Note: Welcome! If you're just starting this story, I should let you know that it's currently under revision. You can, of course, continue reading but keep in mind that the narration/style might be slightly off as you get past the point of revision. If you think that's no bother, then go ahead (since none of the revisions have too great of an impact on the bigger story, they're just aesthetic changes to match the tone of the story/characters I see in my head).

However, I would strongly recommend that you revisit this story in a month or so. I'll have all the chapters revised by then, and you can read it all in one go.

For those of you who have been reading before the revisions, you can continue reading if you'd like since I'm writing with the aesthetic appeal in mind anyway.

Of course, I can't really make you do anything you don't want to. So, if you're still reading, I hope you enjoy this mess and let me know what you think of it!

Prologue

Holding out any hope that Hogwarts would be safe from Voldemort's attack was foolhardy, and yet a desperate part of Ankaa hoped that the dome-like shield around the castle would be strong enough to ward off the attacks. Standing under the safety of the invisible dome, the hoards of spells flying through the inky night were almost beautiful; until they landed with a thunderous boom.

"It's still holding up," came a voice, tinged with awe. Fred Weasley stood beside her, watching the scene with reverence.

"Not for long."

Ankaa gave a sidelong glance towards the twins, both of whom were watching the scene with an indistinguishable look on their faces. Pockets of orange had begun to appear, growing steadily larger with each new barrage of spells.

"Be careful. When all of this comes to an end, I want you two alive, got it?"

George gave Ankaa a cheeky smile and a mock salute. "You know it." He saw Fred shift on his feet from the corner of his eyes. With a knowing smile, George stepped away and pretended to be thoroughly engrossed by the sight. It was the least he could do to grant his brother some privacy.

"Be careful."

"You've said that seven times now," Fred grinned, but it lacked the usual bit of mischief.

"Hopefully it sticks. Remember Moody's words alright?"

"Constant Vigilance!" Fred echoed in a surprisingly accurate depiction of their old DADA Professor.

The silence between them was shattered with a solitary boom followed by a brilliant flash of light. The invisible shield that had held strong through the onslaught of spells now began to crumble; pieces of it tearing away and falling to the ground like a piece of paper. With every flicker of light, every rumble of the ground, the feeling of despair grew stronger.

The Devil had come to collect.

"Listen, Ankaa," Fred turned to her, desperation lacing his voice, "I lo—"

"I know," she returned, calmly. Her hands reached for his, giving them one, two, three gentle squeezes. "I'll see you after this is all over. Stay safe, both of you."

Fred looked like he wanted to do something, to say something, anything to buy some time together. But Ankaa gave him a melancholy smile and left, striding resolutely down the steps and disappearing into the castle. There was nothing Fred could do other than to watch her go, hoping that she would be alright.

"You okay, Freddie?" George asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah."

"Me too," George smiled.

And as the shield fell, and the Death Eaters wreaked havoc on his second home, Fred wished that it would all be okay.

But seldom are all your wishes fulfilled.

"But I'm not miserable. I'm just not like them." - Daria - 1x13 - The Misery Chick

Chapter One

King's Cross Station was bustling with people once again. In addition to the corporate traffic that made rush hour an absolute nightmare, there were now hoards of families coming into Kings Cross with their unusual-looking luggage that made navigating the platforms an absolute nightmare. Security officials had become entirely accustomed to some cretin asking them about platform 9 ¾ every year, and so the questions did not seem bothersome as much as they were curious. Regardless, all this talk of the in-between platform was written off as a new prank, and very little came of it to the Muggle world.

There was one family, however, who was privy to the hidden world at Kings Cross. The trio moved through the crowds expertly, weaving in and out of traffic without breaking their stride. Leading the trio was a young woman with soft features; inquisitive brown eyes and cascading black hair and most importantly, a compassionate smile to all who crossed her path. Maya Rhyther was a woman of severe upbringing, but her character did not reflect anything of the sort. Following closely behind were the Rhyther siblings. Cepheus Rhyther was a tall, broad-shouldered young boy who had luckily inherited his mother's pleasant demeanour. His sister Ankaa, on the other hand, had not followed the same way. Although the siblings inherited the wayward curly hair and smoke-grey gaze from their father, Ankaa had been the one to assume his reserved demeanour; quiet but sharp, witty but hostile.

"What happened?"

