Chapter Four
SCARLET BEAUTY
"Harry, Ron! I'm sure you remember Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart!" said Hermione excitedly.
With her stood a charming man with wavy blond hair that glistened in the sun. He still wore the humongous smile on his face, showing off the perfect white teeth that complimented his crystal blue eyes wonderfully.
Harry smiled slightly, a dumb look on his face. "Looks like he recovered pretty well..." he whispered between his teeth. He could barely hear Ron (who was still bowled over with disgust) utter a response. They both remembered the self-absorbed personality of "Professor" Lockhart from three years ago. Everything he had said and done was a hoax, fabricated from thin air to increase his reputation.
"Mr. Lockhart, these are my friends Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley!" Hermione turned towards him and lowered her voice, saying, "They used to be your students as well."
Just to keep from being too rude, Harry had to urge on Ron with a good shove.
"But just look at that guy…it doesn't take a fortune teller to know he's all shine and no substance…I bet his teeth are fake, too…."
"Ron, shut it. There are other people here, people who can hear you."
Lockhart continued smiling as he walked over to them and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, gentlemen!" Harry took his hand and shook it strongly.
"It's good to see you again, sir."
"Oh Merlin, you needn't address me so! If anything, I should be addressing you with respect! It truly is a joy to meet you – again, as I am told." Harry didn't know what else to do but smile.
Ron, on the other hand, just stood there with the same look on his face. After a while, Lockhart's grin diminished a bit, seeing that Ron wasn't going to take his hand. But Hermione shot Ron a reprimanding glare, forcing him to finally speak up. He didn't make too much of an effort to be discreet.
"Ah yes. Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart, five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award. Who could possibly forget you?"
Lockhart's smile lessened a little. "Am I really…?" He made a restrained sound of awe in his throat but said no more.
"Anyways," continued Hermione, turning back to Lockhart, "You might want to find a nice room for the night. Someone will come to pick you up tomorrow." He nodded genially, and bid farewell to Hermione, then Harry and Ron. She made sure to watch him even as he walked away, two cases in hand. Ron rolled his eyes, and Harry had to bite his lip, just to keep from bursting out in laughs.
When the handsome man was out of sight, Hermione switched her attention to Harry and Ron, and she beamed brightly as she gave them both a friendly hug.
"I missed you guys so much!"
Ron snorted. "Looks like you missed Lockhart even more."
Hermione became serious. "Why do you still scoff him? He's gone through a lot, that man. He was supposed to meet some ministry people who would help him around, and he got a bit lost –"
Both Ron and Harry burst into laughs; Hermione crossed her arms, annoyed.
"Well! I can see both you have really matured! At least I attempted to show some genuine compassion!"
"I guess that was pretty noble of you," replied Harry, still trying to stifle his snickers. Ron, however, was still having a laugh riot, mimicking a very befuddled Lockhart tapping his wand in vain at the brick wall to Diagon Alley.
"Well, thank you, Harry. At least someone has some common sense here…I emphasize some…." Hermione had gone back to glaring at both of the boys, as Harry began roaring with laughter again at Ron's newest impersonation: Hermione giddily prancing after the very confused Lockhart.
"Oh honestly! I mean, it's not like I followed him around."
"Right, right…what was that restraining spell you used again?" said Ron sarcastically. Hermione tried to ignore them, although a smile did begin to creep onto her face.
Clearly anyone could see that the three of them were the very epitome of true friendship.
***
The trio finished up quickly in Diagon Alley, and most of the time was spent catching up with each other anyways. Of course, it wasn't too much of a surprise to Harry or Ron when Hermione excitedly informed them that she had received an owl declaring her one of the Gryffindor prefects. However, both Hermione and Ron were shocked when Harry admitted to not receiving any notice of becoming Quidditch captain.
"But who else is more experienced?"
"Or capable?"
"Or deserving?"
Harry blushed a bit, happy to have such supportive friends. "Actually," he replied, "I though Fred or George would be chosen, but –"
"Nah, they didn't get any owls either. Well, none about Quidditch anyhow…."
"I'm sure you'll get the position next year then," added Hermione optimistically. "Maybe the professors were merely inclined to choose seventh years, like Angelina, seeing that it was their last year. It is a shame that one of your brothers didn't make the cut though, Ron."
"I bet the professors figured in good behavior, or lack thereof, along with skill, eh? Clever bunch, I'd say," said Ron with a wry smile.
