Chapter 10

The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole, 12th August 2011

Harry awoke to the sound of Mrs Weasley at the bedroom door.

"Come on! Up! We need to be in Diagon Alley within the hour!" she called. Ron grinned.

"We're up, we're up," he grumbled. His face suddenly brightened. "I get my broom today."

Ron had been gushing about this broom since the day before. They received their O.W.L results the previous night. Harry, Ron and Hermione did well. Harry had mostly high grades, failing 2 subjects, which he didn't feel too bad about, considering he collapsed with the vision of Sirius during one of them. Ron did similarly and Hermione had gotten all O's, apart from an Exceeds Expectations in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Molly rewarded Ron with a new broomstick, which they were going to pick up that day, along with their books. Both he and Harry arose and pulled on robes as they wiped the sleep from their eyes.

"Hey, do you think we'll see the new Professors?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged.

"Maybe." They walked downstairs in a tired fashion to see Hermione and Ginny around the table, not fully awake yet either. Mrs Weasley set a plate of sausage and eggs in front of them along with orange juice.

"Thanks, Mum," Ron said. His mother smiled a little back.

"You're welcome. Eat up. We have to get your things," Mrs Weasley said.

"Where do we have to go?" Ginny asked.

"Well, your textbooks in Flourish and Blotts, which are The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 6), Advanced Potion-Making, Confronting the Faceless for Defence Against the Dark Arts, A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced Rune Translation and Supernatural Beasts and Defence for Demonology," Mrs Weasley read, frowning slightly as she reached the end. "It also says you need suitable running wear and notebooks."

"Wonder why," Ron said with his mouth full. Mrs Weasley whacked Ron on the back of the head with the paper and scolded him, telling him not to talk while eating. Hermione and Ginny got up and left to get ready while Harry and Ron chatted. Hermione and Ginny walked upstairs, and Ginny grinned. She grabbed the hairbrush before Hermione could and stuck her tongue out at her. Hermione rolled her eyes.

When the girls were done, they all gathered in the kitchen where Mrs Weasley was standing at the front door.

"Harry, dear I forgot. Bill got this out of your vault at Gringotts for you," she said, handing Harry a small duffel pouch filled with Galleons.

"Tell him thanks Mrs Weasley," Harry smiled back. Mr Weasley came down the stairs.

"I will, dear," Mrs Weasley replied.

"Come on, we must head off now," Mr Weasley said. One of the special Ministry of Magic cars, in which Harry had ridden once before, was awaiting them in the front yard when they emerged from the house, pulling on their cloaks.

"Its good Dad can get us these again," said Ron appreciatively, stretching luxuriously as the car moved smoothly away from the Burrow. Bill and Fleur were waving from the kitchen window. He, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were all sitting in roomy comfort in the wide backseat.

"Don't get used to it, it's only because of Harry," said Mr Weasley over his shoulder. He and Mrs Weasley were in front with the Ministry driver; the front passenger seat obligingly stretched into what resembled a two-seater sofa.

"He's been given top-grade security status. And we'll be joining up with additional security at the Leaky Cauldron too."

"Here you are, then," said the driver, a surprisingly short while later, speaking for the first time as he slowed in Charing Cross Road and stopped outside the Leaky Cauldron. "I'm to wait for you, any idea how long you'll be?"

"A couple of hours, I expect," said Mr Weasley. "Ah, good, he's here!"

Harry looked over and smiled as he saw Hagrid.

"Harry!" he boomed, sweeping Harry into a bone-crushing hug the moment Harry had stepped out of the car. The group moved through the Leaky Cauldron, noticing that the atmosphere was thick with tension. They arrived in Diagon Alley and Mr Weasley spoke.

"Why don't those three go with Hagrid, and we can go to Flourish and Blotts and get everyone's school-books?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Mrs Weasley anxiously, clearly torn between a desire to finish the shopping quickly and the wish to stick together in a pack. "Hagrid, do you think —?

"Don't fret, they'll be fine with me, Molly," said Hagrid soothingly, waving an airy hand the size of a dustbin lid. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid set off for Madam Malkin's.

When they reached the shopfront, Harry could see through the window that Madam Malkin was upset about something, he wondered if there was something wrong.

"'Ello Madam Malkin!" Hagrid greeted her with a big smile.

"Oh, hello Hagrid! It's good to see you again!" Madam Malkin replied with a small smile, chasing away her worried expression.

"I've brought in the youngsters 'ere for some new robes." Hagrid gestured to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Yea, I've used mine so much that they've got holes in them." Ron pointed to the cuffs of his robe that were worn out from abuse.

"Oh Mr Weasley, you have got to take better care of your robes!" Madam Malkin chucked and took him back first.

Hermione went in next and then Harry was the last to go.

