Three
days have finally passed with Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny staying
in a room in The Leaky Cauldron Motel. They enjoyed their time their.
Harry was trying to remember his moves on the broomstick for
Quidditch. Ron was experimenting with one of the Extendable Ears that
were accidentally left over by Fred and George last year. Ginny was
playing hide and seek with Crookshanks. Hermione was reading her new
school books, to take a background of what they'll be studying.
Finally, it was September first, nine o'clock.
"Come on
guys, you should be packing up, we've only got two hours till the
train leaves," said Hermione, packing her stuff and putting it
in her trunk.
"Hermione, don't worry, we'll be there on
time," said Harry.
"Always put the worst in front of
you, what if we were late to the train? What will we do next? Fly a
car?" asked Hermione.
"Well, you worry too much, really,
Hermione, there is time," said Ron slowly.
"Fine, just
please don't be late, I can't wait to get back to school," said
Hermione, excited.
"Sure you don't," murmured Ron
quietly when Hermione wasn't listening. Time has passed, and it was
finally twenty past ten.
"Ok, everybody ready?" asked
Harry.
"Yes," answered Ginny.
"Everybody's pets
are ready?" asked Hermione.
"Oh yeah, Hedwig's in her
cage, so is Pigwidgeon, how about Crookshanks?" replied
Harry.
"Crookshanks is also ready, he's probably searching my
trunk for some thread,"
"Thread? For what?" asked
Harry.
"For S.P.E.W. of course,"
"What? You
still haven't given up that?" asked Ron, annoyed.
"No
I've not. I'm not resting until those elves get their
rights,"
"Hermione, how many times do we have to tell
you? They like it the way they are!" answered Ron.
"No
they don't," said Hermione angrily.
"Yes they do,"
said Ron.
"Guys, don't start an argument. Please, just get
ready to leave," said Harry calmly.
Finally, the four friends
got out of their room, out of The Leaky Cauldron Motel, out of Diagon
Alley, and headed to Kings Cross station. Mrs. Weasley was waiting by
the door of The Leaky Cauldron, so, she was the one to drop the off
at Kings Cross Station. Of course, she drove their. Everybody got out
of the car, grabbed their trunks, and walked to Platform Nine and
Three Quarters. Mrs. Weasley waved goodbye and told them to take care
and not do anything foolish at school. Harry and Hermione were the
first to enter the platform. Then came Ron and Ginny. The Hogwarts
Express stood there, shining bright red, with smoke coming out. The
friends put their trunks and pets in the back carriage on the
Hogwarts Express, and stepped into the train.
"Shall we find
a compartment then?" asked Harry.
"Well…,"
replied Hermione quickly.
"Um...I'll go sit with my fifth
year friends…ok Ron?" interjected Ginny hastily.
"Ok..that's
fine," said Ron. Ginny headed to the back, to sit with her
friends.
"Look, there's an empty one over there," said
Harry pointing to the front.
"Harry…Ron and I are supposed to be on Prefect duty," said Hermione matter-of-factly.
"Give it a rest, Hermione," said Ron, jamming his way through a crowd of second years, "it's too early."
"No it's not," she shot back, almost furiously, "you're a Prefect!"
"Back to that, are we now?" asked Harry impatiently.
"Harry, he's supposed to be responsible…"
"Yeah, yeah…let's go then," said Ron quickly, while
Hermione bit her lips in indignation. They stepped into the
compartment. Ron was sitting beside the window. Harry and Hermione
sat opposite to him. The train began to move, slowly, faster, and
then faster. Half an hour passed until Ron spoke.
"Hey, have
you wondered what took him so long?"
"What took who so
long?" asked Harry.
"The lousy git, Malfoy. He always
comes around, with the two blokes, Crabbe and Goyle," replied
Ron.
"Don't be surprised, but he's here Ron," proclaimed
Hermione. She was right. In seconds, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle showed
up at the compartment's door.
"Well well well, look who's
here, Potty, Weazel, and the mudblood Granger," spoke the cold
voice of Draco Malfoy.
"What do you want? Get out of our
compartment!" said Ron loudly, his ears turned red.
