DISCLAIMER: THE BOOK BELONGS TO J. I HAVE ONLY BORROWED BOTH CHARACTERS AND PLOTLINE.

CHAPTER 56

They stood waiting outside on the platform for those few minutes, just talking and hanging around, till the announcement for the train's departure could be heard over the speakers. Lily and James had dropped them off at the station and had left already because James was still not feeling that good.

Standing amongst the growing crowd of people Harry discovered how much of the school had changed in one year.

Darren was receiving his usual quota of the 'Boy Who Lived' loving, but was not really participating in it because he was deep in conversation with Cho Chang. The big difference was that this year there were several girls who had joined the fray, some even older than him in the crowd, who were fawning all over his handsome and charming self calling out lurid stuff at him that would have made anyone blush with embarrassment all the while shooting murderous looks in Cho's way.

What started to really get to Harry though was that some of those girls seemed to think even he was also okay with the attention as well. They were looking at him like as if his going to 'France' had changed their perspective of him, like he was now hot stuff.

Trying to avoid them by keeping a little distance between him and his famous brother who kept shooting apologetic glances his way, he stood leaning against a pillar and stared into nothingness.

Suddenly he felt a stinging sensation when someone whacked him on the head taking advantage of his pre-occupied state. Blinking, he realized that he was looking directly into Draco's grey eyes that were rimmed with thick, dark lashes. He was as tall as Harry and equally striking to look at, but while Harry tried to pretend that he was another run-of-the-mill person, Draco flaunted it, smirking and waving at his friends while ruffling his silvery blond hair.

It was only in front of Harry that his smile became more genuine somehow and less flashy, right at that moment however he was looking at Harry with a hint of worry in his eyes and said "Last compartment" and walked away before he could respond.

Harry had avoided sitting with the golden trio since he was still feeling uncomfortable around them. His depression had remained with him during the holidays, but now he wanted to get over it, so he chose to sit with Ginny whom he'd found increasingly easier to hang out with, and Neville and Luna instead.

Half an hour into the journey he made his excuses and walked up to last cabin of the train and slid the door open to find Draco reading some book with his legs stretched out in front of him. When he looked up and saw Harry he put the book down and sat up straighter, "Okay spill" he said, with a look of concern coming over his face.

"Hi! Harry nice to see you, by the way how have you been? " Harry said laughingly, and sat down on the opposite berth.

Rolling his eyes at him, Draco said "That is what I'm trying get out of you numbskull" causing Harry's eyebrows to rise comically "You don't look so happy to be back and I want to know why!"

"Depressed" Harry said looking away, and that one word wiped the smirk off Draco's face, replacing it with a little 'O' of surprise since he had never been vocal about his feelings before.

"Why? Missing the Academy?" Draco asked carefully.

No, I miss Darren!"

"Huh? But…" Draco said looking confused.

"Yeah, I know I live with him, so how could I miss him right? But he's been a bit different lately, not bad different" he assured him immediately, "Just, I dunno…he's seems like a stranger to me now."

"A stranger?" Draco asked skeptically.

"Yeah…no it's like he's cordoned himself off from other people, like the year spent away from him actually made the distance between us grow wider. He thinks that if there is a war in the future I'm just going to be a liability, he won't even trust me to take care of myself now and it's making me feeling pretty useless."

"Crap! Harry isn't that what you wanted? Didn't you want him to be unaware of your support? Of course he doesn't come to you for help, it's because you never openly offered it! Maybe he needs something or someone to depend on right now before he can offer assurances himself, and Ron and Hermione have been there for him like that all of last year" Draco said noticing that Harry sank lower into his berth.

"I know" He whispered "I know it's my fault that I feel like an outsider. Before, he used to tell me what was going on with him, but now it's like he doesn't think it's necessary. You want to know something? I was so alone in the holidays I almost told him everything about me! I came so close to breaking the oath they made us take in the Academy!"

Draco looked alarmed and then realized that Harry was a rational person and sometimes maybe too rational in that he seemed older than his years, he knew without the shadow of a doubt that he would never jeopardize his own plans to protect Darren just for a few minutes of happiness.

