"WAKE UUUUUUUUUUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 "OI! There are better ways to wake people up for your information."

 Skylar almost jumped out of her bed when Marley screamed to the depth of her eardrums. Massaging her ear, Skylar tried to reach and strangle Marley as she ran out of Skylar's room. Skylar looked around and saw the calendar: today was the 1st of September. She blinked. Then she suddenly did everything in a rush. She put her new Comet Two Twenty (which she got as a birthday present by Aunt Bertha and Uncle John) in her trunk, brushed her hair, put on her Muggle cloths, put To Become The Greatest in her trunk and finally, after an hour, Yumina and Armagi, Marley's owl, were in their cages, the trunks were in the back and Marley and Skylar were in the back seat. It would be a few hours before they reach King's Cross and get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

 Time seemed to drag on and on, until Skylar saw herself in the thick white smoke issuing from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. She and Marley received Aunt Bertha's hugs and kisses and went off to climb the train. Aunt Bertha told Marley things like, "Don't go looking for trouble", "Stay safe!" and things like that. The train started to move and Aunt Bertha, Uncle John and all the other parents and younger siblings who were not old enough to go to Hogwarts waved until they were out of sight.

 "OK, Marley, I'd help you find a compartment but I think you'll be better off on your own. Have fun."

 "See you, Sky-I mean, Skylar."

 Skylar set off towards Compartment D, where Eileen and Skylar sat on their previous ride on the Hogwarts Express. Skylar went to Compartment D and opened the door. It became silent. Sitting there were not Eileen and Myrtle, instead half a dozen Gryffindor girls were.

 "Sorry. Wrong compartment," Skylar apologized. Just as she was about to slide the door close, the brown-haired girl sitting nearest to the door stood up and looked at Skylar coldly.

 "Tenebriser..."

 "Maloren..."

 Pearl Maloren, an attractive, round-faced twelve-year-old with orange eyes was the one who spoke. They lived in the same neighborhood and she was the one who got pipes hit on her head. That was when Skylar did not know that she was a witch.

 "So that's how you made those pipes go after me then? I wanted to get even. But I did not dare make any move last year. I was waiting for an opportunity like this for-"

 "Good to know. Bye."

 Skylar slammed the door in Maloren's face and continued searching for Eileen and Myrtle. She found them in Compartment F.

 "Took you long enough," Eileen said, not looking up from their game of Exploding Snap.

 "Sorry, thought you would be in Compartment D."

 "Yeah but half a dozen Gryffs were there," Myrtle replied. She had no tear tracks on her face. From near she looked like Marley except that she had dark brown hair and eyes, acne and round glasses.

 "Yeah."

 They were in the compartment having fun playing Exploding Snap and opening Wizard Crackers. Unlike the Muggle ones, which had small paper hats and everything, the wizards' one gave out things like live mice, a blue Witch's hat, a luminous balloon and other things. This time, Eileen got a green bonnet trimmed with a lighter shade; Myrtle, her own Wizard Chess set and Skylar, a flute which made different kinds of sounds when played.

 Around lunchtime, their  compartment door opened. They thought it was the Trolley Lady so they rummaged through their pockets. The door opened fully. They froze.

 "Tenebriser, Professor Slughorn's calling the Slug Club to join him for lunch. Hurry up, don't waste my time," said the voice of the jet-black haired, handsome, Tom Riddle.

 "Right."

 Skylar got up and left the compartment with Riddle. They were the same height now and walking side by side in silence. A few people outside their compartments, who were waiting for the Trolley, batted their eyelashes at the sight of Riddle. Skylar had to stop herself from snorting when one of the girl came up to Riddle, blushed and screeched, "Heyyyy, Tooooooooooooom. Do you want to join us in our compahrtment?"

 The girl's voice was so high-pitched, Skylar wondered how the windows in the compartments were not being shattered into pieces.

 "Can't. I'm going to Professor Slughorn."

