September 1st, 1995. Sunday.

Selena Malast sat back onto her seat in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express. Now thirteen, and as excited as one witch could be for Hogwarts, she grinned.

The steam engine carrying students from London, England to the Scottish Highlands trekked along, lush green forests whizzing by outside the windows.

Renee Pierce, Rolf Iredine, and Hazel Locarn were all playing Exploding Snap on the carpeted floor. They were playing the Patience Game version, her three friends hunched around the blue-and-gold cards. Hazel tapped out a rhythm out on her knee, watching as Renee flipped the twenty cards over. She revealed the cards in pairs. Rolf panicked as Selena watched him search for a match.

"Hurry up, Rolf!" Renee said.

Rolf swiped at his fringe - still dyed a bright green. "Er... um... this-"

The revealed card pairs exploded into puffs of sparks and smokes, making Selena giggle. She wasn't very good at Exploding Snap (she much preferred Wizard Skittles) but it was fun to watch. A laugh from the bench opposite her caught her attention, Selena glancing up. Damon Griffin and Kellie Jo Clark were talking about their summers on the other side of the compartment, sitting close enough to let their legs touch.

Selena's smile grew impatient as she watched the couple.

Jojo smiled at Damon. "Exactly! I don't know what people are thinking! Final Fantasy Six was so much better than the second."

Damon grinned back, nodding, blue eyes sparkling. His cheeks were still going as pink as tulips whenever Jojo smiled at him. Selena had no idea what Final Fantasy was, except that it was probably a video game. As it turned out, Jojo - being Muggleborn - was also familiar with the Muggle video games Damon secretly loved.

Selena looked away, stroking Crescent. Her pet black cat was snoozing to her right, lulled to sleep by the movement of the train. Still, Selena's mind focused on the two Slytherins as they continued talking and laughing (something about a game called Mario Kart.) It had only been two hours since they left Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station. Already, Jojo and Damon hadn't been apart for a second. Selena wasn't quite sure why it was irking her. Shouldn't she be happy they were so happy together? And they certainly did seem enamored with one another. Of course, it didn't beat Danny and Avery.

As if on cue, Wendy stormed into the compartment, throwing open the door. She stomped through the Exploding Snap game, scattering all the cards.

"Aw," Renee sighed. "You've ruined it. It's nothing but rubbish now."

But, the look on Wendy's face made her stop, scoop up the cards and sit down quietly. Wendy's tan face (even more tan from her family's holiday in Italy, Selena guessed) was flushed and her lips were in a thin line.

For a moment, Selena could've sworn she saw fire in her friend's brown eyes. Wendy Rossotto was beginning her fifth year at Hogwarts, and had been one of Selena's oldest friends. However, right now, she looked less friendly and more like she was going to hex someone. One look from Wendy at Damon and Jojo made her angry, eyes narrowing. A happy couple that happened to include Damon - who she had suspected for three years was following the Dark Lord - wasn't quite the best sight, apparently. Selena cringed, bracing herself for the oncoming hexes.

Turning around, Wendy sat on Selena's bench, Crescent between them. "Avery and Danny were talking in our compartment. Danny said he liked her haircut. She looked at me, and said," Wendy's tone changed into a shrill voice that was overly sweet, "'Wendy, have you ever thought about changing your hair? Danny has told me that you're always fixing it.'"

"You do mess with your fringe a lot," Renee piped up.

Wendy glared at her, Renee getting quiet again as she mumbled a sorry.

Selena swallowed. Daniel McCalaster, another fifth year and Wendy's best friend, had begun dating Avery last year, who was also in Gryffindor. Wendy had been harboring some more-than-just-friendly feelings for Danny, and when he failed to notice and starting dating Avery, Wendy felt replaced. Then, Wendy began dating Draco Malfoy. Ever since, relationships had been tenuous at best. Whenever Wendy and Avery got into the same room, Selena was surprised that Wendy didn't blow a gasket.

"So," Hazel began as a tense silence settled in the compartment. "What new classes is everyone taking this year?"

"New classes?" Renee asked, scrunching her nose up in confusion. "What new classes?"

Rolf nodded. "Remember, Ree, when you start Third Year, you have to take two extra electives?"

"Oh," Renee said slowly. "Right."

Rolf looked at Hazel incredulously, a look that said how in the world has Renee gotten to her third year without losing her head?

Damon nodded. "I'm excited about mine. I've dropped Arithmancy, but kept Alchemy for my N.E.W.T. levels. Should be better. I really liked Arithmancy, but it's difficult."

Hazel totally ignored him. "Well, I signed up for Arithmancy. I haven't heard it's that difficult from other students."

Damon gave her a funny look. "Wait until you take one class."

Jojo nodded. "That's why I didn't take it. I'm still taking Divination and the Study of Ancient Runes instead for my N.E.W.T. classes. Professor Babbling said I have potential in Runology."

"You're so smart," Damon said to her.

"Aw, thanks," Jojo replied. She turned and hugged him, beaming.

Selena didn't know why, but the next moment a thought popped into her head: This is going to be a long year.