At the sound of her voice, Ceph turned to his sister. His only answer was a questioning upturn of his brow.

"You were staring. What happened?"

"Oh," he muttered. The boy cast a furtive glance over his shoulder. "That's the Weasley's, isn't it?"

Ankaa, too, turned slightly to behold the sight. "I don't know anyone else with that shade of red hair."

"They've got Ministry Transportation..." Ceph's eyes narrowed at the sight of the emerald green car. It was a little old fashioned and slightly out of place when compared with the Muggle cars outside of Kings Cross, but the car was not what gave the group away. "They're rather loud for someone trying to keep below the radar."

Ankaa nodded in agreement. The Weasley family was clamouring about, trying to touch base with one another and get all their luggage to head to the platform.

"Must be hard to keep track of such a big family."

Her mother, who had overheard her comment, turned to the sight. "Maybe we should help them?" Maya wondered aloud. No one else at the station seemed to be considering offering.

"I'd rather not," Ankaa replied candidly. At her mother's admonishing look, Ankaa elaborated. "It's not just me! Look at how suspicious they look!"

Harry Potter had just stepped out of the car. He righted himself on the pavement before glancing around the station nervously as if he was half-expecting something to jump out at him. Even though Harry Potter was in the same year as her, he and Ankaa had never so much as shared one word. From the first day when he had shunned Draco, Ankaa had maintained a respectable distance.

"Maybe if you were friends with him," Maya muttered, shooting her children firm looks before turning and heading into the station.

"Unlikely."

"He's a good boy, Ankaa," Maya said confidently. "I'm sure the two of you will get along great—you really should try to be friends with him."

"Yeah," Ceph chimed in jovially. "Who knows? Maybe in a few years, you two can even get married."

Ankaa waited until her mother had turned around to shoot her brother a rather insulting gesture, one that if her mother had seen she would have surely been rebuked about. Ceph only laughed.

"It's not funny." But no one heard her sullen whisper. Ankaa's mother had been trying—unsuccessfully, mind you—for the last two years to get Ankaa to become friends with Harry Potter. Ankaa had been firm in her logic as to exactly why Harry Potter was never, ever, going to be her friend.

"He's an absolute prat," Ankaa had rattled off the moment her mother brought up the topic over Christmas dinner. It was Ankaa's first year at Hogwarts, and she had been excited to tell her parents about all that she had learned, and all that she could do when the suggestion to befriend Harry Potter had been thrown about so casually. "Draco tried to become friends with him and what does Potter do? Humiliate him in front of the entire school."

"It wasn't the entire school," Ceph had defended. "Just the first years. Besides, I rather think Draco deserved it."

"If you like Potter so much, maybe you should be his friend."

"Well, I don't see what's so bad about the boy. I thought he was nice when I met him."

Ankaa winced at the memory. "I still can't believe you did that. At the end of the term, no less. Everyone at the platform saw."

"What's wrong with introducing myself to him?" Her mother turned to her waspishly. "I should have done much more than just introduced myself. With the way everyone was whispering and pointing at the poor boy—I can't imagine what he must have been feeling."

Ceph, who had been snickering quietly this entire time, finally spoke up. "I'm pretty sure it was Ronald Weasley who told Harry not to talk to Ankaa actually, just because she was in Slytherin."

As if on cue, one of the redheaded boys from the Weasley family walked briskly past the trio, turning surreptitiously to flash the Head Boy badge he had already pinned to his sweater. He looked down his nose at the three of them before his eyes fell to Ceph and glittered in recognition.

"Good morning."

Ceph nodded once in greeting. "Congratulations," he gestured to the Head Boy badge. "I'm not surprised at all."

"Of course not," the boy replied pompously. "I think we had all rather expected it. I'll be seeing you in the Prefect's carriage, Cepheus. I've got a few things to discuss for the start of term. Penelope and I—she's the Head Girl, you see—we'd like to get the ball rolling on some reforms."

"Of course. I expected nothing else from you, Percy."

Percy Weasley puffed his chest in pride before nodding to the three of them in farewell.

"He's..."

"Eccentric," Ceph supplied for his mother. "Very devoted to his job, I'd say."

"Devoted is putting it lightly," Ankaa murmured. While Percy was busy handing off his luggage to the porters, Ankaa pulled out her wand, but before she could do anything, her mother seized her hand with a penetrating glare.

