What a day.

Even as he started munching through his barbecued trout (how long had it been...? it was lovely!) and the thick-skinned roasted potatoes, he wondered to himself just what had happened today. Another list, then... another way of keeping his mind clear... a while ago... there had been the hat. He skipped over that without thinking about it. Then before, on that train, with Sarah and Nathaniel. And then the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley. Oh, the Leaky Cauldron. He'd hit his head to badly... without a thought, he poked it, and assured himself that it still hurt like the dickens. And then... before that...

the train journey up. A much duller ride. Oh, so much duller. And then before that... ...screaming at his uncle in anger the night before... ...had that only been a day ago? How was that possible? And just after that argument... hitchhiking down to the station. His last walk through the woods. Woods. Already... a day... he missed the woods, their loneliness, the misty shrouds that covered everything...

...the light places, where the breeze flowed through open meadows... He set his mind back and remembered somewhere he hadn't thought of. It wasn't far from his uncle's place. A lonely clearing, in a thick docket of trees. There was never much light... but sounds and feel of the forest, so silent there... it had been a place of power, of beauty, he remembered that much. It was a dance-circle for the magic - he remembered one night there, one night when life was not worth it, one night when although the worst was to come he'd been melancholy... lonely... hating. And they'd danced, for him, in the light. They'd danced for him. ...but why else was that place important?

...and then the dark places. The heart beating in the forest there was black, mineshaft black, spectre black, and the dew dripped from the trees blood. The cliffs, nearby... driven to the cliffs... looking down at the crashing water below. Looking down. Looking down and wondering if the water was real... if when you struck it, it shattered you into a million pieces, if at night it wasn't water at all but a tunnel straight down in the darkness to hell. And why... why with so much water could none be found? His hands... he remembered looking down at his hands... shaking... drying... he'd needed to wash them... cleanse them... why... why...

Shuddering, he dropped his fork on his plate with a clatter. Looking up at the others, he said to them simply, saying the first thing that came to his mind: "is there a forest around here?"

"Mmmmmm." said Sarah having a particularly taste bite of something.

"There's a forest that borders the grounds. It's called the 'Forbidden Forest' - that's kind of a clue. We're not really supposed to go in but .....people do all the time. At least just a little way inside." she shrugged.

******

When they reached the door to the Hall, Anders reluctantly let go of Nimue's hand and held the door open, allowing her to enter first. The familiar wash of chatter came over him and he sighed with a mixture of contentment and loneliness.

"Best go speak to Kat," he said, as they headed towards the Ravenclaw table. "If I don't say goodbye to her, she'll be gunning for me. And she scares me rigid." There was a twinkle in his bright blue eyes as he spoke.

Sarah was delighted when Anders and Nimue entered and headed over to the Ravenclaw table. As they got close she winked at Nimue liking the fact that made the Gryffindor prefect blush.

"Hey ...." Sarah started.. "Umm what do we call you now? Coach Grimalkin? Mr. Grimalkin? Anders?"

Anders stared briefly at Sarah, then laughed aloud, something none of them had really ever heard him do during the previous term. But then, he'd not had much to laugh at, all things considered.

"Just Anders, Miss Taverner," he said, treating her to one of his killer grins. His eyes were filled with fun and enthusiasm. "I hope you'll be trying out for the team - I seem to remember you were quite a star on the broom." He leaned towards her. "I have a brand new broomstick that I treated myself to with some of the money the Ministry advanced me from my compensation. Just you wait until you see it. It's a Meteor Shower 2001."

A much-talked of broom, not yet technically available in Great Britain, the Meteor Shower was already becoming more of a legend than the Firebolt, its closest rival. The company that made it, Meteoric Rise, were a small Australian team who had finally realised they were missing out on a lucrative market. The Meteor Shower 2000, their first effort, had been a spectacular flop, all of them having been recalled within the first month due to the fact they had a tendency to overheat and sink to the ground, where they'd stay, hovering about two feet above ground level and fizzing rather ominously.

However, the team had gone back to the drawing board and had come up with the newer, sleeker, vastly improved model, which was under trial by the Australian national Quidditch team and, it seemed, Anders Grimalkin.

