They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.
"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice.
"Enter Hagrid, yeah!" James cheered, trying to lighten the mood after what they had read, it was hard but at least a few people smiled at him.
Harry, Ron, Leon, and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.
"All right, you four?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Harry, Ron, Leon, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, Harry assumed, by an invisible horse, because when they climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession.
"Always wondered what pulled the carriage." Percy asked out loud, not really expecting an answer.
"You don't really want to know Perce." Leon answered, not bothered by the curious glances thrown his way.
The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. Harry felt better since the chocolate, but still weak. Ron and Hermione kept looking at him sideways, as though frightened he might collapse again, and Leon hadn't said anything at all, looking distantly at anywhere but them.
"Which was both a relief and a little worrying." Harry said, looking at his friend.
"Sorry, I guess I was lost in my own thoughts." Leon excused himself.
As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Harry saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf him again; he leaned back into the lumpy seat and closed his eyes until they had passed the gates. The carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle; Hermione was leaning out of the tiny window, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Hermione, Leon and Ron got out.
As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in his ear.
"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottorn telling the truth? You actually fainted?" Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.
"Why is he telling Malfoy this things?" James frowned.
"He didn't, we were talking about it with Neville and that prat overheard us." Ginny explained, waiting until James relaxed and nodded.
"Oh, yeah that sounds more likely. Little prick." James said.
"For the last time, language!" Molly frowned at him and his daughter who at least had the decency to look ashamed, though not by much.
"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, whose jaw was clenched.
"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly. "Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"
"I bet you almost pissed your pants Malfoy" Leon glared at him
"and you Lupin, I bet you…"
"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.
"Moony to the rescue!" Sirius and James cheered.
"Not a lot changes then. Got a lot of practice from you two." Moony smirked at the two who look back offended.
Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no — er —Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle Leon glared at them as they left, with more anger than Harry had seen since they met.
"I was pretty angry at him, he's an ass and I wasn't feeling well." Said Leon. "I can be excused."
"Sure Lee, we know." Ginny said, patting his back consolingly.
Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the four of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.
The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Harry followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight, when a voice called, "Potter! Granger! Lupin! I want to see you!"
"Why not Ron?" James looked confused.
"Because he knows better than getting into trouble." Mrs. Weasley answered.
"Uh…but they haven't really done anything anyway." Teddy frowned confused.
Harry and Hermione turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles. Harry fought his way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: Professor McGonagall had a way of making him feel he must have done something wrong.
"There's no need to look so worried — I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, Weasley."
"Oh...well that's new." Sirius said, Fred, George, Zania and Adhara seemed to agree with him.
"Only for you lot." Lupin laughed lightly as they again nodded a bit more reluctantly this time.
"Fair enough." Fred said after a second.
Ron stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry, Leon and Hermione away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.
Once they were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned the three of them to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train, Potter."
"Aww Moony come on, why did you snitch? Now the whole school will know." Sirius groaned.
"They school would have known anyway, Malfoy would have told everyone by now." Remus pointed out, shutting Padfoot up.
Before Harry could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.
Harry felt himself going red in the face. It was bad enough that he'd passed out, or whatever he had done, without everyone making all this fuss.
"I'm fine," he said, "I don't need anything —"
"Oh, it's you, is it?" said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring this and bending down to stare closely at him. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?"
Harry could almost feel Leon snickering at that but when he turned he was still looking grim, a ghost of a smile in his lips, quickly disappearing
That wasn't the case right now though, Leon snickering as he looked at Harry.
"Why did she just assume I did something dangerous." Harry complained.
"Gee Harry, I wonder why." Ginny snorted, surprising the boy and avoiding looking at him as almost everyone chuckled.
"It was a Dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall.
They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly.
"Setting Dementors around a school," she muttered, pushing back Harry's hair and feeling his forehead. "He won't be the last one who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate —"
"Oooh right in the ego." James flinched.
"I'm not delicate!" said Harry crossly.
"Of course you're not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking his pulse.
"What does he need?" said Professor McGonagall crisply. "Bed rest? Should he perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"
"I'm fine!" said Harry, jumping up. The thought of what Draco Malfoy would say if he had to go to the hospital wing was torture.
"I still think you should have gone to the hospital wing darling." Mrs. Weasley fretted.
"He'd be the laughing stock for months mom, there's no way he would have agreed." Bill shook his head.
