A/N Here's chapter ten, I hope you enjoy! I'm currently writing chapter 28, so I can keep updating eventhough my exams start in 13 days (eek!) So, because of this, I'd love lots of reviews ^.^ Thanks to everyone still reading - R&R xxx

Chapter Ten

Luna Lovegood

There was the usual mad rush the next morning to get things all together. They all seemed to have left something unpacked even though they had had the whole day the day before. Once they'd finished breakfast hurriedly, they ran up the stairs to get their trunks, broomsticks and in Amara's case, Archimedes.

When she walked out of the room she was very nearly flattened by Fred and George's bewitched trunks flying down the stairs.

"Oh my god," she said loudly as the twins hurried down after their trunks. "Watch where you're going, idiots!"

"Sorry," said George as they helped her with her fallen things (Archimedes glared at the twins).

Amara nodded as they began their descent, but there was a whack and a shriek and several loud bangs, meaning the three ran over to check what the matter was in the hallway. Ginny was lying on her back with the twins' trunks next to her; they'd obviously hit her when they were flying down the stairs.

"Shit," whispered Fred as Mrs Weasley found her. Knowing what was to come, the twins ran down the stairs to their sister with Amara behind them. Mrs Weasley was not at all pleased with them, and her shouting mixed with Mrs Black's screams.

"— COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS —"

"— FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS"

Mrs Weasley patched her up quickly so that Ginny was better, but nobody sorted out Mrs Black's screams. Instead, they were preoccupied with Moody's grumblings about Sturgis Podmore not being there.

"He's making us late," Moody growled. "We can't be one short."

"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Mrs Weasley bellowed when only Amara, Fred, George and Ginny were in the hallway.

Their trunks were littered all over the hallway, and Archimedes was perched precariously on top of them all, still glaring at Fred and George (they seemed rather uneasy about this fact).

Soon they were being chivvied out of the house and into the street when Harry, Mrs Weasley, Sirius (as the dog) and Moody had already gone with the luggage.

Amara, Ron and Hermione's escort was Mr Weasley, who walked briskly the entire twenty minutes to the station, where Harry and the others were waiting, Mrs Weasley looking anxious.

"No trouble?" growled Moody when Lupin turned up with Fred, George and Ginny.

"Nothing," said Lupin.

"I'll still be reporting Sturgis to Dumbledore," said Moody. "That's the second time he's not turned up in a week. Getting as unreliable as Mundungus."

"Well, look after yourselves," said Lupin, shaking hands all round.

"Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled," said Moody, shaking Harry's hand. "And don't forget, all of you — careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don't put it in a letter at all."

"It's been great meeting all of you," said Tonks, hugging Amara, Hermione and Ginny. "We'll see you soon, I expect."

A warning whistle sounded; the students still on the platform started hurrying onto the train.

"Quick, quick," said Mrs. Weasley distractedly, hugging them at random. "Write. . . . Be good. . . . If you've forgotten anything we'll send it on. . . . Onto the train, now, hurry. . ."

Amara and the others hopped on the train and went down to the window so they could wave to the others still on the platform. Sirius joyful chased the train, making them all laugh as well as the people waving to their children on the train.

"He shouldn't have come with us," said Hermione in a worried voice.

"Oh lighten up," said Ron, "he hasn't seen daylight for months, poor bloke."

"Well," said Fred, clapping his hands together, "can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you later,"

With a last pat for Amara, Fred and George disappeared down the corridor to the right.

The train was gathering still more speed, so that the houses outside the window flashed past and they swayed where they stood.

"Shall we go and find a compartment, then?" Harry asked Amara, Ron and Hermione.

Amara was all for it, but Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.

"Er," said Ron.

"We're — well — Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage," Hermione said awkwardly.

Ron wasn't looking at Harry.

"Oh," said Harry. "Right. Fine."

"I don't think we'll have to stay there all journey," said Hermione quickly. "Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."

"Fine," said Harry again. "Well, we might see you later, then."

"Yeah, definitely," said Ron, casting a shifty, anxious look at Harry.

"It's a pain having to go down there, I'd rather — but we have to — I mean, I'm not enjoying it, I'm not Percy," he finished defiantly.

"I know you're not," said Harry and he grinned.

"Hurry up," said Amara, poking him in the back. "Get a move on, we'll be able to get good seats if we hurry."

"Right," said Harry, they struggled down the corridor with their trunks. Ginny was marching forwards at the front, but Amara checked in each carriage until she found her sister Tessie with a few other first years.

"Alright?" she asked her, opening the door as Harry and Ginny moved on.

"Yeah," said Tessie, grinning. "This is Henry, Aubrey and Gina."

"Nice to meet you," she said, smiling at the terrified looking first-years. "I'll be down there somewhere if you need me, okay?"

