Chapter 4

The New Girl

"We're not going to make it" Harry cried as he, Ron, and Hermione ran towards platform 9 ¾ pushing their carts as fast as they could.

They had woken up late and had gotten to the trains station when it was almost time for the train to leave.

They finally reached the platform and got on the train just in time.

"Let's go find a seat," Hermione said out of breath.

"Ok" Ron said in agreement.

"Wait aren't you guys prefects?" Harry asked. Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then at Harry.

"Not anymore" Ron said, "The school thought we were leaving so they found replacements."

"Oh" Harry said, "Sorry."

"It's not your fault" Hermione said.

They walked down the aisles for a little while until they found an empty compartment. They sat down and started talking.

"Why were you so quiet after we got our robes fitted in Diagon Alley yesterday?" Ron asked Harry.

"Yeah I noticed that too, what was up?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked even though he knew what Ron meant, he hadn't said a word for the rest of the day after he saw that mysterious girl looking in the shop windows in Diagon Alley.

"Don't pretend you don't know Harry, I can tell that you do" Ron said.

"Are you hiding something?" Hermione asked Harry suspiciously.

"Do you really want to know?" Harry asked.

"Yes" Ron and Hermione said at the same time.

"Okay well when we were getting our robes fitted I saw this girl" Harry said.

"Go on" Ron prompted him.

"Well, she was so beautiful, I'm talking prettier than Fleur, she-" Harry stopped suddenly.

Ron and Hermione looked at him. They followed his gaze to the compartment door and there was the exact same girl Harry had seen yesterday.

"Would you mind if I sat here? None of the others are open." she asked in the smoothest, richest and most gentle voice Harry had ever heard.

"Sure" Harry said in a barely audible voice.

"Thanks" she said sitting down in the window-seat next Harry. "My name is Jenna Bailey," she said holding out her hand to Hermione.

"Hermione Granger" Hermione reached out and shook her hand making the connection between this girl and the one Harry was talking about. Jenna looked at Ron.

"Weasley Ron" Ron said, pink in the face as he shook the girl's hand "I mean Ron Weasley" he corrected himself embarrassed. Finally she looked at Harry noticing how familiar he looked.

"I'm, I'm" he tried to say his name but he couldn't get it out.

"Having an identity crisis Harry" Hermione asked jokingly.

"Wait, did you say Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley?" Jenna asked suddenly wide-eyed looked between her two new acquaintances.

"Yes" Ron and Hermione said in unison.

Jenna looked at Harry realizing why she thought she had seen him before, "Then that would make you… no it couldn't be." She lifted her hand and brushed aside Harry's bangs. "Wow, you're Harry Potter," she said.

She took her hand away and Harry let out a breath that he realized he had been holding, "Yeah, that's me," he said.

"I thought you weren't coming back to Hogwarts," she said.

"How did you know about that?" Harry asked.

"It was in the Daily Prophet" Jenna said, "I can't believe that I am finally meeting you." Harry could feel himself turn red and he looked away.

Jenna turned to Ron, "They mentioned you in the paper along with Harry" she said.

"I'm fine how are you?" Ron asked with a silly look on his face and Hermione giggled when she saw he was making a fool out of himself.

"Okay" she said slowly, turning to Hermione. "They mentioned you too, they said that the headmistress said that it would be a great loss with you leaving, she said you were the brightest in your year."

"Well, I'm not the brightest" Hermione said pleased.

"I'll be right back," Jenna said and she got up and left the compartment.

A couple minutes later Ginny came into the compartment and was surprised at what she saw. Ron was sitting there with a silly look on his face, Hermione was smiling to herself, and Harry was blushing and looking at the floor.

"Are you guys all right?" Ginny asked wondering what had happened to them.

They all looked up at her, "We're fine," they said together not really paying attention to her.

"Someone said you guys were here and I was just checking since Ron didn't say anything at home" Ginny said and quickly left feeling uncomfortable.

A few more minutes passed and Jenna returned.

"So what year are you going into?" Hermione asked her.

"Seventh" Jenna said.

"Seventh, but aren't you new here?" Hermione said.

"I am, but I already know all of what I would have learned in the first 6 years; I was home schooled" Jenna replied.

"Why did you come here now and not earlier?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore wanted me to" Jenna said, "He arranged for everything."

"Oh Dumbledore did?" Harry asked suddenly remembering the letter he had received wondering if it was possible that this was the person he was supposed to meet.

"Yes" Jenna said, "We should probably get our robes on, we will be arriving at Hogwarts soon."

Dumbledore wanted her here? Harry thought. But he died before she would have gotten her letter. Something was up and Harry was determined to find out what. Many other thought flew through his head as he put his robe on. Every now and then he would look at Jenna. Something sure wasn't right here.