Chapter 1: Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Early the next morning Dobby arrived in 'Eternal Sunset' to find Harry and Ginny were already awake and making the bed.

"Sir and Miss! You is not supposed to be making beds! Dobby is only too proud to do that for Master Harry!" cried the elf, shaking his finger playfully at the two teenagers.

Ginny smiled, and replied, "Well, Dobby, we thought it was the least we could do. Would you mind helping us take our trunks downstairs?"

Dobby nodded, and proceeded down the flight of stairs to wake up Ron and Hermione, and then magically transfer their trunks to the ground floor. Harry and Ginny headed down to the kitchen, making a quick stop at Ginny's room for her dressing gown. Upon entering the kitchen, Harry couldn't help but smile. Dobby had hung the "family portrait" he had painted on the wall above the table for their going away breakfast. He had also hung a banner reading 'Good Luck at School, Master Harry and Friends!'

Ginny giggled. "Wow, Harry, that elf really does care about you, doesn't he?"

Harry shook his head in disbelief.

"You know, Gin, some days I don't even know what I would do without him."

"You're telling me!" surmised Ron, entering the kitchen. "You be as thin as a stick without all the food he cooks for us!"

Harry laughed. "Yeah- look what he has for us today. All our favorite things!"

"Oooh!" squealed Hermione. "I haven't had éclairs like these since I went on Holiday in France before fourth year! Oh, they're wonderful!"

The group had quite a jolly breakfast before they returned upstairs to put on their school robes. Dumbledore had previously arranged for them to all take a Port Key right onto platform 9 ¾ . He figured this to be the safest route, next to taking a Port Key directly into his office. Having the foresight from Mrs. Weasley that the latter option might arouse suspicion amongst the other students when they didn't see Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny on the train the Headmaster selected the current plan.

By 10:15, the group was waiting in the living room holding onto their luggage. Harry had collapsed his Phoenix's stand and let his new pet go on ahead without him. Even still, with four trunks, two owls, two cats and all their supplies they had quite a lot to carry. Mrs. Weasley came bustling in, pulling on her cloak as she checked them all over.

"Have you got everything, dears?"

"Yes, mum!" they chorused.

She smiled, and then frowned. "Ronald! You have dirt on your nose! Come here, let me get it off for you."

"MUM!" cried Ron, furiously. "I am 16 years old! Honestly, GERROFF!"

A few minutes wresting resulted in Mrs. Weasley pretending to give up, then whipping out her wand and shouting 'Scourgify!' at the entire group.

"Argh! MUM!" cried Ron.

Harry, Hermione and Ginny just laughed, even though they, too, had been hit by the cleaning charm. With pink faces, they all managed to grab onto the scarf the Headmaster had charmed into a Port Key, and at the stroke of 10:30, they were whisked away to platform 9 ¾.

After repeated hugs and goodbyes to Mrs. Weasley, the group tromped onto the train to find an empty compartment. Since the Port Key had brought them so early, they had no problem getting one of the best compartments to themselves. The group settled themselves in and talked for a spell while the rest of the students showed up. Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom soon joined their compartment. Not long after the train began to move, the Prefects (now including not only Ginny, but Luna as well) left Harry and Neville alone in the compartment together so they could attend the Prefect meeting.

"So did you ever get a new wand, Neville?" asked Harry, recalling what had happened to Neville's previous one in the Department of Mysteries.

Neville smiled proudly and drew out a brand new mahogany wand.

"Yup. Brand new- just got it last week. Mahogany, 12 inches, with dragon heartstring core. Nice, huh?"

Harry smiled appreciatively. "How was your birthday, Neville? I never got to really thank you for coming to mine."

The boy that once could have shared Harry's fate grinned. "It was great! My Uncle Algie bought me a new plant and Gran said she would pay for my wand."

Neville paused, and then decided that he couldn't contain himself from asking. "What was with the wool socks that Professor Dumbledore sent along with Professor McGonagall at your birthday? A little odd, even for Dumbledore, don't you think?"

Harry grinned. "Well, you know Dumbledore. Always a little wonky, but brilliant. I think he and Snape collaborated on a gift that arrived a few weeks later though."

"SNAPE got you a birthday present? No way, Harry."

Harry shrugged, and decided to continue on with an explanation. He could trust Neville, and he thought that maybe Neville hearing about the Phoenix might lessen his fear of the crooked-nosed Professor.

