CHAPTER 1: The New Girl
Harry woke up with a start. It took him several minutes to realize exactly where he was.
"Ohhh….ick. I'm at the Dursley's." he groaned and fell back on his covers. It was another fine morning at Privet Drive. There was only 1 more week to go before summer was over and yet, he still felt as though it would be ages before he got back to Hogwarts. He missed his friends, his teachers (except maybe Snape) and Quidditch. He glanced at his night table and was reassured when he saw the familiar scroll that told him to be at King's Cross Station on the 1st of Sept, his list of school books and other required things for his 6th year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was distracted from his thoughts when he heard a sharp tapping at the window. Harry stood up and opened it. Instantly, a little ball of feathers whizzed in and flew all over the tiny room. It was Ron's owl Pig, carrying a message from his master. The note read:
Dear Harry,
I'm sure you've got your Hoggy letter by now. Anyway, wanna meet me and Hermione at Diagon Alley on the last Wednesday of August? By the way, a new joke shop opened there. GUESS WHAT? It belongs to Fred and George!!! The best part is, they promised to give us tons of free stuff!!
Owl back ASAP ok?
- Ron
Harry grinned as he thought of Ron's marauding elder twin brothers. Knowing those two clowns, they had probably already terrorized half of Diagon Alley with their pranks and endless mischief. Well…only one more year to go after this one and then…then what? He smiled a bittersweet smile as he contemplated the future. He fell asleep thinking, "Voldemort better not screw up this year for me…"
*****
"Harry! Harry! Over here!" Hermione shouted. They were sitting at a table in front of Florean Fortescue's Shop and Ron was beside her, waving frantically. Harry jogged over to his two best friends.
"Want a bite? Its really good." Hermione offered Harry a spoonful of her sundae. She elbowed Ron to do the same. Ron just kept on polishing off the remainder of his Fortescue Special.
Harry used the time Hermione was whacking Ron with her spoon to take a good look at his friends whom he hadn't seen all summer.
Ron was really tall now, almost 6 ft (Harry noted this with envy), and as freckled and as red-headed as ever.
Hermione, however, had changed. She was the same yet different somehow. Her dark brown hair was sleek instead of bushy and was pulled into an artfully messy bun. Her blue eyes twinkled brightly and her smile was warm and bright. My God…Hermione is beautiful! Harry realized with surprise.
Because he was so deep in thought, he didn't realize his friends were staring at him.
"Harry, you look exactly like you did when Professor Trelawney made you inhale incense smoke last year." Snickered Ron. "What's up with you?"
"Er…nothing."
Hermione and Ron looked at him strangley.
"Anyway, now that Harry is out of his trance, we better start shopping. I want to go to Flourish and Blotts first. I here they've got a new shipment of books." Hermione said. Understandably, Ron and Harry just groaned.
"Can't we go to the Weasley Magical Mischief Shop first?" pleaded Ron and made puppy eyes at her.
"Umm..Herm, I have to agree with Ron on this one. (Hermione glared at Harry) If we don't go now, we'll practically have to drag you out of the bookstore later on." Put in Harry. Hermione threw up her hands and followed the boys to the joke shop.
Inside the Weasley Magical Mischief Shop, they were greeted by Fred and George and were promptly showered with fireworks. The shop was so crowded with wizards and witches of all ages that they stayed only long enough to get a sackful of canary creams, filibuster fireworks, ton tongue toffee, exploding snaps etc.
As they were stepping out of the shop, Ron accidentally knocked over a girl who was standing just outside the crowded shop.
"Hey watch it!" the girl said.
"Oh I'm so sorry! Here let me help you up." Ron said and offered a hand to the girl. She took it and tried to brush herself off. The trio looked at her curiously. The girl had long blond hair, eyes so blue they appeared violet, and a pretty, pleasant face. She spoke with an American accent and was dressed in Muggle clothes.
"My name is Ron Weasley." Said Ron. Harry noticed that Ron looked rather awestruck by the girl he had just knocked over.
"I'm Hermione Granger."
"I'm Harry Potter." She took all of the offered hands and gave each one a hearty shake.
"Oh! I know all three of you! My grandfather has told me all about you." She said with a knowing grin. "My name is Lara by the way."
