a/n: again, there is a bit of the song radios in heaven by the plain white tees in this chapter. I finally got this one up, so i hope you people enjoy! also, if you read this PLEASE COMMENT! i never get comments, and that makes me sad, because i really like this story. anyway, i hope you enjoy this!

disclaimer : i dont own this, i'm just playing with JKR's characters, so dont sue me.

Chapter Five / The Hogwarts Express

Harry didn't stop running until he got to his room. He burst in through the door and found the startled faces of Ron and Hermione staring back at him from their beds.

Oh bollocks, he thought, way to go, Harry. Forgot they would be in here, didn't you, now they are going to badger you about why you nearly took the door off its hinges. Play it cool…

"What?" he asked them, trying to make sure his voice sound as nonchalant as possible. To his surprise, he was quite successful.

"Well, you just burst through the door, completely out of breath, with a strange look on your face," replied Hermione in that knowing tone again. "And usually that would tend to suggest that there is something wrong, Harry."

She knows! Harry thought nervously, She's using that tone again, she knows exactly what's up.

"Nope," chirped Harry brightly, "I'm just excited to be getting back to Hogwarts is all! I've got too much energy so I ran up the stairs; I didn't really mean to burst through the door like that. Honest."

He looked from Ron to Hermione, all the while not letting his smile falter; he had to keep up the act if they were going to believe him. He didn't really feel like telling them about the moment he had just accidentally shared with the girl.

Ron seemed to think this was a good enough story, and shrugged before rolling back over in his bed, although Harry was sure he heard him mutter something that sounded rather like "Bloody mental" under his breath. Harry turned his gaze to Hermione, hoping beyond hope that he would see the same look on her face as he had seen on Ron's. He was sorely disappointed, however, for Hermione was wearing a look dripping with curiosity, but to Harry's relief she decided not to press the matter further and also rolled over in her bed.

Harry smiled again; glad that for once he had been able to hide what he was feeling, at least half well. He knew Hermione knew something was up, but as long as she didn't ask questions, he wasn't too bothered.

He quickly changed out of his clothes and got into bed, rolling over onto his side. He lay awake for some time, just thinking about the girl and the events of that song. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep with the words of the song playing over and over again in his head.

I hope I'm just like you
I hope I turn out to be as good as you.

Crack.

Hope looked around herself, trying to figure out just where she had apparated to. She appeared to be in a public toilet cubicle. She smiled and shook her head; trust her to apparate into a toilet.

She flushed the toilet, just to make it seem to any nearby Muggles that she hadn't just gone and sat in a toilet cubicle for the heck of it, and opened the cubicle. She glanced in the mirror as she exited the ladies, and realised how stupid she must have looked coming out a cubicle with a large trunk trailing behind her.

Once out of the toilets, she rummaged in her bag for the ticket that Albus had given to her. She stared at it stupidly, trying to figure out whether or not he was pulling her leg.

"Platform 9 ¾? What the hell?" she said aloud, not really meaning too.

Hope lifted her head and looked around, half hoping there would be a sign saying "Platform 9 ¾" but knowing really that such a thing was stupid. She sighed deeply when she saw nothing and slumped her shoulders. She hated it when Albus wasn't direct, why couldn't he have just told her how to get on to the platform?

She was so deep in thoughts of frustration at not being able to get on to the platform, that she hadn't noticed somebody calling her name just behind her. Eventually the person had to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. She jumped and squealed in surprise before turning round to look at who had tapped her.

She gasped when she saw who had tapped her though, and had to take a step back in order to look at him properly. She had expected to see someone looking for the loo or something, but instead standing before her was an 8ft tall man. His dark hair and beard were wiry and out of control, and he was wearing a large moleskin coat. The man, if that is what it was, looked down at her brightly.

"'Ope Win'ers?" he said in a strong accent. She stared at him for a second or two before realising that he had in fact said her name. She shook her head to get herself out of her shock like trance.

