Harry sat in the Ministry car with Ron, Ginny, Fred and George. The twins had to go back to finish seventh year after they left school before term officially ended the year before. Mr and Mrs Weasley sat in front with the Ministry driver. Fred and George were being their usual happy selves and were making fun of Ginny.

'Ginny, who's your boyfriend?' asked George.

'Yeah, so you got over Harry, now who's taken his place?' asked Fred.

'Hey twins?' asked Ginny.

'Yes dear sister?' asked the twins.

'Sod off.'

'OUCH!' said Ron, snarling at Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, who hissed back at him. 'Your cat's scratching at me again!'

'Not my fault,' said Hermione, looking at Ron over the latest issue of The Quibbler. 'You and my cat do not get along famously.'

'Yes, so why don't you put it in the trunk along with the luggage?'

'No, so why don't you stop sitting on Crookshanks' tail?'

Harry felt their noise wash over him, offering welcome relief. At least their noise filled the void inside him since his godfather died. Harry did not feel tears forming in his eyes, there was no lump in his throat whenever he thought of his godfather. There was only the aching numbness. He supposed he had no more tears and all the lumps that could form in his throat had already had their time. Now he was left with this, this… this nothing.

'Harry?' asked Ginny. 'Are you ok? You seem to be very silent.'

Everyone in the backseat turned to Harry with concern in their eyes.

Harry looked at Ginny sullenly. 'I'm ok, Ginny, really.' He was tired of seeing sympathy in their eyes. He just wanted to lie down and rest so he'd stop thinking…

The car stopped moving and their door opened. Outside was Mr Weasley. 'Kids, let's go.' They hurried out of the car and started to move towards Platform 9 ¾ where the Hogwarts Express would be waiting. Moments later, Ron, Harry, Fred and George had hauled their luggage in the train with the rest, waved goodbye to Mr and Mrs Weasley and went on their separate ways. Fred and George had hurried off to find some young Gryffindors to victimize with their newest novelty item. Ginny met with several fifth-years and hurried away to catch a compartment. Hermione had gone off to the Prefect compartment.

Harry and Ron climbed into the train.

'Uh, Harry…'

Oh yes. Ron was a Prefect. Right.

'Are you going to be alright?' Ron looked at him guiltily. 'I have to report to the compartment.

I have to receive instructions.'

'Yeah, I'll be fine.'

Ron looked at him hesitantly. 'I don't want to leave you alone, Harry – '

'I won't commit suicide, Ron,' said Harry loudly. 'Just come to me during lunch, ok? I don't want to eat alone.'

Ron smiled. 'Glad to. You're forgetting Hermione and I share the compartment with Malfoy. I

don't fancy eating any meal with him in front of me.'

Harry set off to find an empty compartment. He found one at the very end of the train, entered it and sat down. Moments later, he got very bored being with himself. He looked at his watch, then looked again for a second time.

It was eleven o'clock. The train should start moving now. Was there something wrong? Why weren't they heading for Hogwarts?

He got up and was about to open the door when it slid open.

Standing in the doorway was the girl in the red robes from Flourish and Blotts, now wearing green. He was pretty sure he had never seen her before that incident in the bookstore. What was she doing here, on a train to Hogwarts?

'May I share this compartment?' she asked.

The train's engine roared to life beneath them and the train started to move.

'Yeah,' said Harry, stepping back to allow the girl to enter the compartment. He sat back down just as the girl stepped inside and closed the door. She sat down and seemed to want to strike up a conversation, but Harry looked resolutely out the window. The girl simply sighed and took a book out of her bag. Harry stole a glance at the girl and remembered why he thought she was strange. Her eyes were weird –

'Hey!' The door slid open and in came Ron and Hermione entered.

'Oh.' Hermione frowned slightly when she saw the girl.

'Hi.' The girl moved aside to give Ron and Hermione space to sit down. Hermione took a seat beside her while Ron sat beside Harry. They were silent, the girl reading her book, while the three exchanged meaningful glances.

Finally, someone knocked on the door and when they opened it, they saw it was the plump witch who sold lunch.

'Do you kids want anything?'

Harry, Hermione and Ron loaded themselves up with Pumpkin Pasties, Pumpkin Juice, Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Then they noticed something. The girl with them had not bought anything for herself. Even the lunch lady noticed. The girl looked really embarrassed.

'I don't know what to buy,' she finally admitted. 'I don't know how those taste like.'

'Oh, you should try the Pumpkin Pasties,' said Hermione, smiling at the girl helpfully. 'They're fantastic. And these Frogs are good, too.'

'Yeah.' Ron nodded, opening a packet of Pumpkin Juice and taking a sip. 'They're really good. And the Every Flavor Beans are a must for every Hogwarts girl.'

The girl smiled thankfully at them. 'I'll have what they have, then.' They paid for lunch and settled down to eat their food.

'Thanks for helping me out with the food,' said the girl in the heavy silence.

'Yeah, it's nothing,' said Ron, happily munching his Pumpkin Pasty. 'Why don't you know anything about these yummy food?'

'I've been away for years,' said the girl as she bit into a Chocolate Frog. 'Wow, they do taste good.'

'So, where've you been?' asked Hermione.

