Disclaimer: I don't own anything
A/N: Here it is, the revised chapter 2, has you can tell more has been added to it, some facts changed and what not.
Chapter 2: A Long Ride Home
-o0o-
"Ughh... I can't believe we almost missed the train," a very flustered Ron Weasley stated while trying to keep his balance in the narrow hallway of the Hogwarts Express. The train's cars shifted every few seconds as trains normally did.
He was flanked by his usual friends, Hermione and Neville. He and Neville had waited for Hermione before actually boarding the train that would take them to Hogwarts. She had been dreadfully late and the trio had rushed to get on the train as the whistle blew and steam started to billow out of the engine.
So now the three of them tried in vain to find an empty compartment to sit in, all the while having to keep their balance on the moving train with their trunks in tow.
"I'm really sorry, I completely lost track of the time, and the traffic on the way here was horrid," replied a just as flustered Hermione.
Over the years the small bushy haired girl had slowly but surely started to turn into a beautiful young woman. She had filled out in the right places, grew to the height of 5'4 making most of the boys in school look at her in a new way, much to the annoyance of a certain redhead. Her once embarrassing bushy hair finally lost most of its frizz and gained more of an elegant curl to it. Said hair was now tied in a loose ponytail with shorter pieces falling down over her honey brown eyes.
"Do either of you notice that there are a lot more first years this year?" asked Neville as he peered into the compartments they were passing. But at the questioning look he got from his friends he continued "I just mean that with Voldemort... I just thought there would be less..." he trailed of tying not to look sheepish, which effectively made him look more boyish.
Hermione suspected that he would have that quality for a very long time. He had brown hair that always seemed to look wind blown and his lithe frame made him look a just little bit scrawny and with his slightly boyish features it would have made him seem younger than 17 years he was if it wasn't for his tall stature. He stood at 5'11 which was still only 2-inches shorter then Ron's gangly frame.
Hermione looked at Ron then and had to appreciate the man he was becoming. In contrast to Neville's boyish appearance Ron had chiseled features and had grown out of his awkward stage that he had been stuck in for the last six years. He had grown out his red hair so it now hung low over his hazel eyes, with a slight curl at the ends.
She couldn't seem to stop the small blush that formed around her cheeks had Ron turned his head and caught her looking at him. But his eyes quickly moved and flicked over to Neville.
"Yea it does seem kind of odd."
"Oh please you two, parents are probably sending their kids to Hogwarts because, despite past instances, it is still the safest place from Voldemort," Hermione said as she glanced at her two best friends before continuing searching with a grin and a shake of her head.
-o0o-
"Well, well, if it isn't the Gryffindorks themselves."
"Drop dead, Malfoy," Ron bit back, elbowing past the pasty-faced blonde.
"Still looking for a place to sit down? Can it be your precious seats have been taken up by some other mudblood first years? You know, Lardbottom, you could always just chuck them off the train and take their seats for yourself. Oh wait, your precious morals won't let you do that, will they? Such a waste, those morals. Kind of like you're a waste as a wizard."
Neville clamped down the retort he was going to make as other cabin doors opened and younger heads popped out to get a look at them. "Is that the best insult you can make, Malfoy? My, you certainly aren't getting any mileage out from your death eater training, are you? I'd sack whoever is giving you your lessons and find someone more competent. Oh, wait, it's your father training you isn't it?"
Ron chimed in, "Tsk, tsk. Either he's terrible at training you, or you're just too stupid to pick up on it. So which is it, Malfoy? You stupid or is your father stupid?"
Draco, now hot under the collar, seethed for a few moments before getting his composure back. This gave the trio ample time to move past his compartment.
As a parting shot to them, he said loudly, "I'll make sure to let the prefects know you'll be late, mudblood, because you were too lazy to find a cabin before the train started moving. Ah-ah, Weasel, try anything and I might have to take points off."
Ron, Hermione, and Neville continued on, keeping a close eye to their backs. There was just no trusting a Malfoy. At least, none of them had ever found a reason to. And Neville suspected they never would. Useless waste of skin.
-o0o-
It took another five minutes before they found a compartment with enough room for all three of them to fit into. It was in the second to last car and was the second to last compartment. Inside was a boy staring out the window, silently watching the landscape rush by.
Curious. He was wearing sunglasses. Hermione hadn't noticed anyone else wearing them, at least after they'd boarded the train.
"Who is that?" Ron asked at he looked through the glass and into the compartment that held the lone boy.
All three friends couldn't get a good enough look at the boy to see who it was despite the fact that no shades had been pulled. They looked at this face and saw a profile, but just couldn't seem to make out who it was. Even though he was looking out the window, Neville thought he should have been able to recognize him.
Still, there was a pang of familiarity that made the trio think they should know the stranger somehow.
"Well he isn't a first year that's for sure; might be in Hufflepuff..." piped up Neville as he was trying to get a better look, blushing a little when he thought about what the three of them must look like, noses almost pressed up against the glass. The boy had black spiky hair, and was wearing a dark grey hoody with faded blue jeans, but that was all he could make out. If he would just turn his head a little bit then maybe he could get a better guess as to who this stranger was.
"Maybe he's a transfer student!" Ron exclaimed.
"Don't be stupid, there hasn't been any transfer student in ages. Besides who in their right mind would transfer their kid to a place that's on the brink of war?" Hermione said not taking her eyes of the strange kid.
