A/N: Unfortunately, I am at school, and I have no idea how to work a Mac, and it's all html, so I'm confused. Anyway, here's a new story I promised to a really good friend of mine. A New Beginning:
Harry sat down in Professor McGonnagall's office. He had just returned after getting a message from her talking about Dumbledore's will. "Now Harry," Professor McGonnagall said, setting a steaming cup of tea in front of him." Do you know why you are here?" Harry shook his head as he picked up the coffee cup, glad to have something hot to hold. "It seems that Dumbledore mentioned you in his will quite a few times. He's given you the sword of Gryffindor, a few of his trinkets here, and something else. It says here in Dumbledore's will that you will no longer be allowed to attend Hogwarts."
"What?" Harry asked bleakly, grasping the cup tighter than before. Professor McGonnagall only nodded as she sipped her coffee. "So I'm not allowed to finish my seventh year?"
"No no Harry, I didn't say that you're not allowed to finish our seventh year, just that you're not allowed to do it at Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore has plans for you." She set her coffee cup down on the desk and shuffled the papers she had in a neat pile on the desk. "Here it is." she stated, pulling out a brochure. "This is our sister school, Edgefree Academy of Wizardry," she stated as she handed Harry the brochure. "This is where Dumbledore wanted you to go in case of his death."
Harry set his cup of tea down and looked through the brochure. "Wait, why can't I continue here?" he asked as he threw the brochure down next to his tea. "I've been at Hogwarts for six years, so why make me transfer now?"
Professor McGonnagall only shrugged. "I don't know Potter. I just don't know." She sighed deeply and looked out the window. "You'll just have to do it. Dumbledore had his ways." Harry nodded in agreement and stood up to leave for his room. "And Potter." She looked at him again, pondering why Dumbledore had made this decision. "You'll leave tomorrow. Do be ready on time." Harry nodded and left the room
The train rumbled loudly as it left the station. Harry held onto his owl cage tightly, wondering if Hedwig would be able to find him at his new school. He laughed softly as he thought back to that morning.
Harry had brought his trunk down to the Great Hall and left it by the doors. He turned to look at the four shimmering hourglasses that stood magnificently by the doorway to the Hall. All of the hourglasses were empty except for the Gryffindor one. He smiled, realizing that McGonnagall had probably set it up so that it looked special for Harry.
Harry smiled again and entered the hall to find a small group of grumbling students picking at plates of bacon and eggs. Slowly, he walked over to an empty seat at the end of the table. Silently, he grabbed a bowl of cereal and a muffin before starting to eat. As he ate, he wondered if these were all his fellow students and why there were here.
Professor McGonnagall entered the hall and sat down in front of the students. They automatically shut up and looked at her. "Now students, you will have two new students joining you at Edgefree. The one is already at the school, but the other student is over there. Students, meet Harry Potter. Every single head turned to stare at him.
"Hello," he muttered meekly, returning to his bowl of cereal. One of the girls in the very back laughed loudly and gave Harry a thumbs up. He smiled in return, quickly swallowing the cereal he had scooped into his mouth.
"Students, the train will be leaving in twenty minutes. Please be ready, because the train waits for no one." She stood up, smiled and left the room. The girl who had applauded him stood up and walked over to Harry.
"So you're Harry Potter?" she asked in a seductive British accent. Harry nodded, taking a bite of his muffin. "Why are you coming to Edgefree? Don't you like Hogwarts enough?" He quickly put up a single slender finger, chewed up the bite of muffin, swallowed it and removed the finger.
"Why is it that you always catch me at a bad, mouth-full time?" He chuckled, asking the girl. She smiled and sat down next to him.
"I just think that it's my ability of catching people in the act of committing crimes." she replied in a matter of fact tone.
"And what crime did I commit exactly?"
"You didn't drink your milk." She smiled at him and Harry laughed. He laughed louder and harder than he had laughed before. The girl smiled even wider then before. "Glad you liked my joke."
"Liked it? It was pure genius." Harry replied as he returned his muffin plate before watching it disappear. "So what's Edgefree like?"
"No, uh uh. You still didn't answer my question so why should I answer yours?" She shrugged as the 'the train is about to leave' announcement came over the speaker. "I have to go.. See you on the train." She quickly brushed back her shocking violet locks and ran away.
Harry sighed and stood up. Walking over to collect his trunk and owl cage, he quickly boarded the train and collapsed on the velvet seat. This train was different than all the other trains he had been on. It was luxorious. Definately first class. The compartments were for groups of three, the windows were covered with thick black velvet curtains and the door was lined with gold. There was a tiny jacuzzi in the middle of the room with a button to close it.
