Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe belongs to JK Rowling

Chapter Thirteen:

Later that night Ron and Harry were bunked down in Harry's room with only a lamp on so the adults would think they were sleeping. Ginny and Lauren were also present as Harry was busy recounting to the three of them what had happened the night before with the house elf named Dobby.

"And so I get into bed and that's when I see these great yellow eyes staring at me out of the darkness" he told them "I couldn't understand what it was so I put the light on and it's a house elf. He said his name was Dobby".

"What did he want?" Ron asked frowning "I mean it's just not heard of for a house elf to materialise in someone's bedroom is it?".

"I thought it was odd too" said Harry "so I demanded to know what he was doing there and he struggled to tell me. Said he couldn't tell me much because he'd be breaking the house elf code. Don't know who he belongs to but he didn't want me to go back to Hogwarts in September. Said terrible things were being planned".

"Not go back to Hogwarts? but that's absurd!" Lauren burst out "everyone knows it's the safest place in the wizarding world!".

Harry nodded "exactly. But when I said I had to go back to learn and grow as a wizard and said I had friends there he said, friends who don't even write to Harry Potter? and then it clicked...he was the one stopping Hermione and Neville's letters getting through and my letters getting to them, hence I thought they'd forgotten me and visa versa".

"Did he say what terrible thing?" Ginny asked softly.

Harry shook his head "no. He couldn't tell me outright so I thought maybe it was a wind up. I tried to make me tell him but he ran away and then disapparated in the living room".

"Oh so that's what you were doing in there!" Lauren said with dawning comprehension.

"I reckon this Dobby is just having you on. Probably belongs to Malfoy and he probably sent him to mess with you".

"Yeah...maybe" Harry replied though deep down inside he wasn't sure either way and thought there may just be some truth to it all.

The rest of August seemed to fly by in a whirlwind of fun and games and before Harry knew it the 1st of September had arrived and it was once again time to head to Hogwarts and the school he loved so much.

'Even better this year is that Lauren and Ginny will be there' Harry thought happily as he had missed the cousin he thought of as a sister when she had not been there the previous year.

As the family of four took the usual car journey up to London from Devon Harry wondered what house his cousin would be in and for a moment began to panic at the thought that the hat might put her in a separate house...perhaps even Slytherin! as it had tried to do with him the previous year.

But then reason prevailed in his mind as he recalled that you could tell the hat where you wanted to be placed and the hat almost always chose this as your house.

As the four door land rover pulled up into an empty parking space, Harry's uncle switched off the engine and the four Potters stepped out of the car taking out the two cages contain Harry's owl Hedwig and Lauren's pet rat Alfie that she had found in the bushes near Potter Cottage and pleaded to keep. They closed the doors with a resounding slam and Jacob looked around to make sure there was no one nearby.

With the coast being clear Harry's uncle unlocked the boot, whipped out his wand and with Mandy's help got the trunks out of the boot and behind the car.

Harry and Lauren rushed off to get trolleys and by the time they had returned a group of very familiar witches and wizards were standing next to their aunt and uncle. The Weasleys had arrived.

"Hey Ron" Harry greeted his best friend with a grin "hey Ginny" he greeted Ron's sister who smiled "hi Harry" she replied.

"Well no time for us to stand on ceremony!" Arthur Weasley called out "let's get these trunks on the trolley and we all must get onto the platform".

"Absolutely" Jacob agreed as Mrs Weasley said "come on Fred, George, Percy, Ron, Ginny, help out!".

Amongst themselves the Potters and Weasleys managed to get their trunks onto the two trolleys and the large group wasted no time wheeling the trolleys along with the Weasley trolleys up into the station and thence onto platform nine.

"Most of the Weasleys went through the barrier first leaving Harry, Ron, Lauren, Jacob and Mandy standing near the barrier.

"We'll take Lauren through first as this is her first time doing it with a trolley" Mandy told the two boys "you two follow on after us and be quick, there's only ten minutes until the train leaves!".

"Yes Aunt Mandy" Harry replied as Ron said "yes Mrs Potter". She smiled at them "see you two in a bit".

"Make sure you come on through right afterwards Jacob warned even as he smiled and followed his wife and daughter towards the barrier.

The three of them reached it at a run and passed through with no effort leaving Harry and Ron alone on the platform with their trolleys on which sat their trunks.

"We'd better go through now" Harry said.

"Together then" said Ron.

Harry nodded.

The two boys adjusted their trolleys so they were level with the barrier and Harry said "on three. One, two...three!".

The two of them began to move slowly towards the barrier and a few from it they sped up to a run.

