"DAD!"
"Ari, shouting at me isn't going to help…"
"But Dad if you don't get the car working like this minute I won't get on the train - I'm going to be late on my last year!"
"Just hang on, I've got this."
"Dad, Prefects - aren't - late."

Ariadne sat back hard in the passenger seat of the old VW campervan with a grumpy huff and checked the time on her watch again. This was a disaster. Much as she loved her dad and was very, very glad grampa and Ms Murray from the Department of International Magical Co-operation had managed to get him out of Venezuela during the time Ariadne had been on the SEA trip, he was never on time.
 
"Take you in Trig's van, he said we could borrow it. Do it properly, drive you there, wave you off on the platform, last time for September 1st. Might not get a chance after Christmas, depends where I am." She'd been just glad to see him still when he'd suggested it, but now, half a mile from the station, they'd broken down and they weren't going to make it by 11 at this rate.

There was a hiss of steam from the engine, muttered curses from her father, who was bent over the engine in faded jeans, rough leather jacket and his black curls tied in a ponytail.

Ariadne screwed up her face and threw open the door, narrowly missing the lamppost on the pavement they'd half pulled up on to avoid blocking the London traffic.
"Ari!" Her dad exclaimed, keen to get it fixed and not let his daughter down.
"Dad, come on, be practical, it's not the boat. I am NOT missing the train." She threw open the back doors and climbed in, seizing the handle of her trunk.

There was a slam of metal and more curses, and then her father bounded in beside her, throwing the back doors shut behind them. Ariadne gaped at him in the confined space over her trunk.
"What you doing?!"
"Can't do this with Muggles lookin' can we?"  Her trunk glowed a moment before her father slid his wand away again into his leather jacket. "Abandon ship, Ari."

Ariadne would have laughed so hard she cried, had she not been running as hard as she could down the pavement with one handle of her trunk gripped tightly in her left hand. Her father had charmed it to be featherlight, but it was still awkward to navigate through the crowds. At the other end, Orion Gamp was yelling absurd reasons for Muggles to move out of the way.

Her lungs began to burn with the running, thank goodness the two of them were fit. They barrelled round a corner, up a slope, and streaked towards the platform with the trunk grasped between them. Through the ticket barrier they burst, into a packed platform that was full of adults rather than children. All the train doors were shut and there was a build up of steam in the air.

Ariadne didn't even glance at the clock
"HOLD THE TRAIN!" Her father yelled, sounding like he was selling bunches of bananas on an East End market, not a wizard from a well respected family. He thrust his wand out, and the nearest carriage door burst open. Her trunk shot in after it, Ariadne still attached as the scarlet steam engine whistled.

"Enjoy your term, darling!" Her father exclaimed from the platform as Ariadne found her feet inside the carriage and turned in a hurry to say goodbye.
"Dad! Bloody Merlin - thanks - LOVE YOU!" The train jolted, pulling away from the station. Father and daughter blew air kisses, Ariadne's sides heaving as she caught her breath, her cheeks bright red.  As she was about to go out of sight, she saw her father turn on the spot and bow to the rest of the parents on the platform, as if to 'and that's how it's done'.

Inside the carriage, Ariadne turned back and sank against the luggage compartment in relief as the train rocked on it's way through London. Her trunk, still charmed featherlight, was stuck at an awkward angle in the train corridor, but at least she'd made it, only she was going to be late to get to the other prefects. She hoped she wouldn't lose points for this.

"Sorry," she apologised to students around her, realising her trunk was blocking the way. "Didn't think I was going to make it on time. There space anywhere for this?"

After her tearful goodbye with Shade, Chloe had finally made it aboard, safe and sound, still sniffing up tears. She wasn't ready to leave him all alone, and she wasn't ready not to wake up next to him and laugh over breakfast. She wanted one more day to do nothing but doodle his perfect face time and time again on her sketchpads. She wasn't ready to move on because she didn't have enough time to.

