A week later, the gang packed their trunks, Harry packing away especially carefully his gift from Amanda. It was a lovely day, the kind of day where everything feels right in the world, and the air just oozes contentment. Unfortunately, ever since the cupboard incident, Ron and Hermione had been awkward around each other, leaving Harry and Ginny thinking that perhaps their plan had failed after all. They drove silently to London, with only a few conversations involving, "Are you excited about school starting?" "Did you do all your school work?" Thankfully, Hermione lived closer to London then Ron and Harry did.
They finally reached King's Cross, said good-bye to Hermione's parents (who could not come in because, as dentists, they were very busy and needed to get back to work), and headed towards Platform 9 3/4. They leaned against it, chatting unconcernedly, and slid through. They dragged their trunks towards the huge, scarlet Hogwarts Express and found a compartment to themselves. Luna Lovegood soon joined them, along with Neville. Harry showed Neville his mimbulus mimbletonia which was nearly identical to Neville's, except for the fact that Harry's was rather scrawny and mean-tempered, owing to the fact that he had rather neglected it. Neville tutted under his breath, and set to work repairing it and introducing it to his own plant. They were very early, and so they sat, talking about their summers while people drifted in and out of their compartments. After a while, Harry got annoyed with all the people coming in, and he started wishing that they hadn't come in early. When a knock resounded from the glass door where a figure clad in Hogwarts robes stood, Harry was frankly sick of it. Irritably, he grumbled, "Come in."
The figure snorted and said in a clearly feminine voice, "No need to be cranky. I just wanted to know if you had a seat." She slid open the glass door, and a chorus of four gasps went through the compartment. Amanda Briody was on the school train.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You're not a muggle?!" Amanda and Harry chorused disbelievingly. Amanda lunged at Harry, hugged him tightly and grinned.
"And to think, I was all depressed because I wouldn't see you until next summer!" Amanda chirped. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were laughing at this amazing happening. They hadn't even realized that she was a witch. Meanwhile, Neville and Luna were looking at them with eyebrows raised. Apparently they had no idea of what the hell was going on.
Harry turned around, laughing, and said, "Neville, Luna, this is Amanda. She's my good friend, she lived near me. We both didn't realize that the other wasn't a Muggle until now."
Neville and Luna smiled weakly, still confused. Amanda sat down between Hermione and Harry, then leaned over to smile and introduce herself to Neville and Luna. They began talking together, with Hermione, Ginny and Ron catching up on events while Harry and Amanda and explained the events more clearly to the two confused students.
Meanwhile, the compartment door slid open. Everyone turned towards the newcomer.
Cho Chang walked into the room, with a frozen smile on her face. She had found Amanda with her chin on Harry's shoulder, talking happily about what she had done this summer and how bland it had been without him. Her eyes narrowed.
"Who's this, Harry?" they both asked, although in completely different tones of voice. Cho's was curt and crisp, while Amanda's was friendly and warm.
"Um,er..." Harry stammered.
Amanda took the liberty of introducing herself. She stood up, and held her hand out. "Hi, I'm Amanda, nice to meet you..." She trailed off when she realized Cho was glaring at her. Seeing this, Amanda straightened up and held her chin high. She brushed her long brown hair away from her face as she glared back at Cho, her brown eyes boring holes in Cho's blackish brown eyes. Cho looked away, and Amanda gained a triumphant look at her face.
"So, you've found a whore as you're new girlfriend, eh, Harry? Given up on Hermione, have you? Or just rebounding?" Behind Cho, Amanda's eyes flashed dangerously, and she seemed to crackle with electricity. She opened her mouth to talk, but Harry beat her to it.
"SHE'S NOT A WHORE!" he yelled. "She's a great girl, and I'm not rebounding off Hermione, BECAUSE HERMIONE WAS NEVER MY GIRLFRIEND! SHE'S JUST MY BLOODY FRIEND! AND EVEN IF SHE WAS MY GIRLFRIEND, WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? LAST I HEARD YOU WERE OFF TRAIPSING ABOUT WITH GUYS AS IF YOU WERE A SCARLET WOMAN!"Ron and Hermione sniggered. Harry took a deep breath and finished with, "SO DON'T YOU CALL AMANDA A WHORE, YOU HYPOCRITE!"
At this, Cho turned on her heel and stepped out of the compartment, looking as if Harry had just smacked her in the face. For a second, there was an awkward silence. Then Amanda turned to Harry, her face still red from the suppressed anger, and said "Thanks," and kissed him on his equally red cheek. They both turned even more crimson, and Harry looked at his shoes, marveling at their supreme shininess.
Suddenly, Hermione burst out laughing.
