Harry awoke silently from where he had been sprawled out on the train compartments seat, his head pulled away from the cold glass on the window before he looked over at his two friends who seemed to be in a heated argument over the newspaper.
He turned his head and looked down to read a headline from the Daily Prophet, a moving picture showed Professor Dumbledore waving slightly before nodding towards him, he carefully picked up the paper to read the headline and the article under it.
HOGWARTS TO TAKE IN HUNDREDS OF NEW STUDENTS.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has taken in hundreds of new students this year from different countries, including; Japan, North America, Canada, small area's of India and China.
One of the largest school's known, North America's own House of Magic's Headmaster Gloria Jane Hart has spoke out to say that they feel it is not safe to run their own school, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name's followers have world widely spread, and everyone feels at threat. She has gladly let us know that she will not open the doors of House of Magic this year, nor will many other schools around the world.
Some Parents feel that it is safest for their children at these schools and would rather send their children back, or have children who refuse to stay home without attending another year with their classmates this year.
The doors at Hogwarts have opened to these students as well as two other schools.
Professor Albus Dumbledore has shared his own words on this, "It is to there best nature to be kept in safety's hands in these dark time's, and that is where we will keep them."
Several questions are to be asked about this, Will they be safe in Hogwarts with Harry Potter, Will they be able to fit in, Will this year go smoothly or down the drain?
Will -
Harry threw the paper down before looking to Hermione and Ron listening to their conversation go on.
"Ronald, are girls all you worry about?" she asked bitterly
"Well what, if we're getting new students and there is girls," He gulped for a moment "I'd like to be able to actually speak to them, wouldn't you Harry?"
Harry looked over at Ron "Oh yeah, sure." He replied
"Harry doesn't even care, honestly Ronald." Hermione huffed "So Harry, you read the article?" she asked grimly
"Part of it, so we're getting new students?" He asked
"Yes, well, I mean we can meet some already, the Americans had to be picked up by this Train it's how they always got to school." She took a breath then looked at Harry
"There's maybe fifty of them at the most." she added
"Dad said Hogwarts is going to have to fit in a lot of the different schools tradition's when they can, it's going to be a weird year." Ron said twisting his mouth in a bit of a stressed frown
Harry nodded as he took it in before the compartments door opened and a girl stood there, her hair was a disheveled mess of straight brown strands and her grey eyes spotted the seat she was dressed in a pair of tight blue jeans with black boots going up half of her calf, her shirt was black with splatters of different colors entrancing through them, and around her neck was a small thin blue and black scarf.
"Oh, I'm sorry for bothering you guys, but everywhere else is full may I?" She asked in a uneven breath as if she were running before a girl with identical looks ran up behind her
"Um, yeah sure." Harry said
She smiled happily before walking in and putting a bag up on the railing above them "Thank you," she said to all of them before turning to the other girl "Sorry sis." She spoke before sitting down
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure Eric found somewhere up here, see you when we get there." She said before shutting the door and running off.
"T-Twins, Identical Twins." Ron muttered to himself catching the girls attention
"Oh, yeah sorry we've been looking around since we got picked up." she said, she was clearly American, her accent different than all of theirs.
"Ignore him, I'm Hermione Granger, that's Harry Potter, and he's Ronald Weasly." Hermione said smiling warmly
"Nice to meet you all, I'm Claire, Claire Ross, my sisters Jennifer." She said smiling back before looking next to her at Harry "So you're The-Boy-Who-Lived, I'm sorry for asking like that, just never thought I'd meet you or anything." she said laughing a bit nervously
"Yeah, don't worry about it, I get asked all the time anymore." He said
"So, Claire, you're from the North American school?" Hermione asked ignoring Ron who was babbling on about the new girl and twins
"Yeah, House of Magic, kinda lame name compared to Hogwarts." She said
Hermione laughed a little before proceeding on with questions "What's it like, are there houses? Quidditch?"
"Yes and Yes, though from what I heard our houses are far different, we have ten houses compared to your four." She said then continued "There strangely enough named after Greek Goddesses' and Gods, Aphrodite, Artemis, Nyx, Hara, and Athena those were the girls, then the boys were Zeus, Apollo, Hades, Ares, and Poseidon, as for Quidditch, I was a Beater." she smiled slightly as she spoke
"Oh wow.." Hermione said
"What house were you in?" Harry asked
"Athena." She said frowning slightly "My sister was in Nyx, I didn't fit in with Athena's they had a hard time placing me, it was between Artemis, Athena and Nyx.. My headmistress thought I fit Athena and placed me instead of the Phoenix they had."
