An Empty Compartment—Chapter Two

I jumped to my feet as the train screeched to a slightly unsteady halt. I couldn't have gotten out of there faster—Potter and I had spent the majority of the train ride bickering without end. The rest of the journey was spent in rough silence, each of us seeing how long we could hold a glower in the other's direction. Potter's snog acquaintance had left soon after my friends and my arrival—a few awkward minutes was all it took for her to say, 'Umm, James? I think I'm going to go find my friends...'

"I'll meet you guys by the carriages, okay?" I called, my hair swishing around the frame of the door before my friends could reply.

I was one of the first students off the train. About half a dozen other kids milled around looking self-conscious and plainly waiting for their friends. I joined their ranks, pausing by a carriage and observing the door of the train for a glimpse of my classmates. Finally Katrina appeared, followed by Mandy and Lola. I beckoned them over to me, and we piled into a carriage.

As it set off towards the distant silhouette of Hogwarts, Katrina opened her mouth. "So, d'you guys reckon classes are going to be much harder this year?"

"Hope not, but I bet they'll spring a bunch of stuff on us next year, with it being O.W.L. time and all..."

A discussion of classes eventually turned into talk of teachers, which in the end turned into chatter about the students of our year. These conversations lasted us all the way until we plopped into four consecutive seats along the Gryffindor table, at which point we focused our attention on the Sorting Hat and the long line of young students anxiously waiting to be sorted. As all the babble died out, the hat opened its mouth and began to sing.

The rest of the night seemed to pass as though time had sped up—I barely remembered the rest of the sorting, the feast, walking up to the girl's dormitory in Gryffindor tower, and climbing into bed. Tucking the sheets firmly underneath my chin, I closed my eyes and was almost instantly asleep.

I woke late, the fairly loud talk of my three dorm mates coaxing me out of my deep sleep. I rolled over, practically in slow motion, and pulled back the curtain of my four-poster bed.

"Lily?" Lola asked, glancing around at the sound of the rustling the bed was making.

"Hi," I mumbled, still half asleep.

"Lily," Lola continued, looking worried. "Do you know what time it is?"

I yawned. "Can't be that late, can it?" I murmured sleepily.

Katrina rolled her eyes. "How about we only have about 20 minutes until class starts? We all," she gestured to herself, Mandy, and Lola, "thought you had already headed down to breakfast. You're usually an early bird."

The startling revelation on how close to class it was sent me hurtling out of my bed. I glanced around frantically and pulled some robes off of the floor. I looked up at my friends who were watching me with a mixture of anxiety and amusement playing on their faces.

"You guys go ahead without me. I'll catch up," I said, trying to put on my socks and brush my hair at the same time. They started out the door of the dormitory, Mandy calling 'Good luck!' as she followed Katrina.

I was dead. There was no way I would be on time to my first class, and definitely no way I could have breakfast or take a shower. I almost cried with exasperation as I glanced at my schedule: My first class was Transfiguration, the class with possibly the strictest teacher in the school. I was so dead.

I buttoned up my cloak, only realizing at the end that I had mismatched two buttons. As I hurried to redo these buttons, I jammed my foot in my shoe and hopped to the bathroom. I splashed some cool water on my face and hastened to brush my teeth. Pulling my hair into a messy ponytail I crammed my Transfiguration books into my bag and ran out the door.

I was feet away from the portrait hole when I remembered something. Running back upstairs, I grabbed my wand off the top of my dresser. A quick glance at the clock told me I had about a minute to get to Transfiguration.

I ran down flights of stairs, sprinted across corridors, and sidled through the few hidden shortcuts that I knew of. I arrived at the Transfiguration classroom out of breath and quietly pushed the door open. Perhaps I could sneak in without—

"Ms. Evans." I cringed as Professor McGonagall eyed me with a disapproving look. "Late on the first day?"

"Er—I'm sorry, Professor, you see, I was just—"

"I don't need your excuses, just take a seat, please, Ms. Evans."

I glanced for the first time at the arrangement of desks in the classroom. They all looked occupied. My eyes searched for the empty seat I knew must exist somewhere in the classroom. Finally I found it: It was in the very back corner of the classroom. I took a step towards it, but stopped as my eyes took in the desk's surroundings.

"Ms. Evans?" McGonagall had spotted my falter.

"I—," was all I could say.

Now she was just plain annoyed. "Unless there is a valid reason for you not wanting the desk in the back, Ms. Evans, I suggest that you carry on to your seat. You've already delayed the lesson enough, don't you think?"

I hung my head, embarrassed, and trudged towards the desk in the back of the classroom. I sat down and plopped my bag on the top of the desk. I turned my head to the right, and there was James Potter, smirking at me.

"Hey Evans, long time no see," he whispered.

"Not long enough," I muttered back, attempting to focus on what McGonagall was saying.

"Ouch. You ought to be nicer to the person you'll be sitting next to for the rest of the year."

"What?" My voice rose shrilly.

Professor McGonagall paused in her explanation of whatever spell we were working on, and looked at me wearily. "Yes, Ms. Evans, you will have to grip your wand lightly, as opposed to very firmly. If you were paying attention, perhaps you would know why."

I turned beet red, every fiber of me hating the person sitting to my right, who was once more whispering up a storm.

"Yeah, Evans, you must have missed McGonagall say it because you were late and all, but these are the seats we'll keep all year." He gave a self-satisfied sort of smile, and I sunk low into my chair, wishing with all my heart that I would keep sinking straight into the floor, never to arise again. I was in for one hell of a year with Potter sitting next to me.

Yay, second chapter up. Sorry it took so long, but if you didn't know, I'm a very inconsistant updater. Thanks everyone who reviewed the first chapter, and I hope everyone liked this chapter too. Review and tell me what you think!