{--AUTHOR'S NOTE------------------------------}

Ok, a review from the last chapter mentioned the cliché emphasis on Harry's mourning over the loss of Sirius, and they are absolutely right. I'll say right now that this fanfiction is NOT about Harry's reaction to Sirius's death, and I'll try to keep the weepiness to a minimum. However, I do think it is somewhat necessary; I mean it would be strange for Harry not to be upset that Sirius is gone. But that is not what this story, nor any single chapter, is about.

Also, I apoligize if the first couple of chapters are kind of slow/boring and you're thinking "What does this have to do with the main summary?" I'm getting there, I promise!

-Kirei

{--CHAPTER TWO------------------------------}

They emerged amid a noisy and colorful crowd of witches and wizards, hustling and bustling around the platform. Familiar sounds greeted their ears; the whizzes and blasts of wands emitting spells, the loud crack! of people apparating and disapparating, the sqawks, hoots, caws and hisses of owls and other magical creatures. Everywhere children were hugging their parents and waving farewells as they boarded the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Harry espied some brilliant flashes of red hair scurrying toward him.

"Harry dear!" cried Mrs. Weasley, accompanied by Ginny, Fred, and George. "I'm so happy to see you. I'm glad Ron and Hermione managed to find you and give you your books before you had to load everything up-" without further ado, she wrapped him in a huge embrace. Ron rolled his eyes; Fred and George laughed.

"I think Mum likes you better than us," Fred chuckled as Mrs. Weasley finally released Harry.

"Might as well be an honorary Weasly," George said, "here, have a Do Drop- It'll turn your hair red!" He stuffed a pile of sticky orange candies into Harry's hand as Mrs. Weasly glared disapprovingly. The twins winked.

"Oy, Harry, Ron! Over here, Dean!" Two boys rushed toward the group; Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. They immediately began slapping Harry and Ron on the back, conversing excitedly about their summer adventures and the upcoming year at Hogwarts. Harry smiled and nodded despondantly, his thoughts wandering elsewhere, until he felt something soft brush his cheek.

"Wha?" Harry said, turning.

"Sorry," replied a soft, deep voice. Harry cocked his head to get a better look at the speaker. It was a tall, thin girl with long, jet-black hair that fell in wisps about her face and shoulders. She stared at him unflinchingly with piercing black eyes. "I'm sorry for bumping into you."

"No no," Harry stammered, "It's not, I just, something brushed by me-" but the girl was already gone.

"What're you doing standing there gaping?" came Ron's voice behind him, snapping him back to reality. "Everyone else has already boarded the train! Aw, gimme that," he wrested Harry's trolley from him and rolled it hurriedly towards the Express. Harry followed him, blinking dazedly.

"Where are your mum and Fred and George?"

"They already left - didn't you hear them say goodbye?"

Harry wrinkled his brow. "Oh... who was that?" he asked, catching up beside Ron.

His friend replied in annoyance, "Who was who?"

"That girl. I've never seen her before."

"What girl?"

"The black-haired one!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The girl!"

"Harry!" Ron shouted in exasperation, "There are tons of girls at Hogwarts! You can't expect to know them all! C'mon, Ginny's saved us a seat."

Harry fell silent as they finally clambered onto the train and fought their way down the croweded aisles. It was true; there were hundreds of girls at Hogwarts. But that one had looked close to his own age - surely he would have seen her before. He shook his head. Why was he wondering about this? He wasn't... interested in the girl, was he? She had come off rather cold, just disappearing on him like that. And what about Cho? This thought was met with yet more confusion. He and Cho Chang hadn't left Hogwarts on the best of terms last year. Oddly enough though, he didn't feel too upset over this.

"Here we are," Ron said, sliding open a door to a compartment. Chatting amiably inside were their friends Ginny, Hermione, Neville, and the strange Luna Lovegood - bottlecap necklace, radish earrings and all.

"Hello, Harry," Luna said in her breathy voice. The others turned, smiling, and scooted together to make room for Ron and Harry. It wasn't easy, what with the added presence of Neville's frog, Trevor, Crookshanks - Hermione's cat, and Hedwig. But finally they all managed to settle in.

They were silent for a few moments. All thoughts were no doubtedly reflecting on last year's adventure - the kind of adventure that could bring such a rag-tag group together. Neville broke finally broke the silence. "So Harry, are we still going to have DA meetings this year?"

"That depends on our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I suppose," Harry said thoughtfully, wondering for the first time what their new teacher would be like.

