Disclaimer: I forgot to say this in the previous chapter, but obviously, any characters, names etc. that you recognise don't belong to me and any characters who you don't recognise belong to me. (like Melisande and Gotchyn etc.)
Chapter Two
Harry looked around him, wiping his hands on his oversized Dudley hand-me-down pants. It felt great to be in the wizarding world again, especially in a house that was so magical, it was breathtaking. The clock on the wall announced that all of the Weasleys, except for the two eldest boys, Bill and Charlie, were at home. Harry guessed that Ron would be up in his room so he headed out of the living room and into the hall.
"Ah! Harry! How are you, my boy?" Mrs Weasley flung her arms around Harry and gave him a big hug. She broke free and held him at arms length. "My, haven't you grown up!"
She gave him a broad smile. "Ron is in his room, packing. I'm afraid he's a bit behind schedule. That's why he couldn't pick you up, he's been doing nothing all day. Off you go!"
Harry smiled and turned to head towards Ron's room.
"Oh, Harry! Hermione's here as well, she's in Ginny's room, if you'd like to see her!" And with that, Mrs Weasley disappeared into the kitchen.
At the thought of Hermione, Harry's heart leapt a little. They had been good friends since the first train ride to Hogwarts and over the years, that friendship had begun to feel more personal for Harry. Whenever Hermione hugged him or sat next to him, his heart fluttered and he found himself lost for words, which was very unlike Harry. Hermione hadn't seemed to notice, however, much to Harry's relief. It would be very awkward for The Boy Who Lived to get all breathless over a girl and not even blink an eyelid at fighting You Know Who.
"Hey, Harry! How are you?" came Ron's cheerful voice from the end of the hall. Harry popped his head into Ron's room and grinned, forgetting the dilemma of Hermione.
"How was your holiday, Ron?" he asked, sitting on the bed and feeling the bewitched quilt snuggle around him.
"It was good, Harry. Look what Ginny bought me!" Ron was holding up a rather large book with a picture of the game of Quidditch on the front. The picture was moving, with the men on the broomsticks ducking and swooping and doing all sorts of stunts.
"It's a biography of the Chudley Cannons, with full-colour photographs of each player!" Ron beamed, flicking through the book. Harry caught glimpses of men grinning and laughing on every couple of pages and smiled himself. This was nothing in the wizarding world. Things got much stranger than moving photographs!
"Harry! Is that you?" came a shout from the doorway. Harry turned and saw Hermione standing there beside Ginny, who looked as if she were about to throw up with excitement at having The Boy Who Lived in her brother's bedroom. Harry smiled and gave Hermione a huge hug. "This is so exciting Harry. Are you ready to go to Diagon Alley? Mrs Weasley says we should head down there now."
Harry nodded, but Ron groaned. "I haven't finished packing yet. Mum's going to kill me because we'll be late and it'll be all my fault."
Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes, reaching into her robes and pulling out her wand. "Here, let me..."
"No, Hermione!" Harry said loudly. "You know you can't do magic when you're out of Hogwarts! Ron will just have to pack by himself."
Hermione shrugged and put her wand away. "Ok, whatever. Just hurry up." She spun on her heel and walked away, followed by Ginny.
Ron was looking confused. "Hermione? She was going to use magic, when she knew she would get in trouble?" he asked Harry.
"Yeah...that's weird," Harry replied. He shook his head. "Anyway, you'd better pack. Here, I'll help you."
"Thanks," Ron said. "I can't wait to get back to school."
"Neither."
Ten minutes later, both boys were standing in the living room with the rest of the Weasleys. Mrs Weasley was hugging Fred and George.
"You be good now. I don't want to have to send anyone a Screamer this year," she said sternly.
Mr Weasley had decided that they would drive to the train station and he had suitably bewitched the car to fit them all in. Harry loaded his stuff in the boot with Ron, then climbed in the back, next to Hermione.
"Hogwarts, here we come!" he grinned as the car began moving.
