Sarah led Nathaniel and Mahou back through the magical archway and in through the backdoor of the Leaky Cauldron. The pub was dark after the brightness of the morning. The atmosphere in the pub was building as excitement was growing over the impending journey. Small groups of students were gathering, talking about their summers over butterbeers.

Sarah spotted a good-sized empty table and made for it, plunking her shopping down beside one seat. She waved the others over.

She was impressed by Nathaniel; he might be new to all this but he appeared to be taking it pretty much in his stride.

"Right, Nathaniel are you ready for a taste sensation?" said Sarah and she headed to the bar to order three butterbeers.

Nathaniel nodded, settling his packages at his feet and settling the long indigo over-robe around him. He could change the deep indigo for school black on the train easily, and for now he was gently getting his mind to accept certain subtle differences in his new world. Indigo was not uniform, but black was; a simple concept that applied to robes. Therefore he wanted to stay out of the black robes as long as possible...

The kitten was stirring, and he took it out of his pocket with long gentle fingers and settled it on his knee, where it crouched and looked around sleepily with its green eyes.

Mahou sat, leaning her things between her ankles, waiting to try this butterbeer. She looked over at the sleepy kitten and about died. "Oh," she breathed, "what a cute kitten. I was gonna get a kitten, but me Ma an' Da got me th' fox fer me birthday. It's got th' most wonderful green eyes. Oh, so cute.." Mahou clasped her hands to her chest, smiling at the little tiny kitten. She loved kitties and couldn't help but watch the little thing stand there, all sleepy.

"Go on." Nathaniel said to the kitten on his knee good-naturedly. "You've got the audience you wanted."

The kitten looked back over his shoulder at Nathaniel as though the boy it was currently using as a perch was a lower form of life, and tucked its paws under its body in classic cat 'meatloaf' position.

The kitten looked back at Mahou and purred gently under its breath, half closing its eyes as though it wasn't paying much attention to anything.

Nathaniel sighed and moved the wand in his pocket as it began to jab into his ribs again.

"My mother had cats." he told Mahou. "And they hated me. With a constant, unending vengeance. I didn't want a cat. I'd rather have had a ferret than a cat. But this... thing...." he made a face as the kitten carefully sunk its needle sharp claws into his knee briefly. "... chose me. I'd rather have the foxaaaaaaaaaaaah."

He reached down with careful fingers and gently withdrew all of the kitten's claws from his leg. "Now... no need for jealousy." he told it firmly.

Sarah returned with their butterbeers and sat down on the other side of Nathaniel with a smile.

*********

"Plus," said Nimue to Raphael as they walked, "our formal education in the magical arts doesn't start until the age of 11." She hoped this might help him feel a little less behind in his studies.

As they entered the Leaky Cauldron, it was obvious a fair number of students were already there from their year. Marvo was talking with Oriana Nort, the new Slytherin girl. He didn't look as though he had sorted out a table for them or butterbeers!

Sarah Taverner was at a table with Mahou Amberstone, the new Gryffindor girl whom Nimue had met before the summer as well as a new boy. Madison and Hal were with talking with someone else new and Peesemould, Winifred and Yvette were at another table with an older witch.

Walking through the small courtyard and into the Leaky Cauldron, Raphael finally felt more at home. This kind of pub reminded him of the kind of place that he would have been to - darkened, friendly perhaps, but with the lights down. A social place for people who sometimes wanted to be where nobody cared about your species. Like the street itself, or like the wild, but somehow it was the fact that he was in a dark, enclosed building, without the bright sunlight.

He was at a loss to explain this to anybody, though. He decided that he'd spend a few of the odd coins he had left, and let go of both Kathryn and Nimue. Walking up to the bar, he quickly slapped down a few coins and asked for three of what the person next to him was asking for: Butterbeers. Never having tasted it, Raphael decided that he'd better make sure that both the two girls would drink it first... anything could be served in this kind of pub...

Joining the two girls, Kathryn and Nimue, he gave them each one of the beers, and looked around for a table, letting a frown cross his face. He saw one table, a table that both Kathryn and Nimue were standing close to, although if it was intentional he couldn't tell. At the table was a slightly gawky looking teenager, with collar length black hair, and a girl with vivid green eyes and red hair. There was someone else on the table as well, although Raphael couldn't see that one: Nimue was in the way.