"Oh! Yes! That's me!" she said, a little brighter than she had intended, but it seemed to have gone unnoticed.

"'Ello!" the man said, grinning broadly. "The name's Hagrid." Hope stared at him, was that supposed to mean something to her? She suddenly felt very silly, and looked down at her feet and shuffled them. The man named Hagrid saw this, and laughed. Hope looked back up at him, bewildered. "I'm a friend of your Godfathers!" he exclaimed, and immediately Hope smiled up at the man.

"Oh! Hello!" she said, "I'm sorry, but I didn't know who you were!" She felt the heat in her cheeks, and knew she must be blushing furiously.

"S'quite alrigh'. I'm 'ere to show you how to get on ter the platform. Dumbledore thought you might have a little problem with that," he said, still beaming down at her. Hope laughed softly, before speaking again.

"I was just beginning to panic about it, yes. I'm so glad you're here though! I thought I was going to have to find out by myself!"

Hagrid extended his arm in front of him, beckoning her to walk in that direction. She smiled gratefully at him and pushed her trolley through the large crowds of people.

Harry squirmed uncomfortably in the back of the ministry car. Enlarged they might well have been, but that didn't mean they weren't cramped. After all, there were four trunks, four tired and disgruntled teenagers, two large owl cages, two smaller cages for Crookshanks and Arnold the pygmy puff and one very harassed looking Mrs. Weasley in the back of this one on this September morning.

He stared out of the window of the car, watching as the other cars zoomed past him. As he watched them, his thoughts began to drift, and soon he was lost in them.

He was thinking of a great deal of things, but mostly his return to Hogwarts. This was going to be his last trip to Hogwarts, his last year. He wondered idly what he would do without the place he had called home for seven long years. Instead of his usual feeling of excitement at returning to Hogwarts, Harry felt saddened at the fact that he would not be able to return to Hogwarts again after this. At least not as a student, and he wasn't sure whether it would be as good returning as a guest or a teacher. Speaking of teachers, what would he do after he graduated from Hogwarts this year? Would he go into full combat mode in order to kill old Voldy, or would he try and make a career for himself, maybe even a life?

He wondered what career he would pursue after Hogwarts, he had always wanted to be an Auror, but he was not sure if he would obtain the grades he needed in his N.E.W.T.S., if he even took them, to reach his goal. He thought about what it would be like to be an Auror, catching dark wizard's everyday.

He thought about what Ron and Hermione would be. He smiled when he thought of them happy in jobs and the lives that he knew they would make for themselves after school. He pictured Hermione working as a Healer in St Mungos, or maybe owning her own bookshop, or maybe Hermione would come back to Hogwarts as a teacher. She was, after all, able to teach their current teachers a thing or two most of the time. What would Ron do? He smiled even wider as he imagined Ron living his dream, playing keeper for the Chudley Cannons. Or maybe Ron would do something else, something at the ministry? He might go and work with Fred and George, or he might finally realise that he was a good journalist. Unknown to Ron, Harry had read the many reports Ron had written on the goings on at Hogwarts, he was really very good at writing. Harry wondered vaguely if he should mention this to Ron, but he didn't know how Ron would take it, so pushed the thought to the back of his mind for the time being.

His thoughts took a predictable turn towards wondering whether or not he would even live to make a life for himself. He loved the idea of Ron and Hermione making wonderful lives for themselves, but he had to wonder if he would make it through this second war to be a part of those lives. He had tried not to think about this over the summer, but somehow the thought kept creeping into the back of his mind, sneaking up on him when he least expected it. He didn't want to think that he wouldn't be there when they had their children, or when they got promoted, or when they got married; he wanted to believe that he would be there, that he could survive this and have all of those things for his own. But rational thought interrupted his wishful thinking and something just told him that he wasn't going to be able to make it.

He sighed in frustration, and ran his hand through his hair before resting his forehead upon it. He felt the comforting feeling of Ron's hand on his shoulder, silently giving him reassurance that whatever he was thinking about would be okay. Not that Ron didn't know what Harry was talking about anyway, it was strange really, the connection they had with each other. Harry looked up at Ron and smiled gratefully.

