Rose - 6th Year Gryffindor

I sat at the large table, looking up and down at how people had changed over summer. It wasn't particularly new - Belinda MacLowe was now sporting a golden tan hidden underneath her dark hair, Jimmy Recard had shaved his head and stopped shaving, revealing a thickly formed line of stubble across his chin. Franklin Costello on the Ravenclaw table had grown another foot (in height; he had not physically grown another foot on his legs).

There was a loud snigger from all four tables as we watched the first years enter the Great Hall - following them was a tall and slender boy, with a messy mop of hair atop his head. He walked with swagger accompanied by an air of confidence and self-importance - clearly a pure-blood prat - it seemed they were all dying out now, with less than twenty families in the school that were deluded enough to call themselves 'pure-blood'.

"Who'd you reckon that is?" I asked Vance Parker, who shook his head in between fits of giggles. "What's so funny?"

"His...face..." Parker wheezed out, and as I looked at the boys sharp and angular face, I saw the cause of laughter - he was carrying a heavy frown - clearly he was embarrassed of being grouped with the first years, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. I smiled at the sight of him.

"How long do you reckon he's been held back?" I muttered, before leaning onto the table, watching the sorting. A few new faces joined Gryffindor, shuffling over shyly to the roaring applauses that erupted from our table. I simply smiled in a friendly manner at them before turning back to the Sorting - all the students were waiting for the new arrival to be sorted - he was definitely a source of intrigue. Why was a boy that could be no younger than seventeen being sorted? I guess he was a transfer, but that didn't happen at Hogwarts - we did not get transfers.

So why was he here?

Cordi - 5th Year Gryffindor

"How old do you reckon he is?" I murmured to Jackie Friday, who was sitting next to me.

"N.E.W.T level I'd say." Jackie shrugged, observing the boy. Jackie was one of my closest friends - she was in the year above me, though you'd never think it when looking at her; Jackie was barely taller than five foot, making her the better part of a foot shorter than myself.

"Why's he here?" I wondered aloud.

"Why would I know?" Jackie scoffed, turning her attention back to the sorting ceremony. I couldn't help but smirk slightly at Jackie: She was from Australia, and had that cod accent, but the more amusing feature was how she couldn't get through a conversation without scoffing, rolling her eyes or blowing up in a heated rage (that last one was never really enjoyable, as Jackie got stressed out very easily). "How were your mum and dad?"

"Unbearable." I shuddered. "Doing their whole extremist, classist bullshit through the entire summer. Yours?"

"They were alright I guess." Jackie shrugged, glancing back towards the sorting. "Caroline's traveling with her boyfriend at the moment, so I didn't see her much through summer... Thank God."

I nodded, understanding - I did not come from a large family, but Jackie came from a larger pure-blood family - the type that didn't look down their noses at others as well as having two sons and four daughters, with Jackie being the youngest. I guess I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a little bit envious about this, but Jackie was my best mate - I don't think I could ever resent her for it.

"Come on," I said, dropping my thoughts, "let's see where the guy ends up going."

Charlie - 6th Year Slytherin

"He's kind of lanky isn't he?"

I looked at the boy's figure... I could see where Nathaniel was coming from, but the boy wasn't skinny enough to be lanky - there was definitely a build-up of muscle on him.

"I don't know... I'd say he's more lean than lanky." I muttered. Nathaniel shot me a raised eyebrow. "What? There's a difference." I shrugged. I turned back to the boy. "I think that's the guy from the train." I said, squinting my eyes to try and see better (because apparently, that's how it works). I couldn't see, although the hair looked fairly similar - essentially, it was just a bird's nest shoved on top of his head.

Eventually, all the first years had cleared, leaving the older boy on his, awkwardly looking down at the floor.

"Lorkin, Ardan."

The large mop of hair looked up at Madame Beauregard and, with noticable disdain, walked up and sat on the rickety stool as Beauregard placed the old, patched hat on his head. I chuckled to myself - that must have been the first time the hat had actually fitted someone in centuries!

Ardan - 6th Year

"Embaressed are we?" I felt hat talk, like a second voice inside of my head. "You hide your feelings well..."

I tried to ignore the voice: I just wanted to get this over with...

"There are some things are not so easily rushed." The voice crooned quietly. "I can see a drive here - ambition. There's brains knocking about in here too, and there's a thirst to prove yourself... but where?"

