Competitions

Chapter One

Waiting in the car for Kings Cross to arrive was torture for Harry. All he could think about was catching up with Hermione and Ron; stuffing their faces with Pumpkin Pasties, Chocolate Frogs, and Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He couldn't even wait for homework. He wouldn't care if it was ten or even twenty feet of parchment paper! At least it would be Hogwarts.

This summer had been even worse than his third year's. Sirius had died. It never, and still didn't click with his mind that his godfather, the only bit of his parents left, had died. He was miserable the whole summer, not even caring if the Dursley's made his starve. He'd rather starve than be without Sirius. He knew he could never have Sirius back, and he also knew that he would always walk around carrying the pain of losing his parents and losing his godfather. A tiny part of him still believed that he had been the reason Sirius died. "If only I had listened to Snape (for once in his life) in Occlumency to block out those visions!" Inside his head would scream thoughts like these.

But he had accepted the fact the Sirius wouldn't come back. He didn't want to at first, but he did. He couldn't worry himself over Sirius right now though. He knew (from the sign on the side of the road) that he was only five miles away from his best friends in the whole entire world.

Ten minutes later he heard Mr. Dursley say, "Your trunk and that owl of yours are on a trolley. Don't write and we won't miss you." And with that he got in the car and drove off.

Ah, freedom at last. He walked into the station. He was so excited he was almost running when he saw a fiery red head that belonged to Ron, and a no longer bushy brown haired – Hermione.

"Harry!" Hermione squealed, jumping on him and kissing him on the cheek. "It's so good to see you!"

"'ello mate," Ron said shaking hands with Harry.

They talked a little more in-between platform nine and ten, but Ron interrupted Hermione when she asked if either of them had worked on homework, by saying, "It's five minutes to, we'd better get onto the train."

Hermione went through the barrier first, then Harry, the Ron. They gave their luggage to the (whatever you call the people who load your luggage in the luggage compartment) and walked up the stairs into the train.

"Better go fast or we'll never find an empty compartment," Ron said hastily.

They walked through the first fifteen, and they were all full. They finally found one close to the back of the train. Once they sat down, Hermione had a worried look and was staring at the floor.

"So how… how are you Harry?" She asked slowly.

"You're talking about Sirius," He said quietly. "Um, well, I've sort of accepted the fact that he's… he's… well, gone. I don't know how to explain it. I will miss him… a lot, but I know that I can never have him back." He brushed a small tear away quickly. He didn't add the part about how he felt guilty, or the part about his parents.

"Well, um, I think I'll… I'll change the subject," Ron said uncomfortably. "So, um, oh I give up."

"Did any of you see that new kid in the compartment in front of ours?" Hermione asked trying to take another look.

"No," Ron and Harry shrugged.

"She better not get in my way of becoming Head Girl next year," Hermione said under her breath.

"Hermione, how do you know she's even in the sixth year… hang on did you say SHE!" Ron jumped up to the window, along with Harry, and took a look.

Ron whistled.

"Who is she?" Harry asked in awe.

The silvery, blond haired girl was just sitting their reading, what looked like, and Teen People Magazine.

"Teen People?" Ron asked.

"Looks like an American thing," Harry answered.

"She's not that pretty, honestly!" Hermione said irately.

"Are you kidding she's…I don't know what she is but she is defiantly more than just pretty." Ron said, slumping back onto the seat.

"Why do you think she's here?" Harry asked, doing the same.

"I don't really care," Hermione said huffily. "I'm going to ask her what she's doing here." And with that she stomped out of the compartment.

She was only gone a three seconds and she came back saying, "She's from America,"

"AND!" Harry and Ron yelled.

"And her family moved to England, so she's coming to Hogwarts," she said. Before Ron and Harry could say anything a witch came saying, "We're here dears, so you better get off the train,"

"Four to a carriage now. 'urry up!" a familiar voice boomed loudly. Hagrid shouted to the older students and then turned his attention to the first years, and led them to the boats.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron climbed into a carriage. Just after they got in, the silvery blonde haired girl from the train looked into the carriage.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" her question directing towards Ron.

"Who, me? Er…uh…no, n-not at all," Ron stuttered.

"Great, thanks," the girl smiled. "I'm Lindsay by the way, Lindsay Graffman. And you are?" she said, again directing her question towards Ron.

"I-I'm…uh…Ron, yeah, Ron Weasley," Ron started.

"The girl laughed and said, "And who are your friends?"

"Oh, I'm Harry, Harry Potter," Harry muttered.

"And you already met me," Hermione said.

"So I have. So you're the famous Harry Potter, eh," Lindsay said, flipping her hair back.

"Um…I guess," Harry said quite uncomfortable.

"So Lindsay, what school did you transfer from?" Hermione inquired.

"Well, I just moved here from New York. I went to Dragonsnore. People say it's somewhere in Montana judging by the landscape and the weather. No one knows for sure though," she said, looking at her nails, and flexing her fingers the whole time.

"I was in Rodinffyr there. It's Gryffindor backwards, without the g. You know how America copies England. Headmaster Dumbledore wrote to me saying, that I was to be in Gryffindor (Hermione moaned slightly). What about you guys?"

"Gryffindor," they all chimed.

"Great! I was afraid of not knowing anybody!"

"Yeah, great," Hermione said with the least enthusiasm ever.

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