CHAPTER TWO: PARIS POTTER

The morning of Harry's return to Hogwarts was a mad rush. The Ministry was providing them with cars and they were already waiting outside the headquarters to take the Weasleys, Hermione and Harry to Kingscross station. Dumbledore had stopped by the night before to wish them all a safe trip and then to give Lupin and Mad Eye instructions on escorting the cars to platform 9¾. This year would be noticeably different.

Guards from the Ministry would be patrolling the station and the Hogwarts Express in case of an attack on Voldemort's part. Dumbledore had taken extra measures in ensuring Hogwarts would not be susceptible to any attacks as well.

The school wasn't the only thing that had changed. The dementors had been relieved of their job as guards of Azkaban and in their place was elite aurors. Goblins, giants and other creatures had yet to take a side and Dumbledore and Fudge could only hope to entice them to join the Order or else remain neutral. The wizarding world was on full alert as was the muggle world, although they just assumed that a group of terrorists were on the loose, and they had been told not to approach any person who look suspicious.

The guards, who immediately formed a tight, protective circle around Harry and his friends, signified Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys' arrival at platform 9¾. Students turned to look at Harry and acknowledged him with respect, something that was unusual of last year when he had been branded a lying crackpot. It wasn't just students who were turning to look at Harry, their parents and guardians were doing the same and a few even took their hats off to him in deep bows. Voldemort's return seemed to have banded the schoolhouses together.

Of course, Harry was sure he could count on the Slytherines for making a nuisance. Harry had been sure that most of the Slytherine house would not return, granted the fact that most of their parents belonged to the Death Eaters, but he was surprised to see most of them boarding the train.

At one minute to eleven, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny said goodbye to Mad Eye, Lupin and Mrs Weasley as they boarded the train. The four of them were led to a compartment by a guard and he accompanied them the entire ride to Hogwarts. Even as they changed from their clothes into robes, the guard stayed and on the way to the castle in the Thestral pulled carriages, he remained all the way up to the castle doors.

Ginny went off to find her friends while Harry, Hermione and Ron made their way to the Great Hall. On the way, however, they were intercepted by Sybil Trelawney, the once Divination teacher at Hogwarts.

"The headmaster wishes to see you before you go to the feast." She said to Harry in a hollow voice.

Trelawney beckoned for Harry to follow and he did, leaving Hermione and Ron to go to the feast without him. She led him right up into Professor Dumbledore's office before departing, mumbling something about having to get back to work.

Professor Dumbledore was seated behind his large, and slightly cluttered, desk and beckoned for Harry to take a seat in front.

"Hello Harry, how was your trip?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

"It was fine, no dramas at all." Harry informed him with a small smile, he knew it was Dumbledore who had insisted on the guard.

"Well that's reassuring but it isn't why I wanted you to see me. A small matter has arouse that I had not anticipated but nevertheless isn't such a bad thing." Dumbledore said, choosing his words carefully, "I'm not sure if you are aware, but you have a distant cousin from Australia, Paris Potter."

"I have a cousin from Australia? How come no one ever told me?" Harry asked in shock.

He had been totally unaware that he had any remaining relatives that were not muggles, especially not relatives that lived abroad.

"A detail that we have all seemed to have overlooked. The point is, however, that he parents have just died and her godparents happen to be your parents so she was brought over here. They knew, of course, that you were orphaned as well but they had nowhere else to send her. Paris is the same age as you and was studying at the Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Australia so she will be continuing her sixth year education here. I thought I would introduce you before she is taken down to be sorted." Dumbledore explained calmly.

Harry followed the headmaster into an adjoining room that had walls made up of ceiling high bookcases. Sitting lazily in a chintz chair, her nose in a book, was none other than Paris Potter. She looked up as they walked in and laid the thick leather bound book aside. Harry was shocked to find that he and Paris shared the same almost black hair (Paris' however, was straight and slinky and reached past her elbows) and the same emerald green eyes, glasses did not hide hers, though.

Dumbledore gave a small smile as he watched Harry and Paris size each other up before he interrupted.

"Paris, this is the distant cousin I was telling you about earlier, Harry Potter."

"Well of course I can see who he is, the scar gave him away, didn't it? It's nice to met you Harry, I'm Paris but I'm sure Professor Dumbledore has already told you that." Paris said, her Australian accent thick as can be.

Harry raised his eyebrows slowly. He had heard no one speak to Professor Dumbledore in such a vulgar manner before. Dumbledore, however, smiled. He seemed unaware that he was being spoken about in a different, and seemingly impolite way.

"Nice to met you as well." Was all Harry could say.

