Part 1

A second later she realized how young he was and that he wouldn't know her and she saw his face harden into a cold mask.

"I don't know you, girl," he growled. "So you don't get to use my last name. Eth? You okay? She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"I'm fine, Ripper," the voice said as Giles helped a boy up.

She realized they were all about 11 or 12 but Giles looked positively pissed with her. And his face, even at 11 or 12 was not someone she wanted to cross.

"Come on, Eth," he said to the thinner boy by his side as the boy got up. "Lets get aboard the train. We need to get a compartment. You need some rest. We are gonna find a way to help you, mate. I swear it. Dad's already looking into a way to fix it."

"We'll see, Ripper," Ethan said as he got aboard the train. His luggage was put aboard with the bigger boy's and they found there way to a compartment that was empty. They saw the girl struggle aboard with her things but Ripper wasn't in the mood to be generous and help. She'd already knocked his Ethan down behaving like a child running along the platform. He knew he was only ten but he also knew that in time he and Ethan would be together in that way. They had been bonded since they were five. When Ripper had seen what was being done to him and took the bond to save his friend's life.

Ethan dropped on to one of the bench like seats and bounced on it. Ripper chuckled at him. He sometimes felt older than he was but that was okay, Ethan could be young for both of them.

"Settle down, mate," he said softly.

Ethan smiled but stopped bouncing and took out his book. Ethan was already a very powerful boy, like Ripper Giles himself was. They both had the ability to do magic without wands.

They'd had to be taught before school to control their power that was double because of their bond and quadrupled if they cast together. That was why they already knew some magic. It was a special arrangement that had to be made or else the school would not survive their first day.

Ripper got them food off the cart that came by and looked at Ethan. The two of them devoured everything Ripper bought and then settled back to wait for the ride to be over. They were both eager. This was the compromise between Ripper and his father. Ripper could have his music if he studied magic here. Also, Ethan could be safe here. His magic would not twist here. That was why this school and not the other two. Not to mention, this one was in the British Isles so Ethan wouldn't be hurt here.

"What is going on out there?" Ripper growled after a few hours.

There was a lot of noise in the corridor and he didn't like it. Ethan was dozing. He hated when Ethan's rest was disturbed.

He opened the door to the compartment and someone banged into him and spilled something down his front. He looked down at the small red head girl and growled.

"What? You again? Do you get off on running into me and spilling pumpkin juice on my clothes? What is your problem, girl?"

"It was an accident you mean jerk person you," the girl snapped. "And...and my name's Willow."

"Yeah? Well, little bendy tree, I'm the Ripper and I'm only gonna give you one warning: Don't screw with me. I'm not nice, I'm not polite and I'm not nearly as mannered as the money my family has would imply. Now, go back to your compartment and sit down. And get your robes on, we'll be arriving at the school in about 15 minutes."

And he turned back into the compartment and slammed the door. He woke Ethan and they put on their robes over their jeans and t-shirts.

Something told Ripper the uniform would not work with them and he always trusted his gut.

"We're here, mate," he told Ethan.

And the two of them disembarked from the train. They carried their wands and their book bags and they hopped into one of the boats and sat down. Ethan was looking at the water waiting. He stared at the half giant for a moment but then shrugged. It wasn't his concern and anyway, he was not afraid of anything here. Ethan had already faced hell and come out and he'd been five when he'd done so.

The red haired girl was in a boat with another red head that Ripper thought was named Lily something or other but it was not his concern at the moment. He saw the red head that had run into him twice trying to get his attention and he ignored her. He'd listen later. Right now he was focusing on the school and what it was telling him. He and Ethan could actually hear the school as it spoke. And it did speak. If one knew how to listen, one could hear its words. And it smiled on him and Ethan.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," the school seemed to say. And that was before the paintings spoke. Ripper chuckled at the amazed looks on the other children's faces. Even those from magical families seemed to be stunned by this place. And Ripper was enjoying the awed looks. He and Ethan had been prepared. He smirked seeing his little antagonist staring around like a gold fish and he couldn't help his chuckle. Again he felt older than the others but again, he knew it was for a good purpose. He and Ethan hadn't balanced off yet.