He surveyed the man Ron had grown into. Gone was the long and gangly 11 year old he had met on Platform 9 ¾, instead sitting beside him was a tall, but well filled out man, with flaming red hair and bright blue eyes. He smiled when he thought of how far Ron had come to be the person he was today, he had accomplished so much within himself, and Harry laughed softly when he thought of how much he had contributed to that.

He was drawn from his thoughts of Ron however, by warmth on his knee. He turned his head to find Hermione leaning over from her seat opposite him, placing her hand reassuringly on his knee, telling him, like Ron, that everything would be okay. His connection with Hermione was so similar to that of Ron; only Hermione seemed to be able to tell what Harry was feeling too. She knew when he needed left alone, when he needed a hug, when he needed to talk and when he just needed someone to yell at. He couldn't be more grateful for her and all she had done for him over the years. He sat back in his seat to survey, just as he had done with Ron moments before, the woman she had become.

Just as with Ron, gone was the 11 year old girl he had met on the train 7 years ago. Instead, sitting before him was a beautiful woman, and an incredible person. She had filled out nicely in her teenage years; she had grown taller, but was nowhere near as tall as the boys. Her hair had tamed itself over the years, and now hung in curls around her face. He smiled again as he thought of all the things she had done in her years of friendship with him. Her silly tendency to panic and think like a muggle under pressure, her incessant badgering of the boys to do their homework and then giving in and helping them with it anyway, the look on her face when she gained house points, the glint in her eyes when she learnt something new. Harry wondered idly again, what he would have done without her all these years. He would have for sure failed every single one of his OWL's and probably would have been thrown out the school long ago. He truly appreciated her and everything she did for him.

The taxi ground to a halt at the front entrance to Kings Cross Station, and Harry suddenly felt like he should prolong these moments as long as he could. For every moment that passed, meant that he was a moment closer to leaving the place he had ever been able to feel safe, accepted and like a true person.

He heaved his trunk onto his trolley and pushed it into the station, smiling at the familiar sight of the barrier just between Platforms 9 and 10. He looked around himself, looking to see if there was anyone else on their way to go through the barrier, when he spotted his classmate Neville.

Neville was a clumsy boy in Harry's year, but he was kind hearted and loyal.

"Heya, Neville, have a nice summer?" he asked Neville brightly. Neville obviously was lost in thought and had not noticed him, for he jumped a mile when Harry spoke, knocking Trevor the toad's box over. Harry laughed as he bent down to help Neville retrieve the toad.

"Hey Harry, Hermione, Ron," said Neville, rather gloomily. "It was brilliant until a few days ago. Did you hear anything about You-Know-You killing that couple in Dorset the other day?" he asked, looking at each of them in turn. They shook their heads; Hermione had stopped receiving the Daily Prophet over the summer, claiming that it had become more of a tabloid than a newspaper. Harry and Ron never did bother with it anyway. "Well," continued Neville, "The Winters' family lived just round the corner from me, and it was awful to hear that they had been killed. Of course, not all of the family was killed; they left the daughter, Hope. She was a good friend of mine, but after her parents were murdered they whisked her off and I don't know where she's gone. I'm worried about her." Hermione walked up to Neville and patted him reassuringly on the shoulder, Neville sighed deeply.

"Don't worry Neville, if Voldemort's been killing people the Order will know all the details. I'm sure professor McGonagall will be able to tell us where she's gone once we get to the school," she said, still patting Neville on the shoulder. Neville's face lifted slightly, but he still looked miserable.

"C'mon you lot, let's get through the barrier or we wont get our usual compartment," said Ron as he pushed his trolley towards the barrier and walked straight through it.

Hope followed behind Hagrid nervously through Kings Cross, often having to run to keep up with him. Drat her small legs!

