The following day saw a flurry of activity, Mrs. Weasley was in a frenzy trying to get everyone ready for the Hogwarts express. Harry leant casually on the doorframe of Ron's bedroom, enjoying watching him flit about the room in haste.

'I don't understand how you could make such a mess in such a short period of time.' Harry commented, eying the mess that was strewn across the room. 'I mean, you only spent two weeks here.'

Ron shrugged his shoulders as he tossed a heavy textbook into his trunk. 'You could help me, you know.' He mumbled, haphazardly picking up a handful of clothes from the floor.

Harry shook his head and crossed his arms, a lazy grin slipping onto his face. 'Nah, this is far more enjoyable.'

Ron sent him a small glare and was about to respond when Hermione appeared at Harry's side. She took once glance at Ron's room before rolling her eyes and turning her attention directly to Harry.

'Hi.' She smiled, almost breathlessly. Her brown hair hung loosely around her shoulders, framing her face. Harry felt his heart skip a beat.

Harry smiled back. 'Hello.'

Neither of them had mentioned their encounter in the attic, but Harry knew it lay just below the surface. Touches to the shoulder lingered a little bit longer, a slap on the shoulder turned into a light squeeze - any excuse to touch each other, any opportunity for contact and they both took it.

'I read another entry last night.' Harry said, referring to his mother's diary. 'She mentioned how irritating my dad was.'

Hermione laughed, the sound making Harry's heart flutter. 'Not surprising. Your Dad and his friends sounded like they were real trouble.'

Harry nodded, 'I like the term mischievous myself.'

'If that makes you feel better, then by all means.' Hermione smiled, 'mischievous it is.'

A loud clattering of footsteps suddenly came to their attention. They shared a smirk before turning their eyes to Ron who looked back with wide eyes.

'You better be ready by the time I reach your room Ronald Weasley.' Mrs. Weasley's voice bellowed.


Before they knew it, they were making their way through the barrier at King's Cross. Harry felt a smile stretch across his face as he saw the scarlet train. As they weaved about the bustling crowed, Harry couldn't help but notice the amount of attention he was getting. People were openly pointing and whispering to their friends. He was aware The Prophet's renewed belief in him and Dumbledore had once again put him in favour with the wider public. The Chosen One, Harry fought back a rye smile, if only they knew. All the same, Harry didn't think he'd ever get used to such blatant attention. Harry caught Hermione's eye and he offered a small smile. She smiled back, knowing how uncomfortable he became under such scrutiny. They waited at the door of the train as Ginny went to get a free compartment. Their group grew in size as Mr and Mrs Weasley joined them, followed closely by Tonks and Remus, the latter receiving curious looks from his past students.

'What happened to being subtle.' Harry muttered, his hands gripping the handle of his trolley tightly.

Ron raised an eyebrow, 'have they ever been subtle?' He questioned, he stared back at a 1st year who was openly ogling Harry. The young wizard blushed under Ron's withering gaze and averted his eyes.

Harry sighed, 'wishful thinking, I suppose.'

Ron clapped him on the back, 'at least they like you again, right? That's gotta be better then being hated.'

Harry let out a laugh, 'goes to show how fickle people can be doesn't it. One article and you're hated and the next, you're the apparent saviour for the entire wizarding world.' He shook his head, 'it's exhausting trying to keep up.'

Mrs. Weasley tutted at a group of second years who passed by them, their eyes clearly trying to seek out the scar on Harry's forehead. Luckily, Ginny reappeared at the doorway, a grin on her face. 'Got one near the back.'

With a wave of their wands Tonks and Remus levitated their trunks into the carriage and followed Ginny to their compartment. They didn't have to wait long until they returned.

'Keep walking, dears. Nothing to see here.' Mrs. Weasley waved off another group of giggling girls, before turning to the trio. She paused for a moment as though really taking in their presence. Harry shuffled nervously under her eye. 'You will take care of yourselves this year.' She said as she pulled Hermione into a hug, the latter nodding and patting her gently on the back.

