A woman walked hastily through the rain, her boots making soft clicking
sounds on the solid pavement. She wore a dark black cloak, the hood
pulled far over her eyes, so that her face was hidden from view. She
carried a bundle of blankets in her arms, that, upon closer inspection
was actually a small infant wrapped in some cloth. She seemed to be in a
hurry, as if trying to outrun some horrible fate. Her strides were quick
and stiff, like every muscle in her body was tense and alert. Her very
being demanded respect, but at that moment there was a distinct urgency
in every step she took.
Her strides stopped abruptly in front of an old, rickety looking house. The structure was ancient, but very elegent and welcoming. It seemed like a rather large home, having a small garden in front with a bird bath in the center.
She quickly approached the front porch and gently set the small, sleeping babe on the ground in front of the door, careful not to wake it. Now that she was out of the rain, she slowly pulled back her hood, revealing sad garnet eyes and dark green hair that almost looked black. She looked at the baby with tears in her crimson eyes. The baby was almost completely covered with blankets, except for her chubby face. A few wisps of golden blond curles fell over the child's closed eyelids. The woman looked at the babe sadly, almost wistfully, before standing up. The woman turned to the front door, hesitantly took the knocker in her hand, and gave the door a few good bangs. She once again turned to look at the sleeping child, with the same deep sadness in her eyes as before. Only this time she smiled faintly. "Take care........ Princess." And without another word, she pulled her hood back over her eyes and stepped through a portal that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
The door opened and an old man stepped out. The old man looked even more ancient than his house. He had been enjoying a quiet evening inside reading a book, when he had heard a knock at his door, but when he went to see who it was, he had opened the door only to see no one there. Well, almost no one. There was a bundle of blankets at his feet with a small, sleeping infant snuggled inside, oblivious to the world around it. He bent down and picked the bundle up. There was no note, and he could'nt help but wonder where the child had come from. He looked at the small, sleeping infant in his arms. It looked so innocent and fragile. He smiled down at the sleeping child. "And where did you come from, Little One?" He asked, something akin to affection shining in his eyes behind half-moon spectacles. Even though he had only known this child for less than a minute, he already felt attached to it. He shivered and decided it was time to go back inside where it was warmer, before he and the child both caught a cold. He quickly walked back inside the house, silently closing the door behind him.
10 years later........
Harry Potter sat in his room on his bed, flipping through the latest issue of 'The Daily Prophet'(is that how you spell it????). Since the Dursleys didn't get 'The Daily Prophet', Ron had been sending him the latest issue (by owl) every week or so, knowing that Harry would want to be kept up with what was going on in the wizarding world, mainly because Voldemort was on the loose, very dangerous, and after Harry. Along with the 'The Daily Prophet', Ron had been sending him frequent letters and wrapped sweets(courtesy of Mrs. Weasley).
He also got letters from Hermione. And every single one of them contained the line, "Are you alright, Harry? Did you-know-who find you? Has your scar been hurting? Have you been feeling well? Are the Dursleys treating you alright? ect..", or something along those lines.
He sighed. He knew Voldemort was on the loose and after his blood. He was even almost afraid to go back to Hogwarts for the upcoming school year. Even with Albus Dumbledore there, he wasn't so sure he would be safe.
He was starting his fifth year at Hogwarts. His summer had definitely not been pleasant, and even though the Dursleys had been treating him better ever since they had found out his god-father was(supposedly) a mass murderer and on the loose a few years back, there attitude towards him was still cruel, and they generally ignored him most of the time. He also feared that he would be putting his friends in danger by going back to Hogwarts. He would never forgive himself if something bad were to happen to one of his friends because of him.
Hermione had been asking him in every letter she sent him if his scar had been hurting lately. And in every letter he wrote back he would say "no". Of course that was a lie. A BIG lie. Sometimes he would wake up screaming in the middle of the night because his scar hurt so bad. And every time he would have one of these painful nights, there would also be a nightmare to plague him along with it.
He knew Voldemorte was coming ever closer, preparing for the day when he would finally kill him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. 'Don't think that way!' He shouted mentally to himself. 'Voldemorte is NOT going to kill you.'
With that thought planted firmly in his mind, he went over to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and began writing a letter to Ron, asking him if the Weasleys would allow him to stay with them for the last few days before the school year started. He needed to clear his mind of all this chaos, and a few days with the Weasleys was sure to bring his spirits up.
five days later. . . . . . . . . . . .
"Uncle Albus!" A voice rang out from the second-floor landing. A girl of about eleven years of age stood at the top of the staircase, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently on the carpet, her face in the most adorable pout. "When are we going to leave?" She cried out in dismay. She had been waiting her whole life for this moment, and her uncle was acting like it was just any other day. After eleven years of longingness, she would finally be old enough to attend Hogwarts. She couldn't help but be a bit anxious.
Albus Dumbledore walked calmly to the bottom of the staircase and said in an exasperated voice, "We will get there, Serenity. I promise."
She gave him her trademark pout that she knew he couldn't say no to. Albus Dumbledore stared up at the girl he had grown to love and care for as if she were his own daughter. He sighed. She was a mischievious little thing, with a fun-loving personality that was only exceeded by the purity and innocence of her heart.
She beamed at him, her eyes lighting up. She had already gotten all the books and other things she would need for her first year at Hogwarts. The only thing she didn't have was her wand. She ran over to the fireplace, knowing that she had won, with two suitcases in hand.
"Alright, Bunny. You know the rules."
She looked at him impatiently, foot tapping repeatedly on the floor. "I know, I know." She walked over to a small coffee table on the other side of the room and picked up a little cookie jar. She lifted the lid and stuck her hand inside. Pulling out just a pinch of green, sparkling powder, she walked over to her uncle with the jar and he did the same. "Now, can we go?" She pleaded with him. He walked over to the fireplace and threw the green powder into the air above his head, before dissapearing behind a cloud of green smoke. "Hey!!" She shouted. "That's not fair!!!"
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She appeared in a puff of green smoke only a second after Dumbledore did."Hey, you cheated!" She said indignantly, pouting.
Dumbledore smiled.
"Come on," He said, traces of laughter still in his eyes. "I'll buy you an ice-cream." Her face and eyes lit up. She was practicaly bubbling with excitement. "Really!?" She ran over and hugged him. "Serenity......... I can't breath," He said, face turning blue. She released her hold on him and smiled sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry." She looked at her surroundings, as if finally noticing where she was. They were in the Leaky Cauldron.
A man from behind the counter walked over to them and shook Dumbledore's hand. "Well, hello there! Haven't seen you in a while, Albus. Where ye been?" He turned to Serenity and smiled down at her. "And this must be Serenity! I haven't seen you in years, Little one. My, you sure have grown!" She blushed slightly. "And my, what a pretty young lady your turning out to be." She smiled at him. He laughed.
She remembered her uncle's promise of ice-cream from just a few moments before, and proceeded to grab his hand and literally drag him out of the store. "C'mon, Uncle Albus, Let's go get some ice-cream!"