"Well, I was wandering around Grimmauld Place one night when I couldn't sleep and I went into the Library. I found a small package there waiting for me with my name on."

"No way! What was it?"

"That's the thing. I don't think Snape could have gotten it without Dumbledore's help- that's why I thought they might have gotten it for me together."

Neville looked confused as to what could possibly be so difficult to acquire.

"It was a Phoenix," Harry explained.

"A WHAT!"

"A Phoenix," he repeated. "She's gorgeous- I'll show her to you once we get to school. She's green with some gold feathers."

"Wow. I think you're right. It takes a really powerful wizard to be able to tame a Phoenix. I know Dumbledore has one. Maybe Snape got the idea from that, and decided to ask Dumbledore to help him get one for you."

Harry shrugged. "Maybe. She's beautiful, though. Who knows, maybe potions won't be so bad this year after all."

"You PASSED the potions OWL?"

"Um, yeah. Didn't you?"

"Well, yes. But not good enough to get into NEWT potions. Not that I'd want to, anyway, I'm going to concentrate on Herbology. I know that kind of goes along with potions, but McGonagall said that if I didn't want to continue that I needn't."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, I understand. Two more years with Snape is not something I'm really looking that much forward to, although I don't think it will be as bad this year. I think Snape and I have just seemed to find something like a… mutual respect for one another."

"Wow, Harry. That's really great. So what did you name her?"

"Name who?"

"The Phoenix."

Harry blushed. "Well, see, that's been a bit of a problem. I can't seem to think of anything. I got Hedwig's name out of one of my books before first year. But all the names in there just don't seem to fit a Phoenix."

"I'm sure you'll think of something, Harry. It will come to you. I'll let you know if I hear of anything good, though."

"Thanks, Neville. So… um, you and Ginny are really close, right?"

"Sure, Harry. Have been since fourth year, really. She's always been so nice to me. Her and Hermione both."

"Yeah… Neville? Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, Harry," Neville replied, somewhat confusedly.

"Um, well, I uh… I don't really know how to say this, Nev."

"Well, you can tell me another time, if you want Harry."

Harry shook his head, and swallowed, as if trying to force down his nervousness.

"Well, Neville, um. Promise you won't say anything, all right? Especially to Ginny?"

"Sure, Harry. What is it? Are you all right?"

"Yeah… It's just… well, no. I'm not. Look, Neville, just promise me that if anything were to ever happen to me that you'll be there for Gin. You know, like, take care of her. Check up on her once in awhile."

Neville cocked and eyebrow at Harry, and elected not to question the rather morbid request his friend had just asked of him. "Sure, Harry. Of course I will. I'll always be there for Ginny."

He paused. "Is there something else, Harry?"

Harry shook his head, deciding that he had said enough.

"No. Just that. I just worry, you know? I mean, Hermione has Ron, but for Gin it's different. Ron's her brother so it's not the same. She'll need someone around if… well, you know what I mean."

Neville nodded, knowingly. "Of course, Harry. You can always count on me."

"Thanks, Neville."

Silently, they changed into their robes, and waited for the rest of the group to return from the Prefect's meeting. They didn't have long. Just as the witch with the lunch trolley was coming up the corridor, the Prefects returned looking rather exasperated.

"Ah, good! Food! I'm starving!" cried Ron, grabbing all he could afford off the trolley. Harry brushed him aside to pay for everything that the group had selected.

Hermione, Luna and Neville thanked him graciously, while Ron and Ginny turned as red as the school radishes. Harry just shrugged as the Lunch Witch rolled out of sight.

"Oh come on, you guys!" cried Harry, pressing more cakes and candies upon them. "What better use do I have for it?"

Ron shrugged, and decided to give up. He had been a friend with Harry for too long to try and argue. Ginny on the other hand, just mumbled 'I really wish you wouldn't, Harry.' But she sat down all the same and began to eat.

"Um, so what happened at the meeting?" asked Neville, changing the subject with a grateful smile from Harry.

Hermione snorted, Ginny sniffed, and Ron just shook his head and continued to stuff his face with Pumpkin Pasties. The two dark haired boys turned to Luna, who was delicately cutting her Cauldron Cake with a fork and knife before placing it in her mouth.

"Well, Dumbledore had a lovely idea," she said dreamily, eyes wide. "He decided that all the sixth years would be paired up with incoming first years for a set amount of time per week to be something like 'mentors' to them."

