DISCLAIMER: THE BOOK BELONGS TO J. I HAVE ONLY BORROWED BOTH CHARACTERS AND PLOTLINE.

CHAPTER 23

A day before leaving for Hogwarts, James had had to go to London to the Ministry to receive an award for his services in the Auror department. Lily and James had decided to spend the night at a hotel in the city, so were unable to drop the boys and Hermione off at the station themselves the next day for school.

Molly readily offered to help out them out, so it was decided that they'd spend the last night of their holidays with Ron and the others. Not that they were complaining! Only Harry had felt a bit bothered when Ginny had unobtrusively latched on to him, asking him all kinds of weird questions about Darren. Wondering what had come over her, he saw Fred and George snickering from behind the door.

When Ginny had gone to help her mother with last minute preparations for tomorrow, they came out and sat on either side of Harry looking gleefully at him "What have you done to our sister?" Fred asked Harry putting on a slightly stern face that fooled no one.

"Wha…what did I do? Your sister seems to be obsessed with Darren." Harry stammered.

George tutted and patted Harry on the shoulder looking meaningfully at him "It's alright Harry we understand, you don't have to worry. If you like Ginny, you can just say so."

Harry looked at both of them and blushed furiously when he heard him, "I don't like Ginny like…"

"You don't like Ginny?" Fred asked now changing to an overly angry voice.

"No," said Harry desperately said "I like Ginny."

"So then you like her" George said grinning and poking his ribs.

Frustrated, Harry now a beautiful scarlet color, burst out defensively "I don't like Ginny like that!" he said near tears, the twins started sniggering "Calm down mate. No need to get your knickers in a twist, we were just pulling your leg. We know you don't luurve our sister. She was just bugging you because she has a thing for your brother!"

Harry just threw himself at them and began wildly pummeling them. After a thorough work out, the boys sat up panting red faced with their clothes and hair disarrayed.

Ginny had come back to the room and looked at them shocked. Taking pity on Harry, the Weasley twins told their sister that Harry wasn't available since he promised to help them with an experiment. Harry shot a grateful look at them and nodded, thankful he wasn't Darren.

After a rather messy morning the next day, the boys found themselves sitting safely in the train. Fred and George had decided to sit with Lee Jordan in the next compartment as they had business plans to discuss with him. Harry had gone to the Slytherin compartment and said a quick hello to Draco, who had also grown over the summer. The two had decided to meet up in the empty class room after dinner at Hogwarts.

Returning back to the compartment, he saw Ron and Hermione having a heated discussion about something or the other, Darren as usual was trying to calm them down acting as a mediator. They had not even noticed that the other two people sitting with them were flinching in discomfort.

This was becoming a rather frequent occurrence and a getting bit annoying. Sitting as far away from them as possible Harry was about to start reading a book when he saw Ginny looking at him, afraid that she was going to talk about Darren he quickly changed the subject "What you got there Ginny?" he asked looking at a black colored book in her hand.

Looking at him in sudden horror she scrambled to hide it when it fell and revealed the first page. Trying to cover up the writing quickly, Harry could only just make out the word 'Riddle' written in big bold letters inside.

"Oh," he asked "is it a book on riddles?"

"What! No." said Ginny.

"Oh right sorry, I just saw the word riddle so I assumed…"

"Um it's…it's not a book on riddles, it's a like a questionnaire on girly stuff."

"Right" said Harry becoming immediately uncomfortable.

The door suddenly slid open and Harry saw to his relief it was Cho. She came bounding in and sat down beside him "So did you guys see Lockhart?" Harry nodded "Isn't he so handsome!" Hermione looked at her and started giggling, then they were both giggling so hard that they had they were clutching each other while the other three looked on mildly disgusted.

They had finally reached Hogwarts and were sitting down to eat dinner when there was a loud booming noise of someone clearing their throat, sounding over the din of the great hall startling all of them. Turning around to see who it was Harry recognized a small waif like girl with straggly blond hair framing her face. She had just been sorted into their house a few minutes ago.

"Good evening," she said quite complacently, not noticing people staring and giggling "I'm Luna Lovegood, daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood." she said while pointing her wand to her throat, magically enhancing the volume of her voice. Absently playing around with her necklace that had been made from fortune telling cards she said, "I'm very pleased to have made your acquaintance."

So saying she serenely looked for a place to sit and floated over to sit beside Harry her bottle cap earrings madly swinging around. Looking at Harry with wide staring eyes she asked, "Who might you be?"

"Um I'm Harry Potter" Harry said ducking his head, "You um…you still have the…" and pointed at her throat.

"Oh yes I completely forgot!" she said and removed the 'sonorus' charm. "Do you support the search for the Crumpled Horned Snorkacks?"

"N…not yet" Harry said, ever the diplomat, wondering what on earth she was talking about. Looking pleased with his answer she turned to her food and pulled out a magazine called the 'Quibbler' from the waistband of her skirt and started to read.

The people at the table had been gob smacked. There were a few titters and scornful looks and a rather loud whisper of what sounded like "She's more like Loony Lovegood!" could be heard in the general direction of Roger Davies.

After the table had been cleared out, Dumbledore welcomed them all back to Hogwarts and said "Due to unfortunate circumstances we've had to replace our DADA professor, but we are all pleased to welcome this year Professor Gilderloy Lockhart." There was some scattered clapping that could be heard along with a few squeals from the girls. Harry's arm had been grabbed by Cho in a vice like grip who was grinning so much, her already tiny eyes disappeared.

"Cho?" he said "I can't feel my arm any longer."

"Oh sorry, Harry!" Cho said, immediately letting go "but gosh it's the man himself, here, in Hogwarts."

Harry looked around desperately trying to find an escape, when he suddenly felt something being pushed into his hands. Looking down he saw that it was orange colored, radish shaped ear plugs that Luna had given him. "If you put them on" she said quietly "they become invisible." Trying not to burst out laughing Harry thanked her and thought that this year was definitely the year of weirdness.

When, he opened the door to the empty classroom that he and Draco had worked in for their potion the last year. He saw Draco already sitting on chair, waiting for him with a bag on the desk in front of him partially hiding his face.

On seeing Harry, he stood up excitedly "Happy belated birthday!" he said and thrust the bag into Harry's arms. Chuckling, Harry put his hands into the bag and pulled out a beautiful wooden box that had a small silver engraving of a broom and the words 'since 1700' at the corner of it. Carefully removing the clasp and lifting the lid, he saw a beautiful, intricately carved miniature of the Eiffel tower and a tiny silver broom whizzing around at the top of it. It was a really stunning piece of craftsmanship.

Beaming Harry thanked him happily "Is it from France?" he asked.

"Yeah, mum is a regular buyer there; I had seen a similar piece in the shop and got one for you."

"It's very cool," Harry said putting it back carefully.

Turning to Draco he said "So I talked to Snape, when he came home to see mum."

"And what did he say?"

"Said, he'd meet us one month after the school year started."

Relieved, Draco nodded "I thought he'd refuse. The man can be stubborn and difficult when he wants to be. Oh and thanks for my gift."

Harry had given him a snitch that he had begged Darren to get autographed for him by Benjy Williams the seeker of Puddlemere United, Draco's favorite team and a pair of Puddlemere gloves "It seriously made my day."

"What are friends?" for Harry said shrugging. "Crap, I've got to go, or the prefect this year, Penelope, will give me detention for the rest of the year. The woman is a real stickler for rules." Following him out of the room after turning off the lights they headed towards their respective towers.