DISCLAMIER

I do not in anyway claim to have created this fasinating world and any characters from the Harry Potter series. However the new characters and events in these story are my own.

CHAPTER 2

Back aboard the Hogwarts Express

The regular hustle of rushing commuters frustrated Jake as he shoved his trolley along the platform. His trunk rumbled and his empty owl cage nearly fell off as he turned onto platform nine. Jake continued along the platform before he came to the secret barrier. After rearranging the truck and cage he pushed the trolley through the barrier to reveal the platform 9 and three quarters. Jake was extremely relieved that he had finally left the Muggle world for his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Jake slowly navigated the platform looking for a friendly face when he heard a pop, turning to his left he saw Peter Rust on the floor surrounded by a puff of pink smoke. Jake laughed; Peter was a fifth year Hufflepuff who considered himself a creative inventor of 'new magical deeds', as he liked to say. Jake thought Peter was a nice guy but he had no chance of for filling his creative plans.

"Hey Jake!" shouted James, a Ravenclaw third year.

"Hey dude, how's it going?" Jake replied

"Not bad, I've got my new broom, look!" James showed him a shiny new broom. "It's the Comet Five Twenty! You manage to get a new one?" asked James

"Yeah, nothing special though. It's a Nimbus Three Thousand." Replied Jake, he sounded a little disappointed.

"Oh that's cool, you're our best Chaser whatever broom! Now Jennifer and Terry have left the team do you reckon they are going to hold trials or just pick people they know about?" asked James.

"No idea mate, I don't even know who has replaced Jenny as captain yet. Heather is my best guess, she is quite good and will more than likely go for the trial option." said Jake.

"Okay, anyways I'll see you around!" James said as he walked back to his friends.

Jake dragged his stuff onto the train and found the usually compartment, it was empty. Jake was quite confused as his two best friends, Maffus and Jon were usually there before him. After pushing his trunk, broom and cage into the upper compartment Jake decided to stare out of the window onto the platform and watch everyone wave goodbye to their families. Jake didn't have anyone he could call as a proper family. Maffus and Jon were the closest and some of the children at his foster home. None of this really bothered Jake, he was happy with things as they were and wasn't the kind of person to want more.

After a long wait Jake jumped as the doors opened, Maffus walked in with a cheeky grin.

"Sleeping again were you? Lazy git! Listen... What's happening with the Quidditch team? You reckon you can get me in?" purposed Maffus.

"What? Are you serious? Not being funny but your crap, I've seen first years play better than you!" Stated Jake

"Yeah I know... Thought it would boost my profile, get abit more attention from the ladies." said Maffus

"Fool, shut up. Even if you were the best Quidditch player in the school they wouldn't want to pay you any attention." said Jake

"Yeah whatever, you're one of the best players in the school and you don't get any action. What does that say about you, eh?" said Maffus

"Shurrup ya clown..." replied a bashful Jake

"Anyways, it's not just the ladies attention I'm seeking..."

"…But the boys too!" Interrupted Jake.

"No, shut up! I'm pushing for prefect next year; all prefects must show some qualities. Quidditch could be mine!" explained Maffus

"One, we can't be prefects until our sixth year and two, Quidditch isn't one of those qualities Professor McGonagall will be looking for." said Jake

Maffus didn't reply, he just stared out of the window. The Hogwarts Express finally left the station and began its long journey north.

"Where's Jon" asked Jake

"Good question... I don't know!" replied Maffus

It wasn't like Jon to be late.

"No, seriously have you seen him?" Jakes mind when straight back too the alley.

"Last time I saw him was two weeks ago." Said Maffus

"Was that before the twenty third...?" he replied

"Yeah... Why?" asked Maffus

Jake told him about the hooded figure down Knockturn Alley

"So, you think Jonny's been kidnapped by some homeless guy?" laughed Maffus

"This thing was different, he knew my name..." Jake shuddered with the
thought.

Maffus continued to laugh, he never took things seriously.

"I'm going to look for him!" Jake said.

"Fine by me, let me know if that homeless dude has eaten him, I will be sleeping in here when your finished." said Maffus as Jake grabbed his wand and left the compartment.

As usual the train was full of excited noisy students, Jake made his way down the train speaking with friendly faces asking about Jon but no one had seen him. Jake came to a compartment which was full of the Slytherin Quidditch team and a number of their bulky friends. Jake didn't bother asking them as he knew they would just impolitely tell him too shove off, but his passage didn't go unnoticed.

"Yo Ifan! What ya doing?" shouted Kane, a fourth year Slithering.