Sarah's eyes were bright with the prospect of seeing a new broom in action. She's heard about the Meteor Shower of course - who hadn't but no one had actually seen one in action as yet.

"Oh yes I plan to try out. Definitely!" she said, "However, that isn't what I wanted to ask you about as such."

She turned to indicate the new Fourth Year Ravenclaws: Raphael, Nathaniel and Zidane.

"Kat and I were talking about getting some broom lessons in tomorrow being that it is Sunday and as our new House members here haven't flown on brooms before. If you are going to be around perhaps you could give them some pointers? "

Raphael found himself staring at a bit of his pudding in trepidation, even to the point where the conversation started washing over him and he didn't quite listen... he'd had so much to eat... more to eat then he'd had in ages, days, weeks... months... too much. Now he wanted to move. If he stayed still, he'd be forced to eat more of the treacle pudding, and if he eat more treacle pudding, it'd hit his stomach and he wouldn't be able to move... stuck at the table forever... he found himself grinning.

Looking around at the others on the table, Raphael wondered to himself if any of them had finished. A lot of the Hufflewhosits had eaten all their food dead quick and were looking at some weird board. Some of the even some of the younger Ravenclaws, looking half starved, had attacked and finished their food. Was he a quick eater? "Who's finished? Who wants to show me around... like to the common room..." he added, his mind still working furiously.

Only then did Raphael notice the new... coach, wasn't it? ... standing by their table. "That'd be brilliant if you could show us, well, how to fly a little," Raphael said to the newcomer, totally forgetting the fact that he might possibly be a teacher.

Anders turned his attention to the newcomer and nodded vigorously. "I want *everyone* to have the same chance, beginners or not. I'll arrange for a beginner's session for half an hour at the start of each try out. Believe me - it won't take long to catch the basics as long as I teach you properly but hey - that's my worry, not yours."

He grinned widely at Raphael. "The main things you need to be a good flyer are enthusiasm, and the ability to laugh at yourself. The main things you're going to need to be on my team are a sense of team spirit and the ability to accept defeat gracefully."

Anders glanced briefly at the Slytherin table. "I hope that the team will consist of a mix of students from all four houses," he said. "So it's going to be interesting to see just who gets on with who."

"It always is." Jacob remarked quietly, but not too softly to be heard. He was looking at Anders with an odd sort of smile, one of his half-smiles, for he could no longer remember how to stretch his face into a full one.

After speaking, the boy gingerly sipped at some apple cider.

Kat looked up at her brother. She wasn't going to be able to see him tomorrow for tea as they had originally arranged, and she was going to have to show the new house members to the common room soon.

"Well, I expect you will come and join us if you are around tomorrow?" It was a rhetorical question. "However, as I can't come round for tea tomorrow I better give you your house warming present now..."

She opened her pocket and looked at the sleeping tabby kitten. Carefully she put in a hand and scooped it under him. He stirred a little as she lifted him out. She tickled his ears and he started to purr.

"Here he is! He doesn't have a name yet. I found him in the pet shop when Nimue was looking for an owl. He's quite a little alley cat. Lots of personality."

She grinned at him. The tabby kitten in her hand stared up with big orangy brown eyes. He stretched and yawned, and then sat down again. He was quite small, and his long fur was ruffled. He mewed at Anders pitifully.

Anders stared at the kitten, his eyes filling with tears. He'd had the conversation with Kat over the summer how he'd always regretted not being able to afford a familiar during his school days, and this was just the most wonderful gift she could have given him.

He took the kitten, which eyed him, suspiciously at first and then with big eyes that begged Anders to fuss him. Which, of course, the softhearted man did. "It's perfect," he said, smiling. "And as for a name..."

He considered the little creature thoughtfully for some time. He'd never been in a position to give a name to a pet. Various ideas flicked through his mind, and he eventually decided on one.

"Wilbur," he said. "After the main character in my favourite Muggle book when I was a little boy."