Turning both Kathryn and Nimue around, Raphael dropped his huge bag before the table that sat Mahou Amberstone, Nathaniel Greenleigh and Sarah Taverner. He introduced himself as "Raphael Lathander," without bothering to push back his spiky, mad black hair out of his eyes, and failing to hide his slashed black robes.

"People tell me I can do magic. I think it's a lie, personally," he said offhand, grinning.

Mahou looked at Raphael, blinking her slanted eyes. "I be Mahou Amberstone," she said, "from Ireland. It be nice ta meet ye." She smiled at him.

Nathaniel looked up, swinging his long hair out of his face as some new people arrived; two girls seemingly bowled along by one boy so full of charisma that it was practically dripping on the floor in his wake.

Actually despite what Nathaniel may have been thinking, Nimue wasn't at all 'bowled over' by Raphael. If she seemed slightly distracted by him, it was because she remained peripherally aware that he had some sort of invisible companion hanging about. She smiled and winked at Sarah and Sarah returned the wink.

Nimue knew from the previous school that Sarah had been interested in Piotr, who had visited the school briefly. Nimue found him 'creepy' even though to be fair she hadn't even been introduced to him. To find that Sarah was interacting with other boys who seemed - well more 'normal', if such a term could be applied to young wizards - Nimue felt was a good thing and one to be encouraged.

Nathaniel stared at the boy, and lifted one hand to absently rub at his left cheek, without quite knowing why. The kitten on his knee promptly retracted its claws and started purring again, as though it had met an old friend.

"Uh... um... yeah." he said eloquently, his self confidence paling in the light of Raphael's. "Nathaniel Greenleigh. People haven't tried to tell me I can do magic yet, but I imagine they'll be disappointed when they do."

"Disappointed?" asked Raphael of Nathaniel, absently rubbing his left wrist as it ached dully. "Maybe they got our letters messed up. I dunno," he added, "I didn't even see my letter. These two gorgeous girls," he said, nodding to both Nimue and Kathryn, "had to tell me the name of this place we're off to," he informed Nathaniel, taking a gulp of butterbeer.

The gorgeous stuff going down his throat failed to take his attention of two things. The first was the strange expression on the face of the red-haired girl on the table with Nathaniel, who appeared to be squinting over his shoulder. He turned, and saw a group of people.

Over the bar, in the shadows, he saw a familiar pair of blue eyes, and ignored his friend, preferring to talk to the group. "So, is there a whole, like, school of magic, or are these two having me on?" he asked Mahou, making her eyes flit back to him. "I wanna see that," he finished.

Mahou stood abruptly, knocking over her chair. She stared over at the bar, her slanted eyes wide. She looked over at Raphael and said, "There be a school, donnae concern yerself abou' tha'."

Righting her chair, Mahou sat back down, her lime-green eyes glittering brightly.

Turning back, Raphael looked around to the rest of the girls on the table, and caught sight of the second thing to surprise him. A girl was sitting, looking at him, and sipping a drink. Intense blue eyes, Raphael said to himself. Who was that?

That would be Sarah, whose short blond hair and blue eyes and manner that suggested a very down-to-earth girl. She'd taken off her black denim jacket and her snake tattoo was very visible circling her upper arm.

"Hi, I'm Sarah Taverner." she then realised that this new boy was with Nimue and Kat Black. She nodded at Nimue and addressed Kat.

"Hey. Kat, this is Nathaniel Greenleigh and he told us in the bookshop that he's been sorted to Ravenclaw." she turned back to Nathaniel, "That's right isn't it? Kat Black is our Fourth Year Prefect for Ravenclaw and Nimue is the same for Gryffindor House."

********

Drake had gotten tired of waiting for Morticia and Niki returning from whatever they were doing in the bathroom and shyly stepped closer to the students sitting in the Leaky Cauldron. After all, he'd be dealing with most of them during the next school year, so better start to get on with them.

He recognised Nimue and Kat and smiled at them, then, as Raphael spoke about not being sure whether he could do magic, he decided to stay a bit - good opportunity for someone starting to teach Muggle Studies, he thought.

