Sorry that it has been so long since an update! Here is the first part to chapter four =)

I sat staring out the window, my books slid comfortably into my bag, and Hermione going on about how excited she was for classes to start. I hadn't noticed the sudden stopping of her muffled voice until I felt her sit down on the bed next to me.

"Are you alright? You seem a little out of it this morning."

"No, I'm fine. Just tired you know," I said with a shrug of the shoulders.

Truthfully I was tired, and all I wanted to do was crawl back under my warm sheets and fall asleep, my own dreams and thoughts filling my head rather than Harry's constant replay of Cedric's dead body hitting the ground. The only person I had ever lost in my life was my grandmother, but at the time I was only six years old, and the only thing I could really understand was that the people around me were feeling a ton of pain. But this, this was different. Never have I had to see the life leave someone's eyes before.

"You're sure? This doesn't have something to do with the meeting with Dumbledore last night, does it?"

"No, that wasn't anything important. Really I am just tired, and you know I get a little homesick the first week back." I smiled the best I could and stood up, sliding my bag over my shoulder.

"You know if you need to talk about anything, I am here."

"Thanks Hermione."

I knew Hermione went well, and it killed her feeling like she was out of the loop and behind on knowledge. I wanted to tell her not to worry, that everyone was out of the loop, but I knew Dumbledore didn't want me to tell anyone about this assignment of mine.

Hermione, Ginny, and I tracked down the grand staircase, passing Nearly Headless Nick who seemed to be in a miserable mood, and walked into the rather crowded great hall. Harry and Ron were already sitting at the Gryffindor table, both staring intently at a long piece of parchment paper.

"One moment please," Professor McGonagall called out to us as we walked through the doors. She hurried over and handed each of us our schedules for the year.

"Thanks Professor," Hermione said enthusiastically before leading us to the table.

You know if you need to talk, I am here Miss Carson

I looked behind me at Professor McGonagall who was smiling softly. I nodded my head gently before taking my seat at the table next to Harry. I knew if it was going to be hard to hide this from anyone it would be Harry. He was on edge, and anyone acting the slightest bit different bothered him, and made him feel like an outcast. I knew why Dumbledore was sheltering him, but sometimes I wondered if Dumbledore's attempts to leave him in the dark actually made things worse.

"Busy schedule this year, eh?" said Ron, staring at the piece of paper with a dreadful look on his face.

"Well we do take our O.W.L.s this year Ronald. What did you expect?" said Hermione with a little eye roll.

"I figured maybe they would bring down the course load. Give us more time to study, you know?"

Hermione snickered. I don't understand what it is that I see in that boy. I must be losing it.

I took a bite of my toast and scanned over my own schedule. Of course I had my two usual classes, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Herbology. I knew my astrology class was probably going to be difficult, and I imagined that my Transfiguration class would also be rather challenging. Despite only being in my fifth year I often took a higher level Transfiguration class with the sixth years. At least Fred and George would be in the class with me.

"How is your schedule mate?" Ron asked Harry who had just finished chewing a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"We have the exact same schedule it looks like," said Harry, double checking his schedule in comparison to Ron's.

"We all seem to have the same schedule, up a class or two here or there," said Hermione with a big smile.

Well that's good. Maybe I can get Abby to open up to me about the meeting with Dumbledore. I can't believe she would be shutting me out like this. I wonder if she is telling Ron and Hermione? I wonder if Dumbledure is asking her to leave me out?

"So Abby, what did Dumbledore want?" he asked, leaning forward on the table so only the four of us could hear.

"Really guys, it was nothing important. He was just giving me back that wooden figurine I had left here last year."

So, it looks like she's not telling Ron either. I wonder if she told Hermione. She probably did.

I listened to Harry's mind racing like it had last night after our initial conversation, but the racing stopped when Cho Chang walked past our table. She smiled slightly and whispered her little, "Hi Harry," before continuing on with her friends. I tried to not let it show when I felt Harry's spirits lift. Hermione was looking at me intently, apologetic thoughts crossing her mind.

"We better get going," I said with a little cough. "We have Professor Snape first and I am sure he would love to have a reason to punish us on the first day of classes."

"Yeah, no kidding," said Ron, cramming an entire piece of toast into his mouth and slowly starting to chew. Hermione's mouth fell open slightly in shock and she turned to look at me.

I raised my eyebrows and gave a soft chuckle before we headed out the doors and started walking towards the stairs leading to the dungeons. I'll admit that it is hard not to loath Severus Snape after the way he not only treats Harry for being James Potter's son, but also for the way he lashes out at Hermione for being smart. But they could not see inside Snape's mind the way I could...another perk to me being a Phoenix animagi. Try as Snape might, there was no way he could keep me out of his head. Granted, inside his mind was not really somewhere I wanted to lounge, but sometimes when I would be dazing or letting my wall down some of his thoughts would slip in. I found despite Snape's hatred of Harry, he tried to see beyond the parts of him that were his dad, and into the parts of him that were his mom.

"Well look, it's Potter and his little crew of losers," said Malfoy with a laugh. His two goonies Crabbe and Goyle laughed, along with Pansy Parkinson, who hung onto Draco's arm as if he might disappear forever if she were to let go.

"Shove off grease ball," Ron said, sticking his hand in his pocket to pull out his wand.

"Don't Ron," I said, grabbing his arm forcefully. I could feel Snape's presence coming out of the office a couple doors down from the one we stood in front of.

"Is there a problem Mr. Weasley?" Professor Snape asked in his low, drawn out voice. I couldn't help but picturing the words coming out of his mouth in the shape of a snake.

"No, not at all Professor."

"Wouldn't want to start out the year losing points for Gryffindor already now would you?" he asked, looking down his crooked nose.

Ron merely shook his head, profanities thrown in with the word Snape streamed through his mind, and I wondered if Professor Snape was hearing his thoughts as well.

"Inside, all of you." He looked as several people stood, afraid to move for fear he might strike. "Now," he said, his voice rising in volume at the pronunciation of the "w".

I took a breath as the image of a small boy holding a tin box came streaming into my head. His head was facing down at first, but slowly it turned, to reveal a pale face with dark brown hair and dark eyes. He smiled softly at the little girl sobbing in front of him as he slammed the tin box shut, her small doll falling into the darkness.