Our American Cousin

I

Hogwarts Bound

September 1, 1997

Harry Potter took a deep breath and for possibly the last time stepped through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾. The slowness of his pace was not due to any solemnity towards the starting of his seventh year at Hogwarts, but rather it was a stiffness brought on by half-atrophied muscles still protesting at the thought of work.

"You'll get your strength back dear," Mrs. Weasley had said as she helped him out of bed for the first time in nearly a week. Fred and George had broken Harry out of his cell on Privet Drive in mid August, after his worst summer to date. Harry had not asked to be rescued, but according to the twins their dear brother had insisted that something was wrong. Harry has spent the next two weeks at The Burrow with Molly Weasley and Ron as his nurses. According to Ron the rest of the Weasley clan has moved into Hogwarts for much of the summer but he wasn't sure why. Dear Molly Weasley had in those weeks quite literally brought Harry back from the brink of starvation. Madame Pomfrey had made a special trip to reset a broken jaw, wrist, foot, and several ribs. It was only by the grace of Pomfrey's years of setting Quidditch injuries that Harry could even walk a week later.

Now Harry stood on the platform with Ron at side, both seeking out a head of bushy brown hair.

"Harry!" Harry was nearly tackled by a hug from Hermione Granger.

"Hello Hermione." Harry hugged back with as much strength as he could muster.

"I missed you Harry. Turn around let me look at you." Harry gave a quick model spin flipping his shaggy head of hair in his first attempt at humor in many weeks. "My God, Harry. Ron said it was bad, but you look terrible!"

"Way to build a guy's confidence, Hermione. I'm not too worried. I'm sure Dobby will have me fattened up in time for Quidditch." Hermione gave Harry one extra hug before moving onto Ron who lifted her up with a bone cracking squeeze. There had been discussion in the Granger family as to whether or not she should be allowed to go back to Hogwarts after the events of the previous year. For a few tense weeks Hermione had been convinced she would never see her friends again.

"I'm so glad to see both of you. Now I need to go find someone else."

"Two timing us Hermione?" Ron asked.

"I'll have you know that Dumbledore wants me to greet and brief our exchange student. I am Head Girl if you recall." Hermione showed off the pin.

"What?" Harry exclaimed.

"We have an exchange student?"

"From where?" Harry could just picture some student from one of the schools that taught the Dark Arts running amuck in Hogwarts.

"America. She's supposed to be a seventh year."

"You're telling me that while we've got Death Eaters running loose, fights in the halls of the Ministry, and the Order under attack, Dumbledore has let in an exchange student into Hogwarts." Ron paused to let the implication sink in. "Draco's right-the old bloke has finally lost it."

"Quite possibly." Hermione agreed tersely. "Now help me find someone you don't recognize."

Sara shivered on Platform 9¾. She clamped her teeth shut to keep them from chattering. Not that it was all that cold by London standards but Sara's desert blood was finding the damp chill intolerable. She looked down at the paper in her hand. It was quite clear that she was to meet the "Head Girl" (who ever that was), board the Hogwarts Express, ride it to its destination, and join the first year students so she could be sorted, whatever that meant. Glancing around, she spotted nervous looking children that couldn't have been more than 10 or 11 being fussed over by equally nervous looking parents.

'Must be the first years.' Sara suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Instinctively she crouched and turned to face a possible attacker. Instead she found herself nose to neck with a rather tall redhead wearing a red sweater that clashed painfully with his hair. The red-headed boy had an open face and a definite nonthreatening manner. He blinked a few times before speaking.

"Ummm hi! You look lost." Ron Weasley smiled and did his best to slather on the Weasley charm with the rather exotic looking woman. Sara gave herself a quick reminder of basic courtesies and smiled.

"Not lost, thanks, just vaguely confused."

"Well let's see if I can help, by the way I'm Ron Weasley. Gryffindor." Ron held out his hand.

"Sara Todacheenie," said Sara, and shook the hand firmly. "Exchange Student." Ron's grin grew even bigger.

"Let me be the first to welcome you. This is Harry Potter."

"Hi." Sara shook hands with the short guy that had come up next to the redhead. She was slightly creeped out by the handshake and wondered if maybe this guy had some sort of eating disorder.

"And this is Hermione Granger." Sara shook the hand of a studious looking girl who was in desperate need of a good conditioner.

"You wouldn't happen to be the Head Girl would you?" Sara asked with great hope since she had no real desire to tap the shoulder of ever girl on the platform.

"Yes I would. I've been told to make sure you get where you need to be and answer any questions that you have."

"Oh thank God." Sara heaved a sigh of relief. "I had a hell of a time just figuring out how to get through that fucking wall." Sara heard a tsking noise from a mother standing not too far from her and cringed sheepishly.

'Language, Sara. Language' she thought to herself.

"Well, first let's get your bag stored."

"Allow me." Ron smiled and grabbed a brown suitcase that felt distinctly heavier than it looked, and a duffel bag with USMC faded on the side.