I looked over to the table on my right, full of students in emerald robes.

"Ah, a prospective Slytherin in our midst?" I immediately continued to halt my thinking, trying not to engage the hat as much as possible. "There is a sense of enterprise with you... but not one for gain." I furrowed my brow, looking up at the hat (well, as best I could). I felt as though the hat burrowed through my head until I heard it's mental sigh. "Interesting... this is so very interesting." I could almost feel the hat's struggle at my placement. Did it really matter where I was placed? Why would an old hat care? I just needed to be in Slytherin.

"Well, I am at a loss..." I mentally cursed (which was, in hindsight, probably a bad idea). "But there is something... a small something..." I felt all eyes fall upon me, and heard the whispers grow louder while I was sitting on the stool. I must had been up here for at least five minutes now. People were all looking at me in anticipation. Suddenly, I felt a tone of a smirk as the hat spoke to me. "Well now," if the hat could grin, it definitely would have, "isn't this ironic?"

Ironic? How?

"I think you'll do well in Gryffindor!"

The last word was not just in my head - a thunderous clap came from the table on my left. I stumbled down the steps, glancing over to my right until I arrived at the end of the table in a daze.

I had to tell someone - there must had been a mistake - I'd have to tell the headmistress tomorrow and sort it out.

"Hey," I turned around to see a girl sitting there; her dark curls were tied back in a ponytail, revealing a smooth and rounded face of a relatively pretty girl, her large blue eyes staring up curiously at me, "no one's sitting here-"

"I see a place already thanks." I said, moving past her and sitting on the end, with a good couple of feet between myself and the other students.

Jaclyn 'Jackie' Friday - 6th Year Gryffindor

"Wow... he's an arsehole."

"I'd say he's more anti-social..." Rose murmured, still looking after the guy. Eventually she returned her focus to me. "How was Australia?"

"It was good." I nodded, swallowing some more food before speaking. "Mum and dad are practically forcing me to come home this Christmas though."

"Tell me about it." Rose rolled her eyes. "Because Ana and Jacob are going after this year, mum and dad are getting all emotional about it being our 'last year together' and stuff..."

"Gag." I replied simply before continuing to eat.

Rose and I had met in our first year, but had never really become friends until last summer, when we began to revise for our exams together. We just clicked then and there - she was the other side of my coin. I was loud and would literally tear apart anyone with my hands if I had to. I was constantly pumping with adrenaline and ready to rumble. Rose on the other hand? She was cool and confident. If someone asked her to jump, she wouldn't ask 'how high?' Instead, she'd simply sit back in her chair and put her hands behind her head. In some ways I guess I wanted that, but, then again, how boring would life be then?

"So, she's back." I looked over the tables to see the girl sitting there - the mahogany hair and fake smile.

"How the hell did she pass her OWLs?" Rose sniggered at my shock.

"God knows..." I muttered. "You don't think she told anyone do you?"

"About last summer?" I nodded. Rose shook her head. "No... no, she wouldn't dare."

"I hope you're only trying to convince me." I raised an eyebrow at her.

"No, she knows what'll happen if she tells anyone."

"She better..." I growled lowly, gripping my knife as I glared across the hall at her.

"Jacks," Rose placed a hand on my shoulder and pulled my gaze from my nemesis, "we agreed this time it's going to be different than last year. No more Charlie, no more drama."

I nodded.

"I know."

Sorry about the halt in updating guys - I've been moving around too much to even be able to charge my laptop. But, Since I'm currently waiting to board a plane in... two hours, I figured I'd post an update and search for some new stories. So, what have I been doing since I last updated?

Well, I was feeling impulsive, so I've taken a bit of a holiday - I'm doing a sort of backpacking thing around the world - I wish I could tell you guys more about it, but I've got a flight to board soon. I'll tell you guys all about it next update, but for now all I can say is Mexico was cool, Cuba was unbelievable, Singapore was amazing, Japan was jaw-dropping and I'll tell you how Taipei, Tibet and Tangier is in a couple of weeks time (I cannot express how excited I am)!

As I said before, applications are always welcome, though I cannot confirm that I will accept any of them, but I will try. So, tell me what you thought, and what scenes you'd like to see.

Also, any thoughts that you have on the characters would be appreciated!