Part 18
Draco and Star whiled away the time on the Hogwarts Express by playing Exploding Snap.
"So what house do you think you'll be in, Star?" said Draco, leaning as far back as he could, before gingerly tossing a card onto the deck, in case it exploded.
"I dunno.what were they, again?" Star asked. "Slytherin, Ravenclaw.Grif- something.?"
"Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," Draco finished for her.
"Right," said Star. "Umm, I really don't know which one I'll be in. I mean, I have characteristic from each house, so." she trailed off as a loud clattering was heard out in the corridor. Their compartment door slid open, and a plump, dimpled witch smiled in at them.
"Anything off the cart?" she asked.
Draco stood up and bought an assortment of junkfood. The smiling witch turned to Star, and said,
"Anything for you, dear?"
"I don't have any gold on me," Star answered, shaking her head. The witch turned to go.
"Hang on," Draco said to her, then turned to Star. "What d'you want?" he asked her, "My treat."
"No," Star mumbled, her face red. "I couldn't let you-"
Draco ignored her protest, and bought another of everything he'd gotten for himself. The witch slid the door shut and clattered away. Draco turned and dumped the lot onto Star's lap.
"Draco!" she cried, half-pleased, half-miffed. "Arrgh, you jerk!"
"You're welcome!" Draco grinned. He sat back down across from her, looking pleased with himself.
"Ugh, you are so annoying!" she said, glaring at him, but she was smiling. After a moment, she rolled her eyes, muttering an embarassed ".Thanks."
Draco dismissed this with a wave of his hand, much the same way he would shoo away a troublesome fly. "Forget it."
They sat, and Draco told Star all about Hogwarts, and how great it was to be in Slytherin. Presently, he stood up and stretched.
"I'm going to see how Crabbe and Goyle are doing," he told Star. "Wanna come?"
"No, I'll stay here," she said. Draco left, leaving the compartment door open.
Star had started reading Hogwarts, A History, when she heard a "Ribbit!" Looking up from the book, a fat toad hopped into the compartment, croaking noisily.
"Hi, there!" Star said, picking the toad up and setting it on her lap. "Where'd you come from?"
A moment later, a skinny boy with a mop of wild, jet-black hair and glasses, followed by a round-faced boy who looked on the verge of tears, entered Star's compartment.
"Excuse us," the wild-haired boy said. "But have you seen a toad around here?"
"Is this him?" Star asked, holding the toad out.
"Trevor!" the round-faced boy cried happily, holding out his hands. Star handed Trevor over. The wild-haired boy stuck his head out into the corridor.
"We've got him!" the boy yelled, then turned to Star.
"I'm Harry Potter, and this is Neville Longbottom," the boy said, motioning to the round-faced boy beside him.
"I'm Star Sumner," Star replied. She shook hands with Harry and Neville.
Footsteps were heard thumping up the corridor. A bushy-haired girl and a tall boy with flaming red hair and a long nose entered.
"Oh, good, Neville, you found him!" the girl said, looking relieved.
"Where was he?" the red-headed boy asked.
"He was in here," Star said.
Harry introduced Star to the boy and girl. "Star, this is Ron Weasley," he said, gesturing to the boy, "And this is Hermione Granger," now pointing to the girl. "Ron, Hermione, this is Star Sumner." he said to them. Star shook hands with them, too.
"You're American, right?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, I'm from Arizona." Star answered.
"Cool," Harry said. "How long have you been h-"
"Ahem!"
The five whirled around. Draco stood in the doorway, his eyes like chips of blue ice.
"Are these people bothering you, Star?" Draco asked.
They weren't, of course, but before Star could say anything, Harry said,
"I think we should go." He beckoned to the other three. "'Bye, Star. See you around!" He called over his shoulder, ignoring Draco.
"'Bye," Star said to Harry and the others as they filed out of the compartment.
Draco and Star whiled away the time on the Hogwarts Express by playing Exploding Snap.
"So what house do you think you'll be in, Star?" said Draco, leaning as far back as he could, before gingerly tossing a card onto the deck, in case it exploded.
"I dunno.what were they, again?" Star asked. "Slytherin, Ravenclaw.Grif- something.?"
"Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," Draco finished for her.
"Right," said Star. "Umm, I really don't know which one I'll be in. I mean, I have characteristic from each house, so." she trailed off as a loud clattering was heard out in the corridor. Their compartment door slid open, and a plump, dimpled witch smiled in at them.
"Anything off the cart?" she asked.
Draco stood up and bought an assortment of junkfood. The smiling witch turned to Star, and said,
"Anything for you, dear?"
"I don't have any gold on me," Star answered, shaking her head. The witch turned to go.
"Hang on," Draco said to her, then turned to Star. "What d'you want?" he asked her, "My treat."
"No," Star mumbled, her face red. "I couldn't let you-"
Draco ignored her protest, and bought another of everything he'd gotten for himself. The witch slid the door shut and clattered away. Draco turned and dumped the lot onto Star's lap.
"Draco!" she cried, half-pleased, half-miffed. "Arrgh, you jerk!"
"You're welcome!" Draco grinned. He sat back down across from her, looking pleased with himself.
"Ugh, you are so annoying!" she said, glaring at him, but she was smiling. After a moment, she rolled her eyes, muttering an embarassed ".Thanks."
Draco dismissed this with a wave of his hand, much the same way he would shoo away a troublesome fly. "Forget it."
They sat, and Draco told Star all about Hogwarts, and how great it was to be in Slytherin. Presently, he stood up and stretched.
"I'm going to see how Crabbe and Goyle are doing," he told Star. "Wanna come?"
"No, I'll stay here," she said. Draco left, leaving the compartment door open.
Star had started reading Hogwarts, A History, when she heard a "Ribbit!" Looking up from the book, a fat toad hopped into the compartment, croaking noisily.
"Hi, there!" Star said, picking the toad up and setting it on her lap. "Where'd you come from?"
A moment later, a skinny boy with a mop of wild, jet-black hair and glasses, followed by a round-faced boy who looked on the verge of tears, entered Star's compartment.
"Excuse us," the wild-haired boy said. "But have you seen a toad around here?"
"Is this him?" Star asked, holding the toad out.
"Trevor!" the round-faced boy cried happily, holding out his hands. Star handed Trevor over. The wild-haired boy stuck his head out into the corridor.
"We've got him!" the boy yelled, then turned to Star.
"I'm Harry Potter, and this is Neville Longbottom," the boy said, motioning to the round-faced boy beside him.
"I'm Star Sumner," Star replied. She shook hands with Harry and Neville.
Footsteps were heard thumping up the corridor. A bushy-haired girl and a tall boy with flaming red hair and a long nose entered.
"Oh, good, Neville, you found him!" the girl said, looking relieved.
"Where was he?" the red-headed boy asked.
"He was in here," Star said.
Harry introduced Star to the boy and girl. "Star, this is Ron Weasley," he said, gesturing to the boy, "And this is Hermione Granger," now pointing to the girl. "Ron, Hermione, this is Star Sumner." he said to them. Star shook hands with them, too.
"You're American, right?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, I'm from Arizona." Star answered.
"Cool," Harry said. "How long have you been h-"
"Ahem!"
The five whirled around. Draco stood in the doorway, his eyes like chips of blue ice.
"Are these people bothering you, Star?" Draco asked.
They weren't, of course, but before Star could say anything, Harry said,
"I think we should go." He beckoned to the other three. "'Bye, Star. See you around!" He called over his shoulder, ignoring Draco.
"'Bye," Star said to Harry and the others as they filed out of the compartment.