Jillian entered the Great Hall and was completely awestruck. She could never get used to that magnificent enchanted ceiling. She made her way to the Gryffindor Table.

She was one of the first to arrive. Jillian took a seat somewhere near the front, hoping to catch the male Groundskeeper again. The man had slipped out of the Leaky Cauldron and he still hasn't remembered her. One thing's for certain, she was determined to befriend Constantine Masterson.

She nodded her head as if making the final decision and looked up to see other students arriving.

Her shoes clacked loudly against the marble floor and Daphne looked down at them inconspicuously wondering why in the name of Merlin were they being so noisy for. The nerves getting the best of her led her hand to her hair once more where she primed and continued to primp until she reached the Gryffindor table.

Sitting down sideways, she pulled her skirt over her knees and slid them daintily underneath the table. A lady mustn't straddle a bench like it was a horse. It was just plain improper.

"Oh, so noisy," she remarked to no one in particular before a shadow was cast on her thanks to the candlelight. Shocked her hazel eyes glanced sideways and Daphne was affronted by a strange student. "Oh...Good evening."

Jillian examined the girl beside her. This girl--she looked so familiar. Where had she seen this girl before. Jillian racked her brain, then thought it was best if she responded to the greeting while gathering her thoughts.

"Oh, erm, hullo there. I'm Jillian and--" suddenly, her eyes lit up. Of course! This was that same girl from the Leaky Cauldron. She was still talking to Constantine and getting very dramatic when all of a sudden, this girl's family was attracting attention.

"Merlin's purple pants! You're the girl who stole me thunder back at The Leaky Cauldron!" she exclaimed, her face painted with a wide grin. "Oh, but don't worry. I know you didn't know so you didn't mean to do it, aye? So I forgive you," Jillian said as she patted the girl's shoulder.

"Whatchoo say your name was again?"

Travis entered the Great Hall and made his way towards the Gryffindor House table, a little gloomy.

What a great way to start term, he thought, Finding out your best friend is on his death bed while you're here getting ready to stuff your face with food. Travis shook his head, sadly, not taking any notice to the students who were already seated at his table.

He looked up automatically towards the Hufflepuff table, his transparent gray eyes scanning for Caitlin. Travis had lost her on the way out of the train. He sighed and let his eyes fall to the table, a hand fingering the pendant across his neck.

There were times Daphne Hopton considered the repercussions of being polite. When the string of words left the mouth of the girl next to her, Miss Hopton's pale brows knitted together in confusion and fear, instinctively pulling her torso away from the speaking person.

This was one of those times; one of those times where Daphne had rather just played the mood child card instead of the polite daughter of a socialite. "Uh," stuttered Daphne raising one hand, commanding the girl into silence to no aveil. Even amidst the confusion, Daphne had managed to keep her cool until, that is, a hand was laid upon her.

Frozen still, her lips thinned out and she almost called for her butler. "Excuse me," she repeated glancing down at the hand upon her shoulder. "Could you kindly...not do that."

Daaaaviiiiiiis!

Jillian raised an eyebrow and stared curiously at this girl [who seemed more like a middle-aged preppy] but succumbed to her request and withdrew her hand. "Alright then, sorry," Jillian apologized, though very confused.

The girl, whose name she still hadn't learned, had an odd expression on her face. The girl's lips were in a thin line, much like how her mother's would be when she disapproved of what Jillian was doing.

"Hey, don't take this the wrong way," Jillian started, trying to choose her words wisely, "but, anybody ever tell you you act a bit more...older? Like you were some grown-up or something..."

Again, this Miss Jillian person began speaking and Daphne listened as was her only choice a hand swiftly sweeping towards her shoulder to brush at it in a nervous tick. Her school shirt still looked pretty intact. Thank goodness. Who knew if these house elves used starch when they ironed.

The girl's last words rang true in Daphne's ears and she breathed in deeply running a carefully manicured finger over an eyebrow, feigning grooming habits. "Yes, well, some might consider proper etiquette and decorum old fashioned."

Nervously, Daphne slipped her hands into her robes pockets fiddling with the bottle of antiseptic. What would she give up to be cuddled up in her King sized bed surrounded by hordes of books on forgotten fairy tales and legends.

She'd even give up her house elf Milly.

Davis would take much more than books and a bed to surrender.

"But you don't have much of a choice when you're a Hopton."

Burn, Riff-Raff. Burn.

Jason goes to the Gryffindor table. He sees Travis" Hi Travis" Jason tells him. He eats his chicken, mashed poatoes and peas. He sees new children he never saw there and Jason says" Hello" to them.

Jillian continued to observe the queer girl. She kept making these little movements like she wanted to do something but refrained from doing so. She was a bit surprised when she heard the girl's voice again. She half-expected the girl to remain silent.

Huh. old-fashioned was right. Etiquette and decorum? "Hmm. Maybe..." she said as she watched the girl put her hands in her pockets. "But old fashioned is very to the point. Y'know, lotsa people like to move into the future. Get modernized and stuff."