Three hours later.............
"There! Now if this one isn't the right one, I'll be damned!" A man said excitedly while holding out a wand to her. They had been there for almost forty-five minutes and still they had not found a wand that suited her. "This wand has unicorn hair, a touch of dragons wing, and a feather from a pheonix. The wood is ebony. There was only one of these ever made," He warned. " and it is definitely not for playing around with." She reached out a hand to take the wand from him, and as soon as her fingers brushed against it, a jolt of warm electricity shot up her arm. She shakily held the wand out in front of her and waved it around a bit. Silver and pink sparks shot out of the end of the wand, flying everywhere. The man smiled. "Quite a powerful youngster you've got there, Dumbledore." Dumbledore frowned slightly. "Yes. Yes indeed." Usagi was too caught up with shooting sparks out of the end of her wand to notice Dumbledore's conversation with the other man.
24 hours later.............
Harry had already gotten all of his books, and he and Ron were sitting at the ice-cream shop, enjoying a sundae while they waited for Hermione to get there. They had finished getting all their books hours ago, and had proceeded to just walk around and look at shops. This was probably Harry's third sundae, and he was starting to get full.
They were in Diagon Alley. He had been staying with the Weasleys for the past few days. When he had wrote the letter to Ron asking if he could stay with them until school started, they had of course said yes. Harry, of course, hadn't mentioned a word to Ron about his scar hurting. The pain hadn't stopped, not even during his time with the Weasleys. He still couldn't brush away the immense fealing of foreboding, and things were only getting worse as the school year drew nearer.
Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley had been great the past few days he had stayed with them. They had steered clear of the matter of Voldemorte, somehow knowing he didn't want to talk about it. He had been very grateful to them for that.
Just then, Hermione came running down the street towards them, breaking Harry out of his train of thought. "Harry! Ron!" She stopped in front of them and tried to catch her breath. "I've ::pant:: been looking all ::pant:: over for you ::pant:: guys!" Harry and Ron just stared at her. After Hermione caught her breath she pulled up a chair and sat down. "Where have you guys been?" "Here." Ron said impatiently. Hermione looked at him. "You mean you've been here the whole time I was looking for you?" Ron looked at her peevishly. "We've been waiting for YOU."
meanwhile...................
Usagi sat on her bed in her room. She was fiddling with her wand, running her fingers over the slick surface and reveling at how it sent jolts of warm, somehow comforting, electricity throughout her body at her slightest touch.
After she had gotten her wand the day before, she and her uncle had headed straight back to the Leaky Cauldron and gotten her a room there.
Dumbledore may have been her leagal guardian, but she was still a student and her uncle still the headmaster of Hogwarts. And that meant she had to get to school just like every other student at Hogwarts. Every year until now she had been sent off to boarding school for the school year, because she wasn't old enough to attend Hogwarts yet. Dumbledore still had his duties as a headmaster and still had to be there during the school year. He couldn't just put his duties and responsibilities on hold for her. But this year was going to be different. This year she was officially old enough to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
For the past ten years of her life she had yearned to go to Hogwarts, and now she would be at Hogwarts in less than forty-eight hours. She could hardly control her excitement. She would be placed in with the fifth year students. She didn't know why, but her uncle had said something about her having natural witch powers and that she would need advanced teaching to be able to control them.
She was a bit scared. She didn't know if the fifth years would except her, least of all be nice to her. She would be four years younger than any of the other students in her classes. She tried to push all those bad thoughts out of her head. 'Dont worry about it.' She told herself mentally.' You'll be fine.'
She really did hope that was true.
21 hours later. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Harry waited with the Weasleys in the lounge of the Leaky Cauldron. It was about 9:00am. Since Voldemort was loose and after Harry, the Ministry of Magic was providing them transportation to the trainstation where they would board the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts. The highest level of security was placed around Harry 24/ 7. The Ministry of Magic had kept a close and watchful eye on him ever since Voldemort had escaped. The Ministry of Magic had arranged that Harry would stay with the Weasleys until he boarded the train to Hogwarts. It was starting to get to Harry. He couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts again. His summer with the Dursleys had been hell and he wanted to be in the comfort of his only real home. He couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach. He tried to brush those thoughts aside and focus his attention on the four vehicles that had just pulled up in front of the Leaky Cauldron.
45 min later . . . . . . . .
Usagi waited at platform nine and 3 quarters, one suitcase in each hand. She was nervous. Dumbledore had told her what to do when she got there, but she was still a bit unsettled about the fact that she would have to run at full speed through a solid wall to get to her destination. A car sent by the Ministry of Magic had picked her up at the Leaky Cauldron around 8:45am and had dropped her off here only about 5 minutes ago. Dumbledore had specifically requested the Ministry of Magic to drop her off here as a favor for him, since he had had to leave a few days before the school year started to make sure everything was in proper working order at Hogwarts. After all, he was the headmaster and that was his responsibility, otherwise he would have driven her himself.
She took a deep breath. Tightening her grip on her suitcases, when she knew no muggle was watching, she began sprinting for the wall in between platform nine and ten. She was less than two feet away from the wall, half expecting the impact and bracing herself for it.
But just when she thought she would collide with the solid wall, she was surprised when it never came. She skidded to a halt and slowly opened her eyes. What she saw made her heart fill with hope. In front of her was the biggest train she had ever seen in her entire life. It was like she was in a completely different train station. There were people bustling all over the place, boarding the train and poking there heads through the windows to wave goodbye to their loved ones. Everyone there looked just like ordinary people, but she knew they were anythng but ordinary. To the average muggle these people would just seem like normal people. But in fact, they were actually warlocks and witches. She smiled, feeling right at home with the people of her own kind. She picked up her bags and started to board the train.
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Harry, Ron, and Hermione were heading towards the back of the train, trying to find an empty room. They were hoping to find the room they usually occupied each year empty. They were almost to the back of the train, when Harry tripped over something and found himself sprawled out on the ground. "Ooops," A voice sneered. "Maybe you should watch where you're stepping next time, Potter," Harry knew who it was without even having to look up. Hermione and Ron were immediatly at Harry's side. Ron glared daggers at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle while helping Harry up. "Why don't you just leave us alone, Malfoy?" Hermione said. Malfoy Sneered again. "Shut up, mudblood(spelling????). That was it. Ron's blood was past the boiling point. In a flash, Ron was on top of Malfoy, trying his best to punch Malfoy square in the face while Crabbe and Goyle did their best to pry Ron off of the screaming form he was pulverizing. Many of the other students had heard the commosion and were watching as Hermione and Harry also rushed to stop Ron from killing Malfoy. Ron was still trying to give Malfoy a bad face- lift, when Hermione and Harry finally succeeded at pulling him off of Malfoy. Ron was spluttering things like, "Let me go! I'm going to kill that stupid Ass!", and many other obscenities. Malfoy stood up, his face bleeding in various places where Ron had managed to get a good hit in. "You're going to pay for that, Weasley!" Malfoy yelled, his hair and clothes slightly ruffled. Ron finally calmed down after a few more minutes. Ron's clothes and hair were ruffled as well, his face red and breathing uneven. "I'll get you for this, Weasly," Malfoy said coldly, before he pushed past Harry, Ron, and Hermione, his two comrades following close behind. Ron wiped some of the blood from his lip. "Let's go," He said in monotone, before picking up his bags, that had been uncerimoniously dropped on the floor in all the excitement, and continuing in the direction of the back of the train. Harry and Hermione followed in silence, both wondering what was really eating at Ron.