Chloe had checked with the other Prefects and no one had seen Ari yet. The thing was, Chloe had to make sure that she was on this train. There was absolutely no way she'd make it all the way to Hogwarts without her best friend by her side. Chloe was leaning against one of the doors, taking deep breaths and trying to get everything under control when Ariadne burst in the cabin, waving goodbye to her father. In that moment, Chloe's heart hurt. Her last time she'd ever get on this train, and her parents weren't there. Looking out the window, she saw all of the good Mums and Dads, waving goodbye and some wiping tears from their eyes.

Chloe's parents were not in attendance. Instead of watching something that was making her unhappy, she tore her eyes away and instead settled them onto Ari. "Good thing you're here. I was worried you were going to miss it," Chloe said, pulling her friend into a tight hug. "Now, let's get your trunk towards mine, unblock this hallway, and get to the Prefects area. We've got to be an example, don't we?" She joked.

Chloe went to grab some part of the trunk, but instead of finding it as the usual heaviness, it was light. "What, are you buying all your stuff when we get there?" She joked again, trying to put away all the thoughts of Shade, and lonliness, and think only about how much fun she'd have this year with Ariadne by her side.

"Go dtachta an diabhal thú!"[1]

As usual, the part of Mairead's brain that controlled insulting speech worked faster than the rest of it, causing the now-third year to blurt before looking.  It only took her a moment to realize her folly and groan, audibly, when she spotted two ... two prefect badges.  The train hadn't even left, yet, and Mairead was christening her spot on the prefect's must-watch list. 

Prefect badges or no, it didn't do much to make her own trunk any lighter.  It wasn't as much the contents as the actual, physical trunk itself.  Still at just shy of four and a half feet (1.3 meters), the trunk was still almost as big as she was.  The sooner she could get her trunk on the rack, the sooner she could be done with it. 

Apparently, the prefects felt a need to claim a prefects luggage rack in addition to the prefects compartment.  And loo.  "Why can't ye get a prefects Great Hall to go with it?"  She hadn't meant that last bit to be spoken aloud but, oh well.  Self-editing had never been her strong suit. 

1.	May the devil choke you

"Good thing you're here. I was worried you were going to miss it," Ari threw her arms around Chloe and gripped enthusiastically.
"Almost! Merlin, that was close." She agreed.
"Now, let's get your trunk towards mine, unblock this hallway, and get to the Prefects area. We've got to be an example, don't we?"
"Totally, thanks Chlo," the two of them parted to seize each end of the trunk.
"What, are you buying all your stuff when we get there?" As Ariadne seized the handle at her end she realised that Chloe was talking about the charm on it.
"Oh, no that's Dad, he's put a featherweight charm on it, we'd never have made it. It'll wear off just as we try and put it in place, mark my words."

A smaller girl suddenly interrupted in a tongue that Ariadne didn't recognise, but she did recognise Mairead, she was in the same house, but a second - no a third year now.
"Why can't ye get a prefects Great Hall to go with it?"
"Eh Mairead, give us a sec, we'll find room for yours too." Ariadne greeted, hauling up the trunk which was beginning to gain in weight and heaving it into place with Chloe's help.
"Here, give us your end." She reached a hand out to the younger Gryffindor and slid out her wand to attempt the spell herself to help them heave Mai's trunk onto the top of the rack.

"Didn't mean to squash you like," she added as they lifted the trunk, "but I"m sure you'd have punched me in the arse if I landed on you." She winked.
"Chloe, you remember Mairead? Speedy little seeker? We're going to get that Quidditch cup again this year."

Chloe loved Ari. She really did. The girl was her best friend, always ready to give her a big hug and a smile. She was, by far, the best Gryffindor ever. She topped Harry Potter. And Hermione Granger. And Ron Weasley. Combined. She helped get the trunk into the luggage rack, and just as she had said, it got heavier and heavier as they lifted. But then, a small voice added a comment behind her, and she whipped her head around.

With the prefect power now under her belt, Chloe was about ready to deal out some trouble on to whoever had just said that. It was the high emotions that was making her so irrational. But, then Ari took hold of the situation introducing them, and the name Mairead started ringing a bell in her head. "Ah, right, the Gryffindor seeker," Chloe let her offensive outer shell melt, and a determined smile appear on her face. "Sorry to break it to you two, but you're going to have to pry that cup out of my cold, dead, hands this year. I'm not letting it slip by for another year," She was only joking of course, or, well, part of her was.

