Bookworm

11

The next few weeks were uneventful. There was no point in Mira going to the meetings as they were just discussing guard duty over the Department of Mysteries. None of them wanted to risk sending Mira in, not with what she knew. So Mira spent most of her time with the twins, the trio and Ginny clearing out rooms of the house. Mundungus managed to redeem himself in Mrs Weasley's eyes by saving Ron from being strangled by a set of robes, but Mira still hated him. All too soon, it was time for them to depart to Hogwarts.
Mira walked the twenty minutes with the guard rather than the students, hands stuffed in her pocket clutching her wand as her eyes darted and took everyone in. She knew nothing went wrong, but it didn't stop her being on edge.
What if we walk past Sirius's niece, without even knowing?
"Everyone through the barrier." Moody demanded. Fred had Mira's trunk and William's cage perched on his trolley to save her needing to drag her own along and keep watch. He was sent through first, George right behind him, and onto the train. Mrs Weasley grumbled-she was still annoyed at them for almost killing Ginny that very morning. Everyone went through one by one, Mira was the last one left standing outside. She did one last sweeping check before moving to walk through the barrier.
"Are you going to run through the wall too?" A voice asked. Mira looked down to see a young boy staring up at her curiously.
"Uh-"
"Because our mum is really having trouble with what to do." A girl told her, not much older than the boy.
"I'm Joe, that's Zoe." A woman ran over, looking extremely flustered.
"I'm so sorry, about them! My Lord, I do apologise!" Mira chuckled and waved her off.
"It's no problem, really. Where are you headed?" The woman furrowed her eyebrows.
"Well-"
"Platform 9 and 3/4!" Zoe cheered, clapping her hands. "I got a letter the other day!" The woman's face contorted with horror and she grabbed Zoe's shoulder firmly.
"Zoe you're not meant to mention it to anyone!" she hissed. Mira chuckled.
"You having trouble finding it?" she asked. Joe nodded.
"They said to run at a wall-"
"Joseph!" The woman cried in horror. Mira sent her a glance.
"Hey, don't worry. I go to Hogwarts too." she took Zoe's trolley off her dad as he ran over with it. "You just need to-" She leaned against the wall with the end of it and fell through with a laugh. Seconds later the rest of them followed her, looking around in disbelief. Mira did the same before handing Zoe her trolley back.
"I need to get going, I'll see you around." Zoe grinned at her as Joseph began to cry about how unfair it was, Mira ruffled his hair before jogging away to where Moody was waving at her.
"What took you so long? You're going to miss the train!"
"I was just helping some muggles-they couldn't find the platform." she told him. The train whistled loudly and she jumped on, waving goodbye to all the Order members dotted around. It didn't take long to find Harry-he was in a compartment with Neville Longbottom, Ginny and who Mira fondly recognised as Luna Lovegood.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked. Neville took one look at her and began spluttering as Harry waved for her to take the seat beside him and turned to look back out of the window with a strop.
"Oh, Harry! You're still not sulking about not being a prefect, are you?" Mira sighed.
"He's been like this ever since he found out about Ron and Hermione." Ginny informed everyone in a loud whisper. "Had a good summer, Luna?"
"Yes. Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. You're Harry Potter."
"I know I am." Mira had to cover up her snort with a cough-she had forgotten how snarky Harry was in the books. Neville apparently couldn't hold himself either and let out a chuckle.
"And I don't know who you two are."
"I'm nobody." said Neville hurriedly. Mira nodded, pointing to him.
"Same. Me. Nobody." she rushed out.
"No you're not." Ginny snapped. "Neville Longbottom, Mira Moriarty-"(Mira still wasn't used to being introduced this way and almost corrected Ginny.) "Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."
"Wit beyond measure is mans greatest treasure." Luna sang. Harry, Mira and Neville exchanged looks with their eyebrows raised but said nothing. Luna raised the latest edition of The Quibbler back over her face and said nothing more.
"Guess what I got for my birthday?"
"Oh god no-"
"Another Remembrall?" Harry asked curiously, a small smile tugging at his lips. Mira jumped up, not prepared to get herself covered in Stinksap today.
"I forgot I have to go see the twins about something!" She probably should have tried to make her voice sound less terrified, but oh well. She could hear Ginny laughing at her as she rushed from the compartment. And straight into a person.
Two people.
"We heard you were looking for us?" George asked with a wide grin offering his hand out to pull her up. Mira gladly took it and grabbed their arms, pulling them away from outside the door.