Nimue's heart was almost bursting with happiness to see Anders' face light up over 'Wilbur'. She gave Kat a big hug. "It was the perfect present. He is just so adorable...."

She then reached out to stroke the little kitten and then got a little cream from one of the desserts so that the kitten was able to lick it off her finger.

"Oh you must bring him to school with you when you visit Anders. Like Nathaniel's kitten ..." he smiled at the rather quiet Nathaniel.

She noted Arcadia Fudge was having a rather pointed conversation with the new girl Carina Darnell who had been sorted to Slytherin. They looked like they were getting on well.

She sighed then turned her attention back to her friends and the new addition to the Grimalkin household.

Kat grinned happily at Anders response. She blushed a little at seeming to have found something that he liked so much. "I'm glad you like him. Wilbur is a fine name."

She smiled at Nimue. "And yes you must bring him to visit sometimes if we cannot come and see you. I'm sure Mulder and Scully can help you out with any little problems you might have training him."

She looked round at the students. Most people had finished now and it was getting late. She would have to lead the new members of the house back to the common room and make sure that they found their dorms and settled in.

"Well I suppose I better start getting some of the newer members back to the common room." She sighed a little. "I look forward to the trials on Monday, and if you are around to give a few lessons I'm sure the newer members of hogwarts would be appreciative." She smiled at him.

Anders tickled the kitten absently behind the ears and Wilbur dug his claws a little deeper into his arm. "Guess I'd better be off, then," he said, reluctantly. "Look, I'll be in touch, and I'll be up in a couple days for initial trials anyway."

"I'll send my new owl with a letter tomorrow. Maybe you can help me think a name for him and *do* bring Wilbur to the castle with you. I can fuss and look after him while you work with the team." Said Nimue hopefully.

Nimue was not a Quidditch player or particularly a fan though she was making an effort to show some interest in the sport.

Anders put his free arm around his sister and hugged her gently. "Thank you for Wilbur," he said. "You have no idea what that means to me."

Then he turned to Nimue, hearts in his eyes. "I'll miss you," he said, in an undertone that only she could hear. He kissed her cheek, a little too shy to do any more than that in public view.

The young man strode to the door and turned, waving shyly before disappearing from the Great Hall.

*******

Magnus had been sat at the Gryffindor table throughout the sorting. He'd acknowledged the new Gryffindors as they arrived at the table without any of the laughing and cheering that his housemates seemed to revel in. He'd smiled sweetly at the new first years, and at the solitary new fourth year sorted girl, Amy.

However, his attention often wandered and he found himself staring over at the Slytherin table. He had said last year that all the good-looking girls were in Slytherin, and now it appeared even more were joining. He didn't yet know their names, but he would find out.

But that wasn't the real reason he was looking in that direction. Arcadia was over there. She was looking stunning. Perhaps not as "cuddly" as she had looked at certain times last year, but still good never the less. Pantalaimon turned his head towards the Gryffindor table, and aware of the link between it and Arcadia, Magnus dragged his eyes away and back to his food.

He sighed. He'd noticed that all the students around him had seemed to get something to eat that was special to them, as if to make them feel at home. He'd figured it was probably to ease any feelings of homesickness the students might be feeling. Well, somebody had obviously mis-educated the house elves, and it wasn't funny. He pushed away the plate of pickled herring and rested his head disconsolately in the cupped palms of his hands, both elbows on the table.

His eyes fell on Arcadia again. Would she ever notice him?

Arcadia was well aware that Magnus was looking at her, and a sly smile crossed her face. He was actually a lot more handsome than she remembered, and the look he seemed to be giving her was not one of malice.

Absentminded her hand began to stroke Pantalaimon.

But of course... He would still have to pay for what he did last term. she had no choice really. but she was interested to see what he would do once she had her revenge. It would be... interesting.

********

Luis had agreed with Winifred on how interesting and eventful the Feast was shaping up to be. Normally the event was dreary and very boring, except for the really great food.

Eating quietly, he had observed the comings and goings of students and people from the Great Hall--the really freaked-out Ravenclaw boy, the new Slytherin Rachinov, the new coach Grimalkin, and Flitwick with the grand-entrance American.

