ÒIÕll miss you both so much,Ó Hermione sniffed as she embraced Ron and Harry. ÒI canÕt believe I wonÕt see either of you till Christmas!Ó But despite all her lamentations, Hermione could not keep her excitement for making her eyes sparkle. Suddenly she exclaimed, ÒOh, I almost forgot!Ó She searched through one of her many bags until she found what she was looking for: two wrapped, spherical objects, each with a small scroll attached to the wrappings. ÒTheyÕre Communi-orbs. The directions are on the sheet of paper. TheyÕre kinda like owls, just loads faster and you can see me when we talk. Of course, IÕll still send you tons of owls,Ó she added hastily. The Hogwarts express train tooted its horn loudly, as if reproaching Hermione for taking too much time. ÒGoodbye!,Ó she waved to them as she left for her car.
Ron had long ago said farewell to Percy, and he sniffed slightly as he watched Hermione. ÒIÕm gonna miss her a lot,Ó he admitted.
ÒMe too,Ó Harry agreed fervently.
ÒIn fact, IÕm already starting to miss her lectures. IsnÕt that weird? I never thought I would miss her that much.Ó
Harry grinned and the talk shifted to the upcoming Quidditch match as they made their way back to HagridÕs motorcycle.
ÒAre yer ready ter go?,Ó Hagrid asked.
ÒUh-huh,Ó Ron nodded. They both got into the side-compartments that Hagrid had made for that day. They zoomed away, Hagrid sniffling a little and making frequent comments like, ÒIÕm goinÕ ter miss Hermione a lot yer know,Ó ÒWhoÕs gonna come ter visit me anÕ Fang when Quidditch season starts up?,Ó and ÒI wonder if she remembered ter take Crookshanks witÕ her...Fang may not take ter Ôim.Ó
As they pulled up to Hogwarts, Harry could make out DumbledoreÕs outline as he waited for them on the front steps.
ÒDid she get on the train safely?,Ó he asked anxiously.
ÒSafe anÕ sound,Ó Hagrid replied proudly.
Dumbledore smiled and nodded his approval.
"If ya don' mind me askin' sir, who're yer waitin' fer out here? Almos' time fer dinner, ain't it?"
"Yes it is, Hagrid, but I've just received an owl saying the exchange students are going to be late, and I'd like to greet them and show them around the school before they get lost."
"Oh. What're they arrivin' by?"
"Wing Transport."
Ron looked impressed. Hagrid's mouth hung open. "Yer not jokin' are yer, sir?"
"Of course not Hagrid." Dumbledore turned to face him.
"It's jus' that I've been wantin' to see one since I were a kid."
Harry was absolutely bewildered. "What's Wing Transport?," he asked Ron.
"It's the best kind of wizard transportation ever! UsuallyÑwait, nevermind, you'll see for yourself. I can see it now, right there." Ron pointed to a tiny, bright speck in the dusky sky. Harry watched it as it grew larger, then gasped as he saw what it was.
Two resplendent winged horses were pulling a small, copper chariot. The horses were a beautiful chestnut hue, their wings gilded and gleaming in the little light there was. The chariot also had a pair of golden wings attached to side. A pair of sillhouettes showed through the gauzy curtains, and Harry could make out a melodious laugh as the two pegasus landed. Hagrid stared, awed by the sight.
The first person to get out was a tall, tanned boy, who looked as if he were about PercyÕs age. He had light brown hair, and Harry could see his eyes were green, a shade lighter than his own. He had on no robes, and his muscular arms bulged as he picked up about five,overflowing suitcases in each hand. A light voice protested from inside.
ÒOh, Peter, stop showing off and give me my bags.Ó
ÒIÕm not showing off, Amy.Ó Peter grinned. ÒAnd itÕs not like youÕre gonna be able to carry all that stuff you packed.
ÒCÕmon, give me my stuff.Ó
Peter laughed, showing his spotless teeth. ÒMake me.Ó
The secondÑand lastÑpassenger stepped out of the chariot. It was a slender, mischief-eyed girl. Harry couldnÕt help but notice her beauty. Her hair was as dark as the midnight sky, sometimes flashing brown in the setting sun. She was wearing a fuzzy sweater and denim shorts, the somber colors contrasting sharply with the paleness of her skin. Her light brown eyes sparkled with laughter. Harry glanced at Ron.
Ron was standing stock-still, entranced.
ÒGive me my bags!,Ó Amy laughed, and lunged at Peter. He dodged her easily, and as they struggled over mastery of the bags, the two pegasus left unoticed by everyone except Hagrid.