"A Phoenix places you?" Ron yelped "That's worse than our Sorting Hat."
Claire laughed "The Phoenix is actually one of the protectors of our school, she's quiet sweet, not really scary innless you fear a Phoenix it's self."
"Well if you get in Gryffindor maybe you could try out for the Beater position, I know Harry is having tryouts, and Ron is going to try for Keeper." Hermione said
"Oh really?" Claire asked "Sounds fun, I hope I get in Gryffindor, I could actually know some people already."
"Yeah." Ron said stuttering on some words still when he tried to speak
"Are you alright?" Claire asked him finally
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He said turning a shade of crimson to match his own hair
A laugh erupted from Claire quietly before Hermione spoke "He gets nervous near pretty girls." She said simply
"Oh, well I guess I should take it as a compliment then." Claire said smiling softly before a thump hit the door "Oh, I forgot Sapphire." She muttered opening the door as a small dog walked in slowly, a puppy was what it seemed
"A dog?" Hermione asked
"Oh, in America, our animals for postal services to say, are Dogs, Owls and Cats." She said smiling faintly "My sister got a owl, all black one, and I got a puppy, my last dog lived her last year, she was sixteen, our brother, Eric he's in his eight year now, in our states you school until 18 years of age, but everything else is the same as here." She added picking the dog up
"What kind of dog is she, and I'm so sorry about your other one." Hermione said Harry looking as if he was about to speak
"Was going to ask the same thing." He said
"She's a Siberian Husky." Claire said happily answering
"Well lets hope she doesn't like to chase cats, Hermione will blame you if the dreadful thing goes missing." Ron said "But then again the cat may kill her first." He said frowning
Hermione huffed before crossing her arms ignoring him before Claire began talking to Harry and Ron, conversation spilled between all four for the rest of the time talking about the school, new students different areas that were attending Hogwarts.
Jennifer paced through the train glimpsing in every compartment looking for her older brother Eric, soon she stumbled across a near barren compartment with the familiar dark haired boy sitting in it talking to a blonde haired boy in front of him, a small sigh parted from her lips as she opened the door walking in pulling off her red scarf and setting it on the seat next to her brother.
"Found me finally?" He asked her smiling slightly towards her as she sat down next to him
"Yes, took forever though." She mumbled pulling on the long shirt she wore making it straight as she crossed her legs, a pair of black skinny jeans clad her legs with silver heels matching her silver shirt.
"Where's Claire?" He asked
"She found a seat with these three kids, a girl and two boys one had the reddest hair I've ever seen the other b-"
"Black hair, glasses?" the boy in front of them spat "She's with that mud blood Granger, the two boys are probably that filthy Weasly boy and Harry Potter."
"Take it you don't like them?" Jennifer asked smiling weakly
"No, their pests, none of them belong in the wizarding world."
"So, uhm, who are you?" Jennifer asked changing the subject
"Draco Malfoy." He said looking her over "and you are?"
"Jennifer Ross." She said before turning herself and laying her legs across her brothers lap earning a irritated sigh from him
"Jenn, seriously?" He asked
"What you're not the one wearing heels now are you?"
"No," He said shoving her legs off him "But, I'm not your foot rest." He added
Jennifer grunted folding her arms across her chest, Draco watched the two smirking somewhat
"I'm going to go find Claire and see how she is." Eric said getting up and leaving
"Well, this will be a lovely year." Claire muttered in disgust
"If you get in Slytherin it will be." Draco smiled towards her "What year are you?"
"Sixth, you?" She asked
"Same," He paused looking at her "Did any of you play Quidditch where you were from?"
"We all did," She crossed her legs sitting up right "Claire was a beater on her team, and I was a beater on mine, Eric was a Keeper." She shrugged "When he didn't make Keeper he got Chaser."
"I see, well it just so happens I'm seeker and captain of Slytherin's Quidditch team, so maybe you can try out for us." He paused smirking "After all you seem like you'll make Slytherin."
Jennifer laughed softly before leaning forward "And tell me Mr. Malfoy, what makes you feel I'll make that house?"
"Easy, you make me think a lot of myself, I bet you don't like Mud bloods do you?" He asked
"No, nor do I like weak wizards Mr. Malfoy." She said simply before tilting her head a little still leaning forward "I don't like being any less than the leader, and I especially don't like men who can't keep up with me." a smile played across her lips at that before she leaned back against the seat
"Then me and you will be good friends." He said before two boys and a girl came by the girl looked towards Jennifer then Draco with a disgusted look and left
"Crab, Goyle this is Jennifer Ross, her brother's staying in here as well." He added looking to the two, they nodded and said their hello's to Jennifer before leaveing, Draco smiled a little as he continued talking to Jennifer shortly after Eric returned joining the conversation until the train pulled up at Hogwarts.
