CHAPTER ONE
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WINNIE SKIDDED ACROSS the cold hardwood floor, her side bumping into the wall in a clumsy fashion. Her foot nearly slipped out from under her when she barreled down the stairs and looked to each side. Dashing into the sitting room, her eyes scanned every possible place that she could have left it.

She ran up to the sofa and shuffled around the pillows, tossing blankets aside and rifling under the cushions. It wasn't there. Cursing under her breath, she dropped to the floor and scanned under the sofa while feeling around, stumbling across things she wasn't even sure what they were.

"Mum!" she called out loudly without looking up from her search.

"Mum's currently trying to finish your packing! What's the holdup?" her stepfather shouted back. She could now hear his steps coming closer as he descended the stairs and a faint frantic shout from her mother.

Winnie popped up from behind the couch and faced him wearily. "I can't find my wand! How am I going to go to school without a wand, Dad?" she exclaimed with a huff. She pushed her hands into the soft cushions of the sofa and jumped to her feet, eyes still searching the room. "I can't find it anywhere."

He stepped out of the doorway and glanced into the nearby kitchen. "Isn't that yours on the kitchen table right there?" he questioned, gesturing over to the old table. Her eyes widened and she stepped through the archway that served as the entrance to the sitting room. She stopped next to Phil and smacked her palm against her forehead.

Grabbing the wand quickly she made to dash her way back upstairs. "Are you nervous going back?" Phil asked from behind her, quite used to her quick and frazzled movements already. "I reckon the wand situation is pretty much the answer to that."

"Maybe slightly, but I'm more excited and paranoid I'll forget something!" she replied as she rounded the corner back to her room, holding her wand up in victory. She tucked it away in her jacket for safe keeping so that she wouldn't lose it again.

Her mother was closing her trunk with finality. "Is everything in there?" Winnie questioned, glancing around her messy room as if something might be misplaced amidst the place that looked like a tornado had just ripped through it.

"Yes, darling," her mother sighed, heaving the trunk up and handing it to her daughter. Winnie grunted with the weight of the trunk and nodded, Eleanor smiling at her daughter who she believed was growing up all too fast. "All right, it's time to leave. We're already running late."

The other two nodded, Eleanor grabbing Winnie's arm while she grabbed her trunk. With a crack the two disappeared, Phil following closely. The three appeared on a street that was not particularly crowded and never really was; this was the street they chose to travel to every year as it was the most inconspicuous. Winnie was priding on herself for not throwing up as she had so many times before when she apparated with her parents.

She tried her best to make her large trunk look casual as she dragged it across the rough pavement. They were only around the corner from King's Cross, which she was thankful for considering how heavy her trunk was. Sometimes she couldn't tell if she overpacked or if it was just because she had to hold a year's worth of things in it.

The family looked like any other as they walked through the train station, Winnie relieved that she was now pushing a trolley with her things on it. They reached the familiar place between platforms nine and ten and Winnie began with a run, the brick wall swallowing her whole. Eleanor grinned and took her husband's hand, the two following their daughter's lead.

The billowing smoke of the bright red steam engine greeted Winnie as soon as she emerged on the other side. Her lips pulled into a large smile and she pushed forward, searching the crowd for a particular face.

Her parents appeared behind her and she turned around and hugged each of them in turn. "I'll see you at Christmas," she assured before waving a final goodbye.

They waved at her until she disappeared into the bustling crowd of teenagers and their own parents. Winnie looked around and still searched for her best friend, but was figuring out that she was not very good at finding or looking for things.

A sudden push from behind her caused her to jump a bit with a sharp intake of air. She frowned playfully at the girl who was grinning mischievously from behind her.

"Maybe greet me in an 'it's nice to see you' way rather than an 'I'm going to give you a heart attack' sort of way," Winnie advised as she pushed through the mess of people further towards the entrance of the train.

"Now where would the fun in that be?" Louise complained with a frown, finding her friend's outlook a bit sour.

"I expect your summer was the usual trouble?" Winnie assumed, knowing that she had presumably had a difficult holiday.

"Oh yeah. I'd have much rather been at yours like usual," she sighed as they boarded the crowded steam engine. They pushed past a few people conversing outside of the compartments and settled themselves in the first empty one they could find.

"Was it any better that you were on a holiday?" Winnie inquired, hoping that her family had tried to behave themselves while they were away at least. Louise snorted and shook her head as they shoved their luggage into the upper shelves of the compartment.

"Blimey, no. If anything they were worse," she answered. "If the terrible beliefs weren't enough, there was fighting because, of course, they have to fight on holiday."

Louise's parents were, at the very least, extreme. And according to her, they had worsened over the years and their support of dark magic had gained traction as the movement became more popular with certain families. Winnie's family was a far more accepting and morally upstanding one, that being the reason as to why Louise was usually at her house during the summer holidays.

"Well then I really wish you'd been at mine too," she exasperated, not even able to comprehend how terrible Louise's family probably was for her all summer. "But I'm sure Paris was quite good."

