Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, otherwise, this would be book No. 5!
Author's Notes: Thanks go out to all who reviewed. I should have a YuGiOh! fanfic started soon…
Chapter 7
Phebis Malfoy
The last month of the holidays passed so quickly Harry was actually sad to leave the Granger's home and go back to Hogwarts. The Grangers, Pan, and Harry had spent the last of their holidays browsing through Diagon Alley, going to Mr. And Mrs. Granger's work, and balloon painting. Harry, who'd never heard of painting with balloons, and Pan, who had been locked away from the outside world, chose to watch the Grangers rather than join in. Balloon painting was very messy. Balloons filled with paint were tied to a cardboard wall with a piece of paper over the cardboard so when they'd remove the balloons, the paint would still be there. Then, each painter would grab five darts and through them at the balloons. Half way through the game, Harry decided to join in. It was pretty fun, until Mr. Granger accidentally missed the board and hit a lamp. Then Mrs. Granger, Hermione, Harry, and Pan cleaned up the paint, while Mr. Granger fixed the lamp.
Finally, September first came. Harry and Pan went through the wall between platforms nine and ten and came out on platform nine and three quarters. Harry and Pan were pushing her trunk up the platform when Harry heard someone call his name from behind him. He turned and saw someone very red and tall running towards him.
"Harry, where on Earth have you been all summer? I called your relatives, but they said you weren't there," Ron gasped.
"Well, I was staying with Hermione for the summer. Didn't you hear?" Harry asked.
"That was you and Hermione and… her?" Ron staggered backwards.
"Wow! Amazing!" Ron said after Hermione, Harry, and Pan told their stories, Pan's was the longest. The train was picking up speed every hour. They were halfway there when the door slid open and Draco Malfoy stepped in.
"Hi Potter. Oh, look, Phebis, it's that mudblood I was telling you about." Harry looked behind Draco and saw a boy with brown hair, face, and pale skin.
"Pick on someone your own size," Pan shouted and before Draco could pull out his wand, Pan had lunged forward and attacked.
"All right brat. I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget," Phebis roared as he grabbed Pan around the waste and marched towards the closed window.
"No!" Harry shouted, but it was too late. Phebis had thrown Pan out the window. Glass shattered everywhere.
"Help me!" Harry screamed to Ron and Hermione as the Malfoys left. With Hermione and Ron's help, Harry managed to get his broom and throw it out the window after Pan. It landed about fifteen feet away from where she lay helpless on the ground.
"Harry, let's tell the conductor! This is urgent!" Hermione said in a panicky voice.
"I don't want any more trouble with the Malfoys, Hermione. Not while we're on this train. I'll wait till we see Professor McGonagall or Professor Dumbledoor." The train came to very sudden halt, sending Hermione forward, and she hit her head on the wall and fainted. Ron picked her up and said, "We're here, so I'll take her to the hospital wing while you go inform a professor, okay?"
"Okay," Harry answered.
As soon as he saw Professor McGonagall, he raced towards her and told her everything that had happened on the train. Panting, Harry waited while McGonagall informed the headmaster.
"Well, Mr. Potter, Professor Dumbledore has sent some wizards out to look for her. In the meantime, go sit down in the Great Hall and watch the sorting." Harry couldn't argue, so he left and sat down next to Fred Weasley.
"Hey Harry," Fred said. "What's the matter?" Fred was quiet as Harry told him what happened on the train.
"So, where's Ron?"
"Still with Hermione, I guess," said Harry.
"You know, he's been talking about her a lot this summer. I wonder why…" Fred said slyly. "Who knows," said Harry. "Who knows."