(A/n: Okay, well, I'm editing this story… putting the chapters into
chapter format and all… so any-who… Please review! And read the sequel,
Harry Potter and the Student Quidditch Cup. (I've got all this written on
paper, but I need to type up the sequel, **sigh** It's only partially
done…) So enjoy! And remember the review button! Oh, hm, I suppose I
should note that Meagan, also known as Hyper-Hpgrl, edited this. She fixed
all my horrible typos, because I don't do that myself… So thanks to
Meagan! And um… this was my first fic ever, so please be nice!)
Secrets
By Cathy
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Chapter 1- A meeting ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was a fairly average summer for Harry Potter. He spent the first part at the Dursleys' home at Privet drive. Apart from the fact that they were even more unpleasant than ever, it was all fine. The only highlight of his stay there was a visit from Sirius, making his way around informing people about whatever Dumbledore had mentioned.
Later, the Weasleys were permitted to have him stay. Mr. Weasley was never home, he was flanked by numerous nights at the office and working, but they saw less of Percy, who had been promoted to head of his department due to the death of Barty Crouch.
There was news of new deaths every week. Fudge was swamped, and was in a panic. The whole Ministry was. Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn't wait to get back to school.
The only other thing that happened was the fact that someone had moved into the Mansion several miles away from Ron's house.
"That place has always been empty." Ron told Harry. "I've never seen anyone there."
"Don't be silly." His mother said. "There were people living there since you were born. Then they got up and left, leaving that wonderful home. It amazes me that it is still in such great condition! Perhaps the family has moved back."
"Perhaps." Harry agreed. Whatever the place was, it was huge.
The train ride to Hogwarts was a peaceful one. Draco Malfoy didn't make an appearance once. That was certainly a cheerful thought...
"Maybe he finally got sent to Durmstrang!" Ron said hopefully.
"I wish! He belongs there..." Harry said.
"But wouldn't he want to stay closer to his father? So he can't get into too much trouble proclaiming You-Know-Who's return?" Hermione said. No one replied.
The castle looked exactly the same, a very comforting thought, because the Wizarding World was pure chaos. Harry smiled. He felt safer at Hogwarts.
Ron turned around and pulled Harry's sleeve. There was a small girl who looked about 3rd year, 4th at the most. But she stood out in the crowd. She had brought her trunk, which was levitating several feet off the ground. She had in her hands a wand and a cat in a cage. An owl was levitating nearby the trunk and she was still dressed in Muggle clothes. She looked as if in
distress.
"Poor girl." Hermione said. "I suppose no one told her not to bring her equipment inside."
She appeared to be asking for help, but a group of passing Slytherins just snickered at her. She sighed and closed her eyes.
"Erm..." Harry said, and he was pulled off by Hermione, along with Ron.
The girl looked delighted that someone had come to help. She smiled and stood up as tall as she could. As Harry got closer, he realized she really wasn't as short as he thought; she was barely shorter than he was.
He looked at her feet, and then slowly moved his eyes up. She was a very pretty girl. She was slim, and had medium brown hair. Her eyes were deep brown, like polished wood, and she smiled as their eyes met. But what Harry saw next made him drop his wand. She had a little scar on her forehead. In the shape of a cloud.
The girl's trunk came to the ground with a clutter. She dropped her wand and the cat's cage came open. Ron bent down, his eyes still focused on Harry and the girl, and picked it up. By the great noise everything had made everyone was staring.
"Er..." Harry said. "Who are you?" He hadn't meant to sound rude, but he was slightly startled by the scar, perhaps...possibly, it was like him...
The girl shook her head and her hair moved across her shoulders. "Oh, I'm Catherine James. But everyone calls me Cate. Are you? Harry Potter?"
"Me? Yeah."
Everyone had lost interest and had gone back to what they were doing. No one cared much to watch Harry Potter gawk at some girl who was gawking at him.
"I see." She said, and gathered all her stuff up. Harry picked up his own wand. "Do you know where I can find Professor Dumbledore?" she asked.
"Here, follow us." Hermione chimed in. "By the way, I'm Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you."
"Thank you. Nice to meet you as well."
For the first time, Harry noticed she had an accent. Not French or Bulgarian, but American.
"Are you American?" Hermione asked Cate.
"Well... I was born in Britain, and my parents were British. My mother was killed when I was there though, in America, where I grew up." Cate said quickly. There was a long silence as they walked.
The cat mewed loudly. Cate smiled again.
