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A week later Renna stood in her living room, staring at her parents in shock. "We're moving? to England?"
Her father nodded. "You know we've wanted to move back for quite some time, and now, with the Dark Mark appearing and everything, we thought it would be a good time."
"When? When are we going?" Renna asked.
"Since school starts in three weeks and you need to buy your new school things, we thought we would leave next week," her mother said, looking relieved that Renna wasn't going to blow up. "We'll help you pack your things with magic."
Renna shrugged. "Fine." She ran upstairs to her room. I won't see my best friends for a long time, she thought. Gabrielle won't make me laugh this year. We won't play tricks on Fleur, or on anyone.
But I'll be in the same year as Harry Potter! that'll be fun. And Hogwarts is supposed to be an amazing school.
And maybe I can meet that very attractive blond boy... No, she told herself firmly. He's one of those pure-blood maniacs. He hates Harry, he'll probably hate me too. I don't care about him.
Even if he is hot.
She reached her room and flung herself down on her bed, thinking about Hogwarts, until a scratching on her window made her sit up. A handsome barn owl was perched on her windowsill. She got up and let it in, and it fluttered over to her desk and held out a weary leg, watched avidly by her own barn owl, Sari. From Sari's obvious interest, Renna figured it was male. After she had taken off the letter, she picked him up and put him in Sari's cage. He eyed her with interest before hooting softly. Sari trilled back, and the owl began drinking as though he hadn't drunk in days.
Renna watched this in amusement, then turned her attention to the letter in her hands. Turning it over, she saw that it bore the Hogwarts crest. Opening it, she read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
Dear Ms. Forester,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all your school things. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall, deputy Headmistress
Rennati sighed. "Well, it looks like I really am going," she said to the owls, who were fast asleep. She sat down to write her reply.
It took her nearly two hours to draft a proper response, because she kept messing up and phrasing it wrong because she was still mad about having to leave her friends. When she was done she woke up the male barn owl, who looked much better and took the letter without complaint. Sari watched him fly out of the window wistfully. "Now don't you start," Renna said to her owl. "You'll see him again soon. It's not as if you don't have enough admirers, anyway. The male barn owls at Beaubatons will be sorry to see you leave, even if the females won't. So you have something to look forward to."
Sari twisted her head almost upside down, then righted it and clattered her beak conversationally. Renna liked talking to her owl. Sometimes it was almost as if she gave replies.
Not to be distracted for long, Renna threw herself back onto her bed and began brooding about Hogwarts again.
"Hurry up! You'll be late!" Mrs. Weasley hurried them onto the train as the whistle blew.
"Have a good term!" she called as the train started to move.
"Come on, let's find seats," Harry said to Ron and Hermione, and they set off down the train, passing people who glanced at Harry and stared until they went past. Finally they found an empty compartment and stowed their stuff before sitting down. Harry took a seat next to the window and stared out into the gloomy countryside, the weather promising rain.
"You all right, Harry?" Ron asked.
Harry looked up, startled. "Yeah, why?"
Ron shrugged. "You've just been very quiet since we got back from the World Cup, that's all."
Harry smiled. "I'm fine, Ron. Just thinking." He looked back outside as rain started to hiss down the window.
"You guys mind if I join you?" said a voice that Harry recognized, and he whipped around so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. Rennati was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame and grinning.
"Renna! But I thought you lived in France!"
"My parents decided to move back," Renna said, shrugging. "So now I go to Hogwarts."
"Sit down," Ron said, gesturing at the seat next to Harry, and Renna sat. "I wonder what they're going to do with you? Probably sort you by yourself." Seeing her puzzled look, he elaborated. "Everyone's sorted into a House, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. Hope you're not sorted with the first-years. That would be embarrassing."
"You won't be sorted with the first-years," Hermione said, seeing the look of apprehension on Renna's face. "I hope you're in Gryffindor, we need more girls."
"Gryffindor needs more girls like you need more brains, Granger," said another familiar voice, and Harry looked around without much surprise to see Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.
"Why is it, Malfoy, that every single train ride you insist on bothering us? Is it just that you enjoy annoying us? Don't answer that, I already know you do." But Malfoy wasn't listening; he was looking at Renna, who was staring insolently back.
"So, you're in our school and you immediately attach yourself to the most famous person around. You'll get into trouble, hanging around with them."
"Leave Renna alone," Harry spat, furious. "She hasn't done anything to you."
Draco smiled lazily. "Let the girl speak, Potter. She presumably has a voice. She certainly had plenty to say at the World Cup." Harry jumped to his feet, hand clenched around his wand.
"All right, you guys," Renna said quickly, standing up also and placing herself in between them. "Harry, sit down. I can take care of myself. As for you-" she shot a dirty glare at Malfoy. "I'll talk to you outside." She cut off Harry's words before he could say anything. "I'll be right back." She rolled the door shut behind her.
Harry threw himself back into his seat, more angry than he'd been in a long time. He couldn't hear what Renna was saying, but Malfoy left after a while without doing anything to her. It was pretty obvious that Renna had been dressing him down. She came back into the compartment looking very smug.
"What did you say?" Harry asked, curious.
"I think you can guess," Renna said, sitting down and opening a chocolate frog.
As soon as the door was closed behind her, Renna said, "Okay, I know that you and Harry hate each other, but if you do anything like that again I will hex you without a moment's hesitation. I have people I don't like, but I don't go out of my way to provoke them. Go ahead and insult each other behind my back -even I can't wipe out years of enmity in one go- but do it in front of me and I will jinx you both."
Malfoy looked amused. "So, basically, what you're saying is that you don't care if I hex him, as long as it's not in front of you? Sounds like you would do well in Slytherin."
"No," Renna said. "I care if you hex him at all, but as long as it doesn't come to my attention I'll let it pass. And as long as you two can keep from antagonizing each other in public -that includes Ron and Hermione- I'll be happy. Is that too much to ask?"
Malfoy smiled. "Like you yourself said, you can't erase enmity in one go. But I don't think that's too hard." He looked at her appraisingly for a moment. "Would you like to come sit with us in our compartment? Like I said, you seem like a person who would do well from meeting the right people. You would do well in Slytherin."
Renna laughed. "Thanks, but no thanks. As long as you can keep that promise, I'll be happy. I'll see you at school." She watched them walk away with a very good feeling inside. He wasn't that bad a guy, really, he just hated Harry. She thought she could do something about that, but she'd have to wait and see. She had been able to control her emotions about him and give him a proper lecture, too. She reentered the compartment with a smile on her lips.