(1) Lux Brumalis (R. Weasley)

Chapter Eight

Pixie leads the way as she looks for somewhere to sit, behind her, Harry follows along. He's nervous but at least he is not alone. He is pretty sure she was told to watch over him, but it is better than not having anyone. Pixie glances back over her shoulder at Harry.

"We can sit together I suppose," She tells him. "Just so you have someone" She peers into a compartment and finds it empty. "Here" She opens the door and then heads inside, Harry following her.

"You don't have to" He offers, she snorts.

"I'd be on my own anyway" She counters. "Least we can be alone together" He smiles at that and nods. She drops onto a seat and then sets the snake tank next to her. Harry takes the seat on the other side of the tank, rather than across from her. He's not a fan of the window seats. "Nervous traveller?" She asks him, he hums and nods.

"I get rather sick" He admits, she raises an eyebrow at him.

"Lovely" She offers and he nods with a shrug. She turns to look out the window and he glances at the snake in her tank.

"Why a two-headed snake?" Harry asks her.

"It's weird looking" She comments. "I like that" He chuckles and nods.

"That's nice of her" A voice states from the tank.

"Be quiet" Another warns, Pixie and Harry both look at the snake before they both realise. They share a look and he frowns.

"You...you can hear them too" He points out. She clears her throat and looks away.

"Yeah" She whispers. Harry thought he was the only one. Just then, the door of the compartment slides open and a redheaded boy looks in.

"Excuse me" He starts to get their attention. "Do you mind? Everywhere else is full" Harry looks at Pixie, she shrugs a little, she's not bothered either way.

"No, not at all" Harry answers. Ron closes the compartment door and then takes the seat across from the two of them.

"I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley" He introduces himself. Pixie raises an eyebrow.

"Pixie" She offers. "Stark"

"I'm Harry" Harry adds. "Harry Potter" Ron's jaw practically drops to the floor. Pixie rolls her eyes slightly.

"So-so....it's true?" Ron comments. "I mean have you really got..." Ron points at Harry's forehead. Harry reaches up and pulls back his bangs to show his scar. Ron stares at him. "So that's where You-Know-Who....?"

"Yes," Harry answers. "But I can't remember it"

"Nothing?" Ron asks eagerly.

"Well...I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else" Harry answers.

"Obviously" Pixie comments, drawing out the word. Harry looks at her. "You were just a baby, no one expects you to remember anything" He gives her a thankful smile as Ron sits and stares at Harry, for a few moments before he realises that he is staring and turns to look out the window.

"Are all your family wizards?" Harry asks Ron.

"Er...yes, I think so" Ron answers. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him" Pixie peers out of the window. She knows how the wizarding world views squibs. She assumes that is what Ron means. It's why her mother told her to just tell everyone that Tony's a muggle. Just to protect her from the backlash that might come from it.

"So you must know loads of magic already" Harry whispers.

"I head you went to live with muggles" Ron points out. "What are they like?"

"Horrible" Harry tells him. "Well, not all of them" He corrects himself. "My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers through" Harry comments, remembering that he had seen the Weasley family on the platform whilst he and Pixie were looking for a compartment.

"Five" Ron counters glumly. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left – Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat" Ron reaches into his jacket and pulls out a fat grey rat, which is asleep. "His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff..." Ron stops and shrugs. "I mean, I got Scabbers instead" His ears turn pink with his embarrassment, he goes back to staring out the window.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Harry asks Pixie.

"Not that I know of" She answers. "But who knows with Dad" Harry makes a thoughtful face before nodding. "You're lucky you know," She tells Harry who frowns at her. "I mean it sucks that you had to live with horrible people, and it sucks that your parents are dead....but at least there are no expectations of greatness on your shoulders" Harry nods. "My dad's an actual genius" She reminds Harry. "Mum's not daft either, and everyone thinks I am going to be just like them...." She shrugs, Ron's eyes shifting to her. "I might just play dumb to screw with them all" Harry smirks and Ron even snorts in amusement.