Carriage 1

Libby boarded the carriage, putting her feet up on the seat opposite her.

Rachel looked up at Libby. "Can I sit with you?" And without waiting for an answer, she climbed in.

"Sure!" Libby put her feet down so Rachel could sit. "So, what's up?"

Rachel was followed by Amanda, who sat beside Libby.

"Hey, Manders!" Libby greeted.

"That's a new one Lib! Hey." Amanda stared off into the distance. "Is there still a chance to run guys?"

"Not that I know of."

"You should have run before you got on the train. Once it started moving, I think that was the last chance."

Amanda shrugged, "May I can hide in the woods?"

Rachel turned to look at them, with sharp eyes. "What do you think is going to happen this year? With Dumbledore dead and all."

"I dunno. Chaos, I guess--he was the best wizard in the world. And... he's gone."

"Gone, that easily..."

"Well. He was getting old anyway." said Rachel calmly. "He was gonna die sooner or later."

"Rachel!" Amanda gasped. "He was the only one fighting off Voldemort from Hogwarts all these years! He was like the glue to the school."

Libby flinched. "Don't say his name!" she hissed. "And what about your brother? Didn't HE fight You-Know-Who?"

"Yeah, you're right! Don't freak out!" she said quickly. "But I'm trying to say that he was gonna die eventually? And what-he was supposed to be over a hundred years old?"

"Like, a hundred-and-fifty. Powerful wizards like him live to be really old."

"He's gone into hiding." Amanda said to Libby, and then to Rachel. "I know but he died by Death Eaters, which makes it worse."

"Death..." Rachel looked down at her hands sadly. "People are throwing it around so easily lately. Death is sacred."

"What i nthe world do you mean by that Rachel?"

"When you die, your soul leaves your body, and you either go to Heaven or Hell-that's why my religion teaches, anyway. Whatever you believe in, you leave your body when you die. Isn't that sacred?"

Amanda thought for a moment. "In that way, I guess it is." She sighed, "How long do you think the year will go before Death Eaters invade the school?"

"I think they're already there, personally."

"Really?! That's crazy. How can they get past all the magic? That was still left intact even when Dumbledore died."

"I wouldn't be surprised... Okay then, how long until they do something like try and turn us all Death Eater-eqsue?"