Disclaimer..it's mine, it's all mine.(evil Voldemort laugh), Oh, no...fight
Imperious, you can do it, (shakes head in shame), ah well, I wouldn't want
all that money anyway..everything HP belongs to JKR.
"Here we are, Kings Cross. Everyone grab a trolley and let's go," Mrs. Weasley instructed. As everyone had done this before, except Krum, he was the only one who looked slightly nervous.
"There is no real trick to it. I mean no spells to perform or anything," Harry overheard Hermione explain to Krum. "Just walk, or run toward the wall and it will let you through."
"But what about muggles, won't they see. And what happens if a muggle leaned against it or something, would they get through?"
"No. The muggles do not see it because their minds can't see properly. And it only lets wizards through." Hermione answered.
"Alright boys," Mrs. Weasley pointed to her twins, "You first, then Ron and Harry. Hurry up now." Fred and George disappeared into the barrier as Harry and Ron pushed their carts into position.
"Let's just walk it this time Harry."
"Alright, Ron, real casual now." They approached the wall and as they leaned into it found themselves on the other side. The scarlet steam engine stood before them with the iron sign reading Platform 9 ¾. Harry was so glad to see it again. They moved forward just in time as Hermione and Viktor came running through the wall, followed by a panting Ginny and her Father. They did not see Mrs. Weasley come in as they were staring at the train and the massive crowd around it but they heard her voice as she passed out sandwiches to all her children.
"Now boys, please try to stay out of trouble this year. These are dangerous times and you could get yourselves in more trouble than you bargained for if you try to pull any stunts." She spoke directly to the twins but loud enough for all her clan to hear.
"Dad, the train," Ginny exclaimed, "It's nearly twice as long as last year. Are there that many more students starting?"
"No dear," her father answered. "This year the train ride will be a bit different. A few parents have been asked to accompany you on this journey, just to make sure."
"Of what dad?" Fred asked. But Mr. Weasley changed the subject, "You'd better get your trunks loaded. Viktor, would you help Ginny with hers?"
"Of course, Mr. Weasley."
Harry stared in amazement at the train that so faithfully took him away from the muggle world. It's scarlet engine and cars glistened in the sun, lighting them like rubies. It did seem a bit longer, and shortly Harry saw just how many adults were to be traveling with them.
"Hi Neville," Harry called, but no answer came from his forgetful friend. Neville was too busy searching for his ticket until his Grandmother, who'd raised him, showed the conductor two tickets, one ticket for Neville and one for herself. "Mr. Moody?" Harry stared in awe at the man whose body had been savagely disfigured during his lifelong fight against evil.
"Hello Mr. Potter," Mad Eye Moody returned in salute, his magical eye wildly scanning passersby. "Fine day we're having here wouldn't you agree. You had better take your seat before someone else does." Harry was jostled about by the tumultuous crowd and only managed to reunite with Hermione and Ron at the back of the train just before the train started. As he went to sit by Hermione she stopped him abruptly, "You can't sit there. That's Viktor's seat." Ron glared at her but Harry just shook his head as Krum came in followed by the twins.
"Hello boys, is there room in here for me," Mr. Weasley asked. "Oh, six already. Guess not. No mind I'll sit with the adults up front."
"Dad, what are you doing here," Ron asked.
"Seeing as how half my family is on this train, I thought it only fair to volunteer to protect it."
"Dad, what is going on? You can tell us," Fred implored. Perhaps it was the pleading in all their faces, or because his tender girl wasn't there, that persuaded Mr. Weasley to explain.
"I assume, since you were there, that you know what happened at the end of last year," Krum screwed up is face in intense concentration.
"You mean with He Who Must Not Be Named" he finally recalled.
"Yes," Mr. Weasley hurried on. "You-Know-Who has been gaining force this summer and wants to take Hogwarts." Gasps filled the small compartment.
"But I thought he was too afraid of Dumbledore to try anything like that," Hermione rationalized.
