Chapter 2

Harry's mouth formed an O shape and when he finally regained the ability to talk, his words came tumbling out.

"Ye-yeah o-o-oka-okay,"he stammered. He really was fine with it but you try and go to the house where your mother/father/aunt/uncle/grandmother /grandfather or whoever had lived without any sadness or in this case that and the extra weight of guilt.

"Harry, are you sure?" She had concern in her soft, chocolate coloured eyes, but Harry thought that was only sympathy for he had to suffer every year. Yet he didn't know, it was for another reason entirely.

"Yeah," he replied strongly. He remembered he neede Hedwig and quickly sprinted upstairs to get her, then rushed back. The pair of magical beings stepped in to the once-filled-now-empty fireplace. At the same time they shouted "Grimmauld Place," after Hermione threw a handful of floo powder from a pouch at her side.

Harry felt relief run through his tired and aching bones at the whirlwind of bright colors. As soon as they came to a stop, he dropped his trunk and carefully put down his owl on the kitchen floor, thenstepped out of the freshly cleaned fireplace with Hermione in his arms to try and keep her from falling down. They both looked at each other and slowly leaned down/up. There would have been a …well, you know if it weren't for Ronald Weasley's worst timing in the history of…well…worst timing.

"Hey pals. Gal and Guy. Glad to know you've finally come." As the blushing pair stepped away from each other, Harry noticed Ron was in an unusually jolly mood.

"Hey Ron, why are you in such a great mood? You're never normally like this," he asked, curiously.

"I don't know if I can tell you-okay you forced it out of me,Luna and Iare going out, we're dating!"

"Congrats!" Hermione said enthusiastically, who made Harry jump because he hadn't heard her speak in all the time they had been there (except for a mini pip-squeak when they jumped apart). "Very good Ronald! Never thought a girl could fall for you, even if it was Luna," she said teasingly. Ron at once went the same shade of red as his hair and Harry had to hold back a laugh. Things like that just never grow old.

"Yeah, congratulations Ron," Harry told him, still biting back that laugh. Finally when Harry calmed down, the trio saw Luna gliding down the stairs like she was floating.

"Hello Harry, Hermione, Ronald." She looked to each person as she said their name and her piercing gaze rested on Ron a little while longer than the two others. The red head and the blonde approached each other and Harry began to feel uncomfortable.

"Er, Hermione and I are gonna go look around the whole house since I never got to last time, right Hermione?"

"Yeah!" Hermione replied and Harry knew she was as embarrassed as him to view this scene.

The pair ran out of the room. "You know, I actually need that tour," Hermione said.

"And I actually need to explore this place. Come on!" Harry and Hermione raced to the stairs and up them. Surprisingly, Hermione was a fast runner, but so was Harry. They raced together, ran up the stairs together and stopped together. They said not a word but stayed close to each other, opening doors and closing windows for it had started raining heavily and magically the fires lit up as if they had been crackling merrily for hours.

Harry began to get tired and Hermione was practically sleepwalking for it was so late. Soon Harry found a study with a gigantic, comfy couch in front of the blazing fire. He sleepily picked Hermione up (bridal style) and lay down. He let Hermione curl up to him and both fell asleep with Hermione still in his arms.

The next day, Harry awoke with the fresh, cold scent of the outside world, but still felt warm. He looked down to find that Hermione was in his arms, curled up to him and he felt a warm, fulfilling feeling, a change to the cold, emptyone he felt over the summer. Suddenly,it dawned on himthat today was the day they were going to Hogwarts. Plus, he didn't have a nightmare and this was the first time he had some decent sleep.He gently shook Hermione awake and they got up, went to their rooms to change, and then walked downstairs. As he walked into the kitchen, he realized something.

"Molly! (Mrs. Weasley had forced him to call her that)" She came rushing in.

"Yes dear?" She asked kindly.

"Have you by any chance-"

"Oh yes dear, I have got you books and I also got you some new robes. Your getting too tall you know. I've got you your dress robes as well."

"Thanks Molly. Here. I know you're gonna be stubborn so I'm gonna be just as stubborn. Just take it. It's the least I can do," he said, holding out 30 galleons. The gold coins sparkled in the light.

"Oh dear, I'm to old to be stubborn. Er … Thank you," she told him.

"No problem," he replied. He gathered his supplies and ran upstairs to his room.

The room where he slept was no longer covered in dust, but freshly cleaned and decorated in scarlet and gold. He didn't share that room with Ron any more. He figured Ron would want his own room instead and vowed that when he came back here, he would decorate the rooms that the Weasleys chose himself.Harry packed the supplies into his trunk and carried it out. As he was making his way through the empty passageway, he knew that it was no longer empty because he ran into Fred and George, the Mischief Makers(as he dubbed them).

"Harry, howya doin' my man."

"Yeah Harry, excited to be going back to hoggy Hogwarts?"

" I'm fine and yeah, I am excited. Excuse me, I'm on my way to meet Hermione," Harry replied to them both.

"Oh, Harry's got a girlfriend and he didn't tell us, Fred," George cried.

"Isn't it sad, George? Our Harry's growing up. Why didn't he tell us anything?" Fred asked him, wiping away fake tears. Harry cracked a grin and laughed very lightly. "Oi Harry, wanna bit of help with that? Winguardium Leviosa!" The trunk lifted out of Harry's hands and into a spot next to the other trunks.

"By the way, Hermione isn't my girlfriend. And I didn't say yes, you could!"