He came to an abrupt halt, staring at the wall between Platforms 9 and 10. She peered round His large form, and copied him in staring at the wall. After a few moments silence, Hagrid seem to realise that he had just been staring at the blank wall.

"Sorry abou' tha'!" he said gruffly, "I were jus' remembrin' the las' time I used this gateway for meself is all!" Hope noticed there was a tear in his eye, and was on the verge of saying something to him about it, but decided against it.

Hagrid turned round and began to search the crowd, obviously looking for someone within it. Hope, being too small to see above everyone's head, simple stood and waited. She looked down at her belongings and grinned broadly, thinking of where she was about to go. She looked up quickly to the clock on the footbridge across the train lines, and was relieved to find she was half an hour early for the train.

"Well, there's a first for everything I suppose," she said quietly to herself. She was well known for having no sense of time.

She looked back up at Hagrid, and saw him waving enthusiastically at someone. He really did seem quite pleased to meet them, and she wanted to know who they were too, especially if they got her away from this spot by the wall, she was beginning to feel uncomfortable being stared at by every passing person.

"Err... Hagrid?" she asked uncertainly, "Wh-who are you waving at?"

At that moment, three people emerged from the crowd into their spot. Hope looked at them, and was heartened by their appearance. There was one girl, and two boys who were very obviously twins. Each of them had fiery red hair and freckles. They looked at her, at first, with puzzled expressions, then comprehension dawned on their faces and they smiled at Hope.

"Hey there, I'm Ginny," said the girl, waving a little, "and these two are my brothers-" but the two guys cut her off, lunging themselves forwards and holding out their hands. She shook the one closest to her, and he beamed.

"He's Fred," said the one she had shook hands with. She turned to the other and shook his hand too.

"And he's George, we're just here seeing our ickle sister off to Hogwarts," he said, positively beaming as he ruffled Ginny's hair affectionately. Ginny, in contrast, did not look happy about this at all.

"Hey," said Hope, a lot quieter than she would have normally greeted anyone.

The girl called Ginny grabbed the collars of her brothers' clothes and pulled them sharply back. "Now, now, boys. Calm yourselves, I'm not sure if she's ready for you two yet." She said playfully, and then smiled at Hope. "C'mon," she said brightly, "Lets get through the barrier before they try any of their stuff on you with all these muggles around."

It was the second time Hope had heard someone say 'barrier', and she was still unsure as to what the hell they were talking about. Just then, Ginny had grabbed her arm, pulling her and her trolley straight towards the solid wall between platforms 9 and 10.

"Ginny? What the hell are you doing? That's a solid wall!" Hope shouted. Okay, she had to admit it, she had panicked. But Ginny was about to crash her headfirst into a wall! Ginny let go of her arm and twirled round to look at Hope, an impatient look on her face.

"What?" she asked, clearly annoyed and Hope. Hope looked down at her feet and shuffled them, very embarrassed. She looked back up at Ginny through her fringe, hoping that Ginny's female instinct would be able to translate it. Ginny's face softened almost immediately upon seeing Hope's look. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I thought you knew about the barrier!" She laughed softly, and suddenly felt quite inferior to Ginny, and she felt as if Ginny liked it. "This, Hope, is the magical barrier to get on to Platform 9 ¾. You just need to walk at this wall, confident that you will not crash into it and you will emerge on the other side. It's easy!" Ginny looked at Hope, and noticing the still uncertain look on Hope's face, she motioned to the twins to go through, to show her.

Hope watched intently as the boys walked casually towards the barrier and instead of crashing into it, as she was convinced they would, they simply disappeared from sight. Hope smiled and relaxed, realising with full force just how much she had missed of the magical world while she was at home, instead of here learning with the rest of these kids.

Ginny inclined her head in silent question, and Hope nodded. Ginny smiled and motioned for Hope to go through before her.