"Madam Malkin, is everything alright?" Harry asked as she started pinning away. "You looked like something was bothering you earlier."

Madam Malkin had a concerned look on her face but quickly replaced it with a calm demeanour.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just tired from a long day's work. It's nothing to worry about."

Harry didn't ask any more questions about it. Whatever was bothering her was her business.

The four of them thanked Madam Malkin and left the shop.

"Did you notice Madam Malkin's expression before we came in?" Hermione asked them.

"I thought I was the only one," Harry admitted. "She looked upset about something."

"Yea, I thought it was a bit strange." Ron agreed. "Did she say anything to the two of you?"

"She told me that she was just tired," Harry answered.

"Well, she confided in me that the new professors were in a few minutes before us," Hermione said.

"Really? Did something bad happen?" Ron's eyebrows knitted together.

"She said that they started fighting about something," Hermione replied. "She didn't say what about though."

"Huh," Ron sighed.

"I'm sure she'll be okay," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Harry frowned. "Hey look," he said, glancing at the entrance to Knockturn Alley to see Draco Malfoy look around before walking down.

"The git going down into Knockturn? What a surpr-'' Ron was suddenly cut off by a man who brushed past him. He was very tall, with long brown hair, hazel eyes and an angry expression as he walked after another man that was shorter than him by a couple of inches, with sandy blonde hair and green eyes. Harry remembered with a jolt that these were the men in the Daily Prophet, their Demonology professors.

"Dean… I know you hate talking about this stuff, but you gotta talk sometime," the taller man choked out in a hard voice.

"We can talk about it later Sammy," the other said in a tired tone. They walked down the street toward the Leaky Cauldron.

"That must be the new Professors," Hermione recalled their faces from the Daily Prophet article.

"What's their problem?" Ron asked angrily.

"Obviously, they are having a private conversation and didn't want us to intrude, Ronald." Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. "Honestly, you can be so thick sometimes."

"That doesn't give them an excuse to ignore us."

"We have to keep our opinions to ourselves." Harry reminded them. "Remember what Dumbledore told us to do."

"I know, we're supposed to be nice to them." Ron glowered in their direction but said no more on the subject.

"Ron, they were talking about something important," Hermione pressed.

Ron huffed while Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Come on, let's go see what Malfoy is up to." Harry motioned for them to follow him down Knockturn Alley.

When they reached the shop called Borgin and Burkes, he put his hand out for Hermione and Ron to stop while he peeked into the window to see if Malfoy was in there.

Malfoy was standing with his back to the window staring at a huge cabinet talking with the shopkeeper. It looked like they were having an argument of some sort. Malfoy was flailing his arms around like Dudley did when he was having a tantrum and the shopkeeper would respond in the same manner. They couldn't hear much.

"Go, go, go!" Harry whispered as he saw Malfoy coming towards the door, they hid in an abandoned alleyway cloaked by the darkness.

Malfoy looked terrible, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was looking more gaunt than usual, his platinum blonde hair was very unkempt. He noticed his reflection in the glass window from the shop across the way and fixed his hair and then straightened out his clothes. He set his face in his trademark scowl and stalked down the street.

"Wow, he looked like he's gone a round with the Whomping Willow." Ron crossed his arms and frowned. "What do you think he was doing in there?"

"I don't know, But I was there once," Harry replied. "It's a little shop of horrors alright." He flexed his hand, remembering the feeling of being trapped in that creepy hand trap thing.

"Can we go?" Hermione asked with a worried expression. "I don't like being down here."

They all walked quickly back up to Diagon Alley.

"Oy! Where 'ave you lot been?" Hagrid gave them a good scolding for running off.

"We're sorry Hagrid." They apologized.

They met up with the rest of the group in front of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the shop that was run by Ron's twin older brothers Fred and George. Many kids were staring into the windows and going into the shop with bright eyes and their faces were lit up with glee.

"WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO? YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT U-NO-POO—THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!" Was the sign that greeted them as they went into the front door.

"Ron, did I ever tell you that your brothers are fantastic?" Harry asked rhetorically.

"Yeah, well don't tell them that," Ron smirked. "You don't want to make their egos better than they already are."

They searched the shop, squeezing through the crowds of people. They met Fred and George near a display of love potions. Hermione complimented the spell work involved, and Fred walked up at that particular moment. He offered her one for free, which made her turn a bright shade of pink, and mumble incoherently that it wasn't necessary.

"How much for this?" asked Ron, holding up a small box.

"Five galleons," Fred and George said simultaneously.

"How much for me?" Ron answered, a hopeful look in his eye as he took the chance.

"Five galleons," they repeated.

"I'm your brother," Ron scowled. "Come on."

"Ten galleons," the twins shrugged and grinned.

