SPLAT!

Olivia was drenched in paint. She glanced at her new robes and just stared for a moment. Then she narrowed her eyes at the person who had thrown the balloon at her. Matt Solo CLEARLY had a death wish and Olivia was going to take him down. First, she needed an ally. Before she could do anything else, she watched as Mr. Parole Officer, Tenacius Salander, hurled a balloon at Solo. YES! ENEMY HIT. Maybe he would be a worthy ally? She cheered and then noticed Ace headed towards her with a balloon.
"No, no, no!"

She ran.

Kneazle or Crup?

Rummaging through her pockets, she found her lucky quarter. Her brother, Simon, had found it on a trip to th US and had insisted on giving it to her as a good luck charm. Though it often served Olivia when it came to making difficult decisions like this one. Placing the quarter on her thumb, she took a deep breath and flipped it.

"Heads!"

Catching the coin, she turned to face the person that had called out to her and raised an eyebrow. Cute. Smirk.

That is how she met Tenacius Salander.

They were making popcorn! Huzzah. Popcorn sounded delicious. She hadn't eaten much that day as she had been in the library studying for most of it. After teaming up with Skylar, the two girls set about their individual tasks. Skylar would pop the popcorn and Olivia would melt the butter. Everything was going swimmingly nail the melted butter mixture decided to explode and fly everywhere. Covering Olivia's right wrist and drenching Skylar's dress.

Maybe water would work? She tried that. Wasn't useful. Then Skylar tried the cooling charm and ended up freezing herself to her dress. Oh no....

Panic ensued.

Simon and Olivia sat in Simon's flat. It was over Christmas break and Olivia was busy trying to do some potions studying. Her brother smirked, "oh potions. I'd tell you a chemistry joke but I wouldn't get a reaction."

Olivia looked up from behind her book, simply amused by her brother's pun. Simon laughed and then spoke up again. "What do you call Watson when Sherlock isn't around?" Silence. "Holmesless!"

Olivia sunk further into the couch to hide her smile. "Is the punnishment over?"

"Just getting started, Ols. It's punny."

Olivia had managed to snag a table in the middle of the classroom. It was the ideal position to have. Soon enough Etta joined her. They had crystal balls seated on the tables. So Olivia decided to take advantage of the situation.

"Ols...?"

"Predicting your future." She waved her hands over the crystal ball and closed her eyes. "Levi will be here soon." And she was right. Levi walked through the door right on time.

"Anyone could have seen that coming."

"Shhh, Olivia winked. "I also see that you'll share some chocolate with me."

They weren't alone. She heard cackling and then everything happened way too quickly. She didn't have time to duck or to save poor Carlton from the dungbombs. Peeves happened. He came in with a crash, creating a clattering noise and began terrorizing the first year. Carlton, not knowing how to deal with it, burst into tears whilst Olivia slipped on something slippery and hit her head really badly and hurt her arm too. She was going to teach Peeves a lesson. She didn't know how. She'd figure it out once she got up from the ground.

She needed a minute.

The first time that Olivia saw a thestral was during her fifth year at Hogwarts. She had gone to the stables after classes as she needed quiet time alone. She stopped in her tracks when she saw a creature that looked like a dark horse with wings. Magnificent creature it was. It must have been a thestral but.... Only people who have seen death can see thestrals.

A tear rolled down her cheek when she realized what day it was. It had been a year since her mother had passed. She missed her but wouldn't say anything to anyone.

Greatly.

Karaoke? Where was an invisibility cloak when she needed one? Olivia only sang in the shower. Sitting on the couch, she glanced at Etta and whispered, "Oh Merlin." Soon enough Noelle joined them too and the three of them watched their classmates go up. Ace went up and owned the stage. It was incredible. Olivia just sat there in awe of his stage presence. It was energizing. More classmates went up and it seemed like they were enjoying themselves. She was amazed.

"Olivia, will you sing with me?" asked Etta.

"Together?"

"Yes, together."

Now... what song?