"How many times must I tell you? No magic outside of Hogwarts." She relinquished her grip on Ankaa's hand with a resigned sigh. "I knew I never should have let Henry put that Undetectable Location Charm in the house. You two have too much freedom."

Ceph and Ankaa only gave her identical smirks.

"I see it as a gesture of your and father's unconditional love for your children."

"Don't you start," Maya gave Ceph a half-hearted glare. "It's your fault anyway. After you got back from your first year, we could hardly keep that wand away from you. Even that warning from the Ministry didn't deter you."

"If anything, Mother, I think that should show you how tenacious Ceph really is."

Maya only shook her head with a fond smile. "I appreciate that about the two of you."

They were joined by old friends, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. Ankaa had missed their entrance on the platform entirely, but Draco's blinding white hair was easy to spot no matter how far away he was. Narcissa, looking every bit as put together as Ankaa had seen her, gave them a cordial smile.

"How are you?" Narcissa's hand wrapped around her mother's giving it a tight squeeze before she turned to the children. "Excited for another year?"

"Always," Ankaa replied. "Though, I think Ceph is more excited to start his N.E.W.T courses."

"Of course!" Narcissa turned to him with polite interest. "What subjects are you taking?"

Ankaa turned away from their conversation then. Ceph was always much better at continuing polite conversations than she had been. Even now, as Ankaa ventured closer to Draco, she could hear Ceph, Maya, and Narcissa talking about potential career options with his N.E.W.T level courses, and how this was the time to concentrate and get good grades.

"How was your summer, Draco?"

Before he could answer, there was a loud racket by the entrance to the barrier. Everyone in the general vicinity turned immediately to spot the redhead family stumbling in, one after the other. Beside her, Draco did not attempt to hide his contempt for them. He scowled at them openly and his eyes roved from one Weasley to the next, until they finally settled on Potter. His scowl deepened, and he scoffed in disgust.

In an effort to distract him, Ankaa told him of her interaction with Percy Weasley.

"He's Head Boy? Hogwarts is doomed."

Draco moved away to join his mother, but Ankaa stayed put and gazed at the scene in bewilderment. The Weasley clan was entirely unbothered by the attention that was on them. Mrs. Weasley was in her own world as she shouted parting warnings and instructions to the twins. Remarkably, neither of the two boys seemed at all concerned about the threats nor the shrill volume for their mother's voice. One of them at least had the decency to look complacent and he spoke to their mother in a hushed whisper in an attempt to get her to stop shouting. The other was unbothered; he nodded along here and there to let her know he was listening, but his eyes were busy roaming the station. He was the one to spot Ankaa, and his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Ankaa simply met his gaze with insouciance before turning to join her mother and brother.

"Now," her mother was saying when Ankaa came to a stop beside her. "Your father and I are expecting a letter every week—Don't look at me like that, Ankaa, it's the least you can do for your poor mother."

Ankaa exhaled roughly. "You'd think after two years of sparse letters you'd be used to it by now."

"Practice makes perfect, darling," Maya retorted. "If not every week then at least every month. Please? I get so terribly bored around the house without the two of you—your father is always busy with work."

"No promises."

Maya repressed her look of disappointment before giving her daughter a radiant smile. "That's alright. Write as much as you can, then. Even if it's just a sentence or two, I'd like to hear what you've been up to." She turned to her son then. "Take care, darling. And make sure to keep your sister out of trouble."

"I don't get into trouble," came the indignant reply from the girl in question.

"Oh?" Ceph queried a brow at her, wondering, "Weren't you the one who was about to curse Percy Weasley?"

"First of all, curse is such an ugly word. I was just going to shrink his Head Boy badge slightly. Not enough that he'd notice right away, but enough to bother him."

Maya regarded her with slight admiration. "As your mother, I'm not supposed to encourage that sort of behaviour. But I suppose once you're on the train it's out of my hands. See! You could write to me about how Percy reacts to that! That'd be fun, I bet."

Ankaa groaned while her mother and brother laughed at her expense.

"Alright, alright," Maya smiled, pulling Ankaa into a short hug. "Be good and study hard! I'll miss you." She then turned to her son and wrapped him up in a hug as well. To him, however, she quietly whispered, "Keep an eye on her? Try and get her out of her shell a bit, yes?"

Ceph answered with a subtle nod. "I'll write to you whenever I can," he promised. "... Are you alright?"

