Rose POV

Kings Cross was immensely crowded with people pushing all manner of carts and trunks. Professor Moody , Tonks, Professor Lupin, my parents, and Padfoot, which is what Sirius was called when he shape shifted into a black dog; escorted my cousins, Harry, Hermione, my brother, my sisters, and myself to the train. I wondered why, since we were in Muggle London, people didn't stare at our main escort's self-moving eye, but I assumed that he had glamoured it for the Muggles and that I could see past it because I was magical.

The Order had thankfully resolved the issue of Harry's expulsion.

Professor Moody walked stiffly with his hawk headed staff, grunting angrily when the shaggy black dog wove his way past us. "Padfoot, are you barking mad?! You'll blow the entire operation." The large hound trotted down the stairs and shape shifted back into a man when he found an empty waiting room. Harry ducked in after him.

"Let them be, Rose." My father ordered when I attempted to poke my head into the room. "We have to get you all settled." He pulled me away and sent me with Briar through the wall between platforms 9 and 10. My brother marveled at the steam locomotive that closely resembled the model he had at home when we appeared at the other side.

"Blimey." He said before father whisked him away to get his trunks in order and find him an empty seat in the First-Years train car.

I turned the other way with my sisters and gave my luggage to one of the waiting train attendants. He took my trunk and Harper's crate, setting them gingerly in a baggage compartment. The train was just beginning to fill with students when I shuffled into it and searched out an empty compartment, which wasn't very hard. Olivia and Violet went into another car to two down some of their second-year friends.

As I opened the door to an empty compartment, a short girl with long pale blond hair and dangling earrings shaped like radishes bumped into me. She had her nose stuck into an upside-down issue of the Quibbler. "Luna." I greeted cheerfully.

She slowly looked up from her magazine. Her eyes were as pale as her hair. "Hello Rose."

"How have you been?"

"Very well. Nargels have been a bit of a problem this summer."

"Nargels?" I asked, bewildered. I knew though that we have time to talk at school, and that my first priority should be to find me and my friends a compartment. "We'll talk later. See you at school, Luna."

After she walked away, I found an empty compartment and sat on one of the soft, padded benches, waiting patiently for my friends.

Before any of my group of friends joined me in the car, I stared out the window and watched the magical people stride up and down the platform as they sent their children off for another year at Hogwarts. I could tell that they didn't believe in anything that Harry spoke of when he mentioned the Dark Lord: they coldly disregarded Harry when he passed them on the way to the train. We had the Daily Prophet and our Minister of Magic to blame for that. I hoped that my friends and I wouldn't not snubbed at school since we openly supported Harry, and I had seen enough the last year to know that the monster who had cost my family so much was indeed back.

Someone crossed in front of the the door's frosted window and I recognized the short, fair hair and the black suit as Draco. I stood up and unlocked the door, opening it swiftly and poking my head out in hopes that I could catch him. "Draco."

He momentarily glanced behind him, barely even acknowledged that he heard me, and made no motion to return the way he came, instead flinging his black briefcase into a compartment a few rows down and disappearing after it. I stared blankly after him. Even though we had drifted apart after we were sorted at Hogwarts, he was still always civil to me, at the very least acknowledging that he had seen or heard me. From my memories of us as kids, it was so unlike him to act that coldly, to anyone really. He did often act that way to Harry, they still were not on the best terms; but he'd never snubbed me to that extent.

I sat back down and shut the door dejectedly. Outside, the corridors quickly filled up with students running back and forth, trying to find an empty car. I sulked and looked out the window until I heard the door open and my group filed into the car. Putting up a cheerful façade, I grinned widely at them while they sat down and settled themselves for the long ride to the boarding school.

Harry stared out the window and fell asleep on the trip to Hogwarts. We didn't bother him, instead Hermione and I read the Daily Prophet and Persuasion out loud while Ron occupied himself with some of the jokes his brothers dreamt up.

The sky was a star studded void when the Hogwarts Express finally pulled into the station. We were some of the last off the train, and Harry wasn't paying much attention to where he was going, doubtlessly mulling over his Hearing and his near expulsion from Hogwarts. Harry stumbled off of the platform and nearly fell onto the tracks, but he caught himself just in time.

Behind us, we heard a few students talking amongst themselves, including a voice that I would have recognized anywhere. Draco and his housemates passed us. "Enjoy your freedom while you can, Potter. I bet there's a cell in Azkaban with your name on it." The blond jeered. Harry instantly took offense, and would have confronted his enemy had Ron not restrained him. "Can you believe them? Nutters every single one." He looked pointedly at me.

As Harry struggled against Ron's hold and yelled angrily, "Just stay away from me!" I was reeling from the insult.

"He... He called me crazy." I breathed in disbelief. Draco, my former best friend, the one whom I used to always go to when I was in trouble or upset, the one whom I'd sworn to bring over to our side; had insulted me.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Hermione asked, seeming to have heard me.

"Oh. Nothing." I lied, dismissing her. We strode down the platform and snagged the last carriage to the castle. The gaunt, black beast pulling it huffed and I petted its muzzle. It looked like an emaciated flying horse, but I knew that it was perfectly healthy.

I never noticed that Neville had joined us. "What is it?" Harry asked, turning after watching Cho ride away. I knew that Ginny would have been jealous had she seen: she'd been massively crushing on Harry for years.

"What are you talking about Harry, there's nothing there." Hermione answered automatically. She peered at me queerly when she saw me petting the creature.

"It's called a Thestral." I answered Harry as I hoisted myself into the carriage, which happened to be occupied by Luna who was still reading her Quibbler. I sat next to the pale haired girl.

"You three just haven't seen enough to be able to see them." Luna informed them slowly as they followed me and sat.

I instantly burst into introductions. "This is Luna Lovegood. Her father is the Editor of the Quibbler."

"Hello." Everyone chimed.

Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable around the strange girl.

"Don't worry, I won't bite." Luna assured, looking up from her book and sliding it between us.

"That is an interesting necklace." Hermione observed, gesturing to the pendant that graced Luna's neck and trying to strike up a cautious conversation.

Luna glanced down at her necklace, obviously flattered, not realizing how uneasy my best friend was. "It's a charm actually. It keeps away the Nargels." She leaned forward, which caused Hermione to lean back reflexively.

The carriage lurched forward and Neville kept a hold of the tall, cactus-like plant in his hands. The bushy haired brunet was assaulted with a question from Ron, one which, for once, she possessed no good answer.