Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
Original A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.
Chapter One Hundred Twenty
Aboard the Hogwarts' Express
It wasn't an easy journey to Platform 9¾, though it rarely ever was. With the added security the Order provided to make sure that Harry was safe, it seemed like it took hours, though they did get to the station with several minutes to spare.
"You know, maybe I should just ride on the train with you," Sirius said. "That would be a lovely way of getting back to Hogwarts."
"Okay Padfoot, come on," Harry said, not letting any of Sirius's teasing get to him.
"I like it better when you whine at my ridiculous comments," Sirius grumbled.
"Sirius, do you really think it's a good idea to draw so much attention to yourself?" Remus asked as he noticed several people that work at the Ministry staring at Sirius and Harry. "You know you probably shouldn't have come today."
"Whatever," Sirius said offhandedly; he knew that Remus might have a point. According to everyone that still worked at the Ministry the rumors that Sirius had been raising Harry Potter all along was the hottest gossip at the Ministry right now. "As if I wasn't here they would suddenly stop believing in the stupid rumor."
Remus's lips twitch. It wasn't really a stupid rumor seeing as it was true, but he could understand what Sirius was saying all the same.
"Besides, I need to say good bye to my favorite trouble maker," Sirius added.
"Aw, I'm honored Padfoot," Fred and George said at the same time.
"He meant me!" they then glared at each other.
"You're going to see me in a few hours," Harry pointed out ignoring the twins, though Sirius laughed at their joke.
"Yeah well, still had to come right," Sirius shrugged and hugged Harry. shook the twins' hands, and said goodbye to everyone else.
As Harry turned to get on the train, Sirius could see Neville and his parents saying goodbye as well. Frank, who had provided extra surveillance on the Muggle part of Kings Cross station as Harry and the others arrived for the Order, was now scowling at Sirius. Sirius returned the scowl and upped it to a glare at his ex-partner. Frank then turned away from Sirius to say something to Neville, who then started to scowl as well. Neville said something back, clearly annoyed and then stomped onto the train.
"And you said there was no reason for me to come," Sirius muttered so only Remus could hear him, his face still portraying his anger at Frank.
"Point taken," Remus said the public display of animosity between Frank and Sirius in front of the Ministry workers would only help the cover story that the two old partners didn't get along any more.
Harry said goodbye to Remus as well as everyone else that had come with him to the platform and boarded the train. For his part, he hoped that Neville's performance meant that they would be able to stay friends, but he had to wait and let Neville come to him.
"Let's get a compartment before they all fill up," Ron said.
"Hermione?" someone called from behind them just as Ron finished speaking.
"Go on, I'll catch up," Hermione said to them, so Harry, Ron and Ginny (the twins went to find their seventh year friends) went on down the train looking for a seat. They stopped when they found the one where Luna was in alone and went in.
"Hey Luna," Ginny was the first to say but the boy's echoed almost immediately.
"Oh hello," Luna said serenely as she lowered the issue of the Quibbler she was reading.
"Any good stories in there?" Ron asked.
"Oh yes, you can read it after I'm done," Luna said.
"I'd like that," Ron smiled, though he wouldn't go so far to say that he believed any of the articles in the magazine, he did find it entertaining to read all the same, even more so after he got Sunny, his pet Seniumuris. After learning that one of her odd creatures was real made him more incline to believe that the others might be too.
It was a few minutes after they had all settled down that the compartment door opened. Ron turned to it expecting to see Hermione, but instead Neville was standing there.
"Hey Neville," several voices chorused at once.
"Hey," Neville snorted at the greeting but he was grimacing too. "Can I sit in here?"
"Of course," Ginny was the one to answer. "Why couldn't you sit in here?"
"I wasn't sure …" Neville said looking at Harry and then shrugged and repeated, "I just wasn't sure."
Harry wasn't sure what the look Neville was giving him meant, but he felt like he should play along. He also felt like a lot of people were watching, more than just the few people in the compartment. He was sure that wasn't really the cause, or maybe it was with Neville still standing in the doorway.
"I have no problems with you sitting in here," Harry replied.
Neville didn't say another word but entered the compartment and shut the door. Harry quickly preformed the muffling charm on the door and then raised an eyebrow at Neville.
"Sorry, I wasn't really sure how to act," Neville shrugged. "I figured if I go about my business like nothing at all happened then people will realized that nothings the matter."
Luna frowned looking between Neville and Harry.
"Sirius and Neville's dad are supposed to be fighting right now," Ginny explained to Luna's expression.
