- Adderley! - the scream spread over the entire platform 9 ¾. - Where the hell are you?!
- Malfoy! - said the she sitting on the suitcase. - Where the hell have you been? Why should I carry my own luggage?!
Gryffindorы quickly put the expression "she is not with us" on the face and proceeded to the train.
- Guys, put her suitcase in our compartment, - Malfoy said. - Look, but I'm still taller!
- I'm without heels again, - said Adderley. - But you have a nice tan and you look stronger somehow... Did you swim, or what? And don't get proud, Malfoy, you're getting to look like...
- Like a blonde Trevor! - Nott and Zabini finished. - Hello, Adderley!
- Hi! Listen, have you seen the books of our new professor DADA? My mother cried bloody tears due to them... then laughed and cried again, and I had to get her drunk with a valerian.
- Worse, Adderley, I saw him myself, - Malfoy said. - He and Potter were filming for the newspaper.
- Did you become jealous?
- I will punch you now!
- Catch me first!
- Oh, well, it's all right, - Zabini said while watching them. - Malfoy will not catch up with Adderley, he will get tired; and we will go quietly.
- I still regret that she is mudblood, - Nott responded grimly. - If not for that, I would have married her myself.
- You are only twelve!
- Not for a long time, - Theodore smiled. - By the way, did you get some skis?
- Yes, I did! And a sled.
- Adderley! Aren't you tired of running from that blonde guy?
- I'm platinum, - Draco exhaled, - or a little ashy...
- Why should I run from him? - calmly answered Catherine. - A snail will outrise him. Or even Trevor.
- Adderley...
- You will not catch up, - she concluded. - And in general, it is time to go to the train, or they will leave without us.
Zabini and Nott looked around.
- It's bad, - Blaze said softly.
- Why is it bad? James Potter also married muggleborn, - Theodore shrugged.
- Malfoy Sr. would never allow such a mess.
- Well, what if? Let's just see what happens next.
- Okay, let's see. Really, let's go to the compartment, or we'll stay here.
- Don't you think there are too many of us here? - Adderley asked.
- It's a little tight, - Malfoy admitted. - So... Crabbe and Goyle, get on the top shelves as usual. Adderley is sitting with me, Nott with Zabini, that's great!
- Hey, we are back to you!
- Finnigan is in front of Thomas, - added Draco. - We'll fit in.
- We took food, - Dean said. - Pies and sandwiches.
- I have cocoa in my thermos, who would? - Simus asked.
- А... May I come in? - Asked quietly from the door.
- You can, - decided Draco, looking at Neville, - only if you don't put a toad on the table. Thomas, you go to Finnigan, you have enough room, and you, Longbottom, land here.
- Thank you... - embarrassedly said he sitting on the edge of the seat. - I have some more apples, grapes and peaches, my grandmother put...
- Lay it on the common table, - said Adderley. - And stop stuttering. We don't bite. By the way, why did you leave yours?
- Well... - Longbottom had a slouch. - They don't love you. And I remember that night... You didn't chase me away, and Professor Snape didn't swear... I didn't tell them about that. There I just entered the compartment: "Neville, you have to do that, that..." Well, why do I owe everyone?!
- You don't owe anyone anything, - Malfoy said after getting a poke from Adderley. - Longbottom, I can't be responsible for my family, but I am very sorry that my aunt did this to your parents. I hope you will forgive me.
- But it wasn't you! - he said. - I know your parents weren't there, and... It's not your fault... That we fight is nothing, right?
- That's right, Longbottom, - said Draco, who was brutally pinched by Catherine. - My mom and dad are the ones who most dream about living in peace. Are we cool?
- Yeah...
- Give me the cocoa already! - said Adderley. - And don't stick your noble nose in my cup, wait for the line, Malfoy!
- Where is Neville? - Granger crashed into compartment.
- We ate him, - said Adderley. Thomas and Finnigan were laughing, and Crabbe and Goyle depicted the hiccups. - Get out of here, huh?
- But Neville...
- He's doing pretty well here, isn't he?
- Hermione, it's all right, - he muttered. - They don't hurt me.