Dedicated to the next Newt Scamander, Derf

She needed two more items on her shopping list and then she would be ready for school this upcoming fall. As she rounded the corner, she heard a loud cry and turned her head in the direction of the noise. Olivia found a young boy frantically waving his arms down the street. What was he saying?

FLYING SALAMANDERS?

Where were the flying salamanders? All Olivia saw was a cauldron charging towards her. She braced herself for impact and managed to catch the cauldron without it squishing her.

"Seems like you've got a runaway cauldron," she smirked.

Olivia felt awesome.

"Thanks," she grinned at Santa (Professor Marchand) as he passed her the candygram in class. She opened it up and read the note. What? Olivia blinked at the candygram. Erm. Her cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink. She was so pretty that she could make a veela jealous. It was from "It's a secret". Brighter pink coloured her cheeks. A secret admirer? Merlin. Olivia had never... Awkward. She pursed her lips and glanced around the room, trying to find possible suspects.

Olivia blinked. She had no clue who to start suspecting. Who could it be?

Brent, Oliver, .... Carlton....?

There was actually going to be a ball. A REAL BALL? She needed to find a dress, figure out her hair, do her nails, and.... She gulped. She needed to find a date. There was so much to do and so little time. But... A date? Olivia didn't know who she ought to ask. She did need a date exactly? No. Did she want one? Yes. Were her friends bringing dates? Etta totally was going to be with Levi. Noelle would probably have a ton of guys asking her. And her?

She had no clue.

Dress robes first. Boys later.

Dedicated to Torrance Ugo Spades

Olivia slumped into an open space on the couch beside Tory. Her bag hit the carpeted floor with a thud and then she sunk into the couch. Perhaps she could just hide away from all of her problems in here? Academic and personal? Okay? Okay.

"Rough day?" asked Tory as he continued to read.

"You could say that again," she smiled and glanced at his textbook. "Theoretical charms, hey? For pleasure or for studying?"

"No.. Never personal with charms. OWLs." Eyebrow raise. "What's got you down?"

"Ah OWLs strikes again." An excellent question, thought Olivia. "Ancient Runes. I'm very frustrated."

Merlin's Pride was the equivalent of their Yule Ball this year and it had been an interesting event. Olivia had danced with both Etta and Noelle and had run into handsome Ace. And then there was the comment about her dress which made her blush and then Melbourne had come over to check up on them. She had even called her muffin..... erm... OH EARNEST.

Then Ace reassured her about her looks and then.... If anything its me that has to worry and fend off other interested parties. What did he mean by that?

Confused, she was.

Olivia had a date! A date with Ace.

She had been searching through a crowd that had gathered in Hogsmeade around a small band that had started playing. Merlin. she wished she was taller then she could see over people. And then all of a sudden, Ace was in front of her. He looked incredible... as usual. But it really hit her at that moment that this was a date. No panicking...

When he took her hand into his, she knew that everything was going to be fine.

She wanted to remember this moment for a very long time.

Wearing her fluffy onesie, Olivia waited around the corner from the entrance into the Gryffindor Common Room with licorice wand in one hand ready to strike. Oh yes, she was after a particular female Prefect in fact. It was after all almost the first of April. Heh. Perfect. She even had taken the time to take some mascara and draw two horizontal marks across her cheeks. She had to get into character, y'know?

She summoned a pillow nonverbally when she heard the door creak.

"PILLOW FIGHT!"

Olivia had lost the pillow fight.

..... Still worth it.

Etta's warning came back into her mind. He's kissing someone else...

The words stung.

Immediately Olivia had wanted to know who he was kissing. Etta hadn't said whom the girl was. Was the information true? Of course, it was. It was Etta. Her friend dealt in facts. So it was true.

It'd probably be best to move on and ignore those feelings. Lock them up in a buried safe. Ignore. "How silly of me," she chuckled, wiping a tear away that had rolled down her cheek. "How could someone like him ever like someone like me?"