⸸

The weeks seemed to fly by while Harry was at the Burrow. It usually did whenever he visited, time seemed to drag on and on when he was at the Dursleys. One night in particular stuck out to him, the Order meeting. They met Sam and Dean Winchester, their new Professors.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed up after the meeting to discuss the subject. Hermione was thrilled with the new subject, as the other two thought she would be. They figured she read the new textbook cover to cover already. Ron seemed to hate the idea of any possible physical exercise associated with the new class. Harry wondered what kind of creatures they would be learning about.

The two brothers seemed fairly normal in his opinion. He didn't know what he was expecting when he heard the term 'demon hunters'. But what he imagined wasn't it. They seemed like ordinary people, for Americans anyway. Not that Harry met many Americans. Hermione still couldn't believe what Ron asked within the first three seconds of meeting them, but he was confident that she would get over it… eventually….

September the first came around in what seemed like no time at all. Mrs Weasley had woken them that morning, and they all sluggishly got dressed.

"It's been six years, and you would think we would be used to getting up this early." Harry yawned as he got up and stretched.

"Ugh, this never gets any easier." Ron groaned into his pillow. "Hermione needs to find a wide-awake spell… or potion… or something…." And within seconds he was snoring into his pillow again.

"They've already invented that one mate, Accio alarm clock." Harry waved his wand and the alarm clock that Hermione had given Ron last year for his birthday floated from the closet where Ron had thrown it the first time he used it. Harry set the time and set it right by Ron's head. He figured he had just enough time to run over to the other side of the room before the alarm clock went off.

"Oy!" Ron bolted off the bed and landed on the floor. Harry couldn't control his laughter as he looked at Ron's dumbfounded expression.

"You! I'll get you for this Harry Potter, you little git!" Ron tackled Harry to the ground and started to give him a noogie.

Mrs Weasley left the door to Ron's bedroom open and just as Harry and Ron were getting into it, Hermione walked by and shook her head. Rolling her eyes and said "Boys." in a sigh.

"Come on everyone," Mrs Weasley shouted from the story below.

They all walked downstairs, and hungrily devoured the bowls of cereal they had picked out.

They ate quickly, excitement for Hogwarts seeping into their minds.

"Ah, Harry!" said Mrs Weasley suddenly. "I forgot, I wanted to explain about the security arrangements for the journey to Hogwarts tomorrow. We've got Ministry cars again, and there will be Aurors waiting at the station-"

"Is Tonks going to be there?" asked Harry, handing over his Quidditch things.

"No, I don't think so, she's been stationed somewhere else from what Arthur said."

The Ministry cars glided up to the front of the Burrow. Hermione's cat, Crookshanks was safely enclosed in his travelling basket; and Hedwig; Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon; and Ginny's new purple Pygmy Puff, Arnold, in cages.

No cheerful Hagrid was waiting for them at King's Cross Station. Instead, two grim-faced, bearded Aurors in dark Muggle suits moved forward the moment the cars stopped and, flanking the party, marched them into the station without speaking.

"Quick, quick, through the barrier," said Mrs Weasley, who seemed a little flustered by this austere efficiency.

Harry pushed his trolley directly at the solid barrier, and found himself, a second later, standing on Platform 9¾, where the scarlet Hogwarts Express stood belching steam over the crowd. Hermione and the Weasleys joined him within seconds. Harry motioned to Ron and Hermione to follow him up the platform, looking for an empty compartment.

"We can't, Harry," said Hermione, looking apologetic. "Ron and I've got to go to the prefects' carriage first and then patrol the corridors for a bit."

"Oh yeah, I forgot," said Harry.

"You'd better get straight on the train, all of you, you've only got a few minutes to go," said Mrs Weasley, consulting her watch. "Well, have a lovely term, Ron…"

"Now, dear, you're coming to us for Christmas, it's all fixed with Dumbledore, so we'll see you quite soon," said Mrs Weasley through the window, as Harry slammed the door shut behind him and the train began to move.

Harry waved until the train turned a corner and Mr and Mrs Weasley were lost in view. He made his way toward her, dragging his trunk. People stared shamelessly as he approached. They even pressed their faces against the windows of their compartments to get a look at him.

"Fancy trying to find a compartment?" Harry asked

"I can't, Harry, I said I'd meet Dean Thomas," said Ginny brightly. "See you later."

"Right," said Harry.

"Hi, Harry!" said a familiar voice from behind him.

"Neville!" said Harry in relief, turning to see a round-faced boy struggling toward him.

"Hello, Harry," said a girl with long hair and large misty eyes, who was just behind Neville.

"Luna, hi, how are you?"

"Very well, thank you," said Luna. She was clutching a magazine to her chest; large letters on the front announced that there was a pair of free Spectrespecs inside. They finally found a compartment and sat down. The talk was minimal as the time passed and a few moments after the food trolley arrived, Ron and Hermione returned.

