After such a rocky and upsetting fourth year, Presley was excited to be back, and settling in to what she hoped would turn out to be a relatively normal and calm year at Hogwarts. Of course, all delusions of that sort disappeared when the train screeched to a sudden halt. Doing her best to remain calm, even though she wanted to scream, Presley regained her balance and looked around. "What in Merlins name just happened?" She asked slowly, as if almost afraid of the answer.

Then Mr. Recard showed up. Presley didn't know him, but she recognized him as her brothers sometimes-boss. He'd been sacked after the..incident with the minister, but reinstated. If he was here, that meant a team of people would be here. Maybe Leo. Her brother might be here. Presley stood up and looked around. Not seeing her brother she shrugged, and placed her index finger on the closest portkey.

Alice didn't want it? Did she not want to be able to walk? How was she going to get into Hogwarts if she couldn't walk? But before Penelope could ask, some Ministry man appeared and started talking about Portkeys. Oh, that was what they were going to use? That wasn't too bad. They'd used those in history class last term, hadn't they? So this was okay. She nodded at James' suggestion for using the teddy bear then turned to Alice when she asked about their things. "Don't we always leave our stuff on the train?" Pets too, which was why instead of picking Spot up - whom she was glad to see was perfectly unharmed from the train's sudden stop - she let the cat hop up onto the empty seat and curl up, ready to wait for those who brought the students' luggage and pets to the castle.

As the Portkey!teddy began to glow, Penelope quickly grabbed one of its legs and held on tightly as she felt the pulling sensation behind her navel and her surroundings seemed to spin.

Delilah bit the inside of her cheeks as she walked, keeping herself from crying. Aurora was horrible. When had that happened? Delilah knew her friend could be horrible, but she'd always been really nice to Delilah...

The Slytherin was half tempted to turn back and go to her... Aurora's compartment, when Delilah was thrown back down the corridor.

Ow.

That really hurt.

Not quite as much as the hurt Aurora caused though.

Delilah lay sprawled on the floor while her mind processed what'd just happened. The train wasn't moving... They weren't there already, were they? She stood up and wend to the window. Headache. Very bad headache... Fantastic.

Then there was a pretty, unfamiliar lady storming down the corridor and demanding that everyone were seated.

WHAT WAS GOING ON?!

... Wait. Did this mean Dee had to go back to Aurora's compartment. Oh Merlin, please, no. Oh? The floor? ... Delilah looked at the woman for a moment, then slid down the wall until her bum touched the corridor floor. There. She was seated. Accounted for.

That was a kind of magic that she didn't really understand... but who was she to question it. But the better question was who on Earth was that lady?



... More strangers? At least this man introduced himself. Delilah frowned as she listened to him. The train was broke?! HOW?! It was MAGIC. Magic wasn't supposed to break!!!

... Portkeys.

Why. Why portkeys. They always made Delilah feel sick. Hesitantly the girl stood up, trying her best to ignore the headache she'd gained from being thrown down the corridor. The teddy bear. That looked most promising. She took hold of it, ignoring whoever else was also planning on using the teddy as their transportation.

And now she waited for it to send them to Hogsmead...

He was about to continue their conversation when the lights flickered. On. Off. On. Off. "Is the train... slowing down?" he asked. That must mean they were almost there, right? Like, that was a warning signal to start getting your things ready? He reached for Thomas's cage when the train jerked to a stop. The horned toad went flying, the flimsy door opening up without needing much persuasion.

Pao dove after Thomas but the toad was going berserk. He lunged, hand out... "Gotcha!" he said, before realizing he had just put his hand in all the fudge. "Oh, sorry!" He quickly returned the toad to its cage, looking sheepish.

And then in walked a man from the Ministry. Was this.. normal? Pao listened quietly, anxiety rising with the man's every sentence. He dumped a guitar neck in their compartment and walked out. What?



Thankfully, Emmanuelle took charge. "No, I haven't." But it sounded like she was about to explain, so it was all good. He listened carefully, eyes glued on her. "That sounds easy enough," he said, not at all confident. But he followed her lead anyways. Securing Thomas's cage in his left arm, he reached his right hand out and grabbed hold of the guitar piece. In the glowing blue light, the only thing to illuminate the compartment, he probably looked ill with fright. Then he felt a jerk behind his navel and a rush of wind. They were off.

Delphinia would have smiled, like Nathan asked, if not for the flickering lights alarming her. That was the first thing she noticed, the on and off of the lights. Then it was the decreasing speed of the train..