"She likes you, erm..."
"Ron Weasley."
"Well hello then Ron. I think we'd better put her back..."
They didn't say much as they walked. Dumbledore smiled and stood up to greet them.
"Ahhh... Hello Miss James! Welcome to Hogwarts! I see you have met Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They will be your fellow 5th years!"
"Yes, they've been very kind to me."
Harry was still slightly amazed she was in 5th year.
"We'd best get you sorted. Private? Yes. That would be best, we shall find Minerva before the first years arrive!"
"Goodbye!" Cate called, and waved, causing Harry to blush slightly. As if in an instant, he forgot about Cho Chang. He realized he'd taken a liking to Cate.
"She was nice." Hermione said. "I wonder which school she went to. There are 3 in America."
"We get the picture..." Ron grumbled. "I liked her."
Hermione looked away. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Girls..." he muttered to Harry.
They sat at the Gryffindor table and waited. Harry shook his head when he found every fiber of himself hoping Cate was in Gryffindor. He blushed at the thought of it. Finally, a door opened. Cate, who had changed into her robes, walked into the Great Hall. She caught Harry's eye and smiled. Harry wasn't the only one who noticed her. There were plenty of people watching her. Draco Malfoy motioned for Goyle to move. Cate pretended not to notice.
"Hello!" she said to Harry. "Professor Dumbledore told me you were all in Gryffindor! I'm glad I know someone here, well, even just a little bit!"
"Hi." Harry said in reply. That was all they really said, for Cate talked much more to Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender. Parvati and Lavender thought Cate was going to be quite popular, so they asked her loads of questions, mostly about her looks, and what everyone wore in America.
Finally, the sorting and feast ended. Cate seemed amazed by every detail of Hogwarts. She was clearly trying to keep note of it all in her head, so she would be able to navigate it on her own.
In the common room, she met Fred and George. She was apparently clever enough not to accept a Canary Cream, but slipped a ton-tounge-toffe in Fred's drink.
"Tricked by his own trick!" George laughed as his twin choked on his tongue, and quickly turned it back to normal. George leaned on a bewitched table and fell to the ground.
"Ahhh..." Cate said. "Now who's been tricked you two?"
By the end of the evening, everyone was tired. Cate headed to the boys' dormitory.
"The girls' dorm is the other way!" Ron said.
"Yes. I know. McGonagall has informed me that there is no room left there. So I have to make due with a place in the boys'..." She didn't seem too happy about this. Harry didn't blame her either...
Secrets
By Cathy
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Chapter 1- A meeting ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was a fairly average summer for Harry Potter. He spent the first part at the Dursleys' home at Privet drive. Apart from the fact that they were even more unpleasant than ever, it was all fine. The only highlight of his stay there was a visit from Sirius, making his way around informing people about whatever Dumbledore had mentioned.
Later, the Weasleys were permitted to have him stay. Mr. Weasley was never home, he was flanked by numerous nights at the office and working, but they saw less of Percy, who had been promoted to head of his department due to the death of Barty Crouch.
There was news of new deaths every week. Fudge was swamped, and was in a panic. The whole Ministry was. Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn't wait to get back to school.
The only other thing that happened was the fact that someone had moved into the Mansion several miles away from Ron's house.
"That place has always been empty." Ron told Harry. "I've never seen anyone there."
"Don't be silly." His mother said. "There were people living there since you were born. Then they got up and left, leaving that wonderful home. It amazes me that it is still in such great condition! Perhaps the family has moved back."
"Perhaps." Harry agreed. Whatever the place was, it was huge.
The train ride to Hogwarts was a peaceful one. Draco Malfoy didn't make an appearance once. That was certainly a cheerful thought...
"Maybe he finally got sent to Durmstrang!" Ron said hopefully.
"I wish! He belongs there..." Harry said.
"But wouldn't he want to stay closer to his father? So he can't get into too much trouble proclaiming You-Know-Who's return?" Hermione said. No one replied.
The castle looked exactly the same, a very comforting thought, because the Wizarding World was pure chaos. Harry smiled. He felt safer at Hogwarts.
Ron turned around and pulled Harry's sleeve. There was a small girl who looked about 3rd year, 4th at the most. But she stood out in the crowd. She had brought her trunk, which was levitating several feet off the ground. She had in her hands a wand and a cat in a cage. An owl was levitating nearby the trunk and she was still dressed in Muggle clothes. She looked as if in
distress.
