Unlocking Secrets

*********************************************** Chapter One Return to Hogwarts

    Harry Potter awoke to the gentle shakings of a Weasley. Which one of them he couldn’t tell, until he slipped on his glasses and noticed it was Ginny. The little sister of his best friend Ron. She smiled then before going over to nudge Ron awake said, “Sorry, but mum told me to wake you two up, we have to leave soon.”

    Of course, Harry thought, back to Hogwarts we go. Harry had stayed with the Weasleys almost the whole of the summer. Dumbledore had told Mrs. Weasley that it would be safe for him after the second week of staying with Harry’s insufferable Aunt & Uncle Dursley and their annoying pig of a son Dudley. What Dumbledore had meant by safe had simply been that he didn’t see reason why Voldemort would attack Harry at the Weasley residence. He’d had his first birthday celebration this summer. He was now fifteen.

    His attention was averted back to the present matter when he heard his best friend, Ron, stir and moan, “Geroff.”

    “Come on, Ron. Mum says get up,” Ginny said shaking her older brother.

    “Just five more minutes…” he trailed off back into sleep. Ginny shook her head of fiery red hair, and looked at Harry with shrugging brown eyes.

    “If you don’t get up, Ron, I’ll tell all of Gryffindor about…” Ginny started, but was interrupted when Ron sat straight up and interrupted leaving Harry to ponder what Ginny would tell all of Gryffindor about.

    “I’m up, I‘m up,” Ron said groggily as he stood up, “so get out while we get dressed will you?”

    Ginny rolled her eyes and walked out of the room. After Harry and Ron had dressed and gotten ready, they trekked down stairs to join the rest of the Weasley clan for breakfast. Crowded around the table were Percy, George, Fred, Ginny, and Mr. Weasley; Mrs. Weasley was standing up making breakfast. Ron and Harry were just catching in on the conversation.

    “Dad, what I don’t get is why Dumbledore would do what he’s doing after what happened last year,” Percy said in a haughty voice that he used when he wasn’t using his bossy voice or his I-am-one-who-knows-all voice.

    “Really, Perce, I would have thought you would see by now. He’s trying to ease the tension bring something new for the children this year…” Arthur Weasley, also know as Mr. Weasley, replied.

    “What’re they talking about?” Ron asked his twin brothers.

    “Who knows, they haven’t let on what exactly Dumbledore’s doing yet,” Fred shrugged.

    “Anyone feel a sense of deja vu?” George joked. Ginny let out a shy smile.

    “Really, does this lot always have to know everything?” Percy asked turning his head to Fred, George, Ginny, Harry and Ron.

    “No, you’ve already filled that position in our family, Perce,” Fred smirked. The other four chortled softly.

    “Honestly,” Percy scoffed back in reply.

    “Speaking of which, what is happening Dad? And please don’t make this a repeat of last summer,” George added in on the conversation.

    “ ‘That is strictly between the Ministry‘ ,” Fred mimicked Percy’s nasal voice.

    George added on, “ ‘You’ll find out in due time’…yada, blah, yada, blah.”

    “Yeah, Dad what is going on?” Ron asked curiosity peaked. Harry just sat there and listened.

    “Oh, come along, boys, it’s nothing as huge as what happened last year. It’s not as big as the Triwizard Tournament,” was the only reply they got, before Mrs. Weasley told them to eat up, because they were to leave soon if they wanted to get to King’s Cross on time. Harry and Ron exchanged curious glances as they wondered about what was happening at Hogwarts this time.

***

    Hermione Granger greeted her friends when the arrived at Platform 9 ¾. Harry, Ron, and Hermione raced onto the Hogwarts Express to find a compartment that wasn’t full. They found one near the end of the train’s corridor. Hermione listened as Harry and Ron told them about what Percy and Mr. Weasley had been discussing over breakfast this morning.

    “Wonder what’s going on,” Hermione stated as a look of thoughtfulness spread over her face.

    “I have no clue,” Harry replied. As three teenagers, their age, sat in the corridor across from them. They wouldn’t have paid attention to the three if they had known who they were, but to be quite frank Harry, Ron, or Hermione had never seen any of them in their lives.

    “Who are they?” Ron asked looking. There was two girls, one cute, one extremely pretty--he noticed--, and a boy with them.

    “Another question that we haven’t an answer for,” Hermione replied, “but there are two ways of finding out. We can ask or…”

    Since the three of them really didn’t feel like asking them who they were they listened in on the conversation.

    “I can’t believe we’re going to Hogwarts, can you? I mean what’s it, Liv, the best school for witchcraft and wizardry in the world?” a tall girl with chin-length dirty blonde hair asked.

    “Yes, it is,” the small girl with wavy dark brown hair replied, looking down at a book in her lap, they assumed this was ‘Liv’.

    “Wonder what dorms will be in,” said the boy who looked extremely like the girl with brown hair. He was small as well, had the same complexion, and the same wavy hair.

    “Well, according to Hogwarts, a History they refer to them as Houses. Hold on let me see what it says about them,” the girl called ‘Liv’ said flipping pages.

    Ron chuckled.

    “What’s so funny, Ron?” Hermione asked impatiently.

    “Just thinking you and that girl would be good friends,” Ron replied with a smirk on his face. Harry’s face soon was smirking too.

    “Oh, be quiet, Ron. At least someone else has read the book.”

    “I guess they’re attending Hogwarts,” Harry replied as Ron shrugged off Hermione’s response.

    “From the sounds off it, they’re American; they must be from Salem Witches’ and Warlocks’ Academy,” Hermione said with an as-a-matter-of-fact tone in her voice. They all turned back to hear what the three American students were saying, but the door to their carriage was closed shut.