One Day They'll Know Your Name

Name Games

September first arrived, and the strange house elf Dobby hadn't come back to warn Harry about any horrible plots against Harry or his friends. Harry made sure all his stuff was packed, then grabbed Hedwig's cage, sending Hedwig ahead to school.

"Hey, Pup, you ready to go?" Sirius asked from the doorway just as Harry was putting the last book in his trunk.

"Yeah! I'm ready," Harry said with a grin. He was excited to see his friends. He hoped Dobby didn't do anything weird to make him miss the train or something. He suddenly had a weird vision of him and his friends driving a flying car to Hogwarts and snorted. As if he would ever be stupid enough to try something like that.

Sirius shrunk his trunk for him, then led him downstairs. "We're going to Floo to the platform. The fireplaces on both sides are big enough for us to go together, so that's what we'll do." Harry nodded. They hurried downstairs to the entrance hall and Sirius stepped into the fireplace. Harry took a last look around, then stepped in after him, grabbing ahold of Sirius' arm tightly when he was told to. Sirius threw down the Floo powder and called out their destination.

Harry would have fallen if Sirius hadn't been holding on to him as much as Harry was holding on to Sirius. He heard a light giggle from a few feet away, then bushy black hair filled his vision. "Hermione," he whined. "Don't laugh at me! Just cause I can't get through the Floo doesn't mean I should get laughed at!"

Hermione just laughed again. "Oh honestly, Harry. You've got to admit your death grip on Sirius is a little funny. And the fact that he's holding just as tightly doesn't make it any less hilarious."

"Hermioneeeee!" This time Sirius laughed. Harry just turned to him, looking utterly betrayed.

"Ok, ok, Pup, ease up on the puppy eyes." Sirius said, barely holding his laughter in. "Looks like I went with the right nickname," he added under his breath. Harry just smirked.

Hermione noticed Draco standing near the train and pulled Harry and Sirius along to go see him and his family. The three friends exchanged greetings as the adults discussed something or other over their heads. Harry caught snippets of the beginning.

"Narci! Luci! How wonderful to see you!" Sirius, as usual, sounded like an overexcited puppy.

Lady Malfoy seemed very displeased at his nickname for her, and Harry also saw that Lord Malfoy had a slightly disgusted look on his neutral face. Harry suspected that the look was also for the nicknames. "Cousin Sirius. How have you been the last week since we saw you?" Lady Malfoy's voice dripped with fond disdain. Harry had no idea how someone could do that, but he suspected Professor Snape had the same gift. The adults continued talking and the kids waved to Ron's family, who had just entered the platform from the Muggle side, and Neville, who had just Floo'd in with his Gran. They soon joined the group and the kids said their last goodbyes. Harry held tightly to Sirius for a few moments.

"I'll see you at Yule, Pup, and you can write to me as often as you want," Sirius whispered into his hair.

"Thank you, Padfoot," Harry said quietly, then released his godfather, getting on the train with his friends. They waved for a few minutes, then the adult Disapparated. The group quickly found a compartment and started chatting some more and playing a few games of Exploding Snap.

"So, what does everyone think about the new DADA prof?" Unsurprisingly, Draco was the first to broach the subject.

Hermione snorted. "I don't know if you could call him a professor. He was so unprofessional at Flourish and Blotts. Just grabbing someone like that, even if they are famous, and then ignoring the fact that they were clearly uncomfortable."

Harry grimaced at the reminder. "I doubt we'll learn anything in his classes. His books talk a big game, but they are awfully fantastical. They remind me of Muggle fantasy books, except they sometimes get more right than Fakeout does in his books."

Ron and Neville snorted at the nickname, while Hermione gave him a reproving look and Draco looked like he was about to start laughing. Harry just grinned at Hermione and she huffed. "Sirius was right about those eyes of yours. They are lethal." Draco burst out laughing, falling over onto Harry. Harry just grinned happily down at him.

At that moment, there was a knock on the compartment door and Ginny came in with a blonde girl who looked a little lost. She saw Harry and Draco and smirked. "Guys, this is Luna Lovegood. She's a first year like me."

Harry gently shoved Draco off and walked up to the girl who was barely shorter than him, despite the year of good food. He pouted a little at the thought, then smiled gently down at the girl. "Luna, right? Did you know much about Hogwarts before this year?"

"Oh yes. Daddy has told me quite a bit about it. Mumma did too, before she died." Luna's voice was light and dreamy, and Harry found himself instantly liking the girl.

"Were you and your Mum close, then?" He asked softly.

"Oh yes. She often told me stories about the Gulping Plimplies that hung around shortly before I was born."

"What are Gulping Plimplies?" Neville asked curiously while Hermione did her best to not look like she disliked the girl's ideas.

"Oh they're little creatures that hang around pregnant women who are about to go into labour. Mumma told me they showed up the morning I was born. They look like little snitches, a little."

Harry nodded. This made as much sense as anything else in this world. Les Amis shared a look, then Harry invited the two girls into the compartment with a smile. They quickly continued their discussions, seamlessly including the girls in the conversations. Before they knew it, they had reached Hogwarts.

"Good luck, Luna, Ginny," Harry offered. "We'll see you guys at the Sorting."