Disclaimer: I own only a few characters (you'll probably know which as in they are not in the real H.P books) everything else is J.K Rowlings.
Authors Note: This is my version of the fifth book. Some of the plot is the same, but mostly it is different. Please take time to read, this is my first fanfic. If you do take your time to read this, maybe take a little bit more and give it a review, good or bad. I hadn't been planning on actually posting this so if no one likes it I wont continue. Thx…
THE LOST RIDDLE
Chapter One
New Arrivals
The Hogwarts Express roared along the tracks. Harry Potter sat by the window in a back compartment, eyes fixed on the passing scenery. His best friend Ron Weasley sat to his right, hastily examining a bag of Bernie Blott's Every Flavor Beans.
"This one looks good," Ron said aloud, drawing Harry's attention away from the window. He held a bright red bean between his thumb and forefinger, turning it in the sun. Ron popped it into his mouth and his freckled face quickly turned ashen.
"Eck, liver," he grimaced after an exaggerated gulp. The expression on his face forced a small snort of disapproval out of Hermione Granger, who, until now, had been engrossed in that days issue of the Daily Prophet. Harry just laughed along with the rest of the compartments occupants, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood.
It had only been half and hour since they had boarded the train, and already they were bored. The excitement of returning to Hogwarts had dwindled within the first ten minutes of their trip, and it would only return once they saw the gates of the castle itself. So here they sat, occasionally striking up a small conversation. Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn't talk about what they really wanted to while the others were present. The Order, after all was a secret. So instead they made due with petty talks of first years, feasts, and pixies.
"Anybody else want one?" Ron now held out a handful of beans and scanned the room with his eyes.
"After that?" Hermione questioned, arching her eyebrows. Ron simply shrugged and put the beans back in the bag.
"I was just bein' nice," he murmured under his breath and lay his head back against the wall. Silence once again filled the compartment as Harry returned to the window. The view beyond the glass was beautiful. Green fields stretched as far as the eye could see with thick grasses swaying in the breeze. He could hear the wind whistle against the train and Harry felt as though he could fall asleep.
His eyelids were just beginning to feel heavy when someone knocked on the compartment door. Harry turned to see Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan staring at them through the glass windows on either side of the door.
"Hello," Hermione said as Ron waved them in.
"Hey guys," Dean said. Seamus simply gave a nod.
"So, what's going on?" asked Harry.
"Well, we just came to say hi, and ask if you guys had heard yet." All six of them stared at dean, waiting for him to finish. When he didn't, Neville asked what all of them had been thinking.
"Heard what, Dean?"
"Great. So you haven't." Dean clapped his hands together and squeezed onto the seat next to Hermione. "Well, I heard that there's going to be new students this year." A moment of silence followed as everyone stared at him, puzzled.
"Uh, Dean," whispered Ron, " there's always new students. Every year at least 50 of um' come. They're called first years." Harry looked at Ron and then nodded at Dean, amazed that he could have failed to recognize this before. Dean on the other hand, looked pleasantly surprised at Ron's words.
"Duh Ron! I'm not a git! I mean NEW students. NEW fifth years actually. Three of um', from America." Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.
"I've never heard of students coming to Hogwarts so late. Especially students that are from America," Hermione stated, " Are you sure about this?"
"Well there's a first time for everything, ain't there?" retorted Dean. "And like I said, that's what I heard, but I don't think its just some stupid rumor, people have seen um'."
"I saw um'." Everyone's attention jerked towards Seamus. Until now he hadn't said a word; Harry had forgotten he was even there. "They were walking down the corridor a few minutes ago. There were two boys and a girl." Once again the trio exchanged glances. Harry had a feeling that this wasn't good news; that Voldermont returning and three students suddenly appearing at Hogwarts was more than a coincidence. From the looks on their faces, he knew that Ron and Hermione felt the same way.
"Well, just wanted to let you know, but there's plenty more people that ought to hear the news. We'll catch you guys later."
