Harry sighed as he looked out the window. The turmoil in his head was obvious. Should he tell her? Could he trust her? Malfoy might have set her up as a trick.
"Something on your mind?" Elizabeth asked, starting Harry out of his trance.
"Just trying to decide on something." He kept his eyes out the window.
"Yeah, I kind of figured." Elizabeth touched his arm. Harry turned his head to look at her. "You don't have to tell me, but if you do, I swear to you; I will not tell a soul," she promised as she removed her hand from his arm. Harry felt a pit in his stomach fill up. He stared into Elizabeth's eyes and felt like he could've trusted her with his life.
"It's not for the faint of heart," he warned.
"If I was faint of heart I wouldn't be traveling to an unknown place in the middle of a war."
Harry nodded and took a deep breath. "Here it goes," he began. "It all started when my dad was at school. You know, Hogwarts. He had three best friends, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. They each had different nicknames. Three were unregistered animagi. My dad was Prongs, because he could turn into a stag; Sirius was Padfoot because he could turn into a dog; and Peter was Wormtail because he could turn into a rat. Lupin was Moony, because he was a werewolf. The four of them were mischief makers. They even wrote a map of everything on the Hogwarts grounds. It has little dots that mark a spot where a person is, and it shows every single secret passageway out of Hogwarts. They also had an invisibility cloak, which helped them on their escapades…" he continued.
As he related the rest of the story, Ron would nod occasionally, as if approving the story. Once and awhile, Elizabeth would interrupt with a comment. When Harry told her about the Chamber of Secrets, she'd said, "You must be the real Godric Gryffindor. Only the real guy could take that sword out of a tattered old hat." She hadn't mentioned how she knew about the founders of Hogwarts.
When Harry told her about the Department of Mysteries, she liked the badge they gave him and his group. "Harry Potter, rescue mission, huh? That makes it sound like a spy movie or something." She listened to that story with a smile, until he came to the part about Sirius.
Harry went on until he came to the present day. Ron stopped nodding toward the end, because he hadn't known anything about the prophecy or any of that.
"Ho-ly jeez," said Elizabeth with wide eyes.
"I told you," replied Harry.
"Isn't that like almost being told you're Spider-Man or Superman or something? Like you have to save the world?"
"I'm not sure who those people are, but, alright. I guess. Either Voldemort does it to me, or I do it to him."
"No one should have to shoulder that kind of responsibility," she said compassionately as she patted Harry's back.
Talking about it all opened old wounds, like Sirius, Cedric, and his parents. Harry knew the list would get longer. That was the way it was with war. He didn't feel too much like speaking after that.
"Hello, dears. Would you like anything off the trolley?" A plump witch with a food cart stopped in their compartment.
"How about three of those things…The chocolate frogs?" requested Elizabeth. The witch told Elizabeth the cost and she paid. Harry and Ron bought a little bit of everything.
"Please tell me these were not once real," whimpered Elizabeth at the sight of the moving chocolate.
"What is it with people who grew up with muggles and chocolate frogs?" Ron sighed. "Of course they're not real. It's only a spell. They stop moving once you chew on them. You get a card with each one. It has a famous witch or wizard on it."
"I'm surprised they don't have a wizard card for me, yet," Harry joked.
"I got Ptolemy," said Elizabeth.
"Oy! I need me one of him," groaned Ron.
"You can have it." Elizabeth handed the card to Ron and then turned to Harry. "So, what do you guys do for fun?"
"Quidditch," Ron replied with a mouthful of chocolate frog.
"I think I heard of that. I guess I'd like to play."
"Really? We only have two chasers left, and no beaters. Would you like to try out, if you're in Gryffindor?" Harry inquired. For the first time since he explained his existence, his eyes brightened and his face came back to life.
"I think you'd seriously have to talk with your captain before I go and do that."
"You're looking at the Gryffindor captain," Harry said with an arrogance Elizabeth wasn't expecting from him.
"Cool. Sure. I'd love to try out. Not that I'd be any good…But, at least, I'll know I tried." Elizabeth smiled.
Harry made a mental note to remember who might be a new member of the team. He then went back to normal. He started thinking about try-outs. He hoped Dumbledore would let him pick the day and time.
"What time do you usually get to Hogwarts?" Elizabeth inquired.
"About now," Ron said, looking at his watch.
"Now!?" Harry repeated. He glanced at his and Ron's muggle clothes.
"I'll be in the next car when you guys finish getting dressed," Elizabeth offered as she went into the compartment in front.
When they were done, Harry stuck his head in the car Elizabeth said she'd be in. "We're in our robes, now," he informed her. She smiled back and told the girl she was talking with that she'd see her later.
"Who was that?" Harry asked curiously.
"Her name's Annabelle. She's another American. She's going to be in her first year," Elizabeth explained. The two of them got Ron and walked off the train.
"Firs' years and foreign exchange students, this way! Firs' years and foreign exchange students!" called Hagrid.
"Harry, who's he?" Elizabeth was just a little intimidated by his size.
"That's Hagrid. Don't worry, he wouldn't hurt a fly," Harry reassured.
"If you say so." She didn't look totally convinced, but she left Harry and Ron and walked over to Hagrid.
"Hope you make it to Gryffindor!" Ron yelled after her.
"Me, too!" she shouted back, waving at them.
Harry watched as Elizabeth, the exchange students, and the first years were led to the dock, filled with little three person boats. He took his eyes away from them to pet one of the thestrals before he entered the carriage. He inhaled deeply as he took in the scent of wet hay. The carriages pulled up to the front hall of Hogwarts and stopped. Harry and Ron got off and walked inside with the rest of the other students.
When they were seated, they noticed the exchange students weren't there, yet. Harry's eyes traveled to the front of the Great Hall. They first rested on the professor in the middle, Albus Dumbledore. He was talking to Professor Snape, a slimy git, in Harry and Ron's opinion. It wasn't about the Order, because Dumbledore was smiling and laughing, while Snape just looked sour, as normal.
The double doors opened, shushing all of the students up in a second. Professor McGonagall walking into the Great Hall with a line of students trailing behind her. The exchange students were up front. Harry picked out Elizabeth, and noticed she looked determined to not look afraid. Ashley, Julio, and Antonio looked much worse for the wear. Ashley looked like she fell into the lake. She had Hagrid's great coat hung over her shoulders.
"This is the group of foreign exchange students who are to be participating in Hogwarts, this year. They will be joining the sixth years." She stopped before the Sorting Hat, waiting for it to begin its song.
The school of Hogwarts,
Treasured and of old,
Must not turn anyone out,
Because of the coming cold.
The cold I speak of is evil,
Looming, not subsided,
And, yet, I must do the horrible thing,
Of making Hogwarts divided.
Whether or not you go to Slytherin,
Really doesn't matter, anymore,
Neither Ravenclaw, nor Hufflepuff,
Or even Gryffindor.
Sure, you may be smart,
Or you may have daring do,
You may even be sly or loyal,
But I know it's wrong to separate you.
But this is my purpose,
To sort young people is my destiny,
We all have one, we must all follow it,
Who am I to lead a mutiny?
Come, young first years,
And those from overseas,
Come put me on your heads,
And discover your destinies.
(A/N: What? It looks like I'm writing for nothing. Oh well. Someone's got to find it sooner or later. *Shrinks into chair* Next chapter up soon…possibly…if someone gives me a reason to…)