"Malfoy's bullying some first years… git," Ron scowled.

"It's really wrong of him," Hermione agreed. "He shouldn't abuse his power like that."

"Shouldn't I?" asked a bored voice from the door as it opened to reveal Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

"Well, look who it is," said Malfoy in a lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel." Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly.

"Shove off Malfoy," Hermione replied angrily.

"Was I talking to you, Granger?" Malfoy spat angrily. "Potter, you'll pay for what you did to my father!"

"Funny," Harry said as if he were speaking to a two-year-old. "What will happen, Malfoy? Voldemort will do me in? He hasn't had much success so far, has he?"

"You!" Malfoy shouted as he lunged forward. They heard rapid footsteps approaching.

"Hey what's going on here?" a voice interrupted loudly. It was Dean Winchester, one of their Demonology teachers. His brother, Sam, came to his side.

"Nothing," Harry replied. He noted that Luna's face was a mask of dream-like calm, and Neville's was filled with nerves.

"No rough-housing," Dean said simply.

"Sorry, but are you our new professors?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, we are. Now, you guys leave and stop causing trouble." Dean said, looking at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy's eyes were filled with disgust as he glared at them. Dean caught on.

"What's with the look? Is it cause we're… Muggles?" Dean asked in a calm tone. He looked eerily calm… too calm. Sam gave him a warning look.

"No," Malfoy sneered.

"Look, I know you're lying. Listen, at the end of the day, we're all human, and the creatures we're gonna be teaching you about? They don't care if you're a witch or wizard or human. They'll still kill you. So, I would drop the prejudice," Dean said calmly, feeling a little victorious smirk spread across his face from the little speech. He was reminded of gym shorts, dodgeballs, and a shiny whistle. It makes me their god….

"Come on Crabbe, Goyle," Malfoy said uncomfortably and the three shuffled off in reluctant defeat. Dean and Sam also left.

"Wow," Neville mumbled.

"Thank you, Professors," Hermione smiled at the two older men.

"No problem kiddo." Dean grinned. "So, are those guys friends of yours?"

"Not bloody likely…." Ron glowered in the direction Malfoy went.

"I'm Luna Lovegood." The blonde girl held up her hand for them to shake. "I'm in Ravenclaw House. This is Neville Longbottom, he's in Gryffindor like Harry, Ron, and Hermione."

Sam smiled as he shook her hand, engulfing her small hand. "It's nice to meet you both, I'm sorry we had to meet like this."

"It's quite alright." Luna smiled. "Can I interest you in a copy of the Quibbler?"

Dean looked at the others and saw Ron roll his eyes.

"Sure." Sam nodded remembering Hermione mentioned it was a good magazine. "How much?"

"The first issue is free," Luna replied, then she disappeared into the compartment and brought out a copy of the Quibbler.

"Are you sure we can't pay you?" Sam asked as he took the magazine from her. "You wouldn't be trying to butter up your Professors before classes start?"

The boy, Neville, looked horrified. "No! Of course not. We would never do anything like that."

"It's okay kid, he's pulling your leg." Dean smiled and the two of them headed back to their compartment.

"So, who was the wannabe Al Capone?" Dean asked. He was met with three bemused looks from the students. "C'mon… Scarface?" he frowned.

"Dude… you really expected them to get that?" Sam asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a classic!"

Sam shook his head exasperatedly.

"You're talking about a film, right?" Harry frowned. "Dudley used to watch that with Piers."

"Yeah, it's a film." To his credit, Dean only looked mildly offended.

"My parents wouldn't let me watch it," Hermione replied.

"Yeah, I get that," Dean shrugged. "Anyway, what was up with him?"

"He's a git," Ron supplied.

"Ronald." Hermione chastised him. He shrugged off her glare. "His father got into some trouble last June."

Sam nodded, realizing what she meant. He had done a little digging, discovering a list called the Pureblood registry in a book in Flourish and Blotts. It listed 28 families, known as the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight'. They were the 28 families considered to still be Pureblood by the 1930s. The Malfoys were listed near the top. He recalled the name Lucius Malfoy from an article in the newspaper, him being one of many Death Eaters that escaped from a prison called Azkaban in July. The pieces began to slot together in his head.

"We'll be arriving soon, we should probably get ready," Hermione spoke up, knowing there were too many curious ears around.

"Okay, let's go," Dean nodded to Sam. They walked back to the car.

"Was that kid's dad involved in what happened to Harry in June?" Dean asked. "Cause it seems a little coincidental.

"Yeah, apparently he was one of the Death Eaters that went to trap Harry and His friends," Sam told him. "He got put in prison for it. But there was a big breakout in July. Nobody has seen the Death Eaters since."

"So, is this just an isolated incident, or I wonder if the son takes after the father?" Dean frowned.