Promise it will get more action-packed and less introduction like soon! Can't wait to hear which characters you like/dislike. Once again I promise to tie in the main HP characters after the first part! To your right is how I pictured Charlie!

Chapter Three

"Hurry Idella!" Emmie shouted through the door. "I don't want to be late." Idella rolled her eyes looking at me as she finished touching up her mascara. I left my brown hair down straight and put on minimal makeup as it was way too early for my liking.

"Calm the hell down Emmie," Idella called back through the door. I was dressed and ready to go. The house elf kindly left us breakfast in Idella's room. Once again, she was moving slow. Back at school I was always the one rushing her to get to class on time. Idella was as smart as can be, but loved her sleep. "Let's get going then," she said turning to me with a rushed sigh. The two of us walked down the stairs to meet up with the rest of her family. I took advantage of staring out at the beautiful view one last time.

"Annabelle went ahead," Tomas explained to us. "Can you two promise to keep Emmie and Wiley with you until you reach the ferries?" I nodded while Idella groaned.

"I don't need a babysitter," Emmie snapped. She was entering her fourth year and Wiley was entering his second year.

"Stick with them until you get to the ferry," Tomas repeated looking at Emmie. "Well off you all go. Have a great year." Wiley hugged them both goodbye as I thanked them for letting me stay the night. We then took the Floo network one by one to old Salem Village. I wish we got to spend more time in the beautiful brick village, but then again I was just as anxious to get to the castle. From there we walked to the Ferries along the harbor. Emmie trailed behind us looking annoyed as Wiley rushed in front of us.

He was excited to go back, he always told me how much he loved it at Salem. But even he knew something was going on in the Wizarding World. It was only a ten minute walk alongside the shore and the weather was beautiful today. I looked at the boats in jealously, wishing I could be laying on one of those at the moment taking in the sun. The town of Salem was beautiful, especially in the fall. Around October this area was packed with tourist from all over the world. We were always allowed to leave the Academy on Halloween and venture around Salem. I looked forward to it every year. As we got closer I could see the line of students already forming by the dock. "Idella! Bradley!" I heard someone call. I turned to see Charlie rushing over.

His parents trailed behind him. They were muggles and he was an only child. I can only imagine their shock when they found out. I've met them on a few occasions, very friendly they were. "Hi," they said to the two of us as we met up. We both said hello back. Charlie looked extremely tan. We always have a 'competition' to see who has the best tan when school starts. A few times I have won. Idella was hopeless, in fact she came back either fire red or covered in freckles. Charlie held his arm out next to mine. "I win," he said with a smirk.

Charlie resided in California in the summer and travelled over here for school. They flew on a muggle plane which I found fascinating. I have never and would never be able to fly on a plane because of my father. If he was afraid of vehicles then I cannot imagine him every letting me on a flying one. Charlie hugged his parents goodbye and then the three of us headed over towards the ferries. Wiley was already ahead, reuniting with his friends. The second year boys were playfully pushing one another around while pretending to push each other off the dock. Emmie rolled her eyes as she passed and reunited with her close-knit group of friends. For being only fourteen she was rather mature.

Several ferries went out at once. Charlie, Idella, and I managed to get the last few seats on the top deck. Idella put a baseball hat on to keep the sun from her face. "Hi Charlie," a few girls called as we passed. Several girls here were a little too obsessed with Charlie. He was my best friend, but I couldn't deny his good looks. Sometimes I wondered why he hung out with me in the first place, but he was like a brother. He was paired up with Idella and I back in our first year potions final assignment, from there he became one of our best friends. Charlie was tall, tan, and had that California charm all of the girls loved. He responded kindly to them, even flashed a flirty smile, but turned his head to talk to us. Idella and I shared a look, every year was the same.

"I wish you guys came out to California this summer," he told us. Idella responded quickly by saying her parents kept her locked up and bored all summer but the second she turned seventeen she would come out to Los Angeles. I for one wasn't allowed too, but didn't tell Charlie that. My father had no problem with his parents being muggles, unlike Idella's strict parents, but he didn't want me staying on the other side of the country in a busy muggle city. My excuse was usually that I felt bad leaving my father, which was truthful. "Maybe over winter break you guys can come out for a bit. Escape that cold weath-" Charlies face froze. Idella and I both turned over our shoulder to see what he was staring at, but I had an unfortunate assumption. And I was right...

"Really?" Idella scoffed slapping his shoulder. "Even after all of your disastrous failed attempts. This year isn't going to be any different?" His face remained frozen. Selina walked down the dock with a smug expression alongside her friends Alethea and Perenelle. "You do realize that she will never like you back Charlie?" Idella noted.

"One can hope," Charlie said in a dreamy voice. Ever since first year, Charlie has been obsessed with Selina. Despite her horrid personality, he somehow continued wanting her. Even after all the mean and snide comments she made towards him for being muggleborn, he didn't back off. She was probably one of the only girls he had no chance with at this school. In fourth year I had to be the one to break it too him, Selina would never like him because of his background. It didn't seem to phase him though. Idella pretended to gag at Charlie's expression as Selina walked down the dock below us.

"Of all people," I added shaking my head.

"Selina!" he called hanging over the edge of the boat. She looked up at the top deck and saw the three of us sitting there. "How was your summer?" Charlie continued calling. They boy never gave up. In a way I was surprised he wasn't in Eztoprea.

"Great," Selina responded as if it was obvious. Without another glance she quickly walked away to the next ferry.