"It seems he thinks that was a mistake, and to prove his power he is aiming for that first, rather than last," said Mr. Weasley. "Fortunately for us, the Ministry office of Defense created plans for protecting Hogwarts from intruders ever since the Sirius Black incident two years ago. They have come up with a way to prevent entry of non-flight creatures by any way other than this train. Your owls will still get to us and ours to you, but unless someone is on this train they cannot get to or leave Hogwarts. There are small skirmishes taking place all around the barrier. Someone is trying to find a way through it, and all those who believe in what happened at the end of last year know who's behind it."
The silence in the cabin was deafening. Voldemort was trying to take Hogwarts first, as his great announcement of arrival. And as Mr. Weasley pointed out, only those who believed knew what was happening. Harry remembered only too well Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, in complete denial of the whole affair and subsequent refusal to take action. "Well, now that you are all informed, please don't tell Ginny. I'm afraid it would be too upsetting for her." With nods of promise from each of the cabin's occupants Mr. Weasley left to find a place to sit with the other adults.
*****
The train rattled on though the cabin remained in relative silence, until Harry noticed something was missing. "Hermione, where is Crookshanks?" Her cat, Crookshanks, she had gotten in their third year of school had been very helpful to these friends in distinguishing those who could be trusted from those who were not what they seemed.
Hermione's face fell and a quiet, sad voice answered, "She ran away while we were in Bulgaria. A muggle friend of mine was house sitting for us and one day Crookshanks was just gone."
"I am so sorry Hermione," Ron consoled, despite the differences he had with the cat.
"Yeah, I'm sorry too," Harry added.
"I have almost gotten over it," Hermione tried to put on a brave face.
After a few more minutes of awkward silence, the twins stood up. Fred asked, "Let's go find Lee. Viktor, do you want to come? I'm sure there are lots of Hogwarts students who will want to talk to you now that you are not competing against us." Fred and George rarely failed to be the purveyors of mischief or to be in the center of attention. It was obvious they were going to play their friendship with Krum to the max.
"Alright, maybe I can set up a few appointments for flying lessons. It would be good for business. Do you want to come, Hermione?"
"Hermione," Harry said quickly, "Stay here for a minute. I want to chat for a bit."
"I'll catch up with you later Viktor," Hermione called to Krum. "What is it Harry?"
Harry had been considering whether or not to tell his friends about his encounter with Genevieve in Diagon Alley but if anyone would know why that salesman went ballistic about the Travelers Watch it would be Hermione. As he related the story, from when he first met Genevieve at the Dursleys for Hermione's benefit, her eyes widened and she began rummaging through her bag for a book. Though she did wait until Harry finished before asking, "So you say she tried to kill you to save her son but couldn't because of a promise she made to your parents?"
"Yes, but it was really strange. I never felt in any real danger, and when she said she would look out for me instead I believed her."
Ron just sat there, apparently thinking. "Why would she take you from the Dursleys to save you from You Know Who, only to try and kill you later?" Then he almost shouted with alarm, "And what about that chest she gave my parents, is it dangerous?"
"I doubt it," Hermione said as she thumbed through the pages, "Did the chest look like this?" She turned the book around so the boys could see it. There is was, exactly the same down to the last ruby.
"Yes, but what is it," Ron asked.
"This isn't very specific because it's not a real chest..at least it shouldn't be."
"What do you mean, not real? I saw it; it's sitting in my dad's vault in Gringotts and there is a picture of it in your book."
"This is a book of folklore, not a reference book."
"Wizards have fairy tales?" Harry was blown away and leaned back in his chair as he shook his head. "To muggles we are fairy tales."
"Sure we have folklore," Ron was glad to be well versed in something Hermione had only read about in books. "My parents used to tell me all sorts of stories when I was little. Some of it was about muggles and others about creatures that don't exist or at least not anymore."
"Like what," Harry asked. He often felt left out, not having the benefit of a wizard's childhood.
"Let's see, there was this one about two nosy little Muggle kids who went around eating all this witches sweets that she had made for her sisters wedding. She had turned her house into gingerbread for the occasion and they came in and spoiled it."
Harry could not help but laugh. "Muggles call that Hansel and Gretel except it the other way around."
"What, the witch eats the kid's house?"
"No, the witch catches the kids and then fattens up Hansel so she can eat him by making Gretel cook, but the kids get away and bake the witch instead."
"That is horrible. The poor old witch was just trying to prepare for her sisters wedding and those two brats bake her! I don't think I like muggle fairy tales."
"It is a bit different than you think but that is beside the point," Harry tried to defuse Ron's resentment. "What does it say in that book about the chest, Hermione?"
"It says that it is the bottomless chest. That the person who knows how to work it can choose what it will contain and then it will never run out of that. So you say the box Genevieve gave the Weasleys had galleons in it. According to this you could take galleons out of it forever and it would keep refilling itself every full moon. Oh, it says here that if the chest is ever completely emptied the spell will be broken and the chest will just be a normal box. You had better warn your parents Ron."
"No need, Genevieve already did." The three of them were stunned. Ron was the most blown away. "How can this be happening. These are just legends?" Harry and then Hermione began to laugh.
"Now you know how we felt coming from muggle homes into the wizard world." At that the three of them laughed some more.
"Well, if it is true," Ron expressed in amusement, "Then my parents are rich."
"Did I hear you correctly Weasel," said an all too familiar drawl, "Your parents came into some money did they?" Draco Malfoy, now a bit taller though still not as large as the goons who flanked him slid open the compartment door. "Crabbe and Goyle here seem to think you said your parents were rich Weasel. Did he finally give up that Muggle Protection job at the ministry to do something with real Wizard Pride or did he simply find a few galleons. I guess to you that would seem like a fortune." Crabbe and Goyle laughed but Harry just looked past them into the hall, with a smirk of his own.
"You had better watch what you say Malfoy, you never know who is listening." Draco followed Harry's gaze and saw Mr. Weasley accompanied by a very large black shaggy dog. Draco and his cronies broke through them, leaving in contempt.
"Here we are, Kings Cross. Everyone grab a trolley and let's go," Mrs. Weasley instructed. As everyone had done this before, except Krum, he was the only one who looked slightly nervous.
"There is no real trick to it. I mean no spells to perform or anything," Harry overheard Hermione explain to Krum. "Just walk, or run toward the wall and it will let you through."
"But what about muggles, won't they see. And what happens if a muggle leaned against it or something, would they get through?"
"No. The muggles do not see it because their minds can't see properly. And it only lets wizards through." Hermione answered.
"Alright boys," Mrs. Weasley pointed to her twins, "You first, then Ron and Harry. Hurry up now." Fred and George disappeared into the barrier as Harry and Ron pushed their carts into position.
"Let's just walk it this time Harry."
"Alright, Ron, real casual now." They approached the wall and as they leaned into it found themselves on the other side. The scarlet steam engine stood before them with the iron sign reading Platform 9 ¾. Harry was so glad to see it again. They moved forward just in time as Hermione and Viktor came running through the wall, followed by a panting Ginny and her Father. They did not see Mrs. Weasley come in as they were staring at the train and the massive crowd around it but they heard her voice as she passed out sandwiches to all her children.
"Now boys, please try to stay out of trouble this year. These are dangerous times and you could get yourselves in more trouble than you bargained for if you try to pull any stunts." She spoke directly to the twins but loud enough for all her clan to hear.
"Dad, the train," Ginny exclaimed, "It's nearly twice as long as last year. Are there that many more students starting?"
"No dear," her father answered. "This year the train ride will be a bit different. A few parents have been asked to accompany you on this journey, just to make sure."
"Of what dad?" Fred asked. But Mr. Weasley changed the subject, "You'd better get your trunks loaded. Viktor, would you help Ginny with hers?"
"Of course, Mr. Weasley."
