Harry Potter The Totally True Stories of Alexis Applebaum

Chapter 1

I strolled down the corridor of the Hogwarts express keeping my destination in mind. Arriving at the last compartment of the entire train I stopped; this was the compartment. The compartment that my friends and I have ridden in since our first year at Hogwarts. Inside, Zoe, Maria, Kerstin, Madison, and Ashley were probably doing something completely different from each other.

"Hey." I said stepping into the compartment and pulling the door shut behind me. They grumbled unintelligible replies which I took as a greeting. I sat down on the floor with my back pack leaning against the seat. Having nothing else to do I tried striking a conversation with Zoe.

"Hey Zoe, how was your summer?" She studiously ignored me while reading her new book. The cover of that all so consuming book wasn't visible from my current position.

"Zoe the Huffelpuff!" I waved my hand in front of her face.

"Hmm." Was all she said. She shifted a bit and her short blond hair fell in front of her sky blue eyes. Staring intently at the book, Zoe reached up to push the hair away, accidentally hitting her dark blue glasses in the process.

I gave up and looked at Ashley. She had a blank look in her brown eyes. A grin tugged at my lips; with brown curly hair, a buoyant personality, and startling intellect she made the perfect Ravenclaw. Giggling broke Ashley out of her trance-like state.

Her head jerked to the left to find Kerstin and Maddie hunched over a notebook all but concealed by Maddie who was writing furiously. Both wore glasses but that was where their similarities stopped. Kerstin had an oval face and unruly brown curly hair. While Maddie had a circular face and short blond wavy hair.

"Whatchya writing?" I asked. Maddie spared me a glance.

"Fanfic." She said shortly then giggled again and whispered something to Kerstin, sending both of them into a giggling fit. Fanfiction, as I had thought. The two were always writing stories together.

Finally my gaze fell on Maria. She looked like she wanted to talk as much as I did.

"How was your summer?" She burst into tears at my innocent question. When she had calmed down sufficiently, she wailed dramatically, "Summers is over!" She started crying again and covered her face. "I don't want to go back to school!" I laughed and nodded my head in agreement.

Summer was over and everything was back to normal. Well, as normal as you can get at Hogwart's School of Which Craft and Wizardry.

* * *

The train finally arrived at our destination after what seemed like days. I was the only one who stood as the train jerked to a stand still. Kerstin and Maddie were still giggling, Zoe was reading and Ashley was now staring at the wall behind me.

Rolling my eyes I took a deep breath and yelled, "Guys, we're here!" Ashley snapped out of her trance, Zoe nearly dropped her book she was so startled, and Kerstin jogged Maddie's are, then put the note book away and stood up, I was the last on to leave the compartment. Quickly striding out I joined my friends. Kerstin looked up at me, squinting her eyes.

"Did you grow another foot this summer Alexis?"

"I don't..." I was interrupted by Ashley, who looked so enthusiastic I didn't have the heart to be angry with her.

"Is it a spell that makes you grow taller every summer? Because that would be awesome!"

Always thinking Maddie added, "She could have bought a potion or powder from Fred and George.

"Or you just have really tall parents!" Maria suggested.

"I don't know why I'm this tall and I don't think I got any taller this summer. You guys just got shorter." I smirked to show that I was joking.

"Oh!"

"Well."

"Really."

"Cool." Were the replies I received although I don't know why Zoe said, "Cool." We took our time exiting the train and when we had arrived at the black carriages pulled by invisible horses, only the last carriage in the line-up had room.  
My longer legs allowed me to reach the carriage ahead of the others, only to find Clarisa sitting on a seat reading a book. She studiously ignored me. A talent she had practiced and perfected since the first year. Kerstin, Maddie, Zoe, Ashley, and Maria finally caught up to me and boarded the coach.

A chorus of, "Hi!"

"Hello!"

"Hey."

"Hiya.

And, "Greetings." Came from each of my friends as they entered the coach. I added a,"Bonjur." to see if Clarisa would acknowledge me. She didn't.

The only greeting she did acknowledge was Maddie's. Maybe she only liked Slytherins or she was into all that pure blood none-sense. Which didn't make sense because Zoe was a pure blood as well as Maddie. Kerstin leaned over to me as the carriage started moving.

"So much for conversation." She whispered. Only I was meant to hear it but Kearstin had said it louder than she had intended because Maria and Ashley chuckled and Maddie cracked a grin. I don't think Zoe had heard, she was reading again. Clarisa glared at Kerstin.

* * *

The only notice we had of the carriage stopping was the 'snap' of Clarisa's book closing. Then the carriage ceased moving. Standing up, Clarisa glided down the isle between the seats. As the Slytherin reached the three steps leading to the ground, she threw a small black pouch over her shoulder at us.

Almost in slow motion I watched as the pouch formed a graceful arch from Clarisa's hand to the floor. Black powder exploded from the pouch and inky darkness pressed in from all sides, smothering my senses. Some of the powder found its way down my throat. Coughing, I tried to remember where the stairs had been before the darkness. I took a step forward and promptly fell flat on my face.