"Yes-well, no. Neville wanted to throw Stinksap all over everyone-quiet, Fred. But yeah, no. Not happening." They were only in the compartment next to Harry and his friends. Prime position for Mira to keep an eye on him. Fred and George launched into a detailed conversation about her with Lee Jordan and Angelina Johnson.
"Shirtless?" Lee hissed, his brown eyes wide. "Get some!" Angelina, on the other hand, slapped them around their heads.
"You really need to learn how to knock! It's nothing cool, you guys being raised in a barn."
"They prefer the term 'dragged up'," Mira cut in, sending the girl a small smile. "But yes, their first time seeing me was shirtless. Because they cant find it within themselves to walk down a flight of stairs. I'm just looking forward to Hogwarts-apparently, you cant apparate anywhere in the grounds."
"It's true." George said dully, sighing as Fred dramatically threw himself into his lap and hid his face in his shoulder fake sobbing.
"Oh Georgie, whatever shall we do?" He wailed. Mira laughed loudly as Lee kicked Fred's back hard and Angelina rolled her eyes at their antics. Suddenly, a mischievous glint came to Lee's eyes.
"Hey-Fred, George, look." He pointed to the compartment door and Mira's eyes followed his. Her heart sank to see Malfoy stood there, flanked by his pals. Fred began to draw his wand.
"I reckon, now we can do magic in the train-"
"No, Fred." Angelina sighed, pushing his hand down. Although, the grin on her face couldn't be mistaken. Fred pouted, but Mira quickly stood up and left the compartment.
"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" Draco drawled.
"Same as it must feel to be second best to Harry in quidditch, and Hermione in lessons." Mira cut in sharply. She heard laughter in the compartment and winked at a stunned Harry. Draco turned to look at her, his face bright red and eyes full of malice.
"And who are you?"
"I'd ask you the same...but I already know. Your hair isn't exactly hard to miss, especially with your skin to go with it. I think there's an imprint burned into my eyes forever, and trust me. It isn't pretty." More laughter spewed from the compartment both before and behind her. "You're a Malfoy."
The confirmation of his name seemed to make Draco even more furious as he took a step toward her. Despite them being the same age, Mira towered over the boy and only folded her arms, raising an eyebrow. Mira wasn't tall for her age, if anything she fell just short of average height, but the books never did quite mention how short he really was.
"You want me to crouch down so I can hear you or something?"
"I'd watch your mouth if I were you-"
"Ooh, I'm SO scared. Seriously, Neville, can you see me shaking? Look!" She held up her perfectly steady hand and turned to the furiously flushing boy. He couldn't compose himself and let out a loud snort which set off the rest of the compartment once more.
"Watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line." The poorly-hidden giggles soon disappeared. Draco sent Mira one last scalding glare before barging past her with his shoulder, his friends doing the same before they stormed down the corridor shoving everyone aside.
"Just ignore him, Harry. He's a prat." Mira sent him one last smile before heading back into the compartment with the others. To her surprise, only Lee and Angelina sat there. They sent her smiles as she entered.
"They followed Malfoy; we tried to stop them but they promised no magic."
"Only dungbombs." Lee shrugged carelessly.
"We've never seen you around before. What house are you in?" Angelina noted how the girl seemed to pause and think hard about something before looking up and flashing them a smile.
"Oh, I'm not in a house yet. This is my first year."
"Aren't you a little old to be a first year?" Lee turned back to the conversation with a scoff. Mira folded her arms.
"Um, no. Obviously not." she shook her head as Fred and George appeared at the doorway once more, grins etched onto their faces.
"She's Lupin's niece."
"Funnily enough, I guessed that when you said her mum was Lupin's sister." Mira tried not to laugh-why had Angelina Johnson been so overlooked in the books? She could give sassy Harry a run for his money.
"Say, why didn't you come to Hogwarts with Lupin year before last then?" Lee asked, his mouth full of chocolate from merlin knows where.
"Her mum was a squib." Fred spoke up, his face suddenly serious.
"So she got jealous and hid our little Mira away from the wizarding world." Mira nodded, trying to look sad.
"She died about ten years ago, left me with my dad. He's a muggle-had no idea. It was a rather nasty shock when I got my letter." She added a chuckle at the end to try to lighten the mood, and to her utter delight the trolley lady knocked on the door.
"Anything from the trolley?" she asked. Mira was up and at the door before anyone could blink, her face bright with excitement.
"Could I have a few of everything?" she asked, her voice shaking. Years. She had been waiting to try these sweets for years, and it was finally happening. The trolley lady smiled kindly at her and handed her her items, taking the money from her hand. Mira grinned and spilled it all from her robes into her seat and looked at her new friends.
"Dig in."