Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Harry Potter and make no money from this story.
A/N: Hey! Well, with my parents away and only working part time, I'm getting loads of time to update! I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to do this one!
TO ALL REVIEWERS: If anyone is aware of the situation with "A Draco and Harry Story", a sudden thought occurred to me. Perhaps by commenting on this atrocity, we are only spurring this sad individual on. We are giving far too much attention to him/her, and they are enjoying the attention. If we leave alone for a couple of days, maybe they will desist, believing themselves rightfully forgotten. We should once again appeal to the site managers, and make sure that no unwitting readers stray across this fic, like it, and believe it to be original. This is easy to do, by PMing them and pointing them in the lovely KDB's direction.
Anyway, enough said, I hope that you like this! Thanks for the reviews!
Ch. 4.
Harry climbed into the taxi early in the morning of September the first. Dumbledore had sent a letter a few days ago, asking Harry and his relatives to be at the train station no later than ten thirty, so that they could get a carriage without having to manoeuvre through the crowded platform. Propping his crutches up next him, Harry smiled at Petunia as she slid in next to him, Dudley taking the front seat.
Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of the local train station. Paying the fair and unloading the luggage, they made their way through the busy station to the train to King's Cross. The train was filled with commuters, but one kind gentleman stood up and offered Harry his seat, seeing the boy leaning on his crutches and struggling to keep his balance. Harry gratefully accepted the seat. After a lengthy discussion with Petunia, he'd agreed to use his crutches today, as long journeys could be tiring. Also, Harry knew that school was always a bit tiring in the first couple of days while he got used to being back, so he'd decided to use his crutches for the first week or so. Normally, he didn't think he would need them for a while, but it couldn't hurt for a few days.
Arriving at King's Cross, Dudley piled their luggage, and Hedwig's securely locked cage onto a trolley, and followed Harry to Platforms nine and ten. Carefully, Harry leaned against the barrier, one of his crutches positioned ready to catch him if he lost his balance, and his relatives copied him, the three of them sliding through unnoticed by the muggles passing by.
"Oh my!" Petunia breathed, spotting the Hogwarts Express.
"Wicked!" Dudley exclaimed, his eyes wide. "I've always wanted to ride a steam train!"
"Now's your chance," Harry grinned. "Welcome to Platform Nine and Three Quarters!"
The three of them made their way to the train, and stepped on board. As they were about to settle in a compartment near the back, Professor Flitwick stepped in.
"Hello, hello!" he called cheerfully. "Young man, let me help you with that."
Dudley, who was about to lift Harry's trunk into the luggage rack, gave the tiny man a quizzical glance but stepped back as the luggage was neatly levitated into place.
"Thanks," he nodded.
"Sir, what are you doing here?" Harry, who was already sitting, remembered his manners. "Aunt Petunia, Dudley, this is Professor Flitwick, my Charms teacher."
"A pleasure," Flitwick smiled. "Professor Dumbledore sent me to inform you of the arrangements once we arrive at the school. He has requested that you remain in the compartment until the other students are in the carriages. Then, I will come and escort you to your own carriage. Mrs. Dursley, rooms have been set up for you, and you have a place setting at the head table. Mr. Dursley, the headmaster wishes for you to stay in Mr. Potter's dorm and eat his table. That way, you will be able to interact with people of your age.
"Also, Professor Dumbledore welcomes you to roam the school during the day. You may visit classes and the library, take walks outside, but he warns you to be careful until you know your way around. The school moves a lot, and there are certain places that only appear at certain times. Also, beware walking around at night; it's not always the best idea, especially now that we are at war.
"Now, Hogwarts has muggle repelling charms on it, to avoid our discovery. If I may, I must perform an exclusion charm on you both, so that it will not affect you, and you can see what there is to see."
Both Dursley's agreed, and soon the charm was completed.
"If you would excuse me," Flitwick bowed his head. "I will take my leave. The driver is an old friend of mine, and I think I shall visit with him. In order to give you some privacy, I'll create a blind and a lock for the door, so no one can stumble upon you. See you when we arrive!"
With that, the tiny man left, conjuring a blind and a lock as he went.
"Well, he was jolly," Dudley commented, pulling the blind down and drawing the bolt across before sitting down.
"He's always like that," Harry replied.
"What did he mean, 'the school moves a lot'?" Petunia asked, curiously.
"Oh, because it's a magical building, things happen. Staircases move, hallways come and go, suits of armour walk about, doors pretend to be walls, walls pretend to be doors, some doors have to be tickled in the right place to be opened, there are trick steps, things like that," Harry replied. "You'll get used to it. It's quite helpful, actually. Like last year, I had Potions in the dungeons right after Divination in the top tower on a Wednesday. There's a five minute break for you to get between classes, but that wasn't enough time. Luckily, there's a staircase one floor down from Divination that leads to the dungeons, that appears between six a.m. and six p.m. on Wednesdays, and it's just like one normal sized staircase. It saved me hundreds of detentions, I can tell you!"