Ankaa glanced at her mother uneasily, noticing the beginnings of some tears in her eyes. Her mother quickly reached up and swiped at her eyes, wiping away any evidence of the sort.

"Yes," Maya answered quickly. "Just worried... with Sirius Black's escape and all."

Ceph laughed, unconcerned. "I double he'd come to Hogwarts of all places, Mother. He's got more important things to do after thirteen years in Azkaban."

"Like paying taxes."

"He can't pay taxes, stupid," Ceph pulled on Ankaa's braid. "He escaped from Azkaban, he wasn't released."

Ankaa gave him a vicious glare, slapping his hand away when he tried to pull on her braid again. "Stop! It took me all morning to get it right!"

"Shouldn't have told me that." Ceph renewed his efforts, even going as far as to try and ruffle her already unruly hair.

The siblings bid one last goodbye to their mother, giving her one more hug for the sake of her sanity, before turning to board the Hogwarts express. As she stepped onto the carriage, Ankaa could hear Mrs. Weasley shouting for her youngest, and in her hands was one of the most hideous pet rats Ankaa had ever set eyes upon. Ankaa ducked out of the way quickly as some students rushed for the windows, waving one final goodbye to their parents.

Ceph led the way through the corridor, expertly maneuvering past excited students and small pets. Without glancing into the compartment, he pushed open the sliding door and strode in to where his two best friends were sitting. Terence Higgs and Adrian Pucey were in the middle of a pointless but heated argument when the siblings walked in. They immediately paused and greeted the two.

"How are you, Ankaa?" Higgs nodded at her in acknowledgement.

"Good, you? You weren't around the Manor this summer."

Higgs and Pucey were over every summer without fail. Ankaa did not mind, seeing as they kept out of her way mostly and elected to simply play Quidditch or take advantage of the Undetectable Location Charm and practice over the summer.

"Yeah, mother and father had decided to go to Albania. We had some family business to settle." He gave her a cheeky smile, "Don't worry though; we'll be at Malfoy Manor this Christmas. We'll see you then."

"Stop." When Higgs only gave him an innocent look, Ceph narrowed his eyes. "Not my sister."

"I didn't say anything!"

"You implied a whole lot," glowered Ceph.

Pucey, who was more than content to be a fly on the wall, only worsened matters. "He was telling me about how he missed her over the summer. Didn't you, Higgs?"

Ceph's glower turned into a vicious death stare. Higgs, who understood the limit rather well, only held up his hands in surrender.

Ankaa, who had spotted her friends venturing down the corridor, stood up. "See you all around. Don't!" She dodged yet another attack from her brother, who only laughed and told her he'd get her some other time.

Pansy pouted the moment Ankaa stepped into the corridor, conveniently placing herself between Pansy and Draco.

"Have a nice summer, Pansy?"

"It was pleasant," came the sulky reply.

"Just pleasant? Draco tells me you went to Spain?"

At the sound of his name, Draco glanced back. It was all the motivation Parkinson needed because she soon launched into a winded explanation about what she had done over the summer, ranging from the hotel she had stayed at to the Muggle girl named Sophia who had spilled her drink on Pansy. In the middle of recounting her trip to the beach, she turned and shouted at—

"Crabbe!" Pansy shoved at the boy. "That's the third time you've stepped on the back of my shoe! Have you not learned how to walk properly yet?"

Ankaa might have even felt bad, but Crabbe (and his shadow, Goyle) did not seem daunted by Pansy Parkinson. Crabbe looked down at her before rolling his eyes and continuing past her and settling himself into the compartment. Pansy stood in the doorway, frowning deeply at his response before she harrumphed and nabbed the seat next to Draco.

Crabbe and Goyle took opposite seats, right by the door.

"Why do you two always look like you're standing guard?" When the two refused to answer Ankaa, she paused. "Did Ceph put you up to this?"

Crabbe simply elected to shake his head. Ankaa waited for an explanation but had to settle for silence instead.

"Of course Ceph but him up to that," answered another voice. "Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco keep an eye over you and report any mischief to your brother."

Blaise Zabini had already situated himself in the compartment long before the rest of them had arrived. He set aside the book in his lap before gesturing for Ankaa to take the spot beside the window. Across from them, Pansy simpered over Draco and tries desperately to engage him in conversation.

"Have an interesting summer?"

"The usual."

