A New Snake

Chapter 3

         

Harry laid quietly in bed at the Burrow. Everyone else was asleep, but Harry couldn't stop thinking about what had happened after the World Cup. He listened to the house creak as wind blew. He heard rain start to pour, which might have lulled him to sleep had he not had so many thoughts racing through his head.

Why had death eaters been at the World Cup? What could they want? Was this a sign that Voldemort was coming back? If that's the case, how would that be possible?

These thoughts and more ran through Harry's head endlessly until, finally, he fell asleep.

He found himself alone in the bedroom he and Ron shared when he finally woke up. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted up from the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley had no doubt already prepared their breakfast. As he put on his glasses and made his way to the breakfast table, Harry remembered that they were supposed to get their Hogwarts letters today. He knew the Weasleys would want to get the shopping out of the way as much as they could that first day, so a day he planned on using to relax, would be used traipsing through Diagon Alley finding supplies for school.

Harry made his first stop to Gringotts and got only the money he needed. He didn't want to use too much of the money he got from his parents and he already spent a lot at the World Cup. So once he was out of the bank he made his next stop Madam Malkins'. He went through a crazy growth spurt over the summer and now his robes were several inches too short. There were a lot of people there and Harry waited patiently for his turn rather than try to push through the line like a majority of the parents with smaller children. When it was his turn he was taken into the back where he spotted Ron and Ginny getting their robes fitted.

The Weasleys never really shopped in one large group once the younger children were old enough that they could go in twos and still be fine. So Harry joined them and was told that Mrs. Weasley was next door getting course books for the two. Mr. Weasley was with Fred and George to make sure they didn't make any trouble or get anything they weren't supposed to. In other words, he made sure they didn't step one foot in Zonko's. Harry laughed at that, though he wasn't surprised and continued chatting with the two until they were all finished. They paid and left to join Mrs. Weasley next door. She had been thoughtful enough to get Harry's books as well, and wouldn't have let him pay her back but he snuck the galleons into her change purse when she was fussing over Ginny.

After getting the rest of their supplies, the whole group joined at a cute little place for lunch before they returned to The Burrow. Somehow over the course of their trip, Fred and George had snuck themselves into Zonko's and rushed their contraband into their room before their mother could see them. Harry just shook his head as the two took bags, covering up the logo, into their rooms. Hermione immediately dove into one of their school books, eager to get a leg up in the reading. This time, Harry decided he should probably get ahead in potions, so he followed suit.

~ ~ ~ ~

September 1st seemed to come faster than normal and before they knew it, they were all boarding the train. Together, the Golden trio and Ginny searched for an empty compartment. They thought they had found one, but upon opening the door, they found a young lady around 14 years old. She was wearing Hogwarts robes, but without a house crest. They quickly apologized before they closed the door again. It wasn't long before Neville and Luna waved them over from a compartment a couple of doors down the row. As they walked down towards their friends, Harry couldn't help but feel that the girl looked familiar. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something told him he knew her from somewhere, or maybe she looked like someone he knew. Now that there was little to do but look out a window and have small talk, Harry's mind wasn't busy enough to block out the thoughts on what happened at the World Cup and what he'd been dreaming lately.

It was a long train ride to the station in Hogsmeade, but when the skies started darkening Hermione announced she was going to put on her robes. They went in groups so there would always be someone in the compartment. They wouldn't put it past someone to steal their compartment in the last stretch of the journey. On Harry's way back to the compartment Malfoy stopped him.

"Out of the way, Malfoy." Harry tried to brush past the blond but he pressed an arm against the wall of the hallway.

"What? Scared, Potter?"

Harry almost laughed at the reference to their second year, "You wish." Again, he tried to brush past the boy—apparently had also experienced a considerable growth spurt over the summer as he was now significantly taller than Harry where they were nearly equal the year before. The Slytherin stopped him again.

"Did you know, Potter, that there's going to be a mandatory re-sorting for fourth years this year?" Harry suddenly flashed back to his first year sorting; his inner panic must have shown on his face because Malfoy continued, "What, Scarhead? Afraid you'll be sorted into Hufflepuff?" The goons Crabbe and  laughed heartily behind him. Harry only rolled his eyes and shoved past them. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the girl from the compartment earlier looking at the spectacle with minor interest and slightly more intrigue. Then as quick as she seemed to have appeared, she was in her compartment behind closed doors once more. Harry shook her from his mind, concerning himself more with the information Malfoy had given him. He knew it must have been true. His father is on the school board and Malfoy wouldn't say something that far-fetched had it just been a lie. He would have said something more believable.

The others must have seen something on his face because as soon as he walked in Ron asked, "What's wrong, mate?" Hermione looked up from what she was reading, which Harry was pretty sure was a book they were going to have next year.

"You won't believe what Malfoy just told me..."

~ ~ ~ ~

"That can't be true!"

"They can't do that!"

Hermione and Ron indignantly shouted at the same time. Neville, Luna, and Ginny just looked like they were in shock. Harry shrugged shoving his beat-up trainers into his suitcase and putting his school shoes on his feet. "It has to be true. It's too crazy for him to have made up. It's almost unbelievable. Not to mention, he would know if that was the case because his father is part of the School Board." Ron was turning almost as red as his hair and Hermione only closed her book and looked down unseeingly at the cover.

"If that's the case," Hermione broke the silence, "We might be split up. We're all so different than we used to be. If the hat is anything different than it was first year. I'm sure it'll put me in Ravenclaw."

"With my luck, I'll be in Hufflepuff." Ron grumbled darkly.

"I'm sure Harry will still be in Gryffindor. He's braver than any of us." Neville intervened. Harry silently stared at the window. He wasn't so sure about that. He's never told anyone that the hat almost put him in Slytherin. If the hat wants to change his house, that's definitely where he'll go. He saw Hermione look at him with concern, but she turned back to the conversation. Her mind was too much of a mess at the moment to read.

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