Wishes, Dreams and Hogwarts
Chapter One- New Friends, Old Friends
By Meg Loves Harry
DISCLAIMER: Anything that you recognise from the Harry Potter series belongs to J.K Rowling and her people.
Told by Ron Weasley
I sat at one of the little tables outside Florean Fortescues waiting for Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. I put my hand over my mouth to conceal a little yawn and ate some of my ice cream. I didn't have to worry about it melting, because wizard ice cream never melts. I was looking forward to spending the last week of the holidays before fifth year with Harry and Hermione, and they were coming to stay at my house. My dad had gone to get their stuff this morning, and as I left the house through the fireplace, I felt like everybody else knew something I didn't. My mum had been getting owls from "no-one" all week and conversations ended when I entered the room. It was really strange. But that all left my mind when I saw Hermione and Harry coming towards me. Harry looked a lot taller, and Hermione's hair was all straight... she looked amazing!
"Hermione, I like your hair" I said to her as she hugged me.
"Thanks" she said smiling. Harry and Hermione sat down at the table with me, and ordered some ice cream.
"It's good to be back," said Harry, happily.
"What do you mean, Harry?" I asked him.
"He means back to the wizarding world, don't you Harry?" asked Hermione. "I know exactly how you feel... I can't wait to start reading the new books." Harry nodded, then yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"Are you OK, Harry?" I said to him. He seemed awfully quiet and tired.
"I'm just tired, that's all. The Dursleys treated me worse than ever this summer. A few days at your place, Ron, and I'll be right as rain." I smiled. We started to talk about what had happened during the holidays.
"Remember how Viktor invited me over to Bulgaria to stay?" Hermione said to Harry and I. "My parents wouldn't let me go. He was so disappointed" I felt a weird feeling, kind of like relief, but I didn't have a clue why.
"Fred and George managed to get rid of that old ghoul in the attic, and they've claimed the attic for their room. I'll tell you, they make more noise that twenty-five ghouls ever would! Ginny got their room." I informed them. "Percy moved out because apparently we are disturbing him to much. Charlie and Bill are over for the summer, and they are in Percy's old room. Hermione, I think you're sleeping in Ginny's room, and Harry, you're in mine of course" I had to fill them in before they got to my house.
"OK" said Harry
"Right then" said Hermione. We finished off our ice creams and started our shopping. I had a feeling it was going to be a busy day!
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We got the wizarding train from Diagon Alley to a secret train station near my house, and walked the rest of the way. We had packages full of books, pens, robes, potion ingredients and more. We walked noisily through my front door and into the kitchen, where my mum, Bill, Ginny, Charlie and a girl I didn't recognise were sitting at my kitchen table. The girl had sun-tanned skin, hazelnut brown hair and deep blue eyes. When she spoke, he words were formed with a slight Spanish accent.
"Ron!" exclaimed the girl, happily. She ran up to me and threw her arms around my neck. Whoever she was, she seemed to know me, but there was something familiar about her. Harry and Hermione looked on, just as confused as me. The girl's face fell as she drew back and saw the confused look on my face.
"Don't you remember me, Ron?" she asked sadly. I shook my head, and she ran out of the back door.
"Oh Ron!" said Ginny, exasperatedly. She sounded just like mum.
"What?" I asked.
"You really don't remember her, do you?" mum said, sounding disappointed.
"Well, he hasn't seen her for a long time," Bill said to mum, "She has changed a lot since the last time we saw her."
"I'm still here, you know," I said, starting to get a bit annoyed.
"Yes, we have noticed. How can you not remember her? She told us she sent you pictures, and you got an owl from her yesterday! Its Catrina, you idiot!" Charlie shouted at me, very quickly. He always had been easily pissed off. Hermione and Harry were standing quietly, looking uncomfortable, and not knowing what to do or say.
"Now Charlie, that was uncalled for" said Mum. "Look Ron, I know it has been a long time, but I thought you had a better memory than that. Anyway, you had better go after her, she was so excited about seeing you again." I sighed. How could I have been so blind? She had changed a lot, but she looked different in the photos. She looked nothing like the knobbly-kneed 10-year-old who I remembered; she had really grown up. I knew where she would be though. I walked out of the back door without a word, and Harry and Hermione followed me.
"I am so stupid," I said to them.
"No you're not," said Harry.
"Ron?" said Hermione with a note of suspicion. "Who is Catrina?"
"That girl who ran out the door."
"I know, but who is she?" asked Hermione.
"Didn't I tell you about her before?" I asked softly, surprised at myself.
"Oh yes, come to think of it, you did" said Harry
"Yeah, and told us how you two used to be best friends when you were younger... maybe you should go after her." Hermione said.
"Yeah... I think I will" I said quietly, and walked away from them. I heard them go back inside, and I kept walking. I knew where I was going as I climbed over the fence and into the field behind my garden. I walked up to a tall and very old tree and looked up into the branches. I could hear Catrina sobbing quietly.
"Cat, I'm sorry," I said. She stopped crying and looked down at me, her blue eyes blazing.
"So you remember me then?" she asked angrily. I started to climb up the tree, and sat down next to her. She edged away from me.
"Please Cat, I haven't seen you for so long." I pleaded with her. Cat turned around and looked at me and wiped tears from her eyes.
