Harry had just sat down in the compartment at the very back of the train. He was excited but sad all at the same time to be going back to Hogwarts to enter his sixth year. But, Harry still couldn't forget that Sirius' head would not be popping up in fires this year, or sending any owls from the Order's headquarters. He, Harry, felt quite alone. He was by himself in the compartment, because Hermione and Ron had to receive instructions for the new year since they were prefects.

The train started to move slowly out of King's Cross Station. Harry was surprised no one had bothered him. It had seemed every other compartment was full when he was walking along the hallway to the back. It seemed like hours before the compartment door opened though it had only been a few minutes. Harry, not paying attention, just started talking.

"Really, Ron and Hermione, does it ta-," Harry trailed off because he looked over and noticed it wasn't Ron or Hermione in the compartment but a girl he had never seen before.

"Oh, sorry," she said, "I was just looking for a compartment but all of the others are full. Do you mind if I sit? It's ok if you don't, I'll find somewhere else to go."

"No, it's fine. You can sit," Harry said. He was bewildered though. This girl did not have a British accent. He didn't know where she was from. She didn't seem to be a first year though, she looked to old. Harry didn't care about any of that though, he was more concerned with what she looked like. She had blonde hair about shoulder length. She had dazzling blue eyes that danced in the sunlight. She wasn't tall but she wasn't short either. Harry guessed she was about Hermione's height. She was wearing a pair of jeans and just a regular short sleeved shirt.

"Thank you," she said. "By the way, My name is Jackie Andrews. What's yours?"

Harry didn't know what to say. He had never encountered a person in the wizarding world that did not know him. "Er-, oh, Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you Harry."

'This is weird,' Harry thought, 'she must be slow and just hasn't caught on yet.'

"So, what year are you in Harry?" Jackie asked.

"I'm entering my sixth year."

"Really!" Jackie said excitedly. "I'm a sixth year too."

"Really?" Harry said, "what house are you in? I've never seen you around."

"Well," Jackie said while she was laughing, "if you had seen me around, I'd be worried since this is my first year at Hogwarts. I'm transferring to Hogwarts from my school in the United States."

Harry had never heard of a transfer into or out of any wizarding school. He would have to ask Hermione because she would know. "Oh, ok then well, that makes sense. What house do you want to be in then?"

"Doesn't matter really to me that much," Jackie said nonchalantly. "well, any house but Slytherin. But, I guess if I had to choose, it would be Gryffindor."

"I'm in Gryffindor," Harry blurted out, just a little to quickly. Harry's mind was racing. He didn't even know Jackie, but he liked her more than he had even liked Cho. Jackie just seemed to give the impression that everyone who meets her will want to be her friend because she had so light an air about her. Everything she said and did so far was done with a smile on her face. She was definitely different from any girl he knew. Especially, she was different because she wasn't goggling at his forehead, which was definitely different.

"Well, I guess I would like to be in Gryffindor with the first friend I made on the way to my new school."

They talked of other things for a little while before Harry was wondering something else.

"How will you be sorted?" He asked. "Wouldn't it be weird to be sorted with the first

years?"

"Well, I'm supposed to be sorted before but I highly expect that won't happen."

"Ok, then."

They sat in silence for a few minutes when the compartment door again opened. And

again the people standing in the compartment weren't Ron and Hermione.

"Hello Potter," sneered Malfoy, as he looked around the compartment. He spotted Jackie and sat down right next to her, quite close Harry noticed.

"Eat dung Malfoy," Harry said in a wave of anger. Malfoy was putting his arm around Jackie and glancing at Harry to see if he was watching.

"So," Malfoy said, "Who are you?"

"Jackie Andrews," Jackie replied, taking his arm off her shoulders. She was giving him a look of annoyance.

"Did you want something, Malfoy, or are you just waiting for me to jinx you?" Harry said, with a very dark tone. He wasn't happy about Malfoy sitting so close to Jackie. What if she decided she didn't want to sit with Harry any longer and decide to sit with Malfoy? That was impossible though because didn't Jackie say she would like any house but Slytherin. Well, Harry was still worried.

"You want to jinx me Potter," Malfoy said, standing up and raising his wand. "I would like to see you try."

Malfoy's concentration was now so upon Harry that he completely missed Jackie stand up and stick her wand in the middle of his back. Crabbe and Goyle both hadn't noticed this either because they were complete idiots.

"Excuse me Malfoy," Jackie said. "But I don't recall ever asking you to come into the compartment to bother us." Jackie did not look happy at all. "But, if you would like to come back in and properly introduce yourself to me and act like a civilized human being instead of an ugly troll, by all means do so. Now leave."

Malfoy looked confused. He had never had anyone talk to him like that before, who didn't already know he was an ugly troll. He gave one last look at Harry, and motioned for Crabbe and Goyle to follow him out of the compartment.

"Why," Jackie said while sitting down, "do people have to be so impolite?"

Harry just looked at her awe struck. He had never seen Malfoy leave at a threat before until they actually threatened him. Harry thought it was so cool how Jackie just stood there and got him to leave.

"That was slick," Harry said. 'Slick?' Harry thought, 'Did I really just say slick?'

"Slick?" Jackie asked, while she was laughing.

"Never mind," Harry said, also laughing now.

They talked of many things like Quidditch and their favorite subject and things like that. While Jackie's favorite team was the American team, the Freedom Bells, harry didn't really have a favorite. Jackie's favorite subject was Transfiguration, while Harry's was Defense Against the Dark Arts. It didn't seem to long before the Snack Trolley came around. Harry bought a few snacks and split them with Jackie, even though she said for him to eat his own food and let her buy her own. But, he insisted. It was very fun eating the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans with Jackie because she seemed to know what bean you were going to eat next.

"I bet five knuts," Jackie said, "that the next bean you will eat will be chocolate flavored."

"I hope you're right," Harry said. So far he had gotten a grass, wood, brussel sprouts, onions, and a vomit. Harry took out the next bean and quickly popped it into his mouth and just like Jackie had said it was chocolate. "How did you do that?"

"Er, Pure luck," Jackie said, with a worried expession on her face. Harry didn't think it was pure luck.

"Is your family from Ireland or something," Harry said.

"No, Italy actually," she said.

"Oh," he said. If she was Irish she could have had Luck of the Irish. But, that possibility was now struck down.

They changed into their school robes and after what seemed like only a few minutes, the train pulled to a stop in Hogsmeade station. They both began to get their belongings and get off the train with the rest of the school.

"Well, this is where I leave you Harry," Jackie said. "I have to travel across the lake with the first years."

"Well, bye then," Harry said. He began to walk away to find Ron and Hermione. He was worried because they had never shown up on the train even though he saw them board the train.

"Oh, and Harry," Jackie said turning around.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"I knew who you were. I mean like you being famous and everything but I just figured you wouldn't want to be goggled at by anymore girls than normal." She said this with a smile, then hurried off towards Hagrid.

"Harry!"

Harry turned around and saw Ron and Hermione standing by the carriages with the thestrals. He hurried toward them.

"So sorry, Harry that we were not with you on the train," said Hermione. "They had us patrolling the hallway the entire time. It was a pain."

"Harry, who was that girl you were talking to?" Ron asked.

"A new girl I met on the train. A great girl."