'Yes, Mrs. Weasley.' Hermione stood back from the embrace and allowed the matriarch to sweep Harry into a fierce hug.

She squeezed him tighter than she ever had before, her small arms incredibly powerful. She opened her mouth as she stepped back but seemed to think better of it, instead offering a small pat on the shoulder before turning her attention to her two youngest children.

Harry turned to Tonk's who smiled at him. 'You'll be seeing us a lot, so this isn't really goodbye.' She shared a glance with Remus, 'Dumbledore's asked us to tutor you.'

Harry felt a broad grin split across his face. 'Are you serious? That's fantastic,' his smile faded. 'Are you sure you have enough time for that? You must be really busy with the Order.'

Remus shook his head, a small grin forming and raised an eyebrow. 'Consider this Order business, then.'

Harry knew the Order didn't know of the prophecy, or how accurate the tagline The Chosen One really was but he could tell many didn't dispute how important he was. How important it was that he was prepared.

Harry nodded, hope filling up his chest. 'Right, that's brilliant. Thanks for that.'

Tonks leaned over and ruffled his hair, 'you won't be thanking me after i'm finished with ya. You thought you were sore after our run? Ha. Just wait.' She had a glint to her eye. She shared an amused glance with Hermione who had been standing quietly next to Harry.

Harry grimaced at the thought, but offered a smile. 'I'll still be thanking you.' He said honestly, his voice sincere.

A whistle suddenly sounded from the train and a flurry of activity began. Mrs. Weasley swept them all into another hug before they jumped onto the already moving train. The four of them waving out the window until the red hair of Mr. Weasley disappeared into the distance.

They followed Ginny to their compartment, dodging the crowded corridor of students mingling about. Harry was incredibly thankful to finally reach their destination. The summer break re-inspired many of his peers. Those who last year turned their nose at him, sneered and at him and called him a liar now called out to him with smiles, asking how his summer had been.

'Honestly, some people have no decency.' Hermione commented as she closed to door to their compartment. She eyed a curious young girl who was peering in after Harry, not breaking eye contact until she'd left.

Harry shrugged helplessly, 'nothing anyone can do about it.' He smiled at Hermione, letting her know it was okay.

'Still, it doesn't make it right.' Hermione said as she took the seat next to him before standing up a moment later. 'Oh!' Her eyes lit up. 'Ron, we have to go to the Prefect's meeting.' She eyed Harry, 'we won't be long.' She tried to reassure him as Ron stood up with a groan of complaint.

'It's okay.' Harry assured her, 'really.' He added at her dubious look.

She sent him one more glance before dragging Ron out of the door. Harry gave a small wave before turning to Ginny who sat opposite. The past summer Ginny had really come out of her shell, finally becoming comfortable around Harry enough to have a decent conversation. The youngest Weasley held a spark in her eye, akin to that of her twin brothers. Harry raised an eyebrow. 'What are you thinking?'

Ginny shrugged her shoulders, 'just how obvious it is.'

'How obvious what it?' Harry asked curiously although he had a hunch what she was referring too.

Ginny rolled her eyes, 'you and Hermione, of course. It's written all over both your faces.'

Harry blushed, and cleared his throat. 'Both our faces?' The thought that Hermione felt the same way as he did made his heart beat faster.

'Puh-lease, Harry. Even you can't be that daft.' Ginny smiled, 'just don't wait too long to make your move.'

'I don't know what to do.' Harry admitted, 'how do you tell your best-friend of 5 years that you're kinda, sorta, a little bit falling in love with them?'

Ginny smiled sympathetically, 'don't overthink it, Harry. At the end of the day. You'll still Harry and Hermione.' She gave a slight shrug, 'but seriously, Harry. You both deserve to be happy. No matter what the world is and what's going in it.' She paused, 'I don't see Hermione happier than when she's with you.' She gave a theatrical sigh that made Harry laugh, 'so at the risk of sounding cliche, Harry Potter. Get your girl.'