"Yeah," said Tessie. "Bye."

Amara rolled her eyes as Tessie resumed her conversation and went down the last carriage where she found Harry and Ginny entering a compartment with Neville Longbottom, a fellow Gryffindor.

Ginny was talking when she entered, and she noticed a girl with straggly, waist-length blonde hair sitting with a copy of The Quibbler on one of the seats.

"Hi, Luna," Ginny was saying. "Is it okay if we take these seats?"

She nodded, and Amara noted her wand behind her ear, the necklace of butterbeer corks and some weird earrings. She looked pretty funny, but Amara decided not to judge.

"Thanks," said Ginny, smiling at her.

Amara, Harry and Neville stowed the four trunks and Archimedes' and Hedwig's cage in the luggage rack and sat down. The girl called Luna watched them over her upside-down magazine. She stared and stared at Harry, who had taken the seat opposite her.

"Had a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," said Luna dreamily, without taking her eyes off Harry. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. You're Harry Potter," she added.

"I know I am," said Harry.

Neville chuckled. Luna turned her pale eyes upon him instead.

"And I don't know who you are." "I'm nobody," said Neville hurriedly.

"No you're not," said Ginny sharply. "Neville Longbottom — and Amara Matthews."

Luna moved her gaze to Amara, who felt nervous.

"This is Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw." Ginny told them.

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," said Luna in a singsong voice.

She raised her upside-down magazine high enough to hide her face and fell silent. Amara, Harry and Neville looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. Ginny suppressed a giggle.

The train slowly passed through more countryside and less city as they progressed onwards. They became more comfortable and were able to speak to each other again.

"Guess what I got for my birthday?" said Neville.

"Another Remembrall?" said Harry.

"No," said Neville, "I could do with one, though, I lost the old one ages ago. . . . No, look at this. . . ."

He dug the hand that was not keeping a firm grip on Trevor into his schoolbag and after a little bit of rummaging pulled out what appeared to be a small grey cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines.

"Mimbulus mimbletonia," he said proudly.

Amara watched the thing in his hand, rather disgusted by its appearance. It was pulsating slightly, giving it the rather sinister look of some diseased internal organ.

"It's really, really rare," said Neville, beaming. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My great-uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."

Amara wondered why on earth Neville would want to breed the plant, considering it looked slightly useless and was very ugly. She decided to not say anything so that she didn't hurt Neville's feelings.

"Does it — er — do anything?" Harry asked.

"Loads of stuff!" said Neville proudly. "It's got an amazing defensive mechanism — hold Trevor for me. . . ."

He dumped the toad into Harry's lap and took a quill from his schoolbag. Even Luna Lovegood stopped reading her magazine to see what Neville was doing with the plant.

Neville held the Mimbulus mimbletonia up to his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot, and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill.

Liquid squirted from every boil on the plant, thick, stinking, dark green jets of it; they hit the ceiling, the windows, and spattered Luna's magazine. Ginny and Amara put their hands up to stop the horrible stuff getting on their faces. When she lowered them, she saw Harry had got a full face full.

"S-sorry," Neville gasped. "I haven't tried that before. . . . Didn't realise it would be quite so . . . Don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," he added nervously, as Harry spat a mouthful onto the floor.

At that precise moment the door of their compartment slid open.

"Oh . . . hello, Harry," said the nervous voice of Cho Chang. "Um . . . bad time?"

Amara looked up to see her standing in the doorway – she avoided her steely gaze (Cho didn't like her very much).

"Oh . . . hi," said Harry blankly.

"Um . . ." said Cho. "Well . . . just thought I'd say hello . . . 'bye then."

She closed the door again, rather pink in the face, and departed.

Harry slumped back in his seat and groaned. Amara snorted with laughter at the sight of him.

"Never mind," said Ginny bracingly. "Look, we can get rid of all this easily." She pulled out her wand. "Scourgify!"

The Stinksap vanished.

"Sorry," said Neville again, in a small voice.

The trolley turned up before Ron and Hermione had come back, so they brought some extra food (mainly for Ron) so that he wouldn't complain.

They'd finished all their Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes before they'd returned, and when they did they were already swapping Chocolate Frog cards with each other by the time they did.

"I'm starving," Ron said as soon as they entered the compartment. He flopped down, grabbed a Chocolate Frog and bit into it as though he had not eater for days.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each House," said Hermione, looking thoroughly disgruntled as she took her seat. "Boy and girl from each."

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Ron, still with his eyes closed.

"Malfoy," replied Amara and Harry.

" 'Course," said Ron bitterly and Amara groaned. Ron stuffed the rest of the Frog into his mouth and took another.

"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione viciously. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll . . ."

"Who are Hufflepuff's?" Harry asked.

"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," said Ron thickly.

