206) Hogwarts Express Year 2

 couldn't find the diary, even after sending clones to infiltrate the bookstore and search through all the books. There was no trace of it. In the end, I had to give up and focus on other things.

I focused on all the activities I had in progress: my business, my estate, and more. Although losing the diary is disappointing, with so many responsibilities, I didn't have time to dwell on it.

I've been in contact with all my friends more than usual. Except for a few like Hermione and Pansy, whom I visited during the holidays, I only spoke to the others through [messages] and sent them gifts occasionally. I even turned down several invitations from persistent people like Susan, who repeatedly invited me to her house, despite Amelia spending more time with her than before.

I was very busy, but at home, I hid it pretty well. Perhaps only Ginny and Luna noticed that I was more stressed than usual since they knew me better. The truth is that the stress came from many directions. The biggest problem with having so many clones is that the exhaustion builds up. My business with Tonks, Elise's situation, the estate, my family, other businesses, my future trip...

But that didn't matter now. What was important was the new school year. Like every year, my family seemed disorganized despite having everything prepared in advance; I guess being such a large family always brings last-minute complications.

Everyone was ready to load their things into the car and leave. I hate being late, but with my family, that's almost inevitable. I would have preferred to go with Ginny and Luna on my own to get there early, but that idea was rejected. My mother, noticing that aside from Ginny and Luna, I kept more distance from the rest, insisted that I spend more time with them... something I don't enjoy very much. At least Luna arrived early at our house to accompany us to the station.

I took care of organizing the luggage, discreetly storing Ginny and Luna's things in my inventory. Then we got into the car. My father had modified it with an extension charm, though we could still be too many for it. My mother, sitting in the front seat next to Ginny, couldn't help but comment on how 'non-Muggle' the car looked, intimidatingly so. In reality, my father was trying to hide the numerous modifications he had made, despite how hypocritical it was, being part of the Office for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts.

In the back seat, it was Harry, my brothers, Luna, and me, with Luna sitting on my lap to save space. Not that anyone suggested it, she just did it when she saw the opportunity.

The journey began, but five minutes in, Percy announced that he had forgotten his journal, so we had to go back. Then, when we resumed the trip, George remembered he had forgotten his Dr. Filibuster's Fireworks box, so we turned around once again. Fifteen minutes later, Fred insisted we go back yet again to get his broom.

If it weren't for Luna, who was gently stroking my head to calm me down, I probably would have kicked everyone out of the car and taken them by myself... or maybe I would have blown out an eye, I'm not sure. By the time we finally had no more mishaps, we were all agitated, and Harry, Ron, and my brothers had to endure the aura of aggression emanating from my irritation.

I kept looking at my map, which now also showed the local time in the time zone we were in. We would arrive just in time. As soon as the car stopped, probably influenced by the [rage] that was unconsciously activating, I shot out of the car like a bullet, lifted Luna onto one shoulder, opened my mother's door, picked up Ginny onto the other shoulder, and ran off while shouting:

"Goodbye mom, dad, we're heading ahead, I've got all our stuff!"

We drew a bit of attention, and my parents realized I wasn't carrying any luggage, but I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to get away from there. I love my family, but I hate these moments.

I ran to the entrance of Platform 9 ¾ and crossed through without delays. By the time I got to the other side, most of the students were already aboard the train, while their parents waved goodbye from the platform. I set the girls down so they could move on their own. Looking towards the train, I saw Hermione, who was waiting, anxiously looking around. I approached, and her face lit up with a relieved expression.

"Red, you're finally here!" She said with a slight hint of complaint in her tone.

"Yeah, sorry for being late. There were a few setbacks along the way. You already know my sister Ginny, right? And this is Luna," I said, formally introducing the girls. The last time in Diagon Alley, it hadn't been done properly, as we were nervous about our parents, and Ginny had kept her distance.

"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger," she introduced herself again, though she stepped back a little because despite Luna's cheerful response, Ginny's gaze seemed to intimidate her.

I tried to ease the mood by suggesting we board the train, but Ginny decided to stay on the platform. It wasn't due to resentment toward Hermione, but because she wanted to say goodbye to our mother. This would be her first year at Hogwarts and the longest time she'd be away from mom. we knew our mother would feel bad if she didn't see her before leaving. Luna decided to stay with her.

I followed Hermione, who, despite her evident embarrassment, took my hand to guide me to the compartment where our classmates were. On the way, she asked me a question with a confused expression.

"I experienced something strange while I was waiting for you. Do you know if something is going on with Pansy?" she commented as we walked.

"Parkinson?" I asked feigning ignorance; I knew who she was referring to and what she might be talking about.

