Chapter 2

A young girl stood still, her trunk on the ground next to her, an owl cage in one hand as she looked about in mystification, her face betraying her confusion. The girl's hair was as blond as blond could be, long tresses done up in twin pigtails that would have been suitable on a younger girl, but not on a young lady of about fifteen years of age or perhaps older, the muggle clothing she wore not designed in any way to hide her shapely figure.

Her owl, Olwyna, screeched at the noise and confusion. Imogen (for that was the girl's name) tried to calm the bird as students streamed past her, her trunk creating an obstacle and causing some to bump into each other.

"Watch it, you stupid git," said a tall red-haired boy to another boy who looked exactly like him.

"You watch it yourself," replied the second boy. "My younger brother's a prefect now - I'll have him give you detention!" The two teens laughed together, and moved on. They were of course Fred and George Weasley, and the prefect brother they were speaking of had to be Ron. Imogen tried to control her panic as she picked up her owl cage and pulled her trunk behind her, one thought dominating her mind: she was at King's Cross Station, ready to take the train to Hogwarts - exactly four years late.

She picked up the trunk by one handle, and began to drag it behind her towards the nearest car, creating another blockage in traffic as soon as she reached the base of the stairs to the entrance. Several older boys jostled each other for the right to pick up Imogen's trunk for her, the winner a rather stiff, self-important fellow who flashed a prefect's badge in support of his claim. He sweated more than was reasonable as he heaved up the trunk and carried it into the train, and headed towards an unoccupied compartment. Imogen instinctively knew that if she let the boy place her trunk in an empty compartment, she would wind up sharing the ride with him all the way to Hogwarts. She could easily have put up with this, for politeness' sake. But she had lost four years already, and could not afford to lose a minute more. Before the boy could deposit the trunk, she spoke up, introducing herself and extending her hand. The boy had to put down the trunk to take hers.

"I'm Ernie Macmillan," he said. "I know I would have noticed you before. Did you transfer here from another school?" He was shocked by the girl's beauty. Her sea-green eyes were a beautiful contrast to the pure blond hair, and he struggled not to stare.

"Something like that," replied Imogen. "I'm supposed to meet someone in another car - I should have gotten on the car further down - I don't mean to be a bother but do you think -"

But of course Ernie was very happy to oblige, escorting Imogen and carrying her trunk back out of the car, down the track and into another car at the far end. Imogen kept her eyes open as she stepped through the narrow aisle, looking for the right compartment, not sure if she would recognize someone whom she'd never seen before. But she needn't have worried. It was easy to spot Luna Lovegood, with her upside-down magazine, her wand behind her ear.

"This is where I get off, Ernie. Thanks very much!" said Imogen. Ernie's interest in Imogen was great indeed, but not quite sufficient to overcome his aversion to being confined in a small space with Luna - to listen to her babble would drive him mad. And so after putting Imogen's trunk up on a shelf, Ernie made his way back to the car where he would find his Hufflepuff friends.

Imogen sat in the seat opposite from Luna, and introduced herself, struggling to make her face express a calmness she did not feel. "Hi Luna. I'm Imogen Iorworth," she said, extending a hand. In response, Luna stared into Imogen's eyes for a minute. She did not look like she was considering a reply - far from it. She seemed to be thinking of something else all together. Finally she spoke.

"You seem to know your way around, yet you've never been here before. You've never laid eyes on me, but you know my name. How strange." Luna went back to her magazine, continuing to puzzle over it. Imogen cursed herself - what a stupid blunder, calling Luna by name when she had no right to know it. If she hadn't been so rattled, she might have tried to claim that Ernie had told her Luna's name. She was about to say as much, but thought better of it - Luna seemed to see right through her. Imogen sat in confusion, staring out the car window. She wished that like Luna, she had a magazine to read - something to occupy herself, for she felt so awkward in the car. There was no point trying another conversational gambit, and so Imogen suffered in silence, rummaging through her large purse just in case there was something to read there. All that was inside was a useless time table for King's Cross Station and some bank notes. She was sure she was in the right car, and kept waiting for the others to arrive. But even though Imogen's compartment was half-empty, and the others becoming more and more crowded, no one seemed interested in stepping in. One look at Luna seemed to be enough to keep them moving. But then suddenly the door opened, and in struggled Harry, Neville and Ginny. The compartment could not easily hold all of them, but they squeezed in nonetheless, Neville clutching his precious Mimbulus Mimbletonia.

What would happen next, wondered Imogen. She had a perfect recollection of the dialogue that was supposed to follow. But the difference was that Imogen herself was present - what effect would this have? Imogen knew that her presence would inevitably change what was to happen - that was the very reason she was sent. But as things changed, she would be able to rely less and less on her knowledge of what was written in "the books" as her guide - it might not be long before she was on her own. Imogen thought she would try to say as little as possible - to pretend she wasn't even there, and see what happened. She pulled out the train schedule from her purse, and pretended to be engrossed in it.

She watched as Ginny introduced Harry and Neville to Luna Lovegood. But the three of them did not have much more luck conversing with Luna than had Imogen. Soon Neville was dominating the conversation, eagerly explaining the properties of his exotic plant. Neville announced he was about to demonstrate the plant's defence mechanism. Harry stepped back a bit to give Neville room, and tripped on Imogen's foot. Harry stumbled a bit, turning around as he did so.

"Oh I'm so sorry," said Harry, who was immediately rewarded when the girl whose foot he'd trodden on looked up at him, and he saw her face for the first time since entering the carriage. The girl was a real beauty - a rival for Fleur Delacour. Harry turned to her just as Neville recklessly poked at his plant with the tip of his quill. An explosion of puss flew through the carriage. Even Imogen, who had known what was coming, was stunned when a huge quantity of a the malodorous liquid struck her full in the face. No one in the carriage was unscathed, but Harry was the least damaged, for he had had his back turned to Neville at the critical moment.