'Aye, aye.' Harry gave a mock salute, his green eyes twinkling. A noise at the door of their compartment alerted them of someone's arrival. A girl in Ginny's year waved at them, beckoning the youngest Weasley to join her and a group of friends. Ginny stood up and looked apologetically at Harry.

'It's fine, seriously.' Harry insisted, 'I don't need to be babysat. Go see your friends. I'll see you at the feast.' He paused, 'besides, you've given me a lot to ponder.'

'Ah, the feast.' Ginny's eyes glazed over as she left the compartment, 'later, Harry.' She smiled as the door closed quietly behind her.

And with that, Harry was left to his thoughts. Ginny's words replaying in his head. He glanced at this watch and sighed, Ron and Hermione would still be a while yet. There had been an obvious but unspoken shift in their relationship. He thought of all he and Hermione had gone through throughout the years and couldn't help but bite back a smile. Throughout it all, she had never wavered. Always treated him as just Harry and nothing more or less. She wasn't afraid to tell him when he was being a jerk. Was always honest, even at the risk of hurting his feelings. He sighed, Ginny was right. In an effort to distract himself he picked rummaged through his trunk until he came across his Mum's diary. He slid over to the window, his long legs stretched in front of him, resting on the opposite seat.


About 2 hours later, the diary lay open in his lap. His head rested against the window pane, the glass cool against his cheek. The green hills continued to roll past. He had finished reading his mother's account of her first year of Hogwarts. He couldn't help but draw similarities between her and Hermione. They were both very driven and enjoyed their schoolwork. On more than one occasion had Lily mentioned how awful the four boys were in Gryffindor. Although she did say that Remus wasn't as bad as the others. The thing that had surprised him the most, the thing that he was still struggling to comprehend was that Snape was in the diary. His mum wrote about him quite kindly. The thought of Snape being friends with his mum confused him immensely. He was so deep in thought he didn't realise the door had slid open until he felt a gentle hand on his arm. He started at the pressure, surprised to see Hermione looming over him.

'Are you alright?' Hermione asked, her eyebrows knitted together in worry. 'I've called your name three times.' Her hand lingered on his forearm as she sat down beside him.

Harry sat up and forced a smile on his face. 'Yeah, sorry. Just lost in thought.' He looked curiously to the door. 'Where's Ron?'

Hermione sighed a big sigh. 'We ran into Seamus and Dean.' She removed her hand and placed it in her lap. Her hands twisting together, 'I left them when they started arguing about Quidditch.'

'Ah.' Harry nodded knowingly, 'they'll be a while then.'

Hermione laughed a light laugh, the sound echoing around the room. They sat in a comfortable silence, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. She nodded to the diary in his lap, 'any amazing revelations, then?'

'Actually. There was.' Harry heaved a dramatic sigh, 'she was friends with Snape.'

Hermione's brows furrowed together, 'seriously? your mum and Snape?' She shook her head in wonder. 'Wow.'

Harry sat up straighter. 'I know. I knew she didn't like my Dad until later, and I knew my Dad and Snape hated each other.' He waved the book around, 'but she writes about Snape as though he was…' He struggled for the right word, 'nice.' He looked at the diary dubiously, 'maybe there's another Snape.'

Hermione smiled gently, 'I guess there's always more to a person that what we might see.' She sighed as Harry raised a skeptical eyebrow. 'As difficult as it is to imagine, I suppose there was something about Snape that your mum liked.'

'You're right. It is difficult to imagine.' Harry muttered, 'If he was friends with mum, why does he hate me so much?'

Hermione gave a small shrug, 'I don't know, Harry. You'll have to keep reading that.' She indicated to the diary, 'to find out.'

Harry nodded slowly, 'I guess so.' He looked out the window, mind drifting back to his parents. Hermione sat by him quietly, reaching for her own book and settling in. They sat in silence for a while, the only sound was the turning pages of Hermione's book. Harry's head was a swirl of images. The thought of Snape being friends with his mum had really floored him. She wrote about him kindly, this small boy with long black hair from Slytherin. His failed lessons with Snape last year had given him a small insight into what Snape's life had been like before Hogwarts and he knew Hermione had a point. There was always more to a person than what we might see. No kidding, Harry thought bitterly. He often felt like he lived a double life. His life with the Dursley's and his life in the wizarding world, both polar opposites. Harry didn't know how long they sat in silence, but he watched the sun set, the orange light lit up the surrounding fields. A knock on their compartment door made them look up.

Neville Longbottom peered in nervously. 'Hiya, do you mind if I join you?' He clutched Trevor in his hands. Harry and Hermione both nodded, smiles stretching onto heir faces. 'Thanks,' Neville grinned at them and sat down opposite Hermione. 'A group of people are mucking about near our compartment and the noise is stressing Trevor out.' He looked over at Harry and grinned. 'Alright there, Harry? Had a good summer?'

Harry smiled, 'glad to be going back to Hogwarts, Neville. How was yours?'

Neville shrugged. 'Alright, Gran got me new robes for my birthday. My old ones ended at my shin.' He shook his head.

Harry smiled, his eyes assessing the boy in front of him. Neville had matured a lot over the summer. Like Harry, he had shot up a few inches, his perpetually chubby cheeks had lost a lot fat, leaving a defined jaw in its place. His brown eyes were easy and light as he sat chatting to Hermione.

born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies

The thought echoed in his mind. This boy sitting opposite him could just have easily been in his position. Been The Boy-Who-Lived. Not for the first time, the thought of why me entered his head. But looking at Neville, he couldn't imagine him being in his place. Not because he wasn't smart or capable. But because he wouldn't wish that on anyone. He wondered what Neville would say if he ever knew how close he was to becoming The Boy-Who-Lived. He could feel Hermione's concerned gaze on him and sent her a quick grin, forcing the thoughts out of his mind for the moment. They chatted for a while, Not long after, Ron slid through the door, his face flushed from his conversation with Dean and Seamus.

'They've just got no idea.' Ron flopped down next to Neville. 'Hey!' He smiled at his fellow Gryffindor.

'About what?' Harry asked although he had an inkling of the answer.

'Quidditch of course.' Ron took a deep breath, gearing himself up to re-tell the story. Before he could begin, the door slid open again and Ginny entered. She smiled at everyone as she sat next to Hermione. Harry tried to ignore the look she gave him.

For the rest of the trip, they chatted casually. What they were looking forward to this year, how Gryffindor could win the Quidditch Cup and who the new Dark Arts Professor would be.

'I wish Professor Lupin would come back.' Neville said, 'he was the best one we've had.'

Ginny nodded in agreement, 'there can't be many people left, can there? Seriously. They've gone through 5 in the past 5 years. That's got to be a record.'

'Snape might finally get his wish.' Harry suggested.

Neville visibly shuddered, 'Oh I hope not. That'll be horrible.'

'I guess we'll find out soon.' Hermione said. She leaned over and grabbed Harry's wrist to look at his watch. Her hand was soft on his. 'I can't be certain… ' Her forehead creased together in concentration. 'But I think we'll be arriving soon. We should probably put our robes on.'

Within ten minutes the training was slowing to a halt. He shared a smile with Hermione as they watched in amusement as the first years scrambled off the train, their eyes wide with nerves and excitement. Stepping off, the booming voice of Hagrid greeted them and a feeling of warmth spread through him. He silently followed the swarming crowd and lined up to get a carriage. They were soon joined by Luna Lovegood who appeared suddenly at Harry's side. She looked just as serene as ever and smiled at the group of five, her gaze lingering on Ron.

'Hi Luna,' Ginny smiled at Luna.

Luna smiled at the youngest Weasley, 'Hello.' She looked at Harry who was watching the threstral's as they approached with a carriage. They watched as the creature walked towards them, head held high. When it stopped in front of them, Luna reached out a hand. Harry watched as the threstral snuggled into the touch, its beak nudging Luna's hand affectionately. 'I feel sorry for them.' Luna said mildly to Harry as the others climbed aboard the carriage. 'People are afraid of them.'

