C H A P T E R T W O
T H E
N E W W O R L D
The next day, Ron woke up before the others. He sat up in bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes. The bed he was in was not the bed that he had fallen asleep in the night before.
"Where am I?" he thought aloud.
"Well, look who's up!" the mirror said to him. The mirror? Weird. "Good morning, Ron!"
"Yeah, whatever." Ron answered sleepily. "Where am I?"
"Why, you're at the Leaky Cauldron, of course!"
"Oh, okay… WHAT? What did you say?"
"The Leaky Cauldron."
"Whoa, hold on. I'm dreaming. What's that again?"
"THE LEAKY CAULDRON! Do I have to spell it out for you? I will if I have to. I'm quite good at spelling. L-E-E-K…"
"Okay, I get the point."
By this time, everyone else had woken up.
"Ah, you're up! Better get downstairs! Breakfast's waiting!"
Everyone just looked at each other groggily and headed downstairs. As soon as they reached the foot of the stairs, an old, wrinkly man came up to them. He was bald with only a handful of little white hairs. He looked like a big, toothless walnut.
"Good morning!" the man said. "I suppose you are all mighty hungry!"
"Thanks, Tom." Harry replied.
He seated them at the largest table available and started serving them a sort of an all-you-can-eat meal of bacon, eggs, toast, waffles, sausages, pancakes, milk, and orange juice. Just then, Harry noticed how many people there were in the little pub. He felt like they were all staring at him, at his scar. He flattened his bangs against his forehead to cover his scar, but he still felt uneasy.
After breakfast they thanked Tom and walked out side into the little alley behind the grubby little inn.
"Why are we here?" Parvati asked.
"Don't you remember? We got a letter from Hogwarts and we must have teleported here, or something." Draco snapped.
"Oh." Parvati replied.
"C'mon, quit yapping! Let's go to Diagon Alley!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Alright! I have the list of things we need right here." Harry said. He pulled a small piece of parchment out of his pocket and read:
uniform
Fifth-year students will require:
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
course books
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 5) by Miranda Goshawk
An Extended History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
The Finer Points of Magic by Philbert Pancrakes
Intermediate Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand and One Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Mixtures, Serums, and Concoctions by Beaker M. Bunsen
Amazing Creatures and How To Care for Them by Impa
Unicron
The Era of Bad Feeling: A Book About the Age of
You-Know-Who by Quentin Trimble Jr.
Students received lists last year of required textbooks needed for all optional courses that they chose to attend.
other equipment
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a rat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIFTH YEARS THAT ARE ON THEIR HOUSE'S QUIDDITCH TEAM MUST BRING THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK.
"Okay," Harry said as he finished reading. "Let's go!" At that, everyone ran to the brick wall concealing the entrance to Diagon Alley, the wizarding "shopping mall."
"Right," Hermione mumbled, taking out her wand – maple, seven and a half inches, with a core of phoenix feather. She was impatient and wanted to get to Diagon Alley. "Three up, two across." She counted out bricks on the wall above the garbage can. When she found the brick she was looking for, she tapped it three times with her wand. The brick wriggled and moved, and in the center of it a hole appeared. The hole grew and grew until it was a huge archway looking out on a winding cobblestone road lined with shops.
They all stepped inside the archway and as soon as they got through it, it shrunk back and disappeared.
As they walked down Diagon Alley, Rachel, her hand in Harry's, was looking every which way at all the stores.
"Where should we go first?" Rachel asked, awestruck. It was her first time in Diagon Alley. She was so amazed at all the sights that she didn't look where she was going and knocked over a barrel of bat spleens that were on sale outside of the Apothecary.
"Well, we have to go to Gringotts first to take out our money." Draco answered.
They all looked straight ahead. There was a gigantic building, snow-white, with giant pillars and huge golden doors.
"It looks like the White House." Rachel declared, amazed. When she saw the bewildered look on all her friend's faces, she just said, "Never mind."