"Uh, yeah, see you later." Everyone said their goodbyes as Dean and Seamus left the compartment.
"Well, I hope they aren't mean." Neville's choice of words caused a series of sideways glances targeted at him. "Well, I've always heard that American's are mean," he stammered, noticing the weary glances.
"Oh Neville," cried Hermione, "that's just ignorance at its best. Not ALL Americans are mean, that's just a stupid label." Neville's cheeks flushed a deep red and he lowered his head towards Trevor, his toad.
"If you ask me, it seems a bit odd. Perhaps they're some sort of ancient spirits or aliens. I think I will notify my father about there sudden appearance." Luna's statement received even more anxious glances than did Neville's.
"I'm thirsty," Hermione announced as she drew her stare from Luna, " I think I'll go find something to drink." As she headed for the door she shot Harry and Ron a quick glance that specifically told them to follow her.
"Uh, yeah. Me too," Harry said and nudged Ron in the ribs.
"Yeah." Ron and Harry rose to follow Hermione. As they reached the corridor Harry shot a glance over his shoulder to see if any one was looking at them. Neville and Ginny however were both gaping at Luna, and Harry swore that he hear Neville ask what type of ancient spirits she thought they were as he closed the door.
"That girl gives me the creeps," Ron said, shaking his head.
"Yeah, Luna's a bit on the weird side, but we have bigger things to worry about," Hermione replied. Harry and Ron stared at her expectantly. " I don't know about you, but I think we ought to learn more about these "new" students." She raised both her hands to make quotation marks with her fingers as she said the word new. "I mean, don't you find it a little odd that now, of all the times, three students just suddenly start attending Hogwarts?"
"You don't think they're on you-know-who's side, do you?" asked Ron.
" I'm not sure yet, but I do find it suspicious. And we should be careful until we do know for sure what they are all about."
"What do you think Harry?"
"Well, I agree with Hermione, Ron. It does sound a bit suspicious."
"What are you three doing out here in the middle of the corridor all alone eh?" George Weasley's voice carried over to where the trio stood. He, along with his twin brother Fred, was walking towards them.
"You wouldn't be discussing the new students now would you?" asked Fred. They both had huge smirks on their faces.
"So what if we were? Its none of your business what we talk about," scowled Ron. The twins just looked at each other as if they knew something the rest of them didn't.
"Yeah, you're right. None of our business," smiled George.
"None at all," chimed in Fred as they walked off with an exaggerated swagger.
Hermione rolled her eyes and said to Ron, whose face was turning red with annoyance all ready, "Never mind them, they're just trying to get to you. They know nothing."
"WE know nothing," Harry reminded her.
"Exactly, and they know even less than us." And with that she turned and walked down the corridor the opposite way the twins had.
"Is that suppose to be a good thing," Ron asked Harry with arched eyebrows. Harry gave half a shrug and started after Hermione, Ron fell in step behind him.
"Uh, Hermione? Where are we going," Harry asked wearily, but before she could answer she came to a sudden halt.
"Great," he heard her mumble. Up ahead he could now see why. Draco Malfoy and his band of idiots, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson, were coming out of the compartment just ahead. He and Ron exchanged nervous glances.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I cant wait to meet these Americans…" Draco's words were cut short when he caught sight of the three of them. A dark smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Well if it ain't Harry Potter, our walking celebrity. Or is it psychotic liar now?" The smile on both his face and those behind him grew. "Ah, and of course its the dirty weasel and little miss brain too. To scared to walk in the corridor alone are we Potty Boy?" Small giggles escaped Pansy Parkinson's lips and Crabbe and Goyle grunted their approval of Draco's insults. "You know what Potter?"
"Let me guess." Draco turned in surprise as a voice rang out from behind him. "You're an ass. And you were just about to move your sorry ass, along with the group of apes behind you, outta our way." Three people Harry had never seen before stood glaring at Draco and his friends.