"I was the quidditch captain for Ravenclaw for part of the year last year. I think I remember flying against you, or at least, watching you in the sky," She helped a little to pull the trunk into the rack as well, and then stood by, brushing her hands together. "Anyways, it's not too safe to have a little kid like you running up and down the halls of the train. You might want to go find a seat," Chloe added in a motherly fashion. Part of the reason she made such a good prefect was the motherly instinct inside her. It was also the reason her patronus was a tiger and her cub. Some part of her stood for safety of the young before anything else, and it always tended to rule over her life a bit.

"Oy, Mum! You've done this exactly exactly fifteen times before. It's the same every year, Edie will be fine," Mac rubbed his hand over his face as a tearful Fiona Nettlebottom fussed over her youngest daughter, straightening her coat collar and rattling of last minute instructions and reminders.

"Don't you take that tone with your mother Macaulay Ezra. Just because you're seventeen doesn't mean you're too big for me to box your ears," the petite witch scolded but there was no mistaking the pride in her eyes as she turned her fussing to him, brushing the shoulders of his jacket, "Now, let me look at you, this is the last time I'm going to see you off for a year at Hogwarts".

Mac tried not to roll his eyes as he placed a dotting kiss on his mother's forehead, "Think of it this way, you've got six more of um before you're done with the lot of us," he gave her a wink before his expression changed meaningfully, "now you've got to let us go or we're going to miss the train and I don't think either of us wants to explain to Storm why Edie is holding up the Sorting". At the mention of the Deputy Headmaster, the youngest Nettlebottom's face paled. She had heard stories about Storm.

"We gotta go Mama! I don't want detention my first trip to the Castle," her blue eyes were bright as she tugged on her brother's arm, pulling him toward the train compartment (two other blonde heads in tow, looking as nonpulsed as humanly possible when under the thumb of an emotionally overwrought mother).

Helping Edie onto the train Mac glanced back once more before giving a salute to his weeping waving (currently raving lunatic) mother, quickly losing sight of Maisie and Lissy as they vanished down the compartment to find their respective friends and get away from Edie (and by extension Mac, obviously they did not want to get caught babysitting the first year), "Alright, Squish"? When the 11 year old nodded he ruffled her hair and lead her down the compartment toward the sound of two familiar voices.

"Chlo's right, Ari. We're going to crush the lot of you this season," he winked at the two girls, hefting a flower painted trunk into place, "And I'd say we're odds on favorites for the House Cup too, if  the rumors of ó Fearghail's mouth and knack for losing house points are to be believed," he almost reached out to ruffle her hair, then though better of it. She was the one who'd stabbed Nick Bevans in the Great Hall Brawl of '09, if he remembered correctly (which he of course did).

"Give'er a break Chloe, I'm pretty sure  ó Fearghail can take care of herself," his tone was a little conjoling, before he glanced down at the wide eyed blonde momentarily dumbstruck by the looming 7th years, "Ah, right. Edie these are the pride of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw respectively, Ariadne Gamp and Chloe Harris. The scrappy one's  Mairead ó Fearghail, also of Gryffindor fame," or infamy. Whatever. Rubbing the back of his neck he shifted his eyes to Ari and Chloe again, "Wee one's my sister Edie, as yet unsorted first year".

"Stop calling me wee, I'm not so little," the blonde piped up and stuck her tongue out at her elder brother before sticking her hand out to Mairead, "Edie Nettlebottom. I'm going to be a Gryffindor too! Help them with her trunk Mac, don't be rude," her ability to sound exactly like their mother was uncanny (mingled with slightly creepy and amusing),

Clearing his throat he regarded the third year carefully, "S'alright Mairead? Hate for you to get smushed before we're halfway to Scotland". He was not making a move for that trunk unless she okay'd it, he didn't fancy getting a utensil to the thigh or neck. Of course he didn't need to bother because the others had it well under control.