3 Hours Later

Selena climbed up the marble steps of the Entrance Hall, and breathed in the Hogwarts air - stone, firewood, and a hint of cinnamon - as she entered the Great Hall along with the other returning students. The sight of the Great Hall never ceased to amaze her, especially on the first day back from summer.

The giant room was bordered by windows revealing the dark night outside. Just as well, above them was an enchanted ceiling. The roof didn't seem to be there all, and instead the night sky with twinkling stars was on display. Selena smiled at she looked up at the many flickering candles floating in the air, light bouncing off the golden plates and goblets lining the four grand tables.

The chatter of every Hogwarts student - except the First Years, who were probably still crossing the Black Lake in magical boats - filled Selena's ears. All of the Hogwarts pupils were wearing black robes, certain accents of colors and badges denoting their House - Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. Selena sat down at the familiar Gryffindor Table, admiring her own school robes with their scarlet detail.

Nearly Headless Nick floated by, merrily greeting new students. Selena grinned as Nick tipped his head at her, the transparent man's throat showing briefly before he floated on.

"It's good to have everyone back," Anne said swiftly, sitting down beside Selena.

Selena stayed beside her, and was surprised that Anne didn't tell her to move. Annnabeth Black, the redheaded spitfire who Selena had fought with during her first year, also happened to be her cousin. It was a long story. Still, ever since Selena had helped Annabeth to be reunited with her exiled father, Sirius Black, Anne had been warming up to Selena. She must really be making an effort, Selena thought, watching as Anne gave her a quick smile.

Danny and Avery sat down a bit further down the table, greeting their own friends in fifth year. Hazel and Rolf were already over at the Hufflepuff Table. Renee sat close to Selena, on the other side of the table, laughing with Sasha Ramirez. Sasha was in her seventh year now. Alisson Hatten, Tess Underwood, and Elizabeth Hearts all sat down near Wendy, giving Selena effervescent smiles and waves. These three girls were her other dormmates, along with Renee. Selena waved back, wanting to hug them. It was good to see her friends again.

Selena chatted as all of Hogwarts waited until the First Years walked into the Great Hall. Then the attention shifted, a hush falling over the four tables. Everyone turned to look as the giant oak doors opened and the troupe of wide-eyed eleven-year-olds shuffled in after Professor McGonagall, clad in their black robes. Selena patted Anne on the shoulder, and pointed to one of the girls.

The girl had hair that looked like Selena's, practically pitch-black, but was shoulder-length. Her eyes were big and blue, and her pale face was covered in freckles. "Anne, that's my sister. Ivy."

Anne nodded, and Ivy turned, waving at them. Her face lit up with a wide grin.

Professor McGonagall led the new students to the front of the Great Hall, before the Head Table where the teachers all sat. Selena scanned their familiar faces. There was the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, in his usual half-moon spectacles, white beard tucked into his belt. There was Professor Sprout, the squat Herbology teacher with a patched hat. There was Professor Snape, with his greasy black hair and usual grouchy look.

Professor McGonagall took a stool and set in the center of the space, placing an old, pointed hat on the seat. The folds on the Sorting Hat suddenly revealed themselves to be a mouth and eyes, slits shadowed by the candles. A couple of the First Years gave little gasps of surprise. Selena grinned, remembering how awestruck she felt two years ago before her own Sorting ceremony.

Then, the hat began to sing.

Selena listened to the Sorting Hat, each year the hat singing a new song. However, this year, the song ended eerily. The Gryffindor listened as the Sorting Hat's voice echoed around the Great Hall.

"Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
the warning history shows,
for our Hogwarts is in danger
from external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her
or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you..."

At the end, Selena knitted her eyebrows together, and faced Renee and Sasha. "Has the Sorting Hat ever warned us before?"

Sasha shook her head. "This is new."

In fact, everything about it was new. Almost every student in the Great Hall was murmuring to each other. Selena's eyes floated back to the Head Table as she continued looking at the professors, her gaze alighting on a new teacher sat at the table. It was the Defense Against the Dark Arts seat, she realized, the one that never held the same teacher for more than a year. Sitting in the chair now was a shorter, larger woman with brown hair and a pink cardigan.

Before Selena could think any more about the Sorting Hat's song, or the new teacher, Professor McGonagall stepped up beside the stool. The Sorting Ceremony was beginning. Selena's attention flew to her sister now, wonder what house she would be put in. Selena couldn't help but hope that Ivy would end up in Gryffindor as well.

Professor McGonagall unfurled the scroll in her hands. "Abercrombie, Euan."

A horror-stricken boy stumbled up to the Sorting Hat. The boy sat down, Professor McGonagall setting the sorting Hat on his hair. His ears kept it from enveloping his whole head.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Selena smiled, clapping as the small boy staggered down to the Gryffindor Table and tried to hide from sight.

It took a while, but finally Selena heard, "Malast, Ivy."

Holding her breath, she crossed her fingers as her sister put the Sorting Hat on. It slipped over her eyes, making Ivy grin again. The hat mumbled to itself, and finally shouted "RAVENCLAW!"

