The screams and yells of friends and family members pierced my ears as I sat in the last compartment at the end of the Hogwarts Express. Romulus had dropped Remus and I off early as he had to go to "work", I still believed he was a hit-wizard. It was twenty to eleven and most students were only just arriving or were outside the train waiting for their friends. I was thinking about my summer holiday. It had been nothing like I had planned. I was not allowed into London to see my friends, I ran away and I had started seeing things. I was happy to be away from home but I found that the prospect of Hogwarts was not cheering me up quite as much as it used to. Something had changed this summer, possibly it was my visions, but something wasn't right anymore; Hogwarts didn't feel like home.
I pulled a book from my bag and opened up to the page that I had dog-eared. I reached about halfway down the page when a loud bang destroyed my concentration. A black-haired boy ran into my compartment leapt onto the seat and launched himself onto the trunk rack above my head. I sat there watching him; he was trying to make himself invisible. We made eye contact and he yelled in surprise, hitting his head on the roof of the carriage.
"Natalie!" Sirius screamed, attempting to get off the rack quickly. He simply fell in a heap on the floor. I laughed at him and helped him up. He dusted himself off and threw himself into a hug.
"Sirius," I choked "cant – breathe." He quickly let me go and put his hands on my shoulders, inspecting me. I raised my eyebrows and did the same, and boy did I get a surprise. It wasn't that he wasn't particularly good-looking before the summer, but he had become significantly more handsome this new school year. His black hair had been cut shorter and I could tell from his tight white t-shirt that his muscles were definitely bigger. I was a little entranced. We stood like that for a while until he snapped his eyes up to meet mine and smirked. God how I loved that smirk. Err, so I may have had a small crush on Sirius... ever since last year. It was tiny though and nothing would ever happen because we were good friends. I hadn't even told my friends, but James had figured it out this holidays. Sirius opened his mouth to make a stupid remark when Marlene I'm-a-bitch Mckinnon walked in.
"Sirius," she whined, she was one of those girly girls who talked in high voices and didn't have a very large mental capacity. You know the ones that boys love. "I haven't seen you in forever." She pouted at this point and honestly I didn't want to see that hideous expression ever again. This was Sirius' long term girlfriend; they had been dating for four months now.
Sirius grinned at her and collected her into his arms. "Aw I missed you too Marls." He crooned. I vomited a little in my mouth. They continued to say sickeningly coupley things until they started snogging right in front of me. Disgusted and disappointed I scooped up my book and stalked out of the compartment. I didn't blame Sirius for dating her, I mean she was a Gryffindor, had an amazing physique, and was as dumb as a doorknob. What more would a guy want? I dragged my feet down the corridor, kicking them softly on protruding bits of wall to entertain myself. I caught my reflection in a window, I could see why he didn't like me more than a friend; I was different, my blonde hair was long and layered, my tight black ripped dress and military boots weren't sweet or flirty; there were smokey black smudges around my eyes. I wasn't approachable. I liked rock and roll music and I didn't do anything to make myself look soft. I was harsh. It was mostly rebellion of my parents but I liked what my style said about me; I had layers, I wasn't a two dimensional barbie.
I wandered around the train until I heard the whistle that signalled that it was eleven o'clock. I walked slowly back to the compartment, hoping the other marauders would be there to make Marlene go away. I was sufficiently disappointed when I arrived back and all five of them were sitting and chatting. The boys, you see, didn't know Marlene like I did. To them she seemed nice and friendly but to girls she was the biggest bitch in hell, however she was subtle; doing things that no one had proof of to blame her with. I opened the door and all five of them turned and smiled, although Marlene's was more malicious than the others.
"Lee-lee" James screamed and tackled me to the floor. His head hovered above mine and he grinned cheekily.
"Get off me." I muttered and pushed him. He rolled off me and hugged me from the side.
"I missed you" he whinged, pouting adorably. I ruffled his hair and he helped me up from the ground. "Where've you been, Lee-lee?" he said suggestively.
I scoffed and shoved him, sitting down. "I was just walking, Jay." If he could use the old nickname he made for me when he was two, so could I. He grimaced at the name.
"Fine, keep your secrets." He shrugged, attempting nonchalance and failing miserably. "So how was your summer?"
I squirmed in my seat. I did not want to tell them about my running away. We had spent most of our time together, him being only next door, so I wasn't surprised he wondered why he didn't see me for two weeks. "Err it was fine" I said airily, I couldn't even convince myself.
He turned to scrutinize my face, concern etched into his features. "We came over for your birthday, but your parents said you were out." He said carefully, still watching me.
"I was." I made my face impassive as I realised I could get away with half truths.