"You waste no time, do you?" the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile. He glanced at the title of the book Ankaa had pulled out and situated on her lap.

"Can't afford to," the girl answered easily. "When you've got Cepheus Rhyther as your brother, you need to be the best at all times. It's hard to live up to that."

In a short time, Ankaa had become completely enthralled by the book of spells in her lap. She practiced the wand movements and incantations silently, trying to absorb as much information as she could despite all the rambunctious laughter from the others. From beside her, Blaise tried to concentrate on his book concerning Ancient Nordic Runes, but his brow twitched in annoyance every so often when Crabbe or Goyle would guffaw at something or the other.

"Take a break, Rhyther!"

Ankaa snapped the book shut when Pansy tried to reach for it forcibly. "I'm not tired yet," she said irritably. "Just because you don't like to read doesn't mean the rest of us hate it, too."

Pansy's hand recoiled and she gave a nonplussed stare to the rest of her classmates. "I just meant that you should join the conversation," she retorted strongly after a moment. "It's rude to ignore the company of your friends."

"I don't think Draco and Blaise mind."

Pansy's eye twitched in irritation. "I meant me."

"We're not friends." Ankaa gave her a cold look before flipping her book open with an exaggerated flick of the wrist.

There was no objection from anyone else after that. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle soon decided to leave the compartment to do things that would leave Ankaa's mother highly scandalized.

"Where are they going?"

"Not sure," Blaise answered Pansy's question flippantly. "I've learned not to ask. It means there's less I have to answer to."

Suddenly, the train lurched. Ankaa's book tumbled to the floor, but she did not reach for it. Instead, her hands flew to the wand pressed to her side as a reflex, and she clutched it tightly.

"What was that?"

Parkinson shrugged. Slowly, she got up and reached for the door, sliding it slowly so she could peek out into the corridor. The train lurched a second time, and Pansy was thrown back into Blaise and Ankaa. The two steadied her before pushing her towards her seat.

"Is there anything outside?"

Ankaa pressed her face against the glass in response to Blaise's question, but there was nothing on the tracks as far as Ankaa could see.

"Just the countryside. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Ankaa's heart was hammering in her chest. The Hogwarts Express could not break down in the middle of its route, it was practically unheard of. She could not help but fidget at the sense of foreboding that washed over her. Quickly, she reached for the copy of Advanced Spells and righted it in her lap.

I can always just throw this at someone, she told herself, if all else fails.

Just as she thought everything was alright, the lights in the compartment began to flicker. They flashed once, twice, and then stopped abruptly. Ankaa could hear Pansy's heavy breathing in the eerie silence that stretched throughout the train.

"You don't think this is Black's doing, do you? If he escaped from Azkaban, maybe he can somehow stop the train."

"Don't be stupid, Parkinson," snapped Ankaa. "He's not strong enough to stop the Express on his own."

"Besides, what would he want from a train full of students?" added Blaise.

"Potter," came the immediate retort from Pansy. "It's Potter. It's always Potter."

The train lurched again, and Pansy gripped the edges of the seat with a whimper. Her knuckles were turning white under the force, but Pansy did not yield. It was only when the muted crackling noise reached them did the three of them turn slowly towards the window. The droplets of rain were freezing against the window much too quickly to be normal. A sheet of ice began to spread from one side of the window to the other, freezing everything in its way; even the bottle of water in Blaise's hands.

This was more than just a drop in the temperature.

This time, when the train lurched, Parkinson screamed. "What the bloody hell is going on?!"

No one answered her.

No one dared to move.

They were not alone anymore. Ankaa clutched the wand in her hand so tightly, she could feel the sting of her nails digging into her palm. An ominous figure was creeping in the corridor, right outside of their compartment. It was tall and shadowy, covered in rags that were tattered beyond repair. The shredded pieces of clothing, if they were that, covered the thing's face from view, but Ankaa did not have to see its face to know what it was.

Ankaa knew exactly what this thing was, and she hoped to Merlin it did not look into their compartment.

As if it had heard her prayers, the Dementor turned its head towards their compartment slowly. Ankaa could not see its eyes, nor any distinct feature other than a gaping mouth, but she knew the Dementor had its sight set on her. The wand in her hand felt useless; there was only one spell that could repel a Dementor, and Ankaa had never performed it before. The thought of being defenceless in the face of a Dementor sent a chill up her spine.

The Dementor moved its boney, decaying hands to the door, and the door started to slide open.