"I like Hannah," Amara said absent-mindedly. "She's nice."

"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," carried on Hermione.

"You went to the Yule Ball with Padma Patil," said a vague voice.

Everyone turned to look at Luna Lovegood, who was gazing unblinkingly at Ron over the top of The Quibbler. He swallowed his mouthful of Frog.

"Yeah, I know I did," he said, looking mildly surprised.

"She didn't enjoy it very much," Luna informed him. "She doesn't think you treated her very well, because you wouldn't dance with her. I don't think I'd have minded," she added thoughtfully, "I don't like dancing very much."

She retreated behind The Quibbler again. Ron stared at the cover with his mouth hanging open for a few seconds, then looked around at Ginny for some kind of explanation, but Ginny had stuffed her knuckles in her mouth to stop herself giggling. Ron shook his head, bemused, then checked his watch and Amara started giggling too.

"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," Ron told them, "and we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something. . . ."

"You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!" said Hermione sharply.

"Yeah, right, because Malfoy won't abuse it at all," said Ron sarcastically.

"So you're going to descend to his level?"

"No, I'm just going to make sure I get his mates before he gets mine."

"For heaven's sake, Ron —"

"I'll make Goyle do lines, it'll kill him, he hates writing," said Ron happily. He lowered his voice to Goyle's low grunt and, screwing up his face in a look of pained concentration, mimed writing in midair. "I . . . must . . . not . . . look . . . like . . . a . . . baboon's . . . backside. . . ."

Everyone burst out laughing, but Luna Lovegood laughed the hardest. She was practically screaming with laughter that woke Hedwig and Archimedes from their dozes. Crookshanks hissed as Luna Lovegood dropped her magazine onto the floor, because she was shaking so much.

"That was funny!"

Her prominent eyes swam with tears as she gasped for breath, staring at Ron. Utterly nonplussed, he looked around at the others, who were now laughing at the expression on Ron's face and at the ludicrously prolonged laughter of Luna Lovegood, who was rocking backward and forward, clutching her sides.

"Are you taking the mickey?" said Ron, frowning at her.

"Baboon's . . . backside!" she choked, holding her ribs.

Everyone else was watching Luna laughing, Amara was quite shocked at the girl's behaviour, but it seemed everyone else felt the same way.

Harry had stopped laughing and had picked The Quibbler off the floor.

"Can I have a look at this?" Harry asked Luna eagerly. She nodded, still gazing at Ron, breathless with laughter.

Everyone tried hard to stop breaking out into sniggers at various points as Luna started to settle down. Hermione looked bemused; Ginny looked as though this was normal behaviour for Luna Lovegood (Amara now knew why she was called Loony) whilst Neville and Ron looked slightly scared of the girl.

"Anything good in there?" asked Ron as Harry closed the magazine he'd taken from Luna.

"Of course not," said Hermione scathingly, before Harry could answer, "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that."

"Excuse me," said Luna; her voice had suddenly lost its dreamy quality. "My father's the editor."

"I — oh," said Hermione, looking embarrassed. "Well . . . it's got some interesting . . . I mean, it's quite . . ."

"I'll have it back, thank you," said Luna coldly, and leaning forward she snatched it out of Harry's hands. Rifling through it to page fifty-seven, she turned it resolutely upside down again and disappeared behind it, just as the compartment door opened for the third time.

They looked around and found Draco Malfoy, along with his massive cronies Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle standing at the compartment door. This was always the downside of returning to Hogwarts - seeing Malfoy, who seemed to like popping into the I compartment at least once every train journey.

"What?" Harry said aggressively, before Malfoy could open his mouth.

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," drawled Malfoy. "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

"Yeah," said Harry, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

Amara, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville laughed. Malfoy's lip curled.

"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" he asked.

"Shove off Malfoy," Amara said in annoyance.

"I seem to have touched a nerve," said Malfoy, smirking. "Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."

"Get out!" said Hermione, standing up with Amara. Dogging? Amara felt slightly panicked.

Sniggering, Malfoy gave Harry a last malicious look and departed, Crabbe and Goyle lumbering in his wake. Hermione slammed the compartment door behind them and turned to look at Harry and Amara, and she looked slightly unnerved with Malfoy's choice of words.

"Chuck us another Frog," said Ron, who had clearly noticed nothing.

Amara glanced at Harry nervously as the same word played over her mind. Did Malfoy know what he was saying? Was the word "dogging" merely a coincidence? Or did he know something that he shouldn't. It would endanger Sirius' hiding place in London.

The weather was weird as the progressed further north. It rained slightly before the sun came out but then it for dark and the lamps in the train came on and they could no longer see what was happening.

