A/N: Sorry these updates have been so random; I had midterms and I was really busy (again). I'm not abandoning you guys, I promise. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! Oh, just to clarify, I don't own HP; if I did, would I be writing fanfic?

Katie had boarded the train with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny; the twins had run off with another seventh year boy before the train left King's Cross. She was now searching for a compartment with Harry and Ginny; Ron and Hermione had gone to the one for prefects by themselves.

Ginny stopped them at a compartment towards the back of the train. Inside, a girl with long, frazzled blonde hair and big blue eyes was reading some type of magazine, concentrating deeply. Across from her was a rather chubby boy with dark hair and slightly crooked teeth; he was tightly clutching a tall potted plant, stroking its leaves lovingly. Ginny rapped lightly on the glass door, and the boy jumped, almost knocking the plant over.

"Hello Ginny, hello Harry," the blonde girl said dreamily, looking up from her magazine. "Who's your friend?"

"Luna, this is Katie," Ginny replied. "She's in Harry and Neville's year."

"You must be new. I've never seen you around," the boy said suddenly.

"I just moved to London actually, from the States. My mom works for the Ministry," Katie explained.

"Daddy says the Ministry should go under any day now, with Fudge as Minister," Luna said, speaking to no one but herself.

Feeling slightly awkward, Katie took a seat between Harry and Ginny.

"So…Katie," Neville said, breaking the silence. "What house are you in?"

"I haven't been sorted yet," Katie answered. "Um, what are the houses?" she asked, feeling dumb.

"Well, there's Gryffindor…that's the house me, Harry, and Ginny are in. It's supposedly where the bravest are placed. Then there's Ravenclaw-"

"Which I'm in," Luna cut in. "It's where the brains of Hogwarts go."

"Then there's Hufflepuff," Neville continued. "Everyone thinks they're a big joke, duffers, you know? But last year, during the Triwizard Tournament, Cedric Diggory – he was a Hufflepuff – was one of the Hogwarts champions!"

Katie noticed that Harry winced at the mention of this Cedric boy.

"Wait, he was a Hufflepuff?" Katie wondered, confused.

Harry cut in to the conversation. "He…he was murdered by Vol – You-Know-Who – at the end of last term. I saw it happen."

Katie could tell that Harry had a hard time speaking about what had happened. Ginny seemed to notice too, and she changed the subject.

"So…go on Neville. Tell her about Slytherin," Ginny said with a slightly imploring tone.

Neville's eyes filled with fear as he began to explain. "Most Dark wizards were Slytherins. You-Know-Who was one too…" Neville's voice trailed off obviously lost in thought. He gave a small shudder, and Ginny reached over and patted his knee.

"I bet you'd be a Ravenclaw," Ginny said, changing the subject yet again. "When your trunk spilled, I saw all those books you had."

Katie blushed as scarlet as Ginny's hair. Harry nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, the train grew dark. Katie could hear screams coming from other compartments. The last thing she saw before it grew pitch black was Harry taking his wand from his jeans pocket. Everyone else was obviously confused and scared; the voices of prefects could be heard, shouting and trying to keep order. There was a loud crash; Katie shrieked.

"My Mimbulus Mimbletonia!" Neville cried. Katie could feel something sticky – and rather smelly, to be honest – on her skin.

As suddenly as the darkness came, it left. It seemed everyone had breathed a sigh of relief at the realization that there hadn't been a dementor attack after all; just a prolonged trip through a tunnel.

"Oh," Harry said, putting his wand back.

Katie looked down to examine herself; her new robes were covered in a green slime, as was virtually every other part of her body. Harry, Neville, Ginny, and Luna all looked the same.

"It's stinksap…it's what comes from the Mimbulus Mimbletonia," Neville said with a sad sigh. "My gram gave me it for my birthday. It's a really rare plant…"

Hermione came running to their compartment, a harried look on her face.

"Are you all alright?" she asked. "We thought it was another dementor attack."

"We're fine," Luna replied distantly.

"But my plant isn't," Neville said, clearly discouraged.

"Don't worry Neville, I've got it," Hermione said. "Scourgify."

And with that, the green slime disappeared.

"Harry," Hermione said. "The prefect meetings are over with. I think Ron wants you to join us. You can come too, Katie, if you'd like."

"I'd love to," Katie replied.

* * *

"Bloody hell Harry!" Ron cried. "I dunno how Percy did it without going completely mad!"

Hermione simply rolled her eyes. "So, Katie," she said. "How are you liking things so far?"

"It's been…interesting, to say the least. Luna was…quirky. And Neville's…a bit clumsy, but really easy to get along with," Katie replied.

Hermione laughed. "If you think things are interesting now, wait until you get to Hogwarts!"

A/N: It would mean everything to me if you guys kept reviewing! Expect another chapter sometime this week. (: