A bright September morning, a fifteen year-old girl steps out of the bathroom, a fluffy white towel around her torso as she pads lightly down the hall, her shoulder-length strawberry-blonde hair hanging freely down her shoulders, her bangs dripping water on her face. She closes her bedroom door behind her, and unwraps her towel, dropping it on her bed. She pulls on her clothes, consisting of a pink sweater and light blue jeans. Looking at herself in her mirror, she nods, then ties her hair back in a half side pony, adorned with a purple ribbon, and a strawberry clip on the opposite side, holding her bangs. Happy with her reflection, she skips happily out of the room, and down the stairs, to where her brothers are just slipping on their shoes, her parents ready to take her to London.
At Kings Cross Station, Amanda's dad gets a cart, and with the boys' help, loads her stuff onto it, Mandy holding her fluffy white cat in her arms, the feline quite calm. They head into the station, and run through the barrier, and are greeted with the ruckus of the magical platform, 9 3/4. With her brothers' help, Amanda gets her luggage into a compartment, and when they've done that, the trio return to their parents.
"Amanda, promise me you'll write," mom orders.
"Come now, Lucy, Mandy will have her major exams this year, and she'll need all the time she can get," dad says, a hint towards Amanda.
"Come on, dad, let Mandy have some fun. She can't spend all her free time studying."
"But, Jonah, I will have to," Amanda retorts, between her brothers, her arms around each of them, and their arm each around her shoulders. "OWL's are really important, they decide our entire magical future."
"Anyways, sweet heart, please stay safe, and make sure you write as much as you can," dad orders, after the kid's have argued light heartedly.
"I promise," she smiles, hugging her dad.
After she's said her goodbyes, she heads back into the train, and sits in the compartment she claimed earlier, her cat curling up on her lap. She smiles lightly, and strokes his back absently, waiting for her friends. They pile in after some time, and the friends spend the day catching up.
Some time after lunch passed, Amanda gets up to stretch her legs, and to use the loo, when she passes a Slytherin compartment. She smiles and waves, always friendly, as she walks by, and a few smile in return. On her return trip, one of the Slytherin boys pokes his head out, and calls her back, so she naturally agrees, and takes a seat next to him.
"So, how was your summer, Alberona?" the boy who called her in asks.
"It was pretty good. How about your guys?"
"Same old thing," the only other girl in the compartment shrugs. "Tell us how you spent your holidays," she suggests.
"OK," she agrees. "Well, I got home, and found out my older brother is dating this girl, who's a total bore. She told me I was an immature little girl, for not being able to sit still," she says a bit darkly.
"She should have met you when you first came to school," a boy smirks. "You couldn't even sit still, the teachers had you put on a potion to keep you calm."
"Don't remind me," another boy agrees, scratching the back of his neck. "That was horrid."
"So, what happened then?" the girl asks.
"I told her she can suck it," Amanda grins, and everyone laughs. "Jonah actually broke up with her after that," she says happily. "A few of my muggle friends actually joined up with a gang, and they got me into it."
"So, you're a member of a gang, now?" Draco asks from the door.
Amanda smiles at him, "Yepp. Cool, huh?"
Draco snorts, "Just stay safe, got it?"
"Yes, sir," she chirps, smiling.
"Do your parents know you're in a gang?" a boy asks.
"They have no idea," she admits, still smiling. "And I've been in the gang for the last two years," she adds.
They gape at her, "Two years? You joined when you were 13?" a boy demands incredulously.
Amanda nods happily, "Yepp. It's pretty fun," she adds happily.
"Hey, no mudbloods are allowed in this compartment," a Slytherin Prefect snaps, glaring at Amanda.
"Sorry," she says sadly, getting up. "I'll see you guys later," she says, walking out, looking like a kicked puppy. She walks back to her compartment, and takes her seat.
"Mandy, what's wrong?" Hannah asks.
"I got kicked out of a Slytherin room," she says sadly, her cat curled up on her lap again.