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Usagi made her way to the back of the train, hoping to find an empty compartment. All the rooms towards the front of the train were full. She decided it would be best if she just went to the very back, that way she would, hopefully, get a room all to herself. She stopped in front of the very last door before the corridore came to a dead end. Setting her bags down, she slowly slid open the door. She was a bit surprised and a bit dissapointed to see three people already there. She was also embarrased. Here she was, going all the way to the back of the train, hoping to find an empty room, and she still wouldn't get one. She blushed in embarrasement when she noticed the three of them staring at her. "Uh, s- sorry," She stuttered. "I- uh-I mean, I was just, umm, looking for an empty room. I, uh, didn't know there was a-anyone in here,"The girl in the room stood up and smiled. "Oh, don't worry about it. We don't mind you staying in here with us," Usagi smiled in relief, silently thanking the girl for her kindness. "Thanks," Usagi picked up her bags and took a seat across from the boy with the messy black hair. She saw him staring at her and blushed.
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Harry blushed as the girl caught him staring at her. She couldn't have been any older than thirteen, and he had never seen her before, so that meant she was probably a first year. She had golden blond hair put up in the weirdest hairstyle and dark colbalt blue eyes. She had seemed pretty nervouse at first, but after Hermione had invited her to stay with them she calmed down a bit. There was silence until Hermione spoke up. "So, what's your name?" The girl smiled. "Usagi. But you can call me Serenity." Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. "Doesn't 'Usagi' mean 'rabbit' in japanese?" Usagi looked at Hermione in surprise. "Uh, yeah. It does." How did she know that? Usagi thought to herself. She must be really smart. Hermione spoke up again."But, 'Serenity' is a pretty name too, though." Usagi blushed. "Thanks." "Hermione, stop embarrassing her," Ron said. Hermione glared at Ron, who in turn, glared back. After a moment, Hermione stopped glaring and turned back to Usagi. "My name is Hermione." She said with a smile. "I'm Ron. Ron Weasley." The boy with red hair, presently glaring at Hermione said. Harry spoke up. "Guys, stop it!" Ron, rather reluctantly, broke his gaze away from Hermione. Ron spoke up before Hermione could say another word, pointing a finger in Harry's direction. "And that's Harry. Harry Potter."
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Usagi nearly fell out of her seat at Ron's words. Ron smiled, knowing what her reaction would be before the words even left his lips.
"H-Harry Potter?" She stuttered, once again at a loss for words. Ron smiled mischeiviously, a glint in his eyes. "That's right, Harry Potter." Harry flushed, and Usagi found herself absently wondering if it was out of embarrasment or anger, or possibly both. Ron, When I get my hands on you I'll... Harry was snapped out of his thoughts by Usagi's voice. "Wow," She said in a far away tone. "I never thought I'd meet Harry Potter on my first day," She said, while looking out at nothing, her eyes slightly misty. She looked up at them only to see them staring at her. She blushed, her face as dark as Harry's. "D-did I just....say that out..loud?" She laughed nervously. Nice going, now they're going to think you're some obsessed fanatic. She told herself mentally.
Harry was surprised, though he hid it well. She really likes me? He smiled slightly. He didn't know why, but he felt a satisfaction deep inside to know that she actually acknowledged him. Something, that, he would later find out was much more than just, and ran much deeper than, plain satisfaction.
Hermione finally spoke. "Anyone up for some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?" Harry's face was, ever so slightly, returning back to normal. "I'll take some." Ron stood up. "Me too." Hermione grinned and started shuffling through her suitcase. After a few more moments of shuffling, she pulled out a fairly large, bulging sack that fit in her hand. "Got 'em!" She crowed triumphantly. She stuck her hand into the sack and pulled out a few small beans, each a different color. She handed them to Ron and did the same with Harry. When she got to Usagi, she held out the sack and Usagi stuck her hand inside and pulled out seven beans. "Umm, Usagi,....have you ever had Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?" Ron asked. "Of course. Who hasn't?" Usagi replied.
"Well, we just weren't sure if you were a.......," Ron trailed off." Usagi smiled. "A muggle? No. I grew up around the wizarding world. My uncle....," She stopped in mid-sentence, wondering if she should tell them who her uncle was. She decided against it. She didn't want them treating her differently because her uncle was Albus Dumbledore, the most famous wizard next to Harry Potter. Besides, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. She also felt guilty. Now she knew how Harry felt all the time. People always treating him differently because of his fame. Although her position was much less harsh than Harry's would ever be.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts when she noticed everyone's eyes on her. She blushed for about the hundredth time that day and continued. "My uncle is a very talented wizard. My parents gave me up as a child and my uncle took me in. I never knew my parents." She stopped. "I guess I was too much of a burden for them." She said the last part, her voice turning slightly bitter.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all felt bad for her. Harry looked at her, watching as her eyes misted over with tears. He knew she was trying to blink them back, trying to hide her tears so that no one would see. But he saw, and his heart went out to her. He knew exactly what it was like to be left parentless, and, though he didn't know why, all he wanted to do at that moment was hold her in his embrace and comfort her.
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Usagi could feel her eyes stinging, the threat of tears growing stronger every second. Don't let them see you cry, Usagi She thought to herself. They'll think you're a crybaby She quickly blinked back the tears, hoping no one had seen. "Are you alright?" Came Hermione's voice from the seat beside her. She turned to Hermione and gave her a fake smile. "Yeah." She said shakily. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" They all knew that what she was saying was just a cover up. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up. "Harry." He smiled. "Tears don't look good on you, Usagi." So, someone HAD seen. "Uh I , I mean, I h- had something in m my eye." She tried to tell them, but she knew she wasn't fooling anybody. "Usagi, it's okay, don't worry about it." Hermione tryed to reassure her. "Yeah," Ron spoke up. "we don't mind if you cry in front of us." Usagi looked at all of them. "Thank you." She said, giving them a grateful smile. Her smile turned into a grin as she remembered the beans in her hand, that, in all the fuss, she had completely forgotten about. She popped one of the beans into her mouth, the tension broken.
