The beginning of a new school year beckoned, as Stacey Lewis stepped through on to platform nine and three quarters, to catch the scarlet train that would take her to Hogwarts for the final time. A sudden wave of nostalgia hit Stacey as she saw the billowing smoke issuing from the engine, had it really been seven years since she first stepped onto the Hogwarts Express? She suddenly had a strong urge to turn around and walk right back through the magical barrier. But she didn't, instead she turned to her parents, both of them looking on at her proudly, her mother's eyes glistened with tears. Stacey smiled and flung her arms around both her parents; they were her rock, something that was as constant as the rising sun and she knew that whatever happened she would always have them.
"Oh my darling girl, you do us proud this year! I will miss you so much. Keep to your studies and don't go wondering off after boys!" whispered her mother feverishly in her ear.
Her father nodded briefly, "You keep to that Ravenclaw work ethic and we don't want any letter's home from Dumbledore saying he's had no choice but to take away your head girl-ship."
Stacey nodded to both her parents, having heard this all on the way to the station, she gave both her parents one last squeeze and made her way with her trunk to the train that was to take her back to school for the greatest year of her life.
"Step back from the trunk Miss Lewis, Fred and George Weasley here, no need to fear!"
Stacey snorted, "Are you two just going to stand there or are you gonna help me with my trunk?"
"Say no more milady, we can't have the new head girl dirty her hands by taking her trunk on to the train…" said George gallantly bowing before her and doffing an imaginary cap.
"No of course we cant my dear brother," said Fred mimicking George's movement.
"Oh, and remember this moment Miss Lewis if you ever chance upon us in the corridors after hours"
Stacey rolled her eyes and tried to hide a grin, "well chop, chop then, I haven't got all day, and incidentally Mr Weasley, if I ever do see you out after curfew I will reserve the most tedious of detentions just for you." With that both brother's lost all pretence of being her knights in shining armour, but still helped her up with belongings.
Stacey thanked the brothers one last time and promised to talk to them at Hogwarts as they wondered off down the length of the train to find their friend Lee Jordan. Stacey grinned inanely to herself and was just about to open the door to an empty carriage when a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"You know Lewis, you really do look quite odd, smiling like that to yourself, people are going to think all Ravenclaw's are like Looney Lovegood."
Stacey spun around and found her self facing the sculptured torso of …
Damn my bloody shortness…
As her eye's trailed up she found herself looking at the laughing eyes of none other than Gryffindor's quidditch captain, Oliver Wood.
"Wood," Stacey said stiffly "Firstly, her name is Luna and you really ought to stop grinning like that as otherwise people are going to think all Gryffindor's are as arrogant as you!"
Ok, not the best comeback in the world… but hopefully he won't notice, he is a quidditch player after all…,
Oliver looked down on her, his laughter fading slightly, "I wouldn't expect such cutting words to come from the head girl herself. But as much as I would love to hang around here all day and subject my self to such verbal abuse, I am other wise engaged, see you at school."
He turned on his heel and went the same direction as the twins had gone only minutes before, Stacey simply stood there, nonplussed, her mouth agape.
"I know Wood's good looking and all but I wouldn't think he'd leave you standing there staring after him" said a teasing voice in Stacey's ear
Stacey turned slowly and opened and closed her mouth several times before managing to get out "I was merely shocked that he can actually string two words together, I wasn't admiring his physique at all! And it's nice to see you too Jules."
"Ah, so you admit, he does have some possible qualities that you could admire!"
"Yes, well no, that's beside the point!"
"uh huh"
"He's an insufferable, pig headed… QUIDDITCH player!"
"Well, he's a very good looking insufferable, pig headed quidditch player," said Jules
"Extremely good-looking… damn sight better than Flint" added a new voice to the mix
Why do they always gang up on me?
Stacey snorted, "Thanks a lot Lana, and don't start me on that troll. He'd no sooner hit you than kiss you…. Marcus Flint, survivor of the Stone Age." >
She yanked open the door and pulled her trunk in and collapsed on to the sofa.
"Yeah, he gives a whole new meaning to the 'Me, Tarzan.' 'You, Jane' scenario" said Jules, Lana laughed as she shut the door behind them.
"Oh I missed you guys!" Lana squealed before throwing herself onto the other two and they became a mass of flaying limbs.
"We missed you too Lana, but can you get off us..." Jules gasped, "We're kinda lacking one thing here… OXYGEN!" she managed to rasp out.
"Oh right, sorry Jules"
"No problem babe. Shows us you love us…" said Stacey
Man, she reminds me of a puppy sometimes… jumping around like a madwoman… heck who am I kidding I wouldn't have her any other way.