'A lot of places,' said the girl. 'France, just last year to study in Beauxbatons. But I was in Bulgaria, mostly.'

That perked Hermione up. 'Bulgaria?'

'Yeah, I went to school there.'

Hermione smiled. 'Durmstrang?'

'Yes.' She smiled at Hermione. 'Why? You've been there?'

'No, silly, I have a friend there.' Hermione didn't seem to notice that Ron looked like she was about to murder his next Pumpkin Pasty. 'Krum. Viktor Krum.' Ron made a weird sound in his throat when Hermione said the name.

'Oh yes, Viktor,' said the girl, smiling. 'I know him. He's a good friend and an excellent flyer, that one.'

'What are you doing here, about to go to Hogwarts, then?' asked Harry. He had been silent since the girl had entered the compartment, but suddenly he found it weird that a student of Durmstrang, then Beauxbatons, was headed for Hogwarts. Didn't magic schools keep students from transferring to other magic schools?

The girl reddened. 'I'm – I'm a marked case.'

They fell silent after that. Marked case? Marked cases were very rare and it was hardly ever given to a student – unless it was a matter of life and death. But if it was, then what happened to her in Durmstrang and in the French school, Beauxbatons?

She seemed reluctant to share more, so they did not pursue the topic.

'What's your name, by the way?' asked Hermione, taking a sip of her juice.

'It's Titania Elizabeth Rachel Louise Fairmont,' said the girl. 'Titania after the fairy queen in the Shakespearean play, Elizabeth after the English queen, Rachel after my father's favorite auntie and Louise after my grandmother.'

'Wow!' said Hermione. 'However do you remember all that?' The girl laughed appreciatively at the joke. She shrugged carelessly.

Ron sputtered, showering them all with bits of Pumpkin Pasties.

'Urgh, Ron – ' said Hermione, wiping her face with her hanky – 'You really are such a pig.' It was only after Harry had handed Ron a packet of Pumpkin Juice and her had drunk that he was able to ask her: 'Titania Fairmont? Princess Titania Fairmont?'

'Yes.'

'Princess?' It was Harry's turn to choke on his meal.

'Wow,' said Ron. 'The Princess of Periwinkles. Right here. Right in front of me.'

'No fancy stuff please,' said the Princess, 'Just Ania.'

'Ania?' asked Harry.

'It's what I'm used to,' said Ania. 'Now, it's your turn.'

'Oh sorry – where are my manners? Hermione Granger,' said Hermione, holding out her hand and the Princess took it. 'Prefect.'

'Know-It-All,' said Ron as Hermione hit him on the head with her hand. 'I'm Ron Weasley.'

'Ah, a scion of the Weasleys,' said Ania, smiling. 'I heard your brother has been rising in the Ministry ranks – what was his name? Philip? No – Pierre? Or was it Pete?'

'Percy,' said Ron, his face darkening. 'That arrogant little prick.' Ania looked at him questioningly.

'He's sort of the ungrateful son in the family. Imagine, he shouted at our father – '

'Oh my.' Ania frowned. 'But is it ok now?'

'I don't really want to talk about it,' said Ron. 'Anyway, this is Harry.'

Harry gave Ania a tight smile. 'Harry Potter.'

A flash of varying emotions were on the Princess' face. 'Harry Potter – THE Harry Potter?'

'Yes,' said Harry irritably. He did not really like this girl, he still thought she was strange. Her eyes did the familiar raking over his hairline. 'Would you like to see my scar?' he asked unpleasantly.

'Er – no,' said Ania, blushing deeply.

Hermione glared at Harry. 'Have a bean, Ania,' said Ron, offering the box of Every Flavor Beans her.

Just then, the door once again slid open.

Standing there was Draco Malfoy.

'Your Highness,' he said in his usual silky voice. He stepped inside and took Ania's hand. He kissed it as Ania smiled. 'Draco Malfoy, at your service.'

Harry glared at Malfoy.

'Yes, I know,' said Ania. 'Lucius told me that I might come across you.'

She didn't seem to notice that the three Gryffindors' eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets.

'May I invite you over to the Prefect compartment?' asked Draco. 'It is more comfortable there and it's not crowded.'

'Oh yes,' said Ania, then turned to smile at the three. 'If you'll excuse me?'

They left in a blur, and the compartment door slid shut behind Ania. Harry was left staring at

the closed door where the Princess had stood only moments before.

'What was that?' asked Hermione. 'Did you guys just witness that? Did Malfoy really just worm his way into our compartment and take the Princess away?'

'Whatever,' said Harry. 'She chose to go with Malfoy. I just hope she hangs out with him. I don't really like her. She's strange.'

'She is, isn't she?' asked Ron. 'No way is she going to hang out with Malfoy once she finds out that he's not worth her time.'

'Ron!' said Harry. 'Did you hear her say "Lucius"? She mentioned Malfoy's father's given name! They're close!'

'Harry, don't judge her on that,' said Hermione. 'Remember, she runs a magical community, so she might be doing talks with Lucius Malfoy. Remember, he's in the Ministry. But what's really weird is that she's a "marked case". How could she flit around the magic schools in Europe? What's going on?'

'Yeah, what's with that?'

But they came up with no answer to that question.