"Going back to the Burrow until the Express, are we?" Hermione enjoyed spending time at the Weasleys' abode as much as Harry; she shared his disappointment at Ron's response as well.
"Well, come on then. We might as well stay at the Leaky Cauldron until the express."
"Sounds good," said Ron and Harry simultaneously. Any worries about Sirius had been pushed out of Harry's mind for the time being.
***
September first arrived in no time. Harry, Ron, and Hermione hastened over to King's Cross Station with their heavy trunks dragging behind them. By now they were so familiar with the tricky entrance into Platform Nine-and-Three-Fourths that they chatted energetically as they passed through. Most students were in high spirits when term began again, but none was ever happier than Harry. He would rather spend more time at magical Hogwarts than with the Dursleys…
Suddenly everything that had happened popped back into his head, and as soon as they found a compartment he decided to tell Hermione and Ron.
Upon entering the bright red train, Hermione, who looked absolutely glowing in a forest green cardigan, checked to make sure all her schoolbooks were packed. Earlier she had lost one of her new books without noticing (how could I have been so careless?!), and then continued to check every five minutes afterwards. Ron rolled his eyes as he followed Hermione's stash of wisdom; Harry just smiled.
"Hermione, is this really necessary?" asked Ron.
"Well, of course! I would be completely horrified if I lost another one of my books. I picked up a fascinating collection about ancient runes and spells when we went on our trip. Now wouldn't it be a shame if I lost my precious souvenirs? I think I would be frantic the rest of the day."
Ron, however, wasn't worried; he said coolly, "You already read them all, haven't you?"
"Yes, but that's not the point!"
Ron just mumbled under his breath, and luckily Hermione didn't hear him.
"Why don't we go find Neville, Seamus, and the others? We haven't seen them in a while?" suggested Hermione brightly.
"Well, actually I thought we –" started Harry, hoping that they could have some time to themselves, but he was cut off when someone who was trying to enter the train bumped into his shoulder.
"Excuse me," said a voice hastily.
Harry turned around, a bit annoyed. In an exasperated tone, he said, "Oh you're excused…." Hermione and Ron wheeled around, but it wasn't whom they expected.
Standing in front of them was a boy about their age. He had sharp eyes and dark brown hair that hung loosely about his face. He grunted, but wore a smirk as he turned around. "Potter, Weasley…."
He paused to watch their expressions, which hadn't changed; they still wore a scowl of great dislike.
"I don't blame you for not remembering me – I've changed quite a bit. Let me reintroduce myself: Blaise Zabini, fifth-year Slytherin."
Blaise then looked up and down at Hermione suggestively. With a lowered gaze, he whispered, "My, aren't you a pretty little lady? I like your sweater – it's very becoming." Hermione couldn't help but go red in the face.
"What do you want, Zabini?" shouted Ron impatiently. "Are you here to do Malfoy's biddings now?"
The Slytherin raised his head irritably and looked straight at Ron. "No, I work on my own, thank you very much."
"Watch where you're going, Zabini," said Harry darkly.
"I should say the same to you, Potter. This place is going to get mighty dangerous for people like you." With that, he flashed his eyes and strolled off.
"What's his problem?" said Ron, still watching the figure disappearing into the crowded train.
"No idea – but I'm sure he's right." Ron and Hermione looked at Harry curiously. "Come on, I need to tell you guys a lot of things."
The three of them found an empty compartment and locked the door. He finally had the chance to tell them about everything that happened: the Dursleys' disappearance, the mysterious Snitch, the visit from the Ministry workers, the encounter with Malfoy in the forest, and of course the attack at Sirius' cabin.
This left Hermione very uneasy and scared. She pulled him into a comforting embrace and whispered, "Oh Harry…are you okay?"
Harry sighed. "I just need some time to figure things out. Nothing seems quite right at the moment."
"I'll say," said Ron. "And you suppose You-Know-Who is behind all this?"
"Seems like the most reasonable explanation, that's for sure," said Harry softly.
"Harry, can I see the Snitch?" asked Hermione intrigued. Harry opened his book bag and took out a small box that once contained Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, figuring that the Servicing Kit would be too large to bring into the compartment. It was tied up with lots of string, but she could still see the gold sphere through the clear plastic.
"How utterly fascinating –" she mumbled during this inspection. Ron peered over her shoulder to get a closer look at the glinting object.