"Wha…" Malfoy stammered as he took a small step backward.
"Yes, yes. You're getting it. Now one more step. See…that wasn't so hard. Even for a brainless shit like you." The three people pushed themselves past Draco without so much as a second look. The boy that had spoken was the first to pass. He was tall and athletic. He could have kicked Malfoy's ass. The thought of that brought a smile to Harry's face.
"What the hell are you smiling at, scar face?" The boy fixed Harry with a cynical look as his two friends came up behind him. The look on their faces made his breath catch in his throat. All he could do was shake his head as if to say nothing.
"Good." He said as they started to walk past, each fixing a stare at Harry as they did. The second boy was shorter than the third, and skinnier. Harry still got a feeling he could kick his ass though. The last one to walk past was a girl. Harry turned to watch as they left, and as he did, the girl turned around and met his eyes. Suddenly a blinding pain shot through his fore head. Clamping his hand over his scar, he grimaced at the pain. It hadn't hurt this bad all summer long.
"Harry? Are you ok?" Harry looked up to see the concerned looks on Ron and Hermione's faces.
"Yeah. I'm…I'm fine." But he wasn't. He had seen something in those eyes; something he couldn't put his finger on.
"Well," Ron said, as he stared down the corridor at the back of the three students, "I guess that was them."
"Why don't we get back to our compartment before Draco and his apes recover," Hermione pointed towards Malfoy and his friends. They all stood transfixed, watching the three Americans disappear down the corridor.
"Well, they sure didn't seem that nice to me," Ron said as he took his seat next to Harry. They had returned to the compartment and had just finished telling Neville, Ginny, and Luna about their encounter with the Americans.
"Me neither," agreed Hermione, and then gave Harry a nervous glance. He knew what she was thinking, because he had been thinking it ever since it happened. The fact that his scared had felt like it was splitting open when that girl looked at him was not a good sign.
"Well hopefully I won't have to meet up with them," Neville shuttered at the thought, " I don't like mean people. They're…. they're…they're mean!" Everybody looked at Neville. "Well they are!"
"I what houses they'll be in. Do you think they'll be sorted with the first years?" Ginny's question made everyone look around at each other, hoping somebody had the answer.
"Who knows, I guess we'll see when we get there," shrugged Hermione, " We better get changed into our robes. I think were almost there." After a few moments of rustling clothes, everyone had managed to pull their robes over their existing clothing. Ginny and Luna began arguing over whether ancient spirits existed or not while Neville seemed to be having a deep conversation with his toad. Harry Ron and Hermione didn't utter a word for the rest of the journey to Hogwarts. Their minds were still trying to work out the mystery around the sudden appearance of the Americans. So far, it wasn't looking good.
By the time they reached Hogwarts, rain had been pelting the windows for fifteen minutes. Within seconds after disembarking, their robes were soaked. The icy wind cut at their faces and made their bones shake. Harry looked up at the face of the castle. It was good to be home. His ears strained through the rain, waiting to hear the familiar voice of Hagrid, calling for first-years. But when the calls for first-years finally did come, it wasn't the gruff voice he was expecting. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw through the dark that it was Professor Grubbly-plank.
"Hey, what's she doing here?" he asked, jabbing Ron in the side.
"Huh, what? Oh, I don't know. Where's Hagrid at?"
"Can we figure it out later? Lets just get in a buggy and out of this rain for now!" cried Hermione.
Pushing past hoards of cold first-years, Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to an empty buggy.
"Why it's raining in September, heaven only knows!" Hermione shouted through the rain, although talking to no one in particular. A long line of black buggies now lay before them, most already occupied by groups of shivering students. Harry, Ron and Hermione made straight for an empty buggy towards the back. Heads bent against the cold they took there seats and waited for the buggy to jerk into movement.
