Harry McGonagall

Chapter 14 - Introductions

Harry Potter and all characters, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling, not me.

Harry McGonagall – Chapter 14 – Introductions

"Goodbye, Harry. Have a good term."

"I will, Mom," Harry promised as he returned Cindy McGonagall's hug. It was ten minutes before the Hogwarts Express would be leaving. Next to him, Hermione was hugging her mother. It was a Tuesday, so one of the Grangers had to keep their surgery open. Therefore her dad wasn't able to see her off. The four of them (Cindy, Harry, Marissa, and Hermione) had driven to the station together, and had crossed the barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters moments before.

"I guess we'd better hurry if we're going to get a compartment," suggested Hermione when she separated from her mum.

Together, they walked onto the train. Harry graciously let Hermione stick her trunk into his magically charmed seven compartment trunk that always weighed ten-pounds, so he was the only one carrying luggage. Once they had a compartment, they'd remove her trunk so it would be placed in her dorm with the rest of the students' trunks.

"I'm sorry I delayed us so much," said Hermione after they'd walked past ten full compartments. They'd seen their study group sitting with others. Padma and Neville seemed apologetic, saying that they'd tried to save them a seat, but they were just too late and others had filled up the compartment.

Harry smirked at her. "I know. Once you found out that you could use my trunk, we had to go back to your house to get the books you'd left behind – especially Hogwarts, A History."

"They're very helpful," she said defensively, "and I couldn't fit them in my trunk because of all the Lockhart books." She glanced at the floor as her ears turned pink. "Can you imagine writing all those books, not to mention doing all those things in them? Professor Lockhart is very brave, and..."

"Lies very well," interrupted Harry. "My aunt says he was a Slytherin – not a Gryffindor like he claimed – and that he was at the bottom of his class! He dropped out of Hogwarts after failing too many O.W.L.s."

She looked shocked. "B-but then he must have studied independently. He's probably terribly embarrassed about his past, so he...er, embellished it a bit."

Harry stopped in his tracks and stared at his best friend. "Embellished? Embellished? Hermione, he lied to the Daily Prophet, and who knows what else he's lied about?"

"Fine," she sighed. "I won't try to convince you. I'm sure you'll change your mind after we've had a few lessons. I'm sure we'll learn a great deal from him."

At this moment, they looked into a compartment that was mostly empty, aside from two girls sitting about four feet apart who appeared to be first-years. One was rather short and had long, auburn hair. She was busily writing in a small book she was holding in her lap. The other had long, straggly, blonde hair, and was holding an issue of the Quibbler in front of her face at a forty-five degree angle.

"Hello," came a voice from behind the magazine, causing the red-head to look up and quickly close her book to stare at the two second-years.

"Oh, um, hello," said Harry. "This is Hermione Granger, and I'm Harry McGonagall."

"My brother, Ron Weasley, told me a bit about you two," commented the other girl. "I'm Ginny."

"He mentioned having a younger sister last year," said Hermione. "It's good to meet you. I'm surprised you're not sitting with him."

"He's too grown up to sit with his baby sister."

Harry felt a bit of frustration with Ron at that moment. He fully intended to look out for Brianna when she started coming, beginning with their train ride. Without commenting on that, he turned to the magazine-girl. "And you are?"