A/N: Ok so only one person reviewed, (thanks 2 weirdsister!) but I got 27 hits, but I don't know what that means. So I dedicate this chapter to weirdsister. Anyway sorry this took so long to update. I went away for Christmas and got back last night. Ok no one cares so on with the story.

P.S. italics mean thinking.

Disclaimer: the general idea belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Arrival

As Maree, Patricia, Louise and Rick waited for the lunch trolley to come, Thomas and David went to the prefects meeting. They didn't have to sit in the prefect compartment but there was one if they wanted to and it was also where the meeting was held.

"Ha ha I bet Rick is having fun stuck in here with us!" smiled Louise.

"Oh yeah, time of my life," replied Rick, "I just wish the lunch trolley would get here, I'm starving!"

"Is that all guys think about? Their stomachs?" asked Patricia.

"Well what else are we going to think about, apart from girls of course? Oh and school and junk if we run out of stuff."

"How about the drought? Or pollution? Or when Ernie McCollum last showered? I think he's just using the drought as an excuse. Scourgify does not count as bathing!" Piped up Maree.

"Thanks for that interesting……… ah comment Maree. Why are you so interested in Ernie McCollum?" asked Thomas suspiciously retuning from the prefect meeting.

"Funny Thomas. Notice no ones laughing?" replied Maree.

David decided that it was time to breakup this little war of words, which could shortly turn into a war of the wands.

"Has the Lunch trolley come yet?"

"It has now. Would anyone like anything?" said the lunch Lady as she stopped outside their compartment door that Thomas had left open.

"Yeah I'll have a chicken and mushroom pie and an iced peach tea." Said Patricia.

"Sounds good but make mine a beef pie," said Rick quickly.

"I could go for a king-sized picnic and a beef pie. Oh yeah and a chocolate milk." Said Thomas when all was quiet.

"Anyone else for anything?" asked the Lunch Lady.

"I'll have a pastie and coke," said David.

"Quarter chicken and chips for me," called Louie.

"Are you guys trying to give yourselves heart attacks? I'll have salmon and avocado sushi and an orange and mango nudie juice please," Finished Maree.

Everyone handed over their money and they settled back for a well-deserved lunch. With much discussion about the news that David had supplied them with.

"So English exchange students. Wonder what they'll be like. Who did we swap them for?" asked Louise

"We didn't swap them, we exchanged them," replied David.

"You make them sound like footy cards or something. And I mean AFL footy. It's called Australian Football League because it's the Australian game. Rugby doesn't count as footy. It's for thugs." Quipped Thomas.

This comment lead to the familiar debate as to which was better, AFL or Rugby. Maree and Thomas sided with AFL as usual and David, Rick, Patricia and Louise went for Rugby.

After about an hour, only Thomas and Rick were left discussing the matter. Louise stood up and peered out the window.

"Hey you guys, I can see Barraback. We had better change into our uniforms."

The Barraback uniform wasn't hugely strict. The boys had to wear long grey pants in winter and grey shorts in summer. They had long sleeved white shirts in winter and short sleeved white shirts in summer. A tie finished off the look, depending on which house you were in.

The girls had skirts, short sleeved white tops and ties in summer. In winter they wore stockings under their skirts with long sleeved white shirts. They also had a tie. The colour of the skirt depended on the house you were in.

The houses were Durrin (green), Weekily (yellow), Safearia (red) and Orin (blue). There was no huge house tension but sometimes little scuffles broke out before quidditch matches or other competitions.

Maree, Patricia, Louise, Thomas, David and Rick were all in Safearia but Rick was almost put in Orin and Patricia's cousin, Georgina, was in Weekily.

……………………………………………….

The train pulled into the station and there was the familiar scuffle as people tried to get off the train. Someone's cat got out first followed by a little white dog. The banks broke soon after.

Maree, Louise, Patricia, Thomas, Rick and David were a few of the last people off the train. Being a 6th year had it's advantages and one of these was knowledge. They all knew that if you waited long it was far easier to get off. The gamekeeper, Capella, would have helped to first years through the "impenetrable" bush. Capella was a centaur who found predicting the future a waste of time.

"Food, need food," groaned Rick.

"Oh come on not again!" murmured Patricia

"Hey at least I have the energy to admit I'm hungry take a look at Thomas over there"

Everyone turned to look at Thomas.

"He looks like he hallucinating," Said Louise looking a bit queasy, "Maree do something!"

"Thomas if u stop that you can have a piece of bubblegum. It's all I've got." Said Maree with an air of sternness.

"I wasn't hallucinating, who said I was hallucinating? I bet it was the carrot. Now where's my bubblegum!" muttered Thomas.

Maree handed it over just as the arrived at front stairs.

"Finally, we're back. I can't wait to see what colour the rooms are this year and find out what classes I have. Hope Hailey Belcher isn't in any of my classes. I know she says he dad didn't invent the cheese caldron but I'm not so sure. Besides if he didn't, then why does she think the times right for a glucose broomstick?"

Ok so there's chapter 2. REVIEW! Thanks

Luv Pinkpixie37