Chapter 2: The Dream
The Weasleys and Harry finally made it to the train station. They put their luggage on carts and moved toward their platform. In minutes, they arrived between platform 9 and 10. Ginny casually entered the platform first. Then, Harry and Ron entered with their luggage with Fred and George close behind. When they got inside, Harry noticed the familiar sign that said "Platform 9 and 3 Quarters".
Harry and the Weasley children made it to the top of the stairs and rested for a second to pick a compartment. Ron instantly noticed Hermione kissing her parents good-bye by the train with her luggage. Ron called over to her and the gang of Weasleys shuffled to her side. They greeted each other as they always did and Harry was very happy to see Hermione again. They saw an empty compartment near the middle and went inside.
"I am so glad we are going back to Hogwarts," Hermione stated as she laid down her luggage. Her wide smile said her statement all over again.
"So, how was your summer?" Harry asked her. Hermione looked at him with consent.
"You seem awfully cheerful," she said with a puzzled glance.
"I am. My summer was horrible, as usual. The Dursleys act like I'm a disease that they really don't want to catch." Harry said, rolling his eyes. "So, I asked you how your summer was…"
"Oh, yeah. Well, some of the summer I spent at the Weasleys. Other parts I used on brushing up on some of the new things we learned last year. You know, to make sure I'm ready for this year," Hermione answered. "Brushing up" for Hermione could mean reading, studying, and learning everything available on the subject. "Did you get to finish your summer holidays homework at the Dursleys' house?"
"Just barely," Harry said. He brushed back his hair with his hand and sat down.
"So, anything really happen during your summer?" Hermione asked.
All Harry could say was, "You don't want to know." Harry couldn't bear telling her how the Dursleys were almost scared out of the house by his Monster Book Of Monsters book, then having to clean up it's mess. Harry suddenly noticed that Fred and George had gotten in, too.
"Can you tell me yet? About the secret?" Harry asked the twins. They both shook their heads and pointed at Hermione's prefect badge.
The whistle to the big red Hogwarts Express sounded and signaled all final entrants to it. As the train left the station, everyone in the compartment waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and vise versa. Finally, we're going back to Hogwarts, Harry thought.
"Well, