They got up early the next morning. Megan pulled on jeans and a jacket, then tied up her hair. She and the rest of her friends were just going down the stairs when Mrs Weasley came up them calling to her husband:

"Arthur, urgent message from the Ministry!"

Fred moved Megan aside as his father came hurrying down the passage and out of sight. The others came into the kitchen and Megan had a little shock. In the fireplace which was burning brightly, was... Amos Diggory's head.

"Muggles heard banging and shouting, so they called the Muggle authorities... you have to get here."

Arthur was buttoning up his coat.

"Lucky I heard about it, really. I had some owls I needed to send, and I saw the IUM hurtling off... If Rita Skeeter gets this one..."

"I know. I'm on my way as fast as I can. What does Mad-Eye say happened?"

"Heard an intruder in his back yard, he says." Diggory rolled his eyes. "But that they were ambushed by his dustbins. Made a hell of a noise and fired trash everywhere, and the Muggle authorities saw one rocketing around."

Arthur sighed, writing at top speed.

"And the intruder?" he asked.

"Ah, you know Mad-Eye..." Diggory said. "Someone in his yard at night... if the Ministry gets him this time he's done for, with his record... what's an exploding dustbin worth?"

"Probably a caution," Mr Weasley said. "Did he use his wand?"

"I imagine he most likely did, but they'll find it hard to prove, there are no casualties."

"I'll be there soon as I can." Arthur said, putting his notes into his robes. "You all have a good term and behave yourselves. Molly, you all right taking them all to the station?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, get going."

"Sorry, Molly," Mr Diggory said. "Mad Eye was to start a new job today, and Arthur's the only one who can get him off."

"Never mind, Amos..." she said. '"Have a bit of toast before you go?"

"Okay, then."

She handed it to him with prongs.

"Fanks!"

And with a pop, he vanished.

"Neat, eh? Beats the pheletone, doesn't it?" Ron smiled at Megan.

"Telephone, Ronald..." Hermione sighed.

"IUM?" Megan asked.

"Improper Use of Magic." Fred said. "They come in when magic is used near Muggles, or for underage cases."

"Did someone mention Mad-Eye?" Bill asked as he came in.

"Yes, he says someone tried to break into his house last night," Molly said.

"Who's Mad Eye?" Megan asked.

"Mad Eye Moody. Well, it's really Alastor, but everyone calls him Mad Eye." Bill said. "He was a great Auror in the day. He's retired now."

"Old friend of Dumbledore's," Charlie added.

"Auror?"

"Dark wizard catcher," Fred told her. "Half the cells of Azkaban are full because of him. Really reputed. But he's gotten a bit paranoid, so they had him retire."

Charlie and Bill went with them to the station. And then, they reached the platform 9 and ¾, which you accessed through a magical portal. The Hogwarts Express was there, as tall and proud as ever.

"Guys!" called a voice to their left.

Harry and Cedric rushed to join them.

"Hey, good to see you!" Megan said, squeezing them.

"Good to see you, too." Cedric said.

They soon managed to get all the trunks, cat and owls into the train.

"We might see each other again sooner than you think," Charlie said as he hugged Ginny goodbye.

"Why?" Fred wondered.

"Bec-" Harry began.

"Ah, ah, not a word, boys." Bill said to Harry and Cedric. "Not until tonight. You're not supposed to know, either."

"Know what?" Ron asked.

"You'll see. Just don't tell Percy I said that or he'll run me through. It's supposed to be classified."

"Definitely going to be an interesting year," Bill said. "Almost makes me want to be back at Hogwarts."

"Why?" George asked.

"I might even take a bit of time off to see some of it."

"Some of what?" Fred asked impatiently.

But the whistle blew and they had to hurry and board the train. Cedric held out his hand to Megan and helped her up.

"Thanks for having us stay, Mrs Weasley," she said.

"Yes, thanks so much," Hermione said.

"Oh, it was a pleasure, dears. I'd invite you for Christmas but I reckon you'll want to stay where the excitement is."

"What excitement?!" George asked irritably. "Tell us already!"

"You'll find out this evening." Mrs Weasley said.

The train began moving and they knew no more. They made their way to the compartment.

"You two know," Fred told Harry and Cedric. "What is happening?"

"Sorry, our dads and the others told us not to say anything. It's really good, though, you'll see."

Megan, as intrigued as she was, changed the subject to spare them from Fred and George grilling them until they cracked. The rain splattered the windows. Later they heard a familiar but unfriendly voice.