Harry stared in amazement at the train that so faithfully took him away from the muggle world. It's scarlet engine and cars glistened in the sun, lighting them like rubies. It did seem a bit longer, and shortly Harry saw just how many adults were to be traveling with them.
"Hi Neville," Harry called, but no answer came from his forgetful friend. Neville was too busy searching for his ticket until his Grandmother, who'd raised him, showed the conductor two tickets, one ticket for Neville and one for herself. "Mr. Moody?" Harry stared in awe at the man whose body had been savagely disfigured during his lifelong fight against evil.
"Hello Mr. Potter," Mad Eye Moody returned in salute, his magical eye wildly scanning passersby. "Fine day we're having here wouldn't you agree. You had better take your seat before someone else does." Harry was jostled about by the tumultuous crowd and only managed to reunite with Hermione and Ron at the back of the train just before the train started. As he went to sit by Hermione she stopped him abruptly, "You can't sit there. That's Viktor's seat." Ron glared at her but Harry just shook his head as Krum came in followed by the twins.
"Hello boys, is there room in here for me," Mr. Weasley asked. "Oh, six already. Guess not. No mind I'll sit with the adults up front."
"Dad, what are you doing here," Ron asked.
"Seeing as how half my family is on this train, I thought it only fair to volunteer to protect it."
"Dad, what is going on? You can tell us," Fred implored. Perhaps it was the pleading in all their faces, or because his tender girl wasn't there, that persuaded Mr. Weasley to explain.
"I assume, since you were there, that you know what happened at the end of last year," Krum screwed up is face in intense concentration.
"You mean with He Who Must Not Be Named" he finally recalled.
"Yes," Mr. Weasley hurried on. "You-Know-Who has been gaining force this summer and wants to take Hogwarts." Gasps filled the small compartment.
"But I thought he was too afraid of Dumbledore to try anything like that," Hermione rationalized.
"It seems he thinks that was a mistake, and to prove his power he is aiming for that first, rather than last," said Mr. Weasley. "Fortunately for us, the Ministry office of Defense created plans for protecting Hogwarts from intruders ever since the Sirius Black incident two years ago. They have come up with a way to prevent entry of non-flight creatures by any way other than this train. Your owls will still get to us and ours to you, but unless someone is on this train they cannot get to or leave Hogwarts. There are small skirmishes taking place all around the barrier. Someone is trying to find a way through it, and all those who believe in what happened at the end of last year know who's behind it."
The silence in the cabin was deafening. Voldemort was trying to take Hogwarts first, as his great announcement of arrival. And as Mr. Weasley pointed out, only those who believed knew what was happening. Harry remembered only too well Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, in complete denial of the whole affair and subsequent refusal to take action. "Well, now that you are all informed, please don't tell Ginny. I'm afraid it would be too upsetting for her." With nods of promise from each of the cabin's occupants Mr. Weasley left to find a place to sit with the other adults.
*****
The train rattled on though the cabin remained in relative silence, until Harry noticed something was missing. "Hermione, where is Crookshanks?" Her cat, Crookshanks, she had gotten in their third year of school had been very helpful to these friends in distinguishing those who could be trusted from those who were not what they seemed.
Hermione's face fell and a quiet, sad voice answered, "She ran away while we were in Bulgaria. A muggle friend of mine was house sitting for us and one day Crookshanks was just gone."
"I am so sorry Hermione," Ron consoled, despite the differences he had with the cat.
"Yeah, I'm sorry too," Harry added.
"I have almost gotten over it," Hermione tried to put on a brave face.
After a few more minutes of awkward silence, the twins stood up. Fred asked, "Let's go find Lee. Viktor, do you want to come? I'm sure there are lots of Hogwarts students who will want to talk to you now that you are not competing against us." Fred and George rarely failed to be the purveyors of mischief or to be in the center of attention. It was obvious they were going to play their friendship with Krum to the max.
"Alright, maybe I can set up a few appointments for flying lessons. It would be good for business. Do you want to come, Hermione?"
