"Great way to start the year.." she mumbled to herself.." Miss the first day.. way to go Taytum.." She frowned, collapsing in the chair closest to her rubbing her arm painfully thinking back to how heavy that trunk had been that she had been dragging along with her practically all day..

"Next year I'm just bringing a backpack.." she said shaking her head. She looked up at the clock frowning slightly, it was too late to go down to dinner now, it would be over soon.. but everyone would be coming up later tonight anyway..

"Maybe I can make some friends then.." she said to herself, leaning back in the chair comfortably her thoughts drifting to home...

*********

Once inside the Ravenclaw common room, Raphael yawned suddenly, letting it all out and closing his eyes and really scrunching up his face and opening his mouth... bliss... sleepiness was settling over him like snow, weighing him down and making him deceptively warm.

The walk through the common room had started to waver before his eyes. The hug between him and Sarah flashed in his memory. What was wrong with him? He could hardly stand in fatigue, sudden tiredness, so tired... being pointed towards the new dorm that he and Nathaniel were to sleep in, though to be honest had someone said that it was temporary or were he and Nathaniel to share with other Ravenclaw boys all the time? If they had he'd missed it...

...his bag was by his bed. The weight on his shoulders let up for a moment for him to comment sleepily that he hadn't slept in a bed for months, but then... he just stripped off to his boxers and rolled into bed, and was asleep a moment after saying goodnight to Nathaniel, commenting his head pounded where he'd hit it, and pulling the cover over him.

And then he would dream. And roll off the bed and sleep on the floor wrapped in the duvet. But that was going to be in a few hours when Nathaniel had too had got to sleep, and he'd thud loudly. Sleeping on a bed just wasn't him yet. But Raphael wasn't awake to know that even when dreaming he'd throw himself about and end up sleeping under the bed instead of on it.

******

With Raphael heading up to the Ravenclaw boys' dorm, Sarah flopped into a large armchair in the Common Room with a sigh.

"That was fun...." she then looked at Taytum and tried to place her. "Hi.ummm.. good summer?" she said hoping the girl was either brand new or would remind her who she was.

Zidane had gone up to the Ravenclaw boys' dormitory along with the First Years and had already settled his backpack into the room.

He still was not sleepy. His nerves were humming with excitement at being part of this very weird yet very interesting Hogwarts. It was his first time to formally attend a school--and he was studying magic. Best of all, he was thousands of miles away from California and there were no doctors to poke and prod into his system to determine what was causing his "abnormality."

Abnormality. Yeah. Right. Muggles-that's what the folks in Hogsmeade called them-could be so dense sometimes.

Zidane ventured back down into the Common Room and started browsing through the bookshelves, intent on finding a volume with as many pictures as possible. He liked the moving wizard photographs. They showed the subject's personality.

When Sarah Taverner and a girl he did not know entered the room, he walked over to them. Maybe they could help him find a really interesting book with lots of moving pictures.

"Hi, Sarah," he said, grinning broadly to the girl he met right after the Sorting and taking a seat beside her. "Mind if I join you? I'm still so wide-awake with everything that's been going on around here. Never had this sort of excitement back home, y'know?"

"Good evening," Zidane added, turning to the girl to whom he had not been introduced to yet. "The name's Zidane Summers. Fourth year transferee."

Taytum turned in surprise to look at the girl speaking to her from the other chair. "Yea, it was alright.." she said smiling at the girl. "Im-..." she was cut off suddenly as she looked up at a boy speaking to them as he approached. .

She grinned at the two of them kindly, "I'm Taytum Raleigh.." she said blushing slightly, at her heavy accent, "another 4th year transferee.. I didn't arrive until late this afternoon.."

"Hey that's cool - most of us we didn't arrive until this evening on the Hogwarts Express from London so you beat us by a few hours. You should have come down for the House Sortings, plus you missed a great feast. We're all stuffed to the gills!"

She smiled her cheeky little grin curious as ever about new folk, "Anyway, I am Sarah Taverner and this is my second year at Hogwarts. My family lives in Canada but I am attending Hogwarts on a special exchange programme. So, Taytum where are you from?"

" I wanted to come to the feast.." Taytum began.." But.. I uhm.. got a little lost.." the colour in her cheeks darkened slightly, but she grinned her eyes brightening, "I've never met anyone from North America before.. I'm from Australia.."

Sarah looked excited at prospect of someone from such a different part of the world. "Hey we're becoming a real international House with Zidane joining us. I've never met anyone from Australia so we're evens."