"Where were you?" he questioned.
"What is this and interrogation?" I demanded, "I was out at the leaky cauldron, celebrating."
"With who?" he didn't stop did he?
"Oh my god, with Remus. Okay?" I yelled. He flicked his head around so fast I was surprised he didn't get whiplash. Remus looked at me, sending me signals with his eyes. He did not want to be dragged into this, but I had no choice.
"You were with Remus." He said slowly, as if to give it time to sink into his brain. He turned back to me and frowned again. "Are you and Remus... you know?" he muttered into my ear.
My eyebrows shot up into my hairline, well not really but that's how high I like to think they went. "No!" I hissed back at him.
He visibly relaxed and slung an arm around my shoulder. "So where were you the rest of the holidays? Sirius and I didn't see you the whole time."
My mind was reeling, I couldn't say I stayed with Remus because Remus would be super mad, but I couldn't say I stayed with lily or Amelia because he would ask them and they would have no clue what he was talking about. I suddenly had an idea. "Oh I went to visit relatives." I lied, hopefully successfully.
James seemed to buy it and nodded, "And how is Greece?"
"Oh it was really hot so I stayed in mostly." I had no idea when this conversation would end so I turned it back on him. "So how were your holidays?"
I listened to him crap on about Quidditch for at least half an hour, not that I don't love the sport, just James took it way to seriously. I tried to focus in on what he was saying but I found it hard to concentrate as Sirius and Marlene were snogging each other's faces off. James noticed my discomfort, "Do you wanna go someplace else?" he whispered in my ear. I nodded not trusting myself to speak and he pulled me out of the compartment calling an excuse to the others. He pulled me down the corridor and opened the door to a seemingly empty compartment. He stopped dead in the doorway and I looked around him to see what the problem was. I found the problem within two seconds; sitting towards the back of the compartment was the unmistakable Lily Evans, snogging none other than my git of a brother.
"What the fuck is this?" I yelled. They immediately broke apart and Noah smirked at me, however Lily looked highly embarrassed. James abruptly turned around and skulked away from the compartment, I glared at the two inside and set off after him. I found him three compartments down with some first years who looked terrified by the sight of him. I sighed and told the kids to bugger off. He sat down and put his head in his hands. I moved next to him and hugged him from the side. He looked back up at me and smiled bitterly. I could tell we needed privacy and turned and locked the door and pulled down the blind.
"I guess I'm feeling your pain right now, eh?" he grimaced and I winced.
"Sorry." I whispered "I knew Noah was a git but I wasn't sure how big of one he was till just then."
James turned to look at me and captured either side of my face. "At least we have each other." He sighed and kissed my cheek. James and I had become closer over the summer; he had found out about my obsession with Sirius and attempted to help me get over it. I also tried to get his mind off Lily, though that was a hard task.
We went back to the marauders compartment; I didn't want to see Lily right then; I still had the image of her and my brother in my head. Marlene had disappeared and Amelia had joined them. When she saw me she screamed and hugged me tight, messing my hair, and launched into a long story of her summer in Ireland. I sat down in between her and James, I glanced at Remus and he raised an eyebrow, looking at me questioningly. I shook my head at him, giving him an 'I'll tell you later look', and relaxed in my seat, listening to Amelia's story of her summer.
The six of us were soon joined reluctantly by Lily, who both James and I glared at, and we all told amazing stories of our adventures over the summer. James and Sirius' were the most elaborate but only because they made most of it up. When we stopped at the Hogsmead station it was dark and drizzling. Amelia, being the shallowest of all of us, screamed when the rain hit her hair, complaining it would go frizzy, and ran to secure us a carriage, the rest of us ambled after her. I looked around to see if I could spot the carriage Amelia had reserved for us when my heart skipped a beat and I stopped dead in the middle of walking. The others carried on until they noticed I wasn't with them. I was staring at the carriage in horror. The carriages that normally pulled themselves where now being pulled along by skeletal, black horses with milky, white eyes. I knew immediately what they were. My father had given me a book on magical creatures when I was young and in there I had read about Thestrals; horse-like creatures that ate meat and where bad omens. Only people who had witnessed death could see them. I immediately thought back to my first vision; I had seen people murdered. I had accepted that my visions were true but I had never expected them to affect me this way. They now influenced the way I saw.
I found the ability to walk again after James came up to me and put his face in my line of vision. "Nat," he murmured, "you need to walk to the carriage." I registered the smirk on his face and sneered at him, walking around him and climbing inside. I gave the strange creatures' one last look then turned my attention to my friends.