"Hermione," Harry said quickly, "Stay here for a minute. I want to chat for a bit."
"I'll catch up with you later Viktor," Hermione called to Krum. "What is it Harry?"
Harry had been considering whether or not to tell his friends about his encounter with Genevieve in Diagon Alley but if anyone would know why that salesman went ballistic about the Travelers Watch it would be Hermione. As he related the story, from when he first met Genevieve at the Dursleys for Hermione's benefit, her eyes widened and she began rummaging through her bag for a book. Though she did wait until Harry finished before asking, "So you say she tried to kill you to save her son but couldn't because of a promise she made to your parents?"
"Yes, but it was really strange. I never felt in any real danger, and when she said she would look out for me instead I believed her."
Ron just sat there, apparently thinking. "Why would she take you from the Dursleys to save you from You Know Who, only to try and kill you later?" Then he almost shouted with alarm, "And what about that chest she gave my parents, is it dangerous?"
"I doubt it," Hermione said as she thumbed through the pages, "Did the chest look like this?" She turned the book around so the boys could see it. There is was, exactly the same down to the last ruby.
"Yes, but what is it," Ron asked.
"This isn't very specific because it's not a real chest..at least it shouldn't be."
"What do you mean, not real? I saw it; it's sitting in my dad's vault in Gringotts and there is a picture of it in your book."
"This is a book of folklore, not a reference book."
"Wizards have fairy tales?" Harry was blown away and leaned back in his chair as he shook his head. "To muggles we are fairy tales."
"Sure we have folklore," Ron was glad to be well versed in something Hermione had only read about in books. "My parents used to tell me all sorts of stories when I was little. Some of it was about muggles and others about creatures that don't exist or at least not anymore."
"Like what," Harry asked. He often felt left out, not having the benefit of a wizard's childhood.
"Let's see, there was this one about two nosy little Muggle kids who went around eating all this witches sweets that she had made for her sisters wedding. She had turned her house into gingerbread for the occasion and they came in and spoiled it."
Harry could not help but laugh. "Muggles call that Hansel and Gretel except it the other way around."
"What, the witch eats the kid's house?"
"No, the witch catches the kids and then fattens up Hansel so she can eat him by making Gretel cook, but the kids get away and bake the witch instead."
"That is horrible. The poor old witch was just trying to prepare for her sisters wedding and those two brats bake her! I don't think I like muggle fairy tales."
"It is a bit different than you think but that is beside the point," Harry tried to defuse Ron's resentment. "What does it say in that book about the chest, Hermione?"
"It says that it is the bottomless chest. That the person who knows how to work it can choose what it will contain and then it will never run out of that. So you say the box Genevieve gave the Weasleys had galleons in it. According to this you could take galleons out of it forever and it would keep refilling itself every full moon. Oh, it says here that if the chest is ever completely emptied the spell will be broken and the chest will just be a normal box. You had better warn your parents Ron."
"No need, Genevieve already did." The three of them were stunned. Ron was the most blown away. "How can this be happening. These are just legends?" Harry and then Hermione began to laugh.
"Now you know how we felt coming from muggle homes into the wizard world." At that the three of them laughed some more.
"Well, if it is true," Ron expressed in amusement, "Then my parents are rich."
"Did I hear you correctly Weasel," said an all too familiar drawl, "Your parents came into some money did they?" Draco Malfoy, now a bit taller though still not as large as the goons who flanked him slid open the compartment door. "Crabbe and Goyle here seem to think you said your parents were rich Weasel. Did he finally give up that Muggle Protection job at the ministry to do something with real Wizard Pride or did he simply find a few galleons. I guess to you that would seem like a fortune." Crabbe and Goyle laughed but Harry just looked past them into the hall, with a smirk of his own.
"You had better watch what you say Malfoy, you never know who is listening." Draco followed Harry's gaze and saw Mr. Weasley accompanied by a very large black shaggy dog. Draco and his cronies broke through them, leaving in contempt.