And of course Shinrei.

She had left sometime in the middle of the feast. He was surprised that neither Sinclair nor Hupi had followed her. She may be meeting someone else, somewhere.

After he had eaten, he muttered an excuse to Winifred and got to his feet. He might as well go to the Slytherin Common Room and write a letter to someone at The Three Broomsticks to find a way to send his acoustic guitar to Hogwarts. He had nothing else to do for the night.

Or maybe he could use a good walk outside the castle. By the Quidditch pitch. He was interested in the school team and he might as well get a feel of the "playing ground" as early as he could.

As he passed Arcadia Fudge and the newly sorted Slytherin Carina Darnell, he overheard them talking about Gryffindors. He stepped forward and, grinning, added, "See that monk over there? He's got a temper. And he also has a new girlfriend, who by the way blew up a good chunk of the Hogwarts Express earlier today. More-superior-than-thou Gryffindors." His voice dripped with disdain as he pointed out Jian Hupi.

He dropped a matador's bow to each girl. "Luis Verga. Fourth Year."

He looked at the girl with the yellow eyes. This was /the/ Arcadia Fudge that Drake had "warned" him about. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Fudge."

He then turned to the new girl. "Miss Darnell, welcome to Slytherin."

Arcadia and Pantalaimon looked up at Luis *nice*

"Hello Luis." Then she frowned "Aren't you a bit old to be a 4th year? Or did you have a problem with an ageing potion? I could help with that. I'm very very good with potions."

Then she looked over to the Gryffindor table. "Now that's an idea. Wouldn't they all look interesting with long white beards" She said with a wicked Smile.

Carina cackled in a high laugh. "White beards could become fashionable. Though anything to do with Gryffindors is immediately *un*fashionable."

"Well, allies are certainly useful Arcadia. Against Mudbloods and Mugglelovers, with the champion of them all in charge of the whole school, you can't fight alone. At least, not as far as I've noticed."

She turned her eyes back to the Gryffindor table and looked at the boy Malcolm, and the girl Nimue Hawkwood. Neither looked like someone she wanted to argue with, both proud looking Gryffindors. But, one the other hand, who'd want to argue with Arcadia. She was on the right team, she was sure of that. All she had to do was stay there.

"Alone?" said Arcadia, seemingly to herself, in an almost enigmatic way. Then she smiled. "Oh yes, Allies, safety in numbers, I do tend to find that they tend to gang up."

The conversation was creeping him out, but Luis maintained an expression of detached attention, a sort of patronising look that men had when women argued over the merits of certain eyeshadow shades.

"Ah, a botched ageing potion attempt would have been more exciting on my part, Miss Fudge," he replied to Arcadia's question. "However, the way I look is because of natural circumstances. I am already seventeen. I quit school for three years but decided to come back and continue." He punctuated the statement with a self-deprecating grin.

"I think I shall go ahead, then. I hope to see you both in the Common Room later." His smile deepened and his gray eyes twinkled with amusement. "Have a good evening."

He inclined his head respectfully to both girls and strode to the door of the Great Hall, his black robes billowing.

Arcadia watched Luis leaving, and raised an eyebrow. "An older boy? hmmm. Interesting. I think we might want to look into that" She winked at Carina.

She also glanced over to the Gryffindor table. "Have you been to the common room yet? We should go and make sure you get a good bed too."

Carina shot a look over at the Gryffindor table. "They would. Gryffindors don't know the meaning of standing alone. Nor do Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs for that matter."

She shook her head. " And no, I haven't been to the common room yet. Listen, we've been here long enough. I've eaten my fill at least. How about ou show me the dormitory, amongst other things."

She grinned. "You can also tell me more about things I should know, away from prying ears."

Peesemould just sat there waiting to be introduced. But the occasion never arose, so he, quite stealthily, sat and listened to what was going on around him. He then seized his opportunity when Oriana came across.

"Er.. I don't believe Nikki introduced me" he said moving down the table a bit towards Carina "I'm also in the 4th year," he said with a little smile "I couldn't stop myself from overhearing your conversation, it was very interesting."

