Chapter 6: The long awaited trip to Hogwarts
The rest of the day was devoted to packing for Kings Cross Station the next day.
They had to get up extra early in the morning to fit all into Mr. Weasley's friend from the ministry's car. It was magically altered to be able to fit Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, Harry, Hermione and all their luggage into the little mini that Mr. Weasley was driving.
It was quite awkward traveling between 6 trunks, two owls and a cat. They finally made it to the station, and through the barrier, and then on to the train.
Harry, Hermione and Ron pushed, pulled, and dragged their luggage on to the train. Once they got settled down, they started seriously talking about the trunk, and Hagrid.
"Well, the rings were given to you by your dad, and Ron how did your parents get the trunk in the first place?
"It was hidden under Harry's old house. Just in case someone happened to find them they put it there. This is the only thing that the Ministry found, that was not broken or on fire."
They all looked at Harry, he was busying himself with turning his ring over and over again.
"I started to except this... yes my parents are dead. I know. There is nothing I can do about it. I know. I know."
"Harry...." Hermione started.
"No, Herm, don't. Just don't."
Harry leaned over to retie his shoe, and the locket that he had been wearing fell out of his shirt.
"Harry, what's that?" Ron asked pointing at the locket.
"I found it in the trunk, it's a picture of my parents and a hand of someone who is supposed to be on the other side but it is not here. It's only a half a locket."
"That's weird."
"Maybe it got lost."
"Or maybe-"
There was a weird noise from the hallway, a noise unlike the train starting, but more like someone dragging a trunk and cursing under their breath, an owl and two cats.
"What's that?"
A bunch of cages slowly made their way past the door, then into the compartment.
"AAAARGH!!" four people yelled, as about three cages, a trunk and a girl fell into the compartment.
Harry looked at the girl now sprawled on the ground luggage and animals running all around her.
When the girl looked up, Harry felt the scar on his forehead burst with pain. In the background he also heard a high-pitched scream that he knew he couldn't reach if he wanted to. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard.
"Harry, Harry! Wake up!"
Harry opened his eyes and saw Hermione stooping over him and Ron stooping over the girl, who was in the fetal position clutching her face. She looked up, right into Harry's eyes and squinted then opened her mouth.
"Harry, Harry Potter?" she said crawling over to him, hand outstretched.
"Who are you? I've never seen you in school and you're at least in fourth year."
"Oh," she said sitting back onto her knees "You.... um didn't get my letter?"
"That was your letter?"
"Yes, I think. Flimsy isn't really dependable, but I would at least think someone would tell you. So you don't know...... you don't know." she said the last part a bit sorrowful.
"Flimsy.." Harry took the letter out of his pocket than said "Flimsy Feathergast?"
"Yes. Why?"
"This is your letter all right, but what am I supposed to know, and I still don't know who you are."
"MoonaLuna McKinnon, and never mind the thing you don't know. I was just weirded out because I thought you would know about the thing, um never mind."
There was a pause where she got up and dusted herself off.
"I'm just babbling."
"Can we help?" Hermione asked looking at the bushy brown haired, brown eyed girl.
"Oh, yes, yes please." she said picking up one of the many cages and cooing to the animal inside:
"Perkins, Perkins I'm sorry, you were right, you should have walked to the station. I'm sorry."
A voice answered that sounded a little like Professor McGonagall said,
"I told you Moona, but will you ever listen to me? No."
"Perkins, I'm sorry."
"Don't bicker at the poor dear, it's not her fault that you're a cat."
"Penny, don't tell me what I can and cannot do!"
"Your heart dear, your heart."
Ron, Hermione and Harry were looking around to see who said that, but Moona was still looking at the cages, and then placing them on the floor she said,
"None of you are allergic to cats, right?"
They all nodded, and she opened the cages two cats walked out, one was black and one was tabby. And they were arguing about how Perkins was to mean to Moona.
"Your cats talk?" Ron said staring
Moona looked up at Ron, head cocked slightly to the right "Don't yours?"
"No, that's just not normal."
"Really? Hum, that's odd."
She took the cage that was sideways on the floor and stood it up properly, it was a good thing to because there was a huge racket radiating from it.
When Moona looked under the shawl covering the cage, Ron, Hermione and Harry saw a little brown owl bobbing around the cage hooting madly.