Pansy released a shaky breath.

The door slid open all the way, and the Dementor stood at the threshold. Just as it began to enter the compartment, a bright jet of light soared from the other end of the corridor and towards the Dementor. It was thrown away from the door, and further down the corridor.

Ankaa shot up and slammed the door closed quickly. A door wouldn't stand in the way of a Dementor if it came back, but it was better than leaving themselves exposed entirely.

The lights flickered on, and Pansy jumped in fright. "What was that?"

"A Dementor," Blaise's voice waved.

Still standing by the door, Ankaa clutched the handle tightly. Her wand felt like a useless weight in her hand, but she refused to tuck it back into her pocket until she was sure the Dementor was gone. Just the thought of the thing was enough to make her feel cold and empty.

"Are you alright?"

Ankaa turned to find Blaise staring intently at her. "Yes," she answered out of habit. "I'm alright. You?"

Blaise nodded shakily. "I thought it was going to come inside."

"For a minute, I think it was." Ankaa glanced warily at the door, half-expecting it to slide open of its own accord. "Someone chased it away."

"Why do you think it was here in the first place?" questioned Blaise. "Don't Dementors guard Azkaban? What's it doing here?"

"Maybe they think Sirius Black is on the train," answered Ankaa. "I doubt it was supposed to happen like that. Dementors on the train with no teacher supervision. They could have gotten to anybody."

Ankaa remembered Ceph a few compartments further down and wondered if they also had the misfortune of seeing a Dementor from up close. Quickly, Ankaa turned and reached for the door.

"I'll be back." Ankaa ignored Parkinson's protest, "You can't go out there!" and simply closed the door behind her.

The short walk to down the corridor told her that many of the students were just as unsettled as Ankaa, Blaise, and Pansy had been. Idly, Ankaa wondered what had become of Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. Where had they wandered off to, and did they run into any Dementors?

The door to Ceph's compartment opened before she reached for the handle. Ceph stood on the other side, already dressed in his school robes; perfectly done-up with his Prefect badge pinned next to the Slytherin emblem. Quietly, Ceph surveyed his sister.

"Are you alright? Did it come into your compartment?"

"No," Ankaa answered. She moved aside as Ceph stepped out and began walking down the corridor. "For a minute, it looked like it would. It even had the door open." From Ceph's expression, Ankaa surmised that the same had happened to him.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Ankaa could feel her hands getting clammy at the thought of the Dementor. Her hand twitched as if to reach for her wand, but a voice in the back of her mind told her it was no use. She was useless if it came to a Dementor attack.

"Just a bit unnerved, but I'm alright."

Ceph nodded reluctantly before he glanced into the Prefect's Carriage. "Maybe Head Boy will let us know what exactly happened."

"If he knows it himself." Ankaa, too, glanced into the carriage. "But judging by the looks of it," she said, referring to the incredulous expressions worn by many Prefects, "I don't think he does."

Ceph pulled the door open. Hesitating in the doorway, he turned to give Ankaa a stern look. "Be careful. Get back to your compartment and stay close to your friends alright. And Malfoy too—I know he's out and about trying to annoy Potter and his friends, but it's best for everyone to be together."

"Relax, Ceph. I doubt there's any more of them—"

"They got on the train once, who's to say they won't do it again? I know you can protect yourself if need be, but you've never fought off a Dementor. Just, please, be safe."

Someone cleared their throat behind them. Ankaa turned to find a rather ragged looking man. He looked a little sickly, and his shabby clothes left a lot to be desired, but he gave the two of them a warm smile.

"Excuse me," he said, "I'm just trying to have a word with the driver."

"Oh, of course," Ceph stepped aside graciously, gesturing for the man to pass by.

The man smiled in return before making his way past the two of them. He had only just stepped into the Prefect's Carriage when he paused abruptly and turned around. There was a moment of silence between the three of them where the man examined them critically.

"Are you alright?" He sounded genuinely worried for them.

"Are you?" Ankaa deflected the question, giving him a pointed look from top to bottom. His hair hung limply to around his face, framing the dark circles under his brown eyes and making him look even more haggard and tired.

The man cracked a smile, "Yes, thank you for asking."

Ceph eyed the man critically. With a worried frown, he asked, "Would you like to sit down? There's an empty seat here, and you're looking a little pale."

