A/n: Things are about to get crazy, but for now, here's a fluffy chapter about the return trip to Hogwarts. Enjoy and please review! (Also check out my other stories if you haven't, I just updated one!)
Things had been tense between Ron and Harry since the party; despite Harry's compliance with his father's wishes of apologizing to his best friend, Ron was reluctant to accept it. Harry had voiced this to Sirius the following day when everyone had gone to Diagon Alley, and Sirius had thought that perhaps Ron felt guilty for his own words against Harry.
Currently, though, Harry did not have to worry about the awkwardness that still lingered between his best mate and him, because he was sitting in a compartment on the Hogwart's Express alone while Hermione and Ron were in a prefect's meeting.
For the first time in his life, Harry was actually dreading returning to Hogwarts - last year had been horrible with the Tournament and he felt like the worst was yet to come with Voldemort's return. He was already contemplating skipping the opening feast and just sleeping in his father's quarters for the evening.
A crash and "TREVOR!" broke Harry out of his musings.
"Sorry, Harry," Neville said, stepping into the compartment with Ginny at his heels. "Trevor almost flew out the window, my fault for not having a good grip on him, I suppose."
Harry chuckled as the two sat down. "It's alright, it was getting pretty boring in here anyway."
"Ron still being a prat?" Ginny asked, helping herself to one of Harry's Caldron Cakes.
Harry chuckled again and nodded. "He couldn't even look at me when we left Grimmauld Place this morning. I mean, I apologized… I'm not really sure what else he wants me to do, shine his prefect badge?"
Ginny and Neville laughed, but Harry felt slightly guilty for making a joke about his best mate - even if said best mate would barely look him in the eye.
Once Ginny composed herself, she just shook her head. "I don't think it's from what you said, Harry. I heard him talking to dad about it, he feels really guilty for what he said to you - reckons you had a right to be pretty angry with him and the fact that you apologized threw him off guard."
"Yeah, well my dad made me… although I did act like a bit of a prat too." Harry said fairly, looking out the window at some cows they were passing.
"Ginny told me about that, it was a little harsh for Sirius to make you stay home from Diagon Alley, don't you think? I mean, Ron did kind of provoke your reaction," Neville said boldly, looking at Harry for confirmation.
Harry smiled and shook his head. "That wasn't for cursing at Ron, he made me stay home because I cursed at him too… I tried to tell him he's the one that taught me the words in the first place, but he wasn't very impressed with that answer."
Ginny and Neville laughed again, then turned their heads as their compartment door opened back up.
"Hello," a small, blonde haired girl said, stepping inside. "Do you all mind if I sit in here? Every compartment is full and no one wants me to sit with them."
"Of course, Luna. Harry, Neville, this is Luna Lovegood, she's in my year. Ravenclaw, right?" Ginny said, scooting over in her chair to make room.
"Oh yes, my entire family has been in Ravenclaw. Dad is currently working on recreating her lost diadem out of flowers and wrackspurt droppings." Luna said, so confidently that Harry almost missed her last couple of words.
"Er- wrackspurts?" Harry asked, eyeing Ginny and Neville to see if they were also confused.
"Oh yes, they're all over the garden where dad and I live," Luna said conversationally.
"So, Harry, how was your summer?" Ginny asked, looking to Neville for help.
Harry smiled slightly at her - she stayed with him ever since his trial in Grimmauld Place, so she knew exactly how his summer went. He was getting the idea that Luna wasn't Ginny's favorite person to talk to.
"It was pretty lousy." Harry said with a shrug. "But at least Fudge is gone."
"Oh, I agree." Luna added with a nod. "He always said The Quibbler was rubbish, I suppose he had too many nargles clouding his mind."
"Gran says The Quibbler is rubbish too," Neville added, thoroughly confused at Luna.
Luna's serene expression didn't change at Neville's quip - she merely shrugged and added under her breath, "your head must be full of them too, then."
Neville looked at Harry, surprised, and Harry couldn't help but chuckle at him. He missed his friends, but he didn't mind the company of Luna, Ginny, and Neville - it was, at least, more interesting than sitting in a compartment by himself.
Things were awkward between Harry and Ron on the carriage ride up to the castle, but not just because of the previous day's events. When the carriages had first approached, there was a horse-bird hybrid pulling them. They were sinister looking, with skull-like faces and large, bat-shaped wings, but yet they didn't appear to be threatening. When Harry asked Hermione what she thought they were, she said she couldn't see them - Ron looked positively frightened, like he thought Harry was going over the deep end.
"You-you mean you guys can't see them?" Harry asked incredulously, surveying the closest one.
"Harry… there isn't anything there." Hermione pointed out, sounding concerned. Ron refused to meet Harry's gaze.
After this, Harry himself was concerned for his own sanity, so he bid Hermione and Ron farewell before retreating to Sirius's quarters once they arrived to the castle. Hermione had seemed hesitant to leave Harry alone, but his mind was made up and Ron was urging her forward towards the food.
Harry sat on the couch in the living room between his dad's room and his, and he requested for Dobby to bring him some food from the feast. Once he had eaten, he laid back on the couch and waited for Sirius to come back.
"Harry! Harry!" Harry was shaken awake and met with Sirius's worried gaze.
