A/N: Hi guys, I'm so so so so so so terribly sorry for the ultra late update! As you know, life happens, especially as a working mom. I will work harder to try to update more often, but I can't guarantee anything. But here it is, the eighth installment to Book One! Just a head's up, I am trying to stay as close to the books as possible without actually coping straight from the books. Also, I don't own Harry Potter, just my own OC

Chapter 8

The compartment door slid open to reveal one of the red-headed boys, Ron, if Nyxia remembered correctly.

"Excuse me… Anyone sitting there?" he asked pointing to the seat next to Nyxia. "Everywhere else is full..." he looked slightly embarrassed.

"Of course!" Nyxia said, getting up and moving across to sit next to Harry. Ron nodded his thanks as he sat down across from Harry.

A few minutes passed in awkward silence while Harry and Ron went from staring at each other to looking out the window. Nyxia rolled her eyes and stood to dig in her trunk, pulling out Hogwarts: A History and opening it to the bookmarked page while sitting down and read.

"Hey Ron."

She looked up to find the twins were back. Giving them a wave, she went back to her book. "…got a giant tarantula down there." Some introductions were passed around with Harry introducing Nyxia for her and the red-headed twins moved on. As Harry and Ron started conversing, Nyxia completely zoned out the conversation as the train sped on and scenery outside changed.

Around noon or so, her attention was pulled from her book by the arrival of the lunch trolley. "Anything off the cart, dears?" a smiling, dimpled witch slid back the door to their compartment. Harry leapt up eagerly while Ron just kind of sat there, looking embarrassed. Nyxia bookmarked her page and put the book down and joined Harry by the cart. Having stayed at the Leaky Cauldron for a month with access to Diagon Alley, she wasn't as surprised by the goodies that were offered, however, Harry's eyes were wide with shock and anticipation. Between the two of them, they paid the nice lady and walked back to their seats dumping the large amount of sweets on the seat next to Ron after getting his okay and dug in.

Nyxia enjoyed the pumpkin pasties and the cauldron cakes before grabbing a container of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and settling back down with her book and bottle of pumpkin juice. Ron watched her for a little bit as he and Harry talked back and forth about Chocolate Frog cards before quietly asking him if she was simply anti-social.

Harry looked at Nyxia who smirked slightly and rolled her eyes behind her book. He smiled and chuckled. "No, just really into her book. She's an avid reader and when sitting still is more prone to reading than talking." Harry glanced back at her and she gave a subtle nod and buried herself even deeper into Hogwarts: A History and her jelly beans. Harry nodded, almost to himself and looked at Ron.

"Nyxia was raised in an orphanage and she got picked on a lot, and eventually they moved her to the attic where she basically just stayed and read all the time. One of the people working there actually cared about her and got her some books and stuff so that she'd be comfortable. I guess that immersing herself in her books is her way of avoiding conflict before it begins…" Harry explained briefly. Ron looked from Harry to Nyxia, blinked then opened his mouth to say something only to interrupted by the compartment door sliding open again.

"Sorry, but have you seen a toad?" a teary-eyed boy asked.

Nyxia looked up with a gentle look on her face. "No, sorry, if we see him though, we'll let you know." She said.

"Thanks…" the boy nodded and closed the door, continuing the search.

Nyxia went back to her book while the boys continued their conversation. Five minutes later the door opened again. The toad less boy had returned but he wasn't alone. The girl accompanying him had already changed into her robes and bushy brown hair framed her face.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." She asked rather bossily.

Ron shook his head. "We already told him we haven't." However, she was ignoring him in favor of looking at the wand in his hand that Nyxia hadn't notice him take out.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see then." She demanded, sitting down next to Nyxia and ignored the rather irritated look that dark haired girl was giving her.

"Err- um... okay…" Ron cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow; turn this stupid fat rat yellow!"

Nothing happened. The girl went on a rant and finally introduced herself as Hermione Granger and then continued to rant before finally leaving, taking Neville with her. Nyxia heaved a sigh and returned to her book again, hoping for no further interruptions while Ron grumbled about George giving him a dud spell. The talk between Harry and Ron turned to school houses and then Quidditch. Of course, to Nyxia's chagrin, that topic and the peace it assured didn't last very long. The compartment door slid open again. Only this time is the blonde boy from Madam Malkin's who was accompanied by two rather dumb looking boys. She chose to ignore most of their conversation until Harry and Ron jerked to their feet.

"Going to fight us, are you?" the blonde boy sneered. Nyxia had caught the introductions, and remembered he said his name was Draco Malfoy.

"Unless you leave now." Harry said.

Nyxia snapped her book shut as the one introduced as Goyle reached for their treats only to come back with Scabbers the rat attached to the end of his finger. Howling and flinging pursued and then the boys finally left only for Hermione Granger to come rushing in.

"What?" Nyxia snapped at her, her patience and temper finally at its limit from all the interruptions to her reading. Hermione shrunk back a bit.

"You should change, we should be arriving soon. And you shouldn't be fighting, people have been behaving very childish, racing up and down the corridor." With every word she seemed to get her courage back. She turned to Ron. "You've got dirt on your nose, did you know?" She turned back to Nyxia to say something then thought better of it in the face of the girl's scowl and left.

Nyxia sighed as she put her book down on the seat and dug around a bit in her trunk to get her robes out. She looked at Harry. "I'm going to go down to the bathroom to change." Harry nodded as Ron dug out his own robes. They boys took the opportunity while Nyxia was gone to change into their robes. When she came back, she settled back down with her book, the jelly beans closed and tucked into her trunk, the pumpkin juice bottle empty.

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken up to the school separately." A voice sounded throughout the train.

Nyxia's brow twitched slightly as Harry gave a nervous chuckle. After making sure everything was packed neatly away in their trunks and Hedwig and Nekoia were situated comfortably, the three made their way out into corridor to join the crowd, her book tucked firmly against her chest as Nyxia worked to stay close to Harry and Ron. When the train came to a stop, the crowd moved steadly and as everyone filed off the train, the first years milling around, unsure where to go and shivering from the cold air.

The light from a lamp bobbed towards them, high above their heads and Harry and Nyxia heard a familiar voice and moved towards it.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry, Nyxia?"

Harry and Nyxia nodded at Hagrid with smiles. Everyone followed Hagrid down to where a small fleet of boats floated on the lake. Nyxia's sight was glued to the majestic castle that sat on the cliff on the other side of the lake. Her black eyes glowed with excitement as Harry pulled her into the boat next to him. The small fleet floated across the lake without any physical effort and into a cavern hidden by hanging vines under which they ducked. When all the first years had climbed out of the boats and Hagrid had found Trevor the toad and returned him to Neville, they all followed Hagrid's lamp up a rocky passageway out onto a large lawn of damp grass and then continued up towards the large oak double doors. Hagrid made sure everyone was still there then raised a huge fist to knock on the doors to the castle three times.