Hello, everyone! Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but the cooler to my laptop got a short in it, and now I have to turn it off every 45 minutes or so. It already turned off on me thrice. As you're reading this, I typed this up on another computer, the one that sits around and has no Internet connection. Also, school has started up for me again.
Oh yeah, there is a little Ron/Hermione moment. Don't like, don't read.
I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT DANI AND DIANA RETSERC!
Chapter Three: Meeting New and Old
I was lucky that I didn't get into trouble with Mrs. Weasley. She thought that Ron, Fred, and George had "roped me in". I then promptly told her that I went with them so that they wouldn't get in trouble. She did appreciate the note that Ron left.
A week later, on the 11th of August, our letters from Hogwarts came in, as did a letter from Hermione. She asked if Harry, Ron, and I could meet her at Diagon Alley the next Wednesday, the 16th. I sent the reply with Nightwing. Harry sent invites to Mandy, Lisa, and Abby and Neville.
Ginny and I woke up bright and early on August 16. We got dressed and ate breakfast quickly. Breakfast consisted of several bacon sandwiches for us all.
Eventually, we all gathered around the fireplace in the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley commented on how low their Floo powder was. She then motioned for Harry to go first, who started looking nervous.
"Harry's never actually traveled by Floo powder before," Ron said. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot."
"I've told him all about it," I said.
"I've just never actually done it," Harry said.
"Just watch us do it first," Fred said. He took a little of the glittering powder out of the flowerpot and threw it into the flames. They turned emerald and rose higher than Fred. He stepped in and shouted, "Diagon Alley!"
"You want to go next?" I asked after George vanished.
"I guess," my twin replied.
"Now, then, the key is to not fidget while you are Flooing. Also, try not to breathe in while you're in the fireplace." I nearly reminded Harry to take off his glasses until I remembered that he didn't have any. It was still strange.
Harry took a little of the Floo powder and threw it into the fire. He walked and said as clearly as he could, "Diagon Alley!" He vanished after the green flames rose higher.
"Dani, you next," Mrs. Weasley said.
I took a pinch of the glittering powder and threw it into the fire. I took a breath before walking into the emerald fire, and said, "Diagon Alley!"
I started spinning, so I had to close my eyes. I tucked in my elbows. I tried to block out the roaring noise, but it was hard. My only thought was how much I disliked (hate is such a strong word) Floo travel.
I finally slid out of a fireplace. The other Weasleys and Harry were standing near the fireplace. Great, none of us made a wrong turn.
"Dani, that entrance was as graceful as Harry's," Fred said.
"Yeah, he fell flat on his face," George said.
"Well," I said, "I didn't fall on my face. So, I don't think my landing was as 'graceful' as Harry's."
"Harry's was better," the twins said in unison.
After Percy, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley came through, we walked into the courtyard (it was kind of cramped), and Mr. Weasley tapped on the brick that would reveal Diagon Alley.
We walked through the bustling crowds together, careful not to lose each other. I was keeping a lookout for Hermione, Mandy, and Lisa. (Neville and Abby said they couldn't come.)
We walked to Gringotts bank, where we were supposed to meet the others. As I walked up the stairs, something came flying to me and pulled me into a hug, and all I could see was brown. It must have been Hermione's bushy brown hair. I was right. Hermione pulled back.
"Dani, it's so good to see you!"
"Nice to see you, too, Hermione," I said. The Gryffindor then pulled Harry into a hug and walked up to Ron. She looked like she was going to hug him, but then she hesitated. Instead, she shook his hand.
Smoochie, smoochie! I thought. Someone's in love!
What? Harry asked.
Oh nothing.
A few minutes later, Lisa Turpin came flying up the stairs, her strawberry blond hair flying behind her. Mandy walked up calmly.
"Dani!" Lisa shouted. "Your hair's gotten longer. Are you going to get it cut soon?" Typical Lisa. She was always hyper.
"It's nice to see you, too," I said.
Another minute later, Hagrid walked up the steps and made a beeline towards Harry and me. On the way, he walked into Ginny. She face-planted into the gamekeeper and fell on her behind.
"'M sorry, er-"
"Ginny. I'm starting my first year at Hogwarts!"
"Are yeh? Listen, on yer first Friday, after lessons, come an' visit me in me house."
"Okay, Mr. Hagrid."
"Jus' call me Hagrid. Ever'one does."
"Nice meeting you, Hagrid!"
Ginny's friendships might change the attacks. Would she write in the diary more or less?
Half an hour later, we stood outside Gringotts again, right after getting our wizard money. Lisa pulled Mandy and me to this haircutting place called Retserc's. As we walked in, I noticed that the person who ran the place loved bright colors. Especially pink. I cringed.
"Hello!" a woman said cheerfully. She walked in and smiled. I inwardly grimaced: She wore all pink. Even her blond hair had pink streaks!
"My name is Diana Retserc. Now then, what are you three here for?"
"We're just following Dani around," Mandy said.
"Okay," Miss Retserc said. "So, Dani, what do you want done?"
Another half hour later, I had my black hair to shoulder-length again, and Miss Retserc taught me a spell that would put body and shine into my hair.