They stepped up to the stairs. There must have been a dozen of them. When they got to the top and walked through the doors, they noticed another set of doors, silver instead of gold, with small plaque next to them:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
"Harsh," Ron muttered after everyone had read the sign. "You'd be mad to try and rob it."
"Well, are we going in, or what?" Rachel asked. "I can't wait to get my stuff!"
They opened the big silver doors. The inside of the giant bank was even prettier than the outside. Gigantic chandeliers hung from the ceiling and rows and rows of tables lined the humungous hallway. Countless numbers of tiny goblins scurried back and forth.
"It's so beautiful!" Rachel gasped.
"It's not nearly as beautiful as you." Harry replied. Behind his back, Ron rolled his eyes and sighed.
Suddenly, half a dozen little goblins came running up to Harry, Rachel, and the others. They were all half the size of an average man, but with fingers that were twice as long as normal fingers. Their noses were also very large.
"Can we help you?" They all asked in unison.
"Awww, they're so cute!" Rachel cooed.
"They're not nearly as cute as you." Harry replied in a dreamy tone.
"Oh, snap out of it!" Hermione screamed and she slapped Harry across the face.
Once Harry had come back to his senses, the little goblins took the six down to the vaults in little mine carts that went at only one speed – fast. After twenty minutes of very bumpy transportation, they all stumbled out of Gringotts; their money pouches now full to the top with Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts.
"Poor, poor Weasley. Potter had to give you money! Ha! I had 20 times more money than you! You can't afford even halfway decent friends! Ha! Poor, wittle Weasley!" Draco sang.
"Shut it, Malfoy!" Ron yelled, his face getting redder than his hair.
"Make me!" Draco shot back.
"Shut it or you'll be sorry!"
"And what if I don't?"
SLAP!
SLAP!
Hermione and Rachel both slapped Draco at the same time across his face.
"You'll be sorry!" Draco threatened, his eyes swelling up with tears. "My father will hear about this! You'll be kicked out of your house, Weasley! And you, too!" He pointed threateningly at Hermione and Rachel. Then he turned and ran back to the Leaky Cauldron.
"Serves him right," Hermione muttered.
"What was with him?" Harry asked. "Certainly not the Matt we know, or knew."
Parvati looked hurt.
A half an hour later, Harry, Rachel, Ron, Hermione, and Parvati were sitting at a table in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. They had gotten all their school supplies and were relaxing with an ice cream.
"Where are we supposed to go after this?" Parvati asked. "We still have a month left before school starts!"
"All you guys," Ron said. Hermione and Rachel gave him menacing stares. "And girls could stay at my house for the rest of the summer. Dad's away on Ministry work, Percy just got married to that Penelope Clearwater girl, they've got their own house in Scotland now, George is spending the rest of the summer over at Alicia Spinnet's, and Fred is off with that Angelina Johnson. It's just Ginny, mum, and me till school starts."
"Awww, how sweet! Give Percy my congrats next time you see him." Rachel said. Hermione nodded in agreement.
"What's with girls and weddings?" Harry asked Ron.
"Oh, shut up!" Hermione said exasperatingly, giving Harry a small punch on the shoulder.
"No, really. What's next? George and Alicia?"
"Actually, yes." Ron answered. "They're engaged."
"Awww!" Rachel and Hermione both said at the same time. Harry and Ron rolled their eyes and groaned.
"Anyway, so it's settled." Ron confirmed. "My house tomorrow. Mum'll be glad to see you, Harry. You too, Hermione. I don't reckon she's met you two." He glanced at Rachel and Parvati.
"Okay, then. Tomorrow, we walk to the Burrow." Harry stated. The Burrow was the name of the Weasley's seven-story house. "Don't worry, it's not far." He looked over at Parvati. She didn't like walking.
` $ % ^
The next day, the group was at the Burrow. As Ron had predicted, Mrs. Weasley was overjoyed at the sight of Harry and Hermione. She took rather well to Rachel, but she kept away from Parvati and made any conversation with her unusually short.
Ginny still blushed whenever she saw Harry, even though she'd known him for over four years. But hey, when someone saves your life, it's kind of hard not to go red when you see him.
