Rook examined herself in the tiny bathroom mirror before her. She had just donned her new school uniform, and though she looked very strange to herself, like she was going to a Halloween party at a prep school, or something, she reminded herself that all her fellow students would be wearing an identical uniform, so she would be in good company... regarding clothes, at least.

From what she understood of her situation, however, Rook was very atypical. Her acceptance into this prestigious institution of education had come late. So late, in fact, that there was quite a bit of serious consideration toward turning her away.

But the system of acceptance had never failed them before, and they had little to lose. Finally, as Rook was told, the Headmaster had stood, simply stating, "Her name was written; she must have what it takes."

This was an assertion causing Rook great anxiety at present. Indeed, it had troubled her since she was notified of all this barely over a month ago. And so she had spent every waking moment she could spare attempting to get caught up on four years (yes, four years) of schooling.

Rook was once again torn about her decision to attend this school. It was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But Rook had been comfortable at her old school. Here she would be alienated from her peers by the simple fact that they had all been in a class together since they were eleven years old. On top of that, Rook would be spending much of her designated free time getting tutored.

"Suck it up," Rook told herself sternly. "Sleep has been obsolete since the invention of coffee."

Suddenly a horrible thought visited Rook. They're British! What if they only serve tea?!

Just as Rook contemplated this, the school train came to a stop, much more suddenly than Rook had expected. She recovered from her inertia and rushed out of the little bathroom, not wanting to fall behind as the train disembarked.

However, as Rook rushed past the first two compartments, the lights on the train flickered out and Rook was plunged into darkness mid-stride.

"Oh, dear..." she muttered. She heard commotion in the surrounding compartments that indicated that this was not routine. Rook found herself overcome with unease and hurried along to what was, according to her best guess, her compartment.

"Oof—Poopnuggets! Madeline, is that you?"

Rook had collided with a fellow student who must have been on his or her way out of the compartment. There was laughter at her self-censored obscenity in a corner of the compartment, and the student she had so deftly toppled answered, "I'm George—I think you're in the wrong compartment. Here—" He had regained his footing and Rook found his hand in the darkness.

She had just gotten to her feet, however, when a third student ran into her full-force from behind and knocked them all to the floor once again. It might have been comical were it not for the definite note of panic in the third student's voice.

"They're coming! Down the corridor, they're—"

But the boy had frozen, and Rook knew why. There was an eerie rattling sound and the air was cold as ice... The feeling of unease turned into dread and she made a tremulous reach for the boy she had run into, George, desperate for reassurance as inexplicable fear overcame her. The boy behind her shivered violently, but George clutched her hand in reply, albeit rather tightly.

A fourth student in the compartment muttered, "Lumos," and a very dim light emitted from the tip of his wand, illuminating a frowning face. Rook wanted to keep looking at the light. She willed herself to keep looking at it, but the figure with the rattling breath drew closer and, at the sound of the trembling boy's growing whimpers, she looked around.

Rook's insides seemed to seize with fear, excepting her heart, which threatened to beat out of her chest at the sight of the creature before her. It was a tall, cloaked figure, its face hidden in the shadows of its hood. The place where its face would be was pointed toward the three of them, still on the floor. Rook saw what looked like a thin, scabbed, and rotting hand reach toward a terrified blond boy of about thirteen: the boy who had run into her and George. She lumbered to her feet with great effort, releasing George and attempting to pull this boy away from the foul creature advancing on him. But as she tugged on his robes, darkness descended upon her once more, and she was once again falling, falling... A woman's scream rang through the darkness. Rook knew the woman needed help, and no one was coming! Rook had to help, she had to... But where was the woman?

"Just throw some cold pumpkin juice on her. She'll come 'round."

"Fred, this is quite serious!"

"Yeah, but it doesn't have to be, does it?"

"My point exactly! Just trying to lighten the mood a little, Gelly!"

"Don't you start that again! And are you going to eat all my chocolate frogs?"