That was coming but it hadn't happened yet. Ripper could wait. "Now when I call your name, step up to the stool to be sorted," the lady named McGonnogall said. She started the list going through Sirius Black, who was sorted into Gryffindor, and all the names at the beginning of the alphabet before she got to: "Giles, Rupert!"

He made his way up to the stool and sat down. He felt the hat placed on him but it didn't speak.

"I need Ethan Rayne a well," the hat said. Everyone stared but they watched as the thin boy with dark hair walked up and put his hand on Ripper's shoulder.

"Gryffindor," the hat said. It seemed to take time to decide but since it was placing them together it had to find a place they'd both fit.

Everyone stared as the two boys walked down to the Gryffindor table an others were called before finally:

'Rosenberg, Willow."

She put the hat on and waited.

"I see you are here to be punished," the hat said to her. "And I see it is deserved. I will not put you in Slytherin. I can't put you in Hufflepuff; Ravenclaw is too good for you. I will put you in Gryffindor because although you have done great evil, you are brave. However, I should warn you, this school will not tolerate any of the things you are thinking of trying. If you do attempt them, you will fail. You will be watched, child. I will have the school itself do that."

Out loud, the hat spoke "Gryffindor" and Willow made her way to the table. Ripper snarled at her when she sat down by Ethan but she was too glum to care. The hat had just warned her it would have the school watching her. The hat itself knew who she was and why she was here. Dammit, she'd never get away with anything being watched like this.

"Mr. Giles, Mr. Rayne," the headmaster said as they were preparing to go to their rooms. "Please come with me. I have to speak with you two about something.

2: Sleeping Arrangements and a Tantrum

"The Sorting Hat as informed me you two would need your own room. As you have been sorted into Gryffindor, the room is being added into the tower now. I will escort you. The hat tells me you two are going to be forces of nature and that is why it says you have to be in your own bedrooms. May I ask which forces?"

"Order and Chaos," Ripper said as he followed the headmaster.

"I'm to be order and Eth to be Chaos. We're a balance. Your school is smart to want us to have our own space. Too much falls on us and our power responds to it. We don't need wands but we're going to learn that kind of magic as well as the kind we already know. So, where you going to put us?"

"As I said, the house has a room for you in the tower. It's just you will not be in the normal dorm. I find it fascinating that two forces of nature are here now."

"It's time," was all Ripper said as they reached the Gryffindor portrait of the Fat lady.

"The password for you two is Janus. The School again decided this. Good luck in your careers here."

The boys entered the common room and saw immediately where they were to go. There was a third set of steps now and they walked up it and went into the door that was there. Entering it, they found their things already in the room and they lay down on the beds. They were both so very tired. Still, Ripper was not surprised when he woke up in the middle of the night to find Ethan had climbed into bed with him and curled up against his side. It was as if they needed to be in contact at some point in the night and Ethan's internal sense told him when so he came and he climbed into the bed and went to sleep against Giles. Giles just chuckled as he brushed the hair off Ethan's face.

"Night mate," he said. Then he drifted into a deep sleep, not waking until his alarm went off. He woke Ethan then and they made their way to the bathroom that was attached to their room. Once they were ready to face the day they pulled their robes on over their jeans and t-shirts and boots.

Ripper was right; the uniforms were not for them. They had been removed by the house elves at some point. Also, the robes were unadorned. They were in Gryffindor house but they had to decide if they would wear the badges. Ripper looked at Ethan who gave a huge sigh and nodded yes. Ripper nodded as well and used his own magic to attach the badges to their robes. They should do something to show some kind of house unity. Then, they left their room.

"Where did you two sleep?' the red head from the train asked.

The annoying one, as Lily seemed perfectly nice.

'In beds," Ripper said. "Why?"

"Well, they said you weren't in the boy's dorm," Willow told them.

"We aren't," Ripper replied. "The school put us in a different room to sleep. Something about who we are."

"What?!" the girl, Willow Giles thought he remembered her telling him, shrieked. "Why do you get your own room? It's not fair! I want my own room!"

