Story Arc 6, Chapter 10
Hermione and her parents returned on the 14th. Hermione took the Dobby express over to Alphard's place on Monday to see what had happened while she was gone. Hermione was tanned from her time on the beach in France. Harry spent time going over everything they'd talked about at Hogwarts and the new changes being made. She was excited to learn about the individual point counters. She was also happy to learn that the new dormitory staff was open to listening to the students concerning their wants and needs.
With her parents back at work, Hermione spent most of her time at Harry's. They would go into the muggle world to a movie or do some sightseeing. Sirius took them up to Edinburgh one day to look at the historical sites. Harry had suggested going to an amusement park, but Hermione wasn't a ride kind of girl, so Sirius and Remus took Harry and Neville. Neville's eyes were as big as saucers the whole time they were there. Harry also introduced him to some new foods such as hot dogs and funnel cakes. Both boys were hyped up on sugar by the time they got home.
Finally, on Friday the 19th, the Hogwarts letters came. While some of the books looked familiar such as the Standard Book of Spells Year 4, there was a new book for DADA, as well as the magical cultures class.
Harry sent letters to the eight muggleborn students who were starting Hogwarts this year to meet at the Leaky Cauldron on Monday at ten. They would go as a group to get their supplies. Sirius would go with them, but since it was a full moon that evening, Remus stayed behind.
As it happened, one of the new muggleborn students was Dennis Creevey, Colin's younger brother. Colin and Dennis took one of the new students with them leaving Hermione and Harry to take the other six.
Their first stop was Gringotts where they explained about the goblins and that they were all business. Come in, state your business, and leave just as quickly. Harry had already gotten a bag of 50 galleons for each new student. That should take care of their initial supplies. Colin took his group to Madam Malkin's first while Hermione's group went to Flourish and Blotts and Harry's group went to the apothecary. It took about 45 minutes in each location for the groups to complete their purchases. The final stop was the pet store. For those who wanted owls, Harry took them to Eeylops, and those wanting other pets went with Hermione to the Magical Menagerie.
Once the shopping was complete, they assembled outside of Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor for a quick snack.
Harry got up and said, "Does everybody know how to get to Platform 9 ?"
He looked around and saw that everyone's head was nodding.
"Just make sure you take the barrier at a run. It's a lot easier that way than trying to think about running into a brick wall. Hermione and I will be there no later than 10:30 and will reserve a compartment for you. Once the train starts moving, you're free to move about and check it out. Be aware that the trolley only stocks sweets, so if you think you're going to be hungry, I recommend you bring some sandwiches. There is pumpkin juice and tea available from the trolley. Pumpkin juice is an acquired taste, but you get used to it."
Hermione said, "Now, once we get to Hogsmeade station, someone will meet the train and direct all of the first years over. If it's Hagrid, you can't miss him. He's ten feet tall and looks like a bear, but he's the kindest, gentlest person I've ever met."
Harry asked, "Do you have any questions?"
A tiny girl named Olga Quirke asked, "How long does it take to get to Hogwarts?"
Hermione replied, "It's a seven-hour ride. Make sure you have something to read or otherwise occupy your time as it can get very boring otherwise."
Stuart Ackerley asked, "How do we get sorted into our Houses?"
Harry smiled, "That is a secret. All I can tell you is that it won't be anything you're expecting."
Kevin Whitby asked, "What time should we be at the station?"
Hermione said, "The train leaves promptly at eleven. I recommend you get there at least by 10:30 to get a good compartment. We'll have one for you this time to make it easier. I know some people who get there just as the train is about to pull out and it's chaos."
Natalie McDonald pulled on Hermione's sleeve to get her to bend down, "Are there bathrooms on the train?"
Hermione smiled, "Yes, there are several so don't worry about it."
Once the questions were answered satisfactorily, the group split up with the new students going their separate ways.
- Scene Break -
Sirius and Remus had accepted Amelia's request for them to assist at the Quidditch World Cup. Sirius had his original Hit Wizard Badge while Remus had a Magical Law Enforcement Patrolman's badge. Since they would be working, Harry and Hermione were going with the Weasleys.
Harry went through the floo to the Burrow and was welcomed by the younger Weasleys. Since they had a full day before they left, Harry had brought his broom so they could fly some. Hermione came over after lunch and sat outside and read while the rest flew. The twins had invited Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff seeker, to play with them since he lived nearby. Just as it was getting dark, the two older Weasley boys, Bill and Charlie, arrived. They had a good time talking with Charlie about the dragons on the preserve. He updated them on Norbert who was actually Norberta and was growing large and strong.
The next morning, before dawn had peeked over the hills, the group was up and walking to the port key pickup point. Mrs. Weasley had sent a pile of bacon sandwiches with the group so they would have something in them besides the junk food available at the stadium. Harry was thinking portkeys were specific items, like a real key, so he was surprised when Mr. Diggory picked up an old boot and said this was their portkey. In no time at all, the group landed at the arrival point. Once they got directions to their campsite, they all gathered there. There were two tents – one for the boys and one for the girls. Tonks was also on duty, but her shift would end and allow her to act as the girl's chaperone. Sirius stopped by once to check on everyone, but he was busy putting out figurative fires around the campgrounds.
About 6, Harry called Rizzo to bring dinner. He'd already set it up with the Potter elves to cater dinner and breakfast for the group. While he was quite proficient in the kitchen, he wasn't sure about the others, so this was the easiest way to solve the meal problem. As soon as they finished, they packed up their omnioculars and headed for the stadium. They had tickets in the Minister's box, so they didn't have to wrestle people to get to their seats. Once there, they saw that Susan Bones was also there, so they just folded her into their group. Finally, Amelia came in with the Bulgarian and Irish Ministers. Ludo Bagman was doing the commentating. He looked ridiculous in his ancient Wimbourne Wasps uniform.
The first group out were the Bulgarians and their mascots. It seems they brought a coven of Veela to cheer their team on. Harry had to grab onto Ron by the waistband of his trousers or he would have probably jumped out of the box. Harry just shook his head at the insanity of bringing a being like that to a crowd this large. The Irish had their leprechauns representing them. At the very end of their presentation, a pot of gold exploded and rained coins down on the crowd. Harry knew that leprechaun gold disappeared after a time, so he didn't bother to grab any.
The quidditch game was nothing like Harry had ever seen before. All of the players were playing on a Firebolt or similar and were FAST! The Bulgarian chasers were no match for the Irish and they quickly overran the Bulgarians in points. Twice Bagman announced that the seekers had seen the snitch and both times he was wrong. The Bulgarian seeker, Victor Krum, was a master of the Wronski Feint and caused the Irish seeker to plough into the dirt twice. The Irish were now ahead by 160 points when Krum actually did see the snitch and quickly caught it, ending the game. Bulgaria lost by ten points, but Krum held his head up high because he did his job – he caught the snitch.
After a quick nighttime snack, everyone went into their tents and settled down for the evening. Some time during the night, Sirius and Remus had found their way back to the tent. When Harry woke up the next morning, he found both men snoring away on the transfigured sofas. Harry called Rizzo and had him bring a couple of cups of coffee just the way Sirius and Remus liked them before waking the men up. They talked quietly and before long; Arthur and Bill were up. Rizzo popped in with a full English breakfast that would have fed the entire auror force. Harry knocked on the girls' tent and told the breakfast was ready. After a sumptuous feast, they packed up the two tents and trudged back to the portkey point for their ride home.
