Part Six
They were late to the station, not surprising, and they ran through the station to get to the train on time. "Fred, George, Percy, you first!" Molly called to her sons in front of her. When they were through Arthur nudged the two girls forward and they cleared the barrier. Ginny followed the older girl to where Fred and George were and the two boys grabbed their things to throw them on the train. Percy had to hurry to the front where the prefects were. "Tell Mother I couldn't wait!" He called back to them.
"Get on the train, you two." George said. Erin hopped up and Ginny followed. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley appeared then and kissed them.
"Where're Harry and Ron?" Erin asked surprised.
Molly looked around confused. "They were right behind us. Dear, hurry and see what's going on, the train will leave!"
The train was going and Erin put her hand out for Fred to jump on. He grabbed a hold and George grabbed his arm and they hauled themselves on. "Don't worry!" Molly called. "Everything will be fine!"
"What do those prats think they're doing?" George asked. "Where are they?"
Erin shook her head. "Harry would never do something like this and neither would Ron. Something must have happened, there is no way around it."
"Yeah," Fred said. "Guess you're right. Well, see you later. Have to find Lee."
"See you later." Erin called. She started down the train and then looked around. She looked back and saw Ginny standing there. "Ginny, come on." She said. "You can't stand there the entire trip."
Ginny breathed a sigh of relief and caught up to her friend. "Where will we sit?"
"Well, just have to find Hermione. She'll have saved seats for us." They wandered down the middle of the train and found Hermione near the end sitting with Neville and a dreamy looking girl with long blonde hair and large eyes (not the pretty large eyes, the staring type). Erin smiled as she opened the door to the compartment. "Hi." She said.
"Hi!" Hermione said. "I thought you'd missed the train!"
"I didn't, Ron and Harry did." She shook her head. "Everything will be ok though. Ginny, you remember Hermione and this is Neville Longbottom. Neville, this is Ginny, she's Ron's little sister."
"'Lo." The boy said nervously.
"And this is Luna Lovegood." Hermione was saying.
"Oh! Luna! It's good to see you!" Ginny said. "Our families got together with the Fawcett's and Diggory's and…someone else…and we had a picnic, remember?"
The girl's face lit up and she nodded. "Yeah, I remember."
Hermione took out a gift wrapped in pretty pink and white paper and had little bows and things on it. Erin was delighted and she slipped off the top of the long thin box and gasped as she pulled out the photo. "Oh, Hermione! It's gorgeous!" She touched the pretty carved frame and traced the vines and birds and other animals and the picture was even more beautiful. It was of the four of them on the last day of term…There was Ron on the far right smiling and had his hair all messed up and Harry next to him bruises and all, but keeping an absolutely wonderful smile. Erin was next to him grinning and Hermione next to her. They all had their arms around the people beside them. Erin smiled and a tear slipped down her cheek. "Thank you!" She said hugging her friend. "It's perfect."
They weren't too worried about Harry and Ron. They knew the Weasley's would get them to Hogwarts. It was later that afternoon when Erin awoke from a nap and looked out through blurry as at the landscape beyond the window. "What the bloody hell…"
Erin's exclamation of surprise roused the other occupants of the compartment and they all rushed to the window. Erin was rubbing the sleep completely from her eyes and they all saw it…a blue Ford Anglia flying along beside the train. "They wouldn't!" Ginny squeaked out.
"They would." Erin and Hermione groaned at the same time just as the door to the Anglia opened and Harry hanging from the door. Erin opened the window and drew her wand from her robes.
"Erin? Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Neville asked in alarm.
"Yes." Erin said. She did a sort of flick and circle thing with the wand and a cloud appeared beneath Harry. They were close enough to see what was going on. Harry looked down in surprise, he had been trying to reach for Ron's hand, but then he noticed the cloud underneath him. It was holding him up. The cloud rose slightly allowing him to reach Ron's hand and get pulled back into the car. The cloud disappeared as soon as the door was slammed shut.
"Oh, thank goodness." Hermione breathed leaning back and then, "I can't believe those two! Why on earth would they take that car to get to Hogwarts?"
"Settle down, Hermione." Erin said still watching out of the window. "I am sure they will have a most fascinating explanation for their behavior." She sighed; at least she hoped they did.
They reached Hogsmeade station at the usual time and told Luna and Ginny to follow Hagrid. "Hi, Hagrid!" Erin waved.
"Hey, you two, where's Harry and Ron?" He asked looking around.
"You don't want to know." Erin shook her head.
"Well, see yeh at the castle. Come on, firs' years!" He called swinging his lantern.
Fred and George appeared behind the two girls and 'escorted' them along the platform towards carriages that were lined up…with nothing to pull them. They clambered in and were joined by Lee and Neville. The ride to the castle was done in silence, after Neville spilled the beans about Ron and Harry that is.
Harry and Ron didn't shop up during the Sorting or after during the feast. Hermione and Erin walked up to the tower together talking quietly about what they had seen. Erin looked up and saw Harry and Ron in front of the portrait. "Harry! Ron!"
The boys turned relieved to see them. "Hey, you'll never guess what happened!"
"What?" Erin asked. "We were so worried after you got back into the car!"
"Oh, was that you?" Harry asked. "The cloud?"
Erin blushed a little and Hermione came to her rescue. "Of course it was." She waved it off knowing her friend did not like to be the center of attention. "Now tell us what happened."
"Ok." Harry agreed and they hurried up the staircase to find an empty classroom. Harry opened a door and made sure it was empty and ushered them in. Erin hopped up on a desk and Harry joined her, Ron and Hermione scooted onto the one behind it facing them. "Here goes." Harry said. "This summer a house-elf was stopping my mail hoping I would think I didn't have any friends so I would return to Hogwarts, he also used a hovering charm, so I get in trouble for it because it is in my home. I got an official warning. Though if anything else happens I'll probably be expelled or something." He took a breath. "Then Ron and I were the last to go through the barrier at Platform 9 ¾, it sealed itself and we missed the train. Ron had the idea to take the car and fly it to Hogwarts, we didn't know what else to do…" He explained. "We figured if the barrier sealed itself then Ron's mum and dad couldn't get back through…" He shook his head. "We weren't thinking clearly and then when we get here we land in a tree with huge branches and it tried to kill us…"
"The Whomping Willow." Erin said without thinking about it, her mind was on the House Elf and the Barrier.
"Yeah, that's what Snape said," Ron looked at Harry and then back at Erin.
"But, I don't think someone wants me here this year, the elf said that horrible things would be happening and that I was in great danger. I had to come back though…" Harry sighed. "Hogwarts is my home."
"I know what you mean." Erin said.