Harry smiled. He didn't see what was so bad about that. In fact, he thought it to be quite genius. If the incoming firsties were to be paired with the older, more knowledgeable, students then they would not only do better in their lessons, but the older students could monitor their behavior and make sure that none of them were leaning to the Dark Side.

"Oh. That sounds nice," said Neville. "So what are we supposed to do with them?"

"Oh you know," continued Luna, airily, still cutting her Cauldron Cake into bite size pieces, "just make sure they're doing good in their lessons, keeping up with work. Make sure that they're not going to have a nervous breakdown, you know. Give them insight and 'tricks of the trade' about how Hogwarts works."

Neville squeaked, "How am I supposed to help a kid with POTIONS! I stink at it!"

"That's where the Goblet comes in."

Harry choked. This 'Goblet' sounded all too much like the Goblet of Fire, and he had no desire to go through anything related to the likes of the TriWazard tournament again.

"G-g-goblet?" he sputtered.

Hermione sniffed, and answered for Luna as she had just eaten a bite of Cake. "Yes. Goblet. Not the Goblet of Fire, Harry, but a new one."

Harry felt himself relax slightly. If it wasn't the Goblet of Fire, it couldn't be completely awful, could it?

"It's supposed to match you up with the first year to which you will be the most helpful to," explained Ginny, "this way you won't get stuck with a kid that needs help in a subject like potions if it's something you're bad at."

Neville sighed with relief. "Oh good, so I should get someone that's awful at Herbology, right?"

"Maybe," said Ron, after brushing the last of a Pumpkin Pastie off his robes. "I think it might go deeper than that, though."

"Deeper?" asked Harry, puzzled.

"Yeah. It might not pair you with someone that needs help in a subject you're good at, but it could be something like… um, something like 'inner wuggle' or something."

Hermione snorted. "Not WUGGLE, Ron, STRUGGLE. Inner Struggle."

"Oh. Right. Struggle. Sure. …You gonna eat that, 'Mione?"

Hermione sighed, and passed Ron what was left of her éclair. Harry still didn't see what she and Ginny were so upset about.

"So what's wrong with this 'mentor' thing? It sounds like a good idea. I mean, if we're with the first years all the time we can keep an eye on them. Make sure they're not falling behind in classes."

Hermione sniffed, and Ginny snorted.

"Okay then, more specifically, we can make sure that the first years aren't leaning towards the Dark Arts. We have no idea what they might have already been taught at home- it will be easier to fix if we catch it straight off."

Hermione harrumphed, "Yeah, a fabulous idea, Harry. Pairing up someone like MALFOY with an impressionable first year. Bloody brilliant."

"Exactly!" chimed Ginny. "And why can't fifth years do it, too? Why don't they give you guys second years and us the first years?"

"Um, call me crazy," interjected Neville thoughtfully, "but I think that with OWLs being this year for you that you'll have way too much work to do to have to worry about extra quality time being spent with some first year."

"All right then, but what about the seventh years?" she retorted, obviously not pleased that she had been unable to see this reason.

"Well, I suppose they're all concentrating on their NEWTs, aren't they? They probably wouldn't have time, either."

"Oh," muttered Ginny disappointedly, realizing the obvious logic she had missed.

"Hmm… maybe it will cause for more inner house unity, though?" pondered Harry. "And that's something you really want, isn't it, 'Mione?"

His friend sighed, realizing defeat. "Yeah. I suppose you're right, Harry. Will someone pass me a chocolate frog, please?"

Neville tossed her one over Luna's head, who was now completely lost inside an upside down copy of "The Quibbler." Harry, Ron and Neville silently mused about what type of first year student they might be paired up with, when they were suddenly distracted by a rather loud squeak followed by a choking sound coming from the no longer bushy-haired girl sitting by the window.

"You all right, 'Mione?" asked Ron, concernedly, patting her lightly on the back.

"Um, yes!" she choked, in a high, unnatural voice.

"Leave it to Hermione to choke on chocolate, something all girls love! Most of them would rather choke on books, but not our 'Mione," joked Harry.

Hermione forced a laugh, "Um, yes. Of course. Chocolate. All girls love. Ha. Um, right."

The occupants of the compartment stared at their friend who was looking completely frazzled, not at all her usual composed self.

"Ginny, Luna, would you like to come to the toilette with me?" Hermione asked pointedly.