They left the compartment door open, both feeling no need to close it so soon. Each took a seat across from each other and settled while the people outside took their final seats. Boarding the Hogwarts Express was quite an ordeal, but not quite as bad once one was actually on the platform.

Winnie had been relieved ever since she had arrived on the platform at ten forty-five, cutting it much closer to the eleven departure time than she preferred.

The steam outside of the window thickened and the engine roared with a renewed vigor as the train began to shift on the tracks. Winnie felt an odd sense of peace as the vehicle began to move.

"It was, it was. Except when we were there, my mum felt the need to let me know often croissants will make you fat," she explained, her eyes attaining a certain look she only got when she spoke about her parents. "She thinks that they're this evil thing — which I don't get because how is bread evil when you're an advocate for murder — and actually slapped one out of my hand."

"Wow. Not going to lie, your mum is a major bitch," Winnie mumbled as she stared out the window at the countryside that was flashing past. "But mainly because of the murder."

"Oh, I'm aware," Louise huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. This was about the time in the conversation where Louise would get so worked up over her parents she needed a moment to recover. That moment passed and she relaxed against her seat and nodded at Winnie. "How was your holiday?"

"Same as always. Except when Dad and I were messing around on brooms he fell and his wand got stuck up a not so fun place. I'm pretty sure the St. Mungo's staff was laughing at him behind his back," she told her, the girl across from her letting out a loud laugh.

"See, this is why I prefer your family," Louise said. "I'm betting that your mum loved that."

"Oh, she thought it was hilarious. Dad, not so much. We all had a good laugh after though," Winnie explained. Louise's eye caught something out of Winnie's sight and she raised her hand and waved at some people that she couldn't see approaching yet.

"Hey, Lily, Marlene," Louise greeted with another one of her trademark mischievous smiles. Winnie did not know the two as well as Louise did, they had been friends since third year and she wasn't sure how they had even met, but they always seemed nice.

"Hello!" Winnie smiled at them politely.

"How were your summers?" Lily asked as she and Marlene stopped at the open door of their compartment.

"Less than pleasant, you could say," Louise answered bitterly.

"Just about pleasant," Winnie responded right after with a nod. She was sure that Louise would be done talking about her family until next school year, so there was no need to bring them up again.

"Just glad to be at school again," Louise added, deliberately diverting the subject away from the holiday and towards where they were headed.

"We definitely are. But we have to go, Dorcas is waiting," Marlene said before finishing, "We'll see you at school, though!"

The two waved goodbye before they moved further down the train, Louise and Winnie returning the gesture.

Louise looked outside and saw that the night was approaching fast and according to the landmarks, they were almost at school. After six years of riding the train, they knew almost every bit of the journey.

"We'll be arriving soon. We should probably get in our robes," she said, mostly to herself as they unlocked their trunks and changed quickly before the train came to a swift stop at the station.

The two stumbled out into the crowded corridor of the train and after a few minutes of pushing and bumping into other students, finally made it onto the platform and to the carriages.

"Sixth year. Almost the end of our very school careers," Louise mused as they waited with another group of random students for the next available carriage.

"Now I wouldn't be talking like that quite yet," Winnie told her. "Two more years is a long time."

The carriage pulled itself up and the students loaded up into the vehicle before it pulled away to the castle. From a distance, Winnie couldn't help but be mesmerized by the building and its enchanting atmosphere.

"Well when you put it like that," Louise sighed. "It does sound like a long time. Shame." Winnie rolled her eyes and shifted in her seat. Most of the time the carriages were quite crowded, so she was pushed up against Louise.

"You know you love it here. I say you stop counting down until we leave and enjoy it while we're here," Winnie proposed as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the main entrance of the castle. The girls toppled out of the crowded space and began to make their way to the Great Hall.

"I suppose you're right. The school hasn't seen nearly enough of me yet," she smirked with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Hey, speaking of, you need to calm it with the pranks and shit this year," Winnie scolded. Louise was notorious for her knack for trouble, which she claims to be just curiosity and magical experimentation, but Winnie knew her better than that.

"I can't promise that!" Louise exclaimed dramatically, placing a hand over her heart as they entered the hall. "Oh, look at that! I have to go sit at my table, sorry! See you!"

Winnie sighed and knew that the talk was at least worth a try. Louise skipped off towards the Ravenclaw table while Winnie took her seat at the neighboring Hufflepuff table.

The beginning of term feast was akin to the festivities that occurred each year. New first years were sorted and Headmaster Dumbledore gave his usual welcoming speech. Hundreds of candles lit the hall with a warm glow, making her feel all the more at home.

After the meal had finished, she felt all too tired to do anything but sleep. The first years were being led to their respective common rooms and Winnie had tried to slip away somewhat early so that she wouldn't have to fall behind the large group.

She knew that she would melt away to sleep once she got to the familiar comfort of her bed, the comfort that was welcoming her home.