Claire managed to make her way off of the train accompanied by Hermione Ron and Harry, awaiting her siblings as Hermione began to tell her things about what goes on once we get inside, Harry and Ron nodded here and there and added their on inputs on some of it.
"So what do sixth years get when they go in?" Claire asked pausing "Ride wise." She added
"Honestly, i'm not even sure this year, we might get the carriages again." Hermione said Ron nodded
"Harry can see what pulls them though." Ron added
"Boo." A boy said picking Claire up
"Eric, put me down!" She yelled hitting his arms as he set her down "Hello again." he said to the three
They all said there hello's before Jennifer walked over with Draco, his face turning to disgust as he looked at the three, there returning glares and annoyed glances were enough to show they didn't want to be there either.
"So you're her sister, what are you doing with this bunch, don't tell me you like Mudbloods." He spat
"Excuse me?" Claire asked "Does it matter what kind of blood they have, what their parents were, any of that?" She asked shakeing her head "You meet the same bunch everywhere you go Jen."
"As do you Claire, come on then Eric, we should get going." Jennifer said walking off with Draco Eric sighed and hugged Claire whispering in her ear "Don't worry me and you will end up in the same house we can tear her apart in Qudditch like at home." He let her go smiling before running after the others
"Who is he?" Claire asked looking to the others falling in step with them as they began to walk towards the carriages
"Draco Malfoy." Ron muttered
Hermione looked away as she kept walking pretending to not hear her questions as she went on "He's a bit of a jerk isn't he?"
"Yes." Harry said
"I take it he's in the house that fits as the Darkest house."
"Yeah, he's in Slytherin, his father's an ex-death eater." Ron added
"Ex-Death Eater? No, his father seems to still follow him." Harry said
Claire nodded getting up into the carriage sitting next to Ron as Hermione and Harry sat in front of them next to each other "Don't listen to him or her." Claire said to Hermione "My sister and Draco, they wouldn't pick on you and call you a Mud blood if they weren't jealous, you'd have to be an amazing witch to earn such hate from them." she said smiling weakly earning a smile from Hermione that time
"She is, she's a brilliant witch." Harry said looking over at her
"Then there you go, that's why they do that." Claire said "I've had to live with what seems like the female version of that Draco, and she's my own identical twin sister."
"I'd kill myself living with that." Ron muttered
Claire laughed looking at him then Hermione "She's my sister I do love her but yes, she's a bit of a handful, and irritating at times, sometimes I just want to hit her, maybe Hex her." she shook her head "That's not the point though, I know how she thinks, and if it's anything like him that's exactly their reasoning for not liking you Hermione."
Hermione smiled softly looking to Claire "It still hurts sometimes you know." She said
"I know, but, that's why you have friends and from the looks of it amazing friends at that." Claire said
"Yeah, you're right." Hermione said as the Carriage pulled up to the school stopping to let them off.
Claire's eyes averted to the front of the carriage staring at the horse-like creature pulling it, it's whole body skellington like with looked like just enough skin to cover it, wings pulled in to its sides
"Don't worry, I can see it too, it's a " Harry said smiling softly as he got out
Claire stood following Harry out of the Carriage as the four descended into the castle only to be stopped at the entrance "New students must gather into your own schools, and I'm sure you have your own uniforms to wear." A man said Claire stared at him then looked towards the others "Meet you inside then?" she said they nodded walking inside the school.
Claire followed the man and gave the name of the school, she was put with her school as they all went to get changed into their own outfits, as the first several schools were taken through to go to the sorting hat.
"It's like fourth year all over again." Ron said to the others as he watched the entrance from the Japanese school, Utada's School of Witchcraft, several Asian girls came in wearing kimono's with their hair pinned up and geisha makeup over their face's before they got to the front of the hall and within that split second smoke arose from the ground, and they were all in school uniforms, their hair worn in different styles and the make up gone, sakura petals falling to the ground as they were called up one by one.
"Yeah without the Tri-wizard tournaments, and Yule ball." Harry said
"Actually, their's two balls this year.." Hermione cut in
"Winter ball, then one last week of the school year for graduation." She said as their eyes set on her "They had to mix school traditions with ours."
Ron let out a heavy sigh as he looked at Harry "Not this again." He said worriedly
Once the sorting for the school was done the last major school was to come out, as Dumbledore arose to his podium to announce them.
"Now for our last school." He spoke causing a abrupt silence to spill over the room "North America's House of Magic." he called as he backed away to let Professor McGonagall take over.