A/N: This chapter had a mistake in the last section where I mistakenly wrote Dumbledore instead of Voldemort…the mistake has been rectified and sorry if it bothered anyone…thanks to the reviewers for bringing this to my attention when they mentioned their confusion over the last section…apologies for the mistake…
00000
"Harry!"
Harry turned to see it was Hermione. She came running towards him, engulfing him in a tight hug. "Hey, Hermione," Harry said looking at her. "How was your summer?"
"Fun," she said. "We went to France and had lots of fun. What about you?"
"It was boring to be honest," Harry said. "Had to deal with a lot of family business…politics and inheritance stuff and all. I wish I could've gone somewhere to enjoy just like you did."
"Is he the one?" Hermione's father said as he and her mother approached them. "Are you Harry? Hermione told us a lot about you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Dr and Dr Granger," Harry said.
"A boy with manners," Mr Granger said. "You don't see that everyday do you?"
"Harry's a lord, dad," Hermione said.
"Really?" her mother said looking at Harry with wide eyes.
"Not really…" Harry said, running his hand over his hair.
"No, he really is," Hermione said.
"I never realized that," Mr Granger said as he stepped back a little and eyed Harry from top to toe. "Well, it's an honor to meet you, Lord Potter."
"Don't make this uncomfortable for me, Dr Granger," Harry said. "Even I don't like that title myself but I have to live with it. I suppose you guys met Bart?"
"That lovely old man," Mrs Granger said. "It was fun meeting him at the beginning of last year here."
"You're in luck," Harry said. "He will be here any moment."
Just than Bart apparated beside them causing Hermione's parents to jump in surprise. Bart dusted off his attire. He looked as if he'd had a roll on a grass field. There were pieces of grass hanging on to him. He was obviously in his 'old disguise' for Hermione's parents and Hermione who only knew him this way. He and Harry had no intention of changing that.
While Hermione's parents engaged in a casual random conversation with Bart Harry and Hermione boarded the express and found an empty compartment to settle in for the eight hour long journey to Hogwarts. Soon enough they were joined in by Neville. Draco only peeked in for a moment before heading ahead towards the first class where rich kids or more accurately Slytherin kids sat.
As they chatted along the train gave the final whistle before beginning its journey to Hogwarts. Goodbyes were shared as the train left the station. Everyone settled in confortable and Draco joined in an hour later. It was understandable as he had another reputation to maintain back in his house although he told them that the Slytherin house had started to suspect that he was actually friends with Harry and others. still they couldn't do anything because of Draco's father's influence over the dark pure blood families which almost comprised the entirety of house Slytherin.
They talked, laughed and discussed their experiences and adventures throughout the summer. Draco kept silent most of the time. Neville had opened up more towards the others and everyone appreciated this new side of him. Half way through the journey there was a light tap on the door and the four of them wondered who it could be. They had applied privacy charms so as to not be disturbed. Perhaps a first year, maybe.
Hermione got up and opened the door to see a red haired girl she'd never seen before. Definitely a first year, maybe. "Yes?" she asked.
The young girl ignored her point blank and peeked inside. Her eyes immediately found and fixed on Harry as she smiled innocently and a bit seductively towards him which made her look completely weird by the other occupants inside the compartment. Neville even shivered as he felt an uncomfortable shill run down his smile when he saw that girl's expression.
"I was wondering of there was an empty enough place for me," the girl said. "Everywhere else is full."
Hermione turned towards others. no one said anything. Draco sighed and got up, walked towards the door. Hermione stepped aside, looking at him for a moment as Draco took her place, stared down at the girl. "As you can see this compartment is full. Sorry, we don't have enough space for you. I hope you understand."
The girl looked at Harry, smiling once more, sending Neville into that catatonic state momentarily once more before apologizing to them and Draco as she left them to their own devices. Draco closed the door and re-applied the privacy charms, a much stronger layer this time.
"She freaked me out," Neville said.
"Who makes a face like that?" Draco said as he sat beside Hermione this time who shifted a little away from him. Draco looked at her before ignoring her causing her to open her mouth in mild surprise but she collected herself. She could not let others know about it yet. Unknown to her Harry and Neville secretly smiled at Draco who smiled back at them.
"She looked familiar, though," Neville said. "I can't happen to ignore that ridiculously familiar shade of red that her hair was."
"Weasely," Draco said flatly. Everyone looked at him. "It's her, Ginerva Molly Weasely, the youngest Weasely and a precious one of her entire family."
"She's starting this year?" Neville asked. Oh, yeah. I forgot."
"Ron's sister?" Hermione asked. She then looked at Harry who'd already figured it out according to her. He looked back at her and shrugged.
"It seems they're persistent," Harry said.
"That smile was not normal!" Neville said.
"Yup," Draco said folding his hands together. "Looks like you've got yourself a charmer, Potter."