"Yes. When I arrived at the station, I waited outside the train for a while after my parents left. Then I saw Pansy and the Slytherin girls already gathered, heading toward the train. Suddenly, Pansy stopped when she saw me, looked at me in a strange way, nodded, and said 'Granger,' as if she were greeting me. It was weird," she explained, recounting her confusion. "We got along well until the end of last term, but then she stopped talking to me. Now she seems friendlier than before."

"Who knows?" I replied, almost laughing. "Just accept it and don't ask too much; it's better to have more friends than enemies."

"Ah, right. I also saw a group of kids with a wizard who were speaking another language. They got on the train, but I couldn't find out much about them; I was too focused on finding you."

We arrived at the compartment, and as I opened the door, I saw several members of our group crowded inside, greeting me enthusiastically, some more excited than others. I smiled seeing them all together and full of energy, although it was evident that we were too tightly packed for this to be allowed if there had been any kind of control on the train.

I took out my wand and asked them to step out for a moment. Then I cast an expansion charm in the cabin so that we could be more comfortable. I'm very grateful for my clones, as they allow me to practice spells constantly and improve my skills quickly.

Once the space was adequate, we all went back inside. Some of the girls stepped out to let the others know, who were spread out in other cabins until I arrived to prevent us from crowding too much.

After a while, the cabin was full. Hannah, Susan, Pansy, Daphne, Tracey, Millicent, Lavender, Parvati, Hermione, Padma, Cho, Penelope, and Gemma had gathered. Although the latter two would have to roam the train from time to time as part of their duties as prefects.

Shortly after, Ginny and Luna opened the door to our compartment. They had been looking for me in each carriage, and my sister was surprised to see how spacious this compartment filled with girls was. She hesitated for a moment until she saw me, her mouth agape.

"Come in, Ginny, Luna," I said, while all the girls in the compartment looked at them, which made them feel a bit embarrassed. "I present to you my sister Ginny, and this is Luna Lovegood, who is also like a sister to me."

Both entered and looked for a place to sit, especially close to me. In fact, if it hadn't been for the number of people, I'm sure Ginny would have tried to sit between Hermione and me, but seeing such a large group, she didn't know how to react.

The interest in the compartment quickly shifted toward several people. Ginny and Luna caught attention for being new, and the older girls tried to be friendly, giving them advice and asking which house they hoped to be sorted into among other things. Another source of interest was Daphne, who mentioned that she also had a sister, Astoria, who would be attending Hogwarts this year. However, they had separated because Astoria had stayed with other kids her age, and Daphne didn't want to bring her into this crowded compartment, or so she said.

Finally, Hannah and I also became the center of attention. After Christmas, we would be traveling abroad, and the girls were very curious about the adventure we would undertake. There were so many questions and comments that it felt like they were talking about us as if we were about to embark on an epic journey when in reality it was just a student exchange.

The atmosphere was noisy, with everyone talking about topics that interested them. For some, such a large group of girls chatting could be stressful, but for me, it was comforting. Seeing them all happy and excited felt nice... well, almost all of them. As the train moved forward, I noticed some interesting things.

The most obvious was the conversation between Pansy and Hermione. Pansy was talking to her as if they were business partners, while occasionally glancing at me quickly. Penelope, on the other hand, seemed more reserved, as if she feared participating too much in the conversation and revealing something about what had happened between us. Let's just say that besides our first encounter, there were a few more moments, but no more than the fingers on one hand.

I also noticed that Susan seemed somewhat sad and resentful toward me, although she was hiding it well. I probably should have visited her during the holidays. And then there was Gemma, who was acting strangely, avoiding eye contact with me and being overly dedicated to doing her patrols, even volunteering to cover for Penelope. It was very suspicious. She seemed to want to avoid me, but at the same time, not completely. I would have to investigate what was going on with her once we arrived.

Finally, Ginny, who after feeling nervous about being surrounded by so many older girls, finally relaxed... although she still judged me with her gaze, even more intensely than before.

The journey was bustling but calm. The girls were talking among themselves without me needing to intervene, although I responded whenever they addressed me. As they chatted, my thoughts drifted toward what I would have to do this year. If the diary wasn't at Hogwarts, I would have to search for it elsewhere, and it was possible that the Dark Lord could resurrect before I found it, which would be a big problem. If the diary made its way to Hogwarts somehow, by whims of fate or something, I would have to face a basilisk, which worried me. So far, I had dodged death using clones, but I didn't know how the basilisk's gaze would work on them. If a clone looked at it, would it affect me? Would I die or simply be petrified because it wasn't my real body? And speaking of that... did Ron and Harry manage to get on the train after all?

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3rd Additional Chapter

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