"Do you know anything about it? Perhaps the meaning of the markings?" asked Harry.
"It's very hard to discern. The attention to detail is so exact, it's really quite amazing. But maybe – I can find a spell –" Hermione began searching through one of the many books piled in her trunk.
"Ah, here it is! The Wizards of Ancient Rome – got it during the holiday. Most people don't realize that the ancient wizards actually had great skills with magic – some even more complicated than what we have now."
In the meantime, Ron had picked up the little box for a more scrupulous look. He shook the container frantically, causing the little orb to flutter about angrily.
"I swear," said Ron. "That thing knows we're trying to look at it or something! Maybe it doesn't want us to see it –"
All of a sudden Hermione's eyes widened. "Ron! That's it! How brilliant!" She rapidly flipped through the pages as Ron, who was first confused beyond belief, smirked and said, "That's me."
Hermione evidently found what she was looking for, because the heavy tome suddenly flopped onto Harry's lap, startling them both. "It's so obvious! Somebody's cast a basic Evasion Spell on the Snitch."
Harry and Ron stared at her with blank eyes. It seemed every spell was "basic" in Hermione's point of view. Finally, she rolled her eyes and explained.
"It can only be reversed by being in the presence of the person who cast it."
Suddenly the little Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans box wasn't enough to retain the fidgety orb. In a burst of gold, the Snitch exploded out of its paper prison and darted through the train corridor. Hermione immediately jumped to her feet and grabbed at Ron's arm.
"Come on! We've got to catch it!"
"Why us?!" said Ron, eyeing Harry. "We've got the youngest seeker in over a century right here!"
"Really, I'll just stay here," said Harry, not much feeling up to chasing a crazed Golden Snitch through the Express. "You know…to make sure no one tries to steal anything," he added quickly.
"Oh, good idea!" said Hermione quickly before pulling Ron out of the compartment. Harry simply smiled as he watched the two hustle down the narrow corridors. Ron shouted apologies to the many people Hermione pushed over as she dragged him away.
Harry couldn't help himself but laugh, but again he felt a strange presence watching him. He turned around, but it wasn't Malfoy or Zabini. Among the crowds of students passing through the corridor, there stood a girl – and a very beautiful one at that. She stood by the compartment door peering intensely at Harry. Harry felt awkward and eventually decided to say something.
"Hi. I've never seen you before," said Harry, with a feeling of great stupidity.
Harry had the knack of saying the slowest things to girls. His mind jumped back to Cho before last year's Yule Ball. "Er, I mean, can I help you?" he tried adding quickly.
Great...even better, he thought.
The girl just stood there for a moment, and Harry was sure she was about to leave when she gestured toward the empty seat in the compartment. "May I?"
Harry was quite taken aback. It seemed that his nervous-at-the-worst-moments quality didn't offend the ladies too badly. But as much as it confused him, Harry decided to smile and play along. With a slight shake in his voice, he said, "Er - sure, of course. There's no one here but me."
The girl picked up her bag, which contained a couple of books, a wand, and a quill, and sat down across from Harry. She had straight rusty hair that went down to her shoulder and the most beautiful brown eyes Harry had ever seen. She sat by the window, and as the sunlight beamed down, her hair had the slightest gleam of red.
Don't fall for another one, he thought to himself, remembering his attraction to Cho. Harry knew that beauty was not the most important thing – he just needed to remind his eyes a lot.
"So, I assume you're a graduate?" said Harry, feeling dumber than ever.
"Oh no," said the girl with a bit of a laugh, and unless he was mistaken, she had a bit of a quiver in her gentle voice as well. "I'm only a fifth year. My parents preferred that I transfer from Beauxbatons. They have been very...interested in all that's been going on at Hogwarts."
Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously. What was that supposed to mean?
Perhaps the mysterious girl had realized she said something too personal. Her eyes darted to the floor. "Anyways, I should probably mention that -" The girl was cut short when a train guard suddenly appeared at the door, saying, "Back to your compartments. We'll be arriving at Hogwarts soon enough."
The beautiful girl looked at Harry, her brown eyes sparkling. She stood up, rather quickly, although Harry hoped she was just feigning her lack of reluctance. She watched the guard continue on, and then quietly, while exiting the compartment, she whispered, "It's nice to meet you, Harry Potter."
Harry sighed, but out of the corner of his eye something caught his attention. By the compartment door, a single black feather lay on the ground.
