Chapter 4 :

In his dream, Harry entered a dark room, his wand grisped tightly in his fist. The door was opened, so he stepped inside where he saw crows circling a dead body. The room was completely dark, and only faint lights came through the square windows to enlighten the crows and mangled body. The birds were pecking the body with their long, crooked beeks and they moved aside as Harry stepped closer. He bent closer to the dead body, then crouched down beside it, before digging his fangs into the dead man's neck. He felt the cold flesh and blood reach his mouth, then drain the blood.

Harry woke up, as Ron shook his shoulder gently, rubbing his eyes tiredly. 'Mum wants us to get up for breakfast.' He muttered, before turning on his heel and taking off out of the room. Harry felt his scar prickle, but ignored it and put on his glasses. He didn't even remember weither he dreamed or not. Wiping his mouth, he got up oout of bed, picked up his trunk and went downstairs to join the others for breakfast. He wasn't hungry at all, though. He felt bloated. As though he just finished three pumpkin pies at once. He sat down at the table with Ron, Hermione and Ginny, and bit his toast. Harry paused as his teeth dug into the bread. It felt… just like biting into flesh. He stared blankly at the table, then merely shrugged, and continued eating.

When all four and Mrs. Weasley finished breakfast, they got ready, and left for King's Cross. When they got there, Harry's scar began to prickle again. The mysterious screeching sound resounded in his head again. But when he saw Hermione's worried look, Harry merely winced, rubbed his forehead, then continued on like there was nothing there. It was like his dream never happened. He didn't remember any of it.

'Is something wrong, Harry?' Hermione asked him, concerningly.

'No. Nothing.' Harry said, just when Mrs. Weasley came to them to give them hugs.

When they all said their goodbyes, Harry, Ron and Hermione stepped into the Hogwarts Express. Ginny joined Luna Lovegood, walked in after them, then quickly found themselves a compartment of their own.

As they walked down the corridor in order to find their own compartment, Ron stopped in front of an empty one, then stepped inside.

'Here's one.' He said, as he slid open the compartment door. Harry followed, along with Hermione.

'Good thing we got here on time. Or else we'd be standing in the middle of the hallway for the whole trip.' Said Ron, stuffing his trunk and Pigwidgeon's cage into the net above the seet and looking outside the window at all the old and new students. 'We're packed with first-years this year.' He added, with a sigh as he sat down next to Harry.

'We're still Prefects, Ron. Live with it.' Hermione said, taking out a book out of her bag and letting Crookshanks onto her laps.

Harry stared outside through the window as the figures of students' parents slowly drifted away as the train began to move out of the station. Another year, another handful of problems, he thought, as Pigwidgeon flapped his wings against the bars of his cage and Hedwig hooted happily.

After about 20 minutes, the compartment door slid open, and a girl with long wavy black hair and dark blue eyes emerged from it. If Harry stood, she would reach at least his neck, and she had a rather fragile figure: skinny, and small. She was carrying her trunk and a bag, and a tiny black bird was perched on her shoulder. A silver pendant with a heart-shaped locket on it was hanging around her neck and the Hufflepuff crest was attached onto her school robes.

'May I sit here?' The girl asked, pointing at the empty space beside Hermione. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged looks, then Hermione nodded.

'Thanks.' The girl said, as the bird perched on her shoulder glanced at Crookshanks fearfully. She sat down beside Hermione, then stuffed her trunk above Ron and Harry's seet and almost dropping it above their heads. She sat back down, and Harry looked at the tiny bird with a quirked eyebrow.

'I'm Tina, by the way. Tina Philips ((Mine ©)).' The Hufflepuff said, smiling sweetly. 'And this is Twiggles ((Mine ©)).' She added, pointing at the small black bird that chirped happily.

'Hermione Granger.' Said Hermione.

'Ron Weasley.' Said Ron.

'Harry.' Said Harry, taking his eyes off Twiggles. 'Harry Potter.'

There was an awkward pause, where Tina stared at Harry, but after a couple of seconds, she beamed back at him and said, 'Nice to meet you.'

'Is that a Tweedledum ((Mine ©))?' Hermione asked, pointing at Twiggles who gazed around.

'Yup.' Said Tina proudly. 'But Twiggles is blind. He's still as strong as the other Tweedledums, though.'

'I thought they were exctinked.' Ron said. 'Where d'you get him?' He asked, as Twiggles blinked twice, still gazing around aimlessly.

'Found him.' Tina answered, stroking the bird's black feathers.

Harry said nothing, but watched Twiggles clean his feathers with his beak. What kind of name is Twiggles? Sounds like writing equipement, Harry thought.