Getting up from his berth he walked over to his carry-on and pulled out a box from it, silently giving it to the downcast boy who looked quizzically at it. Opening the lid Harry peered inside and gave Draco a huge smile. Nestled inside the box was a huge piece of a dark chocolate cake with raspberry compote drooling from its sides!

"Thought you might like it!" Draco said rather smugly, "It was made in this famous café in France that mother and I frequented, I fell in love with it after I'd eaten the first bite of it! I thought you would like it too so I got you a piece as well, the preservation charms on the container have kept it fresh."

Extricating the small fork that had been packed along with it, Harry took a huge bite of the desert and shut his eyes; a blissful look stealing over his face.

Ah! Finally he felt better, not just because of the cake, but because after feeling so inadequate the entire duration of the holidays, even this small gesture made him remember why the whole of the last year had not been in vain, he was grateful that Draco had thought about him at all on vacation, and slowly he became happier and all smiles as he devoured that sinful pastry.

The rest of the journey they spent discussing how they should pick up Animagus training and how they would have to find some secluded place to practice their fighting skills.

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They finished eating their dinner at Hogwarts, feeling a bit weird at being back to their old school and amongst their old friends, and were waiting for Dumbledore's familiar welcome speech.

Sitting next to Cho, Harry actually felt a bit uncomfortable because he knew that she and Darren had been dating, but due to some stupid fights they'd been having last year, they had decided to hold things off till school had resumed, so Harry didn't know how she would take to him being all friendly like.

But, he need not have worried because she hugged and welcomed him back warmly, saying that she missed him, it was almost as if they had decided that no matter what, Darren was a topic that the two of them would never be discussing together and that made Harry feel only relief.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts "Dumbledore's voice sounded over the noise in the Great Hall "As usual the same rules apply to all students irrespective of class, no going into the forbidden forest, it is for your own safety after all."

"Also last year Professor Lupin who had kindly agreed to being a temporary teacher for the DADA class has been replaced this year, please welcome Professor Alastor Moody in his stead" he said gesturing at a weathered looking man with a crazy, blue revolving eye on one side and a stump for his leg, he grunted and took a swig from his hip flask and sat back down.

"I'm very excited to inform you about an important event that will be taking place in Hogwarts this year, the 'Tri-wizard tournament'!" He said, and waited patiently till the answering noise had reduced, "It is the first time that we are holding it after nearly a hundred years due to some causalities in the past which hopefully will not repeat this year as well."

"All students from fourth year onwards are allowed to go through the selection process to participate in the competitions, but do so knowing that once you have been selected there will be no chance of backing out."

He beckoned at Professor McGonagall to come forward, and waited until she was standing at the very center of the hall holding onto a wooden goblet, "This goblet is the impartial judge that will receive your names and select three champions from this school based solely on their merits and they will be facing three very difficult tasks that they will have compete in using all of their skills. No underage wizard will be permitted to attempt trying as there will be an age line preventing it from happening anyway."

"Starting from today you have three days to decide and put your names in, you may do so at any time of the day if you wish to do it discreetly. Now, kindly return to your dormitories and think about it slowly, and lastly before I forget the prize money will be thousand galleons!"

The last statement had everyone discussing excitedly about whether they should join in or not, Harry walked up to Draco and asked him if he was joining, Draco shook his head and said "No, dad asked me to keep a low profile at school this year and not to draw any unnecessary attention to myself, what about you?"

"Me? Nah! After all that fighting last year I just want to chill this year and hopefully finish of the Animagus thing."

Wishing each other goodnight they split up and walked towards their respective dormitories when Harry saw Darren waiting for him in the corridor, "Hey what's up?" Harry asked surprised,

"You putting your name in for this thing?" His brother asked, looking a bit worried.

"Nope! You?" Harry said noting with a tiny hint of irritation that Darren looked happier and relieved.

"Good! I was hoping you'd say that, apparently this competition is scary and people have died during the games, don't want that happening to you now right? I can't participate myself because Dumbledore has asked me to concentrate on my training instead" Darren said looking a bit wistful about it, "Ron and Hermione are trying out though."

"Right, tell them I said best of luck" Harry said smiling a bit stiffly.

"Yeah, will do! Goodnight."

" 'Night."

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