Chapter One

August 22nd

In nine days I will be leaving London on the Hogwart's Express to go back to school. It's going to be awful this year. First, no one believes that Voldemort has returned – according to today's Daily Prophet, Harry Potter is a chronic liar who is so desperate for attention that he will even convince another (Darren) that he had seen Voldemort, too. Of course, they only actually inferred this in an article about some woman claiming to have seen Merlin walking down the street (she's in St. Mungo's now), but it was obvious what they meant all the same.

Second, Dolores Umbridge is going to be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I honestly do not know how I am going to be able to avoid arguing with her this year. She's so irksome!

Third, after most unexpectedly learning how to read and speak Draconian, Darren and I have found strange markings on our hands and the dragons. We're not sure why, but a unicorn bowed to us when it saw the markings on our hands. I feel like there is something more to The Code of the Dragon, and I want to find out what it is.

And then there is Persephone.

Persephone Williams, whom I thought was my friend. How wrong I was. None of the teachers in the school besides Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape know about Persephone being a Death Eater, and the only students who know are Harry, Hermione, Ron and the rest of the Weasley clan. It wouldn't matter if I or anyone else told the rest of the school the truth about Williams – it's not like anybody would believe us anyway. If the Voldemort thing is a fabrication, what makes this any more valid?

It's been two months since she left.

And I'm still in shock.

I still feel like this is all just some big joke, and everyone's in on it but me.

But I know it's not.

That Dark Mark was real.

The look in Persephone's eyes…

Persephone Williams was never a friend of mine. She has never been, and never will be, my friend.

~Endaira

With a sharp whistle the wheels began to roll, slowly at first, but quickly gaining momentum. Steam from the smokestack rolled thickly onto the platform, obscuring the families standing there waving to elated children who were hanging out open windows to say their last goodbyes.

Towards the front of the train, one window remained tightly closed. Inside this compartment there were only two people. They sat at opposite ends of the compartment, unsure of what to say to each other. The one closest to the window, Endaira Rezagrats, sat facing what they were leaving behind, watching as the platform disappeared and turned into the landscape that swept by as the train picked up speed. Her thoughts were turned toward the upcoming year – how different it would be.

The other occupant of the compartment, Darren Cay, was facing their destination, all the while looking at Endaira. He, too, was thinking about the upcoming year. But his thoughts weren't concerned with the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, or the whole Persephone affair. No, the only thing he could think about was his relationship with Endaira – or lack thereof.

A knock on the compartment door shook them out of their stupor. The door slid open and Hermione Granger entered.

"Hey, Endy, Darren," she said, giving a nod in his direction before taking a seat across from Endaira, who was still staring out the closed window. She only slightly acknowledged Hermione's presence as she began to talk.

"Look, I know that you two know what's going on with the Order and everything, and so I talked to Dumbledore about it….He wants you two to be informed along with Harry and us about what's going on with it. You'll be receiving updates through me as often as I can possibly get, which, considering that the post isn't safe anymore, will be rare. Anything that occurs that is significant I will tell you immediately–"

"I don't want to know what the bloody Order is doing, Hermione," Endaira snapped. "The only reason Dumbledore wants us to know is if there is anything that may involve Williams" – she spat the name out through clenched teeth – "and her stupid dragon. So, thanks, but no thanks."

Hermione sat there, stunned, until her senses returned and she stood up to leave.

"Of course, it that's what you wish."

Not long after Hermione left Darren did as well. Endaira didn't bother asking him where he was going, but took the opportunity to change into her school robes. She took up the same position again, trying difficultly to wipe her mind blank and just meditate. She didn't want any mental stress to affect her. Her attempts at meditation seemed to work, too, that is, until a bodiless voice interrupted her thoughts.

What, no hello?

Selena!

It was the Antipodean Opaleye, a dragon to whom she was bonded. Apparently, the train was close enough to Hogwarts that their link was strong enough for them to hear each other's thoughts.

How was your summer?

Alight, you know, considering…

Right, of course.

Their mental chat was suddenly cut short as the door to the train compartment was violently slammed open and a small girl rushed in before slamming it shut and peering out the window. She was panting heavily, and her robes were falling off of her shoulders while her red-streaked brown hair was falling out of its messy braid.

Endy coughed and the girl jumped, turning around quickly, her cheeks reddening almost immediately. Endaira found herself looking at a face with two bright blue eyes hidden behind a pair of neon-green glasses and orange braces poking out from behind bright red lips. Her robes were the only plain piece of clothing on the girl. Beneath them was a red graphic t-shirt with black and white designs covered by a white denim vest. She wore a large black belt over this, draped casually, and at an angle, over her hips. Her black shorts had numerous splatters of neon-colored paint, and they covered a pair of white leopard-print leggings. These came down to meet knee-high socks – the right sock being rainbow stripes and the left, which was falling down, being purple with sparkly yellow stars – which disappeared into bright red Converse hi-tops covered in writing in permanent marker.