"Is it OK if I stay here, in this compartment?" Moona asked looking around.
Harry really wanted to talk more about Hagrid, but Ron who seemed to not be able to rupture his glance from Moona answered.
"Sure, we have extra space."
"Thanks!" Moona said moving her trunk into the luggage compartment.
"Your not in first year are you?" Hermione asked.
"No, I transferred here from my other school, I'm in fifth year. You?"
"We're all in fifth year, too. Maybe we'll have some classes together." Ron said.
"Yes, I guess we might."
"Oh, yes, by the way my name is Hermione Granger."
"Ya, she's the Gryffindor Prefect!" Ron said pointing at her badge.
Hermione blushed.
"Wow, you must be really good, at like studying and stuff."
"Ya, I guess.," Hermione said blushing even more.
"And I'm Ron Weasley." Ron said not even looking at her as he was to busy trying to shut up Pigwidgeon.
"Arthur Weasley's son?"
Ron looked up from Pigwidgeon's open cage "Yes, why?"
"I just heard about your father's work at the ministry, he's really nice."
"Ya."
After about and hour more of talking about Hogwarts and throwing Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans at each other, the Hogwarts Express halted in front of Hogwarts.
"I um, have to go with the first years?" Moona asked.
"Yes, we'll wait for you at the sorting!" hollered Ron as they walked toward the carriages.
Harry was looking at Ron, a smirk creasing his face. He had only seen Ron look like that looking at one other person, the veela Fleur Delacour.
Ron shook his head and then looked back at Harry.
"What?"
Harry shook his head slowly, looking from Ron to Hermione and back. Hermione was also smirking looking at Ron then looked out the window at the first years trundling across the lake under the gray sky, it looked as if it was going to rain any second.
And it did, just as it started to drizzle Hermione noticed something.
"Harry, Ron, do you see Moona on the lake?"
All three of them moved toward the windows facing the lake.
"No, I don't see her." said Ron.
"Look!! There she is!" Harry said pointing to the very last boat with the girl hanging halfway out of it, arms in the water, touching the giant squids tentacles that were skimming the water.
***
I was walking down the train's corridor after a hassle of getting onto the barrier and then onto the train, I was a bit fed up. I was also balancing like five cases. Then I lost my footing, and fell into a compartment of the train.
I looked up and around, I saw a boy with black hair, a girl with bushy brown hair (not unlike mine) and a very tall, pale boy with freckles that stood out like ink blots on his face, and bright red hair. I just happened to look at this boy a little longer than all the rest, oops.
But then a searing pain in my cheek, made me double over. It hurt so much that I screamed.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the handsome red haired boy stooping over me, and the bushy haired girl over the other boy. He got up, and then I looked at the place he was clutching, his forehead. Harry Potter.
"Harry? Harry Potter?" I asked stuttering like an idiot.
"Who are you? I've never seen you in school and you're at least in fourth year." He asked.
"Oh," I said "You.... um didn't get my letter?"
"That was your letter?"
"Yes, I think. Flimsy isn't really dependable, but I would at least think someone would tell you. So you don't know...... you don't know." I could tell that he had no idea what I was talking about, and I didn't feel like explaining it.
"Flimsy.." He took a letter out of his pocket than said "Flimsy Feathergast?"
"Yes. Why?" I asked curious.
"This is your letter all right, but what am I supposed to know, and I still don't know who you are."
"MoonaLuna McKinnon, and never mind the thing you don't know. I was just weirded out because I thought you would know about the thing, um never mind." I sounded like a mental patient
I got up, and dusted myself off, I may sound like an idiot, I don't have to look like one.
"I'm just babbling." I said. What?! It was the truth!
"Can we help?" The girl asked.
"Oh, yes, yes please." I said picking up Perkins's cage and talking to him.
"Perkins, Perkins I'm sorry, you were right, you should have walked to the station. I'm sorry." I said, knowing what was coming.
He answered me, cocky as usual, "I told you Moona, but will you ever listen to me? No."
"Perkins, I'm sorry." I apologized.
"Don't bicker at the poor dear, it's not her fault that you're a cat." Penny said.
"Penny, don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" Perkins yelled at his wife.
"Your heart dear, your heart." Penny coaxed him.
All of the other passengers were looking at me, so I said something that I thought they might be thinking, "None of you are allergic to cats, right?"
They all nodded, and I opened the cages, and Perkins and Pennyfeather walked out, arguing as usual.
"Your cats talk?" the red haired boy said staring
I looked up at him, "Don't yours?"
"No, that's just not normal." He said, what was he talking about?
"Really? Hum, that's odd."
Then I picked up Flimsy's cage, because she was making a terrible racket.
"Is it OK if I stay here, in this compartment?" I asked looking around.
"Sure, we have extra space." The red haired boy said.
"Your not in first year are you?" The girl asked.
Do I really look that small? "No, I transferred here from my other school, I'm in fifth year. You?"
"We're all in fifth year, too. Maybe we'll have some classes together." Freckle boy said.
"Yes, I guess we might." I replied.
"Oh, yes, by the way my name is Hermione Granger."
"Ya, she's the Gryffindor Prefect!" the boy said pointing at her badge.
Hermione blushed.
"Wow, you must be really good, at like studying and stuff." I said stupidly.
"Ya, I guess.," Hermione said blushing even more.
"And I'm Ron Weasley." Ron said not even looking at her as he was to busy trying to shut up the owl.
"Arthur Weasley's son?" I asked recognizing the name, the red hair was quickly answered.
He looked up from the cage, "Yes, why?"
"I just heard about your father's work at the ministry, he's really nice."
"Ya."
"I um, have to go with the first years?" I asked, nervously.
"Yes, we'll wait for you at the sorting!" hollered Ron as they walked toward some carriages.
***
"Weird. What is she doing?" Hermione asked.
"She is an odd one, all right." Ron said still staring out the window, smiling.
"Just the way Ron likes them." Harry muttered in Hermione's ear.
Hermione, Harry and Ron bolted out of the carriage as it started to pour. They ran up the huge amount of stairs to Hogwarts, opening the door, they saw all the terrified first years and Moona standing in line waiting for the sorting.
Ron, Harry and Hermione settled themselves down on the Gryffindor table.
Professor McGonagall came into the Great Hall with a three-legged stool with a ragged old hat on it, the Sorting Hat.
The rest of the day was devoted to packing for Kings Cross Station the next day.
They had to get up extra early in the morning to fit all into Mr. Weasley's friend from the ministry's car. It was magically altered to be able to fit Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, Harry, Hermione and all their luggage into the little mini that Mr. Weasley was driving.
It was quite awkward traveling between 6 trunks, two owls and a cat. They finally made it to the station, and through the barrier, and then on to the train.
Harry, Hermione and Ron pushed, pulled, and dragged their luggage on to the train. Once they got settled down, they started seriously talking about the trunk, and Hagrid.
"Well, the rings were given to you by your dad, and Ron how did your parents get the trunk in the first place?
"It was hidden under Harry's old house. Just in case someone happened to find them they put it there. This is the only thing that the Ministry found, that was not broken or on fire."
They all looked at Harry, he was busying himself with turning his ring over and over again.
"I started to except this... yes my parents are dead. I know. There is nothing I can do about it. I know. I know."
"Harry...." Hermione started.
"No, Herm, don't. Just don't."
Harry leaned over to retie his shoe, and the locket that he had been wearing fell out of his shirt.
"Harry, what's that?" Ron asked pointing at the locket.
"I found it in the trunk, it's a picture of my parents and a hand of someone who is supposed to be on the other side but it is not here. It's only a half a locket."
"That's weird."
"Maybe it got lost."
"Or maybe-"
There was a weird noise from the hallway, a noise unlike the train starting, but more like someone dragging a trunk and cursing under their breath, an owl and two cats.
"What's that?"
A bunch of cages slowly made their way past the door, then into the compartment.
"AAAARGH!!" four people yelled, as about three cages, a trunk and a girl fell into the compartment.
Harry looked at the girl now sprawled on the ground luggage and animals running all around her.
When the girl looked up, Harry felt the scar on his forehead burst with pain. In the background he also heard a high-pitched scream that he knew he couldn't reach if he wanted to. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard.
"Harry, Harry! Wake up!"
Harry opened his eyes and saw Hermione stooping over him and Ron stooping over the girl, who was in the fetal position clutching her face. She looked up, right into Harry's eyes and squinted then opened her mouth.