"You scared the hell out of me, pup." Sirius said, shaking his head. "The entire feast I was wondering where you were. Hermione told me of course, afterward, but I was ready to run out of the hall when I realized you weren't there tonight. Hogwarts or not, you know things are dangerous now."
Harry looked away guiltily. "Sorry," he mumbled.
Sirius's worried expression softened and he nodded. "What's got you bothered?"
"Ron," Harry said quietly. "He still will barely look at me. Ginny reckons he feels guilty too, but it's driving me crazy. I was glad he was a prefect so I didn't have to ride the train with him today… can I spend the night here tonight? I'll go back to the dorm tomorrow I just don't want things to be weird with everyone and-"
"Breathe, kiddo, of course you can. I see you've already eaten." Sirius smirked, gesturing towards the empty plate of leftovers from the feast.
Harry nodded and sighed, sitting up straight and avoiding Sirius's gaze. Sirius crinkled his brow and reached a hand over to grasp Harry's shoulder, but Harry shrugged him away.
"Harry," Sirius said warningly, cupping his son's face so he would look him in the eye.
Harry breathed deeply for a second, and then shook his head. "What's wrong with me? I keep lashing out at people for no reason, like I have this anger and I don't know where it's coming from… and, today, at the carriages, I saw something, a creature Hermione and Ron couldn't see - am I going mad?"
"First, nothing's wrong with you and you're not going mad." Sirius bit the inside of his cheek at the small lie - if the horcrux business was true, then there was something wrong, but Sirius refused to worry his son with that. He wouldn't let it affect him. "Second, you saw a thestral. I can see them too, and so can most of the faculty here. I believe Hagrid will cover them for your OWLs when he gets back from his Order mission, but people who have witnessed death can see them."
"You-you've witnessed death?" Harry asked, wide-eyed. "And, how come I haven't been able to see them before? I saw mum…"
Sirius looked at Harry sadly. "I've witnessed a few deaths in my lifetime, both from the dark family I grew up in and the first war. And, I think the reason you never saw them before is because you don't consciously remember your mother dying."
"I mean, I used to have nightmares about it, before I even knew I was a wizard. I could vividly see Voldemort and the green light… and I heard her scream in the dementor attacks. Nothing adds up…" Harry mumbled, looking away again.
Sirius wanted to scream - the horcrux theory was becoming more and more plausible. How else could Harry vividly remember a time before he was two years old? He couldn't keep lying to his son, especially when he was basically asking him… but he refused to plague him with the truth just yet. "I'm sorry puppy, The Order is working hard to try and figure all this out and help you. Seeing as we can't do anything about it right now, do you want a butterbeer? It might help you relax some before bed. You've got charms and defense tomorrow, and I've heard both of those professor's are very strict, so you should get some rest." Sirius smirked as Harry chuckled and ruffled his godson's hair. "It will be okay, you'll see."
Harry nodded and leaned into his father, looking up at him with eyes full of trust - it made Sirius want to cringe away, knowing he was keeping something important from his boy. Harry would hate him if Dumbledore's horcrux theory turned out to be true, they always told each other everything.
Sirius shook his head as he retrieved the butterbeers from the fridge. He was doing it to protect his son, and if that protection meant keeping something from him, then it was a small price to pay for his son's safety and happiness, he decided. Harry would hear it from him immediately if the theory proved to be true, but until then, there was no point in worrying his son further.
Sirius brought the drinks back to the living room where Harry was sitting and handed his son one. He wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders and kissed the boy's temple. "I'm going to keep you safe, okay?"
Harry looked up at him curiously, but nodded. "Whatever you say, Siri." He said jokingly, avoiding the swat his dad sent at him for the cheek.
"Oi! You sound like you doubt my abilities, Har-bear." Sirius said, knowing the nickname would get a rise out of his son.
"Don't call me that! Unless you want to be known as Professor Snuffles throughout Hogwarts?" Harry asked, dodging his godfather's playful jab.
"Off to bed with you, then!" Sirius said with a bark-like laugh, gently pushing his son. "Cheeky little rascal."
"It's only nine!" Harry said in a playfully indignant manner.
"Oh, of course, I forgot to sing you a lullaby. You can't go to sleep until you're graced with my beautiful singing voice- OI!" Sirius yelled as Harry ran off to his room. Sirius used magic to prevent Harry from shutting his bedroom door and followed him inside. "Perfect, so you just get situated in your four-poster and I'll start singing."
"Dad!" Harry exclaimed good-naturedly, rolling his eyes.
Sirius smirked and walked over to where Harry was sitting on the edge of his bed He sat beside him and threw an arm around his shoulders. "Should have known you'd get too old to put up with my parenting. Just don't forget your old man when you're off on your honeymoon with your wife and making millions of galleons in your successful career-"
"If I let you sing one verse, will it shut you up?" Harry asked with a laugh.
"I suppose so," Sirius said, grinning as Harry leaned back and got under his covers. "Ready?"
Harry nodded and closed his eyes, turning to face where his dad was sitting on the bed and curling up around him. Sirius stroked Harry's bangs back tenderly, and sang the first verse of the lullaby that brought back happy memories of times long gone.
"When I am down, and oh my soul so weary…"