Every morning at breakfast, Ron complained. "She never cooks this good when it's just us." He whined as he stuffed his mouth with sausages.
And every day, Mrs. Weasley bustled around the house, asking every soon-to- be student if they have all their supplies.
Harry and Ron have done a few de-gnoming during their stay. Harry had even beaten the Weasley record of tossing a gnome fifty feet. Ron had been trying to break that record, set by his older brother Charlie, since he was seven.
The boys had also over-heard more than their share of "girl conversations" between Rachel, Hermione, Ginny, and sometimes Parvati. So far, Harry was in the lead in the "Cutest Guy Polls," with three votes, and Ron was in second with just one.
Everyone had been at the Burrow for a month. School started later that day. In the very early morning of September 1st, Harry woke up with his scar in excruciating pain.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" He yelled, falling off his bed, which was in Ron's room on the seventh floor.
"What? What?" Ron exclaimed. He was jolted awake by Harry's screams.
"Oh, it's just my scar." Harry said, trying not to show that he was in too much pain.
"Really? Because if it's hurting, you should write to Sirius."
Harry's scar had stopped hurting. He glanced over at the clock, 3:00am. "I'll write him later, once Hedwig gets back from hunting. Get back to sleep before you wake up the whole house." He was too late. The house had suddenly sprung alive; every person in it was awake.
"You don't think You-Know-Who is close by, do you?" a concerned Hermione asked.
"Are you sure it's all right?" seemed all Mrs. Weasley could say as she cooked breakfast. She had decided to prepare early; everyone was awake.
"Yes, yes, YES! I'm fine!" Harry exploded. He was already under too much pressure; he didn't need any more. He stormed out the back door and into the garden. The sky was still black. Harry found the bench by the light of the by now fading stars. He glanced around the garden. A few garden gnomes were starting to wobble back to their holes.
A few minutes later, Rachel came out of the house and sat next to Harry on the bench. Now the sky was turning pink.
"I really think you should write to Sirius." Rachel advised.
"I did," Harry replied. "Just sent Hedwig out."
"Oh, good. I really don't want any harm to come to you. I really care about you."
"And I care about you. I'd protect you with my life if I had to."
Harry and Rachel edged closer to each other.
"Oh, Harry, isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" The sun had started to rise. The sky was a rich pink-purple in the morning light.
"Second, after you."
Harry put his arm around Rachel and squeezed her close up to him. Rachel rested her head on Harry's shoulder and whispered, "I love you," in his ear.
"I love you, too." He whispered back. They moved closer and closer together, and just as the sun broke the horizon, their lips touched and they kissed. A shiver went through Harry; one that he had never felt before. He liked it.
` $ % ^
Mrs. Weasley went to the window overlooking the garden to find Rachel and Harry, and tell them breakfast was ready, but stopped when she saw them.
"Well, isn't that romantic," she sighed to her self. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione joined her at the window.
Ron, with a look of joy on his face, "Suck up. But at least my best friend finally found his true love." He thought.
Ginny had a dreamy look on her face, "Well, at least I could be the flower- girl."
And Hermione, pure hate flowing through her veins, "How could she?"
As Parvati finally noticed everyone at the window and Harry and Rachel gone, the smallest trace of a smirk spread across her face. "Oooo, I can't wait till Draco hears about this!"
A few hours later, at around 9:00, everyone was busy gathering his or her things. Cries of, "Where's Crookshanks?" and "Ow! That's my toe!" could be heard throughout the house. Finally, everything was calmed down and packed into the family car. It was enchanted so everyone and everything could fit inside.
Twenty minutes later, the small clan was standing in the center of King's Cross Station in London.
"I can't believe we're actually going to Hogwarts!" Rachel squealed, back to her perky self.
Hermione was still sulking; she hadn't forgotten that morning's events.
"Okay," Mrs. Weasley instructed. "We'd best go in pairs of two. Rachel, Harry, you first."