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A figure stood in the shadows, shrowded by darkness. Nothing of this figure was visible, except a dark outline against a blanket of black. At first sight, anyone could easily mistake this figure for shadow. But, if they were to look hard enough, they would see that it was, indeed, very much alive. The figure stepped out of the shadows, out of the darkness that was it's refuge. There were still no physical features to be seen, for it wore a cloak that hid everything underneath from veiw. The cloak itself was black, even blacker than the darkness that the creature had been hiding in. It spoke, in a hoarse, raspy voice. "Master." Another figure appeared out of seemingly nowhere, this figure, too, hidden under a cloak. Only this cloak was a deep crimson, like blood. The second figure was much shorter and smaller than the first. "Yes, I have a job for you." The second cloaked figure hissed. "A job indeed."
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The train rode on into the pitch black night. The sun had gone down hours ago. Usagi was giddy with excitement and nervousness. Hermione and Ron were almost as excited as Usagi was. Harry was looking forward to going back, too. One of the reasons why he wanted to go back to Hogwarts was because he wanted to see Hagrid again. The enourmous amount of foreboding still sat uncomfortably in his stomach, though, remaining a constant reminder of what Harry knew was to come. No, Harry! He shook himself mentally. Don't even think that! He shivered involontarily, memories of his horrid nightmares flooding back to him, causing him to snap his eyes shut to try and rid his mind of them.
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flashback......
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Harry could see nothing but a blinding green light. The cold, sinister cackle of Voldemorte seemed to grow louder, come closer. The pleads of his mother, her voice desperate, rang out in his ears. He wanted to call out, tell her to run, to save herself, but found that he couldn't. He was merely an onlooker, who could do nothing but sit and watch as the memories played over and over before his very eyes. After the green light faded, he could see Voldemorte raise his arm, wand in hand, to point it at his mother. His mind filled with panic and despair. "No! Stop! Please!" He called out. He knew no one would hear him, but he didn't care. "Noooo!" Just then, Voldemort stopped and turned to look straight at him. He smiled wickedly, and Harry felt a splitting, searing pain on his forehead. He could barely hold back the urge to pass out from the pain, but remained standing, watching. Harry felt something inside him seize with terror as he watched Voldemort turn back to his mother and let a curse fly towards her. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" He screamed, just before his vision was filled with blinding green light once again.
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end flashback.......
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He awoke with a start only to find that he must have dozed off. But the pain still lingered on his forehead, tellng him that the dream he had had was, indeed, very real. Ron and Hermione were explaining to Usagi about Proffesor Snape and his outrageously unfair ways, when Usagi spoke up. "He sounds really mean." "He is," Ron said. He supposed no one had noticed that he had dozed off. That is, until Usagi looked over at him and smiled slyly. "So, Mister Sleepy Head decided to wake up from his little nap," He just stared at her, not knowing what to say. He didn't even know who this girl really was, and she still managed to make him feel so.......... so.......... well, he really didn't know WHAT this girl made him feel, but it was definitely something he had never felt before. Usagi giggled at him, making a smile creep onto his lips. She stopped her laughter, and he watched as her expression became thoughtful for a moment. "I wonder what house I'll be sorted into," She said, completely changing the subject. "What house are you guys in?" "We're in Gryffindor." Hermione answered. "Oh, I hope I get to be in that house!" Usagi cried. "I won't know anybody there if I'm not!" Hermione looked at her in a reassuring way. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be in Gryffindor,"
All of the sudden, Hermione grinned widely, as if just remembering something."Guess what?" She said excitedly. Ron looked at her strangely. "What?" "I just remembered something." Hermione continued. "I heard, over the summer, that Proffessor Dumbedore has a niece!" "Really?" Harry said amazed. "I didn't know Albus Dumbledore had any siblings, let alone a niece." It didn't say anything about Dumbledore having a niece in the history books. Harry thought to himself. "I didn't know either, until this summer." Hermione said, seething with excitement. "And Guesse what else?" "What?" Ron asked again. "I heard she's coming to Hogwarts this year!" Usagi had been listening, and nearly fell out of her seat for the second time that day. How did they know? Usagi thought to herself.
Harry noticed Usagi's reaction. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly. She looked up at him, and gave a fake, nervouse laugh. "Yeah." Harry knew immediatly that she was hiding something from him, but didn't press the subject. Just then, a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Usagi had butterflies in her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she and the rest of the group joined the crowd thronging the corridor. Everyone filed off the train, and stepped onto a tiny, dark platform. The cool night air was refreshing against Usagi's skin. Then, what looked like a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the many students, and Harry heard a familiar voice. "Firs' years! All firs' years over here!"
A big hairy head peeked out over the sea of heads.
"C'mon, follow me. Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
So this was where Dumbledore went every year. She continued gazing and let a smile creep onto her lips. She couldn't wait to see him again. She was, technically, a first year, even though she was going to be in the fifth year class. She turned to Hermione, Harry, and Ron. "I guess I'll see you guys later." Hermione smiled. "And we'll be waiting for you at our table." Usagi smiled at them one last time before turning around and heading over to the herd of first years packed around the giant man. Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed inside, while Usagi was led away with the big group towards the lake. Usagi could barely see anything through the darkness that was the night. She had no idea where they were going. Dumbledore hadn't told her about this.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," The man called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
After a few more moments of walking, the group came to an abrupt stop, the path suddenly opening onto the edge of a great black lake. There was a loud "Ooooooh!"
Perched atop the mountain on the opposite side of the lake, its windows glittering in the starry sky, was a huge castle, big and powerful looking, with many turrets and towers.
The giant man, who's head Usagi could spot above all the rest, started to direct people into boats that were lined up across the shore of a huge lake. "No more'n four to a boat, now!" The giant called. Usagi was followed into her boat by a girl with light brown hair and two other boys that looked to be twins, both with jet-black hair and blue eyes.
The water was so still and so dark that it looked like a thick sheet of black glass was stretched across the top. It was breathtaking. "Ev'ry one in? Shouted the same man again, now seated in a boat all to himself.
"Okay then--FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off the shore all at once, gliding across the surface of the lake, the glow from the lanterns the only way to tell the boats were on the lake at all.
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Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly found seats at the Gryffindor table and sat down, waiting for Usagi to arrive from her trip across the lake with all the other first years. Thousands of candles floated in midair over four long tables, at which many students were now seated. The candles illuminated the room, giving the walls a golden-peach sort of look. Harry glanced upward only to see velvety-blackness dotted with stars. At the top of the hall, Harry could spot another long table, where the teachers would sit for meals and such.
The hall was filled with the drone of hundreds of voices, making the room seem vibrant and excited. The tables were laiden with shimmering silver plates and goblets, which reflected the light of the flames on the candles.
He sighed. He was still worried. By being at Hogwarts for the start of the term, he was putting his friends in danger. He didn't want that. But, he told himself, he didn't want to go back to the Dursley's either.
He put his face in his hands as he closed his eyes, sighing again, defeatedly.
This would definitely prove to be an interesting, yet difficult year.
Why him?
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AN: Hope you liked the story so far.