Nathan was looking outside, that was the only thing Delphi was able to take in before it happened. The ear-piercing noise of metal on metal coming to a screeching stop, and everything and everyone being flung forward.

Rather than a squeak, it was a cry that escaped the Ravenclaw's mouth, startled as she fell from her seat. Eyes squeezed shut, her entire body tensed on impact with the floor and another body. It only partially registed in her mind that Nathan was probably the reason she had landed on him, gripping her hand as he was. There was too much commotion on the train, through the corridor. Shouting of peers, cries of animals locked in their upturned cages, compartment doors slamming open, and then what could only be the new Headmistress yelling over all of the other noises.

They were to be seated. Whether back in their seats, or on the floor. So.. Delphi didn't have to get up? Because she wasn't sure she wanted to. Besides maybe let Nathan up..

Nathan! Delphi's eyes opened wide, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light again. "Uh.." Was she okay? Well, she wasn't hurt. "Yeah, I guess so," She murmured, slowly, carefully slipping off the boy's lap. Noticing where his head was positioned, against the wall, Delphinia's face took on concern. "Are you?" Her voice was low, but not too low that he wouldn't be able to hear her. She was sitting close enough, still holding tightly to his hand.

Sarah was intently involved in her book that she did not even notice the lights go off, so when they switched back on the first time she did not notice, then they went off again then on, yet the book was much to interesting.

The jolt sent Sarah tumbeling out of the universe of her book. She fell forward, kazaam, lucklily her reflexes were good so she was able to hold her hands out to shield her self from falling on the floor. Yet her hands hurt, she never had much time to regain her strenght and dtand up when the new headmistriss- whom to Sarah was making her first appearance entered.


Who was this lady? The new headmistress? At the Headmistriss order's Sarah scrambled back to her seat, her hands hurting. Luckliy Angelina's cage had been caught on something so it never took the plunge. So Sarah just put it back in place. She was awaiting further orders - which the headmistress did not give.


Sarah listened intently to what the man was saying, so they were to portkey? Sarah had portkeyed before, in HoM lesson... great practice. She went over to the blue glowing teddy bear joining others, and wondred who it did belong to. She held on tight as the familiar feeling came... Hogsmede here we come!

"Well jeez, then why even go out with him?" Oh crap, Faye was not doing so hot in the 'make new friends' category. She kept being rude. But she couldn't help it, things just slipped out even when she didn't mean them to. Faye shifted her wait again to look at the girl more squarly on. She smiled then, okay, she could do this....she could make friends.

"So do you like the Slytherin House?" She asked all nice trying to make up for her rude comments before hand.

And just then the lights flickered in the compartment. And Faye Screamed. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh" She hollared and nearly climbed into the girls lap...she grabbed the girls and clutched it as tight as she possible could. Her breating was out of control. Faye HATED the dark.

Ariana shrugged as to why she went out with him 'I love being in slytherin house, it's really just the best ever and..." the the lights flickered adn flickered and they were off "Great NOW what's going on." and before she knew it the strange girl was in her lap holding on for dear life "Oh it's probably nothing." she said putting the girl off her lap and nest to her but still letting her hold her, Ariana got it, she was scared and alone. then the train slowed down ariana got up but kept her hand out for the girl to hold it as she looked outside her compartment door "what is going on here.. WHOAAAA!.."

then she was thrown fowards bringing the girl with her into the hall, ariana landed on her side hitting her ribs against the wall of the train "what In merlin's beard is Going on!" she said as she loked back to see faye and saw salazar's cage on it's side and salazar screaching like he was being killed. she went and flipped his cage over."iti's gonna be okay Salazar, they'll bring you to the castle safe." then a ministry official appeared talking about going out Via Portkey
"Come on Faye." she said picking up the frightened girl and bringing her to the glowing picture frame "hold on here. Have you ever traveled by portkey before, it's a bit scary your first time, but i'll be with you and i'll met you at the train station deck in hogsmead." she said trying to be reassuring hoping there was nothing serious going on.

Oliver sat in his crate, playing with his toy mouse when all of a sudden the lights began to flicker on and off. The cat looked around, his tail swishing back and forth. The toy mouse fell from his mouth as he began to meow loudly, trying to wake Ronnie. He needed COMFORT. NOW. He was SCAREDD.