Harry and Rachel were eager to get to Platform 9 ¾. Half was from anxiety, and half was from yearning to get away from the others. With six people, two screeching owls, and two hissing cats, they were drawing in quite a large crowd. Rachel looked confused. This was the first time she had been to King's Cross -- let alone Platform 9 ¾.
"It's easy, honey. Just walk through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10." Mrs. Weasley explained to Rachel. "It's best if you stick together and run if you're nervous. Just keep your mind clear, or else you can't get through."
This was amazing. Back in America, you had to get driven to and from school. She'd never done anything even remotely close to this before. She was about as nervous as you can get. But then she saw Harry smiling at her, and she calmed down a bit. For some reason, whenever she was close to him, she felt a sense of security, of protection.
"Ready?" Harry asked, beaming at her. Man, was he cute!
"Ready." she replied. With him by her side, she was ready for anything.
"Then let's go." They wheeled their baggage trolleys to face the solid metal barrier. They pushed the trolleys forward, heading for the solid wall. They gained speed, going faster and faster. Rachel closed her eyes, waiting for the collision, but it never came. They stopped and she opened her eyes. They were standing on a platform, looking straight at a scarlet steam engine, with the words "Hogwarts Express" stenciled in gold near the front. Amazed, Rachel looked up. Above her was a huge metal sign saying "Platform 9 ¾." They had made it!
A few seconds later, Hermione and Ron appeared. "--For the last time, it was just the barrier. You don't have to be with him all the time. Sheesh." Ron complained to Hermione.
"Well, just because he's in love with Rachel doesn't mean he can't be with me sometimes!"
"Would you give it up already! So what he loves Rachel? It's not the end of the world!"
Harry and Rachel traded looks of dread. How did Ron and Hermione know about their relationship?
"Um… Excuse me?" Harry said mildly to Ron.
"Not now, Harry. I'm trying to tell Hermione, here, that it's okay that you love someone besides her………" Ron drifted off, just realizing what he and Hermione had been talking about.
"What's all this with me and Rachel?" Harry asked. He could guess what the answer was going to be.
"Well, we, um… What I'm trying to say is, uh…"
"Hermione?" Rachel asked.
"Um… I, uh… I mean, we, uh…"
"We?" Rachel and Harry repeated in unison.
Just then, Parvati, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley came through the barrier.
"Parvati, dear, it's their business, not yours. You shouldn't have been watching them." Mrs. Weasley said to Parvati.
"Oh, it's all my fault now. You were the one looking out the window in the first place. What do you say to that, hmmm?"
"Well, I was going to tell them breakfast was ready."
"Excuse me." Harry said in a loud voice, but quiet enough so that only the little group could hear him. "What is all this about Rachel and I? Would one of you care to explain?" Rachel nodded in agreement.
"Well, uh…" Hermione stammered.
"You see, we, um…" Ron staggered.
"Er… we, uh… just, um…" Parvati studdered.
"All right, if you must know…" Ginny began.
"Let me explain," Mrs. Weasley spoke out. "It's my fault. We… whew, how can I put this? We, uh… well, you two were outside, and breakfast was ready, and I was going out to tell you, and I, uh… I-saw-you-sitting-there-and- made-a-big-deal-out-of-it-and-everyone-saw-you-kissing."
Harry let out a big sigh, thinking of what to say. "Well," he thought to the group. "As long as it was only you and no one else saw us, and none of you told anyone, I guess it's alright."
Meanwhile, as they said "Okay," Parvati schemed in that menacing little head of hers her plans of informing Draco about these events.
"Just one question," Hermione said. "Rachel, why? Why'd you have to take him from me?"
"From you? I…" Suddenly, a very loud train whistle blew. "Saved by the whistle." Rachel thought to herself, relieved.
"Better get going, or else you'll miss the train." Mrs. Weasley warned.
"Okay. 'Bye mum. I'll owl you when I get there," Ron said to Mrs. Weasley. The whistle blew again.
"Me too!" Ginny shrieked.
"Go!"
"Bye! Thanks for everything!" Harry, Rachel, Parvati, and Hermione called out as they boarded the train. The train gave a lurch and started forward. They were on their way!