The trolleys reached the barrier and...

CRASH!.

The two trolleys collided with the solid brick wall and bounced off causing the trolleys to collide and Harry and Ron to end up in a heap as Hedwigs cage flew off Harry's trolley and landed with a thud on the concrete platform and a very ruffled and angry Hedwig began to screech at them in protest.

Harry and Ron managed to untangle and pick themselves up.

They stared at the barrier, both of them looking thoroughly confused as to what had just happened "why didn't we go through?" Ron said as he rubbed at his right shoulder.

Harry shook his head "I don't know. The time hasn't passed yet. The barrier should be open".

"Lets try again" Ron suggested and in lieu of any other ideas they agreed that this was the best thing do.

The two boys righted their trolleys, Harry calmed down the screeching Hedwig and placed her cage back on his trolley.

They tried again with more desperation this time.

They took a longer and faster run up.

CRASH!.

The trolleys bounced off again.

Harry could hear muttering now from the nearby people on the platform about cruelty to animals and as he and Ron picked themselves up he realised they were attracting attention...the exact last thing wizards and witches should do when catching the Hogwarts Express.

Harry picked up Hedwigs cage, calmed her down and walked over to where Ron was pushing at the brickwork.

"It's no use" he said desperately as he thumped a palm against the brick work in frustration "the wall won't give, something must have happened to the barrier".

Harry checked his watch and swore under his breath "Ron, the train leaves at exactly eleven o'clock and according to watch it's eleven o one, we've missed it!".

"What!" Ron exclaimed "but the station clock says..." he gazed up "it says ten fifty eight".

Harry shook his head "I've been to this station before to catch a muggle train and that clock didn't work then. Apparently it hasn't worked since 1939".

"Oh sod it!" Ron shouted in frustration and then looked at Harry "what do we do now?" he asked with a plea in his voice.

Harry thought for a few moments and then decided "we'll go and wait by the barrier for our relatives" he said "your parents and my aunt and uncle should be coming back any moment now".

Ron smiled but then his face fell as he had evidently thought of something "but Harry, if we can't get through...maybe they can't get back!" he said in a worried tone.

Harry was quick to reassure his best friend as they pushed their trolleys along the platform to the station doors "don't worry mate" he said "even if they are stuck all four of them can apparate remember?".

"Oh yeah" Ron said going a bit red "I forgot".

As they reached car Ron suddenly seemed to have a flash of inspiration "the car!" he shouted causing Harry to jump in surprise.

"What?" Harry said in bemusement "what about the car?".

"It has a flying mechanism" Ron said as they reached it "we can use it to fly to Hogwarts. we'd get there ahead of everyone else!".

For a moment the rational part of his brain asked 'is that wise?' but then another part of his brain, the more adventurous one said 'go for it...it'll be fun'.

"Alright" Harry agreed "lets fly to Hogwarts!".

Ron grinned and the two of them hauled their trunks into the boot and closed it before slipping onto the front seats of the old ford anglia, Harry setting Hedwigs cage behind him on the back seat.

"Are you sure you can fly this thing?" Harry asked his friend as Ron turned the ignition key and the engine roared to life.

"No sweat" he replied "me, Fred and George have been driving the car when mum and dad haven't been looking so I know how it works".

Once Ron had driven the car into a deserted backstreet away from the station he pressed a button and the car began to ascend upwards above the nearby buildings and into the sunny sky.

As soon as the car began to rise Ron hit another button and Harry looked round in shock as the entire car seemed to have disappeared from view but he could still see the interior.

"Wow!, what is this?" he asked in awe.

"Dad not only made sure the car could fly, he added an invisibility booster as well" Ron grinned "keep the muggles from seeing a flying car and thinking they've gone mad".

As Ron flew the car through the skies over London there was a beeping sound and then he muttered "uh oh" in a very worried fashion "the invisibility boosters faulty".

Harry looked outside and, sure enough, he could see the outside of the ford anglia.

"Quick, get it working before the muggles notice!" Harry hissed as Ron thumped the button for the booster and it once again shrouded them.

As the two of them flew across London northwards Harry opened the glove compartment and grinned as he found a large packet of toffee's.

Thereafter the two of them spent a very enjoyable time flying north while chewing away at the toffees and chatting about Hogwarts and what things would be like this year.

Hours later it was a different story.

Harry and Ron had planned to find the Hogwarts Express but that was easier said than done and they now seemed to be lost in the endless expanse of clouds.

To make matters worse Harry and Ron were both feeling slightly sick from all of the toffees and very thirsty, but of course the only things they had to drink were in their trunks in the boot.