Just as Amy had almost gained possesion of her suitcases, Dumbledore intervened. He extended his hand to both of them. ÒWelcome to Hogwarts. My name, inconsequential as it may be, is Albus Dumbledore.Ó
Peter shook DumbledoreÕs hand and introduced himself, then Amy, both looking comically solemn.
ÒMr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, why donÕt you help me show these two to their new rooms?,Ó Dumbledore called to them. Harry began walking over to help Dumbledore, but then noticed Ron wasnÕt with him. He jogged back to where Ron was standing.
He was still staring after Amy.
ÒRon! Hello? CÕmon, letÕs go!Ó
ÒWhaÑoh, um, ok.Ó
They trotted up to where Dumbledore and the two exchange students were waiting. ÒWhy donÕt you introduce yourselves,Ó Dumbledore suggested.
The girl extended her hand to Ron while the boy put down his bags and shook hands with Harry. ÒPeter Jenkins,Ó he said cordially.
ÒAmy Swift,Ó murmured the girl.
ÒHarry Potter.Ó
ÒRon Weasley.Ó RonÕs whisper was barely audible.
Amy smiled. ÒHi Ron.Ó She turned to Harry, her features set in a quizzical frown. ÒHarry Potter...that sounds familiar...Ó
Peter shook his head and chided Amy playfully. ÒTsk, tsk, you just donÕt remember any of your lessons, do you Amy? Harry Potter. You know, from like, five of our Social Studies and Civics books. Remember?Ó
ÒOh! Man, itÕs like, the biggest honor to meet you.Ó Amy shook HarryÕs hand. Harry blushed a little and muttered, ÒThanks.Ó He didnÕt notice the slightly crestfallen look on RonÕs face.
ÒWell then, letÕs continue on our way, shall we?Ó Dumbledore led the children around the school. ÒThis is the Great Hall. We have all of our celebrations, feasts, and regular meals here.Ó
ÒDude,Ó murmured Peter. ÒHey Amy, check out the ceiling.Ó
ÒHuh? Oh! Wow, itÕs beautiful.Ó The ceiling was glowing with the soft colors of twilight, a few bright stars dotting the night sky.
After everyone had had their fill of the ceiling, Dumbledore continued the tour of Hogwarts. ÒYou have to be careful of two things here: the first is all the trick corridors, rooms, doors, windows, walls, and steps. The second isÑÓ
ÒWATCH OUT IÕM COMING THROUGH!Ó The group ducked quickly as Peeves appeared out of nowhere, carrying a spitting Mrs. Norris by the tail, bellowing at the top of his voice. He made a sharp U-turn and headed straight for them. ÒGO CATCH!,Ó he roared gleefully and sent Mrs. Norris flying towards Peter.
ÒDuck!,Ó yelled Ron.
But Peter did nothing of the sort. On the contrary, hunkered down and sprang into the air, coming back down to the ground with the scruff of Mrs. NorrisÕs neck clutched in his left fist. He set her down gently on the floor, and after a few dizzy turns, Mrs. Norris walked off tipsily towards the Ravenclaw common rooms.
ÒThatÕs the second thing to watch out for,Ó Dumbledore continued calmly, brushing off his robes. ÒPeeves. The school poltergeist. Quite useful, in some instances, but he can be rather a nuisance at times.Ó
Ron nudged Harry and gave an incredulous look. Calling Peeves a nuisance was a vast understatement, and judging from the looks on Peter and AmyÕs faces, they seemed to agree. Dumbledore continued the tourÑ using a few hidden staircases and corridors that Ron and Harry had never seen before as shortcutsÑ, introducing all of the classrooms, the bathroom that Moaning Myrtle occupied(ÒI wouldnÕt try to use it if I were you,Ó Dumbledore advised Amy), the common rooms, the girlÕs and boyÕs dormitories, the infirmary, the way to the greenhouse, and finally, the way to the Forbidden Forest. ÒNow, IÕve showed you the way to the Forest to show you how to avoid it.Ó Dumbledore gazed at Amy and Peter over his half-moon glasses. ÒMake sure that you do so,Ó he said gently. Turning to Ron and Harry, he said, ÒShow Peter to PercyÕs old room. IÕll get Professor McGonagall to show Amy to hers.Ó With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore banished AmyÕs bags to HermioneÕs unoccupied room, and the two of them went off to find McGonagall.
The three boys started off in silence. Peter suddenly asked, ÒWhat are the teachers like?Ó
ÒWhy do you ask?,Ó Harry replied.
ÒWell, IÕm used the teachers at my school, and I just wanna know how to play it off here. I mean, thereÕs got to be one pain in the butt, right? WhoÕs that?Ó
ÒSnape,Ó Ron and Harry answered simultaneously.