T H E
N E W W O R L D
The next day, Ron woke up before the others. He sat up in bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes. The bed he was in was not the bed that he had fallen asleep in the night before.
"Where am I?" he thought aloud.
"Well, look who's up!" the mirror said to him. The mirror? Weird. "Good morning, Ron!"
"Yeah, whatever." Ron answered sleepily. "Where am I?"
"Why, you're at the Leaky Cauldron, of course!"
"Oh, okay… WHAT? What did you say?"
"The Leaky Cauldron."
"Whoa, hold on. I'm dreaming. What's that again?"
"THE LEAKY CAULDRON! Do I have to spell it out for you? I will if I have to. I'm quite good at spelling. L-E-E-K…"
"Okay, I get the point."
By this time, everyone else had woken up.
"Ah, you're up! Better get downstairs! Breakfast's waiting!"
Everyone just looked at each other groggily and headed downstairs. As soon as they reached the foot of the stairs, an old, wrinkly man came up to them. He was bald with only a handful of little white hairs. He looked like a big, toothless walnut.
"Good morning!" the man said. "I suppose you are all mighty hungry!"
"Thanks, Tom." Harry replied.
He seated them at the largest table available and started serving them a sort of an all-you-can-eat meal of bacon, eggs, toast, waffles, sausages, pancakes, milk, and orange juice. Just then, Harry noticed how many people there were in the little pub. He felt like they were all staring at him, at his scar. He flattened his bangs against his forehead to cover his scar, but he still felt uneasy.
After breakfast they thanked Tom and walked out side into the little alley behind the grubby little inn.
"Why are we here?" Parvati asked.
"Don't you remember? We got a letter from Hogwarts and we must have teleported here, or something." Draco snapped.
"Oh." Parvati replied.
"C'mon, quit yapping! Let's go to Diagon Alley!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Alright! I have the list of things we need right here." Harry said. He pulled a small piece of parchment out of his pocket and read:
uniform
Fifth-year students will require:
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
course books
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 5) by Miranda Goshawk
An Extended History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
The Finer Points of Magic by Philbert Pancrakes
Intermediate Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand and One Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Mixtures, Serums, and Concoctions by Beaker M. Bunsen
Amazing Creatures and How To Care for Them by Impa
Unicron
The Era of Bad Feeling: A Book About the Age of
You-Know-Who by Quentin Trimble Jr.
Students received lists last year of required textbooks needed for all optional courses that they chose to attend.
other equipment
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a rat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIFTH YEARS THAT ARE ON THEIR HOUSE'S QUIDDITCH TEAM MUST BRING THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK.
"Okay," Harry said as he finished reading. "Let's go!" At that, everyone ran to the brick wall concealing the entrance to Diagon Alley, the wizarding "shopping mall."
"Right," Hermione mumbled, taking out her wand – maple, seven and a half inches, with a core of phoenix feather. She was impatient and wanted to get to Diagon Alley. "Three up, two across." She counted out bricks on the wall above the garbage can. When she found the brick she was looking for, she tapped it three times with her wand. The brick wriggled and moved, and in the center of it a hole appeared. The hole grew and grew until it was a huge archway looking out on a winding cobblestone road lined with shops.
They all stepped inside the archway and as soon as they got through it, it shrunk back and disappeared.
As they walked down Diagon Alley, Rachel, her hand in Harry's, was looking every which way at all the stores.
"Where should we go first?" Rachel asked, awestruck. It was her first time in Diagon Alley. She was so amazed at all the sights that she didn't look where she was going and knocked over a barrel of bat spleens that were on sale outside of the Apothecary.
"Well, we have to go to Gringotts first to take out our money." Draco answered.
They all looked straight ahead. There was a gigantic building, snow-white, with giant pillars and huge golden doors.
"It looks like the White House." Rachel declared, amazed. When she saw the bewildered look on all her friend's faces, she just said, "Never mind."
They stepped up to the stairs. There must have been a dozen of them. When they got to the top and walked through the doors, they noticed another set of doors, silver instead of gold, with small plaque next to them:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay dearly in their turn.
