𝐌𝐢𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 - 𝐒𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey.

At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.

"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice.

Harry, Ron, Mia and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

"All right, you four?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd.

They waved at him but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along with the platform.

Harry, Ron, Mia, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along with the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, Mia could only assume, by an invisible horse, because when they climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession.

The coach smelled faintly of mould and straw. Mia felt better since the chocolate, but still weak. Ron and Hermione kept looking at Harry and her sideways, as though frightened that they might collapse again.

...

At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Mia waited for Hermione and Ron to get off before she did.

As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in Mia's ear. "You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You fainted?"

He then turned towards Mia who was now getting off the carriage, "My dear cousin also fainted? Did I hear that correctly?," Draco said loudly.

Mia eyed Draco as he elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.

"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, whose jaw was clenched.

"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice.

Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.

Draco gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase.

With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no — er — Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.

Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the five of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Mia followed the crowd toward it but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight when a voice called.

"Potter! Granger! Tonks! I want to see you three!"

Harry and Hermione turned around, surprised. But Mia wasn't surprised at all she was always in her office. Sometimes Professor McGonagall will tell her that at the rate she's going, she might pass Fred and George. And she was sure Professors had made bets on it already.

Mia fought her way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: Professor McGonagall had a way of making her feel like she must have done something wrong. Which was usually true most of the time, since Mia was never not in trouble or doing something she isn't supposed to be doing.