Hope's POV:
It's been an entire summer and I still haven't seen Harry. Ever since the Chamber incident I've felt a strong attachment to the Boy Who Lived. While at school I spent most nights in the Common Room, having fallen asleep while taking to him.
During the summer the Weasleys took off to Egypt after visiting Charlie in Romania and I stayed with Hermione. Still, we wrote to each other ever day. Poor Hedwig grew so tired I had to get my own owl to give the poor thing a break.
It has now been 48 hours since I've heard anything from him and I'm starting to get worried. Especially since in the last letter he sent me he said his Aunt Marge was coming to visit and she's not exactly the most pleasant person.
Well, the entire Dursley family isn't very pleasant from what I hear. I know I might come off sounding like a clingy girlfriend, but I'm not, I'm just worried about my friend. My friend who gives me butterflies when he talks to me and who I have a growing attraction for.
But that's not the point. The point is that I am worried. Right now I am in the Leaky Cauldron, listening to Hermione and Ron arguing back and forth over Hermione's new cat, Crookshanks.
The Weasleys just got back from Romania and had Hermione and her parents bring me here to meet up. I'm about to break up the argument when Ron spots something over my shoulder. "Harry." Hermione and I whip around. "Harry." Hermione repeats. I don't say anything.
I race up the stairs and fling myself into his arms. "I was starting to get worried. What did you do this time?" I ask knowing that he wouldn't be here unless something happened. "Let's go get some food and he can explain." Hermione suggests.
I nod and the four of us make our way into the dining hall of the inn. Once we have breakfast Harry's starts explaining what happened with his Aunt Marge. "That's bloody brilliant." Ron says. Hermione smacks him. I just laugh. That family is so horrible to him.
What happened to that woman is completely reversible so it's ok in my book. After Harry's explanation Ron starts going on about his trip to Egypt. "You know the Egyptians used to worship cats." Hermione says, still angry at Ron's words towards Crookshanks.
"Yeah, along with the dung beetle." Ron laughs. "Not flashing that clip around again Ron?" Fred asks as he and George get closer. "I haven't told anyone." George snatches up the paper. "Not a soul. Unless you count Tom." "The day maid." The night maid." "The cook."
"The woman who fixed the toilet." "And that wizard from Belgium." The finish. I laugh. Mrs. Weasley suddenly appears. Harry and I stand up. "Good to see you dear." She says, hugging Harry. "You too." "Hope darling, how was your summer?" She asks, hugging me.
"Wonderful." "Now you've got everything you need?" "Yes." We both reply. "All your books and everything?" She asks. "Yes." "All of your clothes?" "Yes." "Good kids." She says, patting our cheeks. "Hello Hope." Mr. Weasley says.
We hug and I sit back down while he pulls Harry off to talk to him. Ginny runs up behind me and hugs me. "Oh I've missed you! You won't believe how beautiful Egypt is." She says. She then launches into everything that happened while they were gone.
"I really wish you had gone with us." I smile. "It's for really, I had a good time at the Granger's. Besides, one day we'll take a girls trip there when we're older." I say. She grins and nods excitedly. Harry then comes over and sits back down beside me.
"What did Mr. Weasley want?" I ask. "Oh, nothing, I'll tell you later." He says. I nod and turn back to my food. After breakfast Mrs. Weasley tells us to go upstairs and grab our things. Once we have everything we floo to King's Cross Station.
When we get there we hurriedly get onto the train and look for a compartment. They're all full except for one, there's a man inside. "Come on, everywhere else is full." Hermione says. We nod and pile into the cabin with the man. He has a weird scent. "I wonder who that is." Ron says.
"Professor R. J. Lupin." Hermione says. I scrunch my eyebrows, confused. "You know everything. How is it that she knows everything?" Ron asks. "It's on his suitcase Ronald." I laugh. "Do you think he's asleep?" Harry asks. I nod. "Seems like it. Why?" I ask.
"I've gotta tell you something." He says, getting up and closing the compartment door before retaking his seat next to me. "What's going on?" I ask, confused. This year can't start off bad, we have two years off bad things happening, can't we just have a normal year?
Harry goes on to tell us everything Mr. Weasley told him about Sirius Black, the man who escaped from Azkaban. "Let me get this straight, Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban to come after you?" Ron asks, horrified. "Yeah." "But they'll catch Black won't they?" Hermione asks.
"They have to." I say. Harry looks at me, I can tell he's as confused about this whole situation as we are. "Sure, except no one has broken out of Azkaban before and he's a murderous raving lunatic." "Thanks Ron." I can tell Harry is not amused by Ron's words.
Suddenly I feel the train start to slow down. "Why are we stopping?" I ask. "We can't be there yet." Hermione says. Something is wrong. I feel the air around me grow cold and I shiver a little. "Something is very wrong here." I mutter, looking over at Harry. He nods.
He stands and opens the compartment door, looking out, before the whole train jolts and Harry is flung into me. "Sorry." He groans. "It's fine." "What's going on?" Ron asks, panicked. "Don't know, maybe we've broken down." Harry suggests. The air around us continues to get colder.
"I don't think so." I say. Suddenly an overwhelming feeling of sadness takes over my body. I can tell the others feel it too. The windows start to freeze over on the inside and outside. Then a billowing black cloak enters my view. I grab Harry's arm for reassurance.
He looks back at me before turning towards the cloaked figure. A skeletal hand reaches inside and slowly moves the door open. A floating black cloaked figure hovers over Harry and I before lowering it's head. It lifts us it's hood and suddenly I feel like I'm being drained.
I hear my mother and father calling out to me, terrified. I feel tears run down my face. I hear a faint shout and everything goes back.
A/N: Posting a day early because I won't be able to tomorrow! Enjoy.
~Isabell