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A morning train ride was just what Alyra needed to set her mind straight again. Summer was finally over and after all she did (also known as nothing) she could use some actual work. It wasn't like she enjoyed doing work; it was more so that she had something to do rather than die of complete boredom.

Normally, she would find herself frustrated at the very prospect of going back to school, as the work was dull and boring to her. In truth, Alyra was not one for studies at all or seemingly social interaction. She kept to her small circle of friends and had never had a boyfriend. Of course she didn't want one, the craving of affection never really caught up to her.

Her parents were overly affectionate in her opinion, giving her hugs and kisses every time she happened to pass by them at home. They never failed to whisper an 'I love you' as she went up to bed or as she went for breakfast. She loved them too, but it was all too much for her.

Besides, she much preferred belting bludgers at opposing teammates at a quidditch match, rather than sitting on the bench cheering for her friends.

People at school occasionally called her cold, but Alyra didn't see it that way. She considered herself smart. How bad would it be if someone knew everything she felt because she showed it? An enemy would be able to take her down from one slip up of emotion. She couldn't have that; on the pitch every move she made had to be cold and calculated. Even more so now, to keep the bludger away from their seeker, Draco Malfoy.

"Bludger, have a nice summer?" Veronica Crossley-Lowe had quickly found her way to the compartment on the scarlet train where Alyra sat.

"As you would expect it to be, Lost, it is usually the same."

"Merlin's sake, cheer up! It's just me, if some annoying first year shows up we can scare them out with your cold act but seriously c'mon lighten up a little."

Alyra had gained a rather strange reputation after being at Hogwarts for four years. She was intimidating, to say the least, solely because of her icy tongue and dull expression. For professors, it was a shock, as compared to her parents warm, overbearing level of care, she had what appeared to be none.

"Fine," Alyra rolled her eyes and crossed her legs, placing her hands on top of them, "I was bored and my parents smothered me as usual."

"You make it sound as though its child abuse." Her friend replied.

It had taken months for any of Alyra's close circle to gain even the slightest insight to her emotions. In the beginning, she had even outright refused to speak to any of them at all, but slowly they had broken down her barriers.

"Well my summer was amazing. I went to Thailand and I had a steamy affair with..."

"Cut the lies Ronnie, we all know that you really spent the whole summer in your bedroom." Samuel said, smirking, as he flicked her in the head and took a seat next to her. "Now as for my summer, Bex found out about Lily."

"Of course she did." Alyra said, not even looking up at him. "Did you invite them both on a date on the same day again?"

"Actually, they're cousins." Dani closed the door behind her and took her seat next to Alyra. "More specifically, my cousins."

"Damn Sammy, you're really clever aren't you?" Veronica laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.

Alyra kept her chatting to a minimum throughout the journey, occasionally butting in with a comment that usually offended Samuel. She could admit, she found that hilarious. He was very easy to make fun of, though she didn't mean ill by it, due to his sickening habit of cheating on people. Alyra didn't like how her friend treated them but she supposed it was only fair to let him live his life.

The trolley came round and as she did every year, Alyra bought two pumpkin pasties for herself. They were a pleasure that she enjoyed indulging in (and it was better to eat something before her stomach rumbled). She sighed at her friends, who had bought what seemed like a mountain of sugar. They were happy so Alyra kept the chastising to herself. Afterall, it was fairly likely that Dani would pipe in with a comment that she was older so she couldn't be told off. Honestly, Alyra didn't feel like having another conversation about that.

"Apparently something special is happening this year." Veronica said as the train drew closer to the final destination. "My parents were talking about it in the kitchen late the other night."

Dani shook her head. "After the whole incident at the World Cup, are you sure they'd risk it?"

Alyra lifted her head up and looked over the two girls. "Hogwarts is safer than a field."

Alyra was less thrilled, she supposed, when they got to the Great Hall and found out that there would be no Quidditch at Hogwarts for the year. If Alyra was like the Weasley twins, she too would have screamed. That would have to wait until nobody was awake. Her life at Hogwarts depended on Quidditch, it was the only thing that kept her from going insane. On the pitch, she was free, and would be called calculated instead of bitter and harsh like she had grown used to. People wouldn't be intimidated by her when she was playing but instead screamed her name as she hit the bludger again.

At least in her first year, she had flying lessons to keep her head straight. What did she have now? Alyra was starting to think she brought her new broom for no reason. A midnight fly was impossible when her common room was in the dungeons. She muttered some extremities as the yelling died down, the group of fourth years sat near her pulling faces.

This hadn't been part of the plan. What was she going to do now?