Hope swallowed hard, and concentrated hard on believing that she was not going to crash into the wall. She lined up herself and trolley with the wall, and began to walk quickly. She closed her eyes as she approached the wall, waiting for the imminent crash. But it didn't come, she kept on walking and when she opened her eyes she saw the greatest sight she had ever set eyes upon. A brilliant scarlet steam train, steam billowing from it. She smiled broadly as Ginny came through the barrier behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hope, meet the Hogwarts Express."

Harry was sitting with his feet up on the seat opposite him, staring out of the train window as it hurtled past fields and lakes and hills in the English countryside. He yawned widely and his eyes drooped. He shuffled slightly to the side so that his head could rest on the soft backrest of his seat. Just as he was about to drift off into a very welcomed sleep, Hermione elbowed him in the side. He jerked upright, thoroughly annoyed.

"Hermione, I swear I have a permanent bruise exactly the size and shape of your elbow in my side from the stupidly large amount of times you have done that. What the hell is so important that you had to wake me up?" he asked, boring his eyes into hers, making sure she understood fully how annoyed he was.

"There's no need to look at me like that, Harry," she said quietly, and Harry immediately felt guilty. He sighed heavily and mumbled a "sorry", shifting his gaze to his feet. "C'mon, Harry, you have a prefect meeting to go to," said Hermione, giving him her usual 'be more responsible look', oh how he hated that look. He quickly looked over to Ron, looking for sympathy. Ron however, just shrugged his shoulders at him.

"What do you want me to do about it? I'm a prefect; I've got to go too."

Harry sighed in defeat and quickly changed his into his robes before exiting the compartment with the other two. They walked down the crowded corridor towards the prefects' carriage. Harry realised all at once that he had no idea what he was supposed to do at this meeting. He hoped to high heavens that Hermione had everything planned out, and he would only have to agree.

Hermione and Ron opened the door to a very large, very handsomely decorated compartment at the very front of the train. Harry stared around himself, almost in awe. Almost.

The four walls of the compartment were decorated with the four colours and crests of the Hogwarts houses. He felt soft and deep piled carpet beneath his feet and looked down to inspect it. In the middle of the room, the carpet was embroidered with the Hogwarts crest. Harry smiled as he looked at it. Anything with that crest on it was guaranteed to make him smile, no matter the situation.

Placed in a semi circle around a two-person podium, were straight backed chairs, with four different coloured seat cushions. There were 6 chairs of each colour, which he guessed were to indicate where the different house prefects should sit.

Hermione walked confidently towards a small chest at the side of the room, and beckoned Harry over to her. He walked over to her nervously, not rally sure what was going on. Apparently, his nervousness was very evident on his face, for Hermione laughed softly when she looked up at him, before saying,

"Oh, Harry, calm down for goodness sake. You don't need to say anything, I'll do it all. You just need to introduce yourself." She rolled her eyes bit too obviously for Harry's liking, he frowned. "Harry, I had no doubt in my mind that you didn't know what went on in prefect's meetings, and everyone else knows that too. So never fear, Hermione came to the rescues again," she winked at him, and he smiled, "Now c'mon, the sooner this is over the sooner you can sleep."

The meeting was interesting for Harry. He had never been to one before, and was intrigued as to what the prefects had to do and what they talked about. As it turns out, not much more than what Harry had imagined. They talked about rounds, handed out rounds timetables, and discussed when their monthly meetings should be. It wasn't until closer the end that Hermione asked Harry to introduce himself. Harry found this entirely pointless, because he was very certain that everyone in the compartment knew exactly who he was, but he relented and did what he was told despite himself. By the end of it, he was very much looking forward to getting back to his other compartment for a nice sleep.

Harry, Ron and Hermione winded their way through the still thick crowd in the corridor. Harry was trying his best to ignore the stares he was receiving. He found it amazing, that even after seven years in the wizarding world; they still found him to be pointed at and whispered about.

He passed a group of annoyingly obvious second years, who pointed and whispered in loud voices as he approached. Harry turned his head in frustration, trying to exclude them from his line of vision, when his heart stopped in his chest. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, he couldn't think.