The Great Hall was the most welcoming sight he had seen all summer. It's walls were adorned with the colors of the various houses, and floating torches lit up the large space, giving it the cozy feeling of a log cabin. The long wooden staff table lay at the front of the hall, facing out among the four house tables. Most of the students had already taken refuge from the rain and were now seated on the benches of their own house tables. Everyone was chattering among themselves, eagerly awaiting the sorting and then, of course, the feast. Harry, Ron and Hermione took their seats at the Gryffindor table, across from Ginny and Neville.
"Hey guys. Did you notice that Grubbly-plank lady is here?" asked Ginny.
"Yea…we saw. I wonder where Hagrid is anyway." Harry responded, glancing at the staff table. Most of the seats were already occupied. Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster, sat in the middle of the table in the chair with the highest back. Harry could have sworn that the headmaster winked at him as he caught his eye and he quickly turned back to face his friends; Dumbledore wasn't his favorite person right now.
"So how much longer 'till the sorting…" Ron began, but was cut short as the doors to the Great Hall flew open and in came a very stern looking Professor McGonagall leading a group of very nervous looking first years. Ron had his answer. "Never mind." He mumbled.
Everyone's eyes in the Great Hall turned to watch the procession make their way towards the front of the hall, where a small wooden stool had suddenly appeared. Atop it lay a very old, and very faded, tattered black hat. For a moment, silence filled the hall as the first years lined up in front of the hat. Then with a few gasps of surprise from the new students, the hat burst into song.
"Welcome wizards, witches, old and new
Another year is here
Very special for all of you
And very the same for me
So plop on down
Put me on your crown
Then just wait and see
Which house becomes your home?
It all depends on who you are
And who you are is in your heart
Hearts of the brave to Gryffindor will go
While hearts of truth will find the way to Hufflepuff's door
Those with minds as their core
To Ravenclaw they will go
As for the last but not the least
Those who will succeed
Are on their way to Slytherin's chamber
Don't be fooled my dears
By what or whom is new
All hold their secrets as well as fears
So go with great heart
And with head held high
For only in time will those who live die."
A series of weary glances were exchanged throughout the Great Hall at the Sorting Hat's sudden change of mood at the end of the song, followed by a few hesitant claps.
"Um…very well. Let's begin." Even Professor McGonagll was slightly taken aback. "When I call your name, please step forward and be seated on the stool." With that the Professor began calling out names.
"Allcraft, Lisa." All eyes were on a small girl with long blonde hair as she made her way to the sorting hat. All eyes except Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They were busy scanning the crowded Great Hall for the three Americans. When the line of first years came through the doors, the first thing the three of them noticed was that there was nobody older than eleven among them, so the theory of the Americans being sorted with the new first years was thrown out the door. That meant they must already belong to a house.
"Do you see 'um?" Harry whispered to Ron as roars of applause came from the Ravenclaw table. Lisa Allcraft must have been sorted into that house.
"No. But how am I supposed to notice them with all these people. Too bad they weren't ten feet tall or really, really fat," Ron replied. Harry laughed and shook his head.
"Just keep looking and stop talking!" Hermione scolded. Another roar of applause erupted from the slytherin table. Harry hadn't heard the name of the girl called, but caught a glimpse of her as she happily made her way to the table. His eyes were already glued to the slytherins. He had a strong feeling that wherever the Americans were, it was there.
"Barron, William." A thin, scraggly boy with mouse brown hair made his way up to the stool. "GRYFFINDOR." Cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry applauded with his fellow Gryffindors while keeping an eye on the Slytherin table, which was booing rather loudly. A sharp jab in his ribs tore Harry's eyes from them and toward Hermione.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"I think I found them," Hermione said slowly. Harry stopped rubbing his side and turned to face the direction Hermione was looking in. There, not five feet from them, were the three Americans, sitting side by side across from Fred and George; sitting at the Gryffindor table.