"Well, he should have some chocolate, at the very least," said Madam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into Harry's eyes.
"I've already had some," said Harry. "Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us."
"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"
"Heck yeah! That's our Moony." Once again Sirius and James cheered, Sirius putting an arm around the boy and holding him against his side as he tried to hide his blush.
"Stop it guys." He whined.
"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter?" Professor McGonagall said sharply.
"Yes," said Harry.
"Now, Mr. Lupin, maybe you should spend the night in the hospital wing" said Madam Pomfrey
"No, I'm alright, I just need the usual potions Madam" Leon said trying to smile up at Madam Pomfrey who sighed before nodding and giving him two vials.
"Stubborn boy." Lupin sighed and shook his head.
"Family trait." Romulus and Leon said at the same time, Leon turning to look at him surprised while Romulus simply grinned at him.
"Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together."
Harry and Leon went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, who left for the hospital wing, muttering to herself. Leon took the potions and grimaced
"So, what are those potions?" Harry asked
"Just something for my…illness" he said not looking at Harry. They had to wait only a few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy about something, followed by Professor McGonagall, and the three of them made their way back down the marble staircase to the Great Hall.
"You're being vague on purpose." Lily turned to him, looking concerned.
"Yeah, but it's okay there's nothing to worry about." Leon answered. "By the end of the book there's just no point being vague."
"Halfway through I think." Harry smirks at him."
"Yeah okay, fair enough. Let's continue yeah? We're close to getting to the feast." said Leon.
"Oh boy are we going to hear about food now?" Sirius groaned.
"Yes, now shut up." Lily leaned over to hit him upside the head.
"You didn't tell them to shut up!" He complained and pointed to the two boys. Shutting up once Lily glared at him. "Sorry, please go on Lils."
It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall.
"Oh," said Hermione softly, "we've missed the Sorting!"
"Not that big of a loss." Zania shrugged. "The song is always fun but after all there's just a sea of students."
"It's not that bad." Adhara crossed her arms.
"Yeah, but still I only want to eat by that point and the firsties never seem to end." She sighed.
Professor McGonagall strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table, and Harry, Leon and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Gryffindor table. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Harry. Had the story of his collapsing in front of the Dementor traveled that fast? He knew he shouldn't be surprised but still, he felt apprehensive.
"Rumors fly fast in every school, I can only imagine how much faster they travel in boarding school." Romulus shook his head.
"You have no idea." Harry sighed.
The three of them sat down with Ron, who had saved them seats.
"What was all that about?" he muttered to Harry.
Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and he broke off.
Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy.
"Ah, good old Dumbly." Sirius grinned.
"Sirius, please, I'm begging you…please shut up."
"Anything for you Lilykins."
He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Harry respected him. You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as Harry watched him beaming around at the students, he felt really calm for the first time since the Dementor had entered the train compartment.
"Yeah he just has that effect on people." Ginny said, everyone around that knew the man nodding along.
"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "To another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…"
Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."
"Which is stupid and I can't imagine any parent agreeing on that." Lily frowned.
"Well I know for sure I did not approve." Mrs. Weasley agreed with her.
"No one approved, not Dumbledore, not the staff, no one." Lupin told them. "From what I understand it was the ministry who insisted and there was little Dumbledore could do."
"That doesn't sound like it belongs near children." Romulus shuddered.
He paused, and Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school.
"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises — or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.
Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from Harry, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively.
"Okay…maybe I might be taking a little too far." Percy admitted, blushing at the look all his brothers gave him.
"A little?" The twins chorused unbelievingly.
Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.
"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.
"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause.
Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Harry among them.
The room seemed to be making up for the lack of enthusiasm, clapping and wooing for their friend, even the Weasley's seemed to be cheering for their professor, both Remus' smiling and blushing at it, the younger one more so than the older.
Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.
The twins, Adhara, Zania, Fred and George clapped enthusiastically and wolf whistled and he smiled at them, eyes twinkling.
"Look at Snape!" Ron hissed in Harry's ear.
"I still can't believe Snivelus is a teacher." Sirius grimaced.
"He must be a terrible one." James agreed.
"He is." Lupin told them.
"Worst teacher in the history of teaching." Harry said.
"Okay that's enough, let's just continue yeah?" Lily sighed, letting James drape and arm around her shoulders soothingly.