'I guess being associated with death and darkness will have that affect.' Harry replied as he absently brushed his fringe back, his fingers tracing his scar. He smiled at her before climbing into the carriage, Luna following suit.

As the carriage took off, Harry realised belatedly that it was the five who were at the Ministry last year. As though reading his thoughts, he felt Hermione's hand reach for his, their cloaks covering their hands. Harry returned the pressure, entwining his fingers with hers. The chatter came to a halt as the castle came into view. The huge towers looming over them as they drew nearer. Hogwarts always took Harry's breath away, no matter how many times he'd seen it. As they came to a stop in front of the entrance, they were the last two to exit the carriage.

'You're ok?' Hermione whispered, her breathe tickled his ear as she leaned in. 'You seem a bit pre-occupied.'

Harry offered a smile, 'stop worrying so much, Hermione.' He pulled Hermione towards him, a spring in his step as he dismissed the thoughts of what happened at the ministry. 'Come on, Granger. I'm starving.'


'There's not many.' Ginny whispered from across the table, echoing what everyone else was thinking. As the first years had all just piled in, they noticed there was a significant decline in numbers compared to previous years.

As Harry was scanning the Hall, he caught sight of Draco Malfoy and couldn't help but be surprised. The Slytherin looked considerably different from the last time he'd seen him. He didn't know how it was possible, but he appeared paler and more drawn. His trademark slicked back hair was gone.

'Look at Malfoy,' Harry whispered to Hermione.

'Now, that's a transformation.' Hermione's eyes grew wide. 'Looks like it was a hard summer for him. Oh, look. The Sorting's about to start.' She swivelled in her seat to the front.

Harry didn't really pay attention to the hat as it sung, his eyes continued to scan the hall. When he came to the teachers table, he saw an unfamiliar man sitting beside Flitwick. He continued to look at him until he felt someone's eyes on him, boring into him and he knew at once who it was. His gaze travelled down the table and he met the steely eyes of Professor Snape. His mum's diary came back to his mind at once, but he struggled to connect the two people. The loathsome look Snape reserved just for Harry was present, his greasy black hair a curtain to his pale face and hooked nose.

The sound of clapping roused Harry from his thoughts and he watched as the sorting commenced. Given the small number, it didn't take long until each was directed to their house. Harry tuned out during Dumbledore's speech, it was only when he came to the announcements that Harry focused.

'I have the great pleasure in introducing to you, Professor Slughorn.' A smattering of applause, 'he taught at Hogwarts many years ago and will be taking over the position of Potions master.'

He ignored the mutterings of the Hall that had broken out at that news, 'Professor Snape will taking over the role of Defense Against the Dark Arts.' He and the Slytherin table seemed to be the only ones clapping this news. The three other houses sat silently, gobsmacked.

'Let the feast, begin.' He clapped his hands and plates of food appeared on their tables.

Harry looked around at his friends, and couldn't help but laugh at their expressions. Neville, the worst of the lot, had gone a greenish colour.

'It won't be too bad, Neville.' Harry tried to reassure him, 'Defense is one of your better subjects. At least he won't be hovering over you in Potions anymore.'

'No, he'll be hovering over me in Defense instead.' Neville complained as he miserably picked at some potato.

Ron looked furious, 'I cannot believe Dumbledore would allow it.' He piled a huge chunk of Shepherd's pie onto his plate. 'It's all he's ever wanted.' He nodded toward the high table, 'you'd think he'd look more cheerful considering.'

Harry laughed, his eyes searching for Snape again. 'That is Snape looking happy.' He said. He was supporting a slight smirk as he spoke to Professor Sprout.

'Does anyone know who this Professor Slughorn is?' Hermione wondered, 'I wonder how long ago he taught here.'

Ron shrugged, 'I've never heard of him before.'

'Guess we'll find out soon enough.' Harry shrugged as he loaded his plate with food. 'It'll be an interesting year, that's for sure.'


A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I really look forward to reading them! Keep 'em coming!