"Harry, Harry Potter?" she said crawling over to him, hand outstretched.
"Who are you? I've never seen you in school and you're at least in fourth year."
"Oh," she said sitting back onto her knees "You.... um didn't get my letter?"
"That was your letter?"
"Yes, I think. Flimsy isn't really dependable, but I would at least think someone would tell you. So you don't know...... you don't know." she said the last part a bit sorrowful.
"Flimsy.." Harry took the letter out of his pocket than said "Flimsy Feathergast?"
"Yes. Why?"
"This is your letter all right, but what am I supposed to know, and I still don't know who you are."
"MoonaLuna McKinnon, and never mind the thing you don't know. I was just weirded out because I thought you would know about the thing, um never mind."
There was a pause where she got up and dusted herself off.
"I'm just babbling."
"Can we help?" Hermione asked looking at the bushy brown haired, brown eyed girl.
"Oh, yes, yes please." she said picking up one of the many cages and cooing to the animal inside:
"Perkins, Perkins I'm sorry, you were right, you should have walked to the station. I'm sorry."
A voice answered that sounded a little like Professor McGonagall said,
"I told you Moona, but will you ever listen to me? No."
"Perkins, I'm sorry."
"Don't bicker at the poor dear, it's not her fault that you're a cat."
"Penny, don't tell me what I can and cannot do!"
"Your heart dear, your heart."
Ron, Hermione and Harry were looking around to see who said that, but Moona was still looking at the cages, and then placing them on the floor she said,
"None of you are allergic to cats, right?"
They all nodded, and she opened the cages two cats walked out, one was black and one was tabby. And they were arguing about how Perkins was to mean to Moona.
"Your cats talk?" Ron said staring
Moona looked up at Ron, head cocked slightly to the right "Don't yours?"
"No, that's just not normal."
"Really? Hum, that's odd."
She took the cage that was sideways on the floor and stood it up properly, it was a good thing to because there was a huge racket radiating from it.
When Moona looked under the shawl covering the cage, Ron, Hermione and Harry saw a little brown owl bobbing around the cage hooting madly.
"Is it OK if I stay here, in this compartment?" Moona asked looking around.
Harry really wanted to talk more about Hagrid, but Ron who seemed to not be able to rupture his glance from Moona answered.
"Sure, we have extra space."
"Thanks!" Moona said moving her trunk into the luggage compartment.
"Your not in first year are you?" Hermione asked.
"No, I transferred here from my other school, I'm in fifth year. You?"
"We're all in fifth year, too. Maybe we'll have some classes together." Ron said.
"Yes, I guess we might."
"Oh, yes, by the way my name is Hermione Granger."
"Ya, she's the Gryffindor Prefect!" Ron said pointing at her badge.
Hermione blushed.
"Wow, you must be really good, at like studying and stuff."
"Ya, I guess.," Hermione said blushing even more.
"And I'm Ron Weasley." Ron said not even looking at her as he was to busy trying to shut up Pigwidgeon.
"Arthur Weasley's son?"
Ron looked up from Pigwidgeon's open cage "Yes, why?"
"I just heard about your father's work at the ministry, he's really nice."
"Ya."
After about and hour more of talking about Hogwarts and throwing Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans at each other, the Hogwarts Express halted in front of Hogwarts.
"I um, have to go with the first years?" Moona asked.
"Yes, we'll wait for you at the sorting!" hollered Ron as they walked toward the carriages.
Harry was looking at Ron, a smirk creasing his face. He had only seen Ron look like that looking at one other person, the veela Fleur Delacour.
Ron shook his head and then looked back at Harry.
"What?"
Harry shook his head slowly, looking from Ron to Hermione and back. Hermione was also smirking looking at Ron then looked out the window at the first years trundling across the lake under the gray sky, it looked as if it was going to rain any second.
And it did, just as it started to drizzle Hermione noticed something.
"Harry, Ron, do you see Moona on the lake?"
All three of them moved toward the windows facing the lake.
"No, I don't see her." said Ron.
"Look!! There she is!" Harry said pointing to the very last boat with the girl hanging halfway out of it, arms in the water, touching the giant squids tentacles that were skimming the water.