Granger turned around and ran away.
- She will go to prefects, - said Nott.
- So what? Are we doing something unseemly here? - Adderley asked. - Who said a person can't visit classmates from another house?
- No one...
- Well, I don't care about Grange! Longbottom, are you all right?
- I lost a toad again, - he complained.
The coupe crashed with a friendly laughter.
- We need someone else again, - Zabini thoughtfully said. - It's an odd number. It's not convenient to play.
- No, no, no! - Longbottom got scared. - I don't want to play! That's how you rode from the slide - it's great, though my grandmother would have killed me for such... But if I'm in the team, it will lose for sure...
- Shorter, - Adderley ordered.
- Well... I am with you, but... if don't mind, I'd like to be just a viewer... that's enough for me.
- Will we let?
- No problem! - Thomas answered. - Look!
- Nobody takes money for a look, - Finnigan added.
- Now we have the Nine...
- Oh... sorry, busy, right? - asked a strange girl.
- Come in, we'll find a place, - said Malfoy. - Are you a freshman? I do not remember you.
- Yes. - she sat down with the edge. - Won't I disturb you?
- No, it's okay, - said Adderley. - What is your name?
- Luna Lovegood, - she said.
- Come here, - Catherine maked Draco move away. - Luna, could you comb? Your hair is so gorgeous and in such a mess! Malfoy, give me a comb. In my bag, in the side pocket... Uh-huh, thank you... Luna, if it hurts, tell me.
- I will, - calmly answered the girl, but she sat silently all the time while Adderley mercilessly ripped the ash mane and braided a complicated braid.
- There we go. The beautiful girl, - she said looking at the work of her hands. - Guys?
- Wow, - Zabini honestly said, the others mumbled something.
- Thank you, - Lovegood answered seriously. - Can I sit with you guys a little bit longer?
- Yes, of course, but you see, there's not enough room, you can sit on Longbottom's lap unless...
- It's not hard for me! - He bravely answered. - Sit down.
Little Lovegood took a seat on Longbottom's lap.
- Here's another player for you, - whispered Draco.
- I don't think so, - answered Adderley. - This is a spectator.
- What do you play? - Lovegood asked with interest.
Professor McGonaggal watched the arrival of the Magnificent Eight with horror. First, the Gryffindors fell out of the carriage (how did they fit there, remained a mystery, because only one Longbottom... - oh, it's horrible, and the quiet Neville with this gang?!), and Zabini with Nott. Crabbe and Goyle got out of the other carriage, took two girls out, Malfoy jumped himself... Stop! Where did the second one come from?!
- Young people, - she strictly said, coming closer. - It seems that it was said that more than four people should not get in the carriage.
- We heard, professor, - answered Adderley. - But we decided that it was not by the number of people, but by weight. Well, Lovegood and I... or she and Malfoy weight as exactly one normal passenger.
- Adderley, I'll kill you!
- Catch first, - she said calmly. - Also, professor, Lovegood is afraid of open water, so we decided to take her with us.
- I see... - strained McGonaggal. - Go to the Great Hall. And you, Miss Lovegood, come with me.
She nodded, smiled, and joined the crowd of freshmen who had just gotten off the boats.
- Where do you think she will go? - Malfoy asked.
- Definitely not to us, - answered Adderley. - It's not the right character. She's pureblood, so maybe you'll have her, then you'll look after her, because she's not from this world...
- Am I babysit, or what?!
- She is quite suitable for you as a wife, Malfoy, - Zabini sang. - Oh, shit! When did you learn to throw dirt?!
- You better ask who taught him, - said Finnigan. - Come on, it is clear that neither we nor you will get her. Ravens with badgers will not hurt her.
- We just need to keep an eye out for our people, - Thomas insisted. - The pureblood snakes won't touch her, while our fools can do it.
- I will see to it, - said Longbottom gloomyly.
- Well, that's great, - Adderley answered calmly, - so you are in charge of Lovegood. I like Lovegood. Strange, of course, but not stupid.
The prognosis was justified. Lovegood went to Ravenclaw.