Ookami: Oh Yeah! We're back! ::dances::

Zell: =) She is just happy because in Everquest she joined a guild.

Ookami: Not just any Guild! The Order of the Emerald Empire! Tala is in it!

Zell: Right, well hope you all enjoy this chapter! =)

Ookami: ::still dancing::

- - -Over The Lake- - -

"First years over here," A male called, "First years come this way!"

James hopped off the train and saw the male. His father had told him Hagrid was the one who did the summoning, but it must have changed. For there was an older male with short brown hair and blue eyes. James, Sam and Alexus were separated in the large crowd but him and Kitty managed to keep together okay.

"First years please follow me," the man called.

James and Kitty tried to walk through the crowd but the two kept getting shoved around and couldn't move much. Someone bumped into Kitty and she fell to the damp ground with a loud thump.

"Ow!" Kitty snapped looking for who bumped her.

"Sorry," girl said helping her up, "Let me help you get over to Professor Lunare."

"Thank you," Kitty said smiling.

The two followed the red haired girl as best they could. James was sure he'd seen her somewhere before but the falling darkness made him unsure. And her voice was bloody familiar too.

"Thank you Felicity," Lunare said as they arrived, "Can you-?"

"Yep," she said going around to help any more first years.

"She must be important," Kitty whispered to James, "The crowd is literally parting for her."

"Ah," James said, "That would be my cousin. She is a prefect."

"Oh! How many cousins do you have here?" Kitty asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Seven I think," James said.

"Dang... You have a big family," Kitty frowned.

"Yeah," James said, "Hard to remember names sometimes."

"This way first years, is that all of you?" Lunare asked.

He looked around and spotted no one else remotely suspicious, all the older students having gone to the carriages. He gestured for them to follow and they walked down a long narrow path that led them near the forest.

"You will see your first view of Hogwarts in a second," Lunare promised them, smiling faintly.

They went around a bend, and Lunare brushed a large branch out of the way and everyone stared up at the majestic building, many gasped. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the dark sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. The castle held their glances; none noticing that they were on the edge of a large black lake until someone took a step forward and almost fell into the lake, near a large fleet of small boats.

"Watch it," Spike said coolly, pulling the person and thrusting him away from the waters edge.

"Thanks..." The boy said licking his lips.

"Okay everyone," Lunare said smiling brightly, "Four to a boat, and no pushing and shoving. The giant squid doesn't like people falling into his lake."

Many people gulped, hoping the part about the squid was a joke. Kitty went to get a boat with Alexus and Sam, and the boy that had almost fell in. James climbed in a boat and was soon joined by a happy-go-lucky Chrono, an annoyed Ren, and an emotionless Spike. After about fifteen minutes of boating over the smooth crystal like surface of the lake, Ren grabbed her brother's arm in fear.

"There is something down there," She hissed.

"Wha?" Chrono asked, looking over the edge of the boat.

He blinked in confusion and saw nothing, he turned back but a little to quickly and the boat began to shake, and Ren fell out of it, and shattered the crystal like surface of the lake with a large splash. After a moment she broke the surface again kicking and screaming.

"HELP ME DAMMIT!" She yelled at her brother.

Some unknown current slowly pulled her away from the boat, and Lunare turned around quickly. He was too far away to do anything to help Ren, and his boat would not stop. Ren started to sink, having nothing to keep her afloat.

"REN!" Chrono yelled, leaning over and stretching out his hand.

"You idiot," Spike growled, "You will fall in!"

Spike pulled Chrono back and jumped into the black lake himself. He bobbed back up and shook his head looking for any signs of Ren. Many people were now screaming in fear, and Lunare was wringing his hands in fear.

"Ren?" Spike called.

There was no reply, so he gulped as much air as he could and dove underwater. He couldn't see anything. The water was too dark. He swam around until he saw a flash of silver and swam to it. His hand closed over a silver chain around Ren's neck. He grabbed the girl around the waist and pulled her up to the surface. Ren was limp in his arms, but he felt the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

"OVER HERE!" Lunare called to Spike.

Spike slowly swam back to his boat and climbed in, ignoring Lunare complexly. Chrono began shaking his sister and spouting random, unimportant babble. She opened one eye and coughed up water before seeing Chrono. She slapped him with all of her strength.

"YOU IDIOT!" She yelled.

"I'm so sorry," Chrono whimpered.

James stared at the two in confusion then looked at Spike who shrugged. The two continued there insult was all the way to the other edge of the lake, but in indoor voices. As soon as they got off their boat Lunare rushed over to see if Ren was okay.

"I'm fine," she snapped, "Leave me alone!"

"You must be fine if you can talk like that," Spike said with hands in his pockets.

Ren glared at Spike, not even thanking him for saving her. Spike didn't seem to mind though. He walked towards Lunare who was leading the large group into the castle itself. Kitty ran to catch up with James and tugged his arm.

"Weren't those the people from the train?" She asked worried.

"Yeah," James nodded.

"Why did he save her?" Kitty wondered.

"Guess he just wants to play hero," James smiled.

Kitty giggled and the two hurried up, not wanting to be left behind in the cave with the dark squid somewhere under the lakes surface.