Harry Potter and the Chalice of the Enchanter


Chapter Three

********** ********** ********** ********** **********

Harry Potter was not at all what Rachel had expected. She had thought that he would be boastful and a little arrogant. He was exactly the opposite. Not once did he mention his parents, the curse, or even the Tri-Wizard Tournament. It was a surprise that someone that famous could be so humble.

Rachel was glad to be sitting across from Harry. Something about him made her feel safe. She felt like she could talk to him for hours and never get tired of his company. She told him about her life, the trips she had taken with her parents, Morgan, Aunt Megan. In exchange, Harry told stories of his life. He described his experiences with his Muggle family, the Quidditch World Cup, and the time he and Ron flew Mr. Weasley's enchanted car to Hogwarts, only to have it smashed in the Whomping Willow. Rachel couldn't stop laughing at the latter of the three.

Hermione, feeling left out, quickly started a conversation with Ron, who was busy staring at Rachel. "She's just a girl, for Heaven's sake!" Hermione whispered, quite loudly, to Ron.

"I know." Ron whispered back. "She's just unlike any girl I've ever met." Ron now had dazed expression, like he was imagining every girl he had ever met. Hermione glared at him and turned to the rest of the car.

"Ron," she began, a little louder than normal "I believe that I saw Percy at the train station. I thought he had graduated." This broke the conversation that Harry and Rachel had, and also broke Ron's fixed gaze on Rachel. He turned to Hermione and smiled.

"Why yes, Hermione, he did graduate. The only reason he went with us is because Penelope was bringing her sister to the station and Percy wanted to 'bump into her'" Ron giggled a little, so did Harry. Hermione still kept her glare going. She was upset with Ron over his fixation with Rachel.

"If he graduated," Rachel thought aloud, "why was he wearing a Prefect badge?" She had quite clearly remembered the tall, pompous redhead wearing a shiny, silver Prefect badge.

Ron started laughing. "It's supposed to be his Head Boy badge, he wanted to impress Penelope, but George and Fred hexed it. It's supposed to say 'Big Head,' but the hex didn't go on quite right. It now says 'Prefect.' He still hasn't noticed yet." At this, everyone started laughing. Even Rachel. Hermione completely forgot her anger at Ron, forgiving him. It wasn't his fault that he was a 15 year-old boy. He couldn't help what he was naturally inclined to do, look at girls.

***

Hogwarts' many towers and turrets loomed before the Hogwarts Express as it turned the final bend on the way to the castle. Rachel couldn't believe her eyes. She noticed two things: Hogwarts was huge. There were towers coming from every direction and the school looked as though the only element keeping it from crashing to the ground was magic.

Magic. That was other element she had noticed. The air seemed to be filled with many different types of magic. The grounds reeked of enchantments and everywhere she looked, another glimmer of a spell appeared. The walls and towers of Hogwarts were intertwined with the spells of over a thousand years. It seemed as though every spell cast in the castle became a part of it. The funny thing was, Rachel could actually distinguish the different types of magic and what spell had been cast. She had never been able to do this, nor had she heard of anyone who could.

The train lurched forward and then halted abruptly. Students all over the Hogwarts Express were thrown forward. Ron landed on the floor in front of Hermione and Rachel fell into Harry's lap. As Rachel was getting up, and apologizing profusely, an old man walked into their car. Rachel stared at him, forgetting she was on Harry's lap, there was something important about him.

"Hello children. No, that's not right, you're young adults now, I keep forgetting how quickly you grow up." Dumbledore smiled, a hint of sadness in his eyes. He turned his attention to Harry, with Rachel still in his lap. "So Harry, I see you have a girlfriend."

Hermione made a choking noise and Harry turned crimson. "Um, no Professor Dumbledore. Rachel just fell when the train stopped." Harry explained, quite embarrassed to be caught with a girl in his lap, who knows what rumors could be started?