ÒOkay, weÕre making progress here. What class?Ó
ÒPotions.Ó ÒWhoÕs the most boring teacher?Ó
Ron thought a moment and said, ÒProfessor Binns. HeÕs the HIstory teacher.Ó
ÒOkay. WhoÕs the strictest?Ó
ÒWell, SnapeÕs just plain unfair, butÑÓ
ÒMcGonagallÕs just plain strict. You have to watch out around both of Ôem. But just to tell you, sheÕs nicer than Snape.Ó Ron finished HarryÕs sentence. He seemed to have found his voice.
ÒOkay. Well, it canÕt be that bad.Ó Suddenly, Peter grinned broadly. ÒWhat about the girls at this school?Ó
RonÕs voice disappeared again, and he flushed as he walked towards the portrait of the Fat Lady. Harry pretended to have misunderstood the question.
ÒWhat do you mean?Ó
ÒYou know...Ó PeterÕs voice trailed off and his face softened dreamily. ÒSingle chicks. I hope that not everybodyÕs hitched here, or am I gonna have to be stuck with Amy for the rest of my trip?Ó
ÒWhatÕs wrong with Amy?Ó RonÕs face was a bright as his hair, but his voice had returned once more.
ÒWell, nothing, I guess. IÕve just known her too long. WeÕre ex-step-siblings.Ó He laughed at RonÕs puzzled expression. My dad got divorced, then he married her mom, then they got divorced.Ó
ÒWhat happened AmyÕs mum?Ó
PeterÕs smile faded. ÒShe died.Ó
Ron looked down. ÒOh.Ó
ÒWhat about her dad?Ó For some inexplicable reason Harry was hoping that AmyÕs father was alive, but at the mention of AmyÕs motherÕs death, he had felt a monstrous surge of hopeÑmaybe he had found another orphan to relate to. Harry snapped back as if someone had slapped him. What kind of disgraceful thought was that? Yet at the same time...
ÒHe died too. Plane crash.Ó
HarryÕs insides surged.
ÒPoor Amy.Ó Ron looked shocked, dazed.
ÒYouÕre not kidding,Ó Peter muttered bitterly. ÒShe didnÕt even know what happenedÑher aunt said her Ôdaddy and mommy had left and were coming back later.Õ She was three, for GodÕs sake. She only found out two years ago.Ó
Ron stared at Peter, stunned. ÒYou canÕt be serious.Ó
ÒYup.Ó
ÒHow could anyone do that? To her?Ó
Peter didnÕt notice the emphasis Ron made in reference to Amy. He just shook his head in agreement. ÒItÕs sick, some things people do for insurance money.Ó
ÒInsurance?Ó
ÒWell yeah. I mean, AmyÕs aunt already had four kids. And she isnÕt exactly the richest person in the world, so she agreed to take Amy under her care. And when she did, she got extra money for AmyÕs life insurance, so that her aunt could pay to take care of her. But if she told Amy, what would stop her from running off when she turned eighteen? So, she tried to keep it a secret for a while, tightened AmyÕs belt, treated her own kids with extra candy and presents, and lived her life till Amy found the transactions between her lawyer and her aunt.Ó Peter coughed, then continued. ÒThe way Amy tells me, she was looking for a dictionary and stumbled across the documents by mistake.Ó He laughed dryly. ÒNow sheÕs determined to get the hell out of there as soon as she learns to drive.Ó
Ron looked outraged.
ÒWell, here we are,Ó Harry said as the reached PercyÕs rooms. The des was huge, and took up most of the space but Peter didnÕt seem to mind. ÒYou guys have the coolest rooms in here!,Ó he remarked, awed. The large, posh down bed seemed to preen in conceited delightment, and the ornate mirror glimmered brightly and said ÒThank youÓ in a pleased tone of voice.
Peter laughed, elated, and began unpacking. ÒSee you guys at dinner?Ó
ÒSure,Ó said Harry. Ron seemed too inscensed to speak, but shook PeterÕs hand before leaving with Harry. As soon as they were out of earshot, Ron exploded. ÒHOW COULD SHE!Ó
Harry was confused. ÒWhat? Who?Ó
ÒAmyÕs aunt! How could she do that? How could she lie about something like that?Ó
ÒWell, I dunno, but IÕm sure you could ask Petunia. They sound like they have a lot in common.Ó
Ron laughed shortly, and didnÕt talk about AmyÕs aunt again. Instead, he shut up for the rest of dinner, fuming silently.