They stood in silence for a moment before Paris spoke again.

"I suppose we should get this show on the road then." She said in her Australian voice, walking towards the door.

Harry and professor Dumbledore followed behind, listening to her chatter on the way to the Great Hall.

"I've never experience a... what did you call it? Sorting ceremony? I've never experienced one of those before. In Australia, we were told what house we were in before we arrived at school. Of course, school back home was not as nearly as impressive as this. We only had about two hundred students. I think the teachers are getting a bit worried that sorcery is dying out back in Australia. Anyway, we didn't have to board and school certainly wasn't in a giant castle. Most of us live out bush so we don't attract attention. We are practically like another country inside one big one. Muggles seem to think we are some sort of communist cult, but that's alright, they keep away from us and we show them the same courtesy so it's not such a big problem..." Paris kept up this chatter the whole walk to the Great Hall and only stopped when Dumbledore told her they were about to enter the hall.

When they walked into the hall, the sorting ceremony was almost over and when the door closed behind them, some of the students turned in their seats. Professor Dumbledore gave Harry permission to return to the Gryfindor table and he took Paris up to the front of the hall. She was just in time for her own sorting.

When Harry sat down, Hermione and Ron gave him enquiring looks but he just shrugged his shoulders and turned to watch Paris try the sorting hat on. She seemed to be up there for quite some time before the hat finally shouted GRYFINDOR! and Paris made her way over to the trio. A lot of students had to take second looks as she walked past. She bore a striking resemblance to Harry who was, at that moment, making room for Paris to sit.

"Well that wasn't so bad!" Paris exclaimed as she plopped herself down in the space between Harry and Hermione, "I was expecting some difficult task but that hat was quite amusing. We managed to have a good debate about which house I would do best in."

Harry pressed a finger to his lips and pointed in the direction of the staff table, Dumbledore was standing ready to speak.

"Just before we begin the wonderful feast the kitchen staff have prepared, I would like to make a few announcements. To begin with, all first years should note that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all years. The second is that all Hogsmead visits have been cancelled until further notice," the students, who were old enough to visit the wizarding village, groaned, "due to the present circumstances."

It was obvious to everyone what the headmaster was referring to.

"Now, without any further or do, tuck-in." he said, sitting down.

Food appeared in front of them and Harry, along with the rest of the school, began pilling his plate, not realising until now just how hungry he was.

"So what did Dumbledore want Harry?" Ron asked starring at Paris with a look of utter perplexity, he appeared to not be able to work out why some total stranger looked exactly like Harry.

"Apparently I have a distant cousin. Paris, I would like you to meet my two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley." Harry introduced them.

"G'day." Paris said shaking their hands.

Her blunt Australian accent and lingo seemed to take a lot of people by surprise and a few turned to stare.

"So what brings you all the way out to Hogwarts?" Ron asked taking a bite out of his chicken wing.

Harry gave Ron a swift kick in the shin, his eyes wide. No one at the Gryfindor table, bar Harry, knew of the death of her parents.

"My family was killed a month ago by some foreign wizard. He was acting like a flaming Galah, ranting and raving about how Voldemort had risen and he had been sent to kill my family. A total loony, everyone knows the Dark Lord is gone, but still, I wont forget the look on my parents' face that day. At least their death was painless, Avada Kedavra seems to have that effect, and I doubt the creator of the spell wanted that. Anyway, he missed me by a nanosecond. The scumbag, we were all unarmed and it took two stunning spells by a few friends to stop him but it was too late." Paris said, speaking a hundred words per minute.

It shocked Harry that she could speak so openly and honestly about an event that had obviously been quite horrific, but what really stunned Harry was her complete lack of knowledge to Voldemort's return.

The mention of that rarely spoken name seemed to create a hush at the Gryfindor table and a lot more people turned to stare at Paris as though she as making some kind of embarrassing scene.

"Paris, I don't know who told you that Voldemort hadn't returned but he has. When we were at the end of our forth year." Harry told her gently.

Harry hadn't known what to expect when he told Paris but calmness wasn't his first thought. Paris just sat quietly for a moment and then spoke in a whisper.

"I knew he would eventually." And then she resumed eating as though nothing had happened.

Harry knew then that this year was going to be very different with Paris around. He glanced at Hermione and Ron who were looking slightly put out at having been told such personal information from a complete stranger.

Yes, Harry thought, this year is going to be eventful to say the least.

XXX

[A/N]: I know this story is moving a little slowly but I promise it will pick up in the next few chapters. So please keep reading and I will keep writing. PLEASE REVIEW!