"Umph." I settled into a crouch and felt around till my fingers found a rectangular object. Zoe's book! I picked it up and crawled forward. A hand brushed the side of my elbow then came back and firmly grasped my arm, pulling me sideways to what I assumed was the exit. And finally I was free of the oppressive darkness and into the light.

"Found her." I looked up at my rescuer: Maddie.

"You guys okay?" I asked hoarsely. The powder had made my throat raw.

"Yeah. We were kind of worried when you didn't come out of the carriage." Maria said helping me up. I looked down at my hands and found Zoe's book. So I handed it back to her.

"Thanks." She said quietly. At least that was normal.

Ashley gave me a pat on the back. "So what was that stuff, Alexis?"

"Why are you asking me? I sure don't know if you don't."

"Instant darkness powder." It was said so quietly I almost thought I'd imagined it. Almost. We all turned to Zoe.

"How do you know?" Maddie and Kerstin asked at the same time.

"Jinx!"

"Double jinx!"

"Triple jinx! You owe me a soda!" Kerstin said triumphantly.

"Go on, tell us Zoe." Ashley urged gently.

"I... uh... Fred and George sell them and last year they pranked Professor Snape and I saw. They told me to not tell anyone.

"Nice. We should get going." We race as fast as we could over the grounds to the main hall where students were milling about calling greetings to friends before walking into the Great Hall. I began expertly weaving my way through the talking children. Most of them stepped back before I could reach them; maybe I had grown this summer.

I looked back to see Maria, Maddie, Kerstin, Ashley and Zoe all following closely behind me not wanting to be closed in by the crowd. With my height advantage I could easily see over the tops of everyone's heads. I noticed Clarisa walking into the Great Hall with a fellow Slytherin.

The two appeared to be in a very serious conversation. Just the sight of her reminded me of the Instant Darkness powder. I reached into the pocket of my robes; time for a little revenge. The look on my face must have been strange because Clarisa stopped and looked at me.

"What's with your face Alexis? Are you trying to think and walk at the same time? That's a big step for you. I rushed her, one of her legs stepped back and she brought her arms up into a fighting position. Oops. I'd forgotten she'd taken karate.  
Fortunately, Kerstin grabbed me around the waist before I got within reach. Clarisa relaxed her position and I walked by and tripped. Classic movie excuse to crash into someone. And, oh, did we crash; I fell right on top of her then I got up quickly and hurried into the Hall pretending to be embarrassed. We all huddled in a circle just inside the doors.

"We must get our revenge." Maria said vehemently.

"You must be AVENGED ALEXIS!" Kerstin shook her fist at the ceiling and dramatically threw her head back. I put my hands up to get everyone's attention.

"Relax guys, we'll get our revenge in," I checked my watch. "an hour and a half. So right when Dumbledore is giving his speech there shall be a disturbance in the Slytherin table."(See what I did there?)

Ashley groaned,"What did you do, Alexis?" I grinned widely.

"I may or may not have slipped a few decoy detonators into Clarisa's robes when I fell on her." one by one they grinned.

We sat down at our separate tables and the feast began. It was pretty delicious but the best part was when dessert appeared on the tables.  
_Is that...?_

"ICE CREAM!" Kerstin finished my thought for me and lunged for a bowl. She plopped a generous portion of each flavor of the ice cream into her bowl then started digging into the mountain with her seemingly inadequate spoon. Just as she finished her mountain of ice cream, everything disappeared.

"Sorry Kerstin no seconds." I said grinning at her fore-lorn expression. She glared at me. Dumbledore started his beginning of term speech introducing a new DADA professor. She thought it was a good idea to interrupt Dumbledore and introduce herself.

"I am Dolores Umbridge." Dolores spoke precisely, pausing after each of her words for clarity. She had a sickly sweet voice that matched her ghastly pink dress coat and skirt. The pinked-out woman also had close cropped brown hair partially hidden by a pink hat. I tuned her out quickly and instead glanced at my watch. Any minute now.

Kicking Kerstin under the table to get her attention, I pointed to the Slytherin table. She nodded and smiled slightly. I turned my attention back to Umbridge.

After what seemed like eternity but could only have been a minute, a loud BOOM erupted from the Slytherin table interrupting Dolores mid-rant. Speech, I meant speech. Perfect! Every single Slytherin, except for Snape, was covered in sticky blue dust. They looked like smurfs.

Every table, save for Slytherin burst into laughter. After laughing so hard I fell off the bench onto the Great Hall's stone floor, Dumbledore called for silence.

The students reluctantly stopped their laughter until only the occasional hiccup and giggle could be heard. Dolores, looking as dignified as possible, sat down at the head table. Dumbledore then dismissed us and we fifth years rant to our dormitories.


End file.

Harry Potter, Friendship, Humor