"Hi," he therefore forced himself to say, which was even worse than he expected. He was close to running away again, but managed to stay. "D-drake Brixton. I c-couldn't help hearing y-you, Raphael, would y-you mind explaining? P-people tell you you can d-do magic but y-you don't think so?"

Nimue smiled at Drake and said a quiet hello to him. She was pleased by his coming into the conversation as being completely muggle-born he was the perfect student to explain this 'strange new world' to both Nathaniel and Raphael.

Sarah had smiled with Raphael's question as to whether the two perfects were having him on. "Hardly but we can't actually demonstrate in here. There is a rule against underage wizards and witches performing magic outside of school and certain areas." she pulled a face and looked towards where Marvo was.

"Someone like Marvo over there probably can show you." she pointed. At this point Drake joined them. Sarah smiled. *or Drake* she thought.

*********

Alpha came panting into the Leaky Cauldron. "Oh good, you're all still here." She sighed. "I saw some books I really had to have, and I lost track of you all." She explained to Sarah.

She noticed an unfamiliar face (Raphael), smiling broadly she said: "Hello, I'm Alpha Rich, 5th year Slytherin, and you are...?" She offered him her hand.

Suddenly she felt goosebumps all over her body and shivered. Trying to ignore it she turned to Nimue and Kat. "Nice to see you all again, had a nice holiday?"

Nimue smiled and nodded to Alpha. Conversation around them and interest in the new students was quite overwhelming. She'd catch up with her later.

Turning to Drake, Alpha's smile turned a bit shy: "Hi Drake, looking forward to the job?"

Drake blushed slightly at the direct way Alpha talked to him. "Uhm... y-yeah, I guess, at l-least I have something to do..."

Raphael spun around in confusion as yet another girl introduced herself, this time a large girl who Raphael would have classed as 'dirty blonde'.

Offering her hand, she said: "Hello, I'm Alpha Rich, 5th year Slytherin, and you are...?"

The next table on, a group of middle aged wizards, started cheering. "I am a what...? What's a Slytherin when it's at home...?" he asked, although he wasn't sure if the girl had heard him over the bustle. 'Raphael', he mouthed to her over the sudden din, 'nice to meet you'.

Alpha turned at the people cheering at the table, she grinned and gave a "thumbs up" sign. The she turned back at the new boy, Raphael as she hardly heard, also his confused stutter about what a Slytherin was.

She gave him a short explanation: "Slytherin is one of the houses in Hogwarts, there are four: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Once you're in Hogwarts you will get sorted."

Nimue moved closer to where Mahou was seated. Mahou's sudden movement a few minutes before suggested that she too had been aware of something non-physical lurking in the shadows.

"Mahou, it is wonderful to see you again. I love those robes - I take it they were yours from Cerridwyn's."

She bent close to Mahou to admire the crest of the school and as the others were talking, she said quietly so that only Mahou could hear. "I 'see' it too. Whatever sort of entity it is, it was close to Raphael when we first met him." She touched her fingers to her lips in a traditional gesture suggesting it might be best to remain silent until its nature was more certain.

Mahou looked at Nimue and nodded at the robe comment. She listened with half an ear, until the whisper.

Leaning closer to the other girl, the half-elf whispered back, "I see it, Nim.. and I donnae like it at all. We will be silent abou' this until we've had a chance ta talk." She tugged on her ear. "An' I got things ta tell ye later.." She looked back to the group, her face a mask of joviality now.

Nimue had nodded in acknowledgement of Mahou's remark. She was more curious about their being 'overlooked'. Whatever it was might not have any connection with Raphael at all and it being noticed at the same time as Kat and herself met him be a coincidence.

She didn't want to make a fuss out of nothing even though she was fairly sure that Alpha was also feeling a little spooked by something. Time enough to see if the phenomena continued - it might merely be some curious spirit local to the Alley that had been drawn to the new boy because of his lack of awareness of magic.

Drake looked at the others and then focussed on Nimue, giving her a questioning glance while nodding in the direction of Raphael.

Nimue noted Drake's glance. There wasn't actually anything that Nimue could do in the circumstances except give a little shrug of her shoulders that she hoped expressed to Drake that something was going on but she was unsure what.