Fred and George tried their best to trigger some polysyllables out of him. ÒHey Fred, look at Snape.Ó
ÒWhy? I donÕt want to look at him any more than I have to in class.Ó
ÒNeither does anybody else, but heÕs acting weird. Look.Ó
ÒOh, all right, IÕm looking, IÕmÑwhat the...?Ó
Snape was acting rather strangelyÑhe was engaged in a polite conversation with McGonagall, something unheard of for Snape. Under normal circumstances, he was incapable of poltie conversation with anybody, let alone the head of his rival House.
Fred and George looked on grimly.
ÒThere must be something wrong.Ó
ÒHeÕs probably going to pop another surprise quiz on us tomorrow.Ó
ÒOr maybe he's killed a Gryffindor."
"There's no one missing except Percy. Where's his replacement?"
"Getting his stuff unpacked," Harry chimed in.
"Okay...why the heck is he talking to McGonagall?"
ÒHey George, look.Ó Fred nudged his twin and nodded across the table towards Amy. She looked splendid. She had changed into some spare robes, and they fit her supple frame perfectly. Her hair had been pulled out of its ponytail and now framed her heart-shaped face like a halo of midnight. She seemed to be enjoying herself, and was chatting amiably with Alicia Spinnet and Lavender Brown. The rest of the Gryffindor girls clamored around her, trying to ask her questions about Catswings. (The boys seemed rather in awe of her.)
George let out a low whistle. ÒWow. SheÕsÑwow.Ó He saw Ron blush, and pounced. ÒIs she your girlfriend, Ron? Have you asked her to visit?Ó
Ron turned deep red and shouted, ÒSHEÕS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!Ó
RonÕs words rang in the silence that now enveloped the Great Hall. Amy looked at Ron curiously.
A snotty guffaw pierced the silence. Hundreds of heads turned to see Malfoy collapsing in his seat, his pointed face contorted with spiteful mirth. Soon, the entire Slytherin table was rolling out of their seats, banging goblets and jeering Ron. Even Snape smirked at RonÕs blushing face.
A sudden, loud remark penetrated the laughter and taunts.
ÒThat table is like, the biggest group of jerk-offs IÕve ever seen. Especially that blond, pointy-faced little turd sitting at the center.Ó Amy washed down her comment with some cider, dabbed her mouth, and excused herself, saying ÒI think IÕll go visit Peter. You said you saw him in the Common room, right?Ó
Lavender nodded.
ÒOkay. See you later.Ó With that, Amy turned on her heel and left for the Gryffindor common rooms, leaving Malfoy scowling under RonÕs returning confidence. Snape was glaring after Amy, and Harry could hear him demand, ÒWho was that girl?Ó ÒThat,Ó said McGonagall with a slight smile, Òwas Amy Swift. One of the exchange students from Catswings. Very bright, brilliant rather, according to her records, just rather outspoken.Ó
ÒI see,Ó Snape said unpleasantly.
Fred shook his head dolefully, while George whistled a funeral march.
ÒWhy?,Ó Harry asked. ÒWhatÕs wrong?Ó
ÒYou should know, Harry. No one gets away with insulting SnapeÕs house if he can help it. No one.Ó
ÒHe wouldnÕt do anything to Amy though, since sheÕs an exchange student,Ó Ron said. Then he added uncertainly, ÒRight?Ó
George just shook his head, and the two of them left, leaving Harry and Ron to wonder what was going to happen to Amy.
ÒIt canÕt be that bad, could it? I mean, whatÕs the worst heÕs done to you?Ó
ÒGave me detention for a week,Ó Ron said miserably. ÒAnd took about thirty points from Gryffindor in a day. Ò
ÒOh.Ó Then Harry chuckled. ÒStill, that look on MalfoyÕs face was pretty funny.Ó
Ron grinned. ÒShe called him a turd,Ó he said dreamily. ÒMy kind of girl.Ó
Harry faced him sharply, startled. ÒWhat did you say?Ó
ÒNoting.Ó
ÒBut I thought you saidÑÓ
ÒOh that, well, er, I was talking about someone else.Ó
Harry looked at Ron skeptically but he looked so confused and distressed that he left the matter alone. The Great Hall had been nearly deserted, so Ron and Harry finished their custard and left hurriedly for the Gryffindor common room. Everyone was clapping Amy on the back, or congratulating her for basically voicing the opinions of the entire Grffyndor house. Peter was laughing at AmyÕs interpretation of the story. Although she had only said one sentence, Amy had made a favorable reputation among the Gryffindors. Fred and George seemed to have forgotten their dire predictions and were idolizing her, even telling her and Peter the locations of some secret passageways.
ÒSchool would be so boring otherwise,Ó George sighed.
