A prank war is all it takes for a wild and carefree Gryffindor to change an isolated Hufflepuff's perspective on life and teach her that they are more alike than she thinks.
Companion books:
- Other Eyes (Ginny Weasley)
- Gravity (Percy Weasley)
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Maxine O'Flaherty liked trains. And the Hogwarts Express was the her favorite. The scarlet coat of paint and the good letters that wrote out The Hogwarts Express never failed to make her smile.
What Maxine did not like was having to share a compartment on Express. She preferred to stay alone in one; being alone would give her a chance to sleep instead of hearing about everyone's extravagant summer vacations.
The fifteen year old knew as soon as she stepped on to Platform 9 and 3/4 with her older brother Gavin that that was not going to happen. The doorway to the train was packed with other students headed to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With a short huffed, she pulled her large trunk behind her and easily lifted into the side of the train, where all other trunks were stored.
Just as Maxine predicted, there were no empty compartments, so her second best choice was a compartment with two other girls.
The first girl Maxine fully saw was a very tall with dark ginger hair, her face carried a mean look, but Maxine knew that Tamsin Applebee was one of the nicest people in the world-once you got to know her. The other girl, a blonde called Heidi Macovoy leaned against the compartment window with a magazine.
Both girls Maxine knew well; they were all three in Hufflepuff house (one of the four houses at Hogwarts School) and all three were on their house Quidditch team, Maxine as a Beater, Tamsin and Heidi as Chasers. While Tamsin was a year older than the other two girls she preferred to hang out with them rather than girls her own age.
"Hullo, Max," Heidi glanced up from her Quidditch magazine and smiled at Maxine. "Couldn't find a compartment to yourself? Or did you come to kick us out?"
"Heidi," Tamsin through one of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans at her, "don't give her ideas."
Maxine sat down on the compartment bench next to Tamsin and reached to take a bean from her. "Believe me the thought had already crossed my mind."
The girls exchanged information about their summer vacations, much to Maxine's regret. While Tamsin visited with her maternal side of the family and Heidi joined a summer teens Quidditch league, Maxine and her family didn't do anything. Anything.
Maxine's family was what is considered a poor family in Limerick, Ireland. Their house was incredibly small on the outskirts of the city and every cent they had had to be used on food and supplies for the school year.
Maxine's stepfather was an English wizard who moved in with her mother, brother, and herself when she eight years old and worked in a factory that canned food. Maxine's mum (she was a witch) worked in a diner where she did overtime nearly every night to make extra cash.
Gavin O'Flaherty was Maxine's brother that was the same was also in Hufflepuff and was a Chaser on their house Quidditch team. He was popular and while he did love and care for his little sister dearly, he preferred to be around other boys his age.
