A/N: Well – I'm back! Thanks
as usual for all of the reviews…a lot of you have been speculating about where
the plot is headed – but my lips are sealed. So read on if you really want to
know! On a side note – I finally found out how to save my chapters as HTML
files (yeah took me long enough…
Disclaimer: All of the delightful characters and fantastic places in this fic come from the pen of none other than the esteemed JK Rowlings. Oh and Shaggy owns "It wasn't me" of course.
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By the time Veronica and Harry went back inside it was nearly 12:30. But the party was still going strong. Dean Thomas, whose parents were both muggles, had introduced the Weasley twins to an American rap song that he really liked. By the time that Veronica and Harry walked into the kitchen they had learned most of the words.
"But she caught me on the counter," Dean sang out from on top of the table.
"It wasn't me," The twins replied in unison, bobbing their heads.
"Saw me banging on the sofa,"
"It wasn't me,"
"I even had her in the
shower,"
"She even caught me on
camera!"
"It wasn't me,"
"Heard the words that I told
her,"
"It wasn't me,"
"Heard the screams getting
louder,"
"It wasn't me,"
"She stayed until it was
over…"
"The music was supposed to be
off two hours ago!"
"But mum," Fred's face broke into a wide grin. "It wasn't me!" He exclaimed cheekily.
"I WANT IT OFF NOW!"
The twins took that as a signal, having learned their mother's limits many times before. They turned off the stereo, and with the help of Ron and Ginny began to clean up. The guests trickled out slowly, thanking the Weasleys for having them over and leaving either via portkey or broom. Hermione hung around, and asked Mrs. Weasley if she could stay the night.
"Ron owled me saying that you were going to Diagon Alley for school supplies tomorrow," She explained. "Would you mind if I come along?"
"Oh of course not dear," Molly Weasley paused thinking. "Let me see…Veronica is already staying in Ginny's room…but I am sure we can make room somewhere…"
"She can stay in Ron's room," George said, winking. Ron flushed crimson, his ears almost matching his flaming red hair.
"Honestly, that's ridiculous." Hermione tossed her head indignantly. But her voice was rather shrill.
"Yeah ridiculous," Ron scoffed, echoing Hermione. "Besides Harry is already sleeping there."
"We'll make room," Mrs. Weasley assured Hermione. "You don't mind sleeping in Percy's room do you?"
"Not at all," Hermione answered. But she was surprised at the mournful silence that followed her approval. She turned to Harry to raise an eyebrow. Harry nodded, indicating that he would explain everything later.
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"So the Dark Mark was summoned…from your wand, Harry?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"I know. I still don't understand it all." Harry answered.
Harry, Veronica, Hermione, and Ron all lay sprawled out on Ron's bed. The four of them had gathered up there to catch Hermione up on everything that had happened. Hermione found it all hard to believe.
"And the memory charm…. that Fudge used…it didn't work at all?"
"No." Veronica shook her head. "I haven't forgot anything."
Hermione pursed her lips. Harry could almost see the wheels in her head turning; like she was trying to recall every word she had ever read in a textbook. Which was no small task; Hermione would consider a five hundred-page book on the nuances of transfiguration "light reading."
"What - is there something about this in Hogwarts, A History?" Ron asked. Hermione practically had that book memorized.
"No, no…" She shook her head, thinking. "There was something I read about resistance to charms…it was in Muggle Studies…two years ago."
"Yeah funny that you don't ever remember anything useful," Ron grunted.
"Funny that you don't ever say anything useful," Hermione shot back.
Harry raised his eyebrows at Veronica as if to say, here they go again. She chuckled silently. Harry interrupted the two before they got into another squabble.
"The point is," He said. "Voldemort…"
Ron and Hermione shuddered at his casual mention of that dreadful name. Harry broke off in mid-sentence to glance at them. Ron looked sheepish. "I – er – sorry. Do continue," he said.
"Voldemort," Harry said, continuing where he had left off. "Obviously needs you," He gave Veronica a worried glance. "For something. So until we find out more, we need to make sure that he can't find you."
"Which means I go to Hogwarts." Veronica's voice was flat. All of the other three nodded at her anxiously. "But," Veronica raised her arms in protest. "I worked really hard to study abroad…I don't want to not go to school now that I'm here."
Hermione looked at Veronica sympathetically. But Harry cut in.
"Veronica," he sighed. "If we let you go back out into the muggle world…Voldemort will have you in no time. There is nothing to protect you…"
Veronica shivered suddenly remembering the Dark Mark in the park. She knew that she had no choice. But doubts still lingered in her mind.
"Still…." She shook her head. "I can't just skip town. Someone is bound to notice."
"She has got a point," Hermione agreed.
"More Memory Charms?" Ron suggested.
Harry sighed. "This is getting so complicated." He thought for a moment. "I don't think your father should risk anything else, Ron – he's already done more than enough. I say we wait and let Dumbledore take care of everything."
Ron and Hermione nodded slowly.
"Now all we need to do is get you to Hogwarts, Veronica," Harry said. His voice sounded grim.