****************************************
The station was quite busy and Harry and Ron found themselves running to catch up with the rest. One by one they ran into the barrier to get to platform nine and three quarters until there were just Hermione, Ron and Harry left.
"Well, I'll go, shall I?" Hermione said, directing her trolley at the wall. She ran as fast as she could and disappeared into the bricks. Ron motioned for Harry to go.
"After you," he grinned, bowing low. Harry grinned back and started to line his trolley up. He was about to go when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me?" said a female voice. "But I was wondering if you could tell me how to, well, get onto the platform."
Harry turned around and saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She must be part Veela - she was tall, skinny and had the shiniest, longest blonde hair he had ever seen. She had a trolley with her, with a black owl in a cage similar to Hedwigs. She smiled slightly and ducked her head.
Ron nudged Harry. "Sure, we can. You just aim your trolley at that pillar," he said, indicating, "and run as fast as you can into it. You'll just pass through to the platform."
"You run into the pillar?" She looked doubtful.
"Yes," Harry said. She still looked a bit confused, so Harry said, "Look, I'll go first, then you just do what I did, ok?"
She smiled and nodded. "Oh, yes. Okay. Thankyou. By the way, my name is Melisande. I am new at Hogwarts."
Harry smiled and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Harry and this is Ron."
Melisande shook hands with Harry, then Ron.
Ron seemed to be lost for words and stared at his hand she had shaken with love.
"Well, here goes," Harry said, running towards the pillar. When he emerged he was on platform nine and three quarters and the Hogwarts Express was waiting for the final passengers. Moments later, Melisande, then Ron emerged. Melisande looked flushed.
"That was strange," she smiled.
They left their luggage to be put on the train and found Hermione waiting for them with Ginny in their usual cabin. Harry introduced everyone to Melisande and invited her to sit with them. He couldn't help looking at Melisande out of the corner of his eyes and he was sure Ron was too. She was beautiful and there was something bewitching about her. He just couldn't work it out. He sighed and settled back into the seat, eager to arrive at Hogwarts and begin yet another year of excitement and adventure.
Chapter Two
Harry looked around him, wiping his hands on his oversized Dudley hand-me-down pants. It felt great to be in the wizarding world again, especially in a house that was so magical, it was breathtaking. The clock on the wall announced that all of the Weasleys, except for the two eldest boys, Bill and Charlie, were at home. Harry guessed that Ron would be up in his room so he headed out of the living room and into the hall.
"Ah! Harry! How are you, my boy?" Mrs Weasley flung her arms around Harry and gave him a big hug. She broke free and held him at arms length. "My, haven't you grown up!"
She gave him a broad smile. "Ron is in his room, packing. I'm afraid he's a bit behind schedule. That's why he couldn't pick you up, he's been doing nothing all day. Off you go!"
Harry smiled and turned to head towards Ron's room.
"Oh, Harry! Hermione's here as well, she's in Ginny's room, if you'd like to see her!" And with that, Mrs Weasley disappeared into the kitchen.
At the thought of Hermione, Harry's heart leapt a little. They had been good friends since the first train ride to Hogwarts and over the years, that friendship had begun to feel more personal for Harry. Whenever Hermione hugged him or sat next to him, his heart fluttered and he found himself lost for words, which was very unlike Harry. Hermione hadn't seemed to notice, however, much to Harry's relief. It would be very awkward for The Boy Who Lived to get all breathless over a girl and not even blink an eyelid at fighting You Know Who.
"Hey, Harry! How are you?" came Ron's cheerful voice from the end of the hall. Harry popped his head into Ron's room and grinned, forgetting the dilemma of Hermione.
"How was your holiday, Ron?" he asked, sitting on the bed and feeling the bewitched quilt snuggle around him.
"It was good, Harry. Look what Ginny bought me!" Ron was holding up a rather large book with a picture of the game of Quidditch on the front. The picture was moving, with the men on the broomsticks ducking and swooping and doing all sorts of stunts.
