"Charlotte, long time no see!" Exclaimed the Irish girl, a grin wide on her freckled face, as she slid open the compartment door and came over to hug her closest friend. "And who's this?"

Charlotte picked up the box where the kitten sat to give Niamh a better look. "Niamh, meet Winston."

As Niamh began talking to the cat, Charlotte giggled, passing her friend the box as the door slid open once more, this time to reveal all three of her remaining dorm mates, Lily, Marlene and Dorcas.

"Charlotte! My goodness your hair has got long," exclaimed Lily as they hugged each other in greeting. "How was your summer?"

"Quite quiet, as usual. How was your summer Lily?" She asked, as she greeted Marlene and Dorcas with a grin and a hug as well.

"Could have been better, likely still could have been worse. Nevertheless, it was very nice to have a break, but I'm very glad to be back. Oh, I see there's a new cat, what do we have here?"

"My new cat Winston," spoke Charlotte proudly, letting Niamh show off the small creature, still in its carry box.

"Oh dear, Pickles could eat him alive couldn't he," announced Marlene in dismay.

Marlene's cat Pickles was very large, very ginger, and very lazy. Pickles had a tendency to sneak around the Gryffindor dorms and steal all the biscuits from the other cats, and even once, the girls had caught him stealing a mouse that Dorcas' owl had put down for a mere moment.

"Well, I do hope he moves rather fast," exclaimed Charlotte. "If he's slow at all, Pickles would get him in an instant. How was your summer break Marlene?"

"I got up to a lot," grinned Marlene. "Read a whole bookshelf worth of books, I honestly just couldn't put them down! Yesterday, I read the last story I was saving up, and when it was done, I read the first few chapters of one of this years textbooks, I just couldn't help myself. It's like my eyeballs simply swallowed the words," she giggled.

"Such a nerd," jokes Dorcas. "I on the other hand, spent my summer swimming and playing tennis, not just sitting down and reading all day."

Marlene poked her tongue out at Dorcas, bringing Dorcas to laugh.

"What about you Niamh?" Asked Marlene.

"Well actually, I worked with a muggle vet for summer. It was all rather interesting, and when I wasn't doing that, I spent time with the dogs and the horses. All in all, rather enjoyable, but I'm definitely glad to be back with you all."

"How sweet," grinned Dorcas, elbowing Niamh in the side. "Oh look, eleven o'clock, the train must be about to start."

Just as it was spoken by Dorcas, the train jolted forward and began to move.

"Oh goodness, I must disappear off to the prefects carriage I believe. Niamh, may you look after Winston for me?"

Niamh nodded, returning her attention to the cat, now out of his carrier and purring in her arms.

"Oh yes, congratulations on being prefect Charlotte," Lily exclaimed happily, with the nods of all the other girls in agreement. "I know I said so in my letter, but it's so exciting that we just have to say well done again. Ooh! I'm sure my mum packed some sweets in my bag, and Marlene said her mum made cupcakes again, we should have a little party in the dormitory after the feast to celebrate."

Blushing, Charlotte smiled bashfully. "Perhaps it should be to celebrate the fact that we're together again, I think all your kind letters were plenty congratulations enough for me."

Grinning, Dorcas waved Charlotte out the door. "Oh sod off Charlotte, you're far too polite for your own good."

Charlotte giggled as she closed the compartment door behind her and waved the girls off, taking a step backwards only to be walked into my a big figure.

Towering over her and apologising profusely was the shabbily dressed, very polite Gryffindor boy Remus Lupin.

"Oh dear Charlotte, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," he exclaimed, looking extremely apologetic.

Charlotte smiled up at him. "Honestly Remus, don't apologise, it's no problem! I'm rather surprised it hasn't happened sooner than this actually, with you being so tall and myself being rather short, it's a wonder you can see me at all."

Remus laughed, relaxing slightly. "Where are you off to anyway, this early on the journey?"

Once more, Charlotte blushed. "Oh, I made prefect, and they told us to meet in their carriage, so I am off in that direction."

"Perfect," Remus grinned, "as am I."

As the two started off down in the same direction, they quickly congratulated each other for their achievement.

"Quite honestly, I believed they could give the position to any of my friends, they're all perfect for the task. Niamh is very kind, Marlene very smart, Dorcas very talented, and Lily is very charismatic, of course among all of their other brilliant qualities. I believed that I would be too reserved for the task," Charlotte laughed.

"So did I," chuckled Remus. "But I believe my friends have broken a few too many rules to be considered for the task."

"Hard to overlook you really," Charlotte stated. "And not just because you're so tall."

Remus gasped, pretending to be rather offended. "Well, perhaps you're just too short to realise that I am of an average height."

"Too short? I believe not. I get my height from my great, great, great grandmother, and I believe she was a very powerful woman."

"I was only teasing you Charlotte. You may be rather petite, but you very much make up for it in your intelligence and personality. Not to mention, while you may be quiet, you're certainly a natural born leader. First years always look up to you, even though they're the same height as you," he teased.

Charlotte briskly whacked his arm, causing Remus to cry out.

"Goodness me, with you as prefect we all better watch out," he grinned. "Charlotte the vicious, make a wrong move and she'll cut off your head and hang it from Gryffindor Tower."

Charlotte laughed as the pair entered the prefects compartment, as the irony of the comment was rather entertaining, particularly due to Charlotte's family tree.