While Endaira was studying her, the girl began to speak rapidly, and without almost any pause.

"Omigod I'm so sorry I didn't realize you were in here but you see my friends and I are playing hide-and-seek and they are in the back of the train and this is the front so I ran here to hide and I thought this compartment was empty but I really want to win this game because the winner gets to have the others be her slave for a day because that's how we play you see we bet on things and such so can I stay here I promise not to be annoying by the way I'm Maya Averdean pleased to meet you."

At this she stuck out her hand and Endy took it uncertainly. As she did this she noticed that each nail had been painted a different neon color, but most of the polish had been picked off.

"Endaira Rezagrats. And of course you can stay here. Are you a first year?"

"Yeah," Maya said as she sat – no, bounced – onto the seat across from Endy. "I'm half-Muggle on my dad's side, so I get the best of both worlds, and no I'm not trying to quote Hannah Montana."

Endy laughed. "Alright, then."

"Are you American?"

"Yes."

"So you must be one of the students with the dragons! I heard about you! Can I meet your dragon? Omigod, can I ride it?"

"Of course you can meet her. And maybe ride her. But no guarantees. Selena can be stubborn sometimes."

"That's okay. So what House are you in?"

"Gryffindor. Which House do you want to be in?"

"Well, it's kind of a toss up between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Mom was in Ravenclaw but I kind of like the sound of Gryffindor. I just don't know if I'm brave enough or not."

"Well, both Houses are great. And I'm sure you'll do amazing wherever you are."

Just then the door opened and Hermione poked her nose inside.

"Sorry to bother you again, Endy – oh, hello."

"Hi!" Maya waved cheerfully. "I'm Maya."

"Hermione Granger." She held out a hand and Maya took it eagerly, shaking Hermione's entire arm enthusiastically as she spoke.

"You're one of Harry Potter's friends! My mom thinks his story about You-Know-Who is poppycock but I don't think he would make up something like that. He didn't, did he?"

Retrieving her hand back and stunned by the Maya's immediate gravitation towards the issue that no one else wanted to discuss, Hermione stammered, "N-no, he didn't make it up. It really did happen."

"Good! Well, not good, actually, cause of its implications, but good that I know I'm right and Mum is wrong."

"Okay…anyway, I just came to let you and Darren know that we're approaching Hogsmeade station and to make sure you're changed into your robes. Prefect duty, you know."

Hermione turned to leave, but Endy stood up and stopped her. She spoke to her in a low voice.

"Hermione, I just wanted to tell you, sorry about before. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just, with everything that happened at the end of last year and all….I guess I was just feeling a little stressed out about what's going to happen this year."

Hermione nodded and smiled. "Don't worry about it, Endy. I understand. Besides, your outburst wasn't nearly as bad as Harry's."

They hugged quickly and Hermione opened the door to leave. Darren, now in his robes, was standing on the other side, his hand extended in a motion to open the door.

"Oh! Hi, Hermione," he said as they squeezed by each other. He took his seat again and began rummaging through his pockets for something.

Hermione paused in her exit before turning around and telling Maya, "By the way, I'd recommend changing into your uniform. While I love your individuality, McGonagall'd have a fit if she saw you in that."

"But I'm going to have my robes over it," Maya pointed out, crossing her arms in defense.

Darren jumped and looked up at Maya, shocked at finding a third person in the compartment. "Who the hell are you?"

"Maya Averdean. First year. And you are?"

"Um, Darren. Darren Cay."

"Nice to meet you. Are you in Gryffindor, too?"

Just then a voice announced that they were approaching the station. Hermione turned to Maya again.

"Trust me, Maya. No amount of coverage will keep McGonagall from flipping out. Just, please don't get yourself in trouble before you've even been Sorted." With that, she left.

"Huh. I wonder how'd that'd work," Maya mused to herself as she stood up and moved towards the door.

"What?" Darren asked, obviously confused, and yet amused at the same time by this strange girl.

"Well, my mom told me about the House point-system. So, if I were to get in trouble before being Sorted, how would they take away any House points when I have no House?"

"McGonagall would probably just wait until after that Sorting to dish out your punishment," Endy told her.

"Oh."

"Hey, Maya?" Maya's hand was on the door, but she hadn't moved to open it yet.

"Yes?"

"Didn't you say your compartment was at the opposite end of the train?"

Behind the neon-green glasses the blue eyes widened.

"Shit!"

And with that she was gone, tearing down the train, pushing people out of the way in order to get to her compartment and change into appropriate clothes before the Hogwarts Express came to a complete halt.

There was silence in the Dragon Riders' compartment as the door slid uselessly on its track, having not properly closed after Maya's forceful exit.

Darren summed up the entire experience in a few words.

"Well, that was…interesting."