Author's Note: I know, I've been skipping time recently here. You've been seeing a lot of "one week later" or "half an hour later" here and there -- basically because nothing really happens to Chloe until she gets to England! Don't worry people, I will NOT make her have a romance with Harry -- I'm not an idiot! She is totally wrong for him, trust me. However, when you get talking about one of the more left-out characters that I can elaborate on and create to my desire... Well, now you're talking!
Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter; the books, the movie, etc. If I did, do you really think I'd be sitting around writing FANFICTION?? Heck no, I'd be working on the fifth book, and cranking it out there ASAP! (No offense to Ms. Rowling, however. I do understand that it takes awhile, and that you run into glitches and annoying editors and bad publishers and stuff. Really I do!) I guess I'm just yet ANTHER wistful fan...
Chapter Three
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la. 'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la," I sang as I packed my suitcase. It was two weeks later, Sarah had gotten my letter, the kids going on the school trip to Hogwarts hadn't left yet (they were going after Christmas vacation) and I was almost on my way to Hogwarts! "Don we now our gay apparel, fa la la, la la la, la la la. Joy and sing this Christmas carol, fa la la la la, la la la la." Were those the words? Did I care? Probably not, and no.
Mom came in. "Chloe," she said. "I hope you remember that Aunt Molly will have all of her children home with her this Christmas. William, Charles, Percival, Frederick, George, and Virginia. It will be a crowded house." I wrinkled my brow.
"Isn't there another one?" I asked.
"Well... Yes," she said reluctantly. "There's Ronald. But there's something you should know about him first..."
My heart sank. Ronald was probably a squib, which would make him (and me) feel bad when Aunt Molly asked me about school. Just great. "What is that, Mom?"
"Well..." she hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure how to put this to you..."
"Just spit it out, Mom!" I told her. "Look, I think I have it figured out already. He's a squib, right? It's not a big deal, really. I'll try not to talk about getting top marks in-"
"No honey, no, it's not that." Mom looked a little worried.
"So what is it, Mom?" I practically shrieked. "Is he missing? Dead? Captured? Gay? I don't care Mom, just tell me!"
"No no no, trust me, he's fine," Mom said, laughing. "Actually, I dont' really know why I'm upset about this, except for the fact that Aunt Molly told me you'd have to be a bit careful."
"About what?" I said. I was starting to get really annoyed.
"Well, Ronald's two friends are going to be there too, and-"
"Is that all?" I yelled. "All of this because he's having two friends over? What are you so worried about?"
"Calm down, honey," she told me. "That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about you being over-awed at his friends."
"Oh?" I said. "What are they, made out of gold?"
"No!" She laughed again. "But you'll have heard of one, if not both before. Chloe, Ronald's friends are Hermione Granger, and-"
"Hermione Granger!" I yelled. "Wow!" Hermione had come to our summer magic camp at school, on a trip here in America with her parents. I didn't know her that well, but I knew enough. Hermione was almost the top student at Hogwarts! I had hoped to meet her again, and now it looked like I would!
"Chloe, calm down. That's not all. Ronald's best friends are Hermione Granger, and... well... Harry Potter." I stopped in my tracks, the carefully folded shirt in my hand falling to the floor where it immediately became just a pile of cloth.
"Harry Potter?" I said. "the kid who conquered the Dark Lord at the age of one year old and saved the world? THAT Harry Potter?" She nodded. I sat down on my bed.
"Wow," was all I could say. "I'm....going to....meet... Harry Potter!"
But meeting Harry Potter came at it's price. Why? Because unbeknownst to the rest of the world, Harry Potter had not just conquered He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the age of one -- OH no. Harry Potter had conquered the Dark Lord not once, not twice, but three more times since then, the last time being just a few months ago!
But... Why do I have to be quiet, you ask? We all knew that the Dark Lord had risen again. We have been sending magical troops over to Europe since we heard, to help find him. All ready, he had started his destruction in England, Scotland, and Ireland. We knew that we had to stop him now, or he would just keep getting more powerful. What he did when he first came back, however, was what I had to be quiet about.
Apparently, You-Know-Who had kidnaped Harry and another friend of his for a short period of time. Harry's friend was killed in front of him, but Harry was lucky enough to escape with his life. Why? How? No one knows, not even Harry himself. Amazing though, isn't it? I'd say he's a pretty lucky guy.
However, apparently I had to keep quiet about everything. I think I would have been better off it Mom hadn't told me, but she did. So now I had to live with the truth -- and not tell anyone!
