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Disclaimer: I wish I was JKR—it would rock to be a goddess at writing…thanks SO much for accusing me of being her in disguise (read reviews if you don't know what I'm talking about)! That's a major compliment for my writing…*feels good*. =) Anyway, yeah, the point is that Kalea is the only character that I own in this story so far.
*****
"Kalea!" Ginny squealed, "How are you? How was your trip?" Before she could answer, Ginny continued. "This is Harry, and this is Hermione. They're both in your year!"
Kalea rolled her eyes at her over-excited friend and turned to her new acquaintances. "Nice to meet you," She stated simply, and flashed them a dazzling smile. Her perfect rosebud lips framed her flawless teeth; Hermione smiled back…then felt her insides turn cold once again as she glanced over at Ron. He couldn't take his eyes off her! But they were just friends…or were they? Of course they are, she shouted at her mind. Ah, but why do you care? It shouted back… You have a boyfriend, and Ron is not him… Hermione's eyes narrowed as she continued her mental argument. That doesn't matter, I'm just looking out for him…he is, after all, one of my best friends. And who knows who this wench is! She gasped, surprised at her own anger…then colored as she realized Harry was looking at her, brow furrowed in concern. Fortunately, Ron hadn't noticed her slight lapse in control, which brought her back to her original frustration. He hadn't noticed her. She sighed and followed her friends as the conversation moved into the living room.
"So Ginny said that you're in our year? What school are you from?" Harry grinned warmly, his eyes shining with interest.
"Oh, I was at the Atlanta School of Sorcery…I'm actually turning 17 in October and was in 6th year there—the system is different in America. We generally start when we turn twelve instead of eleven like all of you, and then only study for six years." Kalea smiled engagingly, and brushed a few strands of her beautifully silky blonde shoulder length hair behind her ear, revealing several jeweled ear piercings. She continued, "but now that I'm transferring to Hogwarts, I'll be in 7th year with you."
Harry's eyes lit up at this, "So you'll be transferring to Hogwarts? Brilliant! Why?"
She laughed at his reaction, "Thanks…my dad went to Hogwarts, so when he got offered a position in London, he couldn't refuse. He'd always hoped I could spend at least one year there…"
Hermione was quiet. Kalea was coming to Hogwarts. She and Ron looked pretty close, she noticed, as she glanced over at him again. He was sitting on the sofa next to her with his arm resting on the back of the couch just above and behind her head. He still couldn't take his eyes off her. Something kept eating at the back of her mind… a question she'd been thinking about ever since the first owl about meeting this "someone". Finally, when she couldn't bear it any more, she cut in, "So how do you guys know each other?"
Ron, Ginny and Kalea all burst out laughing. Confused, Hermione asked, "What?"
As their giggles subsided, Ron spoke up. "Well, Mum and Dad decided they would visit America for two weeks and wanted to leave us here. Well, Fred and George wanted to go too, obviously, and wouldn't leave them alone about it. They kept leaving their trick stuff around the house so Mum and Dad would accidentally pick it up. FINALLY, after they filled Mum's black pudding with canary cream and the whole family burst into feather, Mum and Dad decided to take us with them…but leave us with some friends they knew there.
Kalea cut in, "See my father and Uncle Arthur were best mates at Hogwarts and they pulled all sorts of stunts. After they graduated, they kept in touch until my parents moved to America, after they moved it was just too much for the owls to keep flying back and forth, so they stopped writing for a while."
"Then, when Mum and Dad decided to take us with them," Ron smiled as he re interrupted the story and took over again. "Mum was kinda frantic about what'd she do with us, until Dad remembered his old school chum. He right away sent an express owl to ask if it was alright if we could stay with them. They owled back saying that it was fine and that their daughter had also just returned from school and the more, the merrier, once we met, we all became fast friends."
"Not all of us." Ginny corrected, giggling.
"Oh right" Ron responded, grinning broadly at Kalea who was now blushing and looking down at her hands.
"Fred and George decided to really make a mark by wearing gloves covered in their newest invention…Phoenix Flames paste. Kalea here happened to be the recipient of this prank and she spent the next week devising a way to get back at them for it. Man, it was a thing to see, Harry. The Master Pranksters pranked!" Ron said with a grin as he leaned over and ruffled her hair, while Ginny doubled over with laughter. "After that, the rest of us made sure not to get on Kalea's bad side, except for Fred and George, who kept trying to reprank her with no success."
Just then, amidst the laughter, they heard Mrs. Weasley's voice come in from the kitchen, "All right, bed-time! Everyone upstairs….."
*****
"So what's Hogwarts like?" Kalea asked as she changed into her pajamas. No wonder Ron couldn't take his eyes off her, Hermione thought. She was simply gorgeous. Her stormy gray eyes reflected her free spirit, yet betrayed her nervousness about starting at Hogwarts. A fabulous tan covered her curvy, athletic body, from her button nose and angled jaw to her powerful looking calves. Sure, Ginny had a model's body, and she herself certainly didn't have anything to complain about, but Kalea was new…what would this mean for her, or any of the girls at Hogwarts for that matter? Little did she know, her red-headed friend had lain awake the night before, thinking of just that... Suddenly, she was jolted out of her thoughts at the sound of her name.
"…Hermione can show you to all your classes and whatever at first, until you find your way around. I think you'll like it!" Ginny folded back her covers and got in bed, motioning for her two friends to do the same.