Professor Snape, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry, who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. it was beyond anger: it was loathing. Harry knew that expression only too well; it was the look Snape wore every time he set eyes on Harry.
"Yeah I can't imagine he would be happy to see me there." Remus sighed, shaking his head as Sirius placed a hand on his knee.
"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."
"What? No way!/Yeah! You go Hagrid!" Sirius and James cheered loudly, a sentiment echoed by mostly everyone in the room.
"Hagrid? Isn't he the guy with the weird animals you mentioned?" Romulus asked Harry, who nodded happily "Uh…well sounds like it's a fitting job."
"Yeah, he's the best if only a little...unusual." Leon said after a bit of hesitation.
"Sounds promising." Romulus chuckled.
"He's great, he was still a teacher when we went to school." Teddy grinned. "He's pretty old now though so we didn't get to see some of the animals he talked about."
Harry, Leon, Ron, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Harry leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.
"We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"
Harry, Ron, Leon and Hermione were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.
"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"
"Speaking of, is anyone else hungry?" Ron asked and looked around, seeing that only Sirius was agreeing with him and looking almost disappointed.
The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Harry, suddenly ravenous, helped himself to everything he could reach and began to eat.
It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Harry, Leon, Ron, and Hermione, however, were eager for it to finish so that they could talk to Hagrid. They knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been Harry, Ron, Leon and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid's name last year.
"Of which I am so proud." Lily smiled. "But I still think you boys should be more careful."
"I agree with you darling, they need to be more careful." said Molly.
"We are careful." Harry complained.
At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and they got their chance.
"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as they reached the teachers' table.
"All down ter you four," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them. "Can' believe it… great man, Dumbledore… came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough… It's what I always wanted…"
Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed them away.
"You guys are so sweet." Lily cooed, re-reading that last sentence for herself again.
"Uh thanks mom/Mrs. P" The golden quartet chorused, Leon and Hermione happily and Ron and Harry a bit more sheepish and blushing slightly.
The four of them joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower, where a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress asked them, "Password?"
"Coming through, coming through!" Percy called from behind the crowd. "The new password's Fortuna Major!"
"Oh no," said Neville Longbottom sadly. He always had trouble remembering the passwords.
"Poor kid, he kind of reminds me of Peter." James hummed, looking at his friends and not noticing the dark looks from the boys.
"Why didn't you bring Peter by the way?" Remus asked the two boys.
"Oh…he wasn't with you when we brought you, and it takes a lot of energy that we didn't have so we didn't." Remmy explained.
"If you want him here we'll bring him next once we recuperate." Teddy said calmly, glancing over at Harry and company.
"Can we bring Luna as well? She's a good friend and.." Ginny started.
"Yeah, of course, we wanted to bring her as well." Remmy agreed.
Through the portrait hole and across the common room, the girls and boys divided toward their separate staircases. Harry climbed the spiral stair with no thought in his head except how glad he was to be back. They reached their familiar, circular dormitory with its five four-poster beds, and Harry, looking around, felt he was home at last.
"That's the end of the chapter." Lily sighed and looked around. "That was…intense. But I'm glad you're finally at Hogwarts."
"Everyone is, now the real fun can begin." Teddy smiles at her as she passed on the book. "We can read another couple of chapters before lunch, shouldn't take us long."
"Won't take us long if we stop with the interruptions." Mr. Weasley said amused.
"Yeah, true." Remmy nodded.
"Alright so next chapter is.."
—
Hey! I'm sorry I don't even have an excuse for forgetting about this, but I promised myself I would end this and I will, hopefully you'll still want to read this. It's in two parts since it got a bit long and I couldn't upload it together but here you go, two chapters in one. I hope you enjoy them and if I can I'll put them together soon.
I meant to say this before but never did, in regards of ships.
I'll do the ones I mentioned in previous chapters as endgames but on top of that there will be
Charlie/Leon
Harry/Leon
Harry/Draco
Any ship that is mentioned in the book is still more or less canon, obviously Harry/Ginny won't be endgame in my fic though, since I prefer Drarry.
Remus/Tonks in the books
And I'll see about more but I'm open to suggestions as always, some of you actually wanted Harry/Percy and I'm somewhat interested in that.
Anyway, thanks for your patience and I hope to have another chapter by the end of the month or maybe next month, but I am not abandoning this fanfiction!