"Yeah, and my father told me that it was better not to be friends with Harry," Neville added. "Well, not for real, but that's what everyone else is supposed to think."
Luna nodded her head seeming to need no more explanation than that. Like why Sirius and Neville's dad had to be in a pretend fight.
"I see you've decided to stay my friend and disobey what your dad said to you," Harry said grinning.
"I didn't really have a choice, Harry," Neville shrugged. "After sticking up for you the last couple of years I couldn't just turn my back on you now. I'm a Hufflepuff, loyalty is a given."
"Well, then I'm glad you're a Hufflepuff," Harry grinned at him.
"Yeah, we're all happy about that," Ron said as he frowned at the doorway.
"Er …" Neville said looking at the door and then back at Ron. "Why are you looking at the door?"
"I'm wondering where Hermione is," Ron answered.
"She should have got here by now," Harry agreed looking at the door too. "Do you know who called her?"
"Parvati I think," Ron answered. "Though it could have been Padma I suppose, I can't really tell them apart. I don't really know why Padma would want to talk to Hermione, though … can't really think why Parvati would either, now that I think of it."
"And you're certainly doing a lot of thinking about it," Ginny teased. "You can't even spend ten minutes away from Hermione without going to pieces over her."
"Shut up," Ron glared at his sister. "I was just wondering where she was!"
"Yep, definitely going to pieces," Harry said laughing with Ginny as Ron punched him in the arm. "Ow!"
"Serves you right," Ron huffed.
"You didn't hit Ginny," Harry pouted.
"Advocating hitting girls now, Harry," Neville said shaking his head, "maybe my dad's fake advice was right."
They all continued talking; even Ron contributed to the conversation, though half of his concentration was on the door. Finally more than an hour later the door opened and Hermione, along with Hannah, walked into the compartment.
"Where were you?" Ron demanded.
"We were at the Prefect meeting," Hannah answered when Hermione didn't.
"Hermione's not a Prefect," Ron replied.
"Well, she was certainly at the meeting," Hannah said frowning now as she sat next to Neville who grinned at her.
"Hermione?" Ron asked her.
"She's been silent like that all day," Hannah was the one to answer again looking concern. "I haven't been able to get her to say anything … I wasn't really sure what was going on, but I thought if I got her to you guys, she would be okay."
"Hermione?" Ron asked again standing up and moving towards her.
She blinked and then said, "It's a long story."
O
"Hermione!"
Hermione heard her name being called so she said to her friends, "go on, I'll catch up."
"Hey Hermione," the person called again and looking up Hermione saw Parvati walking toward her.
"Hey Parvati," Hermione said a little surprised her fellow fifth year Gryffindor was calling out for her like this. "How was your summer?"
"It was actually really nice," Parvati answered, "especially when I was made Prefect."
"Oh," Hermione said, trying to smile but it was hard when she had wanted to be a Prefect so badly. "Congratulation."
"Thanks," Parvati said, "honestly, I was really surprised when I got it. I thought for sure you would be made Prefect. Still, I'm glad I got it so Padma couldn't brag about being Prefect when I wasn't."
"Would she really have bragged?" Hermione asked, it was true that she didn't know Padma very well, but bragging still didn't seem to be something she would do.
"Oh, she wouldn't mean to, but she wouldn't be able to help but be pleased, and Mum and Dad would be the same and I would have had to deal with it," Parvati went on to explained.
"Well then I'm glad you were made Prefect," Hermione said, the smile was still a little off but she meant what she was saying.
"Yeah … well that's the thing," Parvati said. "I was really glad that I was made Prefect … I mean it's really nice to show my parents and all. But I don't want to be Prefect."
"What …?" Hermione started to say.
"I don't want to spend my free time patrolling the halls or telling people off for things that I would likely be doing if I wasn't a Prefect," Parvati went on before Hermione could say anything more. "I talked to Lavender about it and she doesn't want to be Prefect either. I know you would be the better Prefect …" she went on and then shrugged, "but Lav is my best friend, I had to ask her first."
Hermione was sure she opened her mouth but no words came out in responds.
"I also owled McGonagall telling her that I was giving you the badge, I hope that's alright," Parvati said.
"I can't be Prefect," Hermione said.
"You don't want to be?" Parvati asked.
"No … I just can't …" Hermione said, and noticing the confused looked on Parvati's face she added, "I cause so much trouble with Harry and Ron and the others …"
"Well that's between you and McGonagall now, because either you're the Gryffindor Prefect, or no one is," Parvati said. "Look, it's not just that I don't want to do the job … it's more than that. With everything that Harry said happened … well, I figured I only have so long to act like a kid before everything gets all serious. I want to spend all the free time I have, having fun.
"Please, just take the badge," Parvati said handing her the badge, "and you should probably go to the meeting …"
"Parvati …" Hermione started to say after she looked at the badge in her hand for a while but the other girl was gone. Hermione was left with no other choice but to walk to the Prefect compartment though all the while she couldn't help but think there was no way that McGonagall was actually going to allow this to happen.
O
"So you're going to be Prefect after all!" Ron said after Hermione had explained to everyone. "That's brilliant."
"I doubt McGonagall is actually going to allow me to," Hermione said.
"What's the real reason why she didn't make you Prefect in the first place," Hannah asked, the only one in the room that didn't know the whole story. "And is it the same reason why Neville wasn't made a Prefect."
"Ernie is a better student than I am, that's the reason why I'm not Prefect," Neville answered the second part of his girlfriend's question.
"He might be the better student but everyone knows that you're the … I don't know how to phrase it but everyone listens to you," Hannah informed him, "even Ernie said he was surprise you weren't made Prefect. Of course he couldn't stop himself from being really happy about being made a Prefect himself."
"He was the right person to be made Prefect," Neville said simply.
"You're not going to answer my other question, are you?" Hannah sighed and in a whisper as she tried to make it so the others couldn't hear her. "It's another one of your secrets you can't talk about."
"I'm sorry," Neville said bowing his head a little.
"You don't have to be sorry," Hannah sighed again, "its part of the reason why I like you so much."
"And it's part of the reason I annoy you so much," Neville added and she gave him a sad smile.
Harry watched the two with a frown, though he couldn't hear what they were saying, he could tell the meaning clear enough. "You can tell her the reason, Neville."
"What …?" Neville looked up at Harry, "are you sure?"
"She'll probably figure it out in a few weeks anyways," Harry pointed out, "and I don't want to be the reason you two have problems anymore."
"Harry you're not …" Hannah started to say.
"Maybe it's not a problem, but I know Neville has kept my secrets and I know what it's like when people you're close to keep things from you because they can't tell you," Harry said. "I trust Neville's judgment."
"Thanks mate," Neville smiled at Harry.
"I probably should argue more, but I really do want to know what happened," Hannah said and Neville chuckled.
"Oh it's nothing really, McGonagall just found out that we are all illegal Animagi," Neville answered.
"WHAT?!" Hannah couldn't help but exclaim and then looked at everyone in the compartment as they chuckled at her expression. "You … what?!"
"We're Animagi," Neville repeated so the information would sink in more but Hannah still looked shocked.
"But how?" she asked this time.
"Lots and lots of practices," Ron said.
"Though Ron had to do the least amount since he transformed first," Neville pointed out.
"Transformed …?" was all Hannah could say to that.
"Yeah, at the end of third year," Ron grinned.
"Third … how?"
"Fred and George are going to be so sad they missed this," Ginny laughed.
Neville then explained more about the how's and why's of them becoming Animagi and by the end of it Hannah looked a little less shocked as she had in the beginning. "… anyways, McGonagall had found out that Harry had transformed, and reasoned the rest of us could too. As you can imagine she wasn't really pleased about that seeing as how dangerous the transformation can be if it goes wrong. She said none of us could be Prefects and that we were going to be having detentions for a long time. We're going to tell everyone that we're taking advance training to learn to be Animagi at the beginning of the year and that's when McGonagall is going to have us serve our detentions."
"Oh," was Hannah's only response to all the news she heard.
"Sorry, I know it's a lot to take in," Neville said.
"Yeah," she agreed, and then looked thoughtful, "what animal are you?"
"Tasmanian Devil," Neville answered.
"Oh," again was Hannah's only response.
"Harry's a Darwin Fox, it's this kind of small wolf thing," Neville went on, "Hermione's an owl, Ron's a lion, Ginny's a cat, Luna's a lynx, Fred's a crow and George's a coyote."
"Oh."
"Maybe we should talk about something else and let Hannah recover from her shock," Harry suggested. Hannah gave him a grateful look as the conversation turned to something else.
Original A/N: When I first started this chapter, I had Hermione and McGonagall discussing the Prefect situation and it was nothing like what I wanted. So instead I had them boarding the train and just had Parvati tell Hermione what her reasons where and it seemed to work better. Still I didn't really feel like redoing the talk with McGonagall so I'm just going to wait and have that in the next chapter.