"I still don't understand where you went off to," Hermione said.

"I told you, it must've been some port key." I answered as she gave me an unconvinced stare. "I'm not lying!" 

"What's that you said about the trees, then?" Ron asked, slouching onto the wall.

"It was...." I stopped. What was it? Really? "probably some hallucination, there were death eaters, I was scared and.."

"Y/n, it's okay. I'm sure if any of us were to be separated from the rest, we'd also hallucinate." Harry said, smiling. 

"What do you think Charlie meant?" I said quickly, trying to change the subject. 

"Whatchu mean?" Ron asked.

"When he said he'd see us sooner than expected," I explained. 

"Yeah...reckon he'll be at school?" said Ron, looking at Harry before laughing. "Nah!"

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" 

Standing up I walk over towards the door, "A licorace wand and cauldron cake, please." 

I hand her the coins and smile as the candy is handed to me. Harry quickly came up behind me huffing as he realised I had already paid. 

"Should've let me pay," he said quietly.

"Two pumpkin pasties, please," a voice said behind me. I turned to see Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw.

As I return to the compartment I notice Harry, and the look on his face as he closed the door. Giving him an arched eyebrow I pat my lap, he gives me an eye roll before laying his head down on it.

"What was that?" I whispered.

"What was what?" He replied.

"That weird lovey look you had on your face after you saw Cho."

"It could've been you who I saw," he replied sarcastically.

"Yeah right, because you're in love with me," I laughed.

~At Hogwarts~

"Why is she asleep? Didn't she get enough sleep?" 

"Oh shut it Ron! You'll wake her!"

"You're the one yelling.." 

"Both of you shush!" Harry said in a loud whisper, "Before I jinx you both out of this carriage." 

"Will we have to carry her inside?" 

"Hermione. Shut. Up."

"Well now we must wake her! Dumbledore's finished his speech!" Hermione said loudly. 

"WAH!" Ron yelled in my ear, causing me to jump awake. 

"Works every time," he said with a goofy grin before admiring the chicken leg in his hand.

Muttering bitterly to myself I turned to who I presumed was Harry, but instead I saw Fred, smiling sweetly as he looked back at me.

"What the - why're you here?" I asked.

"Who do you think you were laying on?" he replied with a smirk.

"Laying on? I wasn't laying on you," I said confidently before turning to see everyone else stifling their laughs. "I was?!"

"Harry!" I shouted, turning to the brunette boy across from me, "How could you let this happen!"

"My arm was getting tired, okay!" 

After a continuous battle between words I fought off the urge to insult Harry's weak limbs one more time and began eating. 

"Psst," came a whisper beside me.

"What is it Fred?" I asked, taking a bite of some chicken.

"Are you wearing yours?" 

"My what? -oh." I said as Fred lifted his necklace. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm wearing mine, don't worry." I whispered back.

Fred gave a beaming smile before turning to George and Lee to barge into their conversation. 

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling at everyone. "Now that we are all fed and watered," "I must, once more, ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filches office, if anybody would like to check it."

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year." 

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" Harry gasped, looking at Fred and George who were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak.

Dumbledore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure announcing that this year at Hogwarts -"

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. 

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black travelling coat. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. 

A dull clunk echoed through the hall on his other every step. He reached the end of the top table,  turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione let out a gasp before leaning over the table towards me.

"Y/n, do you see this?!" she whisper-shouted.

"Yes Hermione, I have eyes too." I replied as she rolled her eyes. 

The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any I had ever seen. It looked as though it has been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eye that made him frightening.

One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all we could see was whiteness.

The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering something that I don't think anyone but the stranger could hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat  on his right-hand side. 

"Gah," I muttered under my breath, quickly squeezing my side. 

"You okay?" asked Ron in a quiet tone, making sure Harry or Hermione didn't hear. 

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled but the sharp pain came again and I squeezed my side harder. 

"Hey, if you want to-"Ron started, but was interrupted by Dumbledore talking once again. 

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."

It was usual for people to clap to greet a new teacher, but no one but Dumbledore and Hagrid put their hands together. 

"Anyways," said Ron turning back to me, "I can take you to the hospital wing, if you-"

"Moody?" Harry muttered to Ron. "Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?"

"Must be," said Ron in a low, awed voice.

"What happened to him?" Hermione whispered, "What happened to his face?"

The sharp pain came once again, and I knew I couldn't tell Harry, he'd freak out and act like a dad while Hermione on the other hand would turn it into a lecture.

"Ron.." I whispered, "can we go now?" 

"Yeah, yeah, ofcourse," he said, quickly getting up. 

"Where're you going?" Harry asked.

"Astronomy tower," replied Ron quickly. 

"Why?" 

"..to dance!" I said loudly, not knowing I grasped Fred's attention.

"Can we come?" Harry asked.

"No! I uh, only feel comfortable dancing with Ron right now.." 