Selena felt a little disappointed for a moment, but then clapped. She agreed with the decision. Her sister was much brighter than she was her first year. Ravenclaw would suit Ivy quite well (and Selena's mother would be pleased, having been a Ravenclaw herself.)

Once everything had ended with "Zeller, Rose" joining "HUFFELPUFF!" Dumbledore stood.

"To our newcomers," he said, and stretched his arms out wide and grinned, "welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

Everyone laughed, and clapped as their Headmaster sat down, and the food appeared. The Start-of-Term Feast was splendorous, the Great Hall bursting with sudden chatter as dishes magically appeared on the tables. The delicious scent of roast beef, roast potatoes, gravy, peppermint humbugs and more made Selena's mouth water. She reached for a steak and kidney pie. Of course, Danny grabbed a lamb chop as big as his head, and sunk his teeth into it.

Avery giggled, and Wendy mocked her laughter. "Yeah, yeah, he is a real joke."

Avery swallowed, growing silent, and quietly ate a bit of Yorkshire pudding. Selena heard a peeved off Nearly Headless Nick say "terrified? I hope I, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, have never been guilty of cowardice in my life! The noble blood that runs in my veins-" to Ron Weasley, who in turn interrupted the ghost.

"I'm so excited!" Sasha said happily. "Donaghan Tremlett is getting married in one week!"

"Who?" Renee asked, stirring some mashed potatoes.

"Who?" Sasha echoed incredulously. She blinked her long lashes. "Only the greatest musician known to the Wizarding World! He plays bass for The Weird Sisters! They also happen to be the best band."

"I don't know about that," Alicia Spinnet added, jumping into the conversation. "I mean, The Ordinary Boys are really good. Have you listened to 'Boys Will Be Boys' yet? It's been stuck in my head all summer."

The whole Great Hall was full of warm light and conversation, laughter bouncing off the stone walls. Selena nodded to herself, smiling. This'll be a good year.

After a while, Professor Dumbledore returned to the podium. Everyone turned their attention to the Headmaster of Hogwarts as he spoke. "Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," he said. "First years ought to know that the Forbidden Forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door. We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creature's lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a weak round of applause, but half the students didn't clap. Selena couldn't help but be concerned for Professor Hagrid, the usual teacher for Care of Magical Creatures. Was he okay?

Dumbledore continued. "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-"

Dumbledore stopped talking, and Selena leaned in intently. Umbridge - the woman wearing the pink cardigan - had just stood up. "Hem, hem," she said, and it dawned on everyone that she intended to make a speech.

Dumbledore looked taken aback, then sat down smartly and watched Umbridge. Selena's dark eyebrows rose. The new teacher had just interrupted Dumbledore.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, rather breathy, and sounded... surprisingly girlish. She cleared her throat again. "Hem, hem. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, showing pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

Selena scanned the Great Hall quickly. No one looked happy.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends."

Further down the table, Selena heard Parvarti say "I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan" to Lavender, and then both of them giggled.

"Hem, hem," Professor Umbridge said again. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

She paused, gave a little bow to the Head Table, and then cleared her throat once again. "Hem, hem. Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation..."

Renee's head slipped from her hand, and she slumped onto the table, already asleep. Selena rubbed her eyes, feeling a little drowsy as well, and looked at the Ravenclaw table. One of her friends, Bronwen Lovell, had pulled out a book and was reading intently.

Some people were fidgeting as the speech continued, and Anne began whispering with Sasha.

"... because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practice ought to be prohibited."

Then, she finally sat down. Dumbledore clapped, the staff following suit (though some very briefly) and a sprinkle of students clapped, most from Hufflepuff.

Dumbledore began his speech again, and Selena cleared her throat softly, turning back to her friends. "That was... different."

"That was boring," Anne said bluntly.

Alisson nodded. "I don't think I've ever heard something so obnoxious in my life!" she grumbled.

Selena weighed the words. "I guess. There's something about her that's..."

"Odd?" Danny mumbled.

"Weird?" Wendy offered.

"Too pink?" Tess said.

"Off," Selena spoke. "Not good. Off."

1 Hour Later

In the middle of unpacking, a muffled yelling came across the tower.

Selena glanced up from her trunk, clothing and books piled over bed in the Gryffindor dorm. She and Alisson exchanged glances, Renee frowning.

Elizabeth poked her head in the doorway, bleach-blonde hair falling over her shoulders. "It's Harry Potter. He and Seamus Finnegan are yelling. About the Daily Prophet. Seamus sounds really upset."

Renee shut her trunk, following Elizabeth out of the dorm, her brows knitting in concern.

Alisson sat on her bed. "What's wrong with her?"

Selena shrugged. She was too preoccupied with thoughts to wonder what exactly Seamus and Harry disagreed about with the Daily Prophet newspaper. The Sorting Hat's warning, her sister beginning her First Year the next day, her own new schedule, and Professor Umbridge...

Later that night, it didn't take her long to fall asleep, ready for the year to begin.

OKAY!

So, I'm excited to have finished this... This long chapter...

Anyway, I can't tell you how excited I am to write this year!

It's not going to focus on Selena and her friends as much as their involvement with