"I thought you said we'd have found the train by now!" Harry burst out impatiently as the car descended from a patch of cloud.

"Well it's difficult with all these bloody clouds about!" Ron snapped in return before grinning "there you are" he said triumphantly "a railway line".

"And how do you know it's the correct one?" Harry demanded with a raised eyebrow.

"Because...because..." Ron shrugged "I just do" he said lamely.

The car descended down to track level flying just above the tracks itself as the car carried on it's course.

There was the loud sound of chugging and a train whistle not far away "we must be close!" Ron exclaimed happily.

But Harry's ears were much better at picking out sounds and his eyes widened in horror "uh Ron...I don't think we're behind it" he said with growing dread "I think it's behind us!".

The two of them glanced back and sure enough the Hogwarts Express was steaming up just a few feet away, almost close enough to touch their bumper.

Harry and Ron screamed and Hedwig squawked in fear before Ron managed to pull hard on the steering wheel and veer the car off of the viaduct and away from the onrushing train.

Thereafter the rest of the journey north was very calm and quiet and before the two boys knew it a very welcome sight met their eyes as the turrets and walls of Hogwarts Castle came into sight, the windows were ablaze with lights and they could see the lake down below where all of the first years were crossing with Hagrid.

Harry began to feel happier already, a happiness soon dashed as the car began to lose altitude somewhere over the grounds with the fuel gauge reading empty "oh no, not now!" Ron shouted trying to frantically keep them airborne.

But try as he might there was nothing Ron could do. The car was coming down and it was coming down hard.

As the car got lower and lower the boys closed their eyes fearing the worst only for the car to make a thunk sound as it loudly hit something that definitely was not the ground.

Harry frowned and opened his eyes to peer out of the car. His eyes widened in fright for the second time that day as he found that the cars fall had been halted by a very large willow tree and judging by the way its branches were moving it was not any ordinary one.

"This must be the whomping willow" Harry said "Remus told me it was put in so he could get to the shrieking shack for his transformations".

"Isn't the willow...you know...dangerous!" Ron said.

Harry nodded and gulped as a branch smashed in the windscreen and a rising sense of panic filled him.

For what seemed an eternity the car was battered from all sides by long, angry branches and after a time all of the glass had been shattered.

Then, just as suddenly as the attack had started, it stopped.

The car tilted dangerously several times before nosing towards the ground and falling.

Harry shut his eyes feeling sure it was the end.

But death mercifully didn't come as the car landed front first, bounced and righted itself on the sloping lawns.

The tree began trying to strike them again "drive!" Harry yelled as Ron slammed his foot on the accelerator and the engine roared to life.

Somehow they managed to avoid being hit for long enough to move the car out of the trees range and pulled to a stop.

"Oh we're alright" Ron said in a relieved tone, wiping his brow as Harry sighed hoping their ordeal was over.

However he had spoken too soon for as he said it the car doors sprang open and the car threw Harry and Ron out as if they were trespassers before belching out Hedwigs cage which Harry deftly caught and their two trunks which they struggled to move away from the tree.

Without warning the car then started to drive off in the direction of the forbidden forest nearby "no!" Ron shouted as he tore off after it.

Harry followed him and the pair tried to catch the car up.

Being no match for the speed of the car however they were soon outpaced and forced to watch as the car sped off into the forest and out of sight "dad'll kill me!" Ron moaned in distress.

Eventually the two boys made their way back to their luggage and somehow managed, with great difficulty, to haul their trunks and Harry's cage up to the school and the area in which luggage was stored.

They then ran up the stairs to the ground floor only to come face to face with the very unwelcome sight of Argus Filch, the caretaker grinning maliciously as stroked his pet cat Mrs Norris.

"Oh dear...we are in trouble" the caretaker said in delight as he grabbed them by the arm with surprising strength and hauled them off all the way down to Professor Snape's Office in the cold and dreary dungeons.

Once inside the room they were sat down roughly and a cold voice said "well, well, well, Potter and Weasley".

Harry groaned inwardly knowing nothing good could come from Professor Snape being there.

As Harry looked at the potions master the man's face went from being cold to being furious "thought you were being clever did you?!" he said angrily "thought it was fun to fly a car into the grounds of Hogwarts hmm?!".

"But we weren't seen" protested Harry.

"weren't seen?" Professor Snape said coldly.

He reached over to a side table and picked up a rolled up newspaper which he slammed down on the desk next to the two boys "on the contrary, you were seen by no less than twelve muggles!" he said loudly.