"Looking for your mum, heard she was pushing the trolley." replied Jake

The other Slytherins held back their laughter; Kane's mum wasn't really the trolley lady.

"SHUT UP YOU DAMN MUDBLOOD!!!" shouted Kane, pulling out his wand.

"Ha, same old insults, do you think that offends me?" Jake pulled out his wand; the boys stared at each with a great amount of hate. Just in time the real trolley lady appeared.

"Oh my, put away your wands at once!" she demanded. Jake pocketed his wand and continued his trip down the train.

"He isn't on the train!" Jake explained to a sleepy Maffus.

"So? Probably missed it." yawned Maffus

"No, something's wrong here..." said Jake

"Hey don't worry about it man, he might have got caught up with his Dad at work." said Maffus

"Hey, he did say he was travelling with his Dad... How did you know?" asked Jake

"Told me when I went to see him in the summer, his Dad's got an awesome job. They're travelling by portkey because he can't Apperate. Maybe they got cut off somewhere." said Maffus

"Maybe, oh I just bumped into Kane..." Jake explained the whole event and they continued to discuss how much the whole school hated Slithering. Quidditch was the boy's favourite thing, from playing to watching they absolutely loved it. Gryffindor and Slithering had won the cup between themselves the last few years but Ravenclaw had only came close, they hadn't wont the cup since 1978 when Balnee Bulnox caught the snitch in the four hundredth and fifty second minute against Slytherin. They had won five hundred and seventy to four hundred and ten.

"This year is our year, with a fresh team and your new broom we should beat everyone!" said Maffus.

"I hope. Let's see what happens." said Jake

"So, we got you Chaser, with two empty spots. We got Heather as Seeker and Gruff and Frank beaters and finally we got Smithy as our keeper." explained Maffus

"So, you going for one of the empty Chaser spots?" asked Jake

"Yeah, I might..." said Maffus

"You would be better as a Beater though."

"Yeah but I doubt Frank or Gruff would give away their positions."

"I know, but you as a chaser? You can't catch!"

"Hey, shurrup!" shouted Maffus.

Jake continued to laugh and talk about Maffus' previous trials for the Quidditch team and took care in reminding him about the time when Maffus attempted to throw the Quaffle through the hoops but knocked out a second year in the stands.

"I'm not that bad." said Maffus defensively

"Ahh well, you are getting better every year though. Maybe you'll have a chance, maybe not." said Jake.

Maffus stared out of the window for awhile then the conversation turned from Quidditch to recent Wizarding events then to the cloaked man and then talk erupted back into Quidditch and the Lightning Steed broom.

Jon didn't turn up and their was no mention of his non appearance by anyone else, the train finally pulled up at Hogsmead station and as always the weather was absolutely terrible, ferocious winds and beating rain attacked the train wildly. The boys left their trunks as usual and made their way off the train to be greeted by the weather, all the students rushed hastily to the invisible driven carriages as the first years gathered around the friendly half giant Hagrid. As tradition the newly appointed first years would have to row across the Great Lake, Jake felt a huge amount of pity for them.

"Hey Jake!" shouted some from over the crowd. Jake looked around for the source of this voice but the weather and the sea of students prevented him.

"Jake! Over here!" shouted the voice again, Jake saw Heather one of his Quidditch team mates, she was a small sixth year girl with light brown hair. "I'm Captain! I'm Captain!" she shouted

"Wicked, I knew you would get it. Listen, what's happening with the new team members?" said Jake

"I've found some already" replied Heather

Jake hesitated. "Really, who?" he asked.

"Corey Willman for Seeker, I'm going to fill the Chaser spot and Hollie Rootman is going to fill the third Chaser spot." explained Heather

Jake didn't respond for a few seconds, these two people were in the same year as Heather and close friends. Jake had the idea they couldn't really play well and Heathers first decision was extremely biased. "Shouldn't we hold a trial, a lot of people have been training for this all summer and it would be fair to give them a chance."

"No." replied Heather quite bluntly. "I've been training with them both all summer and they've improved too. I can't let that go to waste now can I?"

The notification of becoming Team Captain comes with the book list in August, "So you knew that you were gonna get captain then?" asked Jake

"Of course, who else is there?" said Heather as she waltzed off to rejoin her friends.

An extremely annoyed Jake caught up with Maffus; they climbed into a carriage with some random Hufflepuffs and headed off to the school. After telling Maffus about the new team he broke into a rant about favouritism and started to devise a plot to over through Heather's Captainship. Jake was thinking along the same lines but didn't want too admit it as Heather was a skilful player. The carriages left and made their way to the school.