Chapter 3- The Psychic
"Great to see you Harry," Ron greeted him when he was finally aboard the Knight Bus. "The muggles been treating you well I assume?" Ron had grown a lot over the summer. His hair was longer, he grew a couple of inches, and Harry noticed a few muscles building around him. The gangly appearance he held for the past five years had vanished.
"Yeah, they're okay," Harry replied drearily. He looked around the Knight Bus. The beds were still set up along the walls. Above on the second floor, to his horror he saw Draco Malfoy chatting away with some girl he didn't recognize. Malfoy's white blonde hair was slightly covering his face, but Harry could still tell he was smirking as always. He had changed to. He had grown, as had he and Ron, his hair was longer? No that wasn't it. Harry knew, and he was freaked out. He had gotten tons of muscles. More than Ron had gotten.
"What's he doing here?" Harry asked, disgusted.
"I don't know," Ron shrugged, "When I got on he was already here."
"Who's that girl he's talking to?"
"Cassandra DeCartalano."
"You know her?" Harry asked taken aback.
"Yeah. She's an old friend of the family. She's staying with us at Grimmauld Place. Came along for the ride. Can't stand being cooped up there for too long. She used to live near me, but then she moved to another part of the country. Haven't seen her in years. Great to have her back. Dumbledore arranged it so she can come to school with us. Mum's invited her to live with us at the Burrow instead of with her crazy stepmother."
"So if she came with you, what's she doing up there with Malfoy?"
"His hat fell down here. She brought it back up to him and she's been talking to him for ten minutes now," Ron said enviously.
"What could they possibly be talking about?"
"No clue," Ron shrugged, glaring up at them.
Harry and Ron sat clang to the beds as the Knight Bus made it's twists and turns along the roads. In between cars and through red lights. Between random yells of shock Harry and Ron talked about their summers so far. This didn't cheer Harry up much but it was something. They came to an abrupt stop in front of the Leaky Cauldron about twenty minutes later. Malfoy came down the steps and exited the bus, averting his grey eyes from Ron and Harry as he left.
"Hey Ron," said a voice from behind them.
"Hey Cassie. This is my friend Harry," said Ron as the Knight Bus started tumbling again. She sat down next to Ron on the bed. Harry could see why Ron was jealous of her talking to Malfoy. She was beautiful. Her tan, powdery complexion was highlighted by all her other accenting features. Her eyes were a deep brown with flecks of gold, the same shade of brown as her hair with the same golden flecks. Harry was glad that she didn't stare at his scar, or announce his presence like others did when first meeting him.
"Hi Harry. I'm Cassie. Nice to meet you," she held out her hand for Harry to shake.
"Hi..." Harry stuttered, shaking her hand nervously.
"So anyway missy," Ron said turning to her as the bed swayed beneath them. "What were you doing talking to Malfoy?"
"Um...talking I guess," she answered honestly. Ron gave her one of Hermione's don't-give-me-that looks.
"What? I just brought his hat back. And I asked him why he was alone. He just seemed so gloomy. Is it a crime for me to try and cheer someone up?"
"No," Ron said defensively, "But it might be when it's Malfoy."
"Is he evil or something?"
Harry chuckled. "Please, don't get Ron started."
"You could've just read his mind from down here you know," Ron mumbled. "She's a psychic you know Harry," he said excitedly. "She can read minds, and see the future, and move things, all in her head! It's brilliant!"
"Oh stop," Cassie joked, "It's not all good. Constant headaches, thin temper, weird things happening, it's not all fun."
"Sure," said Ron and Harry sarcastically in unison.
For the rest of the ride Ron and Harry talked about all the things to see at Hogwarts. Occasionally one of them would fall of the bed, and get run over by all the moving beds. At one point, the beds were tripping over Ron and Cassie had to lift him up telepathically and rest him back on his seat.
After about a half an hour the Knight Bus dropped them off at a deserted street. The houses were beat up and worn. Windows were broken, the paint was peeling off the sides, and the doors were covered in graffiti. When they got off the bus they waited for it to snap out of view before proceeding to Grimmauld Place.
"Remember what to do Harry?" Ron said as they approached the houses numbered eleven and thirteen.
"I think so," Harry replied shyly. He closed his eyes and focused on one phrase in his mind:
The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.
Out of nowhere, a house started to materialize in front of them. It pushed the houses to the sides of it out of the way, as if the world just expanded for the house to appear. As soon as the house was fully emerged, the three of them quickly hurried onto the stoop and banged on the door violently.
Mrs. Weasley opened the door and urged them to come in. Once inside, Harry knew everything too well. He remembered the smells, the sounds, and the dark atmosphere of his surroundings. He was back at the house that his deceased godfather once grew up. He was back at Grimmauld Place.