The man waved away his concern easily. "Just under the weather," he explained. "Nothing out of the ordinary for me. I've got poor health." The man then reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a bar of chocolate, holding it out to the siblings. "Would you like some? It will help calm you down."

Ankaa eyed the chocolate skeptically. "We don't take food from strangers, Mr..."

"Lupin," The man supplied. "Professor Lupin actually, I'll be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year."

"Oh! Welcome to Hogwarts, sir. You must be eager to start."

"Unbelievably so," Lupin answered Ceph with a genuine smile that seemed to brighten up his countenance. "I'm sorry, but I haven't got your names—"

"Rhyther, I'm Cepheus Rhyther and this is my younger sister, Ankaa."

Ankaa gave him a welcoming smile as well, contrary to her attitude towards him before. If he really was a Professor, it would be beneficial to remain on his good side. Even if he did wear shabby clothes and look like death.

"Are you... by any chance related to Maya Archer?"

Ankaa exchanged a look with Ceph before answering. "She's our mother. But she's a Rhyther now."

Ceph gave Ankaa's elbow a sharp pinch. "We weren't aware you two knew each other," he stated in a much kinder fashion.

"The witch from Illvermorny, yes. We were in the same year when she transferred to Hogwarts." Although Lupin looked to the two of them, he seemed as if he was actually reminiscing about something lost in his past. In the next moment, the Professor snapped out of his own reverie. "Excuse me," he muttered, "I need to go have a word with the driver. I'll be seeing the two of you around, I expect."

With that, Lupin turned and departed. The siblings watched him amble through the Prefects carriage before turning to one another with identical looks of confusion.

"Uh, what was that?"

"Not sure," muttered Ceph. "Did you see how he brightened up at the mention of Mother?"

Of course, Ankaa noticed that. The man went from looking like he was on the verge of death to looking as if someone had breathed life into him. "I've never heard Mother talk about a Lupin before. Has she mentioned anything to you?"

Ceph shook his head.

"Rhyther!" Percy Weasley glared at the boy angrily. "Let's go! The Prefect's meeting is starting!"

Ceph turned to his sister and rolled his eyes. "I'll see you later. Be safe!"

"Shrink his badge for me, alright?"

Ceph's only answer was an easy-going smile as he slid the carriage door shut behind him. Ankaa debated lingering by the door just to see if she could annoy Percy enough into disrupting his meeting, but she figured she had enough time of annoying him as Head Boy throughout the year. She turned on the spot and began heading back down the corridor to her compartment.

She heard the sound of a door sliding open before she saw him. Neville Longbottom scurried out of the compartment and barrelled straight into her, catching her in the shoulder as walked past.

"Do you watch where you're going or are you too afraid to look away from the floor?"

Longbottom did not answer. His eyes darted around comically, searching for the quickest escape route.

"Can't jump out of the window to get away from me, Longbottom. You've gotta talk."

The Gryffindor squeaked something incomprehensible, looking back towards the compartment he had exited. Maybe he expected someone to hear his cries for help and come to his rescue.

"Longbottom, I don't speak mouse. If you're going to say something, you're going to have to string together sentences so the rest of the population can understand them."

"S-Sorry." He mumbled, gulping loudly, "I didn't mean to run into you."

"Of course not." He certainly seemed like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Ankaa leaned to the side slightly and took note of Granger sitting in the compartment Longbottom had vacated. Curiously, her eyes roved over the other passengers. "Everything alright in there?"

He was wary of her question, she could tell by the way he recoiled in surprise and narrowed his eyes at her. He probably wanted nothing more than to run away from Ankaa and into a compartment where the rest of his friends were (safety in numbers seemed to be Gryffindor's motto). However, something in her expression might have led him to believe that it was a genuine concern, for the boy replied, "Yeah, we're alright. Harry just fainted though."

"Potter fainted, huh?" Ankaa smirked slightly, looking into the compartment once more. She clicked her tongue before nodding, "Well, I hope he feels better. See you around, Longbottom."

"Um..." Longbottom seemed confused but he nodded nonetheless, "See you."

Notes:

Hi! Welcome to the story, first of all. And second, I hope you decide to give this story a chance! I'd love to hear from you in the reviews!

Romance will be slow, but it'll be nice I hope. Stay tuned!

Edited: 13/09/19 (I'll be editing the story as I go, as well as one final time once I have finished)

Revised: 05/05/20