"Oh, thanks so much Hermione!! I hope you don't mind if I follow you around for the first week or two…" Kalea looked at her hopefully, then smiled. Maybe she's not so terrible after all, Hermione thought with uncertainty. After all, it's not her fault she's gorgeous and she IS new to England, let alone Hogwarts. She'll need a friend in her same year. And, well, if Ron wanted her…no, better to think about that later. After all, she didn't even know if Kalea was single, let alone interested in Ron…Hey, speaking of single…
"Viktor!!!" Hermione slapped her forehead and jumped out of bed. She rushed over to her bag, grabbed a piece of parchment and began to write him a letter.
"Who's Viktor?" Kalea asked, somewhat surprised about the mention of this new guy after seeing the way Hermione kept looking at Ron.
"Viktor Krum—THE Viktor Krum. He's Hermione's boyfriend." Ginny answered. For now, at least…she finished to herself.
"As in the one that plays for the Bulgaria Intl team?? Are you serious? Wow!! How did it happen?"
Hermione tuned out of the familiar conversation and continued writing.
Dear Viktor,
How are you? I'm sorry I didn't write earlier this week, but I was getting ready to come to the Burrow for the last few days of vacation. I'm having fun, I guess, but things are quite interesting at the moment. A new girl is transferring from America to Hogwarts this year and, because she's in my year, I've sort of been volunteered to show her around a bit at first.
I read about your game in the Daily Prophet a few days ago. You were amazing!! That Wronski Feint you pulled on the…Hermione scrunched up her nose. Had it actually been a Wronski Feint? And what was the name of that Canadian seeker? Oh well, whatever… She shrugged her shoulders and continued writing, Canadian seeker was brilliant. I do hope he's alright, though—smashing into the ground like that. How long did they say he'd be out? In the paper it merely stated what happened, but had no comment on his current condition. Watch yourself in your next game! I don't want the next Daily Prophet headline to be, "Krum is smashed to bits" or anything nearly like it.
I miss you so much! When do you think we'll be able to see each other again? I know Quidditch keeps you busy, but maybe you could come by for Christmas or something. I promise I'll make it worth your while…
XOXOXO,
Hermione
Hermione sealed the letter, tied it to Athena's leg and watched her fly out the window, hoping it would find her boyfriend well and in one piece. Then she turned, only to see that the room was empty. She crept to the door, curious about the whereabouts of her two companions. Quietly, she called down the stairs. Hearing no reply, she turned back and was hit by a sudden wave of heat. After blinking for a minute, Hermione realized everything was much taller than it had been…and she couldn't move. In fact, she couldn't even feel herself…it seemed as though she was only a pair of eyes rolling around on the floor. A bright light flashed in her eyes and, once she could see again, found herself face to face with a pair of blue and black toe socks. Looking very much further up, she saw Kalea's face grinning down at her, a camera in her hands.
"What's going on?" Hermione tried to ask, but found she couldn't. Then Ginny came into view, eyes wide with surprise and laughter at the sight of her friend on the floor at her feet. Then, Hermione was relieved to feel a wave of cold pass through her and found she had quickly regained her senses, and her height, though she felt a bit dizzy and disoriented.
"How do you feel?" Kalea asked anxiously, putting her hand up to steady her new friend who was slightly swaying.
"A…a little dizzy. But I'm ok, I think. What was that??" she asked, her voice dry.
"Sorry, 'Mione," Ginny snorted, "But we needed to test Kalea's imitation of Fred and George's Phoenix Flames. It seems to have worked really well!" she grinned at Kalea, who was looking at the picture with satisfaction. She handed it to Hermione who, now steadied once again, broke out laughing at the sight of herself as a neat pile of ashes with eyes.
"It was great—you turned back into the room right when we dropped the PF powder above you. Then, *poof*, you burst into flame and immediately became that pile of ashes in the picture. The only thing we need to work on is the immediate dizzying effect it has…" Kalea's brow furrowed and she bit her lip as she thought.
"Oh well, at least your version automatically restores you after a minute instead of leaving you there as ash until the prankster so decides you should return to normal. How long were you confined to your ashes, again?" Ginny raised her eyebrow, suppressing a laugh.
"A day. Which reminds me, we need to get them back for that."
"But I thought Ron said you already pranked them…?" Hermione asked, somewhat confused at this comment.
Kalea's eyes glinted wickedly and an evil half-smile played on her lips. In a hushed voice, she replied, "I did…but I only got them once, and they left me there on the floor for an entire day… Besides, this is my first day here, I can't give them the chance to prank me—or worse—us, first!"
"You're gonna help us, right Hermione?" Ginny looked at her friend with her own evil look that demanded her presence in this operation. "After all, you're probably the smartest witch out of the three of us…I'm sure you know some things the twins haven't thought of at all from reading all those books you always carry around."
Hermione thought about this for a second. She hated getting in trouble, yet…somehow, this was different. This kind of thing goes on here all the time, she reasoned to herself. Besides, when else am I going to get the chance to help prank the masters? It'll be so much fun… and hey, if anyone asks, I can say I was merely trying to make Kalea feel welcome….right?
"You do realize this is only the beginning? A declaration of war?" She looked from one friend to the other.
"Of course," Kalea raised one eyebrow, "That's half the fun in itself. An all out war."
A mischievous grin spread over Hermione's lips and she turned to her new comrades-in-arms. "What are we gonna do?"
*****
A/N: I already started writing the next chapter, for those of you who are annoyed at me for taking so long in getting this out. Sorry about that. It's really my *editor's* fault because she took a while to send it back to me… *innocent grin*
Speaking of which, the Phoenix Flame prank idea was created and is owned by the EVER brilliant Beth K., aka Flute Kahlan Solo Fel. =)