Harry didn't know what to say. He couldn't say anything. All he could do was sit there with his mouth open and gape at the scene before him. How could they be in Gryffindor? By the way they acted on the train, Harry had been sure they'd be in Slytherin. But how they were acting now, you'd have thought they had been in Gryffindor for five years. The three of them seemed to be having an amusing conversation with Fred and George. The twins were laughing harder than Harry had ever seen them with their eyes squeezed shut and mouths wide open in laughter, their faces were a darker red than their hair. It was obviously the girl that had supplied the punch line because she just sat their with a small smirk on her face as everyone around her, including the two boys that she was with on the train, were doubled over with laughter.
"What could possibly have been THAT funny?" Hermione's voice rang in Harry's ear. He just shrugged and continued staring. There was something about that girl…
"HELLO!!!" Hermione had shouted this time, demanding Harry's attention, "would you actually look at me when I'm talking to you?"
"S-sorry," he muttered.
"Ron…Ron!" Hermione was now trying to get Ron's attention. Ron however was oblivious to either of his friends sitting next to him. He was busy goggling at the Americans. He didn't snap out of his daze until Hermione reached around Harry and tugged the back of his robes.
"W-what?" he asked, sounding a bit put off from having to turn and face his friends.
"Geez, you two are pathetic. Do you think you could possibly stop staring at that girl for at least five seconds to hear what I have to say?" Hermione cried, sounding annoyed. Ron hung his head for a moment before turning to look at the girl again. Harry hadn't noticed that Ron was only looking at her. He thought he'd been studying all the Americans, trying to figure out why they were there. That's why Harry was staring.
"Sorry," Ron mumbled not tearing his gaze from the girl, "I hadn't noticed how pretty she was on the train." Harry looked at his best friend and then down towards the girl. She was pretty. He had failed to notice it earlier as well. Her auburn hair fell in soft curls right below her shoulders. A few loose tendrils fell onto her face, adding softness to her sharp jaw line. Her eyes were the darkest of brown, almost black, and they looked inviting, soothing, familiar…that was it! She looked so familiar! Harry could have sworn he knew her from somewhere, but at the same time he was sure he had never met her before. But she looked so familiar…
"Hello, you guys are staring again." This time both Ron and Harry turned to Hermione. She looked very annoyed.
"Sorry," they both said without a second's hesitation. Hermione just scowled.
"This isn't good," she said after a moment's silence.
"Why?" Ron obviously thought it was a very good thing.
"Have you completely forgotten about the train ride here, Ron?" Blush crept into Ron's cheeks as he hung his head.
"Well…no…but…I dunno," he stammered, admitting defeat.
"Well I haven't." Hermione stated. Harry just remained silent. He hadn't either. Suddenly Ron's head jerked upwards.
"It could of just been a coincidence you know, Harry's scar hurting and all," He said with a look of hope dawning on his face, which was quickly crushed when Hermione scowled at him. He once again went to hanging his head.
"Yes, Ron. I'm sure all of this is one big coincidence. Voldermort returning," Ron shuddered as Hermione said the name, "three new students suddenly appearing at Hogwarts, Harry's scar hurting when that girl looked at him, and then they are in Gryffindor, Harry's house! Yea I guess it could be if only Voldermort didn't want Harry DEAD!" Ron's head sunk lower to his chest.
"What are you saying Hermione? You think they're spies for Voldermort or something?" Harry asked. Hermione sighed and loosened her expression a little.
"All I've got to say is that just because you have to be out of school to join the Order, doesn't mean you have to be to become a Death Eater. Actually having student Death Eaters would probably be Voldermort's best bet at getting to you, Harry." Hermione finished in a whisper as she saw fear rising onto Harry and Ron's faces. That thought had obviously never crossed their minds.
Harry didn't have time to respond. The Great Hall burst into applause as the last student was sorted into Ravenclaw. Albus Dumbledore now stood.
"Welcome," the aged headmaster said, spreading his arms before him. Silence filled the Hall.