***
I was walking down the train's corridor after a hassle of getting onto the barrier and then onto the train, I was a bit fed up. I was also balancing like five cases. Then I lost my footing, and fell into a compartment of the train.
I looked up and around, I saw a boy with black hair, a girl with bushy brown hair (not unlike mine) and a very tall, pale boy with freckles that stood out like ink blots on his face, and bright red hair. I just happened to look at this boy a little longer than all the rest, oops.
But then a searing pain in my cheek, made me double over. It hurt so much that I screamed.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the handsome red haired boy stooping over me, and the bushy haired girl over the other boy. He got up, and then I looked at the place he was clutching, his forehead. Harry Potter.
"Harry? Harry Potter?" I asked stuttering like an idiot.
"Who are you? I've never seen you in school and you're at least in fourth year." He asked.
"Oh," I said "You.... um didn't get my letter?"
"That was your letter?"
"Yes, I think. Flimsy isn't really dependable, but I would at least think someone would tell you. So you don't know...... you don't know." I could tell that he had no idea what I was talking about, and I didn't feel like explaining it.
"Flimsy.." He took a letter out of his pocket than said "Flimsy Feathergast?"
"Yes. Why?" I asked curious.
"This is your letter all right, but what am I supposed to know, and I still don't know who you are."
"MoonaLuna McKinnon, and never mind the thing you don't know. I was just weirded out because I thought you would know about the thing, um never mind." I sounded like a mental patient
I got up, and dusted myself off, I may sound like an idiot, I don't have to look like one.
"I'm just babbling." I said. What?! It was the truth!
"Can we help?" The girl asked.
"Oh, yes, yes please." I said picking up Perkins's cage and talking to him.
"Perkins, Perkins I'm sorry, you were right, you should have walked to the station. I'm sorry." I said, knowing what was coming.
He answered me, cocky as usual, "I told you Moona, but will you ever listen to me? No."
"Perkins, I'm sorry." I apologized.
"Don't bicker at the poor dear, it's not her fault that you're a cat." Penny said.
"Penny, don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" Perkins yelled at his wife.
"Your heart dear, your heart." Penny coaxed him.
All of the other passengers were looking at me, so I said something that I thought they might be thinking, "None of you are allergic to cats, right?"
They all nodded, and I opened the cages, and Perkins and Pennyfeather walked out, arguing as usual.
"Your cats talk?" the red haired boy said staring
I looked up at him, "Don't yours?"
"No, that's just not normal." He said, what was he talking about?
"Really? Hum, that's odd."
Then I picked up Flimsy's cage, because she was making a terrible racket.
"Is it OK if I stay here, in this compartment?" I asked looking around.
"Sure, we have extra space." The red haired boy said.
"Your not in first year are you?" The girl asked.
Do I really look that small? "No, I transferred here from my other school, I'm in fifth year. You?"
"We're all in fifth year, too. Maybe we'll have some classes together." Freckle boy said.
"Yes, I guess we might." I replied.
"Oh, yes, by the way my name is Hermione Granger."
"Ya, she's the Gryffindor Prefect!" the boy said pointing at her badge.
Hermione blushed.
"Wow, you must be really good, at like studying and stuff." I said stupidly.
"Ya, I guess.," Hermione said blushing even more.
"And I'm Ron Weasley." Ron said not even looking at her as he was to busy trying to shut up the owl.
"Arthur Weasley's son?" I asked recognizing the name, the red hair was quickly answered.
He looked up from the cage, "Yes, why?"
"I just heard about your father's work at the ministry, he's really nice."
"Ya."
"I um, have to go with the first years?" I asked, nervously.
"Yes, we'll wait for you at the sorting!" hollered Ron as they walked toward some carriages.
***
"Weird. What is she doing?" Hermione asked.
"She is an odd one, all right." Ron said still staring out the window, smiling.
"Just the way Ron likes them." Harry muttered in Hermione's ear.
Hermione, Harry and Ron bolted out of the carriage as it started to pour. They ran up the huge amount of stairs to Hogwarts, opening the door, they saw all the terrified first years and Moona standing in line waiting for the sorting.
Ron, Harry and Hermione settled themselves down on the Gryffindor table.
Professor McGonagall came into the Great Hall with a three-legged stool with a ragged old hat on it, the Sorting Hat.