"You see them too, don't you?" Remus murmured into my ear, looking down. I swallowed noisily and nodded. He looked back up at me and grimaced, he understood. I gripped his hand and knew that he had seen them ever since the night I had seen in my vision. I felt a strong urge to protect the young werewolf and I gripped his hand tighter.
We walked into the great hall and I immediately looked up, the historic ceiling had always fascinated me. It was a deep blue-black and only a few stars could be seen through the clouds, but still it was magnificent. We sat down in the middle of the Gryffindor table and turned to look at the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, who had asked the attention of the school. The little first years came in through the doors and followed professor McGonagall to the raised platform in front of the teachers table. She placed the sorting hat on the stool and it started its song. It was much the same as all years but it was the last few lines that caught my attention;
This coming year may be full of woe,
But heed my warning and you will know,
It is time for the houses to unite,
If we want a chance to win this fight,
The darkness may consume you all,
If not one of you stand tall,
You must consult the one that can see,
For she may be the only key.
The hall erupted into noise as everyone began to discuss the hat's warning. The warning had chilled me to the bone, the other years the hat had warned of a rising power but never had it predicted the coming of a fight. We were just kids, what good would we be in a fight?
"Well that was dreadfully cheery." Sirius muttered.
"Yeah." I murmured.
"Who do you suppose 'the one that can see' is?" Remus whispered.
"Well obviously it's got to be about more than just eye sight, right?" James said. "Obviously this person can see more than just what everyone else can."
The others nodded. "Maybe there's a seer attending Hogwarts." Amelia suggested. "My great aunt said that her cousin went to see one once and she predicted his death accurately right down to the minute and way he was killed."
"Amy, you know your great aunt talk's rubbish, right?" Lily said incredulously. Everyone laughed, including me, although I was still angry at Lily. It was true that Amelia's great aunt was completely mental and thought she was still a healer in the days of Grindelwald. My laughter was cut short when I felt the blinding pain in my head I had come to associate with my visions.
I was in a forest watching a girl a little older than me putting up protection wards around a small tent. Her brown, bushy hair was tied loosely in a ponytail and her jeans were old and torn. She was muttering feverishly under her breath and I was amazed at the complexity of some of the spells. She was soon finished and walked back inside the tent. I found that this time in my vision I could follow her. The inside was enormous, well compared to the outside. She had taken off her jacket and cast a heating charm around the room. She sat down in an arm chair, her face looked as if she hadn't eaten well in a while and her clothes hung loosely off her body. Her hair was oily and her face had dirt smudges over it. A second person walked out of one of the room in the tent. The boy looked the same age as the girl, yet significantly more haggard and sickly. He had jet black hair that hung nearly down to his shoulders and wore round glasses. His clothes were far baggier on him and his face was in the same condition as hers yet with stubble on his chin. He looked exactly like James except for his eyes which were green and his sickly thin appearance. He shuffled towards the bushy-haired girl and mumbled a sentence which sounded like 'I'll take first watch.' The brunette nodded and promptly fell asleep in the chair. The boy sat down at the mouth of the tent and took out a wand, setting it beside him. He also took out a silver locket that had the mark of Slytherin on the cover. He looked down at it disgusted and put it around his neck.
I was surprised I was not on the floor but all my friends had looks of concern on their faces. I looked up at them my head throbbing, what was the point of seeing things if they were as pointless as that vision just was. I found I could remember my visions in perfect clarity and wondered what the point of storing that useless vision was. I of course had no answer. "Sorry?" I said, deciding my friends would think I was mad if I told them the truth.
"Err, we were trying to get your attention for the last five minutes." James said carefully.
"Sorry." I chuckled, "I was totally out of it." They all seemed to buy it and turned as Dumbledore got the attention of the hall.
"Silence." He said, "We must heed the sorting hat's warning and if anyone can shed light to the mention of the one that can see they should come and see me. Now for more trivial matters; first years, you will noted that the Forbidden Forest is in fact, forbidden. Although maybe a few older students should remember that also." He winked at the marauders. "Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that magic is not to be used in the corridors and that you may find a list of all band items on the noticeboard outside his office. Now without further a due; the feast." He clapped his hands and food appeared on the tables.
After everyone as sufficiently full Dumbledore stood up again, "now I know all of you are eager to reach your warm beds, so away with you, pip pip!"
I collapsed into my bed and fell asleep immediately forgetting all about confronting Lily and unpacking my trunk or even taking off my shoes.
oOo
A/N: so I got this chapter done really fast. I had it already written it just needed editing. Its quite long.
Also if anyone finds somewhere that a sentence doesn't make sense and you think there should be a w in the word tell me because my key doesn't work very well.
Until next time.