Tessie had not made an appearance, but according to Eddie and Piper, who had dropped by to tell Harry they believed him (as well as Flick), they informed her Ethan had seen her with the same three first years and seemed to be having a nice time.

By this time Luna had rolled up The Quibbler, put it carefully away in her bag, and had taken to staring at everyone in the compartment instead. This was slightly disconcerting and Amara did not like it, so she got out her new book (Standard Book of Spells) and her wand so she could read.

"We'd better change," said Hermione at last. She and Ron pinned their prefect badges carefully to their chests when they had done so.

At last the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready for departure. Ron and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this; they disappeared from the carriage again, leaving the others to look after Crookshanks and Pigwidgeon.

"I'll carry that owl, if you like," said Luna to Harry, reaching out for Pigwidgeon as Neville stowed Trevor carefully in an inside pocket.

"Oh — er — thanks," said Harry, handing her the cage.

Ginny took Crookshanks as Harry and Amara both had their owls to carry. It was hard to get out of the train because it was packed with people. They shuffled down the packed corridor, bumping into the walls as the crowd moved forwards.

Once they had got out, Amara and Harry automatically turned in the direction of the lake to hear Hagrid's familiar cry of "Firs' years over here . . . firs' years . . ."

But instead there was a brisk female voice shouting over the noise: "First years line up over here, please! All first years to me!"

It was Professor Grubbly-Plank, her chin and hair cut very prominent in the light of the lantern she was holding. Amara opened her mouth. Where was Hagrid? Professor Grubbly-Plank was a substitute - why was she here now?

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry said.

"I don't know," said Ginny, "but we'd better get out of the way, we're blocking the door."

"Oh yeah . . ."

Harry and Amara got separated from Ginny as they moved off along the platform and out through the station.

Amara's mind was reeling as they got jostled by people barging through. Tessie wouldn't be taken across the lake with Hagrid - instead she'd be with Professor Grubby-Plank. What was Hagrid doing that had made him miss the first day?

"Where has he gone?" Amara said worriedly as she grabbed Harry's elbow so she wouldn't get lost.

"I dunno," said Harry, looking worried too. "He must just have a cold - or - or something. He can't have left, can he?"

"Of course not," said Amara. "He'd've told us." She wasn't sure, but she assured herself what she was saying was true.

They were shunted forwards out of Hogsmeade station, which was dark and dreary, the path slippery from the rain.

"We better hold a carriage," said Amara. They were moved along and were soon standing by the carriages drawn by Thestrals.

Harry, when Amara looked behind her to check for Ron and Hermione, found he had stopped dead and was staring at the Thestrals in horror.

"What - what are those things?"

"Thestrals," said Amara, walking over to one and patting it. It nuzzled into her hands. "They pull the carriages."

"But - I've never seen them before!" Harry said.

Amara smiled sadly at him.

"They can only be seen by people who've seen death," said Amara. "Because you saw it in June, I guess they've appeared for you."

"Have you always seen them?"

"Yeah," said Amara. "Saw them in second year."

"Who've you seen die?"

"My Great-Grandmother," said Amara.

"Sorry."

"Don't be," said Amara. "It was a while ago. Anyway, Ron's there look."

"Where's Pig?" said Ron as he approached them.

"That Luna girl was carrying him," said Harry, turning quickly. "Where d'you reckon —"

"— Hagrid is? I dunno," said Ron, sounding worried. "He'd better be okay. . . ."

Amara noticed that a short distance away Draco Malfoy, followed by a small gang of cronies including Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson (whom Amara hated), was pushing some timid-looking second years out of the way so that they could get a coach to themselves. Amara glowered at them as the second years looked terrified. Seconds later Hermione emerged panting from the crowd.

"Malfoy was being absolutely foul to a first year back there, I swear I'm going to report him, he's only had his badge three minutes and he's using it to bully people worse than ever. . . Where's Crookshanks?"

"Ginny's got him," said Harry. "There she is. . . ."

Ginny had just emerged from the crowd, clutching a squirming Crookshanks, who didn't look amused to be jostled in the crowds for a long time.

"Thanks," said Hermione, relieving Ginny of the hissing cat. "Come on, let's get a carriage together before they all fill up. . . ."

"I haven't got Pig yet!" Ron said, but Hermione was already entering the carriage that Amara was holding for them. Amara and Harry remained behind with Ron while Ginny followed Hermione.

Harry still looked troubled about the horses but didn't mention them to Ron (Amara doubted he saw them too).

Luna appeared holding Pigwidgeon's cage in her arms; the tiny owl was twittering excitedly as usual.

"Here you are," she said. "He's a sweet little owl, isn't he?"

"Er . . . yeah . . . He's all right," said Ron gruffly. "Well, come on then, let's get in. . ."

Amara, Harry and Luna followed him into the carriage where Hermione and Ginny were waiting for them.