I know it was a long chapter, so don't expect another one for at least two weeks. ^_^ Gomen.
If you didn't like this story(and I know you didn't), just keep in mind that this is the very first fanfiction that I have ever written.
That means I need FEEDBACK! Or else I'm not gonna get any better.
Please review! Pretty please?
Her strides stopped abruptly in front of an old, rickety looking house. The structure was ancient, but very elegent and welcoming. It seemed like a rather large home, having a small garden in front with a bird bath in the center.
She quickly approached the front porch and gently set the small, sleeping babe on the ground in front of the door, careful not to wake it. Now that she was out of the rain, she slowly pulled back her hood, revealing sad garnet eyes and dark green hair that almost looked black. She looked at the baby with tears in her crimson eyes. The baby was almost completely covered with blankets, except for her chubby face. A few wisps of golden blond curles fell over the child's closed eyelids. The woman looked at the babe sadly, almost wistfully, before standing up. The woman turned to the front door, hesitantly took the knocker in her hand, and gave the door a few good bangs. She once again turned to look at the sleeping child, with the same deep sadness in her eyes as before. Only this time she smiled faintly. "Take care........ Princess." And without another word, she pulled her hood back over her eyes and stepped through a portal that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
The door opened and an old man stepped out. The old man looked even more ancient than his house. He had been enjoying a quiet evening inside reading a book, when he had heard a knock at his door, but when he went to see who it was, he had opened the door only to see no one there. Well, almost no one. There was a bundle of blankets at his feet with a small, sleeping infant snuggled inside, oblivious to the world around it. He bent down and picked the bundle up. There was no note, and he could'nt help but wonder where the child had come from. He looked at the small, sleeping infant in his arms. It looked so innocent and fragile. He smiled down at the sleeping child. "And where did you come from, Little One?" He asked, something akin to affection shining in his eyes behind half-moon spectacles. Even though he had only known this child for less than a minute, he already felt attached to it. He shivered and decided it was time to go back inside where it was warmer, before he and the child both caught a cold. He quickly walked back inside the house, silently closing the door behind him.
10 years later........
Harry Potter sat in his room on his bed, flipping through the latest issue of 'The Daily Prophet'(is that how you spell it????). Since the Dursleys didn't get 'The Daily Prophet', Ron had been sending him the latest issue (by owl) every week or so, knowing that Harry would want to be kept up with what was going on in the wizarding world, mainly because Voldemort was on the loose, very dangerous, and after Harry. Along with the 'The Daily Prophet', Ron had been sending him frequent letters and wrapped sweets(courtesy of Mrs. Weasley).
He also got letters from Hermione. And every single one of them contained the line, "Are you alright, Harry? Did you-know-who find you? Has your scar been hurting? Have you been feeling well? Are the Dursleys treating you alright? ect..", or something along those lines.
He sighed. He knew Voldemort was on the loose and after his blood. He was even almost afraid to go back to Hogwarts for the upcoming school year. Even with Albus Dumbledore there, he wasn't so sure he would be safe.
He was starting his fifth year at Hogwarts. His summer had definitely not been pleasant, and even though the Dursleys had been treating him better ever since they had found out his god-father was(supposedly) a mass murderer and on the loose a few years back, there attitude towards him was still cruel, and they generally ignored him most of the time. He also feared that he would be putting his friends in danger by going back to Hogwarts. He would never forgive himself if something bad were to happen to one of his friends because of him.
Hermione had been asking him in every letter she sent him if his scar had been hurting lately. And in every letter he wrote back he would say "no". Of course that was a lie. A BIG lie. Sometimes he would wake up screaming in the middle of the night because his scar hurt so bad. And every time he would have one of these painful nights, there would also be a nightmare to plague him along with it.
He knew Voldemorte was coming ever closer, preparing for the day when he would finally kill him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. 'Don't think that way!' He shouted mentally to himself. 'Voldemorte is NOT going to kill you.'
With that thought planted firmly in his mind, he went over to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and began writing a letter to Ron, asking him if the Weasleys would allow him to stay with them for the last few days before the school year started. He needed to clear his mind of all this chaos, and a few days with the Weasleys was sure to bring his spirits up.
five days later. . . . . . . . . . . .
"Uncle Albus!" A voice rang out from the second-floor landing. A girl of about eleven years of age stood at the top of the staircase, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently on the carpet, her face in the most adorable pout. "When are we going to leave?" She cried out in dismay. She had been waiting her whole life for this moment, and her uncle was acting like it was just any other day. After eleven years of longingness, she would finally be old enough to attend Hogwarts. She couldn't help but be a bit anxious.
Albus Dumbledore walked calmly to the bottom of the staircase and said in an exasperated voice, "We will get there, Serenity. I promise."
She gave him her trademark pout that she knew he couldn't say no to. Albus Dumbledore stared up at the girl he had grown to love and care for as if she were his own daughter. He sighed. She was a mischievious little thing, with a fun-loving personality that was only exceeded by the purity and innocence of her heart.
She beamed at him, her eyes lighting up. She had already gotten all the books and other things she would need for her first year at Hogwarts. The only thing she didn't have was her wand. She ran over to the fireplace, knowing that she had won, with two suitcases in hand.
"Alright, Bunny. You know the rules."
She looked at him impatiently, foot tapping repeatedly on the floor. "I know, I know." She walked over to a small coffee table on the other side of the room and picked up a little cookie jar. She lifted the lid and stuck her hand inside. Pulling out just a pinch of green, sparkling powder, she walked over to her uncle with the jar and he did the same. "Now, can we go?" She pleaded with him. He walked over to the fireplace and threw the green powder into the air above his head, before dissapearing behind a cloud of green smoke. "Hey!!" She shouted. "That's not fair!!!"
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She appeared in a puff of green smoke only a second after Dumbledore did."Hey, you cheated!" She said indignantly, pouting.
Dumbledore smiled.
"Come on," He said, traces of laughter still in his eyes. "I'll buy you an ice-cream." Her face and eyes lit up. She was practicaly bubbling with excitement. "Really!?" She ran over and hugged him. "Serenity......... I can't breath," He said, face turning blue. She released her hold on him and smiled sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry." She looked at her surroundings, as if finally noticing where she was. They were in the Leaky Cauldron.
A man from behind the counter walked over to them and shook Dumbledore's hand. "Well, hello there! Haven't seen you in a while, Albus. Where ye been?" He turned to Serenity and smiled down at her. "And this must be Serenity! I haven't seen you in years, Little one. My, you sure have grown!" She blushed slightly. "And my, what a pretty young lady your turning out to be." She smiled at him. He laughed.
She remembered her uncle's promise of ice-cream from just a few moments before, and proceeded to grab his hand and literally drag him out of the store. "C'mon, Uncle Albus, Let's go get some ice-cream!"
Three hours later.............
