Nothing special happened anymore but many days passed and it was just before the summer holidays. Slytherin won the Quidditch Cup. (though Hufflepuff won the House Cup) Their exam results were in and Skylar and Riddle got top grades in their year. Eileen admired her friend.

 "How are you sooo good at... everything?!"

 "Eileen, I'm not good at Wizard Chess and Gobstones. Bet you you will be Hogwarts Gobstones Team Captain in your fifth-year or something."

 "Skylar, I'm not that good!"

 "I mean why doncha try?"

 "Oh alright, I'll practice over the summer."

 "Great!"

 Time rushed again and before they knew it, they were once again in the little boats, crossing the river with Ogg the gamekeeper. Their luggage was there in front of the train. Skylar and Eileen got into the last compartment with Elladora. Skylar looked out of the window.

 "It will be three more months before we come back..." sighed Skylar.

 "Yeah", replied Eileen.

 They played a game of Exploding Snap, a wizarding card game, munched on their food, swapped their Chocolate Frog cards and had lots of fun. They also did some more magic before they would be off the train. They got notices on their last day that they were not allowed to use magic out of school and Hogwarts Express. Every second seemed precious. It was the last moments Skylar would spend with Eileen before she would be back in her neighborhood of Big Maddleton. Their address was Number Ten, Vatten Road, Big Maddleton, Kent. Eileen lived somewhere in Suffolk.

 "So, er... I wanna ask you something", said Eileen.

 "Mhm?"

 "Skylar, what happened to your mom and dad, I mean... you never told me"

 "...now...?"

 "It's OK if you don't want to"

 "Then I don't want to..."

 The moment was tense and neither of them spoke. Eileen broke the silence and said, "Marley is starting Hogwarts next year, right?"

 Skylar, glad to see the change in topic, said, "Yeah."

 "Is she your maternal or paternal cousin?"

 "Maternal."

 "Oh OK. You know, I'm an only child and I'm quite lonely. My mom and dad don't have time for me, I don't have any cousins either. But there is this Muggle lady next door. She actually likes me and"

 "I'll be right back OK?"

 "Where are you going?"

 "Professor Slughorn told us to come around lunch time."

 "The Slug Club? I wish I was in it," Eileen said with pure disappointment in her voice.

 Skylar slipped out of their compartment and headed towards the compartment where Professor Slughorn told them he would be in. On her way, she met Riddle.

 "Slug Club?"

 "Yeah, Tenebriser. You, too?"

 "Yeah."

 "Seriously, how in Merlin's saggy old Y-fronts did you get the same marks as me, Mudblood?"

 "Riddle, are you sure you are not a Mudblood?"

 Skylar looked accusingly at Riddle. He was an inch or two taller than Skylar but now they looked like the same height.

 "As I said, my dad was a-"

 "How are you so sure? You grew up in an orphanage, didn't you? Never saw a single thread from your father's shoelace, did you?"

 "You-I-I know I'm Half-blood! My mother wouldn't have died after giving birth to me if she was a witch."

 "Even wizards and witches can't escape death, Riddle. Maybe your mom was a witch who decided to marry a Muggle."

 "You didn't-"

 "I just did!"

 Riddle dug into his pocket to retrieve his wand but Skylar was too fast.

 "Locomotor Mortis! "

 Riddle's legs sprang together and that was when they realised they had watchers. Their raised voices attracted people in other compartments, which included Eileen and Riddle's cornies. Professor Slughorn came from a nearby compartment with a few others.

 "Skylar, why don't you finish this little fight and restore Tom to his original state?"

 Skylar muttered the counter-curse and Riddle's legs sprang apart. Professor Slughorn looked impressed.

 "I need to say that was the best Leg-Locker Curse made by a first-year! You are one talented witch, Skylar. Very surprising indeed, how sometimes muggle-borns are better wizards and witches than-"

 Skylar went back into her compartment and slammed the door while a bewildered looking Eileen followed her in.

 "What did you row about?"

 "Nothing really."

 "The usual?"

 "Kind of... except now it included his parentage..."

 "Oh, Skylar, don't get into trouble!"

 "I'll try not to... I guess..."

 Skylar was now determined to find out about Riddle's true identity. She wanted to prove that Riddle's father was not a wizard like he claims to be because she was his rival and this was pretty natural. At least next time when he bullies Skylar, she would have something to threaten him with.

 A few more hours later, they reached King's Cross Station. They were going through the barrier two or three at a time to not attract Muggles. Skylar and Eileen were side by side when they got through.

 "Bye, Skylar," said Eileen as she went to an unattractive woman with greasy red hair and a man with slick black hair.

 "See you, write to me, OK?"

 "Sure."

 Skylar also found Aunt Bertha, Uncle John and Marley. Marley was determined to know everything about Hogwarts, even though Uncle John and Aunt Bertha probably told her. Nevertheless, she was still holding up to every word Skylar spoke.

 "And there's this poltergeist named Peeves. You should stay away from him. One time he hit me on the head with a bag full of chalks."

 "You got a friend, right? Is she or he in the same house as you?"

 "Yeah."

 "Which house?"

 "Marley, remember it's a surprise!" said Aunt Bertha. Uncle John was swearing under his breath about the traffic.

 "And how do they sort?"

 "Skylar, don't tell her! It's also a surprise."

 Skylar would have been frustrated but Marley still looked interested and curious. Skylar was now in her Muggle clothing; a blue-and-white-striped T-shirt and black shorts. In her mind, she was still thinking about Riddle's family line. She had overheard in a conversation between Riddle and a teacher that his full name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. Tom after his so-called wizard father and Marvolo after his mother's father. Skylar decided that when she went to Diagon Alley, she would buy a book about wizarding history at Flourish And Blotts since she could not go to the Hogwarts Library. But the answer was held in the bottom of her trunk, the thing she had forgotten.

 Back in the house, Skylar was in the lawn lying there. She could have been sleeping. There was a forest surrounding the neighborhood, where different types of creatures lived. Once a fox came out of the forest. Skylar's favorite animal was a fox because it was clever, cunning and sometimes misunderstood like she herself was.

 Then, suddenly there was a faint hiss behind Skylar saying, "Hello, Sssskylar..... do you remember me...? ssssss..."

 Skylar looked around seeing a snake. The same snake who had proved to Skylar that she could speak Parseltoungue.