Disclaimer: The usual... I do not own any of the characters or places in this story; they are all the wonderful work of J.K. Rowling. The only character I own is Astra Liu.
This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful, talented and Draco-obsessed, kitty minky. I absolutely LOVE your stories!!!
Luna smiled. Just then, the door opened and four girls entered the room.
"Hello Georgia, Jodie, Lucy, Francesca," said Luna, "This is Astra Liu."
"Hi," said a girl with tight black curls and startling blue eyes, "I'm Francesca, but everyone calls me Fran."
She eyed Luna with disgust.
"And I'm Jodie," said a very pretty girl with long blonde hair, "This is Georgia," she gestured towards a short, plump girl with a huge smile and mousey brown hair, "And Lucy," a tall black girl with shoulder-length plaits.
Astra smiled at them, they seemed very nice. The six girls changed into their pajamas (Astra had found pretty, pale blue nightgown in the trunk) and hopped into bed. Astra stared up at the perfect, patterned ceiling and a smile crept across her face. Finally, she felt like she belonged.
Chapter Four-Diagon Alley
Astra woke very early in the morning. At first she wondered what had woken her, then she realised there was a house-elf standing at the foot of her bed. Astra was quite used to house-elves by now, but she didn't expect to see one as soon as she woke up.
"Good morning," said Astra to the elf, who was staring at her feet.
"Good morning Miss Liu," said the elf, still looking at her feet, "Professor Hagrid wants you in the Entrance Hall in ten minutes."
And with that she left. She had been very strange. Astra quickly changed into the robes Madam Pomfrey had given her. Then she scribbled a note to Luna and hurried out the door.
The common room was deserted. The fire had gone out leaving the room a little chilly. Astra hurried past the study desks and pulled back the blue veil. She squeezed past the suit of armour, who was snoring loudly, and made her way down the corridor. She vaguely remembered the way from the night before, and soon enough she found herself in the Entrance Hall. She didn't have to look far for Hagrid, she couldn't miss him. He was a giant of a man, with a long, tangled beard and a huge moleskin overcoat. He would have looked quite threatening if not for the small pink umbrella he was holding.
"And you'd be Astra Liu?" he asked, smiling at her.
"Yes," said Astra, "I suppose you're Hagrid?"
"Too right I am," he said, "Shall we get going then?"
Astra nodded and Hagrid strode across the Hall and through the oak doors. Astra had to jog to keep up.
"So, how are we getting to London?" Astra asked.
"Knight Bus," Hagrid replied, then, seeing Astra's blank look, continued, "It takes you wherever you wan' to go, just fling out your wand arm and it'll come."
"Okay," said Astra, "Where are we getting on?"
"'Ogsmeade."
Astra didn't know what Hogsmeade was but figured that if she kept her moth shut she'd find out soon enough. Hagrid led her down the sloping lawn and past the lake. They strolled through the gates and began down narrow, windy path. Soon enough, they arrived on the outskirts of a small, deserted village.
"This is 'Ogsmeade," Hagrid announced, "It's the on'y entire-wizard settlement in Britain. Third-years and up are allowed to come down on assigned weekends. Great fun, 'Ogsmeade was."
Hagrid studied the closest building, a large sweetshop called Honeydukes, almost wistfully.
"Umm, Hagrid?" Astra asked, "Are we going to get going?"
"Oh," said Hagrid, turning towards her, "Yes, yes I s'ppose we'd better."
He stuck out his pink umbrella dramatically. There was a loud BANG and a violent purple, triple-decker bus appeared in front of them. Stamped across it were the printed words, 'The Knight Bus'. A tall boy, in his early twenties, who was wearing a horrible suit in the same violent purple as the bus, stepped onto the pavement and began to recite a speech he had obviously learnt off by heart by reciting it every time someone summoned his bus.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go. I am Stan Shunpike, your conductor for the morning."
"Mornin' Mr. Shunpike," said Hagrid.
"Mornin' Sir," said Stan, "Where to?"
"Diagon Alley."
"That'll be 'firteen sickles for the basic trip, fifteen if you want hot chocolate and a galleon for breakfast."
"Just the basic trip, please," said Hagrid, "For two."
"That's one galleon and eight sickles," Stan replied, holding out his hand and taking a some coins from Hagrid, "Good and now if you'd like to jump on board, what 'choo say your names are?"
Astra stepped onto the bus and Hagrid followed. He barely fit through the door.
