Author's Note: So, this took longer than I thought that it would. If you actually like this story and hate me for taking so long then, I am so sorry. Also, I might need to tell you that I happened to lose my already betaed chapter so I had to do all of the proofreading myself which could be bad. If you find a mistake, please tell me about it and I will do my best to correct it. Thanks!!!!!!!

Chapter Three: Hogwarts

The trains' whistle was a bittersweet sound to Harry Potter. His last year at Hogwarts had finally come. Like any teenager entering their last school year, he was ready to leave and move on. However, Hogwarts was his home and it's always hard to leave home. In his heart, Harry hoped that this wouldn't be the last time he would see this train ever again. He hoped in future years that he would be watching his children get on the same train in front of him to go to Hogwarts. That is what he was fighting for, that is what the Order and Aurors and, in some way, every good witch or wizard in the world was fighting for. A future. He wanted the students around him to be free from the fear of Voldemort and of the death he brings. And if he had to sacrifice his life to make this dream come true, he would.

"Harry, come on. The train is about to leave." Hermione called after him, hanging out an open door.

He nodded and began after them, dragging his trunk behind.

They settled in their normal compartment at the end of the train. Hermione levitated the trunks one by one and put them in the overhead rack about one seat, while Ron and Harry put their animal cages on the other. Hedwig hooted that she was settled and Pig zoomed around her tiny cage. Crookshanks, on the other hand, wasn't as pleased. She glared daggers with her yellow eyes at Hermione when she realized that she was going to let her out. Then she glanced at Pig and, Harry was sure that he saw it, rolled her eyes as if to say 'You're sitting me next to that thing'.

"Don't look at me that way Crookshanks." Hermione said to her cat, stroking her fur through the bars. Crookshanks just meowed pitifully and turned around so that her back faced Hermione.

Harry smiled as he sat, opposite to Ron, resting his tired head upon the cool glass. The houses and fields streamed by as they passed them, becoming a blur to the eye.

"Harry," he looked up from the glass and at Ron, ""Would you mind if Hermione and I snog senseless until we arrive?" Harry began to open his mouth to answer but that didn't seem to matter when Ron grabbed Hermione's wrist and pulled her into his lap, covering her protesting lips with his own.

"Rommph…Rommph..ROMMPH!" She pushed her eager boyfriend away from her and pinned him against the seat.

"Ron, I have to go."

"Go? Go where go?" his voice was quiet, like his dreams had just been crushed.

"To find Anthonyand the new prefects."

"But why?"

"Because the Head Boy and Head Girl always do that Ron." She looked at her watch,

"I'm about to be late." She pushed off of him and straighten up her skirt before leaving.

Once the door closed behind her, Ron torn his eyes from her figure and looked to his best friend.

"So Harry, what happened." He asked, laying a back against the seat.

"What are you talking about Ron?" He answered, confused.

"You know what I'm talking about. What happened between you and my sister?"

Uh-oh. Just play dumb, Harry

"Nothing Ron." He lied, "What makes you think that anything happened?"

"Oh," Ron began sarcastically, "maybe the fact that both of you are avoiding each other like the plague."

"Were not avoiding each other like the plague."

"You asked me to ask Hermione to ask Ginny to pass you the butter even though you were sitting across from her."

He was right. Harry had gone through a row of people just t get the butter. And Ron wasn't wrong about him avoiding Ginny. They didn't even look at each other that morning, or at least not at the same time. He would glance up at her, but when her eyes came close to looking at him, he would glance away. And because of that, because that Ron was right about everything, Harry muttered the first word he could think of in his defense.

"So."

"She rather sit with Loony Luna than with you."

"Luna's her friend." He replied, which was a reasonable explanation," Maybe they're just catching up."

"Or maybe she doesn't want to be around you. Now Harry, tell me what happened." The last two words came out slowly with more emphasized.

"Alright….I kissed her." He mumbled barley audible.

"What? Did you just say that you kissed my sister?"

Harry nodded.

"Otherwise than being complete weird and gross that you kiss my baby sister, does that mean you're back together?"

"I don't know what it means Ron. I was down in the kitchen getting some tea and she came to get a glass of water and she told me that I was amazing and she looked so perfect in the light with her hair all messed up and her beautiful big eyes and I couldn't help myself, I kissed her."

"What are you going to do now?"

"Don't know. I want to be with her, but I don't want to put her in danger."

Harry didn't speak much after that. He did what he needed to do. Think.

Darkness had engulfed the little town of Hogsmeade by the time the train had arrived. Over the noise of the screeching brakes, Harry could hear Hagrid's voice already beckoning the first years to him and the boats that await them. He, Ron and Hermione, who had rejoined them half way through the train ride, gathered their trunks and cages and each looked once more around the compartment they had claimed as there own for seven years.

"Do you think we will ever see it again?" Hermione asked voice solemn. Both she and Ron look to Harry for the answer.

"I don't know Hermione. But I'm fighting for that chance."

"You're fighting." Ron retorted rather loudly, "What about me and Hermione? Haven't we helped?"

"Yes, Hermione has helped," He smiled, "But I remember you being more a burden that help most of the times."

