Chapter 4
Ginny Weasley watched her father and the other parents disappear from view as the train left the station. Then she quietly went about finding an empty compartment.
This was the farthest she'd ever been away from home on her own. Her mother had always been beside her, gently prodding her into the future of a housewife; her brothers around her like a chaotic circus, dragging her out for a friendly game of Quidditch or telling her about dragons or Egypt; her father behind her, tired and overworked.
Her brothers were still there, minus Charlie and Bill, but they wouldn't be as close to her.
Most of the compartments were full -- her fault, they'd been late retrieving the diary her father had given her -- but the last one contained only one girl, a familiar one.
"Luna," Ginny said in relief. "Can I sit here?"
Luna nodded dreamily without looking up from the Quibbler. "How was your summer, Ginny?"
"Chaotic," Ginny replied shortly, struggling to put her trunk above Luna's.
"Fred and George are in the compartment across from us," Luna said lazily, pointing at the door. Ginny set down the trunk and went to knock.
There was a pause, and then the door opened, revealing Zabini. He relaxed when he saw her. "It's just your sister, Ron," he said over his shoulder.
Ron appeared, brow furrowed. "Did you need something, Gin?"
"I can't get my trunk on the shelf," Ginny replied quietly.
The twins suddenly popped up behind her, grinning, and she jumped, cursing. "We're here-"
"-to help-"
"-baby sis!"
Snarling in irritation, Ginny marched back into her compartment and sat down again, pulling her knees to her chest.
"Hey, Luna," Fred beamed when he saw the blond. "I forgot you were starting this year, too."
"Hello, Fred," Luna hummed. The twins looked shocked. "George has a little scar under his ear that Fred doesn't have."
Fred stared. "Blimey, she's right."
"That's only one difference," Luna added when George muttered something about makeup. "But they're very small differences, the Nargles had to point them out to me."
"What are Nargles again?" Ginny questioned as the idiots hefted her trunk above Luna's.
"They're little thieves," Luna said, "they resemble pixies, but they're much smaller. Most people can't see them."
"Are they like Thestrels?" George asked with interest. "You have to fulfill a specific requirement to see them?"
Luna nodded. "I can't tell you what the requirements are, yet. I'll tell you later this year."
The twins exchanged glances. "Okay," Fred said slowly. "We'll see you at school, then." They quickly left.
Luna put down the newspaper and turned to Ginny, a gentle expression on her face. "How are you doing without your mother?" she asked softly.
Ginny clenched her jaw.
Luna was the only person who knew how close Ginny had been to Molly Weasley -- although how she knew, she had no idea. Since Luna was concerned and not being nosy, Ginny replied honestly.
"I don't know how I'm going to get by without her," she whispered. "I know she did a lot of things wrong, but..."
The girl went to sit beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "You will be fine, Ginny," Luna promised. "You will gain many friends this year, and you will feel even more loved than you did with your mother."
Her eyes were glowing with knowledge. Ginny didn't question her, just hugged the girl back and rested her head on her shoulder.
"Who is Luna Lovegood?" Harrison asked the twins.
"She's our neighbor," Fred replied. He paused. "Old neighbor, from when we lived in the Burrow."
"Her dad writes the Quibbler," George added.
"She lives half a mile from the Burrow," Ron continued. "She'd come over all the time."
"Lu's odd, but very smart," said Fred thoughtfully. "And she knows things that nobody else does. We have no idea how she does it."
"She can tell Fred and George apart," said Ron.
"You knew and you didn't tell us?" the twins wailed, striking an over-dramatic pose. This caused snickers from Draco, Blaise, Ron, and Harley, giggles from Hermione and Neville, and an eye-roll from Harrison.
"Hermione," Harrison said, and the girl looked at him, "do you have an answer to the question I asked at the end of last year?"
Hermione was puzzled for a moment before her expression cleared. "I don't know much about You-Know-Who's ideals," she admitted.
Neville blinked. "How was the ritual, by the way? Does he have his body back?"
"There was a snag," Harrison said calmly, but his eyes flashed. "Someone put Lucius Malfoy under a compulsion, and he ended up hiding the diary in Diagon Alley. It was stolen."
"By who?" Neville asked in alarm.
"All Dobby saw was a blond girl who was about twelve," Draco explained. "Dobby is my family's house-elf," he added. "He said that the girl mentioned being in Hufflepuff."
"Do you think you and Hermione can look for a blond girl in years two and three?" Harrison asked Neville. "Specifically one who went to Diagon before the book lists went out?"
Neville blinked. "That sounds a lot like Susan Bones, actually. The Hat considered putting her in Ravenclaw, but decided on Hufflepuff in the end. She loves books. She lives with her aunt, because her parents and siblings died in the war."
Hermione lit up. "Oh, I know her! Lisa and I study with her sometimes."
"Good, you already have an in," Harrison hummed. "Keep an eye on her, but still look at the other blond girls as well."
"There's only a couple," Neville told him. "Hannah Abbot is the only other blond girl in our year. There's three blond girls in third year." He paused. "There's one blond girl in fourth year who looks a lot younger, I don't remember her name...."
"Emily something," Hermione agreed.
"Meadows," said Harley. When half the compartment looked surprised, he said, "Flitwick made her teach me how to properly write an essay last year. She's really bossy."
"Your essays were always rambling," Harrison grumbled, and the twins, Draco, Blaise, and Ron snickered.
"Neville and I can study the blond Hufflepuffs and work with Susan," Hermione said, steering the conversation back to the important subject. "She's friends with Hannah, so it won't take long."
"She might be helpful to make friends with, anyway," Blaise pointed out. "Her aunt is the Head of the DMLE. Department for Magical Law Enforcement," he added when Harley and Hermione looked confused.
"We'll see," Harrison said sleekly. "What do you think of the blond girls in second and third year, as well as Ms. Meadows?"
Luna watched with keen eyes as one by one, the first years were Sorted into their Houses. Most of them would not be prominent in her lord's life, although Creevey would be a bit annoying.
When it was her turn, she glided up to the Sorting Hat and sat down.
"Oh my goodness," the Sorting Hat exclaimed, almost out loud. "I haven't sat on the head of a Truth Seer since... well, since your mother," he added in a softer tone.
Luna smiled sadly. You know where I need to be Sorted.
"I do indeed. RAVENCLAW!"
Luna stood up and gently placed the Hat back onto the stool. She didn't sit with Hermione Granger, Knowing she had to wait until Harrison came to her. She turned to watch the rest of the Sorting.
Ginny was the last to be Sorted, and the Hat sat on her head for a very long time. Finally, to the astonishment of everyone except Luna, it yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"
The redhead set down the hat and hurried over to the Slytherin table, head down, as the Hall applauded.
"WHOO!" the Weasley twins yelled. "Go sis!"
"Shut up!" she snapped back at them in exasperation, causing laughter.
The old fool chuckled, eyes twinkling, and Luna had to work hard not to glare at the manipulative sociopath. "Very eager to greet our new students, I see."
The applause and laughter stopped as he stood. "There is a time for speech-making," he said pleasantly, "but now is not it. Instead, let us enjoy a hearty meal and dessert made by our kitchen staff. Bon appétit!"