Ginny raised her eyebrows, while Luna drawled that she really didn't need to go, not once looking up from "The Quibbler". Hermione and Ginny rose to leave the compartment, when Harry caught a glimpse of the Chocolate Frog card still in her hard.

'Accio!' he thought to himself, and the card found itself torn from Hermione's grip and in his hand.

"Harry! Give it back!" cried Hermione desperately, attempting to steal it from him.

Harry shook his head, and stood to hold the card out of the girls' reach. Luna looked up from her magazine.

"Oh, Harry, are you doing wandless magic? That's very good," she spoke breathily.

"WHAT!" cried Neville. "You can do wandless magic! Harry, that's amazing!"

Harry cringed, still attempting to fight off Hermione and Ginny from taking the Chocolate Frog card back.

"Yes. But that doesn't leave this compartment, all right?"

Neville nodded dumbly, while Luna just dismissed it with the wave of her hand. Ron just sat looking confused- Hermione had never really been one to collect Chocolate Frog cards. He didn't really understand why she was putting up such a fuss about one- she didn't even know which ones were the most valuable.

Hermione and Ginny gave up, and sat back down, out of breath. Apparently, they no longer had to use the toilette, if they had even needed to in the first place. Hermione bit her lip, and Ginny cringed. She wasn't entirely sure why her best friend hadn't wanted Harry to see that card, but she was sure that Hermione must have had a very good reason for it.

Harry turned the card over to see what all the fuss had been about. Had they possibly gotten Ptolemy? Harry knew that this was the most rare card out. What he saw nearly made his heart stop. On the front was his own picture; blushing sheepishly back at him, before it shrugged its shoulders and ran shyly out of the frame. Turning it over, he read the description on the back aloud, his face growing redder with each word.

Harry James Potter

Currently a Student at Hogwarts

Known to many as "The Boy Who Lived", Harry is most famous for his preliminary triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in 1981. Potter is also recognized for delaying the return of the same Dark Wizard in June of 1992 (shortly after his initial return to the Wizarding World in 1991), and again in 1993. Harry is the youngest wizard ever to produce a corporeal Patronus Charm, and in doing so saving the life of not only his best friend, Hermione Granger but his Godfather, the recently cleared (and recently late), Sirius Black. In 1995, Harry competed in and became champion of the newly re-instated TriWizard Tournament. Potter is also commended for his never-ending work for Justice in our World. Harry enjoys the sport of Quidditch, at which he plays the position of Seeker.

Harry looked up; finding every pair of eyes in the room was staring back at him. He focused in on Hermione, who just stared back and shrugged, unable to say anything. They sat, transfixed, unnoticing the door that was sliding open to reveal none other than Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

"Ah," drawled Malfoy, with his ever present trademark sneer. "I see you've started collecting your own chocolate frog cards, Potty. Could your head possibly get any bigger? Honestly, and I thought that any bigger and you'd need your own train to get to Hogwarts."

Harry just shook his head and sighed, so as to deter Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and (surprisingly) Luna, who had already stood and unsheathed their wands.

"I have no idea how this happened, Malfoy. And if you honestly think that I would be happy about something like this than you really have no clue as to how I work.

"Here," he said, offering the card to Draco, "you can take it and do whatever you want with it. If you leave it here, I'm just going to burn it."

The Slytherin's jaw dropped slightly, and he turned and walked away down the corridor, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Lacarnem Inflamore," muttered Harry, coldly, and the card burst into flame before crumpling into ashes on the floor.

Ginny pointed her wand at the ashes on the floor. "Scourgify," she said, and the mess disappeared.

Hermione twisted her hands, "Um, well, we must be nearly there. Shall we grab our cloaks?"

"Sure," muttered Harry. "Let's go, before Malfoy comes back and decides to act normal for him and try to hex us, instead of like a rational human being."

Silently, the group fastened their cloaks under their chins and waited by the door of the train so they could be the first off when it came to a stop. Together, they smashed into a carriage and let Hedwig and Pig fly to the owlery ahead of them. Harry attached a note to Hedwig's leg for her to take to Dumbledore, asking to arrange a meeting so he could talk with him after the feast about the Chocolate Frog Card incident.

The journey from Hogsmeade station to Hogwarts in the carriage was a joyful one, as people kept tickling one another and stepping on each other's feet from the lack of space. Once they had arrived at the castle, Harry was sufficiently cheered up. They headed to the feast, anxiously awaiting their first year 'mentee' assignments.