Zidane grinned at knowing Sarah was Canadian. He thought that most people around here were British and Scottish--it was nice to know there was someone in Ravenclaw who lived closer to his own country. "And I'm from the United States," he added. "We seem to be a diverse bunch here. Did you transfer in from another magic school? I've read about others aside from Hogwarts."

As Zidane had asked Taytum where she had transferred from and so Sarah sat back to listen to the new girl's response.

"Australia is such an awesome country," Zidane commented enthusiastically. "I've always wanted to visit the place. From the books I read, the coastal places are so much like California, with gorgeous beaches and the big waves that are just excellent for surfing."

"Maybe you could tell us lots more about the Land Down Under, Taytum. Is there, like, a wizarding community there too?"

"Yea I guess it would be a lot like California.. the beaches are awesome.." Taytum grinned surprised at their enthusiasm. " I live in Tarrack.. it's one of the only wizarding communities there.. its pretty big though.."

She sighed happily, relieved that not everyone was from around London.. she had been worried that she would be one of the only people coming from some other country.. "I went to a small school in Australia for a while.. but I've had private tutors for the most part...this is the first big school I've ever attended.."

Sarah sank further back in the comfy chair while Taytum described her homeland. She could feel her eyelids starting to droop in the warm room. It had been a long and very exciting day but her body was demanding sleep.

"Folks, I am heading for bed. Sunday or no Sunday breakfast is at 8 and I want maximum practice time tomorrow. Hope you decide to give it a go Zidane though as Kat said it's not quite something to learn from a book. The real thing is great though!"

********

Carina walked into the common room, taking little notice of the password. She looked around, silvery grey eyes giving away her awe. The common room was characteristically Slytherin. Cold stone walls were set off by the serpent green lamps hanging from chains set in the ceiling. The fire crackled quietly, barely more than embers now.

She turned back to Arcadia. "Impressive. So, where's the dorm?"

"Just over here" Said Arcadia smiling as a couple of first years scatter at their entrance (seems her 'reputation' has spread already)

She led Carina to a large dark wooden door and whispered a password. "We have to password the Girls Dorm... You know what Slytherin boys can be like!"

She led Carina to a large four Poster bed covered in bags and clothing. "Hmmm...."

Arcadia took out her wand. "EXPELLIARMUS!"

Everything on the bed flew off and scattered over the floor

"Not Bad. But I need a lot more practice. There you go. You can sleep here. I have my own room of course, just over there. Daddy insisted, being so important and all. He's the Minister of Magic you know"

The truth was of course that Arcadia had had a tantrum until Mr. Fudge agreed to the private room. But she wasn't going to tell anyone that!

"I hope you're a light sleeper? Or at least know a few alarm Spells. Some of the girls like to... 'play' with new students."

*******

Niki and Morticia entered the common room after a few minutes, chattering happily, no longer in rhymes. Niki then hurried to the dormitory and changed into her flannel night-dress and slippers, which were much warmer than her summer clothes under robes.

She picked up a book and carried it back out into the common room, intending to read for a while before going to bed.

*********

Shinrei had not expected anyone to follow her. She thought her classmates had a good enough measure of her, to leave her alone when she wanted to--the way they had given her a sort of freedom since last term.

Apparently it was a different story with Jian.

"You should go back and attend to Mahou-san," she said stiffly as he reached her side and began walking with her back to the castle. "There is nothing about me to worry about."

She sneaked a sideways glance at him. In the pallid moonlight his face seemed cast from stone. She wondered how someone so young could be so completely in control, not giving much away about himself.

She felt a spark of envy at his discipline--and something else she could not quite name. Something about him that made her feel safe, somehow. It was very strange to feel something like that about a person she just met that day.

Makura fluttered to her side and began to fly alongside them. "You should not have brought *anyone* to me, Makura-kun," she said softly to the owl. "I have lately developed the knack of drawing others into trouble, along with myself."

"Your owl brought me to your side," Jian replied, his voice betraying no emotion. He felt intense heat burning at the pit of his stomach. His fists clenched involuntarily. "I felt fear every time he did."

Blessed Buddha, what was wrong with him? He seemed to react so suddenly to everything.

"It happened twice and when you are...troubled. It is no coincidence." He stopped walking and quickly gripped her arm so she could not move on. "I wonder why. I do not know why."

He sighed in exasperation with himself. "This is not right. I do not understand...anything. Me. Or you. Maybe you could ask Makura."