"There! Now if this one isn't the right one, I'll be damned!" A man said excitedly while holding out a wand to her. They had been there for almost forty-five minutes and still they had not found a wand that suited her. "This wand has unicorn hair, a touch of dragons wing, and a feather from a pheonix. The wood is ebony. There was only one of these ever made," He warned. " and it is definitely not for playing around with." She reached out a hand to take the wand from him, and as soon as her fingers brushed against it, a jolt of warm electricity shot up her arm. She shakily held the wand out in front of her and waved it around a bit. Silver and pink sparks shot out of the end of the wand, flying everywhere. The man smiled. "Quite a powerful youngster you've got there, Dumbledore." Dumbledore frowned slightly. "Yes. Yes indeed." Usagi was too caught up with shooting sparks out of the end of her wand to notice Dumbledore's conversation with the other man.
24 hours later.............
Harry had already gotten all of his books, and he and Ron were sitting at the ice-cream shop, enjoying a sundae while they waited for Hermione to get there. They had finished getting all their books hours ago, and had proceeded to just walk around and look at shops. This was probably Harry's third sundae, and he was starting to get full.
They were in Diagon Alley. He had been staying with the Weasleys for the past few days. When he had wrote the letter to Ron asking if he could stay with them until school started, they had of course said yes. Harry, of course, hadn't mentioned a word to Ron about his scar hurting. The pain hadn't stopped, not even during his time with the Weasleys. He still couldn't brush away the immense fealing of foreboding, and things were only getting worse as the school year drew nearer.
Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley had been great the past few days he had stayed with them. They had steered clear of the matter of Voldemorte, somehow knowing he didn't want to talk about it. He had been very grateful to them for that.
Just then, Hermione came running down the street towards them, breaking Harry out of his train of thought. "Harry! Ron!" She stopped in front of them and tried to catch her breath. "I've ::pant:: been looking all ::pant:: over for you ::pant:: guys!" Harry and Ron just stared at her. After Hermione caught her breath she pulled up a chair and sat down. "Where have you guys been?" "Here." Ron said impatiently. Hermione looked at him. "You mean you've been here the whole time I was looking for you?" Ron looked at her peevishly. "We've been waiting for YOU."
meanwhile...................
Usagi sat on her bed in her room. She was fiddling with her wand, running her fingers over the slick surface and reveling at how it sent jolts of warm, somehow comforting, electricity throughout her body at her slightest touch.
After she had gotten her wand the day before, she and her uncle had headed straight back to the Leaky Cauldron and gotten her a room there.
Dumbledore may have been her leagal guardian, but she was still a student and her uncle still the headmaster of Hogwarts. And that meant she had to get to school just like every other student at Hogwarts. Every year until now she had been sent off to boarding school for the school year, because she wasn't old enough to attend Hogwarts yet. Dumbledore still had his duties as a headmaster and still had to be there during the school year. He couldn't just put his duties and responsibilities on hold for her. But this year was going to be different. This year she was officially old enough to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
For the past ten years of her life she had yearned to go to Hogwarts, and now she would be at Hogwarts in less than forty-eight hours. She could hardly control her excitement. She would be placed in with the fifth year students. She didn't know why, but her uncle had said something about her having natural witch powers and that she would need advanced teaching to be able to control them.
She was a bit scared. She didn't know if the fifth years would except her, least of all be nice to her. She would be four years younger than any of the other students in her classes. She tried to push all those bad thoughts out of her head. 'Dont worry about it.' She told herself mentally.' You'll be fine.'
She really did hope that was true.
21 hours later. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Harry waited with the Weasleys in the lounge of the Leaky Cauldron. It was about 9:00am. Since Voldemort was loose and after Harry, the Ministry of Magic was providing them transportation to the trainstation where they would board the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts. The highest level of security was placed around Harry 24/ 7. The Ministry of Magic had kept a close and watchful eye on him ever since Voldemort had escaped. The Ministry of Magic had arranged that Harry would stay with the Weasleys until he boarded the train to Hogwarts. It was starting to get to Harry. He couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts again. His summer with the Dursleys had been hell and he wanted to be in the comfort of his only real home. He couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach. He tried to brush those thoughts aside and focus his attention on the four vehicles that had just pulled up in front of the Leaky Cauldron.
45 min later . . . . . . . .
Usagi waited at platform nine and 3 quarters, one suitcase in each hand. She was nervous. Dumbledore had told her what to do when she got there, but she was still a bit unsettled about the fact that she would have to run at full speed through a solid wall to get to her destination. A car sent by the Ministry of Magic had picked her up at the Leaky Cauldron around 8:45am and had dropped her off here only about 5 minutes ago. Dumbledore had specifically requested the Ministry of Magic to drop her off here as a favor for him, since he had had to leave a few days before the school year started to make sure everything was in proper working order at Hogwarts. After all, he was the headmaster and that was his responsibility, otherwise he would have driven her himself.
She took a deep breath. Tightening her grip on her suitcases, when she knew no muggle was watching, she began sprinting for the wall in between platform nine and ten. She was less than two feet away from the wall, half expecting the impact and bracing herself for it.
But just when she thought she would collide with the solid wall, she was surprised when it never came. She skidded to a halt and slowly opened her eyes. What she saw made her heart fill with hope. In front of her was the biggest train she had ever seen in her entire life. It was like she was in a completely different train station. There were people bustling all over the place, boarding the train and poking there heads through the windows to wave goodbye to their loved ones. Everyone there looked just like ordinary people, but she knew they were anythng but ordinary. To the average muggle these people would just seem like normal people. But in fact, they were actually warlocks and witches. She smiled, feeling right at home with the people of her own kind. She picked up her bags and started to board the train.
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Harry, Ron, and Hermione were heading towards the back of the train, trying to find an empty room. They were hoping to find the room they usually occupied each year empty. They were almost to the back of the train, when Harry tripped over something and found himself sprawled out on the ground. "Ooops," A voice sneered. "Maybe you should watch where you're stepping next time, Potter," Harry knew who it was without even having to look up. Hermione and Ron were immediatly at Harry's side. Ron glared daggers at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle while helping Harry up. "Why don't you just leave us alone, Malfoy?" Hermione said. Malfoy Sneered again. "Shut up, mudblood(spelling????). That was it. Ron's blood was past the boiling point. In a flash, Ron was on top of Malfoy, trying his best to punch Malfoy square in the face while Crabbe and Goyle did their best to pry Ron off of the screaming form he was pulverizing. Many of the other students had heard the commosion and were watching as Hermione and Harry also rushed to stop Ron from killing Malfoy. Ron was still trying to give Malfoy a bad face- lift, when Hermione and Harry finally succeeded at pulling him off of Malfoy. Ron was spluttering things like, "Let me go! I'm going to kill that stupid Ass!", and many other obscenities. Malfoy stood up, his face bleeding in various places where Ron had managed to get a good hit in. "You're going to pay for that, Weasley!" Malfoy yelled, his hair and clothes slightly ruffled. Ron finally calmed down after a few more minutes. Ron's clothes and hair were ruffled as well, his face red and breathing uneven. "I'll get you for this, Weasly," Malfoy said coldly, before he pushed past Harry, Ron, and Hermione, his two comrades following close behind. Ron wiped some of the blood from his lip. "Let's go," He said in monotone, before picking up his bags, that had been uncerimoniously dropped on the floor in all the excitement, and continuing in the direction of the back of the train. Harry and Hermione followed in silence, both wondering what was really eating at Ron.
