Author's Note: Hey guys I'm back! As I said earlier I had to take some time off for my hands to heal but hopefully I'll be able to get back into things. It might be slow at first for example this chapter is a little shorter but I'm doing my best, so enjoy chapter 6!

Chapter 6: Althenian Return

The big day had finally arrived. Diamond actually awoke this time with Kim shoved her because combined, the girls had gotten about an hour of sleep and were still hyped up on adrenaline. Finally after months of fighting off boredom it was time to go back to Hogwarts.

Kim got ready in a rush. It was so liberating to think that this was the last time they would have to put on muggle clothes for a while and as they made their way to the train station via taxi, there was nothing else they could talk about. Bellona cooed happily in her cage next to Kim's feet and her cage bustled loudly on the cart as she and Diamond raced through Grand Central Station and pushed their way though the magic boundary onto Platform 9 3/4. There were so many people there already, so many wizards and witches, parents saying goodbye to their kids, friends rejoining and scared first years that now looked so small and innocent to Kim.

It was hard at first to find Cherokee and Leisel but Diamond and Kim soon joined them in a carriage just as the train was leaving the station.

"Who do you suppose the new defence against the dark arts and potion teachers will be?" said Leisel.

Kim had been nervously pondering the same thing. She'd sent her letter to Donovan weeks ago and still hadn't heard back. It was a little worrisome,.

"Forget them," said Cherokee waving her hand. "I want to know who the new headmaster is. I heard Alexandria quit."

"Alexandria quit?" Kim echoed

"Well yeah," said Cherokee. "After what you said happened to her at Azkaban last year, she probably couldn't... well," Cherokee trailed off.

"You're saying just because she's a werewolf now she can't be the headmistress?" said Kim, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not what she said Kim," said Leisel. "Alexandria probably quit on her own accord. It was a personal choice and she deserved everything she got."

"No she didn't," snapped Kim, getting upset now. "You three have do idea what it's like. Nobody deserves it."

"Calm down Kim," Diamond said in a hushed tone. "We're not trying to upset you. Can't we just talk about something else?"

The other three changed the subject but Kim didn't participate, the truth was last night the ring had decided to show her another vision only this time she wasn't the boy and he was no longer a boy. She'd watched as an older, raggedy version of the boy had scrounged around, for even a scrap of a job. Kim had been in the boy's head, she knew how capable he was yet no one would hire him except for the lowest, most dangerous jobs because of what he was.

The train began to slow and everyone rushed to the windows as the Hogwarts castle came into view. This time the gang got into a carriage that pulled itself instead of crossing the river with Hagrid. Behind them Kim spotted Grey and his sister Lilith who had her black hair all ratted around her in the most unpresentable matter. She remembered last year when she'd jumped on her for no apparent reason and wondered if she was a student here this year.

Kim felt butterflies flapping around excitedly in her stomach as nervous energy was bounced around the great hall. The first years were sorted by the sorting hat and the new headmaster stood up to make a speech. He was a young man with a clean shaven face, and a bright blue eyes that made him seem even more youthful than he should be. Some of the students were already speculating how long ago he'd been a student her himself.

"Welcome students," said the headmaster. "I'm so pleased to have the opportunity to teach you all this year. My name is Professor Crouch and it's an honor to be named headmaster of Hogwarts. I however am not the only fresh new face around here. I want you all to give a warm welcome to Professors Parkinson and Patil."

There was a round of applause as two new professors stood up. One had very bulldog like face and a leering dark stare, and the other was a very pretty indian woman with long black hair and a white smile. Neither of them were Donovan.

After everyone had dug into the feast and have their stomachs filled the new prefects lead the Slytherins back to their common rooms where it felt like old times again. Kim got ready for bed and chatted with her friends who were bunking directly next and across from her. Out of the new first years only one of them seemed to stir attention. There were four new Slytherin first years who all very shyling grouped together except for one; a small girl with long brown hair and almond eyes. Kim could have sworn she'd seen her somewhere before.

"That's Ava," Diamond hissed, referring to the first year who was sitting on her bunk all alone.

"Who?" Kim repeated.

Diamond rolled her eyes. "The youngest Althenian princess duh," she said. "Don't you keep up with the wizarding fashion magazines?"

Of course, how could Kim forget. The Athenian's fall from power had been a big deal in the daily prophet after their father had been arrested for the werewolf scandal. All of them had been minor wizarding celebrities but Kim could never keep their names straight. She supposed now that they'd lost so much money in all the hearings and trials, the girls had no choice but to attend public school. Kim didn't even know what happened to students who hadn't been sorted as first years. She really hadn't been paying much attention on the train when everyone was talking about them.

That night Kim laid awake in bed for a long time. It had been the moment the new head girl had turned off the light that she'd had that horrible flashback to her first night in the underwater dorm. That was the night she was first infected, the night she wished she could redo more than anything. Sighing, Kim took the RJL ring off right before she dozed off because she did not need another reminder of what she was going to become.