Alpha noticed the worried looks Drake and Nimue were exchanging and the look they gave Raphael. Again she felt a shiver run over her spine....

*******

As Raphael turned back to the table, a stone hit his stomach. Where was Nimue... she was bending over Mahou... talking to her... something quiet... Raphael glanced around in sudden panic. Had they.... were they talking about... did they... could they... he glanced back at the bar, and was immensely relieved to see that only the barman stood examining the twisted bottles on display.

Trying to keep his mind off it, he noticed that the nervous looking man who had introduced himself as 'D-drake' was looking at Nimue too. Raphael caught his attention and tried desperately to remember what he'd asked.

"Er..." he ad-libbed, "magic, yeah. Dunno. Can't shoot lightning bolts at people," he laughed, "unless someone wants to teach me?" he said, grabbing the new wand from his right hand pocket. Lifting it up, it drooped suddenly and Raphael had to admit to himself that it looked rather pathetic. He grinned at the table and at the teacher and shrugged.

Remembering what one of the girls had said earlier, Raphael turned to her, and looked at her properly for the first time. Denim jacket of hers visible. A snake tattoo on her upper arm, and cute short hair. And her eyes... letting his grin get a little wider, Raphael addressed Sarah Taverner. "I guess I'm gonna need a catch-up tutor once we're up at the castle. Volunteers?" he asked the entire table, trying not to direct the question at anybody in particular.

There was no doubt that Sarah's manner and appearance was somewhat different from most of her female friends, lacking what she often described as 'dreamy, floaty hair' or indeed a witchy manner. Still she was somewhat softer in dress and hairstyle than she'd been in her first year at Hogwarts.

She winked at Raphael when he suggested that he might need a catch-up tutor, "Well, I am sure there will be plenty of volunteers and you can count on my help."

Raphael did his best to pull himself together. Maybe it was the confined atmosphere in the pub, but he could feel his cheeks burning suddenly. With his tankard empty down on the table, he didn't want to spend any more money on butterbeer, however lovely it was: he had admitted to himself that morning that the small bag that his uncle had given him could potentially be the only money he had for a while. Perhaps until Christmas or beyond. And he'd spent so much of it already: the damned 'wand' had cost a bomb, as had all the books, and he hadn't even dared to buy all the weird ingredients he needed, noticing that there was nothing much left in the money pouch other then bronze coins.

Nimue noted that a few tankards were looking empty and so she crossed over to the bar and ordered drinks for the group. She then returned to take a seat with the others while Tom the landlord brought over a full tray of butterbeers.

**********

In Diagon Alley Breana gave up trying to ask for help, as the people who ran the store seemed to be busy with millions of other witches and wizards.

Not wanting to intrude or interrupt any of the conversations going on around her, Breana, as best as she could, find all the books she needed. She didn't need many as Mr. White had supplied her with most of them. He seemed to have an entire store of his own, and had thankfully giving her some so that she didn't have to buy everything.

All she needed now was to find out when this train that was leaving to Hogwarts went. Mr. White had told her something about eleven o'clock that day but he also had been trying to finish a letter to someone so she wasn't so sure how much attention he was paying to her. He had though, managed to disentangle himself from the mess that was surrounding him of books, bottles of potions, scraps of parchment and quills to arrange a flight from the airport from her home town to London.

From there it had been a terrifying ride by a taxi to the street nearest Diagon Alley. She had been pulling her trunk behind her since, and was quite annoyed when Tyris, having enough of the entire journey, had scampered off and she had lost her in Diagon Alley.

Breana had given up trying to find the squirrel, and had tried to find all the supplies she needed. Mr. White had given most of her stuff, except for a few books that she needed.

Opening her trunk and stuffing the books into it, she began slowly dragging it out of the bookstore, and pulled it into a corner where she nearly dropped from exhaustion. She silently wished that she could perform that spell that would levitate the trunk, but Mr. White had warned her about doing spells in places other than school.

Glancing up, she saw that it was a place looking quite like a pub. Heaving a sigh, she wondered if she wanted to bother to bring the trunk in. She could do with some water and a bag of crisps, but all that weight.

