A/N: This is my first try at a HP fanfic, so feed back is greatly appreicated. Contains an OC, Brenda...and will be AU..hated that they killed Sirius.
Harry woke and found no one around, looking outside he found the Dursleys standing outside their home on Privet Drive watching the vans outside a house down the street being unloaded. He looked down the street and saw a man and a woman talk to the van drivers, then looked back to his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and his detestable cousin Dudley, eating, as usual.
"What's going on?" he asked as he stepped out to stand next to them.
Both adults turned and looked at the boy, sneered a bit, then turned back to their spying, whispering to one another now and then.
"Looks like a brand new BMW." Vernon said. "They flash their money about like that, they'll get us all robbed."
"We'll have to get an alarm system, dear." Petunia said. "What if some undesirable person were to break into our house? What if they hurt Dudley?"
"Calm down, Petunia." Vernon said. "We'll see to that in good time."
Harry stopped listening to them and turned his own attention down the street again. He could hear the man and woman talking, but couldn't hear what they were saying. They seemed to have some sort of accent, but he couldn't make out what kind from that distance.
A girl stepped out of one of the vans, she looked close to Harry's own fifteen years. She was pretty, he could tell that much. Tall and slender, she had dark brown hair that had just gotten caught in some sort of poles that she was carrying out of the van. One of the movers stopped to help her get her hair untangled, and as she turned to head for the house, one of the poles caught the other mover in the head, sending him to the pavement with a scream.
"I'm so sorry." he could hear her say as she dropped the poles, sending them down onto the other mover's foot. "I'm sorry." she said again.
"We need to keep her away from Dudley." Petunia said. "I don't want her hurting my baby."
"How do you know she's going to come anywhere near him?" Harry asked.
"Why wouldn't she?" Vernon asked, face red.
"Just because she's moving in down the street doesn't mean she's going to come over here." he replied with a shrug.
"Excuse me." a girl's voice said from behind them. "Do you happen to have a first aid kit?"
"What?" Petunia asked in confusion as she turned to stare at the seemingly accident prone girl.
"A first aid kit." the girl repeated. "The two movers seem to have gotten hurt, and we don't know where ours is at the moment..."
"Harry, go fetch the first aid kit." Vernon snapped. "American?" he asked, trying to figure out her accent.
"Yup." she nodded with a smile. "Arizona."
"Nice car." Dudley said as he finished cleaning the breakfast plate he'd been holding.
"Um, thanks, it's a rental." she said. "Dad hasn't had time to buy one yet." she added. "Brenda Dennison." she said after a moment's silence.
"Excuse me?" Vernon said.
"My name." she said slowly. "My name is Brenda Dennison."
"Petunia Dursley." Petunia said, holding out her hand. "This is my husband Vernon and our dear son, Dudley."
"Nice to meet you." Brenda said with a smile, shaking each of their hands in turn, until she got to Dudley, who still had syrup all over his. "Your other son is Harry then I assume."
"Other son?" Vernon asked in confusion.
"The one you sent to get the kit." she replied.
"Nephew." Petunia corrected her. "He's here for a short visit before school starts up again. Then he'll be gone all school year."
"Oh, boarding school?" Brenda asked.
"Something like that." Vernon mumbled.
"Here you go." Harry said as he came out of the house, handing the box over to Brenda.
"This is Brenda." Dudley said as he moved to go back inside, the conversation boring him, and his stomach growling for more food.
"Hi." Harry said with a smile.
"Hi, and thanks." Brenda said, returning the smile. "I need to get back before the poor guy bleeds to death on me." she added. "Don't need that to happen again." she laughed. "I'll bring this back as soon as I can." she added when she saw the looks of shock and worry on the Dursley's faces.
"Keep it." Petunia said. "Consider it a house warming gift." she added as she took Vernon by the hand and dragged him back into the house.
"Thanks." Brenda laughed. "Bye." she said with a wave to Harry as she headed back down to her own house and the frightened movers.
"We've got a new student." Hermione said as they filed into the dining hall. "She's even supposed to be in our house."
"She?" Fred asked eagerly. "What's she look like?"
"She's not ugly is she?" George asked.
"I don't know." Hermione sighed. "What if she is?"
"Then she'll pry have lots of new girlfriends." Fred laughed.
"Boys." she said, rolling her eyes.
"I heard she's a seventh year." Ron put in. "Her second time 'round for her seventh year."
"Maybe she won't be so bad after all." George said as he took his seat.
"Why is that?" Hermione asked.
"Well, if she's repeating a year, then she's probably not a little goodie-goodie is she?" Fred said.
All of the starting looking around the dining hall, trying to catch sight of anyone who did not look familiar. So far, they hadn't any luck.
"Did anyone see a new girl on the train?" Harry asked as he craned his neck around.
"No." Ron mumbled. "I see her!" he said, pointing to the main doors of the hall.
"I know her." Harry said as Brenda Dennison came into sight.
"You do?" they all asked in surprise.
"She's just moved in down the street." he nodded. "Didn't know she was one of us though."
"Invite her over." Hermione demanded.
"Why?" he asked.
"She's new here." she said. "Plus, it wouldn't be so bad to have another girl in our little group."
"What's wrong with us?" Ron asked, completely affronted.
"Nothing." Hermione said. "It's just nice to have another girl to talk to." she added.
"You can talk to us." he argued.
"Do you want to hear all about all of my little girlie issues?" Hermione asked.
"No." he quickly answered.
"Okay then." she said. "Harry!"
"Fine." he groaned as he stood up and waved to Brenda.
"Hello there." she said. "I didn't know you were a wizard."
"I could say the same." he replied. "These are some of my friends, Hermione Granger, Fred, George and Ron Weasley."
"Nice to meet you." Brenda said with a smile. "This place is jam packed." she added, looking around the room.
"Here, there's a seat here." Fred said, indicating the seat next to him, across from Hermione.
"Thanks." she said. "You're all in Gryffindor?" she asked.
"Yes." they all nodded.
"Great." she said. "I hate starting new schools. Can't stand not knowing anyone."
"Good thing you moved in near Harry then." Ron said. "Why did you move in near him?" he asked.
"Are your parents muggles?" Hermione asked, a little hope evident in her voice.
"My mother is." she nodded. "My father isn't though. They both just prefer the muggle world."
Their conversation ceased when a knocking came from the front of the hall, and they looked to see Dumbledore standing up, ready to speak.
"They're going to sort the first years." Hermoine explained, not sure if her school had anything like that.
"I see." she nodded.
"Is it true this is your second time doing your seventh year?" Fred whispered.
"Yes." she nodded. "Don't worry, I'll tell all of you all about it later." she whispered back. "I'm sure some are still sticking to that rumor I killed that one teacher." she added with a sigh before turning back to Dumbledore's speech.
The others just stared at her in surprise and curiosity, eager to hear what she had to say, and what that story was.