He took a large gulp of air and came back to his senses when Ron nudged him in the back. He shook his head violently, trying to make his brain work again.

Here. She's here. The girl, she's here! At Hogwarts! He thought, and immediately smiled broadly, Oh, there is a God!

Hope could not stop smiling as she clambered aboard the brilliant scarlet steam train. She tried as desperately as she could to take in every detail of everything around her, from the cats winding their way through her legs on the platform, to the loud babble of noise from the massive amount of people there, even just the smell of the steam billowing out from the engine.

As she climbed aboard the train, Ginny placed a hand on her shoulder and, smiling broadly, said in a bright voice, "Right then, Miss Winters! Let's find you a compartment shall we?" Hope smiled her reply, and Ginny motioned for her to carry on down the corridor.

They eventually found a compartment containing only one other person. A small girl with large blue eyes and long straggly blonde hair. She was reading a magazine, apparently absorbed by what it was saying; for she did not look up when Ginny slid open the compartment door, nor when Hope noisily heaved her trunk into the compartment. In fact, she did not seem to even realise there was anyone else in the compartment at all. Hope turned to Ginny with a quizzical look on her face, Ginny rolled her eyes and Hope fully understood. Clearly this girl was not one known for being normal. Ginny sat down opposite the girl and said loudly, "Hey Luna, have a nice summer?"

The girl jumped in surprise and looked up from her magazine, her wide eyes surveying the scene in front of her. She smiled lopsidedly, and her wide eyes immediately took on a dreamy look.

"Hello Ginny," she said in a dreamy voice that exactly matched her eyes, "oh yes, my summer was most enjoyable. Daddy and I went looking for crumple-horned snorkacks." She smiled lopsidedly again, and Hope looked at Ginny. She laughed inwardly at the look on Ginny's face; she was obviously trying to stifle laughter.

"Oh that sounds," She paused, the stifled laughter still evident on her face,"…wonderful, Luna." Ginny looked round to Hope, who had sat down on a seat near the compartment door during their conversation. She rolled her eyes obviously, and Hope giggled slightly.

"Luna," said Ginny in an announcing sort of tone, "This is Hope Winters. She's joining Hogwarts this year." Luna lifted her head from her magazine again and surveyed Hope with her dreamy gaze.

"Hello," she said, "Have you moved here in fear of the Rotfang conspiracy? I heard the Aurors have been spreading their ideals to many ordinary wizards," said Luna in a casual tone. Hope began to laugh, but was luckily able to cover it up as a violent sneeze.

"Oh, no," said Hope, using every morsel of effort she had not to laugh, "I haven't moved here because of that. Don't worry." Luna smiled brightly at her reply.

"Well that's okay then."

Ginny looked to Hope and winked, giving her thumbs up.

"Okay," said Ginny, "I've got to go and find some people I need to speak with. I will leave you two to get acquainted." She said a smirk on her lips. She got up and silkily walked over the door compartment door, opening it. She turned round just as she was about to close the door and said in a tone Hope wasn't sure she liked, "Have fun."

Hope sat there, bewildered. The girl, Luna, had gone back to her magazine, apparently unaware yet again that there was anyone else in the compartment with her. Hope sighed and moved seats to be beside the window, and watched as the fields, lakes and hills of the English countryside flashed past her window.

After a short while, Hope heard a faint snoring sound and looked up to find Luna slumped against her seat, fast asleep. Hope smiled, noting how peaceful she looked. She looked around the compartment, taking in her surroundings. She had not had the chance to really take it in since her arrival, and her introduction to Luna.

She looked out of the window of the compartment door upon hearing giggling and loud whispering, wondering what all the commotion was, when her heart stopped.

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move, she couldn't do anything.

It was Harry, there, at the compartment door! And he was looking in to the compartment, looking in at her. Staring at her.

Ron shoved him again, and Harry spun round to face him. He didn't have time to clear his emotions from his face.

"Whoa, mate, are you okay?" asked Ron, looking at him nervously. Hermione poked her head over Ron's shoulder to get a better look at him. Harry glanced at her, and her face was full of concern for him.