"I'm Rubeus 'Agrid and this is Astra Liu. Takin' 'er to get 'er school stuff, I am."
Astra looked around. There were assorted armchairs scattered around the place, a couple of them were lying on their sides, as though they had been knocked over. Stan led them up a flight of polished oak stairs to the second level.
"You can have these seats," he said, showing them two seats at the front of the bus.
"Thanks," Hagrid said as they sat down, Hagrid with some difficulty.
The bus took off, with another BANG and Astra's seat slid towards the front of the bus, crushing her legs against the wall. She pushed it back. She was surprised to see they were thundering along a busy highway. The cars along the way squeezed out of the way of the bus, but none of the drivers seemed to notice them.
"Why don't the non-wizards see the bus?" Astra asked Hagrid.
"Muggles? Dunno. Stan doesn't seem to know either."
Astra nodded. Hagrid took out a magazine titled, 'The Quibbler'. Astra read the front cover. There was a picture of a simmering cauldron, and next to it a sub-heading, reading, 'New Quibbler investigator, Percy Weasley, explores cauldron bottoms and the danger they cause to wizard-kind.' Hagrid folded the magazine on its spine, a page with writer's names now faced Astra. She glimpsed the name, "Henry Lovegood" before turning away. Then, realizing what she had just seen, turned back to Hagrid.
"Hagrid, is that Luna Lovegood's dad?" she asked, pointing at the name which was under the heading, "Editor".
"Henry Lovegood? Yeah, you know 'er do you?"
"Yeah, I met her last night. I sleep in her dormitory."
"Well Henry Lovegood's a fine man. Wasn't always though, not until Fudge admitted that You-Know-Who was back-"
"Who's You-Know-Who?"
"Blimey Astra! Don't you know who You-Know-Who is? Most powerful dark wizard for a century! Anyway, old Henry Lovegood was... well, let's say he wasn't very well respected. Bit odd, really. Anyway, 'e reported 'Arry Potter's view of things in The Quibbler and no-one believed him until Fudge admitted You-Know-Who was back. Then everyone was saying how horrible he'd been treated when he was telling the truth the whole time. Didn't mention it was them that had been treating him horribly, mind you. Yeah, old Henry's bin through the mill alright, but he pulled through and that's why he's so well respected now. I 'ear Luna's still getting' a hard time up at the school though, you mind 'er won' you?"
Astra nodded, "But Hagrid, who are these people? Fudge? Harry Potter? You- Know-Who?"
"Where've you been Astra? Those three've got to be the most famous wizards in Britain at the momen'. Well, let's see, Cornelius Fudge is the Minister for Magic. Harry Potter, well, he's at 'Ogwarts. 'E defeated You-Know-Who when 'e was only a baby. Year above you now. And You-Know-Who? Well he was- "
"The most powerful dark wizard for a century, I know. I meant, what's his real name?"
"Well, you see, most people are a bit frightened of him. Not just a bit though, a lot, too frightened to say 'is name even. Me included, see..."
Hagrid looked very uncomfortable. Astra decided to steer away from the topic of You-Know-Who.
"So," she said, "Are we nearly there?"
"As a ma'er of a fact," said a voice from behind them, "I was just coming up to inform you that next stop is Diagon Alley. If you'd like to come down..."
It was Stan Shunpike.
"O' course Mr. Shunpike," said Hagrid, standing up. He was looking rather green from all the BANGS. They descended the staircase and the bus stopped abruptly. Stan opened the door and pushed them out. He waved them off and Astra distinctly heard him say, "Take 'er away Ern."
The bus disappeared with another BANG and Astra and Hagrid were left standing outside a grubby looking pub.
"This is the Leaky Cauldron Astra," said Hagrid, "Famous wizard pub. Shall we go in?"
Hagrid lead the way inside the pub. It was hot and noisy and there were many people sitting around at tables, talking loudly.
"What can I get yeh Hagrid?" asked the landlord.
"Nothin', nothin' Tom," said Hagrid, "I'm on important business. Got to 'urry."
Hagrid led Astra out the back of the pub into a small, cramped courtyard. He seemed to be counting the bricks on one of the walls. Then he picked up his pink umbrella and tapped a brick three times. It started to melt away and doing so, the bricks around it did too until there was an archway in front of them leading to a very busy, very crowded and very magical-looking street.
"Welcome," said Hagrid, "To Diagon Alley."