(A/N Harry Potter and the associated characters, ect. belong to J.K. Rowling, not me. The only things that do belong to me are the plot of this story, and the characters: Chirstina, Gavin, Fiona, Alex, and Savana Walker, as well as a few others.)

Harry Potter and the Staff of Time

Chapter 5

Collision at Kings Cross

"Everyone had better get moving or you'll miss your train!" Molly Weasley announced to the general household, from the kitchen.

Harry appeared in the doorway with Hedwig in one hand and his trunk apparently floating along behind him.

"Harry, you know better then to use magic when your not at Hogwart's." Arthur Weasley chided him.

A burst of laughter came from around the corner and a parade of trunks, and assorted luggage came floating down the stairs and out the front door. Which, Arthur noted, had obligingly opened, all by itself.

"FRED, GEORGE, GET OUT HERE AND STOP ALL OF THIS TOM FOOLERY! THIS INSTANT!" Molly admonished the hidden pranksters.

Fred and George, the Weasley twins, had graduated (by the barest of margins) from Hogwarts over a year ago. Consequently, they were able use their magic without concern of being disciplined by the Minstrey of Magic, as Harry, Ron, and Ginny did. George and Fred had been well known pranksters during their tenure at Hogwarts.

The Weasley family had been aware of this quirky behavior since the twins had been toddlers. Fortunately, the twins had generally limited their pranks on family members to minor things, such as switching identities, etc. So, Mrs. Weasley was likely to be correct in assuming the twins were behind any funny business that occured when they were around, as she had now assumed.

"Gee whiz, Mum!" Whinned one of the twins. "We were just helping these three sloths get their stuff to the car as quickly as possible."

"Yeah!" Added the other twin. "We wouldn't want them to miss their train."

"How are we getting to the train platform this year?" Harry asked.

"By car," Arthur commented. "The Ministry authorized me to adapt another car, as long as no children use it inappropriately." 1

They all headed out to the car and began to load all of the luggage into the car's boot. (Which had strangely, or perhaps not, when one considered the car's owner, was never too full for another item.) Then they all proceeded to pile into the car itself and Arthur started the engine and took off.

"Ginny, do you want to put Stellaluna on the back window shelf, next to Hedwig?" Harry asked. There was no response to Harry's question. "Ginny. . .? Oh no! We've forgotten Ginny!"

"Nice play, Shakespear!" George muttered as Arthur made a U-turn in mid-air and headed back down to the Burrow. Harry watched as Ginny's bug-like, waving figure bacame larger at their approach. Ginny stopped waving and clutched the cage containing Stellaluna protectively to her chest and ran to the car.

"I forgot Stellaluna's food and I ran back into the house to get it. When I got back out here, you were gone!" Ginny wailed. "I knew you'd discover that you'd left me behind, sooner or later. I was just hoping it would be before you got to the train station." She continued.

"Ginny, we're so sorry, . . ." Molly began to say.

"Hey, no harm, no foul." Ron quipped. "But, if we don't get going, we'll miss the train, then we will need to find a way to Hogwarts on our own."

"Well, I certainly don't intend to allow you to use the method of transportation that you, Harry and the twins employed four years ago!" Arthur stated emphaticlly. "Hagrid told me that our old car had gone native and is still living in the forest near Hogwarts."

"I had a difficult enough time persueding the Ministry to allow me to replace that car with this one." He continued. "I don't think they would allow another replacement."

Arthur skillfully guided the now grounded, vehicle through the congested streets near the station. He spotted a convient parking place and turned into it.

Harry and Ginny snickered at the antics of Fred and George. They were making faces out of the car's back window, at a driver who was making angry gestures at their vehicle.

"Oh my! He obviously thinks we've taken his parking place!" George mocked, while holding his head in his hands, as if he were extremely worried.

"Well, I don't see any reserved signs on it." Fred stated cynically.

The frusterated motorist drove off in a huff, leaving the twins to seek a different form of diversion.

Everyone climbed out of the car, loaded the luggage onto pushcarts, and headed toward platform 9 3/4. They had few minutes to spare, due to their late departure from the Burrow.

Harry led the pack as they rushed toward the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10. They failed to notice the teenage girl rushing toward the same spot from the opposite direction. BANG! Harry flew one way, the girl flew another, and the luggage and carts landed haphazardly between them.

"WHAT THE . . . WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" The girl shouted angerly at Harry.

"ME! YOU'RE THE ONE WITH TUNNEL VISION!" Harry retorted crossly.

"LOOK AT THIS MESS!" The girl shouted.

"Hey, I've met you before!" Harry said as he straightened his glasses. "You're the girl with the hawk. Savana, isn't it?"

"Get yourselves together! You two can reminisce later, on the train!" Said Ron. "Right now, we need to get this luggage picked up and get everyone through the portal before it closes."

The rest of the Weasleys were piling the luggage on the carts, as fast as they were able. Meanwhile, Harry and Savana had gotten to their feet and dusted themselves off.