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Usagi made her way to the back of the train, hoping to find an empty compartment. All the rooms towards the front of the train were full. She decided it would be best if she just went to the very back, that way she would, hopefully, get a room all to herself. She stopped in front of the very last door before the corridore came to a dead end. Setting her bags down, she slowly slid open the door. She was a bit surprised and a bit dissapointed to see three people already there. She was also embarrased. Here she was, going all the way to the back of the train, hoping to find an empty room, and she still wouldn't get one. She blushed in embarrasement when she noticed the three of them staring at her. "Uh, s- sorry," She stuttered. "I- uh-I mean, I was just, umm, looking for an empty room. I, uh, didn't know there was a-anyone in here,"The girl in the room stood up and smiled. "Oh, don't worry about it. We don't mind you staying in here with us," Usagi smiled in relief, silently thanking the girl for her kindness. "Thanks," Usagi picked up her bags and took a seat across from the boy with the messy black hair. She saw him staring at her and blushed.
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Harry blushed as the girl caught him staring at her. She couldn't have been any older than thirteen, and he had never seen her before, so that meant she was probably a first year. She had golden blond hair put up in the weirdest hairstyle and dark colbalt blue eyes. She had seemed pretty nervouse at first, but after Hermione had invited her to stay with them she calmed down a bit. There was silence until Hermione spoke up. "So, what's your name?" The girl smiled. "Usagi. But you can call me Serenity." Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. "Doesn't 'Usagi' mean 'rabbit' in japanese?" Usagi looked at Hermione in surprise. "Uh, yeah. It does." How did she know that? Usagi thought to herself. She must be really smart. Hermione spoke up again."But, 'Serenity' is a pretty name too, though." Usagi blushed. "Thanks." "Hermione, stop embarrassing her," Ron said. Hermione glared at Ron, who in turn, glared back. After a moment, Hermione stopped glaring and turned back to Usagi. "My name is Hermione." She said with a smile. "I'm Ron. Ron Weasley." The boy with red hair, presently glaring at Hermione said. Harry spoke up. "Guys, stop it!" Ron, rather reluctantly, broke his gaze away from Hermione. Ron spoke up before Hermione could say another word, pointing a finger in Harry's direction. "And that's Harry. Harry Potter."
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Usagi nearly fell out of her seat at Ron's words. Ron smiled, knowing what her reaction would be before the words even left his lips.
"H-Harry Potter?" She stuttered, once again at a loss for words. Ron smiled mischeiviously, a glint in his eyes. "That's right, Harry Potter." Harry flushed, and Usagi found herself absently wondering if it was out of embarrasment or anger, or possibly both. Ron, When I get my hands on you I'll... Harry was snapped out of his thoughts by Usagi's voice. "Wow," She said in a far away tone. "I never thought I'd meet Harry Potter on my first day," She said, while looking out at nothing, her eyes slightly misty. She looked up at them only to see them staring at her. She blushed, her face as dark as Harry's. "D-did I just....say that out..loud?" She laughed nervously. Nice going, now they're going to think you're some obsessed fanatic. She told herself mentally.
Harry was surprised, though he hid it well. She really likes me? He smiled slightly. He didn't know why, but he felt a satisfaction deep inside to know that she actually acknowledged him. Something, that, he would later find out was much more than just, and ran much deeper than, plain satisfaction.
Hermione finally spoke. "Anyone up for some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?" Harry's face was, ever so slightly, returning back to normal. "I'll take some." Ron stood up. "Me too." Hermione grinned and started shuffling through her suitcase. After a few more moments of shuffling, she pulled out a fairly large, bulging sack that fit in her hand. "Got 'em!" She crowed triumphantly. She stuck her hand into the sack and pulled out a few small beans, each a different color. She handed them to Ron and did the same with Harry. When she got to Usagi, she held out the sack and Usagi stuck her hand inside and pulled out seven beans. "Umm, Usagi,....have you ever had Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?" Ron asked. "Of course. Who hasn't?" Usagi replied.
"Well, we just weren't sure if you were a.......," Ron trailed off." Usagi smiled. "A muggle? No. I grew up around the wizarding world. My uncle....," She stopped in mid-sentence, wondering if she should tell them who her uncle was. She decided against it. She didn't want them treating her differently because her uncle was Albus Dumbledore, the most famous wizard next to Harry Potter. Besides, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. She also felt guilty. Now she knew how Harry felt all the time. People always treating him differently because of his fame. Although her position was much less harsh than Harry's would ever be.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts when she noticed everyone's eyes on her. She blushed for about the hundredth time that day and continued. "My uncle is a very talented wizard. My parents gave me up as a child and my uncle took me in. I never knew my parents." She stopped. "I guess I was too much of a burden for them." She said the last part, her voice turning slightly bitter.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all felt bad for her. Harry looked at her, watching as her eyes misted over with tears. He knew she was trying to blink them back, trying to hide her tears so that no one would see. But he saw, and his heart went out to her. He knew exactly what it was like to be left parentless, and, though he didn't know why, all he wanted to do at that moment was hold her in his embrace and comfort her.
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Usagi could feel her eyes stinging, the threat of tears growing stronger every second. Don't let them see you cry, Usagi She thought to herself. They'll think you're a crybaby She quickly blinked back the tears, hoping no one had seen. "Are you alright?" Came Hermione's voice from the seat beside her. She turned to Hermione and gave her a fake smile. "Yeah." She said shakily. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" They all knew that what she was saying was just a cover up. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up. "Harry." He smiled. "Tears don't look good on you, Usagi." So, someone HAD seen. "Uh I , I mean, I h- had something in m my eye." She tried to tell them, but she knew she wasn't fooling anybody. "Usagi, it's okay, don't worry about it." Hermione tryed to reassure her. "Yeah," Ron spoke up. "we don't mind if you cry in front of us." Usagi looked at all of them. "Thank you." She said, giving them a grateful smile. Her smile turned into a grin as she remembered the beans in her hand, that, in all the fuss, she had completely forgotten about. She popped one of the beans into her mouth, the tension broken.
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A figure stood in the shadows, shrowded by darkness. Nothing of this figure was visible, except a dark outline against a blanket of black. At first sight, anyone could easily mistake this figure for shadow. But, if they were to look hard enough, they would see that it was, indeed, very much alive. The figure stepped out of the shadows, out of the darkness that was it's refuge. There were still no physical features to be seen, for it wore a cloak that hid everything underneath from veiw. The cloak itself was black, even blacker than the darkness that the creature had been hiding in. It spoke, in a hoarse, raspy voice. "Master." Another figure appeared out of seemingly nowhere, this figure, too, hidden under a cloak. Only this cloak was a deep crimson, like blood. The second figure was much shorter and smaller than the first. "Yes, I have a job for you." The second cloaked figure hissed. "A job indeed."
