The Boy With The Red Hair

Year Two

I climbed on board the train, hearing my dad yell one final good-bye before walking back to the muggle side where mum was waiting. This year was going to be so different than last year- now I knew the professors, I was used to the changing corridors and where the classrooms were and I knew to stay the farthest possible away from Slytherins.

Without Kris here with me was different, to say the least. But I am much more mature than I was when I was a first year. And now I have friends! I saw Harry and Ron a lot because we had most classes together and we are in the same house, which I am very pleased about. I also made friends with some other people, too. Luna and Neville are quite nice- Luna isn't a Gryffindor, but Neville is.

Then there's Lavender- she's a bit mental- and Seamus and Dean, who are best friends. Seamus has a mum that's a muggle as well, so that made me feel loads better.

So, as I walked down the train compartment with my bag in tow, I looked for the compartment door that read '7', because that's where Luna and Neville said they'd be. Dean and Seamus said they might stop by, but they were going to be with their other mates as well. We had sorted this all out on the last day of school; I didn't see Harry because he was in the infirmary for some reason, and Ron was visiting him. Maybe Neville or Luna got a hold of them during summer and told them where we would be.

Luckily, I was in the right train carriage- on my left was compartment 3, and on my right was compartment 4. People were already with their mates, mucking about and being super loud. They were probably first years.

I walked down a couple more feet to be faced with number 7, where I found Luna and Neville already sitting. Luna had her nose stuck in the Daily Quibbler, which I had learned her father ran. And Neville had his hands full with books, parchment and quills lying around him.

"How are you guys?" I asked, smiling as I put my bag up in the head compartment. "Do anything exciting over summer holiday?"

"Nothing really," Luna spoke in her dreamy voice. "Dad and I caught some more gnargles for an article he's doing and I got bitten by a gnome. How about you, Neville?"

"Uh, well my gran made me practice my spells all summer long, so I reckon I'll be quite good when we get back to school." He gave us a nervous smile and I felt a bit sorry for him. Neville told me last year that he had no idea why he was put in Gryffindor- that he should be in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw with Luna. Hopefully he would prove himself within the next couple years, because the Slytherins were picking on him all the time- especially Draco.

Speaking of that horrible boy, where was Ron and Harry? I remembered last year when they got in several rows with Draco.

"What's bothering you, Jenna?" Luna asked and I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. "Has it got to do with Ron and Harry's whereabouts, perhaps?"

"How'd you know?" I asked her, blushing slightly. It may be a childish crush- I am twelve, you know- but I think I fancy Ron. I spent the last weeks of school trying to figure out if he liked me as well, but he seemed like he had a lot on his mind.

"Your smile," Luna relied simply, not giving any more of an explanation. I was about to ask what she meant when the compartment door slid open. Dean and Seamus were standing there, slightly out of breath with a bewildered look in their eyes.

"Someone's flying a car next to the train!"