'I wonder who this year's Defence against the Dark Arts teacher's going to be.' Said Hermione, behind her book.

'You mean what.' Ron corrected, through a mouthfull of Chocolate Frogs. 'If this year's teacher's going to be as worst as that Umbridge woman, I'm jumping off the Astronomy Tower.' Said Harry, as he chewed on one of Berty Bott's Every Flavoured Beans.

Tina shivered. 'She wasn't a woman! She was a bloody toad!' She said, feeding Twiggles a bean.

'Agreed.' Said Harry, remembering that horrible quill that Umbridge made him use during his detentions with her.

Hermione looked down at her watch, then said, 'We have Prefects duties. Come on, Ron.' With that, she got up to her feet, slipped on her robes, then left the compartment.

'See you later, then.' Ron said to Harry, before leaving the compartment with Hermione.

Harry watched them untill they dissapeared behind the door, then turned back towards the window. It was wet and foggy outside and raindrops crashed into the window glass, then streamed down.

After a couple of minutes, Harry noticed Tina was staring at him from behind a book.

'What?' Harry said, irritably.

'Nothing.' Tina said hastily, returning to her book as Twiggles flew off her shoulder then went over towards the window and crashed into it. Tina looked towards him, then shrugged and continued reading, as though her pet crashing into the window was nothing. Harry looked at the bird awkwardly, then was surprised when he saw him jump back onto his scaly feet and flew around the compartment. Crookshanks raised his paw, trying to catch the bird with his claws. But Twiggles didn't seem to notice, and landed on top of Hedwig's cage, gazing around. Harry soon realised why they were called Tweedledums.

'He's not that stupid.' Said Tina, as though she read Harry's mind. 'He's just blind, that's all. And besides, he's twice as strong as average owls and he's also as fast as they are.' She added, looking from Twigges, to Harry.

Harry opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Draco Malfoy emerged from behind the compartment door, the prefect badge attached in front of his robes with pride.

'Well, well.' He sneered, 'I never thought potheads and fish went together. I guess I was wrong, eh, Tuna?' Malfoy gave a nasty look towards Tina, who glared at him with her skinny hands curled up in fists.

'It's Tina, you stupid prick.' Tina said angrily.

'Better watch your language, Tuna. Or I might have to report you.' Said Malfoy.

'Get lost, Malfoy.' Harry said, standing up and his hand reaching into his pocket, in case he'd have to use his wand.

'I'm shaking in my robes.' Malfoy said sarasticly, noticing Harry reaching out for his wand. He glanced evily towards Tina, then to Harry, turned on his heels and left the compartment.

'Hmpf.' Tina muttered, arms crossed over her chest. 'That son of a pig. Can't believe Dumbledore made him Prefect.'

'He is the perfect Slytherin, isn't he?' Harry said, sitting back down.

'Yeah… But still.' Tina said, picking up Twiggles from above her seet, where Hedwig's cage was.

Moment later, Ron and Hermione came back from their Prefect duties, and Harry was beginning to think Tina wasn't as bad as he thought. During the train ride, she had almost droped Hedwig's cage over Hermione, while trying to catch Twiggles again.

'Sorry. I'm really clumsy.' She said, sheepishly.

'It's OK.' Said Hermione repeatedly, brushing off hay and owl droppings out of her hair.

They were soon joined by Neville, who had apparently been sitting with a group of odd Ravenclaws that did nothing but read. He got bored, and decided to join them. He found Twiggles amusing, and kept playing with him during the train ride by making him catch Berty Bott's Beans whenever he threw them. When Neville ran out of them, Tina showed them how strong Twiggles was, even though no one really cared much. She took her trunk and placed it in front of Twiggles, who soon picked it up with his scaley, clawed feet and lifted the trunk up in the air like an owl carrying a letter. Twiggles collapsed, but moments later, he flew around in the air and landed on top of Harry's head. This had been a more enjoyable time Harry had had since the previus year. He had almost forgotten about his strange dreams, and the mysterious screeching noise that resounded in Harry's head continuously the day before, at Grimmaulld Place. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Tina and Neville debated on whom the next Defence against the Dark Arts teacher would be.

'Someone from the Ministry, I'm sure.' Said Hermione, though not sounding really excited about it.

'I hope it won't be Snape… Or anything like him.' Said Neville, looking fearful.

'What have we had for the past 5 years? An imposter, a toad, a froad, a werewolf (Harry saw Tina wince at the word), a You-Know-Who worshiper… what else is left?' Said Ron, counting wiith his fingers.

'A vampire.' Said Neville, shakily.

They continued talking about it, untill the train began to slow down as they approached Hogwarts, which was still as beautiful as the previous years Harry has seen it.