"Poor girl." Hermione said. "I suppose no one told her not to bring her equipment inside."
She appeared to be asking for help, but a group of passing Slytherins just snickered at her. She sighed and closed her eyes.
"Erm..." Harry said, and he was pulled off by Hermione, along with Ron.
The girl looked delighted that someone had come to help. She smiled and stood up as tall as she could. As Harry got closer, he realized she really wasn't as short as he thought; she was barely shorter than he was.
He looked at her feet, and then slowly moved his eyes up. She was a very pretty girl. She was slim, and had medium brown hair. Her eyes were deep brown, like polished wood, and she smiled as their eyes met. But what Harry saw next made him drop his wand. She had a little scar on her forehead. In the shape of a cloud.
The girl's trunk came to the ground with a clutter. She dropped her wand and the cat's cage came open. Ron bent down, his eyes still focused on Harry and the girl, and picked it up. By the great noise everything had made everyone was staring.
"Er..." Harry said. "Who are you?" He hadn't meant to sound rude, but he was slightly startled by the scar, perhaps...possibly, it was like him...
The girl shook her head and her hair moved across her shoulders. "Oh, I'm Catherine James. But everyone calls me Cate. Are you? Harry Potter?"
"Me? Yeah."
Everyone had lost interest and had gone back to what they were doing. No one cared much to watch Harry Potter gawk at some girl who was gawking at him.
"I see." She said, and gathered all her stuff up. Harry picked up his own wand. "Do you know where I can find Professor Dumbledore?" she asked.
"Here, follow us." Hermione chimed in. "By the way, I'm Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you."
"Thank you. Nice to meet you as well."
For the first time, Harry noticed she had an accent. Not French or Bulgarian, but American.
"Are you American?" Hermione asked Cate.
"Well... I was born in Britain, and my parents were British. My mother was killed when I was there though, in America, where I grew up." Cate said quickly. There was a long silence as they walked.
The cat mewed loudly. Cate smiled again.
"She likes you, erm..."
"Ron Weasley."
"Well hello then Ron. I think we'd better put her back..."
They didn't say much as they walked. Dumbledore smiled and stood up to greet them.
"Ahhh... Hello Miss James! Welcome to Hogwarts! I see you have met Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They will be your fellow 5th years!"
"Yes, they've been very kind to me."
Harry was still slightly amazed she was in 5th year.
"We'd best get you sorted. Private? Yes. That would be best, we shall find Minerva before the first years arrive!"
"Goodbye!" Cate called, and waved, causing Harry to blush slightly. As if in an instant, he forgot about Cho Chang. He realized he'd taken a liking to Cate.
"She was nice." Hermione said. "I wonder which school she went to. There are 3 in America."
"We get the picture..." Ron grumbled. "I liked her."
Hermione looked away. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Girls..." he muttered to Harry.
They sat at the Gryffindor table and waited. Harry shook his head when he found every fiber of himself hoping Cate was in Gryffindor. He blushed at the thought of it. Finally, a door opened. Cate, who had changed into her robes, walked into the Great Hall. She caught Harry's eye and smiled. Harry wasn't the only one who noticed her. There were plenty of people watching her. Draco Malfoy motioned for Goyle to move. Cate pretended not to notice.
"Hello!" she said to Harry. "Professor Dumbledore told me you were all in Gryffindor! I'm glad I know someone here, well, even just a little bit!"
"Hi." Harry said in reply. That was all they really said, for Cate talked much more to Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender. Parvati and Lavender thought Cate was going to be quite popular, so they asked her loads of questions, mostly about her looks, and what everyone wore in America.
Finally, the sorting and feast ended. Cate seemed amazed by every detail of Hogwarts. She was clearly trying to keep note of it all in her head, so she would be able to navigate it on her own.
In the common room, she met Fred and George. She was apparently clever enough not to accept a Canary Cream, but slipped a ton-tounge-toffe in Fred's drink.
"Tricked by his own trick!" George laughed as his twin choked on his tongue, and quickly turned it back to normal. George leaned on a bewitched table and fell to the ground.
"Ahhh..." Cate said. "Now who's been tricked you two?"
By the end of the evening, everyone was tired. Cate headed to the boys' dormitory.
"The girls' dorm is the other way!" Ron said.
"Yes. I know. McGonagall has informed me that there is no room left there. So I have to make due with a place in the boys'..." She didn't seem too happy about this. Harry didn't blame her either...