Hermione noticed the books that the other girl was carrying (trust Hermione to notice that kind of thing).
"Are you a student at Hogwarts? I don't think I've ever seen you around the castle" she asked
"Well, I guess I am now. I just transferred this year, I used to study in America but now that I'm here, I'll be starting my 6th year at Hogwarts." She smiled.
"Hello Harry, Ron, Hermione." A pleasantly familiar voice said behind them. Albus Dumbledore apparated beside them.
"Hello Professor!" the trio chorused.
"I see you've met my granddaughter." Chuckled the Professor
"GRANDDAUGHTER?!?" Harry, Ron and hermione exclaimed, dumbstruck. They whirled around and faced the blond girl.
Lara smiled and gave a little wave.
*****
"I still can't believe Dumbledore has a granddaughter." Harry said. The week had passed and the three friends were now seated in their regular Hogwarts Express compartment. However, the topic on their mind was still the headmaster's granddaughter.
"Yeah. Not to mention one that gorgeous." Added Ron rather dreamily.
"I never even knew that hew was married." Harry continued.
"Come to think of it…" Hermione suddenly jumped up and rummaged tahrough her bag. She gave a little cry of triumph when she extracted a thick book. It bore the title "The Life of the Great Dumbledore". She flipped it open and began reading out loud:
"Albus Dumbledore married Eden Fletcher, a fellow witch, also of the Order of Merlin. They had a son, Astor, who is currently attached with the American Ministry of Magic. He and his wife are currently residing in California together with their two children: Alexander, an auror for the US ministry and Lara, a student at Eastwick Academy for Magic.
"Ummm…that was the name of my old school." A voice explained.
"Lara!" Ron jumped up in surprise. Lara stood in the doorway of the compartment.
"Mind if I sit with you guys?" she grinned and took a step forward. Ron all but shoved Harry off the seat in order to make room for Lara to sit in. They started chatting and Lara told them all about her life in the US. By the end of the ride, Harry knew that Lara, Albus Dumbledore's granddaughter, would become a part of their group and a big part of their lives.
Harry woke up with a start. It took him several minutes to realize exactly where he was.
"Ohhh….ick. I'm at the Dursley's." he groaned and fell back on his covers. It was another fine morning at Privet Drive. There was only 1 more week to go before summer was over and yet, he still felt as though it would be ages before he got back to Hogwarts. He missed his friends, his teachers (except maybe Snape) and Quidditch. He glanced at his night table and was reassured when he saw the familiar scroll that told him to be at King's Cross Station on the 1st of Sept, his list of school books and other required things for his 6th year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was distracted from his thoughts when he heard a sharp tapping at the window. Harry stood up and opened it. Instantly, a little ball of feathers whizzed in and flew all over the tiny room. It was Ron's owl Pig, carrying a message from his master. The note read:
Dear Harry,
I'm sure you've got your Hoggy letter by now. Anyway, wanna meet me and Hermione at Diagon Alley on the last Wednesday of August? By the way, a new joke shop opened there. GUESS WHAT? It belongs to Fred and George!!! The best part is, they promised to give us tons of free stuff!!
Owl back ASAP ok?
- Ron
Harry grinned as he thought of Ron's marauding elder twin brothers. Knowing those two clowns, they had probably already terrorized half of Diagon Alley with their pranks and endless mischief. Well…only one more year to go after this one and then…then what? He smiled a bittersweet smile as he contemplated the future. He fell asleep thinking, "Voldemort better not screw up this year for me…"
*****
"Harry! Harry! Over here!" Hermione shouted. They were sitting at a table in front of Florean Fortescue's Shop and Ron was beside her, waving frantically. Harry jogged over to his two best friends.
"Want a bite? Its really good." Hermione offered Harry a spoonful of her sundae. She elbowed Ron to do the same. Ron just kept on polishing off the remainder of his Fortescue Special.
Harry used the time Hermione was whacking Ron with her spoon to take a good look at his friends whom he hadn't seen all summer.
Ron was really tall now, almost 6 ft (Harry noted this with envy), and as freckled and as red-headed as ever.