Ronnie was curled up in her seat taking a nice nap when all of a sudden, Oliver was meowing loudly from his crate. She moaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Jeez, Oliver! Will you shut up?! Are we here yet or something..?" she asked with a yawn, looking out the window. Huh. Not yet. Okaaaay...what was wrong with Oliver, then? He never really meowed like that before.

She sighed and was about to go back to sleep when she heard a loud grinding noise. She froze. Um. WHATINTHEWORLDWASTHAT.

"WHOA!" she cried as the train suddenly jolted to a stop, causing her to fall onto the ground, and bang her head. OUCH. She moaned as she stood up, rubbing her head. Jeez, that really hurt! She opened Oliver's crate, taking him out and sitting down, holding him close to her. What in Merlin's Beard was going on?! She swallowed hard, shaking as she clutched Oliver to her chest with one hand and rubbed her head with the other.

Ronnie listened as a voice told everyone to sit and explained about doing a count. Well, no one in her compartment but her and Oliver. She sighed, shifting in her seat a bit. How long until they'd start moving again?! Was something wrong with the train? If so, she hoped it got fixed soon. She was real eager to get back to Hogwarts.

Then, another person was here and speaking. Oh boy. He better have good news.

Relief swept over her at the sight of the Portkeys. She stood up still holding Oliver. Well, that was good. They were getting out of here, just what Ronnie wanted! She made her way to the broken guitar neck and touched it with the others and watched as it began to turn blue.

Ashten James Ritchko clambered onto the scarlet steam engine, his stomach churning with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. The American transfer student was about to begin his fifth year of magical education, this being his first year in Hogwarts. The charismatic young man had yet to make any friends and as such, found it exceedingly complicated locating a seat. As he reached the middle cars, he finally reached an empty compartment and slid the door open slowly.

With a grunt he lifted his dark brown and gold trunk and stuck it on the rack above. He sat down with a sigh after he pushed the sliding door shut. Leaning against the window with his arm propping up his head, he stared out of the window, the gold letters "AJP" emblazoned on the trunk glittering in the corner of his eye. His parents were unfortunately stuck with a Muggle Real Estator, finishing up the paperwork for their new home in London. He watched as children and teens alike waved frantically to their parents, siblings, grandparents. . .

He shifted his weight and looked out the compartment window. He watched various students walk by before his eyelids began to feel heavy. . .

Holy moly!!!! Faye kept a death grip on Arianna's hand. She was NOT going to be letting go period end of story. She was terrified. Faye hated the dark, she HATED it more than anything in the world. "Please don't let go of me." Faye cried to Arianna thinking she was going to be left alone in this comparment.

"What is going on, why did the train stop." Faye asked she was about to start crying, please let the lights come back on, please please please. She needed them to.

Ariana looked down at the girl "i'm not sure, but hold onto this portkey NOW if you dont want to lose me." she ordered the girl a bit more stern then she meant

He certainly did. And if the last holiday was any indication he would be working every holiday to come. Nell matched his grin and shrugged. Soren seemed to like flying so she wasn't going to worry about it too much. If she got out some parchment and started writing she bet he would perk up.

"Absolutely!" Nell blurted out. Did he really just ask her out? On like 5 consecutive dates? Her answer had been knee jerk and the happy flush that suffused her face had her looking down at her hands. When some of the heat eased from her face she looked back up. "I'd like that." She could have come back with some flirty retort but she really wanted this.

I hope he's okay. Though Issac was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, he just seemed a little.....upset? Nell hadn't known him for very long so she couldn't be absolutely sure. "Should you go and check on him?"

Nell never even had time to brace herself. She was thrown bodily forward coming up short against the seat in front of her. She rolled onto the floor in time to have the trunks land on top of her knocking the wind out of her.

Things went black.........

An owl was screeching somewhere near by. Where was she again? Nell tried to move but something heavy was preventing it. She tried to move her head but a sharp pain sent her back into oblivion again.

Anastasia marched into the middle cars of the train, coming straight from the back car. Interestingly enough, she now had a rather stuffed purse on her arm and a few stray hairs were out of place. What had the Headmistress been up to while the students were being evacuated?

And were there still stragglers in here as well? "YOU. You. YOU. All of you," the woman pointed, gesturing for the leftovers to grab a portkey. "Get a hold of one of those and GO. We're late for the feast."

She narrowed her eyes at the students and watched and waited for them to do as she'd commanded. Once the kids and the portkeys had disappeared, Annie marched through the empty compartment and into the next one.