"Ginny, go through the portal. Quickly now!" Molly admonished her daughter. "Ron, away with you! Shoo now!" She gave her son a small push, to get him moving in the direction of the portal.

"Now it's your turn." Arthur addressed Savana. "Then you can go, Harry.

We'll follow and say goodbye to all of you at the train, if the portal stays open long enough."

Harry couldn't help but to remember his second year at Hogworts. He

hadn't been able to get through the portal in time and ran into a brick wall instead. He hoped that he wasn't about to repeat that performance. He walked nonchalantly through the portal and emerged on the platform by the Hogwarts Express. He noticed he had been followed by the rest of the Weasleys, who hurried along behind him as he searched for anyone from the rest of their traveling group.

"Harry, Savana! We're over here!" Shouted Ron from a compartment window near the end of the train.

Harry, Savana and the rest of the Weasleys, made their way toward him as quickly as they were able to. There was quite a crowd of parents and well wishers on the platform, which made it necessary to navigate carefully around groups of people as they made their way to the correct coach.

After thanking the Weasleys and saying their farewells, Harry and Savana quickly grabbed their carry-on baggage and got on board the train. They then made their way to the compartment Ron had hailed them from.

"Harry, I heard you'd crashed and burned outside the portal." A prim voice teased.

"Hello, to you too, Hermonie." Harry stood holding Hedwig in the compartment doorway. He glanced around it, then looked behind him at Savana. "There are too many of us to fit comfortably in this compartment. Savana and I'll see if there's another one nearby."

"Savana, if you would check those, I'll check these." Harry suggested while indicating down the corridor.

Savana noticed that the train had begun to move as she knocked on the door next to the compartment occupied by the others. The door was opened by a pug faced girl, who wore a rather unpleasant expression on her face.

"We don't want any." She said snidely, as though she were talking to a servant.

"Oh, I'm not selling anything." Savana said sweetly, even though she was

feeling more like slapping the girl in the face. "My friend and I were looking for a compartment which might have a couple of empty seats for us to use during the trip to school. However, it's obvious that there's no room in here."

Savana arched an eyebrow as she took in the view of two of the compartments occupants. She thought they bore an amazing resemblance to neandrothals with bad haircuts. She couldn't see anything of the fourth occupant, except their shoes. She did, however, recognise the owner of the voice which now drawled from behind the door.

"I recognise that awful accent! What are YOU doing here?" The owner of the snobbish voice came into view around the edge of the door. "What's the problem, here? Don't the mudblood and her poverty stricken friends want the privilage of your company for a few hours?"

"If you must know, there are five of us and the compartment only holds four comfortably." Savana responded while fighting a desire to drop an anvil on the pale, little, ferret faced boy in front of her. Just like in the cartoons in the USA. Now that she thought about it, it would be nice to do the same to the rest of the compartment's occupants, especially the snotty, little, witch (with a capital B) who had answered the door. "Maloderous, isn't that your name?" Savana uttered with a tone of sweet contempt in her voice. She was actually very aware that his name was Draco Malfoy, but, couldn't resist the impulse to insult him.

"It's MALFOY! " Draco retorted, while slowly turning red with fury. "DRACO MALFOY, of the ancient, wizard lineage of Malfoy!"

"Oh, please excuse my little faux pas." Savana apologised, hopeing she sounded appropriately humble and snide. "We were never properly introduced. Now, if you will excuse me, I'll continue with my quest. I can see that my presence here is undesirable. I would rather sit on the floor of the other compartment for the entire journey, than to impose myself upon such an august group." Savana allowed the sarcasm to drip from her voice as she made the last statement.

Pansey shut the door with much more force than was necessary.

"I hope that doesn't knock down any of that luggage stashed on the upper racks, over their seats." Savana thought, maliciosly.

She turned back toward Harry, who now stood shaking his head, outside of their original compartment. As she did so, a mighty crash could be heard from within the compartment containing Malfoy and his cronies. She could also hear assorted yelps and curses coming from within. It was all Savana could do to contain her laughter as she motioned Harry to open the door to, what was now, their compartment.

She dove through the open doorway as Ron, and the others inside the compartment, tried to exit. They wanted to know what was going on inside Malfoy's compartment. (As did everyone else in the car.)

"Follow me, and shut the door, quickly!" Savana commanded the other four as she backed up toward the compartment's window.

"Savana, I know this makes no sense, whatsoever, but, I suspect you had more than a little to do with what just happened in there." Harry said, with suspicion in his voice.

Savana sprawled on the floor laughing hysterically. "I might have had a little, something to do with it." She gasped between bursts of laughter.

"Just what did you say your last name was?" Hermonie asked suspiciously.

"Walker." Savana replyed innocently.

1. Rowling, J.K.; HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS: Harry, Ron, Fred and George missed

the Hogwarts Express. In order to get to Hogwarts, they borrowed the car Arthur Weasley had modified and flew

it to Hogwarts. They had some trouble as they approached the school and crashed into the Whompping Willow.

The car escaped into the surrounding forest and became a wild thing.