A New Year.

[ANGELINA RAE JOHNSON]

At long last the owl had arrived.

Earlier that morning as Angelina was sitting down to breakfast with her mother, she heard the gentle tap of a post owl at the kitchen window. With a flick of her wand - she may have become of age nearly a year ago now but she never grew tired of being to use magic at home - Angelina set her knife to work spreading a generous potion of butter across her toast as she got up to allow in the now hotting owl.

Trying to quench her excitement just in case she was disappointed yet again that summer, Angelina tugged the envelope free causing the owl to take off in a flurry of feathers. Taking just enough time to close the window, Angelina flipped over the envelope and there it was. The beautiful purple wax seal of Hogwarts.

It didn't take long for Angelina to rip to open and scan through the parchments that fell out. However, it did take a very long time for her mother to calm down a squealing Angelina when along with the parchment, a shiny Quidditch Captain badge fell out.

Quidditch Captain! This was exactly what Angelina was hoping for. Breakfast forgotten, Angelina quickly, yet clumsily, dressed, eager to start her day with the first trip being Diagon Alley. It would be crowded today with the Hogwarts students receiving their letters. Just how Angelina loved it. There was something so alive about crowds. Plus, there was more of a chance for her to run in to one of her many Hogwarts friends and babble about her new position. Quidditch Captain.

With an almost disbelieving shake of the head, Angelina gave her mother a goodbye kiss on the cheek and jogged down the garden path just far enough away from the house to apparate. Giving a final wave to her mother, Angelina closed her eyes.

When she opened them she was met with the bustling street of Diagon Alley.

[ARTEMIS ANDROMEDA BLACK]

It had taken much convincing from both Remus Lupin and Sirius Black to allow her to go to Hogsmeade, but in the end, she had managed to convince the both of them. After all, who would attack a witch in a crowded street? So long as the female stayed within the busy street, and didn't wander to a less populace alley, they would allow it. And so it was with a wizard from the order walking beside her, she headed towards the wizard alley.

The black haired female held the list in her hand, scanning over the new books she would need. She had just exited Gringotts, the money in a small bag she carried. The female would need new robes, having outgrown the pair she bought her third year. She would also need the books required for fifth years, and some alchemy ingredients for Potions. A sigh escaped her lips as she walked from the steps leading up to Gringotts. Her escort had left after tapping the bricks and watching the female enter Diagon Alley.

An owl fluttered overhead, and Artemis glanced at it, thinking of her own. Alzir was a beautiful ural owl, though his beauty was no match for Hedwig. The brown owl she owned had a way of letting others know how he was feeling, and he wouldn't allow anyone else to use him to send postage, even with Artemis's permission. If someone tried, he would peck them with his beak, and wouldn't take off, large gray eyes appearing to glare at the wizard until he untied the package from his leg. Just last year, a third year had tried to use the owl, mistaking him for a school owl.

Gray blue eyes searched the large crowd, seeking out familiar faces. There were a few she recognized from Hogwarts, but none of them among those she hung out with often. But a dark brown haired girl caught her attention, and Artemis walked towards her. The female's pale complexion was a stark contrast to the older girl's darker one. Angelina Johnson was in her seventh year, two years Artemis's elder. Though her father was a wrongly convicted criminal and currently on the loose, the two girls had known each other for five years, and that should have been enough time for Angelina to form her own opinion of the female.

"Hey Angelina."

[ANGELINA RAE JOHNSON]

True to British nature, as soon as Angelina apparated to Diagon Alley a chilling breeze stirred causing a small shiver to run down her back at the unexpected cold. Typical British summer. Luckily it was only the wind that held the gentle chill and the sun above provided enough warmth for the young brunette to be comfortable in her long sleeved shirt and jeans ensemble, making her happy to forge on.

Even quite early in the day, the narrow street was full of excited children and exasperated parents, the rush of Hogwarts students already starting. Angelina took her time pushing the buzzing crowd, carefully picking her way toward Gringotts as she mentally went through the long list of books and equipment needed for her last year at Hogwarts.

Last year. Angelina couldn't believe it. It seemed like yesterday that she was huddled with the rest of the first years as she anxiously waited for the Sorting Ceremony to begin and for her fate at Hogwarts to be decided. And now she only had a few short months until her N.E.W.T. exams and then it would be all over. Then on top of her exams she had her new position as Quidditch Captain to deal with. Not that Angelina wasn't looking forward to it. In fact, she loved a challenge and was eager to face this year head on. She just wished it didn't mean the end of her Hogwarts career.

Despite the crowds, it didn't take long for Angelina to enter the cool marble entrance hall of Gringotts, and then again for her to have access to her vault and fill her coin purse with enough to pay for all her new equipment. And a little extra. It felt only right that she treated herself to something in the Quidditch supplies shop for earning her captaincy.

Outside once more, Angelina paused for a moment to take in the busy street as she decided internally where to start. She didn't want to be carrying heavy books around all day but they were the bulk of her list and she needed to know how much extra money she had left to spend on herself. With a shrug, Angelina decided to just have a slow meander down the cobbled street and see where her feet took her, but she didn't get far before someone close by called her name.

Swinging her head round, Angelina easily spotted the pale girl just approaching her now. Artemis Black. Though not close with the two year difference, the two girls were friendly enough. She had seen Artemis plenty of times around the Common Room and the two had happily talked together. In truth, Angelina always had a secret soft spot for the young girl though she would never show it with the girl's occasional anger. It must have been hard for her growing up with her father's infamous legacy. Especially in the year when he escaped from Azkaban with the rumoured intent of killing Harry Potter. Strangely, last year the two had grown friends but Angelina didn't question it. She was just glad things seemed to be improving for the outcast girl.

"Hello, Artemis," Angelina responded happily, turning to face her. She spotted the parchment the other girl clutched in her hand, and Angelina bobbed her head toward it as she said, "So you got your Hogwarts letter today too, huh?" Most Hogwarts students did get their letters the same day, but sometimes it varied between years. "Bet you're looking forward to your O.W.L. year," Angelina added on sarcastically.