The story is about Harry and Co. going to another school on an exchange trip, this is only the first part, I'll have more down soon. This is my first fic so please don't be to harsh if your reviewing. Enjoy!
From Hogwarts To Centurria
Harry lay back, contentedly, on his pillow and looked around the dark room, he would miss it but he couldn't wait to take his seat on the train the following morning. For then he would be of to Hogwarts. Harry was looking forward to everything that was Hogwarts, well everything apart from his classes with Snape the Potions, teacher who had hated Harry since his first day, but he was looking forward to visiting Hagrid in his hut at the edge of the grounds, weekends exploring Hogsmeade with Ron and Hermione, eating in the great hall with its enchanted ceiling and more than anything else his favourite sport Quidditch.
Across the room Ron's owl Pigwidgeon, woke and started to chirp merrily. His cage which was on top of Ron's trunk ready for the journey to the station tomorrow, was beside Harry's own snowy white owl. Hedwig, who had been woken by the noise, screeched loudly to show her annoyment. Harry looked anxiously over at Ron who stirred but didn't wake up. Harry got out of bed and crept silently over to the two owls. He picked up Pigwidgeon's cage, opened Ron's bedroom door and set the cage down outside. Now Pigwidgeon could chirp as much as he liked without disturbing anybody.
Harry was just heading back to bed when something at the window caught his eye. He walked over and leaned against the windowpane watching. As he watched he saw a flash of bright gold, which lit up the sky. The gold shape moved towards. As it came closer he realised it was a bird. A large, shining gold bird. Harry couldn't take his eyes off it. The bird stopped, just a few from the open window. It opened its beak and out came a beautiful high sound, which sounded almost like a lullaby. It was a lullaby, Harry realised, the golden bird was singing to him!
The words sounded vaguely familiar, which Harry reasoned, was stupid because no-one had ever sang him lullabies, no-one except- Harry could feel his eyelids going heavy, it was as if he was falling into a deep sleep and then everything went black-his mother, she was bending over a crib which Harry presumed had been his. She was singing the same song Harry had heard from the golden bird. She had a beautiful voice, Harry realised and this made his heart ache. As he watched she finished the song, bent over to kiss her baby son and tuck his blankets around him. She stepped back and paused for a minute staring adoringly at the sleeping baby Harry before walking out of the room. Harry opened his eyes and stared at the bird which had finished singing, it looked at him for a moment before turning around and sailing off into the night sky.
* * *
The next morning Harry was rudely shook awake, he groaned and rolled over. Harry was exhausted, for he had been up most of the night thinking about the golden bird and what it had shown him.
" Harry, get up!" said a distant voice loudly. Ron was bending over him, still in his pyjamas.
"What time is it?" Harry muttered sleepily.
"Quarter to eight, but everybody else's been up since six." Hermione had appeared in the door, looking slightly annoyed.
" My alarm clocks broken," Ron explained testily.
Hermione sighed and looked flustered, " Well you two better hurry up get dressed, everyone else's nearly finished breakfast."
She left, pulling the door shut behind her. Harry pulled himself out of bed and started to get changed. When Harry and Ron were both ready they made their way down to the kitchen. The Weasleys, apart from Bill and Charlie, and Hermione were all sitting at the table. Mrs Weasley looked up as they entered.
"We thought you were never coming down," she said, a note of disapproval in her voice.
"The alarm clock fell off the table last night it must have broken then," Ron replied.
"Well you'll have to eat quickly, there isn't much time until we leave," Mrs Weasley said, as she began shovelling sausages, eggs, pancakes and toast onto their plates.
As Harry ate he thought about the golden bird and wondered if he should tell anyone about it. Ron's parents might know something about it but Harry didn't really want to tell them that he saw his mother they might think he was going a bit mad. After considering for a while longer he decided to ask Hermione on the train. She might know something about it and he didn't have to mention his mother if he didn't want to.
