CHAPTER 8
Mr Weasley hurried into the kitchen five minutes later. "Well, I'm off to the ministry." He said. "Goodbye boys, Ginny. Have a good time at school. I won't be taking you to the station. I'm too busy." He said. So everyone said goodbye and he left the kitchen.
"We'd better go," said Mrs Weasley. "We're going by floo powder. Just say Platform 9 ¾. They've hooked up a temporary fire place this year for those who want to travel this way." So they said goodbye to Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, grabbed some floo powder each and said, "Platform 9 ¾." Loudly and clearly. Harry felt the ground spin, he was whizzing through the same familiar tunnel, he was getting faster and faster, he kept his arms and legs firmly tucked in, then he felt to the floor. He was at platform 9 ¾! He put his trunk and Hedwig's cage down and looked round. He saw many other Hogwarts students and the big large train. He couldn't see Hermione though. Next moment, Ron and Ginny came tumbling out one after the other, followed by Mrs Weasley. "Well," she said getting to her feet. "Have a good time. You can come back for Christmas. We might have it at Grimmauld Place again." She hugged Harry and her children and waved goodbye to them as they climbed onto the train with their trunks. Harry, Ron and Ginny found an empty compartment towards the end of the train and put their trunks down on the floor. They heard footsteps and the compartment door slid open. Hermione came in. Hair bushy as usual and smiling happily at them. "Hermione!" They yelled, hurrying up to her. Once she had disentangled herself from Ron, Harry and Ginny, she sat down next to the window, and opened Crookshanks's cage. "Sorry I didn't write much, Ron, I've been really busy." "That's Ok." Said Ron watching Crookshanks dart about on the seats. The compartment door opened again and Luna Lovegood came in closely followed by Neville who was clutching onto his toad, which was desperately trying to escape. "Er, hi." Said Ron. They had had these exact same people as company on last year's train journey.
"Hello," said Luna dreamily. "Do you mind if I sit here? No one else really wants me around." She wasn't looking quite so mad this year. She had at least removed her butterbeer cork necklace, her wand was no where to be seen and thankfully her orange radish earrings, which were high factors of amusement, were not in sight.
"Yeah, sure." Said Harry watching Neville's toad as it desperately fried to free itself from Neville's grasp. Harry opened Hedwig's cage and let her soar out of the train window. Neville and Luna sat down opposite Harry. Neville, giving up on the struggle to keep his toad firmly in his hands, let it jump about round the compartment freely.
Harry watched as Luna fumbled for something in her bag. She pulled it out and Harry saw that it was a copy of the Quibbler. "Here," she said shoving it at Hermione. "Heliopaths do exist!"
"Not this argument again!" Ron groaned as Hermione frostily took the magazine and read it through.
"Luna!" Snapped Hermione. "Everyone knows the Quibbler's just a joke."
"My Dad doesn't think so!" Said Luna. "And he should know. He is, or was the editor!"
"Well maybe he needs someone to actually tell him that Heliopaths don't exist!" Snapped Hermione. "Fudge doesn't have an army of Heliopaths."
"Why don't you tell him that." Said Luna coolly. "After all, I'm sure you'll see him this year he's only the defence against the dark arts teacher."
Hermione dropped the magazine; Ginny stared at Luna, Ron's jaw dropped. Neville grinned. "Cool Luna!" He said.
"Your Dad's what?!" Asked Ron sounding flabbergasted.
"Yes," said Luna with an icy glare at Hermione. "Dumbledore appointed him Defence against the dark arts teacher. He's given his old job to one of his friends."
"But... Is he experienced?" Asked Hermione, still staring at Luna in disbelief.
"Experienced?" Asked Luna. "Of course he is. Dumbledore appointed him."
"Well..." Began Hermione but thought it kinder not to say that the only reason Dumbledore probably appointed him was because he would have been the only person apart from Snape of course to apply for the job.
Their conversation was diverted however, by the compartment door sliding open. Seconds later a boy with dark hair and a rather pointed face entered. Harry had never seen him before at 'Hogwarts, yet he looked too old to be a first year. Maybe he was the new student. "Oh, it's you, Potter." Said the boy. "I was looking for somewhere to sit." He turned to leave.
"Wait," said Harry. "How do you know my name?" The boy turned round and sneered at Harry.
"Well you were with Dudley weren't you and you cheated on our school's champion Viktor Krum last year." Said the boy.
"You were at Durmstrang!" Said Hermione.