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The train rode on into the pitch black night. The sun had gone down hours ago. Usagi was giddy with excitement and nervousness. Hermione and Ron were almost as excited as Usagi was. Harry was looking forward to going back, too. One of the reasons why he wanted to go back to Hogwarts was because he wanted to see Hagrid again. The enourmous amount of foreboding still sat uncomfortably in his stomach, though, remaining a constant reminder of what Harry knew was to come. No, Harry! He shook himself mentally. Don't even think that! He shivered involontarily, memories of his horrid nightmares flooding back to him, causing him to snap his eyes shut to try and rid his mind of them.
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flashback......
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Harry could see nothing but a blinding green light. The cold, sinister cackle of Voldemorte seemed to grow louder, come closer. The pleads of his mother, her voice desperate, rang out in his ears. He wanted to call out, tell her to run, to save herself, but found that he couldn't. He was merely an onlooker, who could do nothing but sit and watch as the memories played over and over before his very eyes. After the green light faded, he could see Voldemorte raise his arm, wand in hand, to point it at his mother. His mind filled with panic and despair. "No! Stop! Please!" He called out. He knew no one would hear him, but he didn't care. "Noooo!" Just then, Voldemort stopped and turned to look straight at him. He smiled wickedly, and Harry felt a splitting, searing pain on his forehead. He could barely hold back the urge to pass out from the pain, but remained standing, watching. Harry felt something inside him seize with terror as he watched Voldemort turn back to his mother and let a curse fly towards her. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" He screamed, just before his vision was filled with blinding green light once again.
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end flashback.......
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He awoke with a start only to find that he must have dozed off. But the pain still lingered on his forehead, tellng him that the dream he had had was, indeed, very real. Ron and Hermione were explaining to Usagi about Proffesor Snape and his outrageously unfair ways, when Usagi spoke up. "He sounds really mean." "He is," Ron said. He supposed no one had noticed that he had dozed off. That is, until Usagi looked over at him and smiled slyly. "So, Mister Sleepy Head decided to wake up from his little nap," He just stared at her, not knowing what to say. He didn't even know who this girl really was, and she still managed to make him feel so.......... so.......... well, he really didn't know WHAT this girl made him feel, but it was definitely something he had never felt before. Usagi giggled at him, making a smile creep onto his lips. She stopped her laughter, and he watched as her expression became thoughtful for a moment. "I wonder what house I'll be sorted into," She said, completely changing the subject. "What house are you guys in?" "We're in Gryffindor." Hermione answered. "Oh, I hope I get to be in that house!" Usagi cried. "I won't know anybody there if I'm not!" Hermione looked at her in a reassuring way. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be in Gryffindor,"
All of the sudden, Hermione grinned widely, as if just remembering something."Guess what?" She said excitedly. Ron looked at her strangely. "What?" "I just remembered something." Hermione continued. "I heard, over the summer, that Proffessor Dumbedore has a niece!" "Really?" Harry said amazed. "I didn't know Albus Dumbledore had any siblings, let alone a niece." It didn't say anything about Dumbledore having a niece in the history books. Harry thought to himself. "I didn't know either, until this summer." Hermione said, seething with excitement. "And Guesse what else?" "What?" Ron asked again. "I heard she's coming to Hogwarts this year!" Usagi had been listening, and nearly fell out of her seat for the second time that day. How did they know? Usagi thought to herself.
Harry noticed Usagi's reaction. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly. She looked up at him, and gave a fake, nervouse laugh. "Yeah." Harry knew immediatly that she was hiding something from him, but didn't press the subject. Just then, a voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Usagi had butterflies in her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she and the rest of the group joined the crowd thronging the corridor. Everyone filed off the train, and stepped onto a tiny, dark platform. The cool night air was refreshing against Usagi's skin. Then, what looked like a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the many students, and Harry heard a familiar voice. "Firs' years! All firs' years over here!"
A big hairy head peeked out over the sea of heads.
"C'mon, follow me. Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
So this was where Dumbledore went every year. She continued gazing and let a smile creep onto her lips. She couldn't wait to see him again. She was, technically, a first year, even though she was going to be in the fifth year class. She turned to Hermione, Harry, and Ron. "I guess I'll see you guys later." Hermione smiled. "And we'll be waiting for you at our table." Usagi smiled at them one last time before turning around and heading over to the herd of first years packed around the giant man. Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed inside, while Usagi was led away with the big group towards the lake. Usagi could barely see anything through the darkness that was the night. She had no idea where they were going. Dumbledore hadn't told her about this.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," The man called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
After a few more moments of walking, the group came to an abrupt stop, the path suddenly opening onto the edge of a great black lake. There was a loud "Ooooooh!"
Perched atop the mountain on the opposite side of the lake, its windows glittering in the starry sky, was a huge castle, big and powerful looking, with many turrets and towers.
The giant man, who's head Usagi could spot above all the rest, started to direct people into boats that were lined up across the shore of a huge lake. "No more'n four to a boat, now!" The giant called. Usagi was followed into her boat by a girl with light brown hair and two other boys that looked to be twins, both with jet-black hair and blue eyes.
The water was so still and so dark that it looked like a thick sheet of black glass was stretched across the top. It was breathtaking. "Ev'ry one in? Shouted the same man again, now seated in a boat all to himself.
"Okay then--FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off the shore all at once, gliding across the surface of the lake, the glow from the lanterns the only way to tell the boats were on the lake at all.
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Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly found seats at the Gryffindor table and sat down, waiting for Usagi to arrive from her trip across the lake with all the other first years. Thousands of candles floated in midair over four long tables, at which many students were now seated. The candles illuminated the room, giving the walls a golden-peach sort of look. Harry glanced upward only to see velvety-blackness dotted with stars. At the top of the hall, Harry could spot another long table, where the teachers would sit for meals and such.
The hall was filled with the drone of hundreds of voices, making the room seem vibrant and excited. The tables were laiden with shimmering silver plates and goblets, which reflected the light of the flames on the candles.
He sighed. He was still worried. By being at Hogwarts for the start of the term, he was putting his friends in danger. He didn't want that. But, he told himself, he didn't want to go back to the Dursley's either.
He put his face in his hands as he closed his eyes, sighing again, defeatedly.
This would definitely prove to be an interesting, yet difficult year.
Why him?
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AN: Hope you liked the story so far.
I know it was a long chapter, so don't expect another one for at least two weeks. ^_^ Gomen.
If you didn't like this story(and I know you didn't), just keep in mind that this is the very first fanfiction that I have ever written.
That means I need FEEDBACK! Or else I'm not gonna get any better.
Please review! Pretty please?