"Great," Charlie repeated with a smile as the boat took off. Idella and I rolled our eyes, getting through to him at this point clearly was hopeless.

The boat ride wasn't long at all. Charlie told us all about his exciting summer in California and about all of the girls he had 'met'. Sometimes he talked to us as if we were his guy friends. Most of the time he spared us the details, but sometimes he slipped. By now we were used to it. Even though his ultimate goal was Selina, he had his fair share of girlfriends in the past. As the boat distanced itself into the foggy horizon, the fog began disappearing. Salem Academy was located far behind a mile long muggle graveyard. The muggles viewed it as a continuation of the graveyard and got a wary feeling as they got too close. The muggles approaching it from the ocean saw it as fog and the ocean didn't allow the boats to get any closer. There were several charms protecting the area from any muggles. Our ferries were charmed to pass through the charms with ease.

Once the fog cleared, our hauntingly beautiful school stood off in the distance. It was small in size, similar to Durmstrang. Our population was small as well making it so everyone knew almost everyone. Unlike Hogwarts, our school was strict on acceptance and only allowed a certain amount of students to attend due to the small size of our school. There was around thirty students in my year and a little over two hundred students in total. The five story castle stood tall over the ocean, casting a dark shadow on the boats as we arrived. The dark stone added an eerie feel to the castle. It was hard to believe this medieval like castle was built in the late sixteen hundreds. We followed the same academic structure as Hogwarts as an ancestor to the Hogwarts founders was the one to open Salem Academy. "Feels good to be back," Charlie said as we reached the dock. I completely agreed, it was amazing to be back.

Entering into the dark castle hallways, we went straight to the dining hall where the welcome lunch would be. I missed the incredible meals here. My father and I weren't great cooks, so we lived off of pasta, cereal, and simple prepared meals all summer. The dining hall was divided into different sections and shaped very similar to a star. In top corner, the teachers sat up on a platform along with the headmaster. The right corner next to the teachers was the maroon decorated section. This was where the students in the House of Agrethance sat. In the corner decorated in Royal Blue, was where I sat, the Irdrea section. And the last corner between the teachers and Irdrea, was the Eztoprea section adorned in emerald green. Taking a seat at one of the tables, Idella, Charlie, and I reunited with our classmates. Everyone in Irdrea was on a friendly level, mainly. There were more quiet students in this section than any other.

As everyone began talking about their summers the dim-lit dining hall filled with the rest of the students. I looked over at the stone fountain in the middle of the room. The enchanted fountain was filled with a potion developed by the creator that resembled water. The first years would line up alphabetically and dip their hands in enchanted potion. One of the three stones bearing the symbol of a specific house would then light up. Agrethance was for the adventurous and gallant students, Irdrea was for the agile and intellectual students, and Eztoprea was for the ambitious and desirous students. Unlike Hogwarts, we only had three categories. Annabelle passed us, waving over to us as she held hands with her muggleborn boyfriend. They were in Agrethance, along with Wiley. Emmie was in Irdrea but we hardly saw her. "I wonder where Colin is?" Idella said looking around, her face quickly flushed with excitement as the blonde haired boy entered the room.

"My flight was delayed! Barely made it," Colin expressed with relief as he took a seat next to Idella. He leaned in and kissed her quickly, his blue eyes reflecting excitement as he looked at her. Colin was definitely cute, but in the harmless nerdy way. "Thought I was going to miss the ferry," he shook his head. Idella and Colin broke into conversation. Colin's muggle parents worked at the muggle airport so they were constantly going on vacations and he always had a lot to tell her when school started. Charlie then got up to go talk to a few of his seventh year friends as Idella and Colin continued telling one another about their summers.

Looking around the room, it was really filling up fast. I looked over at the entrance hoping to see the first years coming in. I was starving and prayed the ceremony would go by quickly. Some students could take up to five minutes for their house placement. As I looked towards the large entrance, I regretted looking immediately. Grant McQuinn entered and as he saw me immediately flashed me a dirty look, ruffling his dirty blonde hair. Grant McQuinn...my ex-boyfriend. I ended our relationship in the middle of last year for several reasons. The main reason was that I didn't love him. We had nothing in common and I didn't mean for it to end badly. I figured we would both be happier with other people. Unfortunately he took it out on me, spreading horrible rumors about our relationship and claiming that he was the one dump me. He turned his head and headed over to Agrethance. Really? An entire summer to move on and he still hadn't let it go. I looked up to see his dark haired friend Kent Reid entering behind him, he flashed me a sympathetic smile. Kent was sweet and he knew that everything Grant was saying was a lie. He apologized on Grant's behalf several times last year, joking and telling me that his friend was bitter and didn't know how to handle the breakup well. He always made me feel a bit better. I smiled back at him softly before turning my head.

Finally the first years entered the room and everyone silenced. They stood lined up near the teachers section. Our old gray haired headmaster stood up from his chair, Zoticus Elwood. He was somewhere in his late nineties and was a very passionate man. He was great friends with Albus Dumbledore and defended him on several accounts last year. From his stone cold and serious face, it was hard to tell how kind he truly was without him speaking. "Welcome back to another year," he announced standing up and approaching his dark wood podium. "I'm glad to see the majority of you have returned. There is no denying the serious threats our world is facing, but I assure you that you are in good protection." Headmaster Elwood always got straight to the point. "I'm sure your professors will have much to say about the topic when you resume classes tomorrow. Let the sorting begin."