"I never cheated Viktor! And how do you know Dudley?"
"Oh!" Said Luna jumping to her feet. "Daddy told me about you! You're Piers Polkiss!" Her eyes grew even wider than usual.
"Correct." Said the boy. Harry recognised that name...
"Wait a minute!" Said Harry. "You were Dudley's friend!"
"Yeah." Said Piers. "I still am so don't go insulting my mate." Harry felt a surge of anger flood through him, as he glared angrily at the boy who had made his primary school year torture.
"Does Dudley know you're a wizard?" Asked Harry quietly.
"Yeah." Piers smirked. "He knew. Well, I don't want to be kept waiting by Mr Celebrity and his fans," he jerked his head in the direction of Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna. "After all, I do have friends."
"Yeah?" Said Harry but seconds later; Malfoy came into the compartment accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle. "Friends?" Grinned Harry.
"Yeah." Said Piers running a hand through his greasy hair, "and I wouldn't go insulting them either Potter, they're no match for your fan club." Laughing once more, he, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle left the compartment, leaving the door open. Ginny got up to close it.
"So that's the new student." Said Ron. "How does your Dad know him Luna?"
"He was trying out for defence against the dark arts teacher at the same time as Piers was having a chat with Dumbledore."
"I don't like that Polkiss boy." Said Neville. Everyone laughed, including Neville. They had quite an enjoyable train journey. Harry was a bit disappointed not to have seen Cho though.
At last, the train pulled up outside Hogwarts. They all cheered as the whistle blew to indicate they could leave the train. They clambered into one of the carriages pulled by thestrals and set off.
"Wait, hang on!" Said Ron sounding shocked. "I can't see those thestral things!" Harry knew that thestrals could only been seen if the person who sees them had seen death.
"No me neither." Said Neville and Hermione together. "That's really odd." Said Hermione looking thoughtful. "Because we saw Sirius..."
"Yeah," said Harry, "yeah I suppose."
Luna however smiled. "I know why you can't see them." She said looking mysterious.
"How d'you know that?" Asked Ron. "Did your Dad tell you?" "Yes." Said Luna. "He did actually." She smiled again and before they could
ask her anything else, had leapt of the carriage as it drew to a stop
outside Hogwarts.
Mr Weasley hurried into the kitchen five minutes later. "Well, I'm off to the ministry." He said. "Goodbye boys, Ginny. Have a good time at school. I won't be taking you to the station. I'm too busy." He said. So everyone said goodbye and he left the kitchen.
"We'd better go," said Mrs Weasley. "We're going by floo powder. Just say Platform 9 ¾. They've hooked up a temporary fire place this year for those who want to travel this way." So they said goodbye to Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, grabbed some floo powder each and said, "Platform 9 ¾." Loudly and clearly. Harry felt the ground spin, he was whizzing through the same familiar tunnel, he was getting faster and faster, he kept his arms and legs firmly tucked in, then he felt to the floor. He was at platform 9 ¾! He put his trunk and Hedwig's cage down and looked round. He saw many other Hogwarts students and the big large train. He couldn't see Hermione though. Next moment, Ron and Ginny came tumbling out one after the other, followed by Mrs Weasley. "Well," she said getting to her feet. "Have a good time. You can come back for Christmas. We might have it at Grimmauld Place again." She hugged Harry and her children and waved goodbye to them as they climbed onto the train with their trunks. Harry, Ron and Ginny found an empty compartment towards the end of the train and put their trunks down on the floor. They heard footsteps and the compartment door slid open. Hermione came in. Hair bushy as usual and smiling happily at them. "Hermione!" They yelled, hurrying up to her. Once she had disentangled herself from Ron, Harry and Ginny, she sat down next to the window, and opened Crookshanks's cage. "Sorry I didn't write much, Ron, I've been really busy." "That's Ok." Said Ron watching Crookshanks dart about on the seats. The compartment door opened again and Luna Lovegood came in closely followed by Neville who was clutching onto his toad, which was desperately trying to escape. "Er, hi." Said Ron. They had had these exact same people as company on last year's train journey.
"Hello," said Luna dreamily. "Do you mind if I sit here? No one else really wants me around." She wasn't looking quite so mad this year. She had at least removed her butterbeer cork necklace, her wand was no where to be seen and thankfully her orange radish earrings, which were high factors of amusement, were not in sight.
