The Boy With The Red Hair

Year Three

 “Jenna, I’d like you to meet, Ginny. She’s quite extraordinary when it comes to hexes, but don’t tell anyone.” Luna introduced me to the red haired girl, which I knew vaguely because she was Ron’s sister. She was younger, I think only by a year though, which didn’t make her completely immature. I could tell she was really nervous.

“Hey Ginny, I’m Jenna. I’m good friends with your brother, Ron.” Just saying his name made me smile. It was probably the first time I said it since the end of second year.

“Oh, Jenna- we all know that you, Harry and Ron are the closest of friends. Practically attached at the hip every second.” Luna smiled dreamily and I grinned. I loved those boys so much… but not so much the trouble we got in to. They kept asking me weird questions about the restricted section and how to make things like Polyjuice Potion.

Ginny raised a hand, laughing. “Oh, I know who you are! Ron hasn’t shut up about how-”

“Ginny, you have a spectacular number of nargles swarming around you. Would you like my Butterbeer cork necklace to keep them away? I don’t mind.” Luna stopped Ginny, and I was a bit perplexed. What was she going to say about Ron?

“Um, no, that’s alright Luna. Thanks, though.” Ginny blushed deeply, just like I had seen Ron do a couple times in the past years. I couldn’t help but notice that she also had the exact same hair color as well. Why hadn’t I been introduced with her sooner? She was in her second year, but I didn’t see her around much.

We lapsed into casual conversation, talking about which professors we liked and who we didn’t, which classes we were most excited for, and our favourite spells.

“I’m actually quite ready to start Care of Magi-”

Suddenly, the train stopped, the lights flickering off as well.

“Luna? Jenna? What’s happening?!” Ginny cried, and I heard her move around the compartment.

I felt a hand smack into my face and I let out a shriek.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I can’t see anything!” Ginny apologized and I sighed.

“That’s alright,” I stood up and found Ginny and Luna in the pitch black, pushing them out the door. “Let’s go find Harry and Ron- I’m pretty sure I saw them go into the next compartment.”

We slowly made our way down the hall, running our hands over the wall. I could hear people stirring around inside other compartments, and I don’t think anyone knew what was going on.

I could feel the indention in the wall where another door was and I ran my hand down to the door knob. I opened the door and stuck my head in, Ginny and Luna standing behind me.

“Harry? Ron?” I whisper, but I’m not sure why. “Are you in here?”

“Yeah,” Harry coolly replies and I walk in, followed by Ginny and Luna.

“Is Ginny there as well?” Ron asks, cowering in the back corner of the compartment.

“And Luna,” Ginny states and the door closes behind us.

“Sit down,” an unfamiliar voice mumbles and we obey immediately. “Quickly!”

Who was that man? I couldn’t see him, but he sounded rather old. He couldn’t be a student, so maybe he was a professor? Nonetheless, I didn’t question him and found myself sitting down between Ginny and the wall.

I was about to ask what was happening when a rush of cold air swept over me. I felt so alone, so depressed. Like I’d never be happy again.

The door slowly crept open, my eyes struggling to see who was coming in now. There was the faint sound of cracking ice, and a low rumble filled the room.

The unidentified man in the bad corner stands up, his wand out and pointed to the door. “None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go."

The hooded figure looming in the doorway doesn’t move and the man utters a few words, sending a flash of silver light from his wand. The figure seems to glide away and the lights miraculously turn back on.

“What the bloody hell was that?” Ron asks, rather loudly.

I turn to look at him when I see Harry lying on the floor. He looked disoriented, slowly shaking his head and sitting up.

“Harry! Harry! Are you alright?” I jump off my seat and kneel down next to him.

“M’fine,” he mutters and stands up, embarrassed. He stumbles for a second before catching his bearing and sitting down next to Luna.

The man, who I’ve now seen for the first time, sits down as well and picks up the cloak that he had apparently thrown to the floor. “We’ll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes. How are you, Harry?”

“Fine,” he says as he looks at the ground, unconsciously rubbing his forehead, right where his scar was. I could just tell he was hiding something.

“Here,” the man rummages through his pockets, pulling out a brown bar that I recognized immediately as Cadbury. “Have some chocolate. It’ll make you feel better.”

Harry nods quietly, reaching over to take the chocolate from the man. I gave him a quick glance, noticing how the light was very unkind to him. He had a great scar over most of his face, and his hair was very messy. His clothes were compiled of browns, tans and blacks, though his kindness told me he wasn’t as he seemed.

He smiled over to me and Ginny, also turning to Luna beside him. “You should go back to your compartment,” he suggested. “Get your robes on, and such.”

We smiled courteously and leave the compartment, giving Harry and Ron fleeting goodbyes as we walk away. I had an odd feeling about that man, whoever he was. There was a secret that he didn’t tell anyone.

“He has quite a history,” Luna states, and I wonder if she’s thinking the same thing I am.

“How do you know that?” Ginny asks as we step into our compartment. Thankfully, everything was where we left it.

“The way he holds his wand, of course.” Luna smiles and sits back down. Neither Ginny nor I challenge Luna’s reasoning, knowing it was best to let her be. She was quite the odd one.

“So, what do you think that thing was?” Ginny asked us, her eye brows both raised and a smirk on her lips as she brewed ideas in her mind.

Luna leans forward, as if she was going to tell us a secret.

“I suspect the nargles are behind it.”