Granger, we need to talk
Chapter 14
ACK! Forgot the standard disclaimer!
All known character rights belong to JK Rowling.
Imagine, a trip from London to Scotland on iron rails in less than nine hours?
Will wonders never cease?
Monday, September 7, 1998
There it was. The bright red, gleaming steam engine and string of coaches that would magically transport hundreds of youngsters to their home for the next ten months.
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny had decided for nostalgias sake, to enter platform 9 ¾ through the wall between platforms 9 and 10. They pushed no trolleys ahead of them. No barking owls in cages, no squalling cats accompanied them.
They were Eighth Year students.
Such untidy ways of boarding the train were beneath them.
In other words, they had discovered how the Shrinking Charm could make carrying large, awkward trunks as easy as a Reducio, a wand tap, and put the now small book size trunk in a pocket.
The wall magically `opened' for business at 10:00 A.M. and the four of them strolled through the wall in their muggle clothes at 10:01. A wand tap dropped the Disillusionment Charm showing the foursome in high-quality school robes. Harry, Ron and Hermione's robes had the piping trim on them that would alert the upper classmen that the three of them were considered professors. Ginny's red and gold trimmed Gryffindor robes were adorned with a golden pin with a large "C" engraved on it showing she was the Captain of the Quidditch team. Ron's robes were plain black but flaunting a new pin that looked like a miniature broomstick to show his status as the Flying Instructor for Hogwarts.
"Well, there seems to be a whole lot of no one here now," was Ron's comment on the fact that the platform was deserted at the moment.
The comment earned a glare from Hermione as it was at her insistence that they had arrived so early. Her argument had been that as responsible older students, they had a duty to help make this Hogwarts Express boarding run smoothly. The other three knew what she really meant was that if the new Head Boy and Head Girl bollixed up, Hermione was going to swoop in like an avenging guardian angel to straighten out any problems.
After the three traded smirks at how easily they had wound up Hermione, Ron headed off to claim them a compartment for the trip and Ginny wanted a compartment for the re-born Gryffindor quidditch team.
Two minutes later a soft roaring noise came from the floo fireplace at the far end of the platform. A pair of uniform robed aurors stepped out of the green flames onto the platform. Espying Harry and Hermione they walked over to them obviously intent on asking who they were and why they were there so early. In less than a minute they were close enough to recognize the teens.
"Lord Potter, Miss Granger. I am Senior Auror Jackson and this is my partner Auror Hunter. Lord Vincent Kirkwood, acting head of the DMLE asked us to pass on his compliments and to wish you a productive year in completing your education."
Harry blinked before extending his hand towards the auror. "Please thank Lord Kirkwood for his kind words," he said shaking the two aurors hands.
"For your information, my Lord we will have eight aurors here eventually. The Director feels that is enough for any minor trouble that may occur, yet not so many as to make us look that we are still afraid. And my personal thanks for removing the chance for major trouble that would have kept us afraid."
Harry nodded his head and the aurors turned and walked back towards the floo.
"Well, that was about the best fanboy run-in we've had," remarked Hermione.
"Senior Auror Jackson," Harry called. "Just so you know."
At that, Harry and Hermione both produced a glamour that changed their appearance. They were a simple hair color and small facial changes, but the disguises should hold until the train departed. Hermione had gotten creative with straight medium blonde hair and bright green eyes. Harry went with simplicity. Brown hair, brown eyes.
It only took about two seconds for the auror to catch on. "I understand Lord Potter."
Hermione also transfigured her robes into a light blue short-sleeve jumper with black jeans and black ankle boots. She walked back through the wall as she and Harry had planned a week ago.
Hermione was to make sure the muggleborn, (the Mundaneborn as she insisted they should be called.) had no problems finding and entering through the wall to the platform. Harry stayed where he was as a back-up to keep the mundanes moving to prevent clogging the entrance. Headmistress McGonagall had told them weeks ago that she and the remaining professors were over stretched to fix the castle, plan their classes and perform the usual introductions to the wizarding world for this years muggleborns and the survivors from the Death Eater hunts of those who should have been last years first year muggleborn or halfblood students who had a muggle parent.
Most had successfully hidden, but not all.
Oooooo vvvvvv oooooO
Hermione was becoming increasingly frustrated at the people who just would not believe that all they had to do was walk through the wall between platforms 9 and 10 to the Hogwarts Express. The first half hour had gone fairly smooth as she had time to explain to each family what they had to do. Now with only twenty minutes until the 11:00 A.M. departure, families were starting to pile up at the wall as more Mundane families than usual arrived, and with a slew of Mundane raised Halfbloods, the crowd of people in front of the wall was starting to become hard to hide. Hermione did not dare to cast a more powerful Notice-Me-Not charm around them for fear a mundane family might miss the area entirely.