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Veronica stood with Hermione in Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. Dressed in long flowing mauve robes, Madam Malkin asked them what they were looking for.
"She needs a Hogwarts uniform," Hermione explained, gesturing towards Veronica.
"Ah, new student," the short smiling witch commented. "But you look a bit old for a first year…"
Veronica opened her mouth, but Hermione responded before she could say anything.
"Oh she's not a first year. She's a visiting student from America."
"Oh well you must be excited then! What school do you go to?"
"She goes to Flemstag," Hermione said quickly. She looked at Veronica out of the corner of her eyes. "Its in Salem," she explained in a low voice so that Madam Malkin would not hear.
"Yes, I am excited to, uh, see what wizard schools are like abroad." Veronica hoped she sounded convincing. Madam Malkin led her over to a stool, and Veronica stepped up on top of it. The witch slipped a long robe over her head, and began pinning up dark material. Veronica's eyes strayed over to some long silky robes, in gorgeous hues hanging on a rack in the middle of the room.
"I like those over there," she blurted out. Madam Malkin looked over to where she was pointing.
"Oh those are some of our newest dress robes! They are lovely aren't they? Perhaps you should get one…I heard that Hogwarts is planning another ball this year."
"Really?" Hermione looked up interestedly. "I hadn't heard that."
Malkin nodded confidently, a pin in her mouth. "Oh yes. We got those in stock, specifically for the lot of people that would want them later…there you are dear." Veronica stepped down from the stool and looked at herself in the mirror. She felt like she looked the part of a witch; all she needed was a pointed black hat and a broomstick. She was reminded of her Halloween costume three years ago. Well not exactly, she had also painted her face green and stuck a plastic wart to her nose, and it didn't seem like many of the witches that she had met had green faces or warts for that matter.
"Don't feel very comfortable in your new costume do you dear?" Veronica jumped nearly a foot in the air as the mirror commented offhandedly on her appearance. "Don't worry," it assured her. "You'll get used to it all soon enough!"
Veronica was not so sure about the mirror's prediction as she walked out of the robe shop and on to the street. Carrying her new Hogwarts robes and blue velvet dress robes (she had given in to Madam Malkin's offer), Veronica stared in amazement at all of the different wizarding shops that they passed by in Diagon Alley. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined up the kind of scene that met her eyes. Entire families dressed in robes ambled past her, buying huge metal cauldrons, or vials of potion from the Apothecary. She walked past a pet shop, hearing the throng of owls hooting excitedly inside, and watched as sparks flew out from Mr. Ollivander's wand shop as new wizards got fitted. But the most exciting store was right ahead of her. There it was, an entire shop devoted solely to flying broomsticks. She could see Harry's broom in the display window. As a Firebolt, it was claimed to be the type of broom professionals used. It was also amazingly expensive. She peered eagerly at it, wishing that she had enough money to buy it. Or that she could fly it for that matter.
Veronica would have given anything to soar back up into the air on one of those brooms.
"See anything else you want to get?" Hermione slung the heavy bag of schoolbooks she had just purchased over her shoulder.
"I-I wouldn't know where to begin!" Veronica stammered. "I think I will need some money though."
"Well, there is a transfer station up ahead. I always have to change my muggle money there."
"Well let's go, then." Veronica looked Hermione with appreciation. "At the least I can pay you back for the robes."
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"We are going to what?"
It was about a week later. Veronica stood with Harry on platform nine at King's Cross Station.
"Run through the wall." Harry said it like he was telling her the weather. Veronica stared skeptically at the very solid concrete wall before her. "Ok…hard wall and run through it." She said. "Why am I the only one who sees a problem with this?"
"Look it's the only way we can get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters," Harry explained.
Veronica stared at him blankly. "I'm sorry," she said pleasantly. "But I think you were doing better before, when you were telling me to somehow go through a solid wall."
Harry sighed. "Look I wasn't so sure about it the first time either…maybe its better if we just do it. We'll go at it in a run…ready?"
"Yeah, except for one thing …you want me to run through a wall…"
"Just trust me," Veronica shook
her head sighing. "Ok," Harry said. "You'll have to go with me or it won't
work." Veronica clasped his hand tightly. "One, two, GO!"
Then abruptly they were through the wall. Veronica gasped with amazement. A train waited for them on the tracks directly ahead, its long whistle indicating that it would be departing soon.
"That's the Hogwarts Express," said Harry. He gave Veronica a triumphant look. "See I told you…"
Veronica blinked at him. "Well don't blame me for being skeptical!"
They found Ron and Hermione, and boarded the train. They sat in their usual compartment, luckily enough alone.
"We should be a Hogwarts pretty soon," Harry said. He gazed out of the window, as the train slowly started to chug along the tracks. Soon the English countryside would be rolling by them.
"I do hope we can pull this off!" Hermoine declared with a worried glance at Veronica.
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Kind of short I know – sorry! Not much time tonight – so I figured that I'd get the gang to Hogwarts before I develop the plot more. Anyway review…the next chapter is coming soon. I think Draco will finally come into the story…