Chapter One: Owl

I scanned the faces of the new first years, seeing their timid faces as they glanced around nervously at us all watching them. "I was never that scared my first year," I commented as I did every year, an almost too familiar routine of mine. My friends were probably waiting for me to say something like that.

"Kali fell flat on her face though!" James laughed from his seat next to Lily. We could all tell how angry Lily had been when James took the empty seat beside her. He'd moved as physically close to her as possibly. Kali wasn't much help to the girl either, she'd not moved when Lily moved as close to the pink haired teen as possibly.

"Don't remind me, I was the laughing stock for ages!" Kali groaned with her hand in her head, though she glanced between her fingers, possibly hoping she saw a first year all over.

"You know Potter it's not nice to say that," Lily instantly shot at James.

"She likes me," James beamed proudly only for the Marauder's to agree.

"Seriously the moment I see Lily dating James is the time I will put myself on the market," I shrugged, knowing that Lily would never get with James.

"REALLY!" a lot of guys nearby turned to me instantly. Not the reaction I was actually expecting and I found a rare blush fall across my face which I tried to hide by pulling my blonde hair across my face.

Lily however sat across from me shocked but a mysterious look on her face. Lily wouldn't though. I knew she wouldn't. Besides I didn't want a boyfriend, I did well on my own and that was how it was going to stay. I had priorities before boys and everyone knew it.

I should probably explain, since third year people seemed to take an interest in me, and let me tell you, it wasn't my personality which drew them to me, I was a short tempered, hot headed girl who wouldn't back down from anyone and couldn't agree with anyone shitting on my friends or me.

As for appearance, my hair was blonde, though on a 4 month basis I magically enhanced a second colour into it, right now that was a bright pink which ran through my hair and in my bangs. My eyes were a light grey and I had a condition called heterochromia, it wasn't anything serious at all, though mine wasn't a bad case of it. My eyes had gold running from the pupil which lead into the grey of my iris. I got it from mum's side of the family, but her heterochromia gave her the dual coloured eyes, one green and one brown in her case.

Height wise I was small, a mere 4'10 and the Marauder's always liked to remind me of my height, I didn't hate it just disliked it. Though it helped with Quidditch I guess.

"SIRIUS BLACK, JAMES POTTER, REMUS LUPIN AND PETER PETTIGREW STAND NOW!" A rather angry Professor McGonagall yelled out, turning all our attention off the conversation to the front where the sorting hat sat on what should have been a stool. The teacher was new to the school the previous year and had since learnt a lot about the Marauders.

The four boys stood without question and knowing expressions were on their faces.

"What do you call this?" Professor McGonagall questioned, flicking her wand and levitation the very pink and very flowery sorting hat and the stool it stood on just a mass of vines and pink flowers.

I only realised something else was going on when McGonagall levitated the items and as she did the Marauders looked towards the Slytherin table and Severus Snape.

I broke down laughing.

McGonagall's levitation spells had triggered a hidden hex it seemed which turned the Slytherin table benches into the same vines, wrapped around the Slytherin students and levitated them upside-down in the air.

Poor Severus Snape though had the works done to him, his uniform had also turned pink and his normal greasy hair began sprouting flowers. I could tell Lily wasn't happy and in fact very very angry.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," James Potter sang out and McGonagall stopped levitating which returned the Slytherin's to normal and all of them shot the Marauders an angry glare.

"I want to see you four in my office the day lessons begin," she snapped, doing a counter curse on the hat and stool and beginning the sorting whilst everyone's laughter died down.

I unrolled the scroll that had been dropped by a mass of owls onto everyone's desk the second the sorting had finished. Our timetables.

My timetable wasn't that bad really, all advanced classes which seemingly Lily and Kali had also, but I hadn't compared yet.

Monday:

9am - 10am: Advanced Potions with Professor Slughorn.
10am - 11am: Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Weedle.
11am - 12pm: Advanced Ancient Runes with Professor Vidmund.
12pm - 1pm: Lunch
1pm - 2pm: Advanced Care for Magical Creatures with Professor Professor O'Shauntny
2pm - 3pm: Advanced Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall.
3pm - 4pm: Advanced Charms with Professor Rydel.
End Day

Tuesday:

9am - 10am: Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Weedle.
10am - 11am: Advanced Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall.
11am - 12pm: Advanced Ancient Runes with Professor Vidmund.
12pm - 1pm: Lunch
1pm - 2pm: Free Period
2pm - 3pm: Advanced Care for Magical Creatures with Professor O'Shaunty.
3pm - 4pm: Advanced Potions with Professor Slughorn.
End Day

Wednesday:

9am - 10am: Advanced Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall.
10am - 11am: Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Weedle.
11am - 12pm: Advanced Charms with Professor Rydel.
12pm - 1pm: Lunch
1pm - 2pm: Advanced Ancient Runes with Professor Vidmund.
2pm - 3pm: Advanced Care for Magical Creatures with Professor O'Shaunty.
3pm - 4pm: Advanced Potions with Professor Slughorn.
End Day