He did not know he was still holding on to her arm. He was waiting for an explanation. Because for Jian, it was all getting too complicated to understand.

Shinrei felt Jian's grip on her arm. It was not forceful or painful, it was just *there*--effectively stopping her from taking a single step.

"You are not the only one who does not understand," she said, her voice shaking slightly from some unknown emotion that seemed rooted on Jian still holding on to her arm. "I do not have an explanation any more than you do. At first, I had assumed he went to you because he sensed you are a healer. For this second time, I really do not know."

Her eyes fell on her owl, who was still hovering beside them, its eyes darting from Shinrei to Jian and back again. "Perhaps, just perhaps, he knew you're a good person, or a good warrior, or both." She gave Jian a weak half-smile. "Makura rarely gives people his attention. He used to belong to Kanjou-sama and, well, Makura is quite proud--a Samurai owl, if you will."

"But I want to thank you. For being there when I am *troubled*." She quoted the word he had mentioned earlier. "And for everything else."

She looked down at his hand still on her arm and back up at his face. "Jian?" her voice sounded a little shy, very un-Shinrei-like. "Would you kindly let go of me now?"

Jian followed her gaze. With quickness as if the mere touch of her had electrified him, he released his grip on her arm and half-stumbled backward.

"Sorry," he mumbled through gritted teeth. He was not even supposed to touch females if it wasn't something like a life or death situation. Jian had the sudden urge to run headlong into a particularly big tree just so he could knock some sense back into himself.

He was blushing, blushing a very furious red, and he knew it. It took all of his self-discipline to look at Shinrei and not run straight back to the Mian-Ju-Tao temple thousands of miles away.

"I apologise, Miss. I mean no harm." He wildly sought for a rational explanation to his actions. "It is just I do not understand //why// all this is happening. With, uh, you. I have to understand, yes. I am always bothered by things I do not understand. My life is very simple..."

His voice trailed off and he looked away from her, his eyes drawn by the castle. "We have to go back inside. We lose thirty points if we do not."

"You need rest after what happened at the train," he pronounced lamely.

//And I need to think some more about all this,// he added mentally.

"You are right, of course," Shinrei replied. "This day has been very...trying, to say the least. It would be best if we go now."

She also looked at the castle and slowly began to make her way. She glanced over her shoulder at him, ready to ask if he was coming along.

Her breath caught as she looked at him, standing alone in the half-darkened field, bathed in moonlight.

The words were gone from her. Shinrei cursed herself in half-inaudible Japanese and finally spoke up. "Hupi-san," she called out shakily, reverting to her more formal manner. "Let us go."

Jian knew she was looking at him. What he did not know was the reason //why// she was doing so. Perhaps she wanted him not to act like the know-nothing that he was.

But her eyes held no disdain. She had never once given him a look to make him feel inferior. Shinrei had seemed to regard him with a measure of trust, since the train journey or maybe even earlier. Blessed Buddha. What did he KNOW about females really?

He banished all his strange thoughts and speculations and followed Shinrei back to Gryffindor Tower.

********

Nimue had been shocked at Jian going after Shinrei, who in her opinion had been justifiably sanctioned by Snape in the circumstances and was suffering from no more than hurt pride leaving a possibly unwell Mahou.

Something of this may have been obvious to Luis in her expression as she watched the Chinese boy leave.

She turned back to him. "Mr. Verga, I must apologise for my Housemate, Gryffindors are not usually so ungallant. However, I am sure between Yvette and myself we can assist Mahou to Gryffindor Tower if you'd like to return to Slytherin."

Mahou was shocked, to say the very least, at Snape's punishment. She didn't think -that- many points would be deducted. As she 'lay' there, so to speak, in Luis's arms, Mahou was almost in a state of being wrecked beyond belief. She turned her head into Luis, gripping his robe, really unknowingly, tears slipping from her eyes.

"This be all my fault," she said as Shinrei left with Jian hopping after her. "I nae shoulda left th' building. I.. I donnae ken wha' I was thinkin'.." She let out a shuddering sigh, not caring if others saw her tears or not. She was not ashamed of having emotions. "I'll be glad ta take th' blame fer all o' this.. If I hadna come ou' here in th' first place.. none o' this woulda happened. Forgive me.." She couldn't say anymore. She just cried.

