The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|64| Warning

Meeting Luna Lovegood was an experience in itself. She's a fourth year with straggly, waist-length, dirty blond hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. Although a little airy, she's very nice.

The train ride to Hogwarts went well, until Draco Malfoy came in.

"What?" I said aggressively, before Malfoy could open his mouth.

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," drawled Malfoy. "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

"Yeah," I said, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville laughed. Malfoy's lip curled.

"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to the Mudblood, Potter?" he asked me.

"Watch your mouth, Malfoy. Detention or not, I will hex you without hesitation," I threatened.

"Shut up, Malfoy," said Harry sharply.

"I seem to have touched a nerve," said Malfoy, smirking. "Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."

"Get out!" I bellowed, standing up.

Sniggering, Malfoy gave Harry and me a last malicious look and departed, Crabbe and Goyle lumbering in his wake. Hermione slammed the compartment door behind them and turned to look at us, who knew at once that she, like Harry and I, had registered what Malfoy had said and been just as unnerved by it.

"Chuck me another Frog," said Ron, who had clearly noticed nothing.

At last, the train began to slow down and I heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready for departure. Ron and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this; they disappeared from the carriage again, leaving me and the others to look after Crookshanks and Pigwidgeon.

"I'll carry that owl, if you like," said Luna to me, reaching out for Pigwidgeon as Neville stowed Trevor carefully in an inside pocket.

"Thanks, Luna," I said, handing her the cage.

Harry hoisted Hedwig's more securely into his arms as Ginny grabbed Crookshanks and I picked up Gydion. We shuffled out of the compartment feeling the first sting of the night air on our faces as we joined the crowd in the corridor. Slowly we moved toward the doors. I could smell the pine trees that lined the path down to the lake. I stepped down onto the platform and looked around, listening for the familiar call of "Firs' years over here... firs' years..."

But it did not come. Instead a quite different voice, a brisk female one, was calling, "First years line up over here, please! All first years to me!"

A lantern came swinging toward us and by its light I saw the prominent chin and severe haircut of Professor Grubbly-Plank, the witch who had taken over Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures lessons for a while the previous year.

"Where's Hagrid?" I said out loud.

"I don't know," said Ginny, "but we'd better get out of the way, we're blocking the door."

"Oh, oops," I said and moved to follow Harry.

Harry and I got separated from Ginny as we moved off along the platform and out through the station. Jostled by the crowd, I squinted through the darkness for a glimpse of Hagrid; he had to be here — seeing Hagrid again had been one of the things to which I had been looking forward most. But there was no sign of him at all.