SCARLET BEAUTY
"Harry, Ron! I'm sure you remember Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart!" said Hermione excitedly.
With her stood a charming man with wavy blond hair that glistened in the sun. He still wore the humongous smile on his face, showing off the perfect white teeth that complimented his crystal blue eyes wonderfully.
Harry smiled slightly, a dumb look on his face. "Looks like he recovered pretty well..." he whispered between his teeth. He could barely hear Ron (who was still bowled over with disgust) utter a response. They both remembered the self-absorbed personality of "Professor" Lockhart from three years ago. Everything he had said and done was a hoax, fabricated from thin air to increase his reputation.
"Mr. Lockhart, these are my friends Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley!" Hermione turned towards him and lowered her voice, saying, "They used to be your students as well."
Just to keep from being too rude, Harry had to urge on Ron with a good shove.
"But just look at that guy…it doesn't take a fortune teller to know he's all shine and no substance…I bet his teeth are fake, too…."
"Ron, shut it. There are other people here, people who can hear you."
Lockhart continued smiling as he walked over to them and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, gentlemen!" Harry took his hand and shook it strongly.
"It's good to see you again, sir."
"Oh Merlin, you needn't address me so! If anything, I should be addressing you with respect! It truly is a joy to meet you – again, as I am told." Harry didn't know what else to do but smile.
Ron, on the other hand, just stood there with the same look on his face. After a while, Lockhart's grin diminished a bit, seeing that Ron wasn't going to take his hand. But Hermione shot Ron a reprimanding glare, forcing him to finally speak up. He didn't make too much of an effort to be discreet.
"Ah yes. Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart, five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award. Who could possibly forget you?"
Lockhart's smile lessened a little. "Am I really…?" He made a restrained sound of awe in his throat but said no more.
"Anyways," continued Hermione, turning back to Lockhart, "You might want to find a nice room for the night. Someone will come to pick you up tomorrow." He nodded genially, and bid farewell to Hermione, then Harry and Ron. She made sure to watch him even as he walked away, two cases in hand. Ron rolled his eyes, and Harry had to bite his lip, just to keep from bursting out in laughs.
When the handsome man was out of sight, Hermione switched her attention to Harry and Ron, and she beamed brightly as she gave them both a friendly hug.
"I missed you guys so much!"
Ron snorted. "Looks like you missed Lockhart even more."
Hermione became serious. "Why do you still scoff him? He's gone through a lot, that man. He was supposed to meet some ministry people who would help him around, and he got a bit lost –"
Both Ron and Harry burst into laughs; Hermione crossed her arms, annoyed.
"Well! I can see both you have really matured! At least I attempted to show some genuine compassion!"
"I guess that was pretty noble of you," replied Harry, still trying to stifle his snickers. Ron, however, was still having a laugh riot, mimicking a very befuddled Lockhart tapping his wand in vain at the brick wall to Diagon Alley.
"Well, thank you, Harry. At least someone has some common sense here…I emphasize some…." Hermione had gone back to glaring at both of the boys, as Harry began roaring with laughter again at Ron's newest impersonation: Hermione giddily prancing after the very confused Lockhart.
"Oh honestly! I mean, it's not like I followed him around."
"Right, right…what was that restraining spell you used again?" said Ron sarcastically. Hermione tried to ignore them, although a smile did begin to creep onto her face.
Clearly anyone could see that the three of them were the very epitome of true friendship.
***
The trio finished up quickly in Diagon Alley, and most of the time was spent catching up with each other anyways. Of course, it wasn't too much of a surprise to Harry or Ron when Hermione excitedly informed them that she had received an owl declaring her one of the Gryffindor prefects. However, both Hermione and Ron were shocked when Harry admitted to not receiving any notice of becoming Quidditch captain.
"But who else is more experienced?"
"Or capable?"
"Or deserving?"
Harry blushed a bit, happy to have such supportive friends. "Actually," he replied, "I though Fred or George would be chosen, but –"
"Nah, they didn't get any owls either. Well, none about Quidditch anyhow…."
"I'm sure you'll get the position next year then," added Hermione optimistically. "Maybe the professors were merely inclined to choose seventh years, like Angelina, seeing that it was their last year. It is a shame that one of your brothers didn't make the cut though, Ron."
"I bet the professors figured in good behavior, or lack thereof, along with skill, eh? Clever bunch, I'd say," said Ron with a wry smile.
