Chapter one

Marcus Flint fully dressed in his Hogwarts robes sauntered through the Hogwarts express looking for a compartment that was either empty or inhabited by his friends. He preferred the former but judging by the density of the crowd the latter would be his best option. Marcus kept walking casting an eye into each compartment as he past. The ones up near the engine were already nearly full. He past students from all four houses, not bothering to strike up proper conversation and continued to the back of the train

A few small first years jumped back into their occupied compartment as Marcus past them, among them his younger sister Jessica. He ignored them still on his mission.

Marcus didn't need to walk much further because as he past the next nearly full compartment the door slid open and one of the occupants got out. Marcus stopped to stare at her as she was staring at him.

"Well," she said cocking her head at the door. "Get your ass in here, it's about bloody time."

Marcus made his way into the compartment and wedged himself in between the other two males in the compartment. There were six altogether, three girls and three guys. He noticed that he and the girl with blonde hair were the only ones dressed in school robes as the other two boys were wearing slightly ripped jeans and a pastel colored polo shirt and the other two girls were wearing muggle attire as well.

The girl who had basically dragged Marcus into the compartment had sat down next to the door. She was wearing a long black and white striped t-shirt over a pair of black leggings along with a pair of black ballet flats. She was older, about seventeen, and her honey-colored hair was pulled into a messy bun at the nape of her neck and her side bangs hung lazily over her right eye.

Next to her sat the youngest of the three girls by about three years. She was wearing a simple black tank-top over a pair of dark blue jeans with a pair on converse low tops. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and she kept glancing over at Marcus with her dark brown eyes.

What looked like the oldest girl sat next to the window. Like Marcus she was wearing her Hogwarts robes and her black robe was thrown into the luggage rack. Her silver blonde hair flowed like a sheet from her head as she sat detached watching the landscape fly past the window.

"So Marcus," the boy to his right said. Out of the three boys in the compartment he was the youngest. His face was slightly round and his black hair sat flatly on top of his head. "What have you been up to this summer?"

Before answering him, Marcus turned to the young girl directly in front of him. She looked up at him slightly nervous.

"Sorry Jen," Marcus said. "But I'm not holding house trials for the seeker spot."

Jen looked up a Marcus looking like her eyes were going to brim over. There was a time last year when Terrance Higgs, the Slytherin seeker, had been unable to play in a match and Jen had flown in his place. She had been a third year last year but her performance was still excellent. Marcus had known that Jen was going to be his seeker this year but then the deal came from Malfoy and he had to take it. There were other details involved that Marcus didn't really feel like getting into.

"Have you found a seeker then?" the other boy asked. He was older and his light brown hair was carefully gelled into messy spikes and he was wearing a pair of expensive designer sunglasses on his head.

"Unfortunately yes Kevin," Marcus replied somewhat bitter. The younger boy, Graham Montague, kept his mouth shut about being ignored. The older boy, Kevin Bletchley, fixed Marcus with an incredulous stare.

"Who then," Kevin said.

"Draco Malfoy," Marcus supplied dully. The reaction in the compartment was so predictable it was laughable. Draco Malfoy had spent the last year bragging about what an amazing quidditch player he was and that he compared to some of Hogwarts's best quidditch players. He had even flown during a practice and proved himself decent but there were better flyers by far.

"That prat," the girl with honey-colored hair laughed. "Marcus you've got to be joking."

"Unfortunately Elle," the oldest girl said. She had pulled herself away from the window to watch the argument unfold. "Marcus is not lying and I heard all the nasty little details from my room because my father and brother don't know how to have a proper argument"

"What's that supposed to mean Amy?" Marcus said rounding on her as best he could in the limited space.

"You know what it means Marcus," Amy said softly. "It means that you would stoop so low as bribery to put together a quidditch team."

"The snarky little prat bought his way onto our team basically is what you're sister is saying Flint," Elle said hotly. "I thought you thought better of us."

Marcus didn't say anything and seemed to shrink back slightly at Elle's icy blue stare. Graham Montague, who was sitting next to Marcus, spoke.

"So you never answered my question," he piped up trying to break the tense silence that was constricting the compartment. "How was your summer Marcus?"

----

Draco Malfoy sat in his compartment surrounded by Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle as well as a fellow second year named Pansy Parkinson, who was in every way the most annoying Draco Malfoy fan girl in all of Hogwarts.

There was an air of smugness around Draco as he waited for the arrival of a few more of his Slytherin friends in order to tell them the big news. Packed along with his school things was his new Nimbus 2001 which he would use to play for his new quidditch team.

The compartment door opened and another boy walked in and sat down. He looked at Draco and then at Pansy, who was fawning over Draco before he turned his hard gaze to the blond boy.

"What did you want to tell me Draco?" the new boy asked. "Your letters over the summer hinted that you had big news so tell it."

"Well Blaise," Draco said a bit cockily to Blaise Zambini, the boy who had just walked in. "I'm the new Slytherin seeker"

Zambini cocked an eyebrow hardly daring to believe what his ears had told him.

"How the hell do you know that?" he asked.

"My father put in for the entire team to get new brooms and he signed a deal with the captain. No trials or anything, it's just me," Draco said gleefully.

Zambini couldn't contain his laughter and it came out in florets. Draco cast him an angry look.

"They made you Slytherin seeker?" he choked between laughs. "What the hell was Flint smoking?"

"Blaise!" Pansy exclaimed. Draco had just become sulky. Zambini's laughter died down and Draco was able to go on the attack.

"I am the new Slytherin seeker Zambini," Draco said puffing out his chest proudly. "And I'm going to be the greatest seeker that ever set foot at Hogwarts. Mark my words. I'll be even better than Harry Pothead."