"I
see that I've finally touched a nerve," said Malfoy, grinning.
"Our compartment? Remind me Weasley, when did your family have
enough money to build this train and own it?"
"Think
you're funny, do you?" said Harry, his temper almost reaching
the surface.
"Hey, Potty! How are you doing?"
"Better
than you," replied Harry.
"I'll never forgive you for
what you did to my father last year. He's probably now planning on
how to break out of Azkaban with the others,"
"Yeah,
well, like I told you last year, if he breaks out of Azkaban, I'll be
waiting for him,"
"Sure you will,"
"Now, if
you don't mind, get yourself and those two blokes out of our sight!"
spoke Harry.
"As you wish, master Potter! But, one thing, I
promise to give you hell of a life this year, Potty." replied
Malfoy, and soon gone.
"Harry, you should really practice
controlling your anger, or you'll get in trouble," said
Hermione, with a smile on her face.
Suddenly, the food cart
appeared at the side of the compartment's door. Harry, Hermione, and
Ron paid the old lady, and took several Berty Botts Every Flavour
Beans, and some chocolate frogs. After eating, the three friends were
full and stuffed. Hermione sort of dozed off, and her head was
resting on Harry's left shoulder. She felt a bit
comfortable.
"Feeling drowsy already?" said Ron,
laughing quietly. Neither Harry nor Hermione spoke for some fleeting
seconds.
"I guess she is," Harry finally replied, turning a bit red, and casting some restless looks at the green hills and blue streams that lay on his side of the train.
Suddenly, the train started
to slow down. Could we be close to Hogwarts?---thought Harry. But, no
way, they've still got one hour of traveling before they reach
Hogwarts. They can't be there yet.
Then...
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!" came a scream
from the back of the train. It was Ginny.
"What happened?"
asked Hermione, yawning.
"IT'S A GIANT!" screamed
Ginny. "I SAW HIS EYES STARING AT ME! HE BROKE THE WINDOW AND
WAS REACHING TO GRAB LUNA!"
Quickly, Harry, Hermione, and Ron
left their compartment to head for Ginny's. It was true, there really
was a giant outside of the train! He was standing on a river, and his
head was above the railway of the train. He was indeed holding Luna
Lovegood.
"HELP! SOMEONE, ANYONE, PLEASE HELP, HE'S GOING TO
EAT ME!" screamed Luna, horrified.
Immediately, Ron, Harry,
and Hermione took out their wands to stun the giant. It worked, but
only for a little time. Luna was released from the giant's hand, and
was now falling in the air. She couldn't have been back on the train,
had not Ron summoned her in the right time by saying "Accio".
But, still, the giant was there. Now, he was moving his hands into
the compartment to grab Ron. But, Harry and Hermione did the right
thing in time to save Ron. They did the reductor spell; the giant was
blasted several meters away and landed on a green hill with a big
thud, which almost caused an earthquake. Later on, each muttered a
spell to bind the giant in thick ropes.
"THANKS!" Ron
was now hugging both of them. They patted him on the back and then
went to the driver to tell him to proceed driving. Then, they
returned to their compartment. Everybody was staring at the three,
amazed and thrilled.
"You saved my life, you two, you're
bloody brilliant in the dark arts," said Ron, calming down from
the giant incident.
"That's what friends are for," said
Harry, smiling at Hermione, she in turn, smiled back.
"Anyway,
isn't this a bit odd? Giants, here? Near Hogwarts? I thought the last
bit of them were in the mountains like Hagrid said." said Ron,
keen to get to a point.
"I don't know, that giant must've
been an oddball or something," said Hermione.
"Do you
think that---"began Harry, and then came back to a stop.
"That
what Harry?" asked Hermione, looking him in the eye.
"Maybe
Voldemort sent them here. Don't you remember? He said that his Death
Eaters were convincing the giants to join him, and soon he'll have
the dementors on his side too," said Harry, as usual, ignoring
Ron's wince.
"Anything's possible these days," answered
Hermione, looking scared.
Then, a big old dirty castle came into
view. It was Hogwarts. The students will soon start their new school
year.