"It's a biography of the Chudley Cannons, with full-colour photographs of each player!" Ron beamed, flicking through the book. Harry caught glimpses of men grinning and laughing on every couple of pages and smiled himself. This was nothing in the wizarding world. Things got much stranger than moving photographs!
"Harry! Is that you?" came a shout from the doorway. Harry turned and saw Hermione standing there beside Ginny, who looked as if she were about to throw up with excitement at having The Boy Who Lived in her brother's bedroom. Harry smiled and gave Hermione a huge hug. "This is so exciting Harry. Are you ready to go to Diagon Alley? Mrs Weasley says we should head down there now."
Harry nodded, but Ron groaned. "I haven't finished packing yet. Mum's going to kill me because we'll be late and it'll be all my fault."
Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes, reaching into her robes and pulling out her wand. "Here, let me..."
"No, Hermione!" Harry said loudly. "You know you can't do magic when you're out of Hogwarts! Ron will just have to pack by himself."
Hermione shrugged and put her wand away. "Ok, whatever. Just hurry up." She spun on her heel and walked away, followed by Ginny.
Ron was looking confused. "Hermione? She was going to use magic, when she knew she would get in trouble?" he asked Harry.
"Yeah...that's weird," Harry replied. He shook his head. "Anyway, you'd better pack. Here, I'll help you."
"Thanks," Ron said. "I can't wait to get back to school."
"Neither."
Ten minutes later, both boys were standing in the living room with the rest of the Weasleys. Mrs Weasley was hugging Fred and George.
"You be good now. I don't want to have to send anyone a Screamer this year," she said sternly.
Mr Weasley had decided that they would drive to the train station and he had suitably bewitched the car to fit them all in. Harry loaded his stuff in the boot with Ron, then climbed in the back, next to Hermione.
"Hogwarts, here we come!" he grinned as the car began moving.
****************************************
The station was quite busy and Harry and Ron found themselves running to catch up with the rest. One by one they ran into the barrier to get to platform nine and three quarters until there were just Hermione, Ron and Harry left.
"Well, I'll go, shall I?" Hermione said, directing her trolley at the wall. She ran as fast as she could and disappeared into the bricks. Ron motioned for Harry to go.
"After you," he grinned, bowing low. Harry grinned back and started to line his trolley up. He was about to go when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me?" said a female voice. "But I was wondering if you could tell me how to, well, get onto the platform."
Harry turned around and saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She must be part Veela - she was tall, skinny and had the shiniest, longest blonde hair he had ever seen. She had a trolley with her, with a black owl in a cage similar to Hedwigs. She smiled slightly and ducked her head.
Ron nudged Harry. "Sure, we can. You just aim your trolley at that pillar," he said, indicating, "and run as fast as you can into it. You'll just pass through to the platform."
"You run into the pillar?" She looked doubtful.
"Yes," Harry said. She still looked a bit confused, so Harry said, "Look, I'll go first, then you just do what I did, ok?"
She smiled and nodded. "Oh, yes. Okay. Thankyou. By the way, my name is Melisande. I am new at Hogwarts."
Harry smiled and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Harry and this is Ron."
Melisande shook hands with Harry, then Ron.
Ron seemed to be lost for words and stared at his hand she had shaken with love.
"Well, here goes," Harry said, running towards the pillar. When he emerged he was on platform nine and three quarters and the Hogwarts Express was waiting for the final passengers. Moments later, Melisande, then Ron emerged. Melisande looked flushed.
"That was strange," she smiled.
They left their luggage to be put on the train and found Hermione waiting for them with Ginny in their usual cabin. Harry introduced everyone to Melisande and invited her to sit with them. He couldn't help looking at Melisande out of the corner of his eyes and he was sure Ron was too. She was beautiful and there was something bewitching about her. He just couldn't work it out. He sighed and settled back into the seat, eager to arrive at Hogwarts and begin yet another year of excitement and adventure.