Then that last sentence opened up an explanation. "Oh." was all that she could say. "High social status, gotta be proper and neat and tidy and all that. I see." Jillian began nodding her head again. It was a habit of hers she couldn't turn off.

"So, Hopton, eh? I take it tha's your last name. You still en't tell me your first name though."

Upon the new arrival, Daphne nodded her head without even realizing who was sitting nearby. Her head swished back and forth as she took multiple looks at the man--boy?--sitting nearby. One hand on her chest, she tried not to gawk. "Good evening," she muttered lamely, hazel eyes falling curiously to the man, nay, boy's arms.

There were feeding some quality protein at his household, for sure. She'd have to write to Pops about this. This kind of meat would bring him great profits. Smiling apologetically at Jillian she nodded once. "I do apologize. I forgot my manners," whispered the 12 year old and wondered how guilty Garret was of this. Perhaps he had some kind of contagious disease she didn't know off that hindered ones senses. "I'm Daphne Hopton. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sort of.

Jillian peeked out around Miss Hopton to look at the newcomer. "Hey there, mate." she greeted, giving a slight nod. "How's it goin'?" that was always a reflex after saying hi, asking someone how they were unless some other topic of conversation was to arise.

Jillian noticed that Miss Etiquette was staring--almost gawking, actually--at the boy. Hasn't she seen a guy before? Curious. Very very curious indeed. She blinked when the girl turned back to her and finally [formally] introduced herself.

"Daphne." she repeated. "There, wasn't so hard was it, making friends?" Jillian smiled. Yes, friends. Sure, Daphne seemed a bit odd, but that's what makes Jillian like her more.

"Oh, hey, Jason," Travis greeted his friend glumly. He couldn't even pretend to be happy! He poked at his mashed potatoes again, his thoughts on Irial and Caitlin. "Have a nice summer?" he asked for conversation's sake.

" My name is Jason Potter Weasley" He tells the girls who talked to him. "Travis, my summer was completely good and weird" Jason told Travis. " How was your summer?" Jason asked Travis. "My back is still hurting from the train" Jason told Travis and the girls.

Cale grinned in delight as he walked into the Great Hall, the real Great Hall, for the first time in his whole life. His heart was going ten times faster than it should but he didn't care. He was ecstatic. He had arrived! HE WAS AT HOGWARTS!

Practically bouncing over to the Gryffindor table, he smiled at his friends and took a seat. "Hey Travis, hey Jason!" he greeted them with a small wave as he sat on the bench. "Nice train ride everyone?"

Looking away from her skirt she stared momentarily at Jillian before chuckling. "Friends," she repeated, shocked at how freely she used the term. "Of course," added the 12 year old with a bemused smile, pulling on the front of her robes feeling bulky.

She was already quite bulky naturally, she didn't need shapeless robes to aid her but they were required by school and her priorities had been chosen by her Mother already:

1) DO NOT GET EXPELLED.
2) DO NOT GET DETENTION
3) Second best is not an option.
4) DO NOT GET DIRTY
5) DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH DIRTY BOYS
6) Try not to die in some freak accident, okay darling?
7) RIFF RAFF ARE NOT FRIENDS

"Right, friends," she repeated with a smile. Upon a new introduction, Daphne nodded in acknowledgment hesitating momentarily before introducing herself again. "Daphne Hopton. Pleasure."

"Oh, hello," greeted Daphne in return politely. Tilting her head, brows furrowed, Hopton conjured the rain ride to Hogwarts. "Aside from possible exposure to contagious diseases it went well."

Lillianna ran over to Jason with her shoulder legnth brown hair flowing behind her. Her topaz eyes sparkled with liquid like beauty. Her porcelain skin made her seem like a doll. She was so beautiful. Even more beautiful than Isabella Swan....and Jason was Lillianna's Edward, and Lillianna was Jason's Bella.

Cale, still quite too giddy for his own good, grinning pleasantly at the girl nearby. "I'm Cale! Cale Newell," he said, holding out a hand for a handshake as he introduced himself. "Your male prefect," he explained, even though the badge on his chest made this fairly obvious. "Nice to meet you."

"So..." he pondered what they should talk about now that the introductions were over. "What year are you?" he asked curiously. She didn't look much older than Theresa, and she was only 11.

As she strolled into the Great Hall, Anna Greingoth stopped and took a moment to stare at the place, almost as if she was seeing it for the very first time. It felt good to be home. A smile crept its way up her face until she was grinning from ear to ear. Hogwarts. The students and staff members were really back home.

After one long, relaxing sigh, Anna put one foot in front of the other again and headed towards the Gryffindor house table. Splinters? Gone. Ministry professors? Gone. Cassandra Trelawney? Go-----still here?!?! What on Earth was Trel doing here? And at the staff table at that? Hmm...

Oh, and let us not forget the very best part of being home at Hogwarts...

BOYS.

BOYS.

AND MORE BOYS.