They sat for a while, watching as the platform filled up with people. Soon, as it grew time for the train to leave, people began rushing past their door, occasionally trying the handle. At exactly eleven fifteen, the train slowly pulled out, wizards and witches waving at their children as the windows rushed past.
The small family sat for a while, quietly comfortable in each other's company. Harry busied himself reading his new Defense book, wondering about this year's teacher, while Dudley read his Quidditch book, and Petunia admired the scenery. At lunch time, they bought some pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs off the trolley, and ate them, Harry patiently explaining to Dudley the technique behind the Wronski Feint, and why it was so effective against the opposition.
A short while later, Harry lay down on the seat to have a short nap to keep his strength up, and Petunia and Dudley went back to quietly sitting, not having the heart to wake Harry after two hours as he'd asked them to. It was only as they pulled into Hogsmeade that Harry woke up, the change in the train's movement jarring him. After rolling his eyes at his relatives' innocent 'we're sorry' faces, he stood, stretched and pulled his robes over his t-shirt and jeans.
They watched the students hurry to the carriages in the lamp light, and listened to Hagrid calling to the first years. Soon, all was quiet and they opened the door to find Flitwick walking towards them.
"Off we go then!" he led them off the train, to the last carriage, waiting patiently as the others were halfway back to school now.
Petunia climbed in, then Dudley turned to help Harry, who was carefully not looking at the Thestral in front. The blond helped Harry in, then stood back for Flitwick to enter, before stepping in. The door shut and the carriage lurched and rumbled up the path.
Pulling up outside Hogwarts, Flitwick hopped out, and with a jaunty salute, left them to take his place at the head table. Dudley swung himself down, before helping his mother and cousin out.
Harry smiled happily as Petunia and Dudley stared up at the castle in awe, before leading them inside to the Great Hall. The magnificent oak doors swung open before them, and hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to stare.
"Petunia!" Dumbledore greeted from the top table. "It's wonderful to see you again! You were so young last time I saw you, waiting for Lily to arrive home. Come, take your place here."
Petunia smiled at the boys, and left them, walking up the centre aisle proudly.
"That way," Harry nodded at the Gryffindor table, ignoring the stares and whispers.
"Why are they staring at us?" Dudley whispered.
"They're wondering who you are, and why I'm on crutches," Harry replied just as quietly, as they walked towards Ron and Hermione, who'd stood up to greet them.
"Harry! I'm so glad to see you!" Hermione engulfed him in a hug. "We missed you on the train. It just wasn't the same without you. We figured the locked carriage was yours."
She released him, and Harry smiled.
"Yeah, we travelled together. Maybe on the way home, you can sit with us," Harry replied. "I think Dud and Aunt Petunia were a bit nervous."
"Hey!" Dudley was mock insulted. "We could have handled it!"
He reached to shake Hermione's hand as Harry greeted Ron.
"Hey mate, it's good to be back," Harry smiled.
"Yep, with a new addition to our trio!" Ron replied.
The four of them sat down, and watched the Sorting. There were lots of new students this year, and it took a while. Dumbledore gave the usual announcements and the feast began. Harry ate as much as he could, which wasn't much. He wasn't hungry, and he was starting to feel tired again. Hating to ruin desert, he turned to Dudley.
"I'm sorry, but I'm tired," he whispered. "Can we go?"
"Yeah," Dudley nodded.
"Ron, what's the password?" Harry asked. "We're going to bed."
"Whomping Willow, can you believe?" Ron replied.
"I kind of can," Harry grinned, standing up, Dudley beside him.
The two boys waved to Petunia, who smiled and waved, before setting off for Gryffindor Tower. By the time they reached the Fat Lady, Dudley was panting slightly.
"I thought my boxing got me in better shape, but I must have been wrong!" he gasped. "No wonder you've always been in such good shape!"
Harry laughed.
"You'll get used to it," he turned to the portrait. "Whomping Willow."
The Fat Lady swung forward, and Harry climbed through the hole, his cousin following.
"Well, this is the Gryffindor Common Room," Harry led the blond through it. "That's the girl's dorm, I wouldn't advise trying to get up there, though. I laughed my head off when Ron tried it. Here's the boys'."
They climbed up to the sixth year dorm, finding that a bed had been added for Dudley next to Harry's, along with his own chest of drawers.
"I'm on this side of you, Neville's on the other," Harry pulled pyjamas out of his trunk. "You can have a competition. See who snores louder!"
"Ha, ha," Dudley replied dryly.
Soon, they were ready for bed, and Harry fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
A/N: I hope that you liked this one! Sorry it's a bit short. Please review!