Mandy, Lisa, and I spent the next fifteen minutes at Florean Fortesque's ice cream parlor eating ice cream and talking about our summers and homework. Then I spotted a man in shabby robes eating alone. I stood up and walked over to him. For some reason, I felt as if I should have remembered him.
"Hi," I said as I stood by his table. "Is this seat taken?"
"No," the man said. "You remind me of someone I used to know. You look a lot like her. Of course, you probably never knew Lily."
"Lily Potter?"
"Yes. Did you know her?"
"Not really, but she is my mother."
The man's eyes widened, and he gasped. "Rosie?" The name struck something in my memory. "I'm Remus Lupin. I knew James and Lily very well."
"You knew my parents?" I asked in a hopefully surprising voice.
"I was their best friend. We all went to Hogwarts together. James and I had nicknames: He was Prongs, and I was Moony. We would get into so much trouble together. James was a prankster…"
Remus and I talked for the next fifteen minutes. I told him that I had to meet someone, and I promised Remus that I would write to him.
"Who was that?" Mandy asked.
"Remus Lupin," I replied. "He knew my parents."
"That's so cool!" Lisa said.
"He and I are going to write to each other constantly!"
We walked to Flourish and Blotts, where a crowd trying to get inside. We wormed our way past and to the front where I could see Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys.
"Dani," Hermione said, "aren't you excited? We can actually meet him! I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"
"Not really," I said.
I grabbed three copies of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 and handed two of them to Mandy and Lisa.
Eventually, we could see Gilderoy Lockhart (A.K.A the fraud) wearing forget-me-not blue robes. He had a pointed hat set on his wavy blond hair. How could Hermione believe the lies this guy wove? He had no battle scars and only his word that he did what he wrote?
A reporter came walking by and shoved me into Ron. "Out of the way! This is for the Daily Prophet-"
"Big deal," Ron said as he helped me back up.
Lockhart looked up and saw me holding Ron's hand.
"It can't be Danielle Potter?" he shouted. The fraud grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him.
"Let go!" I shouted.
"You, too, young man," Lockhart said to Ron. The redhead came forward slowly, his face slowly turning scarlet. "How does it feel to be young Danielle's boy friend?"
"WHAT?" Ron asked loudly.
"They're not boy friend and girl friend," Harry said.
"And young Harry Potter as well!" Lockhart shouted. Obviously, he ignored my brother. Figures. The crowd broke out into a storm of whispers.
"Smile, you three. Together, we are worth the front page." The photographer clicked madly at his camera, making thick smoke waft to the Weasleys.
Lockhart kept Harry, Ron, and me by his side as he announced that he was going to be teaching at Hogwarts. Then, he gave the three of us his entire works "free of all charge".
We made our way to the edge of the room where Ginny stood by her new cauldron. Harry put his books in the cauldron.
"You have these," he said. "I'll buy my own."
"And I'll give these to Fred and George," I said.
"Danielle, Potter, Weasley," a voice said from behind me. Harry and I spun around and saw Draco standing behind us.
"Draco!" I shouted and hugged him. "How was your summer?"
"It was fine. Daphne is right; you are like no other Ravenclaw."
"Like I say, 'Don't judge a book by its cover!' It means the same for Harry and Ron, too."
"What?" Harry, Draco, and Ron asked. Then they looked at each other.
"Draco, why do you always call Harry 'Potter' and Ron 'Weasley'?"
"They are Gryffindors."
"And Malfoy's a Slytherin," Harry and Ron said.
"Well," I said, "can't you three forget House rivalries?"
The three boys shrugged their shoulders. Well, it was a step in the right direction.
"So, are-"
"Famous Harry and Danielle Potter," an arrogant voice said. It was Theodore Nott. "Bet you all loved that, huh Weasley? How does it feel that you are going to be on the front page?"
"Hello, Teddy," I said cheerfully.
"'Teddy?'" Nott exclaimed. "No one calls me 'Teddy'!
"Teddy!" a voice shouted in the crowd. A woman with sleek brown hair pushed her way through. "We need to get out of here; too much riff-raff."
"I agree, Mother," Nott said. He whispered something to Mrs. Nott that sounded like, "Don't call me Teddy in public." I giggled.
"Teddy?" Ron asked
"So, are Daphne and Blaise here?" I asked.
"They couldn't be here, unfortunately," Draco answered.
"That's too bad."
"Draco, there you are," yet another new voice said. It was Lucius Malfoy. "It's time to go. Tell your friend good-bye."
"There you four are!" Mr. Weasley shouted. "It's getting crowded-"
"Well, well, well – Arthur Weasley."
Mr. Weasley's face turned colder. "Lucius."
Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy continued their conversation. I watched Malfoy take Ginny's Transfiguration book and discreetly slip something in its pages: Tom Riddle's diary.
Mr. Weasley and Malfoy's "conversation" was quickly turning sour. Mr. Weasley made to hit Malfoy, but I stepped in front of him.
"Whoa!" I shouted. "We don't need a fight in here!"
"Father," Draco said, "let's leave."
Lucius threw Ginny's Transfiguration book back into her cauldron. Tom Riddle's diary was definitely in there. Oh boy, we were going to have one eventful year.
A/N: If you guys are wondering where in the world I got Retserc from, I looked at the title for Chamber of Secrets. I rearranged Secrets, added an r, and got Reterc's.