"You have broken the statute of secrecy and put our entire way of life in jeopardy!" he shouted "not to mention doing untold damage to a tree that has been in this ground since before you were born!".

"Honestly Professor I think the tree did more damage to the car" Ron said defensively. Harry grimaced knowing his best friend should have stayed quiet as Professor Snape's anger got worse and a vein began to throb in the man's temple.

"Why you little..." Professor Snape was distracted from saying anything more as the door to the office opened and all three occupants of the room turned at the sound.

Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were standing in the doorway both looking very severe as they gazed at Harry and Ron over their spectacles.

Harry swallowed hard as all sorts of horrible scenarios presented themselves in his mind from being expelled to the Ministry of Magic snapping their wands and sending them to Azkaban. Admittedly the last thought was unlikely but...still...

"Ah Headmaster I'm glad you are here. You as well Minerva" Snape said as he nodded to them and directed a malicious smile at the two boys "I hope now you see that Potter and Weasley deserve punishment".

"And they will be punished I assure you Severus" Dumbledore assured his potions master who nodded.

"We'll go and get our things" Ron said in a resigned voice as he stood up.

Half a heartbeat behind him, Harry stood up as well while Professor McGonagall frowned in confusion "whatever for?" she said.

"You're going to expel us aren't you" Ron said miserably.

Professor McGonagall regarded the two boys sternly before replying "not today Mr Weasley".

Harry glanced at Professor Snape and saw that the man seemed to have swallowed a very bitter lemon. His face was scowling heavily and he opened his mouth to speak "Headmaster, these two boys were seen by muggles, they stole a car and crashed it into a very valuable tree!".

"I am well aware of that Severus however I would not expel students for one mistake" Dumbledore gazed at them intently "they shall serve a weeks detention starting from tomorrow night, the punishment to be determined by Professor McGonagall as their Head of House".

"I also think it fair to warn you that I shall be writing to your families about this incident and they shall no doubt be most disappointed as am I".

For Harry that hurt worse than the week long night time detentions and the tongue lashing from Professor Snape as nothing was more important to Harry than his family and upholding the good name of Gryffindor and the idea that people he cared about and respected were disappointed in him was like a knife to the ribs.

"I also think it fair you not be allowed to attend the welcome feast" their Head of House said as Dumbledore and Snape left the room with Snape giving one last glare as he went.

Professor McGonagall waved her hand conjuring two plates of sandwiches and a pitcher of pumpkin juice before leaving herself.

As she reached the door she turned and said "I thought you would both like to know that Miss Ginny Weasley and Miss Lauren Potter were sorted into Gryffindor. The password this term is caput draconis" and then she was gone leaving them alone.

A while later they had finished the sandwiches and pumpkin juice and headed back up from the dungeons to the Entrance Hall and thence up the multitude of staircases to the the Gryffindor landing.

The hallways and staircases were devoid of students making Harry realise that everyone must be in their house common rooms.

They reached the portrait hole and gave the password to the fat lady. The portrait swung open to admit them and the two boys entered to the sound of loud and lively conversation.

"Harry!, Ron!, where were you?! me and Ginny were so worried!" exclaimed a voice as Harry found himself face to face with his cousin.

"Sorry Lauren, we had planned to be at the feast to see you both sorted but something came up. Something big" he replied.

"And angry, with lots of branches" Ron added, shuddering a bit at the memory.

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked.

"The whomping willow out in the grounds. We crashed into it and the tree nearly killed us".

"Well what were you doing coming to Hogwarts in a flying car anyway?" Lauren asked sounding annoyed at their stupidity.

"We couldn't get through the barrier onto platform 9 and 3/4's and we didn't know what else to do" Harry retorted feeling angry himself.

"So why didn't you wait for someone!" Lauren shouted.

"Just give it a rest Lauren! we've already had an earful tonight as it is, leave us alone!" Harry snapped.

The two cousins glared at each other for a moment and then Lauren stalked away shrugging off Ginny's hand as she tried to stop her "get off Ginny!" and she was gone down the girls staircase.

Harry ran a hand through his hair "I should go after her" he muttered.

"Not a good idea mate, I doubt you've forgotten but she has a temper, anyway what right does she have having a go?" Ron said.

"Are you two going to tell me what happened or not?" Ginny demanded.

Harry sighed "alright, we will" he turned to Ron "Ron, go over to Hermione and Neville, lead them up to our dormitory, we'll talk there where it's quiet".

Ron nodded and left without a word.