* * *
Travelling to England was really eccentric. Being a minor, I couldn't Apparate, Portkeys are very hard to create, and Floo powder couldn't travel all the way accross the ocean. So Mom had to buy me a Muggle ticket for an Air Plane to get me to England. I hoped that Aunt Molly could find me once I got there; I knew that she and Uncle Arthur didn't know much about the Muggle world.
Flying over the ocean is actually pretty cool. I got to see a Muggle movie they called Singing in the Rain, and I ate Muggle food which was surprisingly just like wizarding food -- just without the magic!
Since I wasn't going to spend Christmas with my parents, they had given me my gifts early. I had new robes, new books, and a bookbag that shrunk everything you put in it, so you always had enough room. I also had a brand-new Nimbus 2002, which I hoped to use to play Quidditch sometime.
When I arrived in England, it was snowing. I stepped off of the Air Plane, and, after picking up my magically-expandable suitcase, was directed to a seat near the front of the building. I sat down and watched as people walked by. There were a few wizards in front of me, talking to a very confused-looking clerk at the service desk. Over to my right there was a large family of Muggles, the mother trying to sooth the baby while the eldest put a bandage on the knee of the toddler. I got a few odd stares myself, which I expected. It's not every day that Muggles see someone with two bulging bags and a broomstick in an Air Plane building.
Just as I was wondering where Aunt Molly could possibly be, I spotted a girl my age with bushy brown hair, towing a large woman, and a young girl with flaming red hair. I was just standing up trying to manage my bags to go ask the woman if she was my Aunt Molly, when the girl my age spotted me and came over.
"Chloe Richardson?" the woman asked. "Is that you dear?"
"Yes," I said, nervously. "Aunt Molly?"
"Yes dear!" she said, hugging me. "My goodness, it's been so long since I've seen you! Have you been waiting long?" I shook my head. "Oh good. Right this way dear, Arthur's got the car near this entrance." She bustled off, apparently expecting the two other girls and I to follow her, which we did. The girl with the bushy brown hair stuck out her hand to me.
"I'm Hermione Granger," she said. "I think I recall meeting you in America last year... At the Magical Arts camp, am I correct?"
"Y-yes," I stammered. "Nice to see you again."
"I'm Ginny," said the red-haired girl. "I'm the youngest Weasley."
"Hi Ginny!" I said, stopping to hug her. "You're going to Hogwarts too, right?" She nodded. By now, we had reached the front door. Outside, I could see Uncle Arthur standing outside the car, which had two boys in it, one with flaming red hair, and one with untidy black hair. I assumed the latter was Harry Potter, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't believe that I was about to meet him! After all, he was one of the most famous wizards of all time -- and he was only fifteen!
Hermione opened the front door and I motioned for her to get in first. She shook her head.
"I'll sit in the back with the boys," she said. I was a little surprised -- that would make three people in the back and four in the front. When I stepped into the car however, it looked considerably larger. Very interesting -- Uncle Arthur must have charmed it. Aunt Molly put my things in the trunk, and we were off!
* * *
Arriving at Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur's house, or "The Burrow" as the sign proclaimed, was very exciting for me. It was the first time I had been to their house in five years, so you can probably understand. In the car, I hadn't really had time to talk to Harry Potter, Ronald (the two boys in the back), Hermione or Ginny, because Aunt Molly kept going on and on, asking me about school, my family, and everything else she could possibly think of. I hoped I could talk to the other kids, but they were all chatting in the back seat. I couldn't but help feel a sense of not belonging...
As I stepped out of the car, a young man surprised me by apparating to my right. He was tall and lanky, and I guessed he was about sixteen.
"George, take this inside," Aunt Molly said, handing him a bag. "Oh, wait a moment. Chloe, this is your cousin George." I nodded my head to him. "George, Chloe. Now take the bag inside -- Chloe will be staying in Ginny's room."
"All right Mum," George said. "Nice to meet you, Chloe! Beware of the windbag in the room next to you!" I waved as he walked off. Ginny was standing behind me, laughing.
"Windbag?" I said. "What is he talking about?"
"P-p-p-p..." she said. As hard as she might try, she couldn't get the words out. Finally I said, "Never mind..." and went to pick up my broom, leaving her still laughing. Ronald brandished a grin too.
"Well?" I asked him. "What was he talking about, Ronald?"
"First of all, it's just Ron," he said. "And he was talking about Percy."
"Percy?" I said. "Let me guess, your brother?"
"Yup. Don't get him started talking about his job though -- he's working on reports about quill length for his boss."
"Quill length?" I stared at him blankly.
"Yup. Last year it was cauldron bottoms, this year it's quill depth." He rattled off in a voice I could only assume was a mimic of his brother's, "At this rate, quills will be nothing but stubs in ten years. You'll be losing them like mad, and never find them again." I laughed briefly, and he winked at me and walked off.
