DISCLAIMER: I only own the characters of the new students. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling.
-Chapter Two-
New Faces
Young Ron Weasley was excited. He was going to Hogwarts, finally. No more having to listen to Uncle Fred and Uncle George, he was going to see everything for himself. He wished Harry Potter's map of Hogwarts so he could prowl around like he had done with Uncle Ronald and Hermione Granger and Uncles Fred and George had done before them. Hermione Granger. Any story concerning Potter and Uncle Ronald inevitably mentioned her. Yet he could hardly believe that the strict, no-nonsense Ministry official he had met at various times could ever have been the friend of the two boys who always "went looking for trouble" as his Grandpa always said about them. Much that his parents liked Ms Granger and said she was a great witch, Ron had always been a little scared of her.
A little before eleven Ron walked through the solid barrier between platforms nine and ten with his parents and stepped on to platform nine and three quarters. The Lupins, with their children Meg and Mark were already waiting at the other side.
"Nice hair, Tonks." Said his mum, smiling at Mrs. Lupin, Tonks shook her long mane which was an exact shade of mum's eyes- blue and laughed.
"Remus says I look dressed up for a muggle Halloween Party." Meg and Mark sniggered.
"What's a muggle Halloween party like Mr. Lupin?" asked Ron interestedly.
"I don't think there is time to explain that right now." His dad interrupted. "You need to get on the train."
Soon the three of them were on the train, waving at their parents from the door. Then the train sped up, the adults were left behind, and the journey began yet again, as it had always begins, on the first of September 2009.
Ron, Mark and Meg dragged their trunks through the train till they found an almost empty compartment. There was just one boy there, sitting alone and looking scared. Meg poked her head inside.
"Hi there, ' she said, "mind if we come in?"
"No problem." said the boy.
"Thanks." Said Meg, and walked in. "My name is Meg Lupin. This is my friend Ronald Weasley and this..." she looked at Mark, "this moronic monkey accidentally born in human shape is my brother, unfortunately."
Mark was busy rummaging his trunk for something and appeared not to hear his sister. The other boy was looking thoroughly bewildered. "My name is John Reeds." He said weakly.
Mark found whatever he was looking for, pocketed it, shut the lid and straightened up, turning to face John and offering his hand.
"Mark Lupin, as you already know, since my sweet sister (he looked nastily at Meg) has already introduced me. But she forgot to say something important about herself. She is a transfigured chimpanzee, remember this and beware of her, she bites and scratches."
Ron burst out laughing. John seemed to be learning fast too, because he said,
"That is interesting. So we have a monkey and a chimpanzee on the train. Do they teach magic to animals as well at Hogwarts?"
"Very funny." Said Mark shortly.
The twins decided to remain angry so the next few hours passed with Ron and John talking to each other with John, who was muggleborn, asking most of the questions.
At lunchtime a plump witch came in with her trolley. Ron bought a packet of his favourite chocolate frogs and took out the sandwiches made by grandma. Meg bought Bertie Bott's Ever Flavour Beans while John bought a bit of everything. Mark said he already had his sweets and took out the packet he had earlier taken out of his trunk and offered John one of the purple wrapped sweets. He shot Ron a warning look as the latter choked on his frog. The unsuspecting John took it, put it into his mouth and then yelled in horror as he found himself turning a deep shade of orange.
"Colour-changing toffees." Said Mark brightly, "from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, not released in the market yet, we got a special pack because they are Ron's uncles."
"Mark!' shouted Meg reproachfully," how can you be so mean? Here John," she held out a handful of beans, "take these."
Mark looked surprised. "Well, they are funny, aren't they? I mean they don't harm you; the colour wears off after a while. Look, I'm taking one."
A second later, he turned the exact shade of Mrs. Lupin's hair. John smiled shakily and took a bean and immediately spitted it out.
"That was vomit flavoured! Honestly, you call these things sweets?"
"But you were just unlucky John," said Meg, "these beans come with a variety of flavours, some good and a few…well, not so good. That's the fun anyway; you never know which flavour you are going to get. Try another bean."
"No thank you," replied John, "I don't think I like wizarding sweets."
The compartment door opened suddenly and three boys walked in. The two boys on the sides were large and strong. The middle one however was thin, dark and sullen. He stepped forward and looked around, pretending to breathe in deeply.
" Can you smell something rotten here?" he said loudly. The two others guffawed stupidly.
Mark stood up. "Who are you?" he asked.
"Cassius Nott." The boy replied haughtily, "Bernard Goyle and Luke Crabbe. Who are you?" he asked with the faintest hint of a sneer in his voice."
"Mark Lupin, and since we did not invite you here get out before…"
"Lupin? The werewolf? The rag-dressing mutant?" The sneer was now no more a hint.
Meg and Ron stood up too.
"My father is not a mutant and if you don't leave immediately…" began Meg hotly.
"So you are a Lupin too. And you I suppose," he added derisively, looking at Ron, " are a Weasley. Hey I saw you on the platform. Was that your dad with you, only I thought he looked like a scare-crow and my dad said he was half-werewolf too, and this, (he looked at John, who looked surprised) must be the one who doesn't like wizarding sweets, the mudblood we were…"
WHAM! Meg had punched him bang on the nose and was now pointing her wand at his chest. The three of them turned tail and scampered away.
"You will pay later." Yelled Nott from the door and vanished.
"Nice punch, Meg." Her brother remarked and they were friends again.
John was looking a little scared.
"What is a mudblood?" he asked. The other three looked at each other.
"Don't bother John." Said Mark firmly.
"It is an insult isn't it?" John insisted. "It sounds like I have dirty blood or something, because I am from a non-magic..."
"No you don't!" said Ron angrily, "but some wizards with an inflated ego like the Notts still believe that being so-called pure-blood makes them special. Don't listen to them John, they are not worth listening to. Here take a frog."
John hesitated.
"Take it," he said firmly. "all wizarding sweets are not bad." John nibbled an end of the frog cautiously, and then shoved the whole of it inside his mouth.
"Check what card you got." Said Meg.
John held up the card and read aloud.
Harry Potter
Born on 31st July 1980, died on 13th June 1998.
Order of Merlin, First Class (posthumously).
Known as the 'Boy Who Lived', he was famous for having survived the killing curse at the age of one and thus breaking the power of He Who Must Not Be Named for thirteen years, finally killing him seventeen years later in a final battle in which he himself perished. He had also won the Triwizard Cup in 1994 and was known for his courage and nobility."He Who Must Not Be Named?" John asked.
"Voldemort, the most feared dark wizard of the century. People are still afraid to say his name."
"And Harry Potter killed him?' John asked, "he was…what" he looked back at the card, "eighteen years old!"
"He was a great wizard." Said Ron proudly, "my Uncle Ron was his best friend. He died with him. My uncle's body was found, totally disfigured, but both Potter and Voldemort were blasted away."
"How did they know then? That they had died?" John asked, looking awe-struck.
"There was an eye-witness, their friend Hermione Granger." Meg answered.
"And besides, " Mark added, "the dark mark on the arms of Voldemort's followers vanished without a trace."
John still looked overcome. He looked down at his card. A bright eyed young boy with messy black hair and a strange scar on his forehead looked up at him, smiled, and then winking, slid out of the card, leaving a blank space there."
"He is gone!" cried John, dismayed.
"Don't worry. " replied Ron, " He will be back."
Author's Note: I am not getting a very good response with this story. Those who are reading it, please tell me honestly if I should continue it. Constructive criticisms are welcome.