Her first day at a new school and already she broke a rule that she didn't even know was there. How was she to know that that was the Forbidden Forest? How was she to know that talking to a tree was forbidden? She didn't go into the forest. All she did was lean against a tree and talk to it, something the tree seemed to want very much. Her first day back and she had gotten several other students in trouble.. lost 60 points from Gryffindor.. She was a massive wreck of panic and tears.

Memories of Cerrydwin's came flooding back: of doing one thing wrong and getting thwacked in the head several times by a switch; talking about Quidditch during lessons and getting detention for the rest of the term.. and all because she was different. All the other girls at the school just got a stern talking-to when they did something wrong. Not Mahou.. of course not Mahou.

The half-elf's frame shook as she cried, apologising to Luis for getting his robes a little wet, apologising to the others for losing the points, and just apologising. Blackfoot pawed at Luis's leg gently, whimpering at the distraught Mahou.

Shaking her head, Mahou told Nimue, "I.. cannae walk yet.. I used too much in th' dance.." She stopped talking, letting the tears fall silently from her eyes, and wondering if the whole year was going to be like this...

Nimue's heart went out to Mahou and she went up to the distraught girl and stroked her hair gently as she cried against Luis.

"You mustn't blame yourself, Mahou. It was just one of those things that spun out of control."

She had a feeling that despite his being a Slytherin that Luis was a gentleman and would assist them.

"Mr. Verga, if Mahou is still unable to walk could I impose upon you to help us get her to Gryffindor Tower?"

Yvette had been ready to set off, but as Jian said this she grinned and fell back beside Nimue. "Of course we'll show her the way. Ah, sixty points...brings back memories of my second day as a First Year..."

The French girl winks. "Only forty-five points, but then again I didn't have the ambition I do nowadays." She kept on grinning as though this was something she was particularly proud of.

Nimue smiled and winked at Yvette.

"You see Mahou given point inflation since Yvette started here you've done quite well for your first day. We'll soon make those points up or the other Houses will lose some of their own - you'll see."

She hoped this might cheer Mahou up a little who was acting like it was the end of the world.

Mahou looked at Nimue, her eyes still leaking tears. Strangely, her eyes glowed softly as they took in the mute light of the evening, her hand still clutching Luis lightly.

"I donnae want anyone ta lost points," Mahou said softly, her voice still shaking a little. "I'm still sorry tha' I lost so many points fer Gryffindor. If I hadna come out..." She stopped, offering a weak smile to her roommates and to Luis. "I still cannae walk, Luis," she said softly, her voice barely carrying to Nimue, "so would ye please help me? I ken we only jus' met.. but I need yer help."

She wiped her eyes weakly with the hand that wasn't holding onto the boy. She yawned lightly and sniffled, shivering a little in her cloak.

Luis let Mahou cry into his robes. People each had different ways in dealing with their troubles and this girl was no different. She cried. Luis himself would find a nice big old log to break with his bare hands if he was in her place.

"If it's not a problem I'll bring her to a place where a Slytherin could get as close as possible to Gryffindor Tower," he said, smiling down at Mahou. "I need to walk off all those nasty pounds I put on at the Feast, anyway."

His tone was light but a part of him was still struck with the way Hupi had walked off just like /that/. After Shinrei. Luis did not know what to make of the Chinese boy's actions.

"That's very kind of you Mr. Verga." said Nimue still amazed herself at Jian's actions. "I just hope they have the sense to go to the Common Room." she said referring to Shinrei and Jian.

"If you will lead the way, Miss Hawkwood." He then turned to the girl called Yvette, who was dressed in a bright pink overcoat. "And I don't believe we've met. I'm Luis Verga, returning Fourth Year Slytherin."

Yvette grinned at the Slytherin boy for a moment, and crossed her arms to keep the warmth inside of her jacket. "I'm Yvette Monclere, a Fourth Year Gryff."

She gave Mahou a curious look, her grin fading slightly. She really was no good at dealing with crying people...she tended to find herself saying stupid things to cheer them up, with only made them cry harder.

Nimue led the way up the main staircase to the seventh floor and the corridor that led to the entrance of Gryffindor Tower. She didn't want Luis to get into any further trouble with Snape though she expected the ten-minute deadline applied to the Gryffindors and not Luis.

Still she also knew that too close to the Gryffindor entrance, Luis' presence would be challenged by her fellow House members. There was definitely an edge during the Feast with talk of a fight between some of the older Gryffindor and Slytherins earlier and while she had every confidence that Luis could handle himself, she wouldn't wilfully put him in such a position.