"Going back to the Burrow until the Express, are we?" Hermione enjoyed spending time at the Weasleys' abode as much as Harry; she shared his disappointment at Ron's response as well.
"Well, come on then. We might as well stay at the Leaky Cauldron until the express."
"Sounds good," said Ron and Harry simultaneously. Any worries about Sirius had been pushed out of Harry's mind for the time being.
***
September first arrived in no time. Harry, Ron, and Hermione hastened over to King's Cross Station with their heavy trunks dragging behind them. By now they were so familiar with the tricky entrance into Platform Nine-and-Three-Fourths that they chatted energetically as they passed through. Most students were in high spirits when term began again, but none was ever happier than Harry. He would rather spend more time at magical Hogwarts than with the Dursleys…
Suddenly everything that had happened popped back into his head, and as soon as they found a compartment he decided to tell Hermione and Ron.
Upon entering the bright red train, Hermione, who looked absolutely glowing in a forest green cardigan, checked to make sure all her schoolbooks were packed. Earlier she had lost one of her new books without noticing (how could I have been so careless?!), and then continued to check every five minutes afterwards. Ron rolled his eyes as he followed Hermione's stash of wisdom; Harry just smiled.
"Hermione, is this really necessary?" asked Ron.
"Well, of course! I would be completely horrified if I lost another one of my books. I picked up a fascinating collection about ancient runes and spells when we went on our trip. Now wouldn't it be a shame if I lost my precious souvenirs? I think I would be frantic the rest of the day."
Ron, however, wasn't worried; he said coolly, "You already read them all, haven't you?"
"Yes, but that's not the point!"
Ron just mumbled under his breath, and luckily Hermione didn't hear him.
"Why don't we go find Neville, Seamus, and the others? We haven't seen them in a while?" suggested Hermione brightly.
"Well, actually I thought we –" started Harry, hoping that they could have some time to themselves, but he was cut off when someone who was trying to enter the train bumped into his shoulder.
"Excuse me," said a voice hastily.
Harry turned around, a bit annoyed. In an exasperated tone, he said, "Oh you're excused…." Hermione and Ron wheeled around, but it wasn't whom they expected.
Standing in front of them was a boy about their age. He had sharp eyes and dark brown hair that hung loosely about his face. He grunted, but wore a smirk as he turned around. "Potter, Weasley…."
He paused to watch their expressions, which hadn't changed; they still wore a scowl of great dislike.
"I don't blame you for not remembering me – I've changed quite a bit. Let me reintroduce myself: Blaise Zabini, fifth-year Slytherin."
Blaise then looked up and down at Hermione suggestively. With a lowered gaze, he whispered, "My, aren't you a pretty little lady? I like your sweater – it's very becoming." Hermione couldn't help but go red in the face.
"What do you want, Zabini?" shouted Ron impatiently. "Are you here to do Malfoy's biddings now?"
The Slytherin raised his head irritably and looked straight at Ron. "No, I work on my own, thank you very much."
"Watch where you're going, Zabini," said Harry darkly.
"I should say the same to you, Potter. This place is going to get mighty dangerous for people like you." With that, he flashed his eyes and strolled off.
"What's his problem?" said Ron, still watching the figure disappearing into the crowded train.
"No idea – but I'm sure he's right." Ron and Hermione looked at Harry curiously. "Come on, I need to tell you guys a lot of things."
The three of them found an empty compartment and locked the door. He finally had the chance to tell them about everything that happened: the Dursleys' disappearance, the mysterious Snitch, the visit from the Ministry workers, the encounter with Malfoy in the forest, and of course the attack at Sirius' cabin.
This left Hermione very uneasy and scared. She pulled him into a comforting embrace and whispered, "Oh Harry…are you okay?"
Harry sighed. "I just need some time to figure things out. Nothing seems quite right at the moment."
"I'll say," said Ron. "And you suppose You-Know-Who is behind all this?"
"Seems like the most reasonable explanation, that's for sure," said Harry softly.
"Harry, can I see the Snitch?" asked Hermione intrigued. Harry opened his book bag and took out a small box that once contained Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, figuring that the Servicing Kit would be too large to bring into the compartment. It was tied up with lots of string, but she could still see the gold sphere through the clear plastic.
"How utterly fascinating –" she mumbled during this inspection. Ron peered over her shoulder to get a closer look at the glinting object.