 "Ohhhhh. All right. Baiiiiiiiihhhhh"

 When they were in front of Professor Slughorn's compartment, Skylar finally let out the laugh she was holding.

 "What?"

 "'Oh, Tom! Why don't you come and sit with us?!', 'Tommy, can I kiss your feet?', 'Tom! My prince! Are you all right?'" Skylar screeched, imitating the girl's voice "How are your eardrums still working, Riddle? Oh wait, maybe it's not. Maybe you put a charm on it and none of us noticed."

 "That's all you got, Mudblood?"

 "Want a sample of curses?"

 "No, I do not think it will be necessary, Skylar"

 They turned around and there stood Professor Slughorn, with his large belly, looking at them. Thankfully, he seemed to have heard only the last sentence. Whenever he caught them in arguments like this, he always thought it was some kind of 'noble argument between two geniuses at Hogwarts about the correct way to brew something' or that was the impression. He never asked too many questions.

 "Good afternoon, Professor," they said together.

 "Good afternoon."

 They entered Professor Slughorn's compartment where there was the Slug Club, a variety of students Professor Slughorn handpicked as his favorites saying that they had a 'bright future ahead' or simply because they were related to someone influential. Skylar never really enjoyed these parties or meetings too much and always told Eileen what a waste of time it was. (which seemed to cheer Eileen up for she was not in the Slug Club) But being one of the best students in the year guaranteed a position in the Slug Club.

 "Now, Skylar, who were your parents again?" asked Professor Slughorn when they were halfway through lunch.

 "Arnold and Amelia Tenebriser. They were Muggles."

 "Oh yes. I was surprised how you ended up in Slytherin. There are half-bloods but it has been a long time since we had a Muggle-born. But do not use that against me! I am not prejudiced! You are one of the best students I ever taught."

 "Yes, thank you Professor," said Skylar. She drew a smile on her face, which was not forced like other times. She knew exactly why she ended up in Slytherin. She had Slytherin qualities and nonetheless was a descendant of Slytherin.

 The rest of the meeting was the same as always: Professor Slughorn boasting about famous ex-pupils he taught and talking to other Slug Club members.

 Now the sky was turning dark purple. Professor Slughorn dismissed them and they went to their compartments and everything went as usual. When everyone got into their robes and got out at Hogsmeade Station, the large figure of Ogg the gamekeeper was roaring "First-years, this way! First-years, follow me!"

 Skylar and Eileen bade Myrtle goodbye and followed the rest of the school through a muddy path. They came to a halt in front of many carriages. Each was pulled by a large skeletal horse with bat-like wings. But Skylar was the only one who seemed to be staring at the strange creatures: even Eileen was not looking at them.

 "Skylar, what are you looking at?"

 "Those skeletal... horse-like things..."

 "Merlin's beard Skylar, what the hell are you talking about?"

 "Those! Wait, can't you-?"

 "Skylar, stop it. You are scaring me somehow."

 Then Skylar realized it. No one could see those creatures except her. Though she did not know the reason why, it was the only explanation.

 "Hey, Skylar. Hey Eileen." Cerilla beamed as they climbed onto the carriage.

 "Hey Cerilla. Look I want to ask you something," Skylar said as Eileen rolled her eyes slightly "Can you see those skeletal creatures? Those horse-like things..."

 Cerilla just laughed and said, "Wrackspurt got you?"

 "A what?" Eileen asked.

 "They are invisible tiny creature which floats in through your ears and make your brain go all fuzzy. Thinking back now, it can't be a Wrackspurt. You are still conscious and  focused. You become unfocused if it's a Wrackspurt. Well, I felt one zooming around here anyway."

 "So that's what it's called?" Skylar asked "I felt one of those zooming around my head in my bedroom, too."

 "Well, at least someone believes their existence. I thought it was only me and Aronec Lovegood. He's a Ravenclaw in my year."

 The carriages started moving. And they headed towards the school castle.