"Ah, yes, I see. Then that would explain why Mr. Weasley is on the floor with his head under Miss Granger's feet. Unless, Hermione, he's your new footrest?" There was a glint of playfulness in Dumbledore's eye. Rachel noticed that you could tell what he was thinking, just by looking in his eyes.

She stood up and thrust her hand out. "Hello, sir. I'm Rachel Elizabeth Witt. I just graduated from the phoenix Academy of Elementary Magic. It's very nice to meet you." Dumbledore shook her hand and Rachel sat back into her seat.

Dumbledore smiled. "Ah, yes. Miss Witt. I have been expecting you. Go change into your robes. When you're done, come to my office. Harry will show you the way. Hermione, Ron, you might want to change as well." Dumbledore left the four of them in the train car.

Ron was blushing again. "How are we going to work this? Should we turn around?"

"No!" Rachel and Hermione yelled in unison. "Use your wand!" They looked at each other for an instant in burst into uncontrollable giggles.

"Finally," Hermione started, "someone who knows a few spells."

Rachael laughed. "You don't think I could go to one of the best schools in the world and not know anything?"

Hermione grinned. "That's what they did." She pointed to Ron and Harry.

Rachael laughed once more and replied "We really should teach them. They'll need to know." Both girls faced the boys and took out their wands. Pointing the wands at themselves……

"Crocatula!"

Instantly, the Muggle clothing was replaced with the girls' Hogwarts robes. The boys gaped, how had they not known about this? Was there some secret code that said only girls could learn useful spells? Harry decided to give the spell a try. Ron figured, what the heck? They both pointed their wands and very carefully mumbled "Crocatula." Their jeans and t-shirts were now black Hogwarts robes.

"Wait a minute." Harry said. "what about our clothes?" Ron paled. He knew he couldn't lose his clothing, his Mum wouldn't be at all happy.

"That's easy, to change back into them, point your wand and say uviae." Rachel responded quickly.

"All right. Come on, Rachel. You can leave your stuff here. Somehow it always ends up in your room, anyway. Dumbledore won't wait forever." Harry grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her off the train. They were standing in front of a lake. There were several hundred Rowboats on the shore. A giant man with bushy black hair was guarding them.

"Stop!" he bellowed. "Yeh can't get off the train yet! Oh, 'i 'arry. What are yeh doin'?"

"Hi Hagrid. Dumbledore wanted me to take Rachel to his office. It's her first year here. Can we use one of the rowboats?" Harry pointed to a particularly small boat that looked like it would sink. Rachel knew it wouldn't, though. She saw a floatation spell woven through the timbers. It was probably the safest boat there.

"Harry, we should take that boat. It has a floatation spell on it."

"We can't, that's Neville's boat. If it didn't have the spell, it would sink for sure. Neville can sink anything." Harry laughed to himself, remembering the year Neville had tipped his boat. After that, the boat Neville took was charmed, so he wouldn't drench another set of student.

Harry pointed to another boat that was almost floating away. He grabbed on and indicated for Rachel to jump in. She did. They each grabbed an oar and started rowing over the lake to Hogwarts.

***

Five minutes later, they had rowed to the other side of the lake and were now in front of a large set of doors. Harry banged on one.

"Peeves! This isn't funny! Let us in. I'm on Dumbledore's orders." The doors didn't budge. "PEEVES! I'll report you to the Bloody Baron!" The doors opened slowly and Rachel saw someone floating away singing, "Potter, you rotter!."

"If you don't mind me asking…" Rachel said cautiously, "who was that? And who is the Bloody Baron?" she shivered. These kinds of things gave her the creeps.

Harry smiled at her. She felt her insides melt. No matter what he said next, it would make her feel better. "Peeves is the school's poltergeist. The Bloody Baron is the only ghost who can control him. Follow me." Harry took Rachel's hand again. His hand was warm in hers. She sighed. This was the best school she had ever been to.

AUTHORS NOTE: The spells are actually Latin. Not just gibberish. I looked them up in a dictionary. :)