"It's…" he stammered, looking quickly from Ron to Hermione again.

"Go on Harry, what is it?" said Hermione kindly. Harry took another gulp of air, trying to compose himself.

"It's her. The girl. In that compartment with Luna. NO DON'T LOOK!" added Harry as Ron made a move to peer over Harry's shoulder and into the compartment. Ron looked slightly miffed as he retreated from his effort. "C'mon," said Harry quickly, "Let's get away from here." Before they could reply, Harry had stalked off down the corridor towards their previous compartment.

Hope was breathing heavily.

He was looking in the compartment. Looking at me. Staring at me!

She took a few large gulps of air, trying to get her breathing rate back to normal. She began to feel light headed and sick. She stuck her head between her knees and started to breathe deeply.

C'mon Hope, you're better than this! Stop being so stupid!

She took one last deep breathe and raised her head again. She looked anxiously over at Luna; surely her hyperventilating episode would have stirred her? But no, apparently not. Luna's head was now resting on her chest, her soft snoring un-interrupted.

Hope looked out of the window, trying to gather her thoughts. She'd almost forgotten about Harry in all the excitement of Hogwarts. She sighed as she thought back to last night, how he had sat and listened to her song. He had said it was "indescribable", but then he had run away! Why had he run away?

She thought back to the glimpse of his face she had gotten while he had whispered, loud enough for only her to hear what he had thought of her song. She could picture vividly the tears streaming down his soft, pale face. The thought of it made her stomach to back flips, had it been her song that had done that?

And if it was her song that had made him cry, then why had it done that? That song was written about her losing her parents, it was specific only to her, yet he had obviously been touched by it if he was crying. Maybe he had lost his parents too? Maybe he felt touched by the song because he was in exactly the same position as her. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she might have thought.

And then it hit her. It hit her like a tonne of bricks falling from the sky. She cursed herself for not realising it before. The ebony hair, the sparkling green eyes, the scar. He had been touched by the song because he had lost his parents; he had lost his parents for exactly the same reason as she had. Harry, the boy from the house, the boy who had filled her thoughts since the moment she had seen him, wasn't just any old Harry. He was Harry Potter!

Oh God, I fancy Harry Potter! Oh well done Hope, you sure know how to pick 'em don't you? Like he's every going to even look your direction, he's Harry Potter for flip sake! Give up now, before it's too late.

She sighed heavily, and wondered why she hadn't realised before. It had been so obvious! She reasoned with herself however, that being tutored at home meant that her parents could easily have screened everything she came in contact with. Consequently, she very rarely heard any of the headline news. The only things she new of Harry Potter were from the books she had read.

She leant back in her seat again and looked out the window. Looming on the horizon was a picture perfect scene. A magnificent castle on a mountainside, lights illuminating its many windows. Her heart lifted, and she quickly roused Luna so that they could change into their robes for school.

Harry slumped down onto the seat in the compartment, Hermione and Ron sat tentatively opposite him, watching him closely but nervously. Harry's mind was buzzing with thoughts, and there was silence for a long time. Hermione was the bravest of them to break the silence.

"Harry? That was her, wasn't it?" she asked, timidly. Harry simply nodded. The Hermione did something that he was not expecting at all. She slapped him hard across the face. "YOU ARE THE BIGGEST PRAT I'VE EVER MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE, HARRY! SHE WAS SITTING RIGHT THERE, IN THAT COMPARTMENT AND YOU RAN AWAY! YOU GREAT BIG STUPID COWARD!" She was breathing heavily from having shouted so much. Harry stared at her, in bewilderment before coming to his senses. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"I don't know! I panicked and I need to get out of there! She does something to me, I freeze up and get all weird and I can't think, I can't breathe, I can't move. She's amazing, and I don't even know her!" He looked up at them, the helplessness poring from his deep emerald pools.

"You got it bad, mate, you got it real bad," said Ron in disbelief.