+Ryan

As Nani entered the Great Hall she immediately looked up. She had always loved the enchanted roof. The stars were always there even when they weren't out side. Looking at a certain cluster of stars she smiled seeing the one she had always liked. It like all the other stars looked just like a little dot. Looking at it more carefully you could make out a blue outline. Also this star reminded her of her. It was in a large cluster. Not really in the cluster but by it. Close enough to where if anything could happen it would be protected but far enough away as not to be to close. That was how she was with the Gryffindors. Shaking her head she was just feeling sorry for her self. She walked to the table and she could feel Malfoy's gaze as she walked by the Slytherin table. When she reached the Gryffindor table she sat down. Making sure that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were on the other side and father down from her. She didn't think they wanted to have any thing to do with her now. She looked at her plate which to her disappointment was empty. The sorting hat began a song that different from her own when she was a first year. Nani smiled remembering her first year.

Flash back

She was in a boat with three other first years. She didn't know their names but they were not looking happy so she decided to let them alone. The lake was blacker than anything she had ever seen. It reflected the lights from the castle like a dance. Not being able to resist she reached down and touched the glassy water. The water was so cold she quickly took back her hand. Something vibrated in her mind. It sounded like singing but who was singing? She looked back at the boys. They were still throwing nasty glances at a different boat. Again she stuck her hand in the water. With the water came more singing. She couldn't make out what was being said but the song was eerie and haunting. She loved it. Something touched her hand. It was slimy and scaly. She pulled her hand back with a small gasp. She thought she saw something shimmering swim away from her. Must have been a fish One of the boys was looking at her with a puzzled expression on his face. Not wanting him to think she was a baby she said, "It is cold." He rolled his eyes and looked away.

When the boat pulled into an underground harbor Nani let the boys get off first. They reached the castle gate a witch opened it. She was wearing green robes, her name turned out to be Professor McGonagall. She led them into an entrance hall that could have been the size of a house. The Professor left them waiting by closed doors. Nani had known that they would be separated into houses. But the rumors of what some of the kids had heard they would have to do were very disturbing. Fighting trolls, having to duel each other, or hopefully they would just choose for themselves. The Professor came back and led them into the Great Hall. Nani stared in wonder when she saw the roof. Then instantaneous became nervous when she saw just how many people she would be tested in front of. She tried to swallow her fear with little success. In front of the four tables was an old beat up witch hat. It had a patch on the very front. Nani was completely confused but pretended to know what was going on. She walked up with the rest of the first years and stopped when they were in the front. The hat began to sing about its self then about the different houses. Nani listened closely now she wanted to know what house she was going to get into.

"...You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindor apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends..."

Nani thought about it. It sounded like Ravenclaw was were she wanted to be. She loved to learn about things and would most likely be best there. The Sorting Hat finished and she clapped with every one else, glad that all she had to do was put on a hat. Professor McGonagall pulled out a scroll and began calling names. After a few Nani got tired of listening and looked around. There were four very long tables. Each one belonged to a different house. She looked at the Ravenclaw table and was looking at faces for someone who looked nice enough to sit by. Suddenly a name broke through her thinking. "Harry Potter." Nani watched as the most famous person she had ever known walked up to the Hat. He had very untidy black hair and green eyes. He put on the hat and a few seconds later it was announced,

"Gryffindor!" After that Nani went two people later. When she put the hat on she heard the hat say "Strange, Gryffindor!" Nani pulled the hat off and walked towards her table a little sad until she remembered Harry Potter was also in this house. She sat down and was patted on the back by a boy to her right. He was a short chubby kid with bright blue eyes and shaggy blond hair.

End flash back

Nani sighed. Ryan she thought. Now he was a true friend. He was the one who showed her around Hogwarts her first year. He was a second year and didn't have any friends at Hogwarts either. They had become great friends and had kept in contact over the summer. Unfortunately one day he stopped calling and writing. Figuring he had gone on vacation she didn't think anything of it until the next year of school he hadn't come. That was the year she had become sort of a loner. No one was quite like him. All of the girls were obsessed about Harry Potter or some other boy. All the boys treated her like dirt and so she learned to stay hidden and made friends with the animals around school. She wasn't dumb she knew they couldn't understand her but it was nice how they would snuggle up to her and let her talk to them. That is when the rumors started. Every one called her a freak and a loner. It had made her become more and more closed and distant. Until she was asking for extra home work and extra lessons for tutoring. She went out to the lake and learned the mermaid's speech. They became her friends and she realized that she had touched one of them and heard them sing on her first night at Hogwarts. She had accomplished so much and even with the beast on the loose (that in the end Harry Potter killed) because she didn't have to worry being a pureblood. She even tried to learn snake speech when she heard Harry use it in the duel. That hadn't worked. Apparently only those who knew it knew it from birth. The plates around her filled with food. She grabbed some of it and began to eat.