Five minutes later the five Gryffindor's were stood in front of Harry's bed in the second year boys dorm as Harry recounted the events of that day "and so we decided to take Mr Weasley's flying car" Harry finished.

Ginny and Hermione were both looking at them like they had gone totally mad while Neville looked impressed "amazing!" he exclaimed causing both girls to glare at him.

"It's not amazing at all!" Hermione exclaimed "not only was it very dangerous but you could both have been expelled! or got in trouble with the Ministry!".

"Hermione is right" Ginny agreed "what if you'd been seen by a muggle".

"Err" Ron said, his face turning red "we were".

"What?!" both Hermione and Ginny shouted causing the boys to wince.

"Do you have any idea what could happen now?!" Ginny shrieked.

"Well we didn't mean it!" Harry retorted "it just happened. The invisibility booster failed briefly!".

"What I don't understand is why the barrier wouldn't let you through" Hermione said thoughtfully as she tried to bring them back to the original topic.

Harry and Ron both shrugged "it's weird alright" said Harry "I've not heard of it happening before. We were on time after all".

"Well whatever the reason I bet you'll both be receiving letters tomorrow" Ginny said.

Harry and Ron grimaced as Neville gave them sympathetic looks.

"Mum and dad will go mental" Ron moaned as he showed the others his wand.

Harry had already seen it and knew what had happened.

"How did that happen?" Neville asked in surprise.

"When the car ejected us we went flying and my wand snapped in my pocket" Ron told them sounding miserable.

After their conversation the five Gryffindor's headed down to the common room where most of the Gryffindor's applauded and cheered them enthusing about the daring of flying a car onto the lawns of Hogwarts with even the Weasley twins Fred and George remarking that they had not accomplished such a feat. Only Hermione, Ginny and Percy didn't seem impressed with the girls being annoyed by their recklessness an Percy seeing nothing clever in breaking the rules as he told them pompously "there is nothing clever in what you two did. On the contrary it was the highest stupidity".

"Oh shut up Percy" Fred and George said, causing the prefect to storm off in a huff as the rest of the Gryffindor's asked for the story again.

The next morning the story of Harry and Ron having flown to Hogwarts had made its way around the castle and as the group of four entered the Great Hall many students smiled at them, waved, cheered and applauded.

There were exceptions of course with Percy still looking disapproving and most of the Slytherins scowling or sneering at them.

Harry noticed however that one Slytherin was staring at him and unlike Malfoy and co, she was not scowling or sneering but staring at him with interest.

The first thing he notice about her was her eyes which were dark, almost black and very intense. He was staring so intently back at her as a matter of fact, he collided with Neville and the two almost fell over "hey watch it Harry!" Neville exclaimed as Ron stopped him falling over.

"What?...oh sorry Neville" Harry murmured as he took his eyes off of the girl at the Slytherin table.

"What were you staring at anyway?" Neville asked as they sat down.

"Hmm?...oh nothing much" Harry lied.

As he set about piling egg on toast and bacon rashers onto his plate his mind kept going back to the girl at the Slytherin table and he couldn't resist having a look.

He glanced over at the table.

The girl was deep in conversation with someone else but as if she could sense his staring she broke off her conversation and turned to stare back at him and as their eyes locked, she smiled warmly at him and a feeling Harry had never felt before appeared in his stomach. It was an odd sensation, like his stomach was being tied in knots...but it wasn't unpleasant.

Harry was snapped away from looking at her as Professor McGonagall appeared next to he and Ron handing them the two boys, Hermione, Neville and Ginny their timetables for the school year.

Harry flipped it open and read aloud "well first up is charms so that's not too bad" he then swore "oh no!".

"What's up?" Ron asked as he flipped open his own timetable and then swore as well.

"What's wrong with you two?" Neville asked.

"We've got defence against the dark arts with that prat Gilderoy Lockhart as our second lesson today" Harry told him.

Hermione scowled "he's not a prat at all! he's very intelligent and has dealt with lots of dark creatures!".

Ron snorted in response "yeah so he says, how do we know it's true. I bet he's just making it all up".

"He is not!" Hermione almost shrieked.

"He probably is" Harry jumped in on Ron's side causing Hermione to glare at him before she turned her baleful eye on Neville "and what do you think Neville?".

Neville froze as he looked from Harry and Ron to Hermione.

He gulped "uh...don't know" he replied with a mumble before returning to his food.

Hermione refused to speak to either Harry or Ron for the remainder of breakfast and the silence continued even as the four second years headed to charms and all the through the charms lesson itself which Harry had enjoyed but couldn't help feeling it would have been even better if Hermione had not been having a silence contest with them.