Harry sighed tiredly. "I don't want to deal with any of this right now," he said much to Draco's pleasure who was smiling wide. "Let's just head to Hogwarts." He leaned on his berth comfortably and closed his eyes. He wanted to get some sleep because he didn't know if he'd be able to get some tonight. He had received something from his godfather which Harry's father and his friends had made back when they were students. He knew what he had to do this year and he was a bit nervous about it not because he thought he couldn't do it but because he thought he might endanger some innocents' lives so he had to be completely sure about it.
Reaching Hogwarts they boarded off the train and looking at the seniors headed towards where the carriages waited for them. Harry completely ignored the thestrals as he got on the carriage with the rest of them and headed towards Hogwarts.
Dinner feast was entertaining seeing the first years nervously being sorted into different houses as Harry and others enjoyed their meals. The red haired girl was Ron's sister and when she learnt that Harry was not in Gryffindor like she was she was visibly sad as she looked at Harry sitting at the Gryffindor table. she soon came to know from Ron that Harry didn't represent any house in particular since he was an emancipated minor.
Hermione came to know that she will be sharing her dorm with Ginny. She found surprise there as she didn't know different year students could have the same dorms. Her other dorm mates were also confused but Ginny wasn't. She ignored Hermione just like in the train and headed for her bed.
Morning hit with the students getting their new term's schedules during breakfast. Everyone who was in the study group got to know that they will be continuing starting that evening. This time they hoped to be a bit ahead of the class schedules and the professors couldn't be happier about it, especially Flitwick and McGonagall who, of course, didn't show her happiness on her face but inside she was giggling with joy and pride.
Dumbledore had surprisingly left to go somewhere the very next morning after Harry and others' arrival the last night. McGonagall told them some random excuse which Harry didn't even seem to bother. It was better that Dumbledore wasn't in the castle. He would, however, have to scan every corner of his living quarters because he was absent from it for the remaining of the summer and he knew Dumbledore had access to his quarters. He couldn't do so last night because he was actually tired and had fallen asleep as soon as he had hit the bed.
Once the classes were over Harry was approached by Ginny who skipped high enough so that her skirt which was already about an inch or two above her knees would move even up with hopes that Harry would notice her fair young and fresh legs and feel something about it. She was, however, disappointed that he didn't respond to her quirks and simply kept walking. She didn't let it show on her face though as she had been told by her mother to expect things like this.
"Harry, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.
"What is it?" he asked without looking at her and kept walking towards his quarters.
"I was wondering if I could join the study group," she said.
"Follow me," Harry said. She looked at him for a moment thinking if this really was that easy as Harry led her towards his quarter's entrance where already a group of students were standing. Many were coming as well. She didn't expect this. Harry placed his hand on the mural which was on the door and it swung open. He then stepped aside for everyone else to enter after which he entered as well. he left the door open like he did every time as long as the group was in session.
Soon her was joined in by Hermione, Neville and Draco who all were informed by him about Ginny's intention of joining the group. Hermione presented her with the contract which she read and although she understood the risks that were involved if she signed on the paper she did either way and submitted it to Hermione who than officially welcomed her to the group. After that Ginny was told to go to the common area where everyone else was. She did so hoping that Harry would soon join them all but he didn't. She waited and waited until she realized that everyone was done. She couldn't believe it. He hadn't showed up! she looked at her brother Ron who seemed to have recognized her confusion was beamed at her which made her fume even more.
She then asked a student beside her about that and he said that Harry and others rarely studied with them. Unless someone had doubts the rest of the students in the group couldn't solve they didn't show their face. Apparently Harry and his small group of friends or allies as some Slytherins referred studied in one of the private rooms of Harry's quarters.
Ginny couldn't believe it. "Enjoyed your first day?" Ron's words only made things worse for her. Needless to mention she went to the owlery that night after dinner and wrote a lengthy letter to her mother explaining the betrayal she was feeling because of what Harry had done with her. Those two were supposed to be together. That's how it had to be!
00000
Voldemort could not believe what he saw. She was smiling standing behind him, a smile of satisfaction over his confusion and horror. The stench of decayed flesh covered the air around them but that didn't bother any of the two. Over the weeks he had finally managed to find the horcrux he never intended to make. With failures at every step whenever he tried to look for the anchor's location he had finally found it in one of his own memories of that fateful night of Halloween.
In front of him on the ground lay a decaying body of Peter Pettigrew. The muggle authorities had found the man and finding no information as to who he was they had buried him in the public cemetery not far from Godric's Hollow. He just had a tombstone with nothing written on it signifying he had died and the authorities had failed to figure out who he was. Only the date of his death was engraved and nothing else.
"Is it still there?" she asked.
Voldemort sat on his knees as he waved his hand over Pettigrew's now unrecognizable face. An eye popping out had maggots crawling inside it just like the rest of his body. Most of him was gone as he, too, was caught up in that explosion, dying instantly. He never was a man of endurance. His animagus represented him accurately – a rat like he was – a rat.
"It is here," Voldemort said, "my seventh horcrux."
00000
A/N: Small chapter…
Thanks for reading…