Full Summary:
Sequel to The Funny Farm and the Sorcerer's Stone. The Funny Farm must deal with strained friendships and the possibility of no more Hogwarts. Rachel and Seamus are at each other's throats again, but worse than ever—is this the end of their friendship? Is Hogwarts to be no more? Will they sink or swim?
And now for the story.
Ever since their first year of Hogwarts ended, Rachel Hekman, Seamus Finnigan, Hannah Schreiter, Ron Weasley, Katelyn Barcanic, Tanya Rogers, Dean Thomas, Sarah Carter, and Hermione Granger kept in touch. But even though everyone wrote to Harry Potter often, none of them ever got a response.
"How lame is that?" Hannah told Rachel one day over the phone. It was boiling hot that day in Illinois, and Rachel swore she could see her skin blister.
"That's very lame," Rachel replied. "Here we all are, trying to be friends with him, and he doesn't even think to reply to our letters. He was so nice at school, though."
"Maybe Hedwig got lost somewhere over the Atlantic," Hannah suggested, even though she knew that wasn't the case.
"As if. She's way better than Romulus, and he never gets lost. Do you, sweetie? No, you don't…"
"He's breaking the eighth Golden Rule," Hannah said, ignoring her. "It says, and I quote, 'Thou shalt not be disloyal!'"
"How dare he!" Rachel yelled so loudly that Hannah had to hold the phone at arm's length.
"Thanks for popping my eardrum, Sushi," she said.
"Sorry," Rachel whispered. "But, hey, I just thought of something. How can Harry be breaking the eighth Golden Rule when he's technically not part of the Funny Farm? I thought those rules were just for us members."
"Well, Shelby's not following those rules," Hannah said dryly.
Rachel sniffed haughtily. "Well, she doesn't count. But still! Harry's being disloyal to all of us."
"Even Ron and Hermione," Hannah said.
"How do you know?"
"Hermione told me."
"Ah. Oh, that reminds me—hang on, Schmurf." There was a clatter as she set the phone down. A minute later she came back. "I wondered why Hermione didn't answer my last letter."
"Why?"
"I never mailed it. Anyway, Romulus was glad to get out of the house for a while."
There was a brief silence, in which Hannah fiddled absentmindedly with her wand, finally making sparks fly out the end. "Oops."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. Purple fireworks just exploded out of my wand."
"I want to do magic!"
Rachel's exclamation startled Hannah so badly that she dropped her wand, sending it clattering to the floor, where it began whistling shrilly. "That's not good." Hannah retrieved her wand and began shushing it, frantically looking around for a pot of water to stick it in. "Come on, shut up!" She waved it around in a panic for a minute before it desisted.
"Which reminds me," Rachel added thoughtfully, "I remember why I called in the first place."
"Yeah? What's that?"
"My parents wanted me to tell you to be ready to go to the airport at ten-thirty next Friday morning."
"We going to Diagon Alley?"
"Of course."
"A whole week," Hannah moaned. "Will I be able to survive the wait?"
"I hear ya, sister, I hear ya. Well, I better let you go…I still need to call Katelyn, Sarah, and Tanya."
"What about Shelby?"
Rachel sighed. "Her parents are still mad at her for going to the airport with Malfoy, so they're taking her themselves."
Hannah clicked her tongue in sympathy. "Poor thing. I hope she has a better year."
"Me too. Well, see you Friday!"
"All right. See ya!"
-----------------------------
"See you in July!"
Rachel, Hannah, Katelyn, Tanya, Sarah, and Shelby waved goodbye to their chaperon, Mr. Hekman, and turned, grinning, toward the scarlet train that was puffing smoke and whistling. They tossed their baggage on and scrambled up.
"Let's get a big compartment again and save spots for the rest of the bunch."
They were making their way down the corridor when a head full of bushy brown hair popped out in front of them. "Hello, everyone!"
"Hey, Hermione!"
Hermione grinned. "We saved places for you all."
"'We'?"
"Ron's little sister Ginny is starting her first year at Hogwarts." Hermione stepped aside so Rachel, Hannah, Tanya, and Katelyn could put their baggage up.
"Well, I should go," Sarah said. "Terry and Luna are saving a spot for me." She waved and left.
"Shelby, you staying?"
Shelby looked around and bit her lip. "I don't think so."
"Why ever not?"
Draco Malfoy came into view and crossed his arms, sneering. "Because she's got a better group of friends—one that is actually worth something."
"Not you," Katelyn groaned.
"Don't make me hex you, Malfoy," Rachel said sternly, as if she were admonishing a two-year-old.
He paled, but only grabbed Shelby's arm and steered her away.
"How awful," Hermione said angrily.
"Tell me about it," Tanya sighed.
"Where are Harry and Ron?" Rachel asked as the Hogwarts Express rolled out of the station.
"Probably sitting with Seamus and Dean and Neville."
Right on cue, the compartment door slid open and Seamus and Dean entered. "It's the Seam Thing," the Irishman announced as he put up his trunk and flopped down in his seat.
Rachel stifled a laugh. "Aye, that's the truth."
"Merlin, no! Not again." Seamus threw an arm over his eyes, and Rachel took the opportunity to wink at the others.
Tanya rolled her eyes. "Seamus, Dean, have you seen Harry and Ron?"
"Nope," Dean said.
"Me, neither," Seamus agreed, but he jumped up anyway and began rummaging around in his luggage. "That reminds me. Did you hear about the row that Mr. Weasley and Mr. Draco had in Flourish and Blotts? It was all over the Daily Prophet. Och, where is it? It's in here somewhere…" As he was digging around, a pair of socks fell out and bounced to Rachel's feet.
She picked them up and stared at them, one eyebrow slightly higher than the other. The black of the socks was nearly hidden by an odd coating of tan…substance. "Seamus, what's this all over your socks?"
He turned and took them from her. "Ah. It's sawdust. Me dad's a carpenter, of sorts." He beat them against his leg and sat down next to her. "'Tis a shame. Couldn't find it."
As he settled down in his seat, Rachel caught a whiff of something musty and woodsy, yet slightly sweet. "Is that what I smell, then? Sawdust?"
Seamus sniffed his sweatshirt. "Aye, I guess it is. All me clothes smell like this."
Hermione elbowed Rachel and jerked her head toward Ginny Weasley, who was looking small and alone in the corner. Rachel, getting the hint, smiled over at her. "Hi. I'm Rachel. You must be Ron's little sister."
Seamus looked around. "Another Weasley? Hi, I'm Seamus. Seamus Finnigan."
So Ginny was introduced to everyone, and the time passed quickly. All too soon, Hannah looked out the window. "It's getting dark."
"We're nearly there, then."
"Well," Dean said, standing and giving Seamus a pointed look, "we'll just be leaving you to change into your robes."
Seamus touched the brim of an imaginary hat and gave a winning smile. "See you at Hogwarts!"