"Wow," Harry announced, setting his trunk up in the overhead compartment. The door opened to his compartment and the violet haired girl entered, dragging a sandy-haired boy behind her.
"Oh Harry! Hi!" She threw her trunk into the compartment and smiled. "Mind if we join you?" Harry shook his head, smiling all the while. "Great!" she exclaimed, plopping down next to Harry, and Harry returned the smile. "Oh yeah! I never introduced myself did I?" Harry shook his head and the girl gasped. "OMG! I'm so sorry!"
"OMG?" Harry thought, fiddling with his fingers. The girl smiled and extended her pale hand out to Harry.
"Hello Harry Potter. My name is Tillia Angelite and I will be your friend today." Harry laughed and shook her hand. Tillia smiled widely and laughed as well. "Oh, and that's Cal," she announced, walking over to him. "Calvin Khris Golvin, but he likes Cal. Apparently he's a mute too."
"I'm only a mute when you talk for me," Cal responded, tickling her sides. Harry was surprised that Cal's voice was really soft, yet manly. It was quite seductive and attractive. "Hello Harry," Cal stated, holding out his hand.
"Hello Cal," Harry replied, shaking his hand. Cal smiled and sat down on the seat on the other side of the room. Tillia bounced around the room, but when the female voice came over the speakers to announce that the train would be departing, she sat down next to Harry and curled up in a small ball by the window. "Tillia, you okay?" Harry asked, pulling out a book that Hermione had lent to him for the trip. Tillia nodded quickly and hid under a blanket that she had produced from thin air.
"Don't mind her Harry," Cal stated, slipping off his robes and sliding into the Jacuzzi. "Tillia just gets a little motion sickness from time to time, that's all. She'll be fine once we really start moving." Harry nodded and dipped back into his book. A half hour later, Harry threw the book aside, exhausted.
"Who knew that reading about myself could be so exhausting," Harry muttered, looking towards the Jacuzzi to see that Cal had fallen asleep. He sighed, stood up and dragged the sleeping boy out of the water so he wouldn't wake up all pruny.
"That's nice of you," Tillia told him as she peeked out from under the blanket. "Taking care of Cal, I mean." Harry nodded and gave her a small smile. Tillia returned the smile as she fully re-appeared from under the blanket.
"Are you guys good friends?" Harry asked her, returning to sit next to her. Tillia nodded as a happy smile washed over her.
"Yup, we used to be the bestest of friends. We hung out every second at school and called each other on telephones when we weren't at school, but a couple of years ago, Cal started hanging out with a new crew at school." She looked over at the sleeping Cal with a sad smile on her face. "It was around winter of our fifth year when it happened. We got into a huge fight about the new crew. They were making him sneak out of the castle and steal from the village nearby. They also got him addicted to a few muggle drugs and things." Harry looked at Tillia and felt extreme sympathy for the now crying girl. She took a deep breath and continued.
"I was trying to get him out of there. I really was, but he just thought that I was trying to steal his popularity. It was horrible. They had to have Professor Dumbledore come and stop us. That's just how bad it was. By the end of the week, we were no longer talking to each other at all. It was a little over a month later," Tillia whispered, wringing her hands, "that he approached me. It must have been one in the morning. He knocked on my dorm door, high and crying." She smiled softly as she continued. "He dragged me into my bathroom and told me how Jack, the leader, had been beating and raping the other group members when he was high.
Harry listened to her story and remembered how Ginny had come to him during her fourth year and told him how one of the Ravenclaw boys had raped her. He completely understood what Tillia had gone through, having gone through the same experience himself.
"So I helped him out. Got him cleaned up and out of the gang. They've mostly all graduated. Only Darry and Paul are left, and they were the nice ones." Harry nodded silently as he reached over and wiped away a single tear that was falling down the girl's face. "Thanks." she whispered, wiping her eyes.
"No problem," Harry replied, smiling. Tillia looked at Cal again and smiled with Harry.
"You know, you're the first person I've ever told this to. Only Cal and I knew, until you came along. Something tells me we're going to be good friends." She smiled at Harry and checked her watch. "Oh, I should go and change. Be back soon." She grabbed her robes and left.
Harry stood up and woke Cal. "Come on, it's time to change." As they changed, Harry realized what had just happened. He had been given a secret to be in charge of. A secret, that if revealed, could completely destroy one's life. "New school, new friends and a new secret to keep. This year is definately going to be interesting.