'Hey, Stace, dun you have to like go do some head girl thing or something?"
"Oh! Buggery broccoli! I'll see you two later…"
Prefects, prefects carriage, right, get it together Lewis! Damn, I was hoping to stay away from Percy as long as possible!
Stacey slid open the prefects carriage door slowly, wishing to make as little noise as possible, having just heard Percy ploughing through his speech, of which he had sent her several drafts.
"…what you must all remember is that you have a solemn duty to your houses and to your professors. You all have been bestowed a badge of honour and perhaps one of you will someday stand in my place." Percy gazed around the carriage, puffing out his chest in a manner very similar to a bullfrog, oblivious to the glazed looks he was getting.
Bloody prat… I hope he stops there… I know he was having thoughts about adding an extra paragraph just for good measure…
Stacey cleared her throat and all eyes were suddenly on her. She grinned and waved nervously.
"um.. hello, er.. I guess you already know who I am, well in case you don't it's Stacey Lewis and um.. well yeah… I really ought to think we cut this meeting short I'm sure you all know your dorms passwords and your rotas will be posted to you shortly and I guess you'll be all wanting to get back to you mates…"
A rumble of consent was heard, Stacey turned to Percy who was glaring at her murderously.
…damn, he was going to add that extra paragraph.
As if on cue, a tall figure appeared beside her, Stacey turned around and found her self in the company of the fourth quidditch player that day, Hogwarts Golden Boy, Cedric Diggory.
"um, Percy can I have a word?" he asked
Stacey laughed nervously and began to make her way to the door as she saw Cedric trying to gander for Percy's attention whilst Percy was still staring at Stacey's retreating form. Stacey sighed as she worked her way down the train, rebuking a few rowdy second years.
Ahhh! Diggory, wow, that dark brown hair, and those eyes….NO! Bad Stacey. Cannot be having these thoughts… he's about ten! Well not ten, but still, younger than me. Must not think of Diggory… Need a distraction…Davies… what, Davies? Oh!
"Davies!"
"Hey Stacey, got the head girl badge I see? How was you summer?"
"Um… the usual, nothing. Spent time with the folks, Sunday afternoons with Grandma, not the most pleasant of experiences, you?'
"Oh, me… not much, went to the south of France to visit some relatives, tried to get in as much training as possible, going to try and get cup this year, but I'm sure Wood's got the same thing on his mind, but there's no problem with a little friendly competition is there?"
"Oh, France, wow must have been great, but I don't think there's such thing as friendly competition in Wood's vocabulary, it's all out war for him."
"Yeah, Oliver's pretty much fanatical about quidditch, I'll see you at school?"
"Yeah, sure thing Roger…"
Stacey shook her head and proceeded once more down the corridor, popping in and out of a few carriages and exchanging the same old niceties that were commonplace at the beginning of the year. Stacey quickly went up to the prefect's carriage and poked her head in; Percy was nowhere to be seen. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Stacey…" someone breathed down her neck.
ARGH!!!!
Stacey spun around and brought her fist crashing into someone's face. A startled yell was heard and Stacey slowly registered the shock of red hair, and someone sprawling on the floor glowering at her.
"OH, SHIT! Percy, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" she reached forward to try and see what damaged she had done, Percy shuffled backwards clearly fearing anymore bodily harm.
Oh God, oh God, I've gone and lost the headship all on the first day, Dad's gonna have a fit…
"You won't, tell any one will you?"
"No, no, it's fine really, just go away, I'll be fine" Percy muttered thickly as he clutched his nose. Stacey looked quite horrified as Percy pulled himself to his feet and moved to the prefect's carriage, Stacey followed.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, you scared me!"
To her surprise she saw Diggory sitting down quietly reading, he looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow.
"Perce? Stacey?"
Percy began gesturing with a free arm and pointing at Stacey.
oh crap, now he thinks I'm some weird nutter
"I didn't mean to! He snuck up on me! It was reflex"
Cedric grinned at Stacey and whispered, "are you sure it wasn't your subconscious trying to tell you something?"
Stacey's eyes lit up with silent laughter, Cedric shook his head slowly in disbelief.
"Its, fine, I'll sort him out, see this kinda thing at quidditch practise all the time."
Stacey muttered her thanks and walked back down to the carriage she had left Lana and Jules in, refusing to make eye contact with anyone she saw least she cause some more damage.
Bloody hell, get a grip Lewis!