Rook opened her eyes, never realizing that they had been shut. She first noticed that the train was moving and the lights were back on. She struggled to prop herself up on her elbows, shaken and light-headed, and saw in front of her a mischievous-looking, red-haired, and heavily-freckled boy stuffing chocolate into his mouth unabashedly.

"Ith thah uh offah oh a challith?"

Rook's eyes fluttered and landed on the face of a black girl who looked amused in spite of herself at the red-haired boy's antics.

"She's awake!" a third voice announced. The red-haired boy (who Rook assumed to be Fred) swallowed hugely and winked at an utterly bemused Rook.

"What did I tell them?"

Rook blinked, processing. "To throw pumpkin juice in my face," she answered. "Not very nice, are you?"

Fred looked back at her with a highly unconvincing expression of innocence. "At least I was trying to wake you up! George was the one who wanted to sell you on the black market for ten galleons!"

"I never said that!" chimed in an indignant voice from behind Rook. "I'd ask for at least a thousand!"

"It hardly matters now, does it?!" Fred shot back before she could even turn to face George. "She's probably caught on to us now!" Fired up with false fury, Fred leaned over and gave Rook a playful rap on the forehead. "If we're lucky, though, she's concussed and doesn't understand a word we're saying!"

"Think of what we could do with a thousand galleons!"

"We can finally get that trebuchet we've always wanted!"

"Enough, you two!" interjected the girl from before. "Poor thing, she's obviously disoriented! If you two had any sensitivity—"

"Sense of what, now?"

The girl chucked a cauldron cake at Fred.

"All right, all right! We'll go get the professor!" Rook turned to look as best she could and watched two red-haired boys exit the compartment. She then managed to sit fully upright and noticed a set of scrubby, bunched up robes underneath her head.

"Sorry about them."

A girl Rook had not noticed before spoke in a kind voice. "I'm Alicia. This is Angelina and Lee..." she indicated the black girl and another boy Rook had also overlooked. He smiled in greeting, but his eyes looked tired and worried.

"Well, look at us!" exclaimed Angelina. "We're not usually this dreary. It's those Dementors—the things from before—they're awful, aren't they? Anyway, you mentioned Madeline? She's a Slytherin, isn't she...? You have a strange accent. And you look like a fifth year, but I've never met you! Are you in Slytherin?"

"Well, you wouldn't have... I'm from—"

A man appeared in the compartment door, interrupting the conversation. He was a shabby but kind-looking wizard with prematurely graying hair. His eyes found Rook. "Excuse me, but are you the one who—" he started, but Rook cut him off.

"Fainted? Yeah, I'll be the one..." Rook felt herself blush slightly and sighed.

"My name is Professor Lupin," the man replied, smiling sympathetically. "I suppose your friends saw me pass your compartment as I went to speak with the conductor. I told them to come get me when you woke, while I checked the rest of the train for similar cases."

"Where are Fred and George?" Lee asked the professor.

"They met some friends in my compartment. I must say, they seem in better spirits than anyone on the train."

"I think I'll go find them..." Lee nodded at the others as he left.

Lupin took the seat where Lee had been sitting directly across from Rook and withdrew a large portion of chocolate from his robes. He handed all of it to Rook, simply stating, "This will help." He then withdrew and equally large portion and broke it in half to give to Alicia and Angelina.

Rook took a bite of hers, not feeling excessively effusive. The candy seemed to thaw the lingering dread in her stomach. She swallowed and took a slow breath, feeling much better.

"Thank you, sir."

"You're not the only one to pass out, you know."

"I-I wasn't? Who else—I mean, is everyone all right?"

"Yes, he is all right. As much as you are, anyway. I think he felt better that he wasn't the only one affected as you were."

"So it was just the two of us?"

"Yes, though I believe I can safely say we've all been rather rattled."