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
"Harsh," Ron muttered after everyone had read the sign. "You'd be mad to try and rob it."
"Well, are we going in, or what?" Rachel asked. "I can't wait to get my stuff!"
They opened the big silver doors. The inside of the giant bank was even prettier than the outside. Gigantic chandeliers hung from the ceiling and rows and rows of tables lined the humungous hallway. Countless numbers of tiny goblins scurried back and forth.
"It's so beautiful!" Rachel gasped.
"It's not nearly as beautiful as you." Harry replied. Behind his back, Ron rolled his eyes and sighed.
Suddenly, half a dozen little goblins came running up to Harry, Rachel, and the others. They were all half the size of an average man, but with fingers that were twice as long as normal fingers. Their noses were also very large.
"Can we help you?" They all asked in unison.
"Awww, they're so cute!" Rachel cooed.
"They're not nearly as cute as you." Harry replied in a dreamy tone.
"Oh, snap out of it!" Hermione screamed and she slapped Harry across the face.
Once Harry had come back to his senses, the little goblins took the six down to the vaults in little mine carts that went at only one speed – fast. After twenty minutes of very bumpy transportation, they all stumbled out of Gringotts; their money pouches now full to the top with Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts.
"Poor, poor Weasley. Potter had to give you money! Ha! I had 20 times more money than you! You can't afford even halfway decent friends! Ha! Poor, wittle Weasley!" Draco sang.
"Shut it, Malfoy!" Ron yelled, his face getting redder than his hair.
"Make me!" Draco shot back.
"Shut it or you'll be sorry!"
"And what if I don't?"
SLAP!
SLAP!
Hermione and Rachel both slapped Draco at the same time across his face.
"You'll be sorry!" Draco threatened, his eyes swelling up with tears. "My father will hear about this! You'll be kicked out of your house, Weasley! And you, too!" He pointed threateningly at Hermione and Rachel. Then he turned and ran back to the Leaky Cauldron.
"Serves him right," Hermione muttered.
"What was with him?" Harry asked. "Certainly not the Matt we know, or knew."
Parvati looked hurt.
A half an hour later, Harry, Rachel, Ron, Hermione, and Parvati were sitting at a table in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. They had gotten all their school supplies and were relaxing with an ice cream.
"Where are we supposed to go after this?" Parvati asked. "We still have a month left before school starts!"
"All you guys," Ron said. Hermione and Rachel gave him menacing stares. "And girls could stay at my house for the rest of the summer. Dad's away on Ministry work, Percy just got married to that Penelope Clearwater girl, they've got their own house in Scotland now, George is spending the rest of the summer over at Alicia Spinnet's, and Fred is off with that Angelina Johnson. It's just Ginny, mum, and me till school starts."
"Awww, how sweet! Give Percy my congrats next time you see him." Rachel said. Hermione nodded in agreement.
"What's with girls and weddings?" Harry asked Ron.
"Oh, shut up!" Hermione said exasperatingly, giving Harry a small punch on the shoulder.
"No, really. What's next? George and Alicia?"
"Actually, yes." Ron answered. "They're engaged."
"Awww!" Rachel and Hermione both said at the same time. Harry and Ron rolled their eyes and groaned.
"Anyway, so it's settled." Ron confirmed. "My house tomorrow. Mum'll be glad to see you, Harry. You too, Hermione. I don't reckon she's met you two." He glanced at Rachel and Parvati.
"Okay, then. Tomorrow, we walk to the Burrow." Harry stated. The Burrow was the name of the Weasley's seven-story house. "Don't worry, it's not far." He looked over at Parvati. She didn't like walking.
` $ % ^
The next day, the group was at the Burrow. As Ron had predicted, Mrs. Weasley was overjoyed at the sight of Harry and Hermione. She took rather well to Rachel, but she kept away from Parvati and made any conversation with her unusually short.
Ginny still blushed whenever she saw Harry, even though she'd known him for over four years. But hey, when someone saves your life, it's kind of hard not to go red when you see him.
