Harry woke up with a jump. There was something important about today, what was it?… Then he remembered.

"Wake up Ron!" Harry screeched, as he jumped out of bed to wake his sleeping friend.

"Mmngft… five more minutes mom…" Ron mumbled, still dazed from sleep.

"Ron! Wake up! It's September the 1st! Somehow we all slept in and now we hafta leave in an hour or we'll miss the train!"

That woke him up.

The next hour was blur, as everyone hurried to get their things together, grab something to eat, and leap out the door. Mrs. Weasley was frantic, giving orders like a general in the middle of a war.

"Fred! George! Stop playing around and help your father get the school trunks to the train station!" she screeched, as the twins ran around with Hermione's new books she'd bought for "light reading" on the trip to Hogwarts.

"Let's go everyone! Six per portkey, we don't want to be late!"

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius (as Snuffles, of course), Ginny, Luna and Neville (who had decided to come and spend the holidays at Grimmauld place) reached for the nearest one, an old pan, and were immediately whisked off at King's Cross station.

At platform 9 ¾, the group hurried through the barrier, and hopped into the first compartment available.

Neville poked his head out the window to view their departure, but brought it back in quickly.

"Why are we the only ones who seem worried over not missing the train?" he asked.

"Huh, you're right… everyone's acting as though they still have enough time to chat with their families before getting in…" Harry muttered.

"Well, there's still five minutes before the train pulls out. Now would you mind getting out of our compartment?" came a voice from the door of the compartment Harry and his friends were in.

Harry expected to see a Slytherin, maybe even Malfoy, drawling at them, but when he turned around, ready to snap back at the "enemy", he got one of the biggest shocks of his life...