"I suspect it will be a good one," Hermione voiced knowledgably, "Since Dumbledore's back in charge."

"Dumbledore was in charge when he hired Quirrel and Lockhart, wasn't he?" Ron muttered. They all shifted uncomfortably. Sometimes Harry wondered about that...

"I wonder who the new exchange student will be," breathed Luna, entirely off-subject. Ron, Harry, Neville, Ginny and Hermione all stared at her with blank expressions. "What exchange student?" they said in unison.

"I don't know..." Luna replied with an air of maddening disconcern. But they were prevented from questioning her further when the compartment door slid loudly open. They found themself staring at a pointed face topped with white-blond hair.

"What's this, a Hogwarts Heroes gathering?" the face sneered, "So sorry to interrupt - I was disturbed by the stench of mudblood and Weasly, and had to find out where it was coming from."

"Shove off, Malfoy," Ron growled, clenching his fist, as Luna leaned towards him to see if he did in fact have an odor.

Harry slouched back in his seat, looking nonplussed. "Not scared are you, Malfoy? I hear your Daddy's in a bit of hot water, eh?"

"Yeah," Ron perked up, "Dad tells me he hasn't seen him around the Ministry for quite a while now."

Malfoy's sneer fell off his face, which quickly turned pallid. "You'll get it for what you did, Potter. Trust me, he won't let it sit lightly."

"Oh, on first terms with Voldemort, are we now?" Ron said proudly, apparently quite pleased with his daring at mentioning the name.

Malfoy hissed angrily. "Don't speak about what half-wits like you can't understand." Then, turning to Harry, he added, "I don't suppose you've heard about the transfer student, Potter. You don't usually pick up on much news, do you? Anyway, I'm sure she'll be... elated to meet you." With a nasty grin, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

Everyone then glared at Luna expectantly. "What?" she asked innocently.

-{o}-{o}-{o}-


With the hissing of steam and squeaking of brakes, the Hogwarts Express finally came to a stop on the pristine Hogwarts grounds. Harry and his friends could see the magestic castle sitting regally atop its hill, just beyond the lake; it's many towers and turrets standing tall and proud in the dusky evening sky. All around them compartment doors slid open and the now black-robed students emerged, yawning and stretching their legs. One by one the six companions squeezed themselves out of their compartment; Harry struggling along with Hedwig in her cage.

Harry was glad to step off the stuffy train into the nice fresh air. He gazed fondly at the familiar surroundings until his view was obscured by a large, many-pocketed coat. Harry had to strain his head up to look at the grinning face of Rubeus Hagrid.

"Good ta see yeh, 'arry," Hagrid said, giving him a clap on the back that nearly knocked his breath out.

"Good - to see - you too -" Harry gasped, smiling nonetheless.

"Hagrid!" Hermione sqealed, now emerging from the train with a squirming Crookshanks. Ron followed behind her, folding his arms behind his head and smiling at their large friend.

"Ron! 'ermione!"

"So who's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Ginny asked Hagrid curiously, appearing from behind Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Ah, yeh know I can't tell yeh tha'" Hagrid shook his head in mock reprove. "Yeh'll have ta wait 'till the feast - speaking of which, I halfta get the firs' years across the lake. Firs' years! Firs' years!" he called, turning from them and striding toward the boats lined up along the lakeshore.

"It was a nice try," Ron said appreciatively to his sister. "He usually lets things like that slip."

"Oh well," Ginny shrugged, "We'd better find a carriage before they all get filled up."

Regrouping with Luna and Neville, the friends managed to secure an unoccupied carriage. Harry stopped to look thoughtfully upon the the thestrels that were hitched to the front of it. Neville and Luna stopped beside him.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Luna said breathlessly.

"In a morbid, reptilian sort of way, yes," Neville retorted.
Ron hopped out of the carriage. "Get in, you three!" he said, struggling to pull his trunk out with him.

"What're you doing?" Harry asked.

"Not enough room for everone. Said I'd find a differen't carriage." Ron grunted, and staggered off with the heavy trunk.

Harry frowned, knowing full well that each carriage seated six. But when he finally boarded after Luna and Neville, he discovered why there wasn't enough room. Sitting directly across from him was the thin, black-haired girl, staring at him again with those eerily familiar eyes. Hermione, Ginny, and Neville looked questioningly from the girl to Harry. Luna was fidgeting with her bottlecap necklace.

"Uh, hello," Harry said.