Authors Note/Disclaimer: You know what, who cares? In 300 000 years, no one
will remember anyway. oh, I can be sued? All right, all right, all
characters J.K Rowling's except the girl. Happy?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Platform 9 and ¾ was crowded, as usual. Harry looked for his friends through the bustle of hurrying witches, wizards, and their parents. For the past two weeks, Harry had been writing letters to friends and acquaintances who had been concerned with his wellbeing. All had been happy to hear he was coming out of his blue funk. He wasn't perfect though.
He was still guilty.
He would always be guilty.
Shaking these thoughts from his head, Harry went back to looking for Hermione and the Weasleys, and anyone else he knew for that matter. All of a sudden, the five-minute warning whistle blew, and it was a mad chaotic struggle and rush as young magic-users kissed loved-ones good-bye and hurried to find places on the ruby-red train. Harry suddenly glimpsed Ron and Ginny standing there with someone he wasn't quite sure he knew. but that was-
"HARRY!" Hermione shrieked as she dodged through the crowd and hugged him. Harry, getting over his initial shock, hugged her back and, stepping back, took a good look at her. "Hermione," he said solemnly, "you grew. I specifically I told you not to." Hermione laughed. Ron patted him on the back. The red head had grown even more, which was amazing when you thought about it, he was almost 5'11; and he had a very red nose. "Ey Arry," he said stuffily. "Gosh, Ron! You had the Alkatrainien Flu and I didn't even right you a note!" "Ya, well, I ca ot wreary be angwrey wen I'beh so shick." "What?" puzzled Harry and Hermione. "You can't get a thing out of him proper," said Ginny. "Hi Harry." Then the whistle blew.
"Whoa!" Said Harry, and the four dragged their trunks and passed them onto the train to Seamus and Dean who, thank god, happened to be there. Then they jumped on, and Harry barely had time to thank Mrs. Weasley for the cake she had sent before he was hauled inside. The four of them said thank- yous and good-byes to Dean and Seamus, who were in a compartment with Neville, Parvarti and Lavender, before setting off down the train, lugging their bags with them. As usual (isn't this funny how this happens?) the only compartment that wasn't utterly packed (you'd think they'd have a train big enough for everyone, eh?) was the last one. There was one person in it however; a girl who neither Ron nor Harry nor Ginny nor Hermione could guess the age of. She barely looked up when they came in; looked down, then looked up again sharply.
"Hermione Granger?" She asked, dubiously.
"Uh. yes?" Answered Hermione selfconciously. The girl had a stare that was. penetrating. With green eyes and short red hair she had surprisingly dark skin and had a strong presence, yet. yet she seemed almost not there. As if she knew more than Hermione ever would and was, no, not analyzing Hermione but wondering if she was up to a challenge. Then the girl looked away. Hermione let out the breathe she didn't know she had been holding.
"Come in, have a seat." The girl invited, waving vaguely at the seats beside her.
"No one here then?" Asked Harry inquiringly.
"No, there are really 8 other people, I just invited you to sit because I felt like being cramped. No, there is no one else here." Stated the girl sarcastically, but with a smile.
*Contradiction city!* thought Ron, but he didn't say anything. He couldn't with the tail-end of his flu.
Though slightly off their game, Hermione and Ginny sat gingerly down, leaving the boys to put their trunks in the overhead racks. The girl, however, did the same vague wave and the trunks flew to the top racks.
She hadn't used her wand.
The four gaped. "'ow you do dat?" Exclaimed Ron to the best of his ability. "Ya, seriously!" Said Ginny. "I mean, no wand!"
The girl shrugged. "It's a talent."
"'ell of a nicthe tawent." Murmured Ron in barely-suppressed awe.
"Aren't you going to sit down?" The girl stated, waving yet again at the seats. Everyone sat carefully. "Well.. Err. I'm Hermione, as you know, and- "
"This is Ron Weasley, youngest brother of Fred, George, Percy, Charlie and Bill Weasley, older brother of Ginny Weasley"- She pointed at Ginny -"Who in her first year at Hogwarts was possessed by the 16 year old memory of Tom Marvolo Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort, who tried to kill him"- pointing at Harry now -"When he was one year old. However, Voldemort failed because Harry's mother died to protect him and, to quote Albus Dumbledore, 'If there is one power Voldemort cannot understand, it is love.' And you, as you said, are Hermione Granger, a muggle-born witch, best of her year, quite smart. You are all very good friends." The girl finished as she sat back and continued to stare out the window and the countryside that was now rushing by.
The rest gaped.
"Hoa- how- how did you know that????" Declared Ginny, almost angrily. "I have my sources."
"Bu-but that makes no SENSE!" Cried Hermione.
"Actually, it makes perfect sense. I have my sources. I am special. However, I do not expect you to understand. Besides, I am worried that you have not asked me what MY name is."
"Well then," Harry said, recovering, "What's your name?"
"Artemis. Alexandra Robert Tryana Eve Manticori Inspiration Sarah. Artemis. "
"WHAT? That's not a NAME!" Exclaimed Ginny
"Uh, ya, it is. No last name though. That's just the first."
"Doh sensthe." Muttered Ron.
"I agree!" Said Harry.
"Hey, it's my name, don't knock it!"