"Yeah, sure." Said Harry watching Neville's toad as it desperately fried to free itself from Neville's grasp. Harry opened Hedwig's cage and let her soar out of the train window. Neville and Luna sat down opposite Harry. Neville, giving up on the struggle to keep his toad firmly in his hands, let it jump about round the compartment freely.
Harry watched as Luna fumbled for something in her bag. She pulled it out and Harry saw that it was a copy of the Quibbler. "Here," she said shoving it at Hermione. "Heliopaths do exist!"
"Not this argument again!" Ron groaned as Hermione frostily took the magazine and read it through.
"Luna!" Snapped Hermione. "Everyone knows the Quibbler's just a joke."
"My Dad doesn't think so!" Said Luna. "And he should know. He is, or was the editor!"
"Well maybe he needs someone to actually tell him that Heliopaths don't exist!" Snapped Hermione. "Fudge doesn't have an army of Heliopaths."
"Why don't you tell him that." Said Luna coolly. "After all, I'm sure you'll see him this year he's only the defence against the dark arts teacher."
Hermione dropped the magazine; Ginny stared at Luna, Ron's jaw dropped. Neville grinned. "Cool Luna!" He said.
"Your Dad's what?!" Asked Ron sounding flabbergasted.
"Yes," said Luna with an icy glare at Hermione. "Dumbledore appointed him Defence against the dark arts teacher. He's given his old job to one of his friends."
"But... Is he experienced?" Asked Hermione, still staring at Luna in disbelief.
"Experienced?" Asked Luna. "Of course he is. Dumbledore appointed him."
"Well..." Began Hermione but thought it kinder not to say that the only reason Dumbledore probably appointed him was because he would have been the only person apart from Snape of course to apply for the job.
Their conversation was diverted however, by the compartment door sliding open. Seconds later a boy with dark hair and a rather pointed face entered. Harry had never seen him before at 'Hogwarts, yet he looked too old to be a first year. Maybe he was the new student. "Oh, it's you, Potter." Said the boy. "I was looking for somewhere to sit." He turned to leave.
"Wait," said Harry. "How do you know my name?" The boy turned round and sneered at Harry.
"Well you were with Dudley weren't you and you cheated on our school's champion Viktor Krum last year." Said the boy.
"You were at Durmstrang!" Said Hermione.
"I never cheated Viktor! And how do you know Dudley?"
"Oh!" Said Luna jumping to her feet. "Daddy told me about you! You're Piers Polkiss!" Her eyes grew even wider than usual.
"Correct." Said the boy. Harry recognised that name...
"Wait a minute!" Said Harry. "You were Dudley's friend!"
"Yeah." Said Piers. "I still am so don't go insulting my mate." Harry felt a surge of anger flood through him, as he glared angrily at the boy who had made his primary school year torture.
"Does Dudley know you're a wizard?" Asked Harry quietly.
"Yeah." Piers smirked. "He knew. Well, I don't want to be kept waiting by Mr Celebrity and his fans," he jerked his head in the direction of Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna. "After all, I do have friends."
"Yeah?" Said Harry but seconds later; Malfoy came into the compartment accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle. "Friends?" Grinned Harry.
"Yeah." Said Piers running a hand through his greasy hair, "and I wouldn't go insulting them either Potter, they're no match for your fan club." Laughing once more, he, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle left the compartment, leaving the door open. Ginny got up to close it.
"So that's the new student." Said Ron. "How does your Dad know him Luna?"
"He was trying out for defence against the dark arts teacher at the same time as Piers was having a chat with Dumbledore."
"I don't like that Polkiss boy." Said Neville. Everyone laughed, including Neville. They had quite an enjoyable train journey. Harry was a bit disappointed not to have seen Cho though.
At last, the train pulled up outside Hogwarts. They all cheered as the whistle blew to indicate they could leave the train. They clambered into one of the carriages pulled by thestrals and set off.
"Wait, hang on!" Said Ron sounding shocked. "I can't see those thestral things!" Harry knew that thestrals could only been seen if the person who sees them had seen death.
"No me neither." Said Neville and Hermione together. "That's really odd." Said Hermione looking thoughtful. "Because we saw Sirius..."
"Yeah," said Harry, "yeah I suppose."
Luna however smiled. "I know why you can't see them." She said looking mysterious.
"How d'you know that?" Asked Ron. "Did your Dad tell you?" "Yes." Said Luna. "He did actually." She smiled again and before they could
ask her anything else, had leapt of the carriage as it drew to a stop
outside Hogwarts.