His smile grew wider but then faded when he said "I, too, dislike muggles or in fact mud-bloods!" He turned to look at Arcadia "Ahh, hello! How are you this term?"

She emphasised the 'my' just to make sure Peesemould knew that Arcadia thought she was okay and he was not to tease her like some Slytherin did to new students.

"And I think this is going to be a very enjoyable term. We were just about to head to the common Room. Want to follow?"

She looked over to Carina. "Oh, and this is Peesemould Grunfuttock. A fellow Fourth Year."

Carina smiled guardedly at Peesemould. "Nice to meet you."

She got up, swinging legs daintily over the bench to stand. She looked to Arcadia.

"We going then? Xerxes will start to wonder where I am in a minute. He's my Kneazle. He not only hates Muggles but Muggle-borns too. Just about copes with half bloods though, unfortunately. I've tried training him against it, but, well, he is only an animal."

She grinned her normal, slightly sinister grin.

"As long as you don't try 'too' hard!" Said Arcadia with a smile.

"Er," Peesey said when Arcadia asked him "yes, I think I'll come along, I've finished here" he said looking at his empty plate. "Ah! I Kneazle - ay?!" He said "I've never seen one of those before!?"

*******

Oriana got up from her seat, winked at Arcadia, and walked over to the Gryffindor table.

She sat next to Magnus. "Hi Magnus," she said excitedly. "How was your vacation?"

She smiled, got the vile of potion out of her pocket, and held it in the palm of her hand so that no one could notice.

When Oriana approached Magnus, Arcadia looked away. But Pantalaimon continued to watch.

Magnus continued to stare in Arcadia's direction. "Vacation?" he muttered. "Oh, vacation!" he tore his eyes away from the sumptuous Slytherin and turned to see who was addressing him.

"Oh, hi there, er," he struggled to pull the name from the depths of his memory, "Oriana? You really wouldn't find it interesting if I told you."

He could feel his eyes drifting back to the girl of his dreams, and, despite how rude he knew it to be, he couldn't help it. Not keeping an eye on Oriana probably wasn't a good idea either...

Arcadia was of course aware that Magnus was looking at her. Not that she was looking back, Pantalaimon was. Not that she didn't 'want' to look at him. But she was still a little mad at him, and he needed to be taught a lesson.

Was she blushing? She took out her makeup and re-applied.

********

After Dumbledore's speech, Nathan began to hecitically gesticulate in Drake's direction, gave up finally and rushed over to him, ignoring Arcadia completely although she sat next to Drake.

"Quidditch! So THAT was the 'important plan' Papa had to arrange during the holidays!" He beamed excitedly. "Wow! This could be so great!"

"J-just that you're n-n-not allowed to play," Drake replied coolly, "y-your father e-even sent a letter tu D-dumbledore, r-r-remember?"

Nathan's face fell. "Merde!"

"Won't help y-you to curse," Drake replied with the hint of a smirk.

Nathan glared at him. "Whose side are YOU on anyway?" he hissed. "I'm going to try anyway! I won't make it after all, but I'll just have the fun to try, okay? And YOU won't tell!" he snarled, then his face softened and he looked at Drake with big blue boy's eyes. "Will you?"

Drake sighed. "N-no."

"Good." Nathan smiled. Then he noticed something was going on with Niki and started to walk toward her.

*********

While Magnus had his head turned, Oriana took the vile and poured the potion into Magnus's drink. She noticed that all of his attention seemed to be on Arcadia.

"So Magnus," she said. "I didn't get a hug."

Pantalaimon saw Oriana place the potion into Magnus' drink.

"Yes. Let’s go." Said Arcadia, "Nothing more to see here."

With that she headed out of the hall. Ignoring Nathan, but very briefly looking over to Magnus.

Carina caught up with Arcadia, keeping just a little behind so she could take note of the way.

"Trust me, I don’t intend to." She said continuing the theme of her Kneazle’s training. "There are far more important things to be doing with now that I'm in a school with that kind of riff raff."

She grinned. "So, have you anything planned?"