"When we were eleven, the day I was leaving for Spain, I remember you saying, 'Hogwarts won't be the same without you, Cat' as I stepped into the fireplace. When it was my first day at the Spanish International School of Magic, I was wishing I was at Hogwarts with you, but mum didn't want me too far away." I looked round at her. She looked so hurt.
"I am so, so sorry Cat" I said.
"It's OK," she said, but she still sounded a little hurt.
"Why are you here, anyway?" I asked her.
"Well... we didn't tell you I was coming because we wanted it to be a surprise. Sam will be here later in the week, but I couldn't wait. Sam and I are starting at Hogwarts. My parents and your parents agreed that it was for the best after what was happening."
"What happened?"
"We lived in an all wizarding town in Spain, and the old witch who lived next door to us was killed by you-know-who. There have been a lot of attacks in Spain lately, but the ministry has covered it up. It is said that he is hiding out in Spain. I am so worried about all my friends, and my parents."
"Oh my god! But Cat, even if you know who did attack your old school, wouldn't the head teacher protect all of you?"
"He's useless, a total nitwit! God only knows how he got the job. He can hardly tie his shoes with magic!"
"Oh well... It's brilliant that you will be starting at Hogwarts, anyway!"
"Ron do you remember how we used to get down from this tree?" said Cat.
"Yeah. We would try to jump down, but we always chickened out, so we ended up calling for help... Oh no." I said, starting to laugh.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
"One, two, three..." I counted us in
"HELP!" we shouted at the tops of our voices.
********************
After Harry and Hermione had rescued us from the tree, mum cooked a delicious dinner with all of our favourite things. We ate it out at a table in the back garden. Everyone was talking happily after dinner was finished. It was beginning to get dark, and my dad lit up the lamps. Hermione and Harry told us that they had been made prefects. About nine p.m., people started to go up to bed. We all went to bed happy and full. Later that night, I heard a loud banging sound. I 'm quite a light sleeper, and it seemed that I was the only one who had heard it, so I pulled on a pair of jeans and T-shirt and slipped carefully out of my room. I walked down the stairs, and the noise continued. It seemed someone was knocking the front door. I glanced up at the clock and thought "who on earth would be knocking our door at three o' clock in the morning?" I opened the door, and a tallish boy with dark hair and eyes was standing on the doorstep.
"Hey" he said. He had an American accent. "I'm Finley Mayes."
"Hi, I'm Ron Weasley" I said sleepily.
"Is Cat here?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because I want to talk to her!"
"Well she's probably aslee..." I began to yell but I was interrupted.
"Ron, some people are trying to sleep you know!" It was Cat. She was on the stairs wearing white pyjamas.
"Cat!" exclaimed the boy. Cat joined me at the door "Tell him that I know you." She didn't have to tell me. When she threw her arms round the strange boy, I knew she did.
"Fin!" she said "What are you doing here?" she asked. He leaned forward and kissed her.
"I came to see you," he said. She smiled.
"Can he come in Ron?" she asked me. I nodded and said, "OK, but keep quiet, mum would kill you, Cat. She hugged me.
"You're a gem, Ron!" she exclaimed.
"I'm going back to bed I said as Cat and Finley went into sitting room together.
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The next morning, I was rudely awoken once more, but this time by my own mother. I could hear her shouting at the top of her voice. I looked over at the camp bed where Harry was sleeping, and he was sitting up. I thought I should go and see what was happening.
"Morning Harry" I said. He turned around and looked at me.
"Morning" he said, "What's going on?" he asked.
"I don't know. I'm going to go and see, OK?" he nodded, and I left the room and went down the stairs. I leant in the doorway, trying not to laugh, as I watched my mum scream like a banshee at Cat and Finley who were sitting looking terrified on one of the couches.
"... Never in my life! Sneaking around with strange boys! I thought you were a good girl, Catrina! What would your mother say?" She yelled, treating Cat as if she were one of her own children She seemed to want some answers at this point, so she paused to allow Cat to explain herself.
"He is not a stranger, Molly, and anyway, my mum likes Finley!" Cat said indignantly.
"And, you Finley!" mum said, looking at him. He looked terrified. "Would you like a drink, pet?" He nodded. Mum's behaviour reminded me off the summer before 2nd year when Fred, George and I busted Harry out of the prison-like Dursley household. Mum was furious with my brothers and me, but treated Harry with benign hospitality.
"Yes please, Mrs. Weasley" he said nervously. Mum looked pleasantly surprised at Finley's nice manners.
"Catrina, come and help me with the breakfast" Mum said.
"Yes Molly" said Cat exasperatedly. Mum and Cat left the room, and I sat down on the couch opposite the one Finley was sitting on. I smiled at him.
"Are you OK?" I asked.
"I'll live," he replied "Your mom is one scary woman!"
"I guess she is" I answered him.
**********The End (for now)**********
A/N: OK, so this is the first part in my new series. I am almost certain it will be Ron/ Hermione. I want to know what you think of it, so please review and constructive criticism is welcome. And I would like to apologise for that dreadful story, Elephant Juice. I only wrote it to clear writer's block. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews on it. And I now know that it is olive juice, not elephant juice (I knew it was something juice anyway) Oh yeah, and a million trillion thankyous to ~*Tinkerbell*~ for Beta reading this.