In the end, Breana decided that she had had enough and was simply going to wait in there, and inquire from the pub keeper when the Hogwarts Express left. Gathering up all the strength she had left, Breana began pushing the trunk in the direction of the door, and was pleased when a boy that was going out, held it open for her.

Managing to get the trunk into the pub, Breana winced when the door closed with a bang behind her and hid her head when she noticed a few people staring. This day just wasn't going well for her.

Glancing around, Breana found one table that wasn't inhabited by anyone and was near the door. With one last push, she forced the trunk underneath the table and sat down with a plop. It was only then that she looked around the room, and noticed students that she recognised.

She was too tired to talk at this moment, what she needed was that water and crisps. Pulling at the small bag that held her coins around her waist, she clenched it into her fists as she moved over to the counter. Resting against it, she asked for a glass of water and when she received a slight look, remembered that Mr. White had told her to get butterbeer. It would be better for her to drink.

Changing her order, she asked for butterbeer instead and when it was placed on the counter, began untying the strings around her purse. Looking inside, she found to her despair that none of her money was left. Mr. White had given her a bit, but most of it was inside her trunk, and Breana didn't feel like unlocking the trunk all over again. With a heavy heart, she glanced around, hoping that someone would notice her and help her out a bit....

"Ah, another of our merry band." said Sarah to anyone at the table who might be listening.

She jumped up and went over to the counter, pulling out her own money purse and paying for Breana's butterbeer.

"Bree, you must come over and sit with us. No arguments! Not only is there another Irish girl come to study with us but two boys who are even more clueless than you were when you joined Hogwarts in the spring!"

Sarah said this in a very good-natured way and proceeded to gently move Breana back in direction of the rather crowded table.

This time Raphael made sure he greeted the newcomer himself, getting up and going over to them as Sarah began to led the other girl back to the table.

"I'm Raphael," he said to the girl, shaking her hand, "and I'm one of these boys that knows nothing, apparently," he said with a laugh, looking at Sarah and grinning. "And while I've had one offer of tutorship," he said to Breana, "she'll have to show me how good she is, at this magic stuff," he said, smiling and raising a challenging eyebrow at Sarah, the girl in question.

Sarah gave a little laugh at Raphael's remark, "Knowing nothing in comparison to our Bree here who not that long ago was feeling very much as though someone was trying to fool her about magic and us all being witches and wizards but she's adapted well."

"Plus, I am sure there are *lots* of interesting things you do know about. It will be interesting to see what House you get sorted to."

As to Raphael's remark about Sarah proving how good she was at magic, she winked at him. To be fair Sarah's grades were not spectacularly high as some of her housemates but she had a solid grasp of most forms of magic. Sarah's main skill was her ability to adapt as well as her general helpfulness, which was very much a part of her nature.

Returning to the table, following the two girls, Raphael produced an old pocketwatch from a pocket underneath the robes. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he peered at it in confusion for a little while. It couldn't be seven in the morning still, could it? Was the bloody thing broken? "What time is it?" he asked the table at large.

*********

Kat had been lost in thought for a few minutes, but realised that someone had pointed out Nathaniel. She smiled at him, but realised that she had been a little slow to say hello.

"Hi, Nathaniel. I am indeed the 4th Year Prefect in Ravenclaw. Could I perhaps get you another butterbeer?" She hoped that he hadn't been too upset by her daydreaming.

"Um... yeah. Nice to meet you." he muttered with what he hoped turned out as a polite smile.

She turned to the rest of the increasing gathering and asked, "Anyone else want another butterbeer?"

Nimue had just come back over to the table from her trip to the bar. She said to her friend as she took her seat.

"It's OK Kat, I've sorted it. There should be fresh butterbeers for everyone in a minutes or so as well as our first ones since Marvo appears to have got himself engrossed into a conversation with Oriana and forgotten about our drinks completely."

She consulted her watch keeping an eye on the time so that she could remember to pick up her new owl before leaving for the train station.

"Oi, Kat!" Yvette waved her mug and giggled. "Sure, sounds good. Don't worry, I'll pay for the next round." She winked and handed it over.

Kat grinned at Yvette. "Apparently they are already on the way."

As she spoke a barmaid approached the table with a tray of butterbeers for everyone. Kat smiled at Nimue as she took one.