The Ones Left Behind

Chapter 1 - The final year.

The day was grey and bitterly cold, which wasn't that unusual for the first day of September. However, on this day there was a different feeling. A sense of sadness and depression, which most people knew by now, would probably be there for a while.

A young woman sighed quietly as she stared at the sky from her bedroom window. Today she would be heading back to school for her final year. She should have been excited as she usually was, but how could she be? The world she knew was on the brink of destruction and she was helpless to do anything to stop it.

"Sheila time to leave" came her mother's voice from downstairs

"Coming!" Sheila called back, grabbing her trunk and, with a last look around her room, left with a heavy feeling in her chest.

Sheila walked into the kitchen and was greeted by her Mum, who hugged her tightly. "Have a great term, sweetheart. And please, stay safe"

The young girl nodded, and used the distraction of picking up her trunk to hide her tears. She didn't want to make this harder. Her mother was against her going back to Hogwarts, but Sheila had talked her into it. She had said that if she felt unsafe she would return home immediately. As she walked down the path leading to the street, she saw two Aurors waiting for her. Of course they were there to escort her to King's Cross. The bigger of the two men, who had very little hair, held out his hand for her trunk. The other held her arm tightly.

"You could ease up, I'm not the enemy you know" Sheila snapped

The Auror eased his grip but did not let go. Sheila felt the sensation she always got when apparating, and the next thing she knew, she was at the train station.

"SHEILA!"

Looking around, Sheila saw her friend Amelia, waving frantically at her. Amelia, or Lia as she liked to be called, was a tall girl with brown shoulder length hair that she often added colour to and she had dark green eyes that were almost brown.

Sheila pulled herself free from the escort and walked over to her friend who had evidently just ditched her own companion. "How was your summer?" Lia asked as they walked towards platforms 9 and 10.

""It was ok, I couldn't really go out. Mum was worried something would happen, you know?"

"Oh yeah, my folks were the same. I had to beg them to let me come back"

"Can we save the chatter for when you are on the train?" came the Aurors voice, causing them both to jump

"Oh, sorry" Lia said, turning red.

Sheila ran after Lia through the barrier, and almost crashed into her like always. "I think the others are on the train already" she said.

The two girls boarded the train and searched the compartments, and, after a few minutes, found the group of people they were looking for. A group of four boys sat together, talking happily. Sheila slip open the door, gaining their attention.

"We wondered where you were" said the nearest boy

"Sorry, we got held up" Lia said, squeezing into the seat opposite him, Sheila sat next to her.

"Talking more like" said another boy

Sheila smiled "Oh come on, we don't talk THAT much, Cloud" this caused the boy to laugh.

"Anyway how are you two? We were all worried" Ant said and Lia looked at the boy opposite her, who was sitting next to the other member of their group, Lee.

Lia and Sheila told the four boys all that they had done that summer and about their parents reluctance to let them come back. The boys sat and listened quietly, nodding every so often.

"You can't really blame them," Lee said "I wasn't sure I wanted to come back. But we can't let fear stop us"

The group talked for a while longer, but were stopped when the train came to a shuddering halt. "There's no way we're there yet" Ant said.

Before anyone could say anything, their compartment door slid open, revealing their friend Paul, who looked terrified

"Deatheaters," he gasped "they're on the train"

"What?!," Sheila cried "Why?"

"Searching for someone probably" Cloud muttered and Paul nodded.

"They are"

"Who?"

"Harry Potter"