"Burden! Don't you remember the Department of Mysteries, Harry? Or that I had to watch crazy Professor Lockhart. Or, maybe you forgot this one Harry, that I sacrificed myself in the ruddy chess game our first year." Ron continued to relive all of their years as they traveled outside to the carriages that were waiting.

"Please students, please sit down." Squeaked Professor Flitwick, standing on the table and tapping his wand on the nearest goblet. The students obeyed their small professor at once, each taking their seat at their respective table. Harry sat next to Neville and across form Hermione and Ron.

"As many as you know," Professor Flitwick squeaked again, his voice booming with a Snorous charm. " at the end of last year, our headmaster for many years , Albus Dumbledore was killed by a Death Eater, " he wouldn't say Snape's name though many knew, "His loss was and will continue to be tragic to this school, however, we must move on." He paused to let the full thought of what he just said sink in. "I am pleased to announce you're new Headmistress, Professor Minerva McGongall." The sadness that once generated through the halls a few moments ago vanished and cheers rang out, the loudest coming from the Gryffindor table.

Professor, or as she was now was called Headmistress, McGongall rose from he seat and went to the podium.

"Thank you students." She greeted, her usually pursed lips formed into a smile, "I hope that we will have a wonderful year. There are a few minor details I must go over with you before the feast. As always, the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden. Also, the Ministry has requested that the security here at the school is increased; so many new charms will be placed around the castle as well as, regular inspections by the Ministry's Aurors. We will also have many new teachers here at Hogwarts. Remus Lupin, who many of you remember from four years ago, is returning to old position of Defense against the Dark Arts teacher." Some students exchanged worried looks only to be answered by the Headmistress, "Yes, he is a werewolf. However, he will be taking his Wolfsbane the entire time and, I assure you, he will not harm any student here. He is such a sweet tempered man and you mustn't be afraid of him. He will also be taking my old position as the head of Gryffindor house." The Gryffindors faces turned solemn again. Many of them would miss their Head. Harry, however, looked at Ron and smirked. They could get away with so much more now, or at least they hoped they would. "Second, Nymphadora Tonks will be taking the position of Potions teacher." Harry, Ron and Hermione looked amongst themselves. They all silently agreed that the Order definitely had a hand in this. "Neither of them are here tonight, they both had some other business to attend to. However, I would like to introduce you to our newest teacher who is here tonight, Abeforth Dumbledore. As many of you know, he is the younger brother to late Headmaster Dumbledore." An older man stood next to Professor Sprout. He had the same crooked nose and half moon spectacles. His face was much younger than his brother's and his beard was shorter and gray like his hair. He smiled warmly at all the student and slightly bowed. "Professor Dumbledore will be the new Transfiguration professor since I will not be able to continue teaching now that I am Headmistress." The students all began to clap for their new teacher while Professor Flitwick moved to the front, carrying a small stool with a large hat on top. One by one, the first years, all who had been standing in the front since the beginning of McGongall's speech, were sorted. There weren't as many students as when Harry was a first year, only about twenty. Eight were sorted into Gryffindor, five into Ravenclaw, five into Hufflepuff, and only two into Slytherin. Hogwarts seemed smaller this year. All around the Hall, students were missing, student he had known since his first few years. Harry assumed it was because of last spring, the parents wouldn't think that Hogwarts was safe enough. The Slytherin table was almost bare compared to the other tables.

"Professor Flitwick told Grandmum that most of the seventh years replied that they were going to be able to attend Hogwarts this year," Neville whispered to Harry as they both stared at the Slytherin table.

"What were there reasons?" Asked Hermione, joining the conversation.

"Various, sickness, death, family affairs—"

"Dark mark" Ron interrupted, "Oh wait, I doubt they would give that one." He continued sarcastically.

"Is the Ministry not going to do anything about it?" Hermione said, "I mean, almost an entire house year has dropped out, half of which are children of known Death Eaters. That would have to be mad to not do anything."

"They can't. For all the Ministry knows, their reasons are legitimate." Neville replied, shaking his head.

Professor McGongall tapped her wand on her goblet to regain everyone's attention. "Now that that is done, let us eat." With a wave of her wand, mountains of food appeared on the tables. Everyone began filling their plates and their stomachs and immersing the Hall in conversation.

Harry was so happy to go to his dorm that evening. Like usual, all of his things had been brought up and his uniform was laid out neatly, no doubt by house elves. His four poster bed had never looked so inviting as it did that moment. In a sleepy dazed, a combination of a lot of food and being up since seven that morning, he striped off his robes and put on his warm pajamas and slipped into bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was in a deep sleep dreaming of flying with a certain red head, no knowing what was coming closer that very second.

The waves crashed along the boat. She tighten her cloak around her, but the wind still felt like a thousand knives against her back. With one gust, her hood blew off freeing her hair to wipe around her face. Her eyes reflected tiny spots of golden light that came from the dark figure in front of her.

"Hogwarts."

A/N: Here's a random fact about my story. The last section was the inspiration that inspired the entire story, thought you might like to know.

Please review and I promise that the next chapter won't take as long.