"Sorry to hear that, Mandy," Ernie MacMillan says, patting her head lightly. "So, did you guys read about Potter over the summer?"
"Yeah, I did," Hannah agrees. "My aunt was at his trial, and said that the Minister was really trying to get him tossed out of school."
"Because of what happened last year?" Amanda asks, stumped.
"Have you been reading the Prophet?" Ernie asks. He sighs at her negative answer, "Well, the Prophet's been running a smear campaign against both Potter, and Dumbledore. I think the old man's gone a bit wacko, and to beleive what Potter's saying... It's just insane."
"I beleive Harry," Amanda says. "He's my friend, from even before we knew about this world," she explains. "I think I'll take Harry's words as truth, rather then a lying rag's words."
"The Prophet does lie an awful lot," a brunette girl agrees. "Besides, do you really think Harry would lie about Cedric's death?"
"You have a point," Ernie reluctantly agrees. "But still, to even think You Know Who is back."
"It is scary," Amanda agrees. "Guess what, you guys?" she chrips, changing the subject. "My older brother had a girlfriend who was a total bore when I got back home. She said..." she trails off with the story, talking animatedly, cheering her friends back up.
When the train finally reaches the school, everyone is in their uniforms, and Amanda trails off the train after her friends, but spots Harry, and joins him, tackling him in a hug from behind. "Hi!"
Harry chuckles, patting the hands around his throat, "Hi, Mandy. You're choking me," he gasps lightly.
"Sorry!" she instantly lets go, and dances to stand in front of him. "Hi Neville," she greets the portly boy.
"Hi," he smiles. "How was your summer?"
"Not bad. Your's?" she asks.
"Not bad," he agrees.
"Hey, Harry, I missed you in August. How was it?" she asks.
"It was good," he admits, still feeling anger to his other two friends.
"So, shall we get going? Before we have to walk?" Amanda jokes, really not minding the idea, and laughs at her friends' expressions. "Fine, fine, let's grab a carriage," she grins, waving her hand lightly.
When they get into the school, the group splits up, and goes to their respective House tables, and Amanda, a little bit mad at Ernie, takes a seat down towards the end of the table, the move not going unnoticed by her friends.
While Headmaster Dumbledore is giving his speech, he's innterupted by the new Defense teacher, Umbridge. The toad looking woman gives a speech, the hidden innuendo's of the Ministry taking over the school more then clear to Amanda, and probably most of the students with half a brain. When Dumbledore continues his speech, a seventh year sitting across from her leans towards her, "Mandy, think she's talking about Potter and Dumbledore saying You Know Who's back?"
"Obviously," Amanda agrees, watching the new DADA teacher from the corner of her eye.
The next morning Amanda get's up at her usual early hour, and very quietly dresses in a light grey sweater and sweatpants, and pulls on a pair of sneakers, tying her hair up in a single pony at the crown of her head, and leaves the dorm. Walking to the entrance hall, she runs into Umbridge, the woman looking as if she's just rolled out of bed.
"Good morning, Professor Umbridge," she greets.
"And you are going where?" the woman asks.
"For a morning jog, ma'am," she smiles. "Professor Dumbledore gave me permission to go for morning jogs, so I can get rid of some of my energy before classes."
"Ah, so you're the hyper active Hufflepuff girl, are you? Go for your run, and don't be late for classes."
"Of course, Professor," she smiles, and walks out of the doors, then takes off like a bullet.
Umbridge stands in the door, watching as the girl races to the lake, and runs along the shore. Shaking her head, she returns to her own rooms, preparing for the day.
When Amanda get's back to her dorm, the girl's are just heading down for breakfast. The girl nods, and races up the stairs, into the bathroom. After her shower, she quickly donnes her uniform, but seeing as she's running late, washing the mud from her hair took longer then expected, she leaves her hair loose, and dripping wet, as she runs to the Great Hall in time to bump into her friends as they're walking to their first class, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Hannah giving Amanda's schedule to her.