Hermione, however, had changed. She was the same yet different somehow. Her dark brown hair was sleek instead of bushy and was pulled into an artfully messy bun. Her blue eyes twinkled brightly and her smile was warm and bright. My God…Hermione is beautiful! Harry realized with surprise.
Because he was so deep in thought, he didn't realize his friends were staring at him.
"Harry, you look exactly like you did when Professor Trelawney made you inhale incense smoke last year." Snickered Ron. "What's up with you?"
"Er…nothing."
Hermione and Ron looked at him strangley.
"Anyway, now that Harry is out of his trance, we better start shopping. I want to go to Flourish and Blotts first. I here they've got a new shipment of books." Hermione said. Understandably, Ron and Harry just groaned.
"Can't we go to the Weasley Magical Mischief Shop first?" pleaded Ron and made puppy eyes at her.
"Umm..Herm, I have to agree with Ron on this one. (Hermione glared at Harry) If we don't go now, we'll practically have to drag you out of the bookstore later on." Put in Harry. Hermione threw up her hands and followed the boys to the joke shop.
Inside the Weasley Magical Mischief Shop, they were greeted by Fred and George and were promptly showered with fireworks. The shop was so crowded with wizards and witches of all ages that they stayed only long enough to get a sackful of canary creams, filibuster fireworks, ton tongue toffee, exploding snaps etc.
As they were stepping out of the shop, Ron accidentally knocked over a girl who was standing just outside the crowded shop.
"Hey watch it!" the girl said.
"Oh I'm so sorry! Here let me help you up." Ron said and offered a hand to the girl. She took it and tried to brush herself off. The trio looked at her curiously. The girl had long blond hair, eyes so blue they appeared violet, and a pretty, pleasant face. She spoke with an American accent and was dressed in Muggle clothes.
"My name is Ron Weasley." Said Ron. Harry noticed that Ron looked rather awestruck by the girl he had just knocked over.
"I'm Hermione Granger."
"I'm Harry Potter." She took all of the offered hands and gave each one a hearty shake.
"Oh! I know all three of you! My grandfather has told me all about you." She said with a knowing grin. "My name is Lara by the way."
Hermione noticed the books that the other girl was carrying (trust Hermione to notice that kind of thing).
"Are you a student at Hogwarts? I don't think I've ever seen you around the castle" she asked
"Well, I guess I am now. I just transferred this year, I used to study in America but now that I'm here, I'll be starting my 6th year at Hogwarts." She smiled.
"Hello Harry, Ron, Hermione." A pleasantly familiar voice said behind them. Albus Dumbledore apparated beside them.
"Hello Professor!" the trio chorused.
"I see you've met my granddaughter." Chuckled the Professor
"GRANDDAUGHTER?!?" Harry, Ron and hermione exclaimed, dumbstruck. They whirled around and faced the blond girl.
Lara smiled and gave a little wave.
*****
"I still can't believe Dumbledore has a granddaughter." Harry said. The week had passed and the three friends were now seated in their regular Hogwarts Express compartment. However, the topic on their mind was still the headmaster's granddaughter.
"Yeah. Not to mention one that gorgeous." Added Ron rather dreamily.
"I never even knew that hew was married." Harry continued.
"Come to think of it…" Hermione suddenly jumped up and rummaged tahrough her bag. She gave a little cry of triumph when she extracted a thick book. It bore the title "The Life of the Great Dumbledore". She flipped it open and began reading out loud:
"Albus Dumbledore married Eden Fletcher, a fellow witch, also of the Order of Merlin. They had a son, Astor, who is currently attached with the American Ministry of Magic. He and his wife are currently residing in California together with their two children: Alexander, an auror for the US ministry and Lara, a student at Eastwick Academy for Magic.
"Ummm…that was the name of my old school." A voice explained.
"Lara!" Ron jumped up in surprise. Lara stood in the doorway of the compartment.
"Mind if I sit with you guys?" she grinned and took a step forward. Ron all but shoved Harry off the seat in order to make room for Lara to sit in. They started chatting and Lara told them all about her life in the US. By the end of the ride, Harry knew that Lara, Albus Dumbledore's granddaughter, would become a part of their group and a big part of their lives.