"So how was the summer?" I asked and through the usual noises of the train watched in fascination as Wayne’s and Susan’s faces pulled into exactly the same grimace.

They looked at each other, silently asking who would start the lamentations.

A nod from Wayne signified he would.

"I only managed to learn the shield spell." Looking a bit ashamed at that I reassuringly patted his shoulder.

"Well it is a fifth year spell, don't worry about it, can you show me?" He suddenly lost his gloomy exterior and giggled.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." I felt more than I saw Hermione roll her eyes next to me.

I definitely heard her muttering "boys." though.

Shrugging I stood up and pulled out my wand from my sleeve, cough, inventory, cough.

Honestly my wand was probably the luckiest wand in existence, it got to chill in the same place as the wand of a powerful dark lord, a stone of immortality and an artifact said to be created by death itself. I was fairly certain I didn't imagine the occasional purring coming through my bond to the stick.

Raising my hand I completed the entire wand motion for the shielding spell, I could do it without the motion but it would be weaker.

"Protego"

A shimmering opaque shield sprang up before me, only fitting in the compartment due to my newly learned space extension charm. Wait if you could make a space bigger than it was could you also make it smaller?

Narrowing my eyes I shelved that thought for later.

A bright red spell that I identified as a stunner splashed onto my shield, I gave Susan a smug look.

"Come at me bro."

My shield held up too a dozen stunners and five knock back jinxes, Wayne joined Hermione and Susan in attacking me after a while.

My shield didn't break as much as it shimmered slightly and disappeared. Dodging an errant flipendo I glared at Waynes innocent expression and sat down again.

"Your turn." Sighing my only male friend, I didn't consider Garrick a friend more of a mentor and Bill was my brother, stood up and prepared himself mentally.

"Protego"

Interestingly his shield actually felt more powerful than mine, sure he used about half his reserves for it instead of my fourth but still.

Maybe this was his specialisation.

Susan and Hermione had taken it upon themselves to start throwing spells at the shield, I watched Wayne’s face turn smug as they all splashed away harmlessly.

Stealthily I picked up the book I had been reading, 'Magical Me’, Lockhart's books were actually quite entertaining to read, the writing style was humorously descriptive and the content was interesting enough.

I wassurprised it wasn't complete garbage.

Where was I?

Oh yes I threw the book in Wayne’s face, it slapped into him and sent him sprawling onto the ground shrieking like a little girl.

"One thing I should probably note, is that the shielding spell does let non-magical objects pass through.”

Wayne groaned from his position on the floor.

"Couldn't you have just told me?" He asked.

I gave him a blank look, "That wouldn't have been even half as fun now would it."

"You're a dick."

I nodded, "And don't you forget it." At this point Susan interrupted the conversation between me and the snail on the ground.

"Do you want to see mine as well?" After realizing what she'd just said she went beet red in the face and meeped causing all of us to start laughing.

Shaking my head I cast a tempus.

"No, we’ll be arriving at Hogwarts in a few minutes, we don’t want to start rumours by exiting the cabin all red-faced and panting." Without waiting for anyone to leave or turn away I started undressing.

I felt the magic representing my friends turn away hastily, innerly I sighed, kids, the human body was something completely normal.

One day I would manage to hammer that thought into their heads.

This time we were taking the carriages to the school, apparently boats were only for first years. Approaching one of the thestrals I started petting it.

It might be skeletal and generally seen as an evil dark creature because its connotation to death but they were still simply animals.

Proven by the fact that the thing leaned it's head into my hand wanting to be pet more after I stopped.

I gave it the corned beef I'd taken out of my sandwich, which it happily munched down and turned towards my friends while it was distracted. Hermione was gaping at me, as was Susan but Wayne looked fairly bored.

"You can see them too?" I spun around wondering how someone had snuck up on me and found myself looking down into a pair of beautiful silver eyes.

I gave Luna Lovegood a nod.

"I can indeed."