Harry Potter and the New Girl

Chapter 1: The Meeting

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters except Li Ting. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you'll enjoy my story, forgive me if it's not up to your standard - it's my first fanfic!

It was Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts.

Harry and his two best friends, Ronald (Ron) Weasley and Muggle-born Hermione Granger, were in a compartment by themselves on the Hogwarts Express. Harry and Ron were sitting together, chatting.

Hermione was, as usual, trying to memorise spells off her new textbooks. "Very surprising! I see you haven't taken last summer to learn all the spells by heart," Ron said sarcastically.

"As if you had! For your information, I was revising last year's work," Hermione retorted. "I should have known," Ron muttered under his breath.

Harry laughed - Hermione and Ron were always at loggerheads with each other. Hermione continued to let her eyes travel over the pages of the thick book she was reading. Suddenly, she lifted her head and with a little swish and flick of her wand, she said loudly, "Engorgio!"

Hedwig, a tame, beautiful and snowy owl of Harry's began to grow bigger and bigger right in front of their eyes.

Harry yelled, "Hermione! What do you think you're -" He was interrupted by Ron's ear-piercing shriek, "Hermione! You'd better stop that before Hedwig turns into Crabbe or Goyle!"

"Both of you don't have to get so agitated," Hermione said coolly and calmly. "There you go!" she pointed her wand at Hedwig once again and it was back to normal. It ruffled its wings hurriedly - everyone could see it looked quite scared after the shock.

"Thank goodness!" Harry said, relieved.

Hermione buried her nose into her book once again.

"Now, where were we?" Ron began.

Harry and Ron were just about to continue their conversation on Ron's favourite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons, when the door of their compartment slid open - "Another interruption!" Ron groaned. - and a girl their age with a pretty Asian face came in, trudging her big trunk behind her. She had a fair complexion with a tiny sprinkle of freckles across her nose. Her black curly crop was compatible with her pale face.

"Er -," she began uncertainly as she looked at the empty seat beside Hermione, "Can I sit there? Everywhere else is full."

Hermione lifted her eyes off her book once again and nodded, saying with a big smile in a friendly voice, "Of course you may. Here, let me help you with that trunk of yours. Just leave it there in that corner."

"Thanks."