Here is the next chapter of my newest story! I hope you guys like it. Make sure to check out my other new story called "The Bachelor: Special Men's Edition" and my still continuing fic "Secrets at the Yule Ball."
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy, or any of the other characters that J.K. Rowling created. I do not make any money from my writing either.
Summary: Harry's life isn't what he wishes it was, so how does it change when a potion goes wrong in Potion's class during his last year at Hogwarts.
Warnings: Post Voldemort. Rated M for future chapters, but that will be a ways down the road. This chapter contains some swearing, but nothing too bad overall.
Chapter Two: Arriving at Hogwarts
Harry awoke from blinding pain the morning he was due to set out for the Hogwarts Express. Even though Harry wanted to be away from Dudley and his abuse, he was somewhat unsure about how he would feel when he was at school. Hardly being able to move here for the past 3 months was fine because Harry didn't have much to do; except clean the house and make the meals, but at school he would need to walk to class and up all those stairs everyday and night. He was starting to think going back to school would be a bad thing. If Harry slipped up at all, people would find out, which would then go to the Daily Prophet and be front-page news where the whole world would find out just how pathetic the Harry Potter was. Then everyone would wish he wasn't the Chosen One; Seeing as he couldn't even protect himself without magic, how was he supposed to protect the entire wizarding world with magic?
Harry tried to stand up, and after some difficulty made it over to his school trunk to make sure everything was packed up before getting dressed. He slowly made his way downstairs to cook breakfast for the Dursley's and was thankful it was only 7, otherwise they would be bitching and moaning that there wasn't any food on the table for them to eat. Harry made pancakes, eggs, and bacon before the Dursley's trudged down the stairs. Harry thankfully got everything on the table before they started bitching.
"Don't forget we have to leave here at 10:30, otherwise you'll be stuck with me for the school year, Sir." Harry made sure to not look his uncle in the eye while talking and waited for a reply before going back to his room.
"Alright, alright. Go to your room, boy," Harry's uncle replied angrily before Harry went to his room at quickly as he could with all of his injuries.
When it was time to leave the house, Harry had to bring all of his things down to the car before putting them in the trunk himself, which did not help his body whatsoever. Then he sat in the backseat and shut himself up for the 20-minute drive to freedom.
When Harry was finally able to step out of the car and pull his things away from it, he felt a huge weight lift off of his shoulders and he couldn't be happier that right now he wouldn't have to go back to that hell house for an entire school year. He kept his head down, realizing his face was still covered in bruises and almost ran to the bathroom. He knew he technically wasn't at school yet, but he had to use a charm to cover them up, he couldn't have anyone seeing them. He quickly covered them up and ran to the platform, going through the wall to get to platform 9¾ where the Hogwarts Express was set to take off any minute now.
He put his trunk and Hedwig on the train before going to find a compartment, either empty or with his friends. When he was walking down the hallway to look for compartments, he looked up and stopped abruptly when he saw Malfoy standing right in front of him.
"Potter," Malfoy sneered at him.
"Malfoy," Harry replied without any emotion before looking down at the floor.
"What's wrong with you Potter? Had to use a charm to fix your ugly face?" Malfoy stated before laughing evilly. Harry's head shot up when he mentioned using a charm on his face and Harry blanched.
"What are you… what are you talking about Malfoy?" Harry asked worriedly, but trying to sound angry so Malfoy didn't get suspicious.
"The charm. On your face. I can tell you're using one, it's not hard to spot actually." Malfoy smirked after telling Harry about his ability to notice he was wearing a charm. Harry didn't even know what to say.
"I'm not. It's nothing. I have to go, Malfoy." Harry looked scared as he tried to make Malfoy believe that he wasn't wearing a charm and that nothing was wrong with him. When Harry walked about from Malfoy without another word, Malfoy turned to watch him go, his face had a look of confusion on it. Draco Malfoy knew that something with his childhood nemesis was not right, and he wanted to find out what it was. Draco Malfoy was going to get to the bottom of this; of why Harry Potter was suddenly acting different than he normally does towards him.
Harry finally found an empty compartment and went inside and sat down, sighing when he was able to relax his bruised and broken muscles and bones. He didn't realize how tired he was, but the next thing Harry knew he was sleeping on the bench of the compartment.
When Harry woke up, he heard quiet voice talking close to him. He opened his eyes slowly and blinked to get used to the light before sitting up to see Hermione, Ron, and Ginny sitting across from him and staring at him as he moved around.
"Hi Harry. We didn't want to wake you, but we're nearing at Hogwarts now," Hermione said to him and smiled at him. Harry smiled back slightly before stretching out and saying hi to everyone. Ginny and Ron both said hello and asked how he was and how his summer was.
"It was fine. Glad to be back though. How was your summer?" Harry replied, not wanting to even tell his closest friends that the past summer had been the worst summer of his life by far. Ginny and Ron started talking about the family vacation they went on to visit Charlie and how wonderful it was to relax all summer.
After a few minutes, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny left the compartment to grab their things and Harry left as well, making sure his robes weren't too badly wrinkled before leaving the compartment to go up to the castle to eat at the lovely feast. Harry was unsure of when the last time he ate a full meal was. He was starving and just wanted the pain he was feeling to stop. He wanted desperately to go to Madame Pomfrey and ask her for pain potions, but then he would have to tell her what his cousin had done and he didn't want anyone to find out. Maybe he could find healing spells or something in a book in the library? Geez, he was starting to sound like Hermione.
Harry met back up with his friends outside one of the carriages before it took off and headed for the castle. When they reached the grounds, they walked the remainder of the way and went to sit in the Great Hall for the sorting of the incoming first years before they would be able to partake in the feast that Harry could hardly wait any longer for.
Harry and his friends sat down at the Gryffindor table, Harry facing towards the Slytherin table, before he put his elbows on the table and grabbed fistfuls of his hair, wanting the pain to stop and not knowing what to do.
Little did Harry know that Malfoy was sitting at the Slytherin table facing him and looking at him in curiosity; wanting to find out what exactly was going on with the boy that used to insult him and scoff at him whenever he passed. Harry Potter had changed, and Draco Malfoy was curious as to find out why.
Isn't it strange how people can change over the course of 7 years?
There's the second chapter! :) Review and thanks for reading. xo Angela