Alicia shuddered and nodded in adamant confirmation as she finished her chocolate. "Oh, that was the worst. I've never actually seen a Dementor before. I've only ever read about them!"

"If you don't mind my asking, Professor, but are you our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Angelina inquired curiously.

"That I am and, if I'm not mistaken, I'm not the only new arrival in this compartment." Professor Lupin turned back to Rook. "What a welcoming party, eh? Better?"

Rook nodded and even managed a weak smile. "I think I'll be fine here with Angelina and Alicia, if you want to get back to your compartment, sir."

"I think I will, but I'll be in the compartment at the very end if you need me."

The professor left and Rook turned back to Angelina and Alicia, who were eyeing her with interest.

"So... you're new? Like... an exchange student?" Alicia asked. "I've heard of it before, but I never knew of any at Hogwarts!"

"Not quite, I'm—"

"Sorry, but your accent...," Angelina interrupted, "Are you American?"

"Yes, I'm—"

In consistence with the voyage thus far, Rook was interrupted by a fifth year witch with sleek black hair and dark blue eyes.

"Rook! There you are! I was worried about you, for fuck's sake!" Angelina cleared her throat loudly at the girl and she greeted them frostily. "Oh, hello Johnson, Spinnet."

"Uh..." Rook noted the increased tension in the compartment and addressed Madeline. "Sorry, Madeline. It was the um—Dementors, right? I-I passed out."

"We took care of her, though," Angelina said pointedly.

"Oh, then… Well, Rook, if you're er... comfortable in here, then..." she looked around the compartment awkwardly, avoiding Angelina and Alicia's eyes. "I guess I'll just..."

"I'll come with you, Madeline," Rook stood and Angelina and Alicia exchanged a eloquent look as Rook turned back to say goodbye. "Thanks, you guys! I'll see you at the feast."

Madeline looked relieved as they proceeded to their compartment, which was surprisingly far off. Rook realized she had run in the complete wrong direction from the bathroom earlier, and was grateful that Madeline had found her.

"What was that all about?" she asked Madeline as they reached their compartment. Madeline's friend Luna was gazing absently out of the stormy window as though watching a riveting television show. Eloise Midgeon looked up at them inquiringly.

"I might have forgotten to mention," Madeline sat beside Luna and picked up her book, "but when you get to Hogwarts, you're sorted into separate houses. Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet are in Gryffindor house and I'm in Slytherin. Incidentally, there's a notorious rivalry between Gryffindors and Slytherins, to the point where it almost feels like we're obligated to hate each other."

Rook felt uncomfortable. She liked Madeline, but Angelina and Alicia had been so friendly to her. "They seemed nice enough," she said feebly.

Madeline laughed derisively. "I'm sure they are, if you're not in Slytherin. What can you do?"

"What if… What if I'm put in Gryffindor?"

Madeline giggled. "No, I don't think you will be. Gryffindors are supposed to be brave. Didn't you just faint?"

Rook felt relieved and insulted at the same time. "Hey, I could be brave! Maybe. Okay, I suppose you have a point..."

"I'm in Ravenclaw," Luna offered offhandedly. "Where those of wit and learning will always find their kind," she sang with a fond smile. "Although, I do think some of my housemates are rather witless."

"Yes, but they all think you're crazy," Madeline teased. "And Eloise here is in Hufflepuff: the house you go to when no other will take you."

Eloise blushed and looked at her hands.

"Oh, Eloise, you know I'm just joking. But you've got to admit, 'hard-working and loyal' is kind of a cop-out, isn't it?"

"And what is Slytherin house, the house for bullies?" Rook nudged Eloise fondly and grinned. "Hufflepuff, hm? The House of Misfit Toys. That'll be me, I think!" Eloise returned her smile.

"Oh, I hope so! That would be fun!"

"Sorry! No fun for me, remember? I'll be too busy studying."

Rook chatted amiably with Madeline, Luna, and Eloise, three girls she could almost call friends, and finally felt confident that she would not regret coming to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.