Spells and Visions; A Harry Potter story

Chapter 2: Not Everyone

When it was time to go back, we came to Flourish and Blotts, and to our surprise, there was a huge crowd of people trying to get in as well. I looked up and saw a banner with 'Gilderoy Lockhart will be signing copies of his autobiography 'Magical Me' today 12:30 - 4:30 pm'.
"We can actually meet him!" Hermione said enthusiastically. I rolled my eyes as we pushed ourselves through the crowd. Neville almost tripped twice. At last we found mrs Weasley again and waited in the queue until we saw Lockhart.
I had definitely fallen asleep in the line if it wasn't so noisy. Then Lockhart jumped up.
"It can't be Harry Potter?"
He grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him in front of the camera.
"Nice big smile, Harry." Only, Harry seemed too shocked by the sudden moment to smile. When Harry wanted to get back to us, Lockhart pulled him back and made an announcement.
"What an extraordinary moment this is! When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography. But he had no idea that he would be getting much more than my book, Magical Me."

I noticed all the ladies staring at Lockhart with wonder and little hearts in their eyes. It was like he was an idol. It made me sick. Even more sick made the thought about getting him as new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, which he just announced.

When Harry was released from - what I could see he found as well - torment, it got even worse.
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?"
Of course it had to be Draco Malfoy.
"Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."
"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" Ginny suddenly said. I stepped in as well.
"Draco," I said with a sweet tone.
"Oh, you're here too."
"Move, I need to get out of this place. The sight of ladies in love and Draco Malfoy are gonna make me throw up."
Draco had no answer back. But before I squeezed past him, along with Neville, who tried to hide himself from Draco, Ron came our way, and he and Draco almost attacked each other, but mr Wesasley turned up to stop them. I started making my way through the crowd, but a large figure blocked the way.

"Well, well, well, Arthur Weasley."
I looked up. The man had long, blonde hair, and the same face as Draco. It couldn't be anyone else than Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy. The two started arguing, and then he saw me and Neville.
"Draco's also told me about you two."
"Well, I'm honored," I said, with a glance at Draco.
"Jynx and Neville Black. Your father didn't do a great job at raising you two, did he?"
Neville face turned red, but I kept a neutral expression.
"And your mother tried hard and failed."
Before I could think of a comeback, he looked at mr Weasley again and they went on arguing. But it got so bad that mr Weasley threw himself at Lucius.
"Get him, dad!" Fred and George yelled.
Books had fallen down where mr Weasley had thrown Lucius Malfoy against a bookshelf.
"Break it up there, gents, break it up," Hagrid's voice said, as the giant man pushed himself through the crowd. He pulled the two away from each other, and mr Malfoy walked away angry, with Draco.

"Yeh should have ignored him, Arthur," Hagrid said. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. No Malfoy's worth listening to. Bad blood, that's what it is."
We left the shop, and the Grangers went one way, and the rest of us the other way. Back to the Burrow.

~

The end of the holiday had come. It had been much nicer for me and Neville then any other summer holiday, stuck with our mum. I was looking forward to Hogwarts, though.
On the day we had to catch the train, the car of the Weasleys had been expanded with magic, so all ten of us could fit. Along with our baggage. Three times we had to turn back because people had forgotten things. At that time, we had to start to make haste.
Mr Weasley tried to convince his wife to fly the car, but she told him it was way too dangerous.
Then we arrived at the station, King's Cross. We had five minutes left, when Percy went through the invisible gate. Next went mr Weasley, Fred and George, and Neville and I were next. I made a run for it and closed my eyes as I went through the barrier. Luckily, this was something Neville was capable off without failing. Mrs Weasley and Ginny were close behind us. I looked one ast time behind me as I stept onto the Hogwarts Express.

"Where are Harry and Ron?" I whispered to Neville, with a nervous feeling. If only they wouldn't get themselves in trouble again...
I didn't see Harry and Ron on the train, and I tried to convince myself that they were, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong. After around seven hours, we arrived at the trainstation nearby Hogwarts. I got out with Neville, but still didn't see neither Harry nor Ron. There was only one possible explanation: they couldn't get through. But how?

We got on the boats, and were then led into Hogwarts again. I forgot a second to worry, and gasped at the great castle. We went to the Great Hall immediately and the new students were sorted into their houses. Ginny was in Gryffindor like her brothers. Of which one was supposed to be here, but wasn't. After the cermony we ate, and the two boys still hadn't showed up. Strange...

Later, rumors started to spread. They were saying Ron and Harry had arrived by flying car, and for that, expelled. It was hard guessing if the rumors were right or not, because Ron did have a flying car, and maybe it was the only option because they couldn't get through. That's why they weren't on the train.
When we got to the common room, the rumors didn't stop. Then, Hermione, Harry and Ron came tumbling through the portrait hole.

"There you are!" I said immediately. "I've heard the strangest things. Did you really fly all the way to Hogwarts with the car?"
"We did," Ron said, with a bit of an embarrassed face.
"We'll tell you later," Harry whispered. Everyone in the common room was cheering in the mean time. They all thought it was amazing. It probably was amazing, flying in a car, but also dangerous. Then Harry pointed with his head softly towards Percy, who was looking kind of angry in the corner of the room. Silently, they made their way upstairs, and I went to my room not long after.

Hermione still seemed angry, but the other three girls in our room, Sally-Anne, Parvati and Lavender were amazed by what we had heard. I chuckled, relieved that the boys were alright, and let myself fall on my bed.

The next day, post was being delivered. I always made sure Neville didn't forget his stuff, otherwise things would've gone very differently. In front of me, a red letter fell down as an owl flew halfway across the table. It was Ron's owl. I ignored it and pointed to the letter. Ron looked up as if he had just seen the three-headed dog from last year in his room. I knew what a red letter meant. It was a Howler.
Ron opened it slowly, and at once the letter started talking by itself with the voice of mrs Weasley. Actually, not talking, yelling. Everyone in the Great Hall was silent for a moment, because all we could hear was the yelling of mrs Weasley. She said things about stealing the car, that Ron and Harry could've died and that mr Weasley was now facing an inquiry at work. Than the letter went up in flames and the ashes slowly fell down.