"It's fair if you know anything at all about them," a quiet boy Giles remembered was named Remus said. "I know about their power and I know why they have to have their own sleeping space. You are a regular student. You don't need it so you don't get it. The school is taking care of them. Just like it'll give you what it thinks you need. They have needs that the rest of us don't so the school cares for them. Now please, can we go down to breakfast?"

Willow stared at the boy with outright anger on her face but he shrugged and led them away. It was time to eat before classes began.

Really Remus thought this girl was being unreasonable. So those two needed a special sleeping place. Big deal. It stood to reason when Order and Chaos came that things would have to be done to protect not only them but also the others in their house as well. Remus sighed as they made their way down to breakfast. The girl was going to be trouble, he could feel it.

He could still hear her whining as they walked down the steps. What was her problem? Jeez it was like no one had ever said he wasn't the best before or something. God if she was one of those spoiled little kids this was going to be a hell of an education for her. And for some odd reason, Remus Lupin, werewolf, could not wait to see her get seven levels of shit kicked out of her. Egotistically speaking.

Part 3: Two Weeks In

Willow was frustrated. Two weeks she'd been here and she hadn't become teacher's Pet to anyone yet. She hated this. She hated having to work for things. She wasn't used to not being the smartest person in the whole school let alone her year. No, that honor went to Giles and Ethan. She couldn't call him Ripper even though she knew he would ignore Rupert or Giles.

And Ethan...Who knew Ethan was that smart? He seemed to know everything about some classes. Actually, he was great in Potions and charms. He could do anything with a cauldron and a few ingredients. And he knew charms backwards and forwards. Giles said it was because he used them to control his magic. That was the focus he'd picked, Potions and Charms. And he knew Transfiguration through Giles. Willow had realized they shared knowledge. It was something about this bond thing they had. And they weren't even trying to be know-it-alls. Ethan rarely spoke in the classes unless he was called on deliberately. He wasn't snobbish or anything. He simply was. And that irritated her because she thought if you had knowledge, you should show it. It was fun to know things no one else did and let them know you knew it.

"Come on, Eth," she heard Giles say. "Lunch and then DADA. We should do well in that too."

And Willow growled. She wanted them to be like her. To like her. And they wouldn't.

Ripper wouldn't let her into his group. He refused to. He wouldn't even look at her. And it was annoying her. She'd tried all the tricks she'd used to make Xander adore her and Ripper just raised an eyebrow and dismissed her. Ripper just did not seem to like hr no matter what she tried. And it annoyed her. He didn't think she was cool or very smart or anything. He thought she lacked common sense and he thought she was an immature bratling who didn't belong in the school. And she knew all this because she was part of the gossip group an they all talked about Ripper and Ethan and what they talked to each other about when they were in the common room which was not as often as everyone would like. They were secretive and silent. It was if they had secrets and things that no one was to be privy to. Not even James Potter and Sirius Black wanted to intrude on those two and they liked intruding on everyone. It was like even they respected that Giles and Ethan were different and had the brains to leave it at that. To them, as Lily Evans had told Willow, Willow's own thoughtless demanding to know answers did nothing but annoy all of them. If she didn't stop, she'd been warned, Ripper would bite her head off and that would be the end of her. And that wasn't even the half of what he'd do if she did anything to hurt Ethan.

She sighed and looked out the window at the Quidditch tryouts.

She didn't know Why Ripper and Ethan were trying out for the team in their first year but it would be fun to watch them fail.

Only...only they didn't. Willow watched Ripper in the Keeper position and she stared as she realized he didn't miss one shot. He blocked everything thrown. And Ethan... Ethan was fast on the broom as he stole the ball from the people playing Chasers from the other team. He was fast and quick and he always got what he wanted. And Willow knew without even going down, that they had made the team. Another thing that wasn't fair to her. She couldn't pout her way on to the team or anything. She couldn't get friends with manipulations here. Remus just looked through her. It was like he just Knew she wasn't sincere. He was only tutoring her because Ripper said he wouldn't. But it was obvious he didn't like her either. This was a new thing for her.

Everyone liked Sweet, Innocent Willow. At least that's how she saw it. That's how it should have been in her world. But this wasn't her world, she realized.

And she couldn't get what she wanted anymore.

And she hated that.