Mahou had remained silent all through the journey to Gryffindor Tower. She didn't want to go into the Common room yet.. She wanted to sit outside and chat with the Fat Lady, or something. Most of all, she wished that she knew whether or not the points were lost because of her. She was sort of hoping they were.. and they weren't.

On the way, the half-elf thought. She wondered what Snape's first name was, she wondered why Luis was so nice to her, though he was a Slytherin; she wondered if Nimue would tell her anything about Snape.. and she wondered if she would lose anymore points from Gryffindor.

Dylan, who had kept a remarkably low profile during the Sorting and Feast, managed to pop up thanks to his sense of timing, heading back to the Gryffindor Common Room himself.

Catching sight of one of his housemates being carried, he frowned as he caught up with the group. "Wha's goin' on? E'eryone all right?" Dylan queried, more to Nimue, for he automatically assumed her in control of the situation.

Nimue was pleased to see Dylan. "Hello Dylan - thank you I think we all are except Mahou here. She apparently went for a wander near the Forest. I am not sure what happened but she was found by Professor Snape and apparently is unable to walk by herself. He has said all she needs is a good night's rest.

I wonder if you'd be so kind to carry her the rest of the way to Gryffindor? Mr. Verga is a member of Slytherin House - a very gracious member I will say." she smiled at Luis. "And I would not want his kindness rewarded by sanction from our Housemates or his own."

She then realised the boys wouldn't know each other, "Oh, you probably haven't met. Dylan, this is Luis Verga who is rejoining Hogwarts after a break in study. Luis Verga, this is Dylan Rhydderch another of our Fourth Year Gryffindors."

Dylan nodded a little to Luis, but didn't say anything. His attitude towards Slytherins as of late had been decidedly cool. "Sure, I can take her up, Nimue. Not a problem," he said, and held out his arms for the girl.

Yvette clapped her mittened hands together. "I had a Quiberon hat at one point...I wish I had it now...I'm freezing!"

Her grey eyes widened. "Quiberons! Oh, no! My posters!" With that, she took off into the Common Room, up the stairs, and was gone from sight.

Mahou had nodded lightly at Nimue's assumptions. "I dinna ken where th' feast, or whatnot, was.. so I went outside. I dinna ken tha' th' forest was the -Forbidden- Forest. I woulda thought tha' there'd be more than one forest around here."

She looked at Dylan as he held his arms out for her. In spite of herself, she cringed a little against Luis, not knowing the Gryff at all. Looking up at the rather kind Slytherin, Mahou nodded, accepting being passed over like a sack of taters.

Luis nodded back to Dylan and eased Mahou from his arms and to those of her fellow Gryffindor.

"You're in good hands now, Mahou," he said to the girl. "I think this is as far I could go."

"Thank ye again, Sir Luis," Mahou said with a stronger smile as the energy of the tree soaked in. "An' if ye e'er need any help a'tall.. let me ken o' it, yes?" She looked at Dylan and pulled her hat down lower over her ears, her strange, vivid-green eyes glowing in the dim light. "An' thank ye Sir..

Blackfoot yapped happily and pushed her head into Luis's hand, looking up at Mahou.

He bent down for a few seconds to pat Blackfoot on the head. "I'll see you all in class then," he said, as he straightened back up, to the band of Gryffindors. He felt very out of place with them now. "Good night."

After a slight bow, he turned and walked off, black robes billowing, back towards the Slytherin dungeons where he belonged.

************

When they got to the Tower, Mahou looked at Nimue a moment, puzzlement on her face. This girl confused her.. but there was something about her that drew the elf lass to her. Something told Mahou that Nimue was a friend; that she could tell her anything.. even.. Cerrydwin's.. and Snape.

"Miss Nimue," she began shakily, her voice wavering.. "can I talk to you?"

"Oh course you can Mahou. And please it's just Nimue." she looked about. "Shall we wait until you're settled - maybe in front of the fire? Did you get any supper?"

"Dylan, was it? Thank you Ye dinna ha'e ta volunteer." She offered him a smile and looked at Nimue. "I hadna any supper, Lady Nimue," Mahou told her. "But I donnae feel much like eating now.." She turned her face away from the others, into Dylan. She could feel her ears droop in her hat.

Snape.. hm.. what if he were lurking about? Mahou's thoughts strayed as she 'lay' there. Maybe she'd be able to be in potions and alchemy. A double-dose of Snape.. her dearest dream come true.