At the station, a group of four came up to them and asked if they knew how to get to platform 9 & 3/4. There were three girls and one boy. They looked at about sixteen. "Are you Summer Alcock, Ariane Thyne, Cassandra Anslow and Nathan Renolds?" Harry asked the quartet.

"Yeah, that's us." A girl stepped forward. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a black, v-neck jumper over a white blouse. She had shoulder-length, curly, brown hair and hazel colored eyes. She had no make-up on but Ron's eyes almost popped out of his head. Luna had to slap him on the back of his head to bring him back to earth. "I'm Summer. The one with black hair and glasses is Ariane and the one with light brown hair and blonde highlights is Cassie. She hates being called Cassandra. And the boy is Nathan." Ariane was dressed in a black T-shirt and baggy combats. Cassie had a pink summer dress on and Nathan had a pair of jeans and a thin jacket over a blue top.

Hermione stepped forward.

"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. This one here is Harry Potter. The redheads are the Weasley's. The girl is Ginny and the boy is Ronald. The blonde is Luna Lovegood. Just follow us. Don't be nervous."

Hermione looked around, then ran with her trolley in front and disappeared through the barrier. Harry followed, then Luna, then Ron. Ginny stayed behind.

" You lot go first. It's not too bad."

"Er… Aza you go first."

"Aza?" Ginny questioned Nathan.

"Yeah, that's her nickname. She's a right tomboy, along with Summer over there," he told her. By the way Ginny was looking at Summer then Nathan, only her friends would know she was in deep thought. 'Hmmm, I detect romance between these two. As soon as we get to Hogwarts, I'm going to do something. Hope they're all in Gryffindor.'

The group went in one at a time. Ariane went first, then Summer, then Nathan, then Cassie and finally Ginny. As they went to find the others in the crowded platform, the sound of a roaring steam train filled their ears. Ginny was used to it by now, but the others nearly had to cover their ears because of the deafening sound.

Finally when they got onto the train, they found Harry, Hermione, Luna and Ronin a compartment. They were just about to walk in when the train started and shuddered, sending Summer and Nathan back. Summer got a soft landing though, because Nathan was sent back into the compartment opposite. Summer landed her head on his chest and the bottom half of her body landed on the floor.

"Ooohhh! That hurts, that hurts you know," Summer struggled to say as the breath was knocked out of her. Nathan must have knew she would fall down because when she tried to stand up, she fell into his waiting arms. No one noticed a certain Cassie Anslow glare at the couple as they looked in surprise. Summer blushed as she got out of his lap and successfully stood up, only to fall down again on the seats. The young lad had the same problem trying not to blush as he landed squashed between the window and Cassie.

Cassandra tried to hide her jealousy by doting over Nathan, trying to make the attractive brunette notice her, but Summerstarted a deep conversation with Ron about Quidditch.

"Yeah, but I love Chaser position. It's like … in my family. At home, my sisters and brother and I always argue of who will be the Chasers."

"I'm better at keeper. I'm on the school team for Gryffindor."

"Gryffindor?" Summer asked.

"Yeah. Those are our houses at Hogwarts. Gryffindor is for the brave, Hufflepuff is for the fair, Ravenclaw is for the smart and Slytherin is for the cunning; our enemies." Ron added darkly.

"Bet you anything Summer will get into Ravenclaw!" Nathan piped up.

"Yeah, I agree with that," said Ariane. That surprised everyone because that was the first thing Ariane had said on the train.

"Don't be so sure. I'm quite smart but I'm in Gryffindor," Hermione told the lot.

" 'Quite smart.' If you ask me, that's the understatement of the century," Harry smirked as he felt a playful punch on the arm from the said girl.

Cassie said nothing but sulked in the corner. They were getting close to the castle-like place they called home. "Hey everybody. I think we should get changed now. Girls in the compartment, boys follow me to the toilets," Harry said.

The boys followed Harry (with their robes, obviously) and the girls started talking about the new year at Hogwarts.

"So, Summer, you got a crush on Nathan," Hermione asked casually.

"No!" She exclaimed, blushing.

"Then why are you going red?" Cassie retorted suddenly. It was the first time Hermione ever heard her speak.

"Because Hermione suggested it in the first place!"

"Yeah, right."

"Yeah, actually, I am right."

"Girls, girls," Hermione stepped in. "Just get dressed and don't say anything to each other if you can't say anything nice."

The two girls silently fumed, pulled on their robes and finally the boys came in after the other three had finished.

"What's th-" Nathan started, but was interrupted with an all-too-familiar face drawl.

"Hello, Potty, Weasel, Mudblood. I see you have had some new members. Girly (Cassie), Gorgeous (Summer, she even flinched at his gaze and pretended to vomit), Glasses (Ariane) and Blackie (Nathan. He isn't coloured. It's just his hair.).

"You know, I've heard a lot about you, Draco Malfoy," Summer told him, seductively, standing up. He smirked, triumphantly. "Like your looks. They really match your name. It sounds like Dragon and you really are as hideous as one. And you're so horrible to all of these people. Plus your father is a Deatheater. Oh, by the way, Expelliarmus! Never call me anything again except for Summer or don't call me anything at all. Stop insulting my friends. Got it?"

The hurt boy (who crashed into the next compartment) nodded. "Good. Now, go! Before I curse you into oblivion!" The blonde boy scurried away. Summer fell back onto her seat, wiping her brow. "God, I'm tired. What?" She asked as she noticed jaws agape. "Er, hey. Finally, we're here! It seemed like hours!"