Thursday:

9am - 10am: Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Weedle.
10am - 11am: Advanced Potions with Professor Slughorn.
11am - 12pm: Advanced Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall.
12pm - 1pm: Lunch
1pm - 2pm: Advanced Charms with Professor Rydel.
2pm - 3pm: Advanced Care for Magical Creatures with Professor O'Shaunty.
3pm - 4pm: Free Period
End Day

Friday:

9am - 10am: Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Weedle.
10am - 11am: Advanced Charms with Professor Rydel.
11am - 12pm: Advanced Ancient Runes with Professor Vidmund.
12pm - 1pm: Lunch
1pm - 2pm: Advanced Care for Magical Creatures with Professor O'Shaunty.
2pm - 3pm: Advanced Potions with Professor Slughorn.
3pm - 4pm: Free Period
End Day

"If I want to do Advanced Arithmancy I have to take night classes as its four classes for each NEWT," I read out the bottom.

"You're taking too many classes Kiara," Lily chided me instantly. "Do you realise how much revision and homework is needed for our NEWTS?"

"A lot, I guess I'll drop Arithmancy then, what classes do you both have?" I glanced Kali and Lily's time table.

"We have Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts together," Kali pointed out. "Oh and Transfiguration and Herbology with Lily."

"Let's see," Lily grabbed my timetable. "Well I have Ancient Runes with Kiara and Potions with you and Kiara," Lily observed.

"I have Potions with Lily!" James sang out happily, just before Professor Dumbledore stood to do his opening speech.

"For new students, welcome to the Hogwarts, for you older students, welcome back. Each Houses of Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor have had their passwords reset and you can find your house prefect for the password. First years after our opening feasts your prefects will lead you to your dormitories where you will spend your nights. Fifth year's good luck with your OWLS this year and Seventh years good luck with your NEWTS. Let us feast," Dumbledore gave a warm smile to all and the feast appeared!

"Prongs when is the first Quidditch practice?" I quizzed, grabbing some bread rolls and a tub of dip and placing them on my plate.

"Well we need a new beater and one new chaser this year, I'll hold try outs in a week then the week after that we'll practice," James replied, not making eye contact and focussing on eating.

"Team will be screwed next year, two best chasers and yours truly leaving," I smirked knowingly.

"Gotta admit you could probably make a proper team with Seeking," Peter looked up timidly as he spoke, giving a shy smile.

"No way, besides the UK team already have an amazing Seeker who is easily 100 times better than me," I laughed. "I know I'm good but come on."

Another two owls flew overhead as the feast drew to a close, two of the Hogwarts owls, carrying a parchment in its beak. Probably for the first years of scared parents. I remember getting one in first year, and what an embarrassment it was. It annoyed me that my parents got worried about me when I'd only just stepped foot into Hogwarts. I knew that embarrassment and I saw a few first years blush over the letters dropped in front of them

Even more of an embarrassment now as one of the owls dropped the parchment in front of me. Lily and Kali snickered as I stared at the parchment, silently willing it to go away.

Realising there was no mistake I untied the red ribbon that held it and scrolled it down, reading through the letter.

Kiara Gryffindor.
Well here we are in sixth year, and hell what a journey it's been!
I want you to meet me tonight at the first charm of 10.
Meet on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
I have something which you may like.
Come alone.
I suspect you'll tell Kali and Lily, however if these come you will not get it.
Want a hint of what it is?
Fire.
See you tonight.

I re-read it a second time and sat in thought, passing it to Kali to read also, who then passed it to Lily and finally back to myself.

It annoyed me that it wasn't signed and it annoyed Kali and Lily even more that nobody in the hall was showing any sign as to have given me the letter. The Marauders were definitely curious of the letter and kept trying to glance at it, seemingly thinking I didn't know. I quickly shut the letter away from the four.

"Which one of you four did this?" I demanded, staring straight at the four Marauders who were been curiously quite.

None gave any sign that they were responsible for the letter. I thought it over for a second, pulled out my wand and burnt the paper. If it was any of them four I wasn't taking any risks.

"Idiot, we could have traced the handwriting," Lily chided me, staring at the ash on the table. Realising her plan was lost she sighed and directed her gaze to me. "Are you going?"

I gave it a final thought. "I'll go, but I'll be wary. I'll go before the hour and call out the centaurs, they'll offer protection for me if it's anything bad," I reasoned with Lily, knowing she'd be happy with that.

"You trust in them too much," Lily shook her head.

"They still think they owe me from when I saved their young," I chuckled, finishing eating finally and looking up at the clock. 8pm.

The Marauders left the table without any words to Lily which was rather odd. I shared a glance with Kali. They were definitely planning something. What that something was I had no idea, but I got a glance of the map they used when they were leaving in the trusted hands of James Potter.

"Sherbet Lemon is the password, pass it down," Lily passed on, our cue to also leave and for me to work out who had sent the parchment.