Every morning at breakfast, Ron complained. "She never cooks this good when it's just us." He whined as he stuffed his mouth with sausages.
And every day, Mrs. Weasley bustled around the house, asking every soon-to- be student if they have all their supplies.
Harry and Ron have done a few de-gnoming during their stay. Harry had even beaten the Weasley record of tossing a gnome fifty feet. Ron had been trying to break that record, set by his older brother Charlie, since he was seven.
The boys had also over-heard more than their share of "girl conversations" between Rachel, Hermione, Ginny, and sometimes Parvati. So far, Harry was in the lead in the "Cutest Guy Polls," with three votes, and Ron was in second with just one.
Everyone had been at the Burrow for a month. School started later that day. In the very early morning of September 1st, Harry woke up with his scar in excruciating pain.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" He yelled, falling off his bed, which was in Ron's room on the seventh floor.
"What? What?" Ron exclaimed. He was jolted awake by Harry's screams.
"Oh, it's just my scar." Harry said, trying not to show that he was in too much pain.
"Really? Because if it's hurting, you should write to Sirius."
Harry's scar had stopped hurting. He glanced over at the clock, 3:00am. "I'll write him later, once Hedwig gets back from hunting. Get back to sleep before you wake up the whole house." He was too late. The house had suddenly sprung alive; every person in it was awake.
"You don't think You-Know-Who is close by, do you?" a concerned Hermione asked.
"Are you sure it's all right?" seemed all Mrs. Weasley could say as she cooked breakfast. She had decided to prepare early; everyone was awake.
"Yes, yes, YES! I'm fine!" Harry exploded. He was already under too much pressure; he didn't need any more. He stormed out the back door and into the garden. The sky was still black. Harry found the bench by the light of the by now fading stars. He glanced around the garden. A few garden gnomes were starting to wobble back to their holes.
A few minutes later, Rachel came out of the house and sat next to Harry on the bench. Now the sky was turning pink.
"I really think you should write to Sirius." Rachel advised.
"I did," Harry replied. "Just sent Hedwig out."
"Oh, good. I really don't want any harm to come to you. I really care about you."
"And I care about you. I'd protect you with my life if I had to."
Harry and Rachel edged closer to each other.
"Oh, Harry, isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" The sun had started to rise. The sky was a rich pink-purple in the morning light.
"Second, after you."
Harry put his arm around Rachel and squeezed her close up to him. Rachel rested her head on Harry's shoulder and whispered, "I love you," in his ear.
"I love you, too." He whispered back. They moved closer and closer together, and just as the sun broke the horizon, their lips touched and they kissed. A shiver went through Harry; one that he had never felt before. He liked it.
` $ % ^
Mrs. Weasley went to the window overlooking the garden to find Rachel and Harry, and tell them breakfast was ready, but stopped when she saw them.
"Well, isn't that romantic," she sighed to her self. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione joined her at the window.
Ron, with a look of joy on his face, "Suck up. But at least my best friend finally found his true love." He thought.
Ginny had a dreamy look on her face, "Well, at least I could be the flower- girl."
And Hermione, pure hate flowing through her veins, "How could she?"
As Parvati finally noticed everyone at the window and Harry and Rachel gone, the smallest trace of a smirk spread across her face. "Oooo, I can't wait till Draco hears about this!"
A few hours later, at around 9:00, everyone was busy gathering his or her things. Cries of, "Where's Crookshanks?" and "Ow! That's my toe!" could be heard throughout the house. Finally, everything was calmed down and packed into the family car. It was enchanted so everyone and everything could fit inside.
Twenty minutes later, the small clan was standing in the center of King's Cross Station in London.
"I can't believe we're actually going to Hogwarts!" Rachel squealed, back to her perky self.
Hermione was still sulking; she hadn't forgotten that morning's events.
"Okay," Mrs. Weasley instructed. "We'd best go in pairs of two. Rachel, Harry, you first."