"Do you know anything about it? Perhaps the meaning of the markings?" asked Harry.
"It's very hard to discern. The attention to detail is so exact, it's really quite amazing. But maybe – I can find a spell –" Hermione began searching through one of the many books piled in her trunk.
"Ah, here it is! The Wizards of Ancient Rome – got it during the holiday. Most people don't realize that the ancient wizards actually had great skills with magic – some even more complicated than what we have now."
In the meantime, Ron had picked up the little box for a more scrupulous look. He shook the container frantically, causing the little orb to flutter about angrily.
"I swear," said Ron. "That thing knows we're trying to look at it or something! Maybe it doesn't want us to see it –"
All of a sudden Hermione's eyes widened. "Ron! That's it! How brilliant!" She rapidly flipped through the pages as Ron, who was first confused beyond belief, smirked and said, "That's me."
Hermione evidently found what she was looking for, because the heavy tome suddenly flopped onto Harry's lap, startling them both. "It's so obvious! Somebody's cast a basic Evasion Spell on the Snitch."
Harry and Ron stared at her with blank eyes. It seemed every spell was "basic" in Hermione's point of view. Finally, she rolled her eyes and explained.
"It can only be reversed by being in the presence of the person who cast it."
Suddenly the little Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans box wasn't enough to retain the fidgety orb. In a burst of gold, the Snitch exploded out of its paper prison and darted through the train corridor. Hermione immediately jumped to her feet and grabbed at Ron's arm.
"Come on! We've got to catch it!"
"Why us?!" said Ron, eyeing Harry. "We've got the youngest seeker in over a century right here!"
"Really, I'll just stay here," said Harry, not much feeling up to chasing a crazed Golden Snitch through the Express. "You know…to make sure no one tries to steal anything," he added quickly.
"Oh, good idea!" said Hermione quickly before pulling Ron out of the compartment. Harry simply smiled as he watched the two hustle down the narrow corridors. Ron shouted apologies to the many people Hermione pushed over as she dragged him away.
Harry couldn't help himself but laugh, but again he felt a strange presence watching him. He turned around, but it wasn't Malfoy or Zabini. Among the crowds of students passing through the corridor, there stood a girl – and a very beautiful one at that. She stood by the compartment door peering intensely at Harry. Harry felt awkward and eventually decided to say something.
"Hi. I've never seen you before," said Harry, with a feeling of great stupidity.
Harry had the knack of saying the slowest things to girls. His mind jumped back to Cho before last year's Yule Ball. "Er, I mean, can I help you?" he tried adding quickly.
Great...even better, he thought.
The girl just stood there for a moment, and Harry was sure she was about to leave when she gestured toward the empty seat in the compartment. "May I?"
Harry was quite taken aback. It seemed that his nervous-at-the-worst-moments quality didn't offend the ladies too badly. But as much as it confused him, Harry decided to smile and play along. With a slight shake in his voice, he said, "Er - sure, of course. There's no one here but me."
The girl picked up her bag, which contained a couple of books, a wand, and a quill, and sat down across from Harry. She had straight rusty hair that went down to her shoulder and the most beautiful brown eyes Harry had ever seen. She sat by the window, and as the sunlight beamed down, her hair had the slightest gleam of red.
Don't fall for another one, he thought to himself, remembering his attraction to Cho. Harry knew that beauty was not the most important thing – he just needed to remind his eyes a lot.
"So, I assume you're a graduate?" said Harry, feeling dumber than ever.
"Oh no," said the girl with a bit of a laugh, and unless he was mistaken, she had a bit of a quiver in her gentle voice as well. "I'm only a fifth year. My parents preferred that I transfer from Beauxbatons. They have been very...interested in all that's been going on at Hogwarts."
Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously. What was that supposed to mean?
Perhaps the mysterious girl had realized she said something too personal. Her eyes darted to the floor. "Anyways, I should probably mention that -" The girl was cut short when a train guard suddenly appeared at the door, saying, "Back to your compartments. We'll be arriving at Hogwarts soon enough."
The beautiful girl looked at Harry, her brown eyes sparkling. She stood up, rather quickly, although Harry hoped she was just feigning her lack of reluctance. She watched the guard continue on, and then quietly, while exiting the compartment, she whispered, "It's nice to meet you, Harry Potter."
Harry sighed, but out of the corner of his eye something caught his attention. By the compartment door, a single black feather lay on the ground.