He looked around the Gryffindor table. Where was she? She couldn't have left. There, the girl who was stuffing her face at the end of the table. He smiled to himself and walked towards her. She was so beautiful and apparently hadn't lost her appetite. There was an empty place next to her and he waited to sit down. She paid him no mind which kinda hurt his pride. He cleared his throat. She turned around and looked at him. "Is there something I could help you with?" She asked shortly. He was taken aback. What was wrong? She acted like she would bite off my head.

"Nani?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you remember me?" Nani turned and for the first time looked at him. She really looked at him.

"Ryan?" She asked her voice trembling with false hope. His smile broadened and he shrugged his shoulders. She let out a high pitch shriek and jumped into his arms. He held her close as her twirled her around and around. "Ryan, Ryan, Oh Ryan." She whispered. He set her down and smiled at her. Looking around Nani blushed people were staring at them including the Head Master. She sat down and pulled him down beside her. "Oh my gosh Ryan where have you been?" Ryan looked at his hands that were holding hers. Thinking about what had happened over the last year.

"I got kinda busy." She sighed knowing he was lying to her. She would get it out of him later they both knew that. "Why were you so cross with me? Did something happen on the train?"

"Yeah but that wasn't why I was being mean. I'll tell you more about that when I finish eating." Ryan smiled knowing she never passed up a meal. He too grabbed some food and ate but not quite as much as her. He had always envied how she could eat what ever she wanted and how ever much she wanted and still look like a twig.

Nani couldn't help but stare at him all through out the meal for a couple of reasons. It was Ryan. Things would be great now that she had someone to hang out with without having to worry that she would get caught. Another reason was he looked so different yet the same. He was still the whitest boy she had ever seen. His blond hair was no longer shaggy but cut short and spiked. She liked the look on him. His deep blue eyes were still majestic and reminded her of the ocean. But he was so skinny now. He looked like he could have been just as skinny if not skinnier than her. He has also grown six or seven inches. She sighed content and stopped eating. The Head Master (she never liked calling him Dumbledore) got up. The room went silent and waited for him to speak.

"Welcome back students and welcome to our new first years. Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that a list of rules is posted on his office door and also not to use magic in between classes in the corridors. The Forbidden Forest was off limits to all students..." The speech continued about other things then ended. Ryan and Nani waited until he sat down and both bolted out of the Great Hall. Running they looked over at each other and laughed. "You remembered." Ryan said.

"Of course silly. It was you I was worried about for the remembering."

"Well I have been practicing. Can you tell?"

"Yeah you're actually keeping up with me. Your longer legs are probably a big help to you." He shrugged.

"Maybe. Or maybe your just afraid to say that I'm better than you." With that he took off down the corridor. Have I taught you nothing?

Ryan smiled sweetly, savoring his victory. He decided to go in and pretend to have been waiting for a while. "Toad stool." The portrait swung open revealing an empty common room. He walked over to her chair and was about to sit in it when he saw her. She was curled in a ball on the seat looking at him a big smile pasted on her face. He gaped at her. "How in the world did you get here before me?" He asked. She shook her head refusing to give up her secret. He sat down across from her. "Why not?"

"Because I believe you were about to sit in my spot just to spite me so I'm going to spite you instead." He sat down in a huff. "Oh poor baby." He looked away from her to hide the smile.

"So how has school been since I left?" She looked at him and told him how she had become a loner and made friends with the Merpeople. She told him of her vacation over the summer and how she had found a falcon and how the falcon was so beautiful and he would just love it. There was only one thing she left out she couldn't tell him or anyone. "How about you?" She asked. Deeply he breathed.

"Well the reason I didn't come last year my dad remarried. You knew my mom was dead right? Well anyways my dad didn't tell her he and I were wizards. He promised me he would tell her as soon as they got married. Well anyways they got married and before dad could tell her she told him she wanted to move to America. He told her that we couldn't do that we had a lot of family in England but she wouldn't hear of it. So dad forced me to move. Hey are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine" she said wiping a tear away from her eye. She put on a false smile "Go on."

"Ok. Anyways we moved and I was forced to go to some dumb muggle school. Then during the summer I asked my dad if I would have to go back there. He said yeah so I decided I would run away. So I did. I stole some money from my dad and took a plane to London. I stayed with my aunt and she took me to the train station. I got on the train and here I am." He said lifting his arms to emphasize where he was here.

"You ran away? You could have stayed at my house. If not stayed you could have wrote or something."

"I'm sorry Nani but I thought you would tell my dad and I really want to become a wizard not some muggle." Nani smiled and got up.

"I'm glad you're back Ryan! I missed you so much." "I'm going to go to sleep see you tomorrow." She gave him a hug and ran upstairs thinking of the good times ahead. Ryan watched her until she was out of his sight. Sighing he stared into the fire. He never knew it would hurt so much to lie to her.