"What?!" cried Harry indignantly.
"S-scarlet w-woman..." she replied between peals of laughter. She pointed at Ron and laughed harder. Ron turned red and smiled sheepishly. The compartment erupted in laughter, except for Neville and Luna, who were more confused than ever.
They finally reached King's Cross, said good-bye to Hermione's parents (who could not come in because, as dentists, they were very busy and needed to get back to work), and headed towards Platform 9 3/4. They leaned against it, chatting unconcernedly, and slid through. They dragged their trunks towards the huge, scarlet Hogwarts Express and found a compartment to themselves. Luna Lovegood soon joined them, along with Neville. Harry showed Neville his mimbulus mimbletonia which was nearly identical to Neville's, except for the fact that Harry's was rather scrawny and mean-tempered, owing to the fact that he had rather neglected it. Neville tutted under his breath, and set to work repairing it and introducing it to his own plant. They were very early, and so they sat, talking about their summers while people drifted in and out of their compartments. After a while, Harry got annoyed with all the people coming in, and he started wishing that they hadn't come in early. When a knock resounded from the glass door where a figure clad in Hogwarts robes stood, Harry was frankly sick of it. Irritably, he grumbled, "Come in."
The figure snorted and said in a clearly feminine voice, "No need to be cranky. I just wanted to know if you had a seat." She slid open the glass door, and a chorus of four gasps went through the compartment. Amanda Briody was on the school train.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You're not a muggle?!" Amanda and Harry chorused disbelievingly. Amanda lunged at Harry, hugged him tightly and grinned.
"And to think, I was all depressed because I wouldn't see you until next summer!" Amanda chirped. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were laughing at this amazing happening. They hadn't even realized that she was a witch. Meanwhile, Neville and Luna were looking at them with eyebrows raised. Apparently they had no idea of what the hell was going on.
Harry turned around, laughing, and said, "Neville, Luna, this is Amanda. She's my good friend, she lived near me. We both didn't realize that the other wasn't a Muggle until now."
Neville and Luna smiled weakly, still confused. Amanda sat down between Hermione and Harry, then leaned over to smile and introduce herself to Neville and Luna. They began talking together, with Hermione, Ginny and Ron catching up on events while Harry and Amanda and explained the events more clearly to the two confused students.
Meanwhile, the compartment door slid open. Everyone turned towards the newcomer.
Cho Chang walked into the room, with a frozen smile on her face. She had found Amanda with her chin on Harry's shoulder, talking happily about what she had done this summer and how bland it had been without him. Her eyes narrowed.
"Who's this, Harry?" they both asked, although in completely different tones of voice. Cho's was curt and crisp, while Amanda's was friendly and warm.
"Um,er..." Harry stammered.
Amanda took the liberty of introducing herself. She stood up, and held her hand out. "Hi, I'm Amanda, nice to meet you..." She trailed off when she realized Cho was glaring at her. Seeing this, Amanda straightened up and held her chin high. She brushed her long brown hair away from her face as she glared back at Cho, her brown eyes boring holes in Cho's blackish brown eyes. Cho looked away, and Amanda gained a triumphant look at her face.
"So, you've found a whore as you're new girlfriend, eh, Harry? Given up on Hermione, have you? Or just rebounding?" Behind Cho, Amanda's eyes flashed dangerously, and she seemed to crackle with electricity. She opened her mouth to talk, but Harry beat her to it.
"SHE'S NOT A WHORE!" he yelled. "She's a great girl, and I'm not rebounding off Hermione, BECAUSE HERMIONE WAS NEVER MY GIRLFRIEND! SHE'S JUST MY BLOODY FRIEND! AND EVEN IF SHE WAS MY GIRLFRIEND, WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? LAST I HEARD YOU WERE OFF TRAIPSING ABOUT WITH GUYS AS IF YOU WERE A SCARLET WOMAN!"Ron and Hermione sniggered. Harry took a deep breath and finished with, "SO DON'T YOU CALL AMANDA A WHORE, YOU HYPOCRITE!"
At this, Cho turned on her heel and stepped out of the compartment, looking as if Harry had just smacked her in the face. For a second, there was an awkward silence. Then Amanda turned to Harry, her face still red from the suppressed anger, and said "Thanks," and kissed him on his equally red cheek. They both turned even more crimson, and Harry looked at his shoes, marveling at their supreme shininess.
Suddenly, Hermione burst out laughing.
"What?!" cried Harry indignantly.
"S-scarlet w-woman..." she replied between peals of laughter. She pointed at Ron and laughed harder. Ron turned red and smiled sheepishly. The compartment erupted in laughter, except for Neville and Luna, who were more confused than ever.