(A/N: Wow, I just got word that my story was nominated for best story of 2012 O.O I did not see that coming….anyway, whoever nominated me deserves all the internet tacos and cookies I can send them ^^ Also, I own nothing, blah blah blah, review, blah blah… )

Chapter 7: Friends, Family, Foes, and Frogs. Oh my!

Obviously searching for something to say, Ron turned to Harry and said, "So you're really Harry Potter? I thought it might have been one of Fred and George's jokes…"

"Yes." Replied Harry, looking kind of uncomfortable (actually, he looked downright freaked out). "But I don't remember anything but a load of green light."

"Do you really have the…" Ron began and Harry lifted his bangs to show his famous lightning scar.

"Okay, Ron, now that you've made things sufficiently awkward…. Could you tell me about our family?" I asked, not only because I was curious but because I wanted to shift a little of the attention off of Harry, who didn't seem to like it. I, at least, was semi-used to it after performing for months at the Leaky Cauldron. Well, not quite used to it so much as I no longer got paralyzing stage fright.

Harry smiled fleetingly at me from behind Ron. For some reason I started blushing.

"Well, there is Mum and Dad; Dad works in the ministry, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. Mum is home with all of us and is the world's best cook. Then there is Bill, the oldest of us, he does something for Gringotts; Charlie, he works with dragons; Percy, he's a prefect this year; Fred and George, the pranksters of the lot of us; Ginny, is the youngest and will be starting school next year." Reeled off Ron as though he'd had to say all that quite a lot. I, however, drank all this in like it was the last mountain dew in the fridge. Harry looked interested as well.

"So that's what wizards do once they get out of school?" He asked. "I had wondered about that."

Ron looked downright surprised that we found this all vitally interesting. "Yeah, but there are loads of other things you can do. It all depends on what you are good at."

"You must know loads of magic already, growing up with a family full of wizards. Wish I had seven magical siblings." Harry said sort of wistfully.

"You have nothing to worry about, plenty of people come from muggle families and they catch on quickly enough." Ron said kindly.

Just then, a witch came by with the snack trolley. Ron muttered something about having sandwiches. Harry and I both jumped up, however, and almost ran to the trolley. Harry bought some of everything. I however, being the chocaholic I am, bought quite a few chocolate frogs. When I got back to my seat Harry was trying to share his sweets with Ron.

"Look Ron, if Harry wants to share with you, let him." I said unwrapping my first frog and biting its legs off so it wouldn't try and escape. I had had one too many of those escape on me before.

"Glad to see those aren't real frogs." Harry muttered with a shocked expression at how violent I was to the chocolate.

"I was pretty shocked when I saw my first chocolate frog try and jump away. Everyone in the Leaky Cauldron laughed while watching my try and catch my chocolate." I said snickering along with Harry and Ron. At this point a rat poked it's head out of Ron's pocket and sniffed at the candy. Ron pulled the rat out.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless. I wanted an owl but we couldn't aff…I mean, I got Scabbers instead." He said blushing.

Harry told him not to feel bad and that he didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford stuff and that he didn't ever get anything but his fat cousins old clothes. It made me mad at how mistreated he was, but it seemed to cheer Ron up. I wondered if Harry was telling us everything, as well because he seemed entirely too skinny. I didn't want to ask him about it until I knew him better and we were alone so I wouldn't embarrass him. Right as I made that resolution, a new boy appeared, his face round and worried.

"Has anyone seen my toad?" he asked somewhat frantically.

"Sorry, but no." I said right as Harry said "He'll turn up."

"Well if you see him…." The toadless boy said as he left still panicking.

"Don't know why he's so bothered, I'd lose a toad as soon as possible if it were me…mind, I have Scabbers so I can't talk." Ron said (oblivious to the glare I was giving him for being mean about the toad) he was staring at the rat who was asleep (quel surprise) "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday, maybe it'll make him more interesting."

He pulled out his rather battered wand when a very familiar brunette came in with the toadless kid.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost him." Hermione asked.

"Still haven't, Hermione." I said wondering if she'd recognize me from Barnes&Noble.

"Kayla!" she squeeled. "Why on earth didn't you find me like you said you would?"

"I was trying to find you or Harry here but it was kinda hard with all the people asking me where my cowboy boots are." I said still disgruntled about people believing that stereotype.

She snorted. "Honestly, some people are so immature."

"Well, if that's all…" said Ron, looking uncomfortable at Hermione's continued presence here, and wanting to do his spell.

"Oooh…are you doing magic?" Hermione asked seeing his wand. "Let's see it then."

"Errr… Sunshine, daises, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!" Ron said waving the wand. Nothing happened.

"Are you sure that's a real spell, well it's not very good is it? I've tried a few spells and they all worked for me." Hermione said, and that didn't go over too well with Ron it seemed.

"Uhhh…can we keep looking for Trevor?" asked Neville timidly. I blinked, I had forgotten he was here. He and Hermione left.

I was glaring pretty severely at Ron, I mean, why did he have to be so rude? Harry seemed to sense that I was about to yell at Ron because he suddenly asked, " So what does Bill do for Gringotts?"

"Oh, he's a curse breaker for them in Egypt. That reminds me, did either of you hear?... someone tried to break into Gringotts!" Ron said.

"Really?" Harry and I exclaimed at the same time ad blinked at each other.

"Yeah, it was all over the paper….but I don't s'pose either of you get our paper what with growing up with muggles and all."

"What happened to them?" asked Harry.

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news." Ron said. "It's made a lot of people worry because they all think You-know-who might be behind it."

Harry's eyes darkened at the mention of old moldy-shorts so I decided to change the topic.

"So, I've been wondering…what's quidditch?" I asked with more interest than I actually had but know that Ron would like talking about sports.

So he went into a long winded explanation which Harry seemed to find mildly interesting. Just as Ron was getting into the more interesting parts the door to our compartment opened again.

This time it wasn't Hermione or Neville, but Paley McSnobby-voice and two thugs.

"I heard that Harry Potter was in this compartment. So it's you, is it?" he drawled at Harry.

"Yes." Said Harry.

"I'm Malfoy- Draco Malfoy." He said with such a snobbish air it should be illegal. Both Ron and I snickered at him. He looked around and noticed Ron and I. He sneered at Ron calling him scum and tried to kiss up to Harry by saying that he shouldn't hang out with "scum like him" or he'd die like his parents.

"Piss off! That's my brother and friend you're insulting, and frankly you disgust me!" I yelled at him, finally having had enough. Thug 1 and Thug 2 cracked their knuckles at me. Malfoy, however, had a smirk on his face.

"I like them feisty!" He said touching my nose in a patronizing way. I snarled and was about to slap him across the face, but Scabbers chose that moment to bite one of the thugs who was trying to steal sweets. On that note, they left.

"Jerks!" I fumed.

"10 minutes until we reach Hogwarts." A voice boomed.

As we changed, the nerve I had experienced this morning returned in full force. It seemed I wasn't the only one, Harry and Ron were pale as ghosts as we left the train.

Our journey into our magical education was about to begin.

(A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner! I had to pack everything back up and head back to college, then the internet at my dorm was being screwy….anyway, I updated now so don't nom me like a cookie!)