1: Meeting the Stranger
Ah, the Hogwarts Express. Harry Potter missed it so. It reminded him of their next destination: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"Come on, this is the only place to sit," Hermione said.
"Let's try to sit with Neville. I don't think we know her," Ron said, peering in and the sleeping figure stretched out on the seat before them.
Where have I seen her before? Harry thought, he couldn't see her face, but she reminded him instantly of someone.
"Okay, but we're sitting here if we can't sit with Neville," Hermione said. She was curious of the strange person as well.
"Sorry, no room. By the way, have you seen one of the Divination books lying around? I've lost mine," Neville said, denying them the privilege to sit.
"No, but we'll let you know," Ron said. They headed back to where the sleeping stranger was. They sat down, but were somewhat crunched for space.
"Um… miss? Could you please move your legs, we need a little more room…" Ron said, gently shaking the girl. She woke up almost immediately. Harry gasped.
"Mmm... hello," she said. Her hair, which was dripping wet, was dyed black and purple, and she had black eye shadow around her eyes, making them brighter. Her eyes, a greenish gray, seemed to tell a story of their own. Her clothes, also wet, seemed like hand-me-downs. She wore torn jeans, sneakers, and a green and silver tee shirt with the word 'Motives' on it. Her clothes were baggy, alternately giving her a semi-anorexic look. She sat up.
Oh my god. Could it be? Harry knew. Oh, he knew.
Suddenly, Harry remembered the night. The night that Sirius disappeared. The way he had so helplessly fallen through that black veil. The last things he remembered of that night were his eyes. Green-gray, aged with wisdom.
"Well, you didn't have to completely get up..." Ron said, sitting down where her feet had been.
"No, it's okay. I should have been waking up anyway," She added. There was something strange about the way she spoke.
"Why are you so wet?" Harry said.
"I walked here. My grandmother can't drive." There was an awkward silence following.
"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione said, reaching over to shake hands.
"Sawyer," the stranger said, returning the invitation.
"Is there a last name with that?" Ron said, smiling.
"Sawyer.. erm… uh… Grimson. Yeah…"
"Grimson? Never heard that name before. Are you American?" said Harry.
"Yeah. My mom was, but my dad is... was… from somewhere over here."
"Was? As in, they're dead?" Ron said, bluntly.
"My mom is, Voldemort killed her. I've never met my dad. I live with my grandmother."
"When did you move here?" Hermione asked.
"Last summer. My school was attacked and, well, for the kids who are still alive… we had the choice to either finish school in another country or to wait it out for the other school to be put back together. There's not many kids left, only about twenty. They were the lucky ones to be in an outside class during the attack and weren't seen. I'm the only one still alive besides them though."
Sawyer looked down as something crawled out of her bag, which was at her feet. A gray rat, well fed and rested, looked innocently up at the four of them. She reached down and picked him up and introduced him as Mouse.
"I used to have a rat. That one isn't missing a finger, is it?"
"No… Why?"
"Nevermind."
"What year are you starting as?" Harry asked, still staring in her eyes.
"Sixth. But I'll be attending the sorting ceremony with the new kids."
"When you get sorted, tell the hat that you don't want to be in Slytherin," Ron warned. Sawyer didn't ask why.
"Ron! Harry! I need your help!!!" Ginny Weasley yelled from outside the compartment. They rushed to her aid.
"What else is in your bag?" Hermione asked, noticing the edge of a book sticking out of the opening.
"This is my yearbook. Here." Hermione paged through it, commenting that she didn't see Sawyer.
"Yeah, for safety reasons, I supposedly don't exist according to that thing."
"Safety reasons?"
"It's a long story."
The boys came back in, accompanied by Ginny. Ginny introduced herself as Ron's brother.
"And you're Harry Potter," Sawyer said. She didn't seem at all amazed, as other's had been.
"I'm famous over there too?"
"Hell yeah, but don't expect me to worship you. I apologize but I'm not the fawning type." Sawyer remarked, her eyes glistening.