"Ok, ok. I just meant-"
However, he never got any farther. Darkness descended, and the train descended with it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Platform 9 and ¾ was crowded, as usual. Harry looked for his friends through the bustle of hurrying witches, wizards, and their parents. For the past two weeks, Harry had been writing letters to friends and acquaintances who had been concerned with his wellbeing. All had been happy to hear he was coming out of his blue funk. He wasn't perfect though.
He was still guilty.
He would always be guilty.
Shaking these thoughts from his head, Harry went back to looking for Hermione and the Weasleys, and anyone else he knew for that matter. All of a sudden, the five-minute warning whistle blew, and it was a mad chaotic struggle and rush as young magic-users kissed loved-ones good-bye and hurried to find places on the ruby-red train. Harry suddenly glimpsed Ron and Ginny standing there with someone he wasn't quite sure he knew. but that was-
"HARRY!" Hermione shrieked as she dodged through the crowd and hugged him. Harry, getting over his initial shock, hugged her back and, stepping back, took a good look at her. "Hermione," he said solemnly, "you grew. I specifically I told you not to." Hermione laughed. Ron patted him on the back. The red head had grown even more, which was amazing when you thought about it, he was almost 5'11; and he had a very red nose. "Ey Arry," he said stuffily. "Gosh, Ron! You had the Alkatrainien Flu and I didn't even right you a note!" "Ya, well, I ca ot wreary be angwrey wen I'beh so shick." "What?" puzzled Harry and Hermione. "You can't get a thing out of him proper," said Ginny. "Hi Harry." Then the whistle blew.
"Whoa!" Said Harry, and the four dragged their trunks and passed them onto the train to Seamus and Dean who, thank god, happened to be there. Then they jumped on, and Harry barely had time to thank Mrs. Weasley for the cake she had sent before he was hauled inside. The four of them said thank- yous and good-byes to Dean and Seamus, who were in a compartment with Neville, Parvarti and Lavender, before setting off down the train, lugging their bags with them. As usual (isn't this funny how this happens?) the only compartment that wasn't utterly packed (you'd think they'd have a train big enough for everyone, eh?) was the last one. There was one person in it however; a girl who neither Ron nor Harry nor Ginny nor Hermione could guess the age of. She barely looked up when they came in; looked down, then looked up again sharply.
"Hermione Granger?" She asked, dubiously.
"Uh. yes?" Answered Hermione selfconciously. The girl had a stare that was. penetrating. With green eyes and short red hair she had surprisingly dark skin and had a strong presence, yet. yet she seemed almost not there. As if she knew more than Hermione ever would and was, no, not analyzing Hermione but wondering if she was up to a challenge. Then the girl looked away. Hermione let out the breathe she didn't know she had been holding.
"Come in, have a seat." The girl invited, waving vaguely at the seats beside her.
"No one here then?" Asked Harry inquiringly.
"No, there are really 8 other people, I just invited you to sit because I felt like being cramped. No, there is no one else here." Stated the girl sarcastically, but with a smile.
*Contradiction city!* thought Ron, but he didn't say anything. He couldn't with the tail-end of his flu.
Though slightly off their game, Hermione and Ginny sat gingerly down, leaving the boys to put their trunks in the overhead racks. The girl, however, did the same vague wave and the trunks flew to the top racks.
She hadn't used her wand.
The four gaped. "'ow you do dat?" Exclaimed Ron to the best of his ability. "Ya, seriously!" Said Ginny. "I mean, no wand!"
The girl shrugged. "It's a talent."
"'ell of a nicthe tawent." Murmured Ron in barely-suppressed awe.
"Aren't you going to sit down?" The girl stated, waving yet again at the seats. Everyone sat carefully. "Well.. Err. I'm Hermione, as you know, and- "
"This is Ron Weasley, youngest brother of Fred, George, Percy, Charlie and Bill Weasley, older brother of Ginny Weasley"- She pointed at Ginny -"Who in her first year at Hogwarts was possessed by the 16 year old memory of Tom Marvolo Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort, who tried to kill him"- pointing at Harry now -"When he was one year old. However, Voldemort failed because Harry's mother died to protect him and, to quote Albus Dumbledore, 'If there is one power Voldemort cannot understand, it is love.' And you, as you said, are Hermione Granger, a muggle-born witch, best of her year, quite smart. You are all very good friends." The girl finished as she sat back and continued to stare out the window and the countryside that was now rushing by.
The rest gaped.
"Hoa- how- how did you know that????" Declared Ginny, almost angrily. "I have my sources."
"Bu-but that makes no SENSE!" Cried Hermione.
"Actually, it makes perfect sense. I have my sources. I am special. However, I do not expect you to understand. Besides, I am worried that you have not asked me what MY name is."
"Well then," Harry said, recovering, "What's your name?"
"Artemis. Alexandra Robert Tryana Eve Manticori Inspiration Sarah. Artemis. "
"WHAT? That's not a NAME!" Exclaimed Ginny
"Uh, ya, it is. No last name though. That's just the first."
"Doh sensthe." Muttered Ron.
"I agree!" Said Harry.
"Hey, it's my name, don't knock it!"
"Ok, ok. I just meant-"
However, he never got any farther. Darkness descended, and the train descended with it.