"Harry? Are you alright?"
Sirius...through the curtain...
"Huh?" Harry opened his eyes, and looked around the compartment.
Ron and Hermione looked at him with worried eyes.
"You were having a dream and shuddering and moaning." Ron said, staring at him.
"Are you ok? Do you want to talk to us?" Hermione looked upset.
"No, no...I'm fine...Just tired." Harry shook his head.
"Yeah...we were up real late looking at Fred and George's new products." Ron agreed.
"Honestly," Hermione rolled her eyes. "I told you that you should have gone to bed early like me and Ginny. But no...you had to stay up and watch them."
"Hey, we aren't going to see them for the whole school year. And I wanted to stock up on the Nougret Nosebleedy things, whatever they call them." Ron pulled out a little package and patted it fondly.
"Nosebleed Nougret, and that's besides the point, you are a pre-"
"Hah!" Ron cried, pointing at Hermione. "You remembered the name! You must have been paying attention, or something!"
"No!" Hermione turned red. "I just listen to you blab on and on about them-"
"I do not!" said Ron, outraged.
Harry listened to them bicker for a while, and then turned to look out the train window. A small, jet black owl, with...no...could it be?...gray eyes, that sparkled and turned to...orange, than red, as it spotted Harry. Its beak opened, it was-
CRASH!
Harry toppled over and landed on the floor of the compartment. Ron and Hermione immediately stopped arguing.
"Are you all right?" Hermione gasped.
"Blimey...you're all white in the face...are you ok?" Ron helped Harry to his feet, who shakily sat back down.
"I'm fine...just a little up tight..." Harry looked out the window, but the owl was gone.
"Harry," Hermione followed Harry's eyes. "Did you see something? Please tell us...we've never really kept secrets before, and Ron and I want to know if you're okay. You're our friend Harry. You can trust us you know."
"She's right," Ron looked at Harry. "Like always. You can tell us."
"Its nothing...I just thought I saw a really strange owl or something." Harry avoided his friend's eyes.
"How was it strange?" Hermione crossed her legs, and folded her arms, as though she was ready to listen for a while.
A few moments passed.
"It was all black," Harry finally said. "And its eyes, they changed or something."
"Oh!" gasped Hermione. "I have a book on owls that I bought, years ago, when I was thinking of getting an owl and instead got Crookshanks." She petted her cat fondly, who purred.
Hermione opened her trunk and pulled out a small, muggle book. A Worldwide Guide to Owls, by Alison Anna-Marie Krod.
She flipped through the large book impatiently, now and then stopping and shaking her head.
"Aha!" She suddenly cried, jabbing her book. "Here it is! This might be the owl, Harry! Only...it's from South America."
"Well tell us about it already," said Ron.
Hermione glared, and pushed back her hair. "It's called a Spectacled Owl...it's bigger than a chicken, has a black head, white whiskers and eyebrows...orange feathers on the stomach, and black wings...and yellow legs. Is that your owl, Harry?"
Harry shook his head. "No...it was completely black, down to its feet and beak, and its eyes were so weird...it was probably a trick of the moon or something."
"Probably." Hermione looked away from Harry.
Harry looked out the window. They would soon be at the castle.
"Thirty minutes," said Hermione, checking her watch.
The food cart came by, and Harry bought something of everything, to take his mind off the owl and Sirius.
The rest of the trip was all fun, eating, collecting Wizard Cards, spitting up Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and playing Exploding Snap. Ginny, Neville, and Luna wandered in, and they bought more food. Harry was almost sad when they pulled up at the station.
"Fir's years! Fir's years! This way now!" Hagrid loomed above the platform.
"Hey! Harry! Hermione! Ron! How ya' three doin'? Haven' talked to ya' in a while. How's yer summer been?" Hagrid beamed at the three, but gave an extra glance to Harry, which clearly stated, "You all right?"
Harry gave Hagrid a watery smile, and looked up at the dark castle.
"I can't believe we are finally 6th years!" Hermione mused, staring up at the castle. "We have learned so much!"
"Tell me about it," Ron said. "We have had so much homework!"
"Ron! That's besides the point! We have learned so many spells!" Hermione glared at Ron.
"Will you two stop bickering?" Harry asked wearily. "You make me sick!"
Ron and Hermione looked stricken.
"And stop acting like I'm going to collapse," Harry added. "You can fight with each other, but you have to act all careful around me?"
"Harry, we're sorry." Hermione said, tears in her eyes. "We know the summer's been rough on you."
"Yeah...with Sirius and all." Ron said, then clamped his hand over his mouth. Hermione stomped on his foot, making Ron winch with pain.
Harry sighed. His 6th year had begun.