(A/N: New fic. Hope to keep this one going. This chapter is pretty boring mostly intro stuff, but it's still very important to the plot, so that you'll at least get the handful of original characters I stuck in there. They mostly mirror my friends, so that's why they have odd names. I just couldn't help myself. The next chapter is when this really starts to get into the actual storyline. If you think I should keep this fic alive a review would be nice. Please and thank you.)

Chapter One, "A Bright Cast of Characters"

The compartment was already filled with laughter and conversation as I took a seat next to Amber Caughlahan , my best friend of 8 years. We met when we were both 10 years old. I can remember much from that day. She lived down the street and I used to play silly muggle games like tag with her. I never for a second thought she was a witch, but then one day she while we were swinging in her backyard she casually happened to mention Hogwarts. Ever since then we've been inseparable.

To my other side sat Delson Ferry, I guess we can call him my best guy friend. I don't quite remember how I ended up being so close to him, but I can't remember a time at Hogwarts when he wasn't there. I leaned back a bit so my head wouldn't be so much in the way of Amber and Delson, who apparently have started a little discussion about quidditch. I didn't feel like talking, quidditch just wasn't my cup of tea. Looking around I noticed that everything was beginning to start off like old times.

Both of 'our' compartments were always filled with the same students year after year. Since there were too many of us to fit into a single compartment we planned it out so every year we would split into 'teams' of two. The group as a whole mostly consisted of Ravenclaw 7th years, except Delson, Desiree, and Johanna. Delson was in Hufflepuff and Desi (as I would learn to call her by) was in Gryffindor which suited her because I've never met a girl more courageous or as daring as her, but none of us ever understood why Delson was in Hufflepuff because he was quite the clever one. Johanna was like the baby of the group even though she was only one year behind. Still a 6th year Ravenclaw, but to us the sweetest, shortest girl there was. Sony was the crazy, spunky one. Bradley was trusting, outspoken, and fairly handsome. But none of us would have been friends this long if it wasn't for Leah. She was truly the glue that held our certain puzzle together, somewhat like an older sister to all of us. Me, Charlene Drutt, well I'm nothing very special. Not social, very quiet, and easily embarrassed. I was the bystander. My compartment buddies were Amber, Delson, Sony, and Johanna. The other half were seated two doors down.

"HELLO! CHARLEEEENE, I'm talking to you!"

I was snapped out of my usual daydream-like state and replied sheepishly, "Oh, uhm yeah. Sorry 'bout that Sony."

"It's okay. Just wanted to ask you something though. Is it true that you like Oliver," her question was simple enough, but I just couldn't stand her teasing smile that was waiting for me to blush.

I kept calm though, "No, who told you that?"

"A little birdie," she replied cheekily nodding her head towards Johanna.

I just sat there and tried to act as if nothing was wrong because face it, no one's allowed to get furious with Johanna. If I acted like a bitch now half the group would give me the cold shoulder for a day. It was just something I didn't want. So instead I decided to address a question to Johanna.

"Who do you like, Johanna? Still one of the Weasley twins, eh?"

She blushed bright pink, "No, of course I don't. I don't like anyone!"

"Riiight, exactly how I don't like Oliver," she looked embarrassed so I gave her one of those it's-okay-I'm-just-playing-with-your-head smirks.

"So then you do like him," it was Delson this time. He raised a brow as the question slipped from his lips.

"You of all people shouldn't need to ask me that, Delson," I said rolling my eyes.

"I thought you didn't like him anymore," he said it as more of a statement then a question.

Amber punched him playfully in the arm, "Oh please, Delson. Stop bugging her," I smiled, I could always count on Amber to come to my verbal rescue.

A moment of silence and soon followed group chatter, "I wonder what classes I'll get," I said dreamily.

Amber gave me a gentle slap to the back of the head (very touchy-feely, isn't she?), "Char, you really do need to stop and think a bit. I mean we'll be having the same teachers we've had every single year, for 6 years now! We're finally at our last and you can't even remember your classes?"

"I know that! I mean I wonder who we'll have in our classes, as in students," I sat back in my seat and sighed a bit. Sometimes it irked me how Amber often had to express her thoughts with physical contact.

They had all now started a conversation about classes. Teachers they didn't like and students they couldn't stand. I, however, wasn't feeling so well. It was like all the sudden I went from happy, to annoyed, to confused, to drained of all emotion at all. Dreading something bad would happen I looked around the room and realized that everyone had gone quiet, the train was slowing down.

"Where there already," Sony called out.

Johanna (the most paranoid of us all) looked out the window that was being beaten fiercely by the wind and rain combination, "We can't be there yet. We've never made it to Hogwarts that quickly."

"Maybe we're being raided," Delson joked while everyone let out nervous giggles, except me.

The train just kept getting slower and slower to the point were it jolted to an abrupt stop causing all our belongings to shift forwards nearly falling off the luggage rack overhead. An intake of breath and my heart was pounding like a mad man. As if things couldn't get worse, I blinked and when I reopened my eyes total darkness surrounded us. I went into a little panic and grabbed the nearest arm, who I recon was Delson's and I could feel Amber clutching my arm so hard I thought she was going to break a bone.

Out of the darkness one of us spoke, "O-okay, this is really scaring me now," her voice was shaky as if she was about to cry.

No one replied. We all just sat there, eyes closed, prayers said. A couple of minutes, which seemed like hours, into sitting in pitch black a burst of light was seen to the left of me. It was outside of our compartment and every single one of us turned around to view what was the source. We didn't see much, or at least everyone on my side didn't. Then a cold, ominous feeling settled into the pit of my stomach. I felt tears prickling in my eyes and my thoughts sending swirls of despair into my mind. It was all so sudden. There was this immense feeling of sadness, as if I'd never be happy again.

I watched as a black hooded figure glided across the floor and down the train walkway as if being forced to leave by something unknown. Many free-moving curved ends floating around the bottom of what looked like it's cloak. The lights flickered back to life and moments later a man in a rather tattered robe strolled off down the walkway.

"What in the name of Merlin was that all about," Sony said still shocked about the whole situation.

"I don't know," Delson replied, "But I'm not to sure if I even want to know."

There wasn't much to talk about after that incident. Of course there were questions, but we knew none of us could answer them. We were just confused and not informed. I rested my head on Amber's shoulder and my two best friends each took one of my hands. These were the times when it was extremely good to know you had someone you felt comfortable with who was always there for you.