"Father wanted to send me to Durmstrang, he's friends with the headmaster. But mother was opposed to me being so far away..." Malfoy was saying pompously as he passed by their door.

He was in the compartment next to them and the door was open. Megan pulled it shut.

"What's Durmstrang?" she asked. "I don't remember reading anything about it..."

"Another wizarding school." Harry said.

"Where is it? I thought Hogwarts was the only one in England."

"Oh, it's not in Britain, no one knows where it is, except that it's up in the north."

"Why not?" Megan asked.

"It's because of the rivalry between schools," Cedric explained. "Some schools like to conceal their locations so the others can't steal their secrets. Beauxbatons does it, for example."

"Bobawhat?" Ron asked.

"Beauxbatons." Hermione said. "It's a girls' academy while Durmstrang is for boys."

"Hogwarts should do that." Ron said. "Conceal themselves, I mean."

"They do already," Megan said. "If anyone but a wizard wanders around it, they see nothing but a pile of ruins. And other places could do that or use Muggle Repelling Charms and make themselves Unplottable on a map."

The conversation shifted to Quidditch again. Hermione, not very interested, buried herself in her books.

Ron was just reminiscing (for the fifth time) how Krum had, he swore, flown right by him and looked at him, when he was interrupted.

"Don't hyperventilate, Weasley, you won't be getting that kind of honour again."

It was clear he was pressing, as he often did, on the Weasley's finances, always a sensitive spot with Ron.

"I don't remember anyone inviting you," Cedric said coolly.

"Are you going to enter, Weaslebee? Could use the money... All that excuse for work your father does and he doesn't even get a proper pay, tut tut..."

Ron was about to ask what he was talking about, but Megan kicked him.

"Well, it would certainly be fun to see your slimy face if he won," Megan said. "And he would make much better use of the money than you ever would."

She had understood it was some sort of competition with money as the prize.

"What about you, Potter, you always like to show off..."

"At least I don't cower in front of a wand!" Megan said. "And if I was going to enter, I wouldn't well tell you, now would I?"

Malfoy's smug grin fell. She was referring to Hermione almost hexing him last year.

"Well, we'll see at the end, won't we?"

And he and his goons marched out.

"Excuse for work... dad does more for the Magical Community than all the Malfoys put together!" Ron snarled, slamming the door shut.

Hermione squeezed his shoulder.

"We know that, Ron. Don't let him rattle you, he's always got something stupid to say." She said soothingly.

Ron's bad mood didn't let up. The rain fell loud and heavy as they reached the station, and cold too. Megan tightened her cloak around her as they made their way across the platform.

"Hiya, Megan!"

Megan just managed to make out Hagrid through the rain.

"Hi, Hagrid!" She shouted. "Careful on the lake!"

"See yeh at the feast!"

"I wouldn't want to go out on the lake in this," Cedric said.

They climbed into the carriages that would lead them to the castle with Hermione and Neville, Harry and Ron having followed the twins. A few seconds later, the door closed and they chugged along the muddy, uneven path up to the castle under the rain, which fell on the roof in loud splatters.

The weather was so bad that in the short time it took the students to reach the Entrance Hall, they were soaked. Megan and the others stepped gratefully inside.

"Blimey," Ron said, shaking water out of his red hair. "The lake'll overflow at this rate. I'm so-"

"Incoming!" Megan suddenly called.

Pushing Ron and Cedric aside, a loud splatter echoed through the hall as a water bomb hit her, showering her in ice cold water. Her friends stared in shock as more bombs flew around the floor, spraying people.

"PEEVES!" bellowed McGonagall, striding down the stairs. "Come down at ONCE!"

He was cackling with laughter.

"Get down here this instant, Peeves!" McGonagall ordered.

"Not doing nothing wrong!" Peeves said. "All wet already, aren't they?"

And he threw a new water bomb at a group of second years.

"I shall call for the Headmaster!" McGonagall warned. "Now, away with you!"

He cackled, stuck out his tongue and vanished with a pop.

"Come along, now, into the Great Hall."

"You okay, Megan?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah... come on, let's move, I'm freezing."

It was indeed definitely warmer in the Great Hall.

"I'll head to my table. Thanks for the save," he smiled, winking at Megan.

"Oh, uh... any time..."

She was each time more and more flustered around him, and it was getting troublesome. She was pretty sure he wouldn't be interested in her, because she was three years younger than him and he had plenty of much prettier girls in his own house...