Harry and Rachel were eager to get to Platform 9 ¾. Half was from anxiety, and half was from yearning to get away from the others. With six people, two screeching owls, and two hissing cats, they were drawing in quite a large crowd. Rachel looked confused. This was the first time she had been to King's Cross -- let alone Platform 9 ¾.
"It's easy, honey. Just walk through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10." Mrs. Weasley explained to Rachel. "It's best if you stick together and run if you're nervous. Just keep your mind clear, or else you can't get through."
This was amazing. Back in America, you had to get driven to and from school. She'd never done anything even remotely close to this before. She was about as nervous as you can get. But then she saw Harry smiling at her, and she calmed down a bit. For some reason, whenever she was close to him, she felt a sense of security, of protection.
"Ready?" Harry asked, beaming at her. Man, was he cute!
"Ready." she replied. With him by her side, she was ready for anything.
"Then let's go." They wheeled their baggage trolleys to face the solid metal barrier. They pushed the trolleys forward, heading for the solid wall. They gained speed, going faster and faster. Rachel closed her eyes, waiting for the collision, but it never came. They stopped and she opened her eyes. They were standing on a platform, looking straight at a scarlet steam engine, with the words "Hogwarts Express" stenciled in gold near the front. Amazed, Rachel looked up. Above her was a huge metal sign saying "Platform 9 ¾." They had made it!
A few seconds later, Hermione and Ron appeared. "--For the last time, it was just the barrier. You don't have to be with him all the time. Sheesh." Ron complained to Hermione.
"Well, just because he's in love with Rachel doesn't mean he can't be with me sometimes!"
"Would you give it up already! So what he loves Rachel? It's not the end of the world!"
Harry and Rachel traded looks of dread. How did Ron and Hermione know about their relationship?
"Um… Excuse me?" Harry said mildly to Ron.
"Not now, Harry. I'm trying to tell Hermione, here, that it's okay that you love someone besides her………" Ron drifted off, just realizing what he and Hermione had been talking about.
"What's all this with me and Rachel?" Harry asked. He could guess what the answer was going to be.
"Well, we, um… What I'm trying to say is, uh…"
"Hermione?" Rachel asked.
"Um… I, uh… I mean, we, uh…"
"We?" Rachel and Harry repeated in unison.
Just then, Parvati, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley came through the barrier.
"Parvati, dear, it's their business, not yours. You shouldn't have been watching them." Mrs. Weasley said to Parvati.
"Oh, it's all my fault now. You were the one looking out the window in the first place. What do you say to that, hmmm?"
"Well, I was going to tell them breakfast was ready."
"Excuse me." Harry said in a loud voice, but quiet enough so that only the little group could hear him. "What is all this about Rachel and I? Would one of you care to explain?" Rachel nodded in agreement.
"Well, uh…" Hermione stammered.
"You see, we, um…" Ron staggered.
"Er… we, uh… just, um…" Parvati studdered.
"All right, if you must know…" Ginny began.
"Let me explain," Mrs. Weasley spoke out. "It's my fault. We… whew, how can I put this? We, uh… well, you two were outside, and breakfast was ready, and I was going out to tell you, and I, uh… I-saw-you-sitting-there-and- made-a-big-deal-out-of-it-and-everyone-saw-you-kissing."
Harry let out a big sigh, thinking of what to say. "Well," he thought to the group. "As long as it was only you and no one else saw us, and none of you told anyone, I guess it's alright."
Meanwhile, as they said "Okay," Parvati schemed in that menacing little head of hers her plans of informing Draco about these events.
"Just one question," Hermione said. "Rachel, why? Why'd you have to take him from me?"
"From you? I…" Suddenly, a very loud train whistle blew. "Saved by the whistle." Rachel thought to herself, relieved.
"Better get going, or else you'll miss the train." Mrs. Weasley warned.
"Okay. 'Bye mum. I'll owl you when I get there," Ron said to Mrs. Weasley. The whistle blew again.
"Me too!" Ginny shrieked.
"Go!"
"Bye! Thanks for everything!" Harry, Rachel, Parvati, and Hermione called out as they boarded the train. The train gave a lurch and started forward. They were on their way!