* * *
Just over an hour later, Harry stood with Hermione beside the car that Mr Weasley had borrowed from the Ministry of Magic, where he worked. They were waiting for Ron who had decided at the last minute that he wanted to bring his broomstick and he had ran back up to his bedroom to retrieve it. He returned a minute later, followed by his brothers, Fred and George who were dragging their little sister Ginny's truck out to the car.
"Got it!" he said truimphfully, as he threw it into the back of the car. He turned to his father who was already sitting in the driver's seat.
"Mum and Ginny'll be out in a minute, they're just checking that we've got everything."
"Well they'd better hurry up, we haven't got much time," said Mr Weasley tensely as he stared up the driveway which led to the house.
Just as he finished speaking, Mrs Weasley and Ginny came hurrying down the path.
"Hurry Arthur we haven't much time!" Mrs Weasley urged as everyone clambered into the car. Mr Weasley sighed but he started the engine and pressed down on the clutch. As the car backed out of the drive, Harry, oblivious to Ron and Hermione, who were bickering on either side of him, he thought back happily over the week which he had spent at the Burrow.
Soon they arrived in the car park of King's Cross Station. They transferred everything from the boot of the Weasley's car on to the luggage trolleys before heading to the barrier between platforms nine and ten.
"Alright, Fred and George, you two go through first, then Hermione and Harry, Ron, you and Ginny go next and your father and I will follow, go on now!" Mrs Weasley instructed.
As Fred and George set off for the barrier, Harry and Hermione prepared for their turn.
"Ready?" Harry muttered as Fred and George disappeared to the platform on the other side of the barrier.
Hermione nodded and they began walking, speeding up as they got closer to the barrier. And then they were through. They stood for a moment staring at the scarlet Hogwarts Express and at all the parents who were biding their children goodbye.
"Harry" shouted George as he and Fred ran over pushing their trolleys, "Mind these for us for a minute would you?"
"Sure," Harry replied.
"We want to go and find Lee Jordan," Fred explained, "he went to Knigide, which is a wizarding town just outside New York-Hermione began to look interested- and it's got one of the largest joke shops in the world, Gusters and they've got loads of amazing things that aren't sold anywhere else and he promised to bring us back some stuff." Hermiones expression changed to one of disapproval.
The twins set off to search the platform for Lee.
"Harry want do you think is taking Ron so long? He's been ages!" said Hermione.
Before Harry could reply, Ron and Ginny came bursting through the barrier followed closely by their parents.
"What happened?" Harry questioned.
"Some guard thought it'd be a good idea to put the extra trolleys in front of the barrier, we had to wait for him to leave so we could move them." Ron explained.
"Where are Fred and George?" asked Mrs Weasley.
"Here we are mum," said Fred and George appearing and grabbing their trolleys, "look what Lee brought us back from America." They held up two gift bags which had Gusters written on the side.
"This is my personal favourite," said George holding up what looked like a ball of white wool with a long piece of red string hanging out of the end, "it's called a Hiburus fire, you pull this red string and the white ball starts glowing like a ball of fire and shoots all over the room trying to hit people. You can't feel it because once you pull the red string it sort of becomes an illusion but people who don't know that start running around the room trying to avoid it." He finished speaking and slipped the Hiburus Fire back into it's bag.
The Hogwarts Express blew a large jet of steam through it's funnel announcing that it would soon be ready to leave.
"Oh, we'd better hurry, you haven't even got your luggage on yet!" said Mrs Weasley worriedly.
"Don't panic Mum we'll take it on with us now," Ron said, "you lot ready?"
They nodded.
"Alright then, now behave yourselves and send me plenty of owls," Mrs Weasley said, hugging them all.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny pushed their trolleys towards the train, looking back now and again to wave to Mr and Mrs Weasley who were standing near the barrier, ready to return to the world on the other side as soon as the train left.
* * *
Well that's the first part. Hopefully I'll have got to the exchange school bit of the story by the next part. Please review.
All Harry Potter characters and settings belong to J.K Rowling.
Knigide, Gusters and the Hiburus Fire are mine.