"Hello, handsome. Anyone sitting here?" Anna jokingly asked her boyfriend. She plopped down right next to him and then took a moment to stare down the length of the table. She smiled and greeted each Gryffindor individually before turning her attention back to Cale. "Well, welcome to Hogwarts. This is your official first day. How do you like it?"

"Hey, Jason! Exciting to be back at the same school with you and your kind," Anna joked, still going on and on about being back at school with all the boys again. "I don't think I know your friend. I'm Anna. What's your name?" Anna looked towards the younger boy talking with Jason, waiting to hear the name of the boy she never got to meet last school year. Come to think of it, there were probably a ton of boys she didn't know, this one being only the first.

"Nice to meet you, Jason. Name's Jillian. Jillian McGuffin." she said introducing herself. Merlin, what was with all this formalities tonight? Maybe Daphne had this aura about her that made people just a little proper--at least for a moment.

Jillian let out a small laugh. "Yeah, me legs are hurting too. That was a pretty long ride, eh? I'm just glad the school's not all girls anymore. That Belle's girlie girl school would've ended me if I had to stay another year longer."

Jillian's smile widened as Daphne confirmed their friendship. "Right then. You and I are gonna be almost inseparable, Daphne." Jillian said so confidently. She picked up her arm, almost putting it around Daphne, then catching herself, put it quickly back down. Jillian didn't think that Daphne liked human contact very much, might as well respect that. That was what friends do, right? Respect each other. Right. Jillian nodded again. "Except of course if we got different classes, and of course we can't spend all our free time together. We gotta have some time to miss each other..." Jillian continued after a moment.

It was as if she was already planning out their days and making up a schedule. Her first thought--Hogsmeade. Always fun there. They've got to get out of Hogwarts early though. No doubt there'll be crowded streets and Daphne might freak out if she got brushed by someone's shoulder.

Jillian was caught offguard by another newcomer. This one knew Jason, obviously. "Hullo. Um...I'm doin' good, thanks. Just bonding with me new friend, Daphne here. I'm Jillian, by the way"

Travis nodded. "That's good. My summer was fine, I guess," he told him. He shook his head. "Riding in a train can be very hazardous to your health. Maybe you should take a pillow with you next time."

He turned and spotted Cale nearly bouncing towards them.

"Hey, Cale," Travis gave him a small smile, thoughts still on Irial and the fact that he might not be alive. "Mmhmm," Actually, it was an awful train ride, what with the news from Caitlin. "The ride was fine, I ruined my dinner with all the food I got from the trolley." This was a lie of course, Travis didn't much feel like eating anything.

Travis smiled at Anna and extended a hand politely. "Hi, I'm Travis, third year."

Hello Jillian, Cale, Anna, Daphne and Lillianna" jason said. Jason hugged Lillianna. "What do you mean by our kind Miss Prefect Anna?" jason teasing his cousin. "Remember, our kind can whip the girls in a pillow fight, right Cale?" Jason asked him. "Cale and Anna, when can I go see the nurse?" Jason asked them. "By the way, no Quidditch for me, I am sure" Jason told everyone. "OW. OW" my back and Jason fell off the bench.

Lillianna hugged jason back. She turned to daphne and smiled. "Hey Im Lillianna"

Seeing Jason fell, Lillianna helped him up. "You are still goofy", she laughed.

"Well come and I would saty sit by me but I do not think you want a seat on the floor" Jason told her.

Before she could control herself the young man's enthusiasm had infected and she was grinning foolishly and shaking his head without second thoughts on Hepatitis B or possible Bird Flu. "I sort of already know you Mister Newell""

He was the Prefect now? Of course she knew him from last term although she hadn't made any attempts at socializing with him. He looked clean and put together enough although--pixie sticks, those curls needed to be trimmed! "I'm second year! This is my second term...really."

Had she been so invisible? Her Mother wouldn't be happy about this snippet of information. Mrs. Hopton swore that Daphne was all the little popular busy bee she was herself while at Hogwarts. She didn't seem to understand that some traits just were not passed down from parent to offspring.

Hazel eyes widening drastically, again, Daphne raised her hand in a silent command for silence but Jillian didn't seem to understand sign language. Again, Miss Jillian's words flooded Daphne's personal bubble and she tried not to hyperventilate. Patting her robes, she began to search for her asthma pump just in case.

"Time to miss each other," repeated Daphne awkwardly, feeling a little nauseous.

Friends? Spending time together? Spending time apart? Glancing away quickly, her eyes darted to the corners of the Great Hall. Leaning forward she whispered almost inaudibly yet urgently for her butler. "Davis? Davis are you playing a prank on me? Not funny!"

Her own tragedy was defeated by Jason's when he fell and again her hand flew to her chest as she concentrated on deep breaths. Definitely, it seemed, that she'd suffer from an asthma attack on her first night back at Hogwarts. Nodding at Lilliana, Daphne smiled politely. "Pleasure. Daphne Hopton at your service."

Except not really. Don't ask any favors.