hogwarts. The sweet cart came and Harry bought a load of sweets. Harry was telling them about the Room of Requirement when 3 people opened the door.

"Well, Potty, you-"the voice stopped. It was Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry snarled.

"What have we got here?" Malfoy said, striding in and sitting next to Aimee. "What a," he paused and kissed her hand. "Beauty."

"Sod off, Malfoy." Harry spat. "Don't touch her with your filthy mouth."

Harry told the girls about Malfoy and Keagan agreed that Malfoy was a complete git, while Aimee and Baillie tried to see the best of things.

Malfoy eyed Harry. "Well, you don't have that mutt of a godfather of yours to go and talk to now, do you, Potter?" Malfoy smirked.

Harry narrowed his eyes.

"That," Aimee said quietly, "Was uncalled for. I think you should apologize to Harry."

Malfoy frowned at her. He got up to the door, and before he left, he muttered, "Sorry, Potter."

Harry's eyes widened. "Did I just hear what I thought I heard?!" he yelped disbelievingly.

"Yeah," Keagan smirked. "Malfoy's taken a liking in Aimee over here."

Aimee blushed, and said nothing.

A half an hour later, Hermione and Ron came in. Harry told them all about the Malfoy issue. Ron's eyes bugged out and gaped, with a Chocolate Frog in his mouth.

"Oh, Ron, close your mouth, that is absolutely disgusting." Hermione said in a disgusted tone.

Ron blushed and his ears turned red. He snapped his mouth shut and chewed before he started to gape again.

For the rest of the ride, people kept on popping in and out of the compartment.

At last, they arrived at Hogwarts, and this time, they heard the familiar booming voice.

"Firs' years, firs' years, follow me!" Hagrid shouted over the voices of students.

"All righ' there, Harry?" Hagrid said smiling at the trio and not yet noticing the girls.

"Fine, Hagrid." Harry said grinning at the half- giant. "This is-" Harry started to introduce the girls to Hagrid, but they were pushed with the crowd to the carriages.

Harry petted a Threstal lightly over the head.

"Harry...I can't see them..." Hermione said.

"Yeah it's so creepy how-"Ron started.

"WHAT?! What did you say, Hermione?" Harry asked alarmed.

"Oh,er, I can't see them." Hermione said confused. Then she said "Oh!!!"

"What are you on about, Harry?" Ron asked.

"S-Sirius...when he fell through- we should be able to see them, but-"Hermione started.

"But he's not dead...Sirius is alive!" Harry exclaimed quietly, but happily.

Ron's eyes widened.

"Come on, we've got to tell Dumbledore. Immediately." Harry said.

Hermione, Ron, Keagan, Ashleigh, and Aimee followed Harry, who was sprinting towards Hogwarts, not bothering to go by the slow pace of the Threstals. Harry was up the steps when the rest caught up with him. They were breathing heavily while Harry opened the large oak doors. Professor McGonagall looked surprised, then angry at the students who chose to barge in earlier, not taking the Threstals. They had left their belongings in the last carriage.

"What is the meaning of this Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall said angrily.

"Need...to...see...Dumbledore..." Harry said, breathing heavily.

"What? May I ask why?" Professor McGonagall said frowning.

"He's not dead!!!!" Harry practically shouted.

Professor McGonagall's eyes widened a bit, and curtly said, "Follow me."

They followed Professor McGonagall impatiently, walking towards Professor Dumbledore's office. Once they were there, Professor McGonagall said the password (Blood Pops). They went up the spiral staircase, and Professor McGonagall knocked on the door. There was a muffled 'come in' and the professor opened the door.

"Minerva, and ah..." Professor Dumbledore said when everyone was in.

"Mr. Potter and his friends have something to say, Albus." Professor McGonagall said stepping aside.

"Professor, Sirius is alive!" Harry exclaimed immediately.

Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and said, "How so?"

"When were by the Threstals," Harry explained impatiently, "Ron and Hermione couldn't see the Threstals and they were there when Sirius...died. Well, if Sirius died, then they would be able to see the Threstals, wouldn't they?" Harry said almost pleadingly.

"Ah, Harry, I'm sorry to be the one to say this, but, Mr. Weasley was fighting the brain in another room and Ms. Granger was unconscious at the time." Dumbledore said softly in an apologetic tone.

Harry shut his mouth. Professor Dumbledore was right...Neither of them were conscious or there to see it. Nobody else was conscious to see it and everyone in the Order probably had seen death already. He cursed silently. Harry doubted any of the Death Eaters couldn't see Threstals; they probably were the killers of the deaths they saw. Harry looked down at his feet. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Keagan smiling sadly, with a hand on his shoulder. Harry smiled slightly, but miserably. He then looked at Dumbledore and said, "We should go with the rest of the students." and walked out of the office.

The rest of them followed behind him in silence all the way to the Great Hall. It was a huge surprise to see Dumbledore and McGonagall already there. The rest of the students were seated, with the exception of the First Years.