She threw herself into the carriage and saw the two girls sitting reading each other's horoscope from 'Witch Weekly'
"Oh, jeeze, do you guys believe that rubbish?"
"Hey, they're nothing like that muggle stuff you get in Cosmos…" defended Lana
"Cosmo…" interjected Stacey
"Right, Cosmo, this stuff is like done by seers!"
"Uh huh, and you do realise Trelawney claims to be a seer…"
Jules snorted, "Yeah, she's crazy that one, 'You must learn to cast yourselves into the beyond!'" Jules howled waving her arms about in a manner that was very much akin to Professor Trelawney.
Stacey laughed, "What a waste of three years, I should have taken muggle studies."
Lana sniffed in the corner, sounding very affronted, she said, "I happened to like Divination, Professor Trelawney was very much upset when I told her I was giving it up."
Both Jules and Stacey looked shamed faced; their interactions were cut short, the carriage door slid open and there stood the most terrible sight all three girls had ever beheld. Stacey began to shake as she remembered every painful moment; she shut her eyes tightly and clutched her knees to her chest trying to block out the distressing thoughts. But the harder she tried, the deeper she went, getting caught in a tangle of her worst memories. Then the thing backed out of the carriage and Stacey felt some warmth return to her body. Jules shuddered and Lana let out a shaky sigh. Jules then reached into her bag and chucked the other two a chocolate frog each.
Ok, that's kinda weird, since when did Jules give away chocolate?
Noticing Stacey's questioning look, Jules said "I think that thing was a dementor, I've read about them, they guard Azkaban, apparently chocolate helps."
Stacey slowly unwrapped the confectionery and ate it; surprised to feel a sudden warmth, a welcome relief to the mind numbing cold she had felt in the dementors presence.
"C'mon, I reckon we should change, we'll probably be there soon." Lana said, after she had consumed the chocolate.
No wonder no one gets out of Azkaban, those things, they must suck you dry.
Stacey looked up towards the castle and saw the lights flickering merrily in the windows, she smiled to herself and linked arms with the girls as they made their way to the horseless carriages.
"I can't wait to get up to the castle, I am starving!"
"Right, hurry up then," Stacey said, as she quickly opened a carriage door and pulled herself up. Lana and Jules both tumbled in after her, just as they were about to shut the door Oliver Wood bounded in.
"Good evening ladies…"
Stacey nodded her acknowledgement
"Ah, how is my favourite Ravenclaw? Any more cunning repartee?" Oliver said addressing Stacey
"I'm afraid not Wood, I don't think you could keep up."
"Awww, trying to spare my feelings? I didn't know you cared." Oliver said grinning all the more.
"I don't!" Stacey made a movement forward and Oliver held up his hands in mock truce. >
"Ok, ok, I surrender, now I'm not going to make any sudden movements, I heard what you did to Percy."
"You heard what? He said he wouldn't tell anyone!"
"I guess he lied, but Miss Lewis, I really ought to watch out for you, if you carry on like this, first you attempt to throw verbal abuse at me, and then, bam, you hit Percy straight on the nose! I suppose you were projecting your anger for me onto Percy. If I'd have known talking to you would have gotten your knickers into such a twist…"
"Don't you dare presume that you had an affect on my knickers Mr Wood, and I'll have you know that it was an accident! I'm sure Cedric will tell you!"
"Diggory? Isn't he a bit too young for you? Mmm, never saw you as the cradle snatching type"
"Uh, uh... are you suggesting that?"
All the while Jules and Lana were sitting in the carriage looking from one seventh year to the next, both with a knowing look on their face. Just then the carriage stopped and the door swung open.
"Of course I'm not suggesting anything, see you at school Lewis."
Argh! Of all the things… how dare he suggest that I… argh…. Bloody quidditch player…
Stacey noticed her two friends staring at her with identical grins gracing their features.
"WHAT?" yelled Stacey, startling some nearby second years.
"Nothing, nothing," said Lana but with a look that clearly meant something.
Stacey shook her head in resignation and then proceeded to make her way up to the
castle trying to ignore the looks that both Jules and Lana were shooting her.
"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"
"About bloody time too." Muttered Roger Davies, who sat across from the three girls. Jules rolled her eyes and began spooning large quantities of food onto her plate, and everyone else soon followed suit. In no time at all the tables where cleared of food and the various students made their way up to the common rooms and bed. Stacey stood up, quickly checked that the prefects were doing their jobs and leading the first years up to the dormitories and then dragged her weary feet to the Ravenclaw common room and up the stairs that would take her to her dorm, as she drifted off to sleep a small smile played upon her lips, this year promised to be far more eventful that the last.