Just when Ron was about to snap back at Hermione, the person they were so intently staring at turned his head and leaned back in his seat, hands deep in his hoody's pockets, so he was starring blankly at the opposite wall. Hermione thought he must have been lost in his thoughts not to detect their presence. They were practically fogging up the window what with their faces plastered up as close as they were.
She noted that the boy looked extremely weary and gave a heavy sigh much like the trio had watched professor Dumbledore do time and again. Of course, those times had been when he was dealing with the two jokers. Or when Neville had beaten off a dark lord attack.
Now that they could see him from a better angle, Ron could tell he was definitely familiar. This new view gave them a better idea of what he looked like. The thing that struck out the most though, was the glint of the silver hoop that was pierced though the stranger's right eyebrow.
Ron gasped in recognition. Both Neville and Hermione looked at him in question.
"Oh... oh I know who he is! God, what's his name? He's in our year. Come on help me out here Neville," exclaimed Ron as a frown marred his face. He had seen this guy before but couldn't for the life of him remember the name that went to the face. He looked over at Neville to see if he at least knew the name only to see that he was just as stumped as he, Ron was.
"He's a Gryffindor? How come I never seen him before?" questioned Hermione while she concentrated on thinking of all the Gryffindors, she was head girl after all.
The boy in the compartment still had yet to notice their presence.
"Urhg... He's like a ghost. He even sleeps in our dorm for Merlin's sake! His name's on the tip of my tongue. P... Pat... No... Prest… No… Potter! That's it!" Neville said snapping his fingers as he said the name.
"Yeah that's it! Henry… uh… Harry, Harry Potter!" Ron cried. None of them even noticed that their hushed whispered conversation was slowly getting louder and louder with each word. And when Ron practically yelled the name out it finally caught the attention of one Harry Potter who tensed up and turned his head and looked out at them. The only sign of surprise he showed was the slight widening of his vivid green eyes before he looked at all three of them with a quirked eyebrow.
-o0o-
None of the teachers really knew him, that's for certain, Harry mused. Not the headmaster, the charms teacher, not even the potions instructor. Although, Harry was certain that at one point he had wanted to question Harry about something but then must've thought better and promptly ignored him. That had been in his first year and he showed no signs of stopping the ignore-contest. It's not that it bothered Harry.
But what really surprised Harry was his third year defense teacher: Remus Lupin. Sure, he was a werewolf and his kind didn't like vamps at all, in fact they were diametrically opposed to vamps in every way possible, but Harry was sure Lupin had liked Harry. That he'd noticed Harry in some way. He wasn't certain how. Harry had managed to avoid the man the entire year. No sense getting a werewolf bashing if he could avoid it. Living he still might be, but he was sure to carry some small stench of vamp on him.
And he was certain that if the werewolf had caught that smell there might have been some serious questions to answer when he beat the werewolf up. Fortunately he'd stayed well away from the man other than in class. One plus of being the "forgotten student" was that he'd never been assigned a punishment in the entire time he'd gone to Hogwarts. Not like the Golden Trio. Heh-heh, they'd had their hands full over the years, that's for certain.
And some of their punishments had been downright dangerous. Going to the forbidden forest, at night no less when the more predatory creatures were awake and hunting, getting hands carved up by that Umbridge ministry stooge. Cleaning cauldrons for Snape. That might not sound so bad but Harry knew better. Some of those cauldrons contained so many mixed chemicals they could be considered toxic by most officials on North America. Guess it was a good thing they were in England then. Easier to pour the contents down the drains and into the lake by the castle.
"…Potter! That's it!"
Harry was so lost in his depressing thoughts that he never noticed three people stop just outside "his" compartment nor did he hear their hushed conversation …apparently about him. That was unlike him. Usually he could hear that stuff in his sleep. That was until somebody had cried out his name.
He immediately tensed up… then reminded himself it was the middle of the day and he was on the train going to Hogwarts. He kept his body tense as he turned his head to look at who had yelled his name. His eyes widened a little as he saw the three very people his thoughts had trailed off on.
Harry ran his eyes past all three of them then lifted one eyebrow marginally in amusement as they all straightened themselves out with blushes on their faces.
They look ashamed, Harry thought.
Probably because they were just talking about you, another voice thought sarcastically in a sort of "duh!" voice.
Harry shook his head before he could start an argument with himself, one he'd surely lose and win at the same time, and concentrated on what was going on around him.
The door slid open and Hermione stuck her head in.
"Um... Sorry to bother you but do you think with could sit with you?" she asked fidgeting with the small door knob. She didn't really seem to be able to make eye contact with him.
Harry froze. They want to sit with me? Wait that can't be right...
When she seen that he looked completely taken aback, she elaborated "It's just umm... everywhere else is sort of full," she finished with a small shrug.
Ohh I get it now.
"Yah," Harry cleared his throat. "Sure," he nodded his head catching the relived look on her face before she opened the door fully and dragging her trunk in. After her came Neville and then Ron.
When they finally got their trunks all stored away and were sitting comfortably they all looked around awkwardly. By this time Harry had pulled out a book but he could tell that each of them were silently fighting over who should say something first.
Harry let out a small sigh. Yup, this was going to be the longest train ride he had ever been on.
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