While Naomi was lead off to the boats, Eric followed the rest of the upper-class students to the carriages that led to Hogwarts. As he moved forward, he found that he had gained an attachment. Luna was fastened to his arm, refusing to let go. "There are monsters!"

"Um, Luna – you're supposed to go to the boats." He briefly tried to remove her, but found that it would be quite impossible without someone becoming injured. Eric looked towards the carriages, but didn't see any monsters. True, he didn't see anything pulling them at all, even though the harnesses hung in the air as if they were filled. He decided, however, that if a thousand years worth of students made it up the hill alive, they stood a good chance. "Ok; just go in the carriage and sit down. I'm sure everything will be fine."

There was still no sign of Ron or Harry, but Neville Longbottom had joined his carriage along with Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst. Eric felt they had both been quietly suspicious of him all last year, being moved from Slytherin to Ravenclaw. It seemed, however, that since he had managed to keep Neville's trust throughout the year, they felt he may be alright. Dorian Moon also found his way to the carriage, planting himself across from Mandy.

"So, Eric, I heard you spent the summer at Diagon Alley. How was it?" Neville looked like someone desperate to hear about a summer break more interesting than his own.

"Well, I had to find something to do over the break. There aren't as many cast-off items I could pick up after the first year, and I have to pay for school someday, just like everyone else."

Terry was the next to speak. "They say you made the shelves and table for Gilderoy Lockhart's signing. What was he like?"

"I never met him. The order was put in by the bookstore's owner. He's paying the storage rent for my shop until the year ends."

Mandy was suddenly excided. "Speaking of Gilderoy Lockhart, did you hear the news? He's now the Dark Arts teacher!"

Eric hadn't heard the news. He was too busy getting ready for himself and Naomi to pay attention to the school's staff changes. The thought of Lockhart being the dark arts teacher gave him a bit of a shudder, since there would now be two famous names at Hogwarts to try to learn around, one of which would be impossible to avoid.

He scolded himself for the thought. He hadn't met Gilderoy Lockhart, and he hadn't taken a full perusal of the textbooks he'd purchased. While fame was no reason to instantly glorify a person, it was also no reason to dislike someone, either. He was being unfair and he knew it. After all, anyone who had written as much about dealing with the dark arts as he did surely had something worthwhile to teach a second year student. With luck, there might even be something new for him.

Dorian finally broached the subject Eric was hoping they'd all avoid. "So Eric, who's your new best friend?"

Luna turned to Dorian. "Eric's much nicer than you. He doesn't stare!"

Eric noted that Dorian was turning extremely pink. "Um, I didn't mean you, Luna. We all know who you are. I was talking about the other girl you rode up with."

Eric looked up. "Oh, her! I wouldn't say that she's my best friend. Her name is Naomi Wainwright."

Terry started scolding him. "You sound like you don't even know her. Didn't you buy up her supplies and show her around?"

"Yes, because Dumbledore asked me to. She's from a muggle family, and they're just getting used to the idea of having a witch in the family. The headmaster was trying to make it easier for them."

Mandy's eyes sparkled like a fake diamond. "I heard she terrorized the whole Slytherin quidditch team without so much as batting an eye. I bet that would've been a sight!"

Eric shivered at the memory. "It was."

Upon exiting the carriages, Eric and his friends wound their way through the school to take their places with the rest of his class in the main hall, setting himself at the end of the upper-class students to better examine the first years. Professor Dumbledore's introduction was it's usual momentary seizure of madness before entering more sensible realms. He formally introduced Professor Lockhart to the staff and students; with Gilderoy beaming his ever-famous smile. He then called for the Sorting Hat to get things underway.

The first one up was a bright eyed boy named Colin Creevey. Although he looked rather nervous, he took to being a Gryffindor right off. Each house received it's usual spate of students before there were just two girls left – a worried redhead who's manner and dress practically screamed 'Weasley', and a statue who's very presence probably made the girl feel that much worse: "Wainwright, Naomi!"

She stepped forward and sat before the hall as deliberately and measured as anything he had ever seen her do. Curious to what was going on, Eric strained to hear the hat's mumblings. "Let me see, there's… no, perhaps… no again. Strange. Well, I guess you should be in: RAVENCLAW!"

She brought herself back up with equal dignity, taking a direct path to the table, stopping at the bench across from Eric. Her glaring stare resulted in an uncomfortable shift by all the first years and space being made for her. The last girl was indeed a Weasley, who appeared most pleased to find herself joining the rest of her family in Gryffindor. There must be something about that family that resulted in adventurous students. Eric wouldn't have minded finding out what it was.

Suddenly remembering, he looked across the table; there was something else he wanted to know. "So, did it work?" Naomi simply looked up at Eric without comment – though he thought, just for a moment, that he saw her smile.

As the evening grew later and dinner was finished, the houses accepted dismissal to their dormatories. Eric caught up with Dorian and Luna, comparing schedules for the upcoming year. As it was only their second year, most of the classes were still in the basic stages.

Dorian was mortified. "Another year of Transfigurations. I'll never get through it."

Eric tried to boost his spirits. "It's not so bad. At least McGonagall's fair."

"You're one to talk. You never even paid attention and you still passed."

Luna made three quick steps then turned, bobbing in front of the two of them as she back-stepped through the hall. "Eric wasn't paying attention because he's too smart. He was working on his own projects."

Eric could feel the hairs on his neck rise as Dorian turned to stare at him. "Is that true?"

He turned to his newest friend. "When you spend eleven years in this school, you pick up some things. Transfigurations came easy to me, so McGonagall gave me some other work to do."

Luna continued to back-step through the halls, watching the conversation while somehow being able to navigate turns and stairs. "It's quite all right. Eric's going to teach us all sorts of things this year."

The boys looked at each other; each had an eyebrow cocked at the other, almost as a mirror. Looking back at Luna, they found her bobbing along, a rather rediculous smile plastered across her face. As they arrived at the Ravenclaw dorm, Dorian turned back to Eric. "Well, the messenger aside, I could use some help."

Finding things being put into perspective, Eric smiled in relief. "No problem."

After speaking the evening's password ( 'azoth' ), the trio filed into the common room. Penelope Clearwater was finishing a lecture on general rules and guidelines. After this, the house held an informal welcoming, complete with tea and biscuits. The new students were encouraged to introduce themselves to the older members of the house, with the hope of breaking down any class barriers so that students looking for assistance with studies could find a good mentor.

As the gathering was drew to a close, the students began filing out to the dormitories. Eric finished his tea and turned to the stairs, only to trip over someone standing right next to him. "Eah!… um, hello." Eric had found himself facing Naomi once again.

She appeared as unaffected by his startled greeting as anything else. "I wanted to thank you for a pleasant ride here. Yours was the third compartment that I tried. Everyone else couldn't help but try to make idle chatter, and I'm really no good at that."

This was the first time Eric had heard her make any admissions of any kind. "Well, no trouble, but if you don't mind my asking, what were you doing?"

"To pass the time on long trips, I think about things. It's reasonably relaxing, and I tend to come up with some interesting ideas along the way; at least, I think they're interesting. However, if people start asking me questions, I end up replying with answers that I already know over and over, and nothing new or interesting gets discussed. It gets long and boring, so I usually end up impatient with the people I'm with."

"At least you admit it. I take it things didn't go well?"

"Half the train thought I was a sure fit in Slytherin. I think I surprised them all." For the second time, Eric thought that he saw Naomi smile; but it was only a moment, and it was gone so quickly he couldn't be sure that he saw it at all.