ÒThe one behind the statue of Belinda the Berserk is a new one George and I found yesterday,Ó Fred confided in her. ÒI think it was built by accident, to tell you the truth.Ó
ÒWhere does it lead?,Ó Amy inquired.
ÒWeÕre not sure. We havenÕt tried it yet.Ó A sudden mischievous gleam twinkled in FredÕs eyes. He glanced at Ron, then said casually. ÒIÕm sure Ron could show you though, he knows the passages almost as well as we do.Ó
Ron looked as if he were going to keel over.
Amy smiled at Ron. ÒIÕd like that.Ó
He looked at her uncertainly. ÒYou...would?Ó
Her smile softened. ÒYeah. IÕd like that a lot.Ó She looked at her fingernails absently, then asked, ÒShow me tomorrow at lunch?Ó
Ron was so elated he couldnÕt speak. All he could do was nod his head vigorously, and goodbye as Amy left for her rooms. She looked over her shoulder and waved back. ÒBye, Ron.Ó
After they had gone back to their rooms, Harry grinned at Ron in the dark. ÒI think you like her.Ó
ÒWho?Ó
ÒAmy.Ó
ÒWhat? No! No...what gave you that idea? Why would you think that?Ó Ron managed to sound completely unconvincing.
ÒFace it Ron. ItÕs obvious. Not the remark in the Great Hall, no had any idea of who you were talking about, but...Ó HarryÕs voice trailed off. He took a deep breath before going on. ÒIÕve known you for a while Ron. YouÕve never acted like this before. I mean, IÕve never seen you blush so many consecutive times in a day. You never act like this around any other girl. Normally, if Malfoy had started laughing at you like he did today IÕd have to pin you down to your chair to keep you from strangling him. Today, you looked like you were going to melt in your chair. IÕm not sure if other people can see it but I seriously think you like her. So, I just want to know. Do you?Ó
There was an anxious pause. Then, Ron whispered, ÒI dunno.Ó He sighed. ÒItÕs...confusing. I donÕt know how I feel about anything anymore. I meanÓÑHarry heard Ron sit up in bedÑ ÒBefore I even saw Amy, I was fine. Things made sense. And now...Ó RonÕs voice wavered. ÒItÕs like getting a really bad cold. All you can think about is how much your head hurts, or how hard it is to breathe because your nose is clogged up, right? ItÕs pretty much the same thing, just without the nose part.Ó
Harry didnÕt respomd. What Ron was saying was making sense, in a way, but it wasnÕt registering fully in his mind. ÒMaybe if I felt that way,Ó he thought. ÒMaybe then IÕll get it.Ó Aloud, he said, ÒYeah, I see what you mean.Ó
Ron settled back in his bed, satisfied. Soon he was asleep, his breathing becoming deeper and heavier.
Harry felt his eyelids drooping when suddenly a piercing scream slashed the quiet. He sat bolt upright, every hair on his head trembling at the sound. All the boys in his dorm woke up, terrified.
ÒWhat was that?Ó
ÒIt sounds like someoneÕs being murdered!Ó
ÒCominÕ from the girlÕs dorms!Ó
Neville whimpered weakly.
Ron had been listening to the snatches of conversation floating around the room. Finally, he jumped out of bed and jammed his slippers onto his feet.
Neville peeped at Ron. ÒWhere are you going?Ó
ÒTo see whatÕs wrong.Ó
ÒWhere?Ó
ÒThe girlÕs dorms.Ó
Everyone began shouting at this.
ÒMcGonagall will give you detention!Ó
ÒYouÕll get suspended!Ó
ÒYouÕll get expelled!Ó
Ron ignored them and turned to Harry. ÒAre you coming?Ó
Harry hesitated for a moment, then nodded. They both set off grimly in the direction of the girlÕs dorms. Neither of them spoke, they just ran as quickly and silently as they could, trying to reach their destination without being seen.
The screams had diminished to dismal moans. Finally reaching the girlÕs dorms, Harry and Ron tried to find the room where the moans were originating from. ÒThere!Ó Ron pointed. No one was in the hall, so they darted to the door. Ron put his ear to the door, while Harry tried to see what was going on through the keyhole.
ÒWhatÕs happening?Ó
Ò...donÕt know. Lavender, get a...Ó ÒOh God, sheÕs...Ó
A wail flared from within the room. Harry could see glimpses of people rushing about, and an adult hand putting a cold towel on a girlÕs forehead. Her face was turned away from him, so Harry couldnÕt see who it was.
Ò...quick, someone get Madam Pomfrey.Ó
The door was flung open. Ron and Harry tumbled forward, their support yanked away from them. They lay heaped together on the floor, Professor McGonagall glaring down at them with the utmost fury.