More hens seemed to be winging their way to the flock of prefects.  Mairead eyed the newest seventh year and the girl dubiously before turning back to her trunk. 

“A’right.”  She let her fellow Gryffindor and the other prefect take the trunk’s frayed handles.  Gamp's little spell made all the difference in the world and, in short order, the prefects had hoisted the trunk into place.  One year, she’s was going to have to corner the prefects at the curbside, so they could get the thing all the way down here. 

Thanking a prefect, let alone three - and in front of a younger year, would have been a much too painful, so the third year nodded and ducked her head in wordless acknowledgment as she opened the trunk just wide enough to slip out her flute case. 

"Anyways, it's not too safe to have a little kid like you running up and down the halls of the train. You might want to go find a seat,” 

Mairead’s temper had a way of moving faster than her brain and she turned towards Harris, fists clenched.  “I’m not a little kid!”  She was a third year, not some fragile little first year.  “I live in a moving house - I think I can handle a train.”  Train tracks were infinitely smoother than some of the dirt roads they found themselves on. 

But, talk turned to lame introductions and then quidditch.  With quidditch, all titles, save captain, became inconsequential.  Mairead’s attention returned to the prefects with renewed interest and her fists relaxed.   

"Ah, right, the Gryffindor seeker.  Sorry to break it to you two, but you're going to have to pry that cup out of my cold, dead, hands this year. I'm not letting it slip by for another year,”

“Gotta pry it outta ours, first,” Mairead countered.  “Means ye gotta pry the quidditch outta mine and that ain’t gonna happen.  Ye can keep the brainy house cup, though.  It suits the house of teachers’ pets.” 

"Sorry to break it to you two, but you're going to have to pry that cup out of my cold, dead, hands this year. I'm not letting it slip by for another year," Chloe joked and explained that she'd been the Ravenclaw captain for a bit, and remembered Mairead flying.

"Chlo's right, Ari. We're going to crush the lot of you this season." Mac added to the conversation, approaching from down the train corridor with his younger sister who was smaller than Mairead. "And I'd say we're odd on favourites for the House Cup too, if the rumours of ó Fearghail's mouth and knack for losing house points are to be believed."

“Gotta pry it outta ours, first. Means ye gotta pry the quidditch outta mine and that ain’t gonna happen.  Ye can keep the brainy house cup, though.  It suits the house of teachers’ pets.”

Ariadne hooted with laughter at the comeback as they heaved Mairead's trunk into alignment ready to lift it up.
"Anyways it's not too safe to have a little kid like you running up and down the halls of the train. You might want to go find a seat." The motherly side of Chloe had kicked in with the shiny prefect badge, and the arrival of Mac who was her fellow Ravenclaw seventh year Prefect.

"I’m not a little kid! I live in a moving house - I think I can handle a train." Mairead protested, and Ari saw her housemates fists bunch. Uh oh.

"Give'er a break Chloe, I'm pretty sure  ó Fearghail can take care of herself," Ari gave a little scoff, knowing full well Mairead would consider herself capable of anything.

"Ah, right. Edie these are the pride of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw respectively, Ariadne Gamp and Chloe Harris. The scrappy one's  Mairead ó Fearghail, also of Gryffindor fame. Wee one's my sister Edie, as yet unsorted first year."

"Hey there Edie!" Ariadne greeted, but the new student piped up to interrupt her older brother.

"Stop calling me wee, I'm not so little." She held her hand out to Mairead, "Edie Nettlebottom. I'm going to be a Gryffindor too! Help them with her trunk Mac, don't be rude,"

Mac looked to Mairead, cautious to help lift the trunk.
"S'alright Mairead? Hate for you to get smushed before we're halfway to Scotland"
"I think if we don't get it on the rack," Ariadne interrupted, "We'll be the ones smushed, after offering."

Together they got the trunk in place.
"Want to be a Gryffindor then, Edie? Excellent choice! I mean, Ravenclaw's alright," she gestured to Mac and Chloe, "but Gryffindor's the best. I mean, who wouldn't want to be in a house with me and Mairead?"



End