Nudging my arm to indicate we had grasped some of the other Gryffindors attention Ron sighed before grabbing my hand and rushing us out of the Great Hall.

"Sorry, I couldn't think of anything else," I mumbled.

"Hmm? Oh no, it really is fine, now people think I'm a good dancer! It's a win, win." Ron said happily, turning around and letting go of my arm. "What's going on? It looked like you were stabbed."

"I don't know.." I whispered, "but it's not a big deal, so please don't Hermione or Harry, I don't want any parenting lectures.

"Y/n, dear? What's wrong?" asked Ms Pomfrey who had opened the door. 

"My stomach, it keeps getting sharp pains." I said quietly. 

"Oh that mustn't feel good, lay down, dear," Ms Pomfrey said making Ron let out a chuckle. 

"What is it?" I whispered to him making him chuckle louder. 

"Ms Pomfrey?" he asked, "Can I stay to hold Y/n's hand? She really didn't look good." 

"Ofcourse, deary!" she exclaimed. As Ron sat down next to me and grabbed my hand he whispered.

"Oh that mustn't feel good, lay down." he said in a caring voice. "Do you not get it?"

"No-oh.." I said, whacking him on the head. "Stop making everything you hear into some dirty joke." 

"Now where is the pain coming from?" she asked, sitting opposite to Ron. 

"This side," I said as she nodded. 

"Drink this and have a good rest." 

"Here?!" I shouted. "I don't want to spend my first night in the hospital wing!" 

"I'll make sure she has a good rest, er, and if she doesn't! I'll send her here first thing in the morning!" Ron said with a smile. 

It took another hour of persuading before Ms Pomfrey allowed me to leave, probably because she was too tired to deal with us continuing on.

"Shhh!" Ron whispered, "we can't wake McGonagall!!" 

"I'm not making noise! You are!" I whispered back. But as we entered there stood: Harry (rubbing his eyes), Hermione (tapping her foot as if she were ready to confront), George (who was smirking at Ron), and an upset looking Fred. 

"Where were you two?!" Hermione was the first to talk. "I'm sure a little dance doesn't take over an hour!" 

"Actually-" Ron started before Hermione gave him a glare, "Err..never mind." 

"I don't think they were dancing," Harry mumbled, crossing his arms.

"Ofcourse we were!" Ron spoke a little louder, "In the astronomy tower!"

"We went to the astronomy tower," Fred muttered. "And you weren't there." 

Ron turned to give me a look and I looked straight back at him. 

"Erm..." Ron mumbled. 

"Were you two snogging?" George asked quizzically.

"No" I said at the same time as Ron's "Yes."

"No, we werent," I repeated, looking at Ron. 

"Sorry, didn't know what else to say.."

Then Harry looked at me with a 'What's actually going on?' look. 

"Look guys, I'm really tired and I don't need you all intruding in what me and Ron did. We danced for a while and then went for a walk. That's all. Now, goodnight."

Quickly Hermione followed after me, telling me the process of how children were made. 

"And we're only fourteen! I don't think you should be doing anything like that at this age and-"

"Hermione! We didn't shag. Stop thinking up the upmost nonsense." 

"I was just-" Hermione started but I barged in before she could finish.

"I DONT CARE WHAT YOU WERE JUST DOING! IM TIRED! Let me sleep." 

"Alright..sorry.." Hermione whispered as I fell onto my bed. 

Morning came and I woke up earlier than anyone, including Hermione. I trudged down the stairs to see none other than Fred Weasley. He turned to see and quickly got up, ready to leave.

"Fred? Where are you going?" I whispered, loud enough for him to hear.

"For a walk." he muttered.

"Can I come?"

"Why don't you wait for Ron?" he asked bitterly.

"What?"

He let out a shaky breath, "I'm sorry, yeah you can come."

It was quiet for the start of the walk, until finally Fred spoke again.

"I know you probably aren't going to like where I'm going with this but what were you and Ron doing last night?" 

"The same thing I told you yesterday, we danced and had a walk, it wasn't anything weird, just two friends going on a walk." 

Fred nodded slowly, "Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Cup. But I can't enter." 

"Why not?"

"They restricted it to only 17 and up. I'm 16 right now."

I let out a laugh, "You don't need to tell me your age, I already know, your birthdays in April." 

"Yeah," he smiled. "You remembered?"

"It's in my calendar," I said with a smirk. 

"Well, I'm still gonna out my name in the goblet."

"The what?"

"Goblet of fire, to enter." 

"What?! Why? Your sixteen, remember? You shouldn't sign up." 

"It's 1000 galleons prize money, I could use that for the shop." 

"Fred. People die from this tournament, what if you actually get picked?" 

"Are you scared for me?" he asked with a smirk. 

"For you, yeah. You're my friend."

Then, out of the blue, Fred took my hand and placed something in it. I opened it to see amethyst.

"Doesn't an amethyst soothe fear and anxiety?"

I rolled my eyes before plopping the crystal in my pocket. "Thank you, Fred."