Olivia needed some advice and who better to ask than Noelle.

She caught Noelle up to speed on the situation. And soon enough, Noelle was drawing Olivia and her crush's name in the air with her wand. Olivia panicked. She waved her hands in front of it in a spazzy manner just in case anyone was watching. Oh Merlin. Whose face was as red as her scarf right now? Olivia's was.

"I'm not embarrassed... I.. I'm careful. Knowing my luck, he's right behind me... Right now!" Then she'd have to explain all of this to him calmly.

Quidditch + Flying ---> Gross.

Two things that Olivia DIDN'T enjoy. However, flying would improve her balance. She hadn't been looking forward to flying but once Jace Kennsington had offered to help her with it all, she perked up a bit. And he even often offered to catch her if she fell. She called him a gentleman because of that.

"I'm mostly a gentleman," he smirked suavely. Olivia's eyes widened in realization at the fact that JACE KENNSINGTON was practically a real life version of Flynn Rider.

James Bond = Flynn Rider = Prince Charming = Jace Kennsington.

Mind blown.

"You ought to tell him, Olivia........" said Tory when he noticed who Olivia was stealing glances at from across the room.

"No, I don't... can't..." She turned her attention to her textbook. Tory shrugged his shoulders and the two went back to studying for a few minutes. Perhaps Tory was actually study but Olivia didn't retain any of the information that she had read because her mind was focused elsewhere. All of a sudden, she stood up. She had chickened out for too long. "I'll be back."

"You got this," smiled Tory.

Arithmancy was a subject that Olivia struggled with. The concept evaded her. It just didn't make sense to her for some odd reason so she had owled her brother for some help. One morning at breakfast, an owl dropped a reply into her lap from him. Ah. Perfect, she thought. She quickly unfurled the letter and sighed when she read the response.

Arithmancy? Oh Merlin.... wrote her brother who then recounted his experience with Arithamncy and the very eccentric Professor that they had had. The one that had tried to bribe them with food.

Back to square one.

Olivia watched the second IMPS tournament through cracks of space between her hands. The Champions had to get to a room underneath the Whomping Willow but first they had to get past it somehow. "Come on Etta...Dora.. Levi.. Brent," she whispered to herself as she watched each of them and even some of the Illvermornians try to get past. She sucked in her breath when the Whomping Willow nearly took out one of the Illvermornians.

And then a scream from Etta caused Olivia to get to her feet. "ETTA!" Please be alright.

Pleaaaase....

Then she saw her. She was okay.

Olivia had, once again, been prepared to climb up the bookshelves to claim the book that she had her eye on; however, she had not expected Mr. Kennedy himself to appear. She didn't think he was the Librarian at first. He had looked too young but here he was. Oh. And he was offering her help? She'd gladly accept his most gracious offer. And then he did it. He summoned the books with a simple movement of his hand. No wand. No words.

"How did you do that?" she asked in awe. "Can I learn that?" Could he show her?

"Hey Olivia! If you want to come over and smell the Amortentia potion that I'm brewing you're more than welcome too!" said Mel with a happy smile.

Amortentia? she thought as she glanced up to see her friend and dormmate on the other side of the Potions Laboratory. "Sure!" Olivia was intrigued indeed.

Once the potion had been brewed, Olivia took a few steps towards the potion and then took a deep breath in. "I smell... leather.... Baked goods... No. A cinnamon apple desert. Salty sea air....Something else too." Huh. Strange. "What do you smell?"

WHY IN DUMBLEDORE'S PAJAMA PANTS WAS THE GRYFFINDOR TABLE SO CROWDED?

This must have been a fire hazard or something to have so many people so close together. The brunette was glad she was little because she was able to weave her way through the crowd, dodging people throwing at arms as the spoke and... DANCED? Were.... Were people actually dancing on the tables? What had they been....? Olivia had almost made it to a free spot on the table when she tripped (classic Professional Gravity Tester thing to do) and stumbled into someone.

Starting fifth year with a fall!