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"WELCOME home,"

Ron said to Harry as they looked towards the Hogwarts Castle in all its glory. Just as always, Hogwarts stood proudly on top of that hill Harry called home. The boys smiled as they got closer, but it faded as the engine started sputtering and they began wobbling downwards.

The car flew around the castle and down to the lawn. Harry and Ron's eyes widened as the car began going up and down before deciding to head towards the grounds. "Up! Up!"

"It's not working!" Ron shouted.

Harry tried helping and they flew up a few inches, but only to find themselves facing the Whomping Willow. They crashed into the tree and fell.

"My wand," Ron's wand was now a little bent. "Look at my wand!"

"Be thankful it wasn't your neck," the tree began shaking and Ron squealed in fear.

"What's happening?"

"I don't know,"

A branch began hitting the car and broke the window. Another got its way into the front seat and the boys started getting pushed around until they finally fell and drove away

Once away from the Willow, the car threw them out as if it was done with them and their stuff along with it. They grunted as they stood up, and Harry caught Hedwig while Ron caught Scabbers.

"Scabbers," Ron gasped. "You're okay."

Just then, they heard a twit snap from behind.

"Did you hear that?" Harry asked, and Ron shrugged.

They turned around a few times before seeing a girl in a large Leaky Cauldron shirt that went down to her knees. Twelve, made her way from hiding in the last compartment on the Hogwarts Express, being the last one off of it, and heading into the woods all the way to here.

"Bloody hell..." Ron trailed off.

The car closed the doors on its own and began riding off. Without any other plans, Harry just told her, "Come on!"

Harry and Ron followed behind the car. She didn't know what to do, but follow them. The car drove away out of the castle grounds, and Ron knew he was in for it when it was the time for mail.

"My dad's gonna kill me."

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HARRY BEGAN EXPLAINING to Ron about Dobby, and the big 'plot' there supposedly was against Hogwarts. They thought it might've had something to do with the barrier being sealed, but what could a house elf do to a barrier that lead to another world?

On the other hand, Twelve was having trouble taking everything in. One minute, she was in the woods back and at a wizard's restaurant; next thing she knew, was that she was in a school for them.

"Stay here," Harry panted. "We'll come back to get you."

Twelve nodded and the boys headed up the staircases. "So a house-elf shows up I'm my bedroom."

"We can't get through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three-quarters," Harry continued. "We almost get killed by a tree."

"Clearly, someone doesn't want me here this year." Another man, Mr. Filch was waiting for them upstairs with his cat, smirking at the sight like he was waiting for this.

"Well, take a good look, lads," Filch said. "This night might well be the last you spend in this castle."

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AFTER BEINF PUNISHED with detention by Mcgonagall, Dumbledore and Snape, Ron and Harry met up with Hermione and told her about the strange girl they met. She took them up to the girls lavatory.

She knew no one came up there so it would be a good place to hide her. Hermione also got an extra Gryffindor robe and a wig so she could blend in with them if she would ever go out of the lavatory. Harry and Ron brought some blankets to get her a little more comfortable, or as comfortable as the lavatory floor can get and then began asking questions.

"Is there an address we can write to?" Harry began. "For your parents?"

She only stared, not knowing if she could trust them or what to say.

"What's with your hair? Are you from Azkaban?" Hermione nudged Ron on the arm.

"Did you runaway?" Hermione asked softly.

Ron noticed the blood stain on her shirt. "Is that.. blood?"

He reached his arm out, but Harry slapped it away before it could get closer.

"Stop it!" Harry snapped. "You're freaking her out!"

"She's freaking me out," Ron said. "And I bet you she's deaf too!"

Ron clapped his hands in front of her, causing her to flinch a little. Hermione frowned, wondering what she's been through.

"All right, that's enough. All right?" Harry rolled his eyes before focusing his attention back to the girl. "She's just scared and cold."

"Hermione, you got any extra clothes?" She nodded and went off to the dorms.

A few seconds passed and Hermione returned with sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt.

She handed it to Harry. "Here, these are clean. Okay?"

The girl hesitated for a moment, but reached out for the clothes and stood up from her seat on the floor. She reached down to the bottom part of her shirt and was about to take it off until they stopped her.

"No, no, no!"

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, covering his eyes.

She put down her shirt and Harry pointed to one of the bathroom stalls. "See over there?"

"Privacy. Get it?" The girl frowned in confusion before heading towards the bathroom stall with trailing a few feet behind her. Hermione and Ron stayed behind, still processing what was happening.

Twelve took in the new scenery when a small noise made her turn towards the stall door. She placed her hand on it to keep the door from closing, and Harry's eyes softened.

"You don't want it closed?"

"No." She spoke up.

"Oh, so you can speak," Harry chuckled softly. "Okay, well... um, how about we just keep the door..."

He started closing it slowly, leaving it open three inches. She made sure he wouldn't fully close it by keeping her hand on the door as he did it.

"Like this. Is that better?"

"Yes."

"Brilliant," Harry breathed out before walking back to Ron and Hermione.