"I will not ask if there is a problem here," came a familiar voice from behind her. She spun around only to look into a pair of brown eyes that looked familiar for some reason.
She banished the confusing thought.
"Harry, thank Merlin you're here. Can you take over getting people through the wall? You may have to throw some of them," she finished exasperatedly. "I am going to cast a stronger Notice-Me-Not Charm here, then I'll go further down the platform and keep looking for any strays. Suits?"
Harry nodded and after Hermione circled her wand, muttering under her breath, and strode up the concourse, Harry dropped his glamour charm and pasted a smile on his face.
In a raised voice he spoke "Ladies, gentlemen and future Hogwarts students. Can I have your attention?" Pause. "My name is Harry Potter, and I have a train I need to catch. For that to happen I need you to start passing through this barrier onto platform 9 ¾'s."
The shock of seeing THE Harry Potter froze the crowd for a moment, then people surged forward. Harry had positioned himself so that as a person shook his right hand, his left hand on their back pressed them through the barrier. He shook every hand, man woman and child. Every one of them had a smile lighting up their face as they passed the barrier.
"Bloody fame finally has a positive side," Harry thought scathingly.
Two minutes after the last person passed, Hermione came practically running up to Harry.
"Let's go, sluggard," she laughed. "We have two minutes to `catch' that train." For some reason her attitude was infectious. The crowd of parents standing on the platform waving tearful farewell to their children, were treated to the sight of the un-glamoured, very recognizable Lord Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, huge grins on their faces, arm-in-arm, practically skipping along the platform. Laughing, with her bushy pony tail bouncing along, they ran up the last carriage steps just as the engine whistle screamed and the train began to move.
Still grinning like loons, the duo walked up the carriage aisle looking for Ron and whomever else they knew.
Unfortunately for the duo, their weaving run to the train had been seen by scores of students leaning out of the windows waving good-bye to their parents. Therefore, their progress forward through the carriages was slow as many of the older students popped out into the passageway to thank them, shake their hand or just stare at them as they squeezed past.
The now slightly frazzled duo found Ron had a compartment halfway up the string of coaches. Neville and Luna had joined him. Hermione flipped a quick, low powered Notice-Me-Not charm at the door.
At the questioning faces she muttered that their friends should be able to find them. She just wanted to keep the riff-raff away.
The group spent an hour playing catch-up about everybody's week at "home."
Hermione quickly enlarged her book bag and found a book to read. Luna produced a copy of the Quibbler and the three guys started taking about how they were going to teach parts of their classes. Neville quit the conversation when Luna folded her Quibbler, leaned against his shoulder and started to nap. He started blushing when the other two started to give him the universal guy look that says "What have you got going on? Hmmm?"
After a few minutes, Hermione closed her book and proceeded to emulate Luna except she decided Harry's shoulder would be her pillow. With Harry starting to nod, Ron decided to go find Seamus or Dean for some real guy talk.
Oooooo vvvvvv oooooO
Four cars further up the train.
"Yes, he might listen to me if I ask him to give you an audience."
"Would you accept a minor favor as payment?"
"I might perhaps even do it for free."
THAT left the other three females in the compartment with eyes as big as a house elf's. A Slytherin making an effort on someone else's behalf for no return was unheard of.
She continued. "If this introduction allows me continued access to him, I will consider the scales balanced. However besides school, he will have a lot of his time taken by the Wizengamot for their Autumnal Equinox meetings. He has to officially announce himself as Lord Potter and Lord Black to claim his seats on the Wizengamot, Since he will be claiming eight votes in the 'Mot, all for the Light side, my father expects a great deal of . . . infighting during the session."
Her eyes unfocused. "I remember he said the Dark was desperate, and would use any tactics from innuendo to lies to assassination against him."
Silence fell among the three as they contemplated the massive changes the last four months had brought to the world. And they had all been charged with keeping their parents abreast of any information they obtained regarding their year-mate, Harry Potter. All the `old' families were on edge with the swell of changes they feared were coming.
"I would not try talking to him until after the Wizengamot session. Perhaps he will have time then."
Oooooo vvvvvv oooooO
Some children can be fairly resilient, given lack of fear for their families and themselves. There were many conversations that were normal for any year.
"No, that has not changed this year. Quidditch tryouts will be the last week in September," Ginny said.
"Will Ron be our Keeper again?" replied Demelza.
Ginny looked at the kids who were, hopefully, going to be most of the Gryffindor team. Two chasers, Demelza Robins and herself. The pair of beaters from two years ago, Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote.
"No, we will need a new Keeper, Chaser and a Seeker." She said. "Ron will be doing Madam Hooch's job this year. In fact the Headmistress told me Eighth Years will not be allowed on House teams this year."
"What?"
"Why not?"
"That's insane, that is!"
"McGonagall said it was to keep the teams from becoming too top-heavy with seventh and eighth years.
That comment lead to several minutes of silence.
Six compartments further up the train.
"I still can't believe it. I mean after all we went through last year. Just when I thought we could be a normal couple he broke up with me last week! How could he do this to me?" she wailed.
Her friends hugged her and tried to dab at the flowing tears with their handkerchiefs. And they all agreed with her, and each other, that boys were just the stupidest prats in the world.
Not every conversation was as normal.
"Justin! How have you been? It's good to see you. There were a couple of rumors that the snatchers had gotten you." The voice of fellow Eighth Year Wayne Hopkins seemed just a shade too loud, a bit too fast to Justin Finch-Fletchley.
"Hello, Wayne. No, no snatchers for me. In fact, I've only been back less than two months. I took Potter and Grangers advice and most of my family spent the year on Malta. My parents are still afraid of those secretly connected to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, so I could not even go to Hogwarts for the special testing. I merely accepted my class grades from before Dumbledore's death. Haven't really talked to anyone about last year. Was it as bad as I have heard?"
Pause. Hopkins looked away.
"No, it was worse."
Uncomfortable silence descended on the compartment as the four occupants turned their memories inward.
Second car from the end, second compartment.
"Hello, my name is Melinda D'Avignon." When she had the attention of all the occupants in the compartment, she continued. "This badge I'm wearing shows that I am a Sixth Year Hufflepuff prefect. I see nothing but worried faces in this compartment. Could you tell me what the problem is?"
The fear on youngsters faces was terrible to see and had her stomach knotting up.
The smallest, a girl with a mop of brown curls dressed in Ravenclaw colors finally spoke.
"I don't want to go. They hurt us there last year. Are the teachers going to hurt us again?"
Melinda's heart almost broke in two hearing the question. "No. The teachers will not hurt you this year. The bad teachers are all gone."
After a minute of thinking silence. "What about the Slytherins? They going to practice the Crutiatus on us again?" The boy, with Gryffindor colors showing, looked like the older brother of the small girl who had spoken.
Melinda sat down on the end of the seat. It was sit down or fall down as her suddenly weak legs threatened collapse. "I have no idea how to fix this," she thought.
It was almost three hours into the trip, during the prefects meeting in the Heads compartment, that the utter collapse of young student morale became an issue. D'Avignon was not the only prefect who was devastated by the returning second and third year's reaction about the trip to Hogwarts. Even the two Slytherin prefects were in shock over their young house returnees who looked like they wanted to spit in their faces and hex them into oblivion for last year.
No one had a magic spell that could fix the problem. The discussion had been fruitlessly going on for half an hour when the Gryffindor sixth year male prefect finally shouted everyone else down.
"Fencroft or McGeough, at least one of you has to go find the Golden Trio and convince them to make a tour of the train"
The outraged ego driven explosions about how `We did not need any help with this problem. We're the ones selected as prefects,' raged for about a minute before Head Girl Verbena Fencroft let off a near window shattering noise maker from her wand.
"Prefect Nichols, That is a very good idea." She glared around the rest of the compartment.
"The rest of you seem to prefer arguing instead of solving, so Shut It." She continued, "Who has the next patrol?" A pair of seventh years, a Gryff and a 'Puff raised their hands.
"If either of you see the Trio, send me a message. Alright Nichols, it was your suggestion. Let's go find them. McGeough, how about you stay here where someone can find you if there are more problems."
It took them twenty minutes to first find Ron, who after listening to the problem figured this was a situation to be kicked up the command chain to wiser heads, and so took the Head Girl and Nichols to the charmed compartment.
Verbena had to work against showing her shock upon seeing how exhausted four of the wizarding world's foremost heroes looked as they quickly awoke reaching for wands as the door opened.
"Sorry to disturb your kip, mates, but the Head Girl here needs a word or two with you lot." Ron said.
At the words `Head Girl', Hermione's hand just kept on pulling her wand from her sleeve. Harry with a very casual move reached over and pulled her wand hand into his lap, pinning it there.(1)
Luna and Neville looked on with interest. Hermione was attempting to kill Harry with a death glare while unobtrusively trying to free her wand arm from Harry's grip. Harry just looked resigned as a premonition stole over him.
"Lord Potter, there is a problem? A situation? On the train and in my opinion with your help, perhaps we can resolve it," the Head Girl started rather nervously. She went on about the unhappiness and almost terror the younglings had about returning to the castle. When she started into the tortures they had been subjected to, Harry raised his hand cutting off the flow of words.
"Miss Fencroft, what is your solution?"
Verbena took a deep breath. She had no idea what Lord Potter's reaction would be to her request. "If you would, My Lor . ."
"Just Professor Potter will do," Harry interrupted.
That comment not only stopped the flow of words, but left the Head Girl looking flabbergasted.
"You were saying?" prompted Harry after a few seconds of silence.
"If you could perhaps tour the train? Let the kids see that you are really on the train going to Hogwarts. That would help a lot. They will all believe that if Harry Potter will be at Hogwarts this year, nobody will dare hurt them."
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Hermione raised her other hand and stroked the back of her hand down his cheek.
"Needs must when the devil drives, Harry," she said quietly.
The other three knew how much unfurling the banner of his fame would do to him. It was going to be bad enough at the school. This Harry Potter, The-Hero-Who-Walks, could only make it worse.
Since most of the youngest children always seemed to be in the rearmost cars, Harry, Hermione and Ron spent the next three hours slowly making their way from the rear of the train to the front. The Head Girl and a pair of prefects trailed behind often remaining to answer more questions after the Golden Trio had moved on. The questions, usually fearful, were about punishments at the school.
It was heartbreaking. The returning Second, Third and Fourth years could tell horror stories about physical and mental torture that had the trio's gorge rising and only the partial inuring of their own sometimes horrific experiences kept their stomach contents in place.
The new First years were even worse. They had no experience, good or bad, to work from when all the fears of going away to Hogwarts surfaced. Everyone could relate to that fear of that first year of great unknowns. However, than add into the mix the horror stories from older siblings who lived through them, and the youngers then passed the stories on to the true neophytes, and Hermione was frankly surprised half the trains kids weren't catatonic.
Harry could not resist.
He saw Ginny had joined Neville and Luna in their compartment.
As he passed the compartment, he opened the door and asked, "Hello there. I'm Harry Potter and this is Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. I understand you have some worries about going to Hogwarts. Do you want to talk about that?"
Luna and Ginny dissolved into giggles. Neville did a face palm.
"I'll take that as a no. Hermione, Ron, I think we have some tough ones here."
That comment earned some more giggles and a wandless stinging hex from Luna.
"Alright, alright, I surrender. On a serious note, the young kids really, really need some help. Do you three think you could start walking through the train and find any older Quidditch players or DA members? Get one or two of them to a compartment and have them start telling Quidditch stories or prank stories or why cascading rune sets are really brilliant, stories."
The seated trio looked at each other and nodded. Harry smiled, "Thanks."
Oddly, the worshipful progress up the train was not as bad as Harry had feared. Mainly because Hermione and Ron were getting lots of attention also. Ron was getting most of his attention from the Quidditch fans. Apparently The Daily Prophet's articles about the Quidditch pitch re-building had quite a following from the student fanatics. Turned out the man in charge of returning that wondrous sport to Hogwarts had his own fan following.
Hermione had a smaller, yet even more intense set of followers of the brainiac sort. Seems the Brightest Witch of her Age, member of the adventurous Golden Trio, had many awed acolytes ready and eager to follow her footsteps. Finding that she would be an Assistant Professor of Muggle Studies led to several huge sets of eyeballs followed by "Oh, wows."
Harry and Ron smirked at each other at Hermione's obliviousness to the hero worship. Oh, the kids thought it was neat that Harry and Ron would be teaching then DADA and Broom Flying. But, that was sort of the way the world should be. Hermione Granger teaching was exhilarating to the knowledge hounds.
The Heroes Progress slowly inched its way up the length of the Express. The trolley lady somehow managed to get through the crowd. Harry suspected magic was involved. Whenever he found old DA members he repeated his plea for help with the young ones. Most of them nodded and wormed their way back towards the rear of the train.
As the group got further forward, they started finding compartments of older Slytherin's. There they were met with suspicion, dislike, and a few cases of glaring hatred. But nothing verbal. Apparently Draco Malfoy's mush for brains had not been transferred since his death. Those compartments were not asked to contribute people to the young comforters club.
Almost in the last compartment before the prefects room at the very front of the forward most car, Harry found Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, Millicent Bulstrode and a slightly younger, equally stunning, blue-eyed blonde who from the resemblance, was probably the younger Greengrass sister.
Again he repeated his request for help. In this case saying that if they wanted to, they could stick to the Slytherin young, as from their talk, Harry figured the second and third year returnees believed "they were going to be killed by raving hordes of Muggleborns as soon as they stepped through the doors."
Harry had an instant thought that she must have spent too much time in his bed, for as soon as Daphne cocked an eyebrow at him, he knew what she wanted. He spoke softly, "Yes, they do. They are terrified."
Tracey just grinned at him as she rose from her seat and said, "Getting kinda desperate there Potter? Asking Slyther . . excuse me, ex-Slytherins, for an altruistic act?" She mournfully shook her head. "You've finally lost it. My sympathies."
Harry had to grin back. This was the Tracey he liked.
The last several hours of the trip had various members of the DA, and others that Harry and Neville knew, stopping by the compartment to share what had gone on during their `baby sitting' with the young ones. Even those who were like Ginny, and had been the targets of abuse by the Death Eaters and their allies in the school, came by to confess how shocked and dismayed they were by the open fearfulness shown by many under fourth year children.
The ever prepared Hermione Granger had brought this possible problem up to Harry during several of their out of and in-bed-together conversations. And the duo had made some tentative plans in case this happened. Part way through their planning, Harry had grabbed Neville one night and drafted him as one of the leaders of the New-Way-Hogwarts-Was-Going-to-Run. It had taken a couple of evenings of persuasion, and even a regretted-the-next-day late night session with a bottle of Fire Whiskey, before they had the real leader of the DA onboard. This was the plan that had shocked Augusta Longbottom and the Black sisters.
Before reaching Hogsmeade, many of the old DA group had told Harry they would support a decision to bring the problem before the entire school tonight or tomorrow. Any later and "things" could only get worse.
As part of the plan, Harry went back to the compartment occupied by the ex-Slytherins and had a short conversation where he gave her a bare bones description of what he was going to do after the feast, and asked her to bring out her PureBlood Slytherin Ice Princess persona when he needed it.
Oooooo vvvvvv oooooO
"Firs' Years! Firs' Years o'er here! New students, new students o'er here!"
"Thank Merlin some things have not changed," was Harry's thought as Hagrid's booming voice rolled over the Hogsmeade station platform.
The hairy half-giant was holding his lantern high as a beacon for the two groups that were going to take the boat ride that would give them their first dramatic view of the castle.
Harry waved to Hagrid and received a "Har ya, Harry" back.
Harry then turned and rejoined his loose group from the Express for the walk to the carriages that would take them to the castle.
The group picked up on the buzz of general shock with some crying, that swept through the assembled students as almost all the older students could now see the thestrals that pulled the carriages. Harry, because he felt some connection to the thestrals ever since they had ridden them to the Ministry the night that led to Sirius' death, walked up and stroked the face and neck of the closest beast. The skeletal horse shaped creature leaned into the petting with obvious pleasure. Luna led the rest of the group to the creatures and even Ron was able to at least pat one of them.
The Ministry Six piled into the last carriage for the silent ride to Hogwarts.
The only voice during the trip was Harry remarking on how different the trip seemed tonight compared to all the times they had covered it during the summer. The agreement by silence was deafening.
At least the repaired Entrance Hall doors were open with light gleaming through the opening.
Harry looked at the entrance, then looked at Hermione. "Would the Henry V speech about `Once more unto the breach' be appropriate?"
She did not even have the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Yes, Harry. It would be most appropriate. We damned near sealed this doorway once with our English dead."
A/N:
If you read the reviews of this work, you will note Alyx33 has been attempting to
improve my spelling and grammar. I have fixed most everything she noted, and
will edit and repost chapters as soon as I learn how editing/reposting is done.
Thank you Alyx.
I've got to quit reading. Finished this chapter and while working on the next, I read
Marry You by Dorothea Greengrass. (Excellent story) and the similarities between
her chapters 6 & 7 and my 14 and 15 are, depending on your outlook, horrifying,
scary or cue the Twilight Zone theme music.
One - See Chapter 10 right after they decide they will accept McGonagall's offer.
Yes, Harry was Lord Potter-Black last chapter. Very useful for impressing the
PureBloods he wants to make allies, the information is not public yet so he is back
to Lord Potter until his Wizengamot investiture at the Autumnal Equinox assemblage.
Considering this was supposed to be chapter five in my original outline, I think
my skipping rats (plot bunnies) are running wild and reproducing.
Inexperienced writers need to learn discipline.
Sadly I have a learning problem.
This is one of my "I feel good about this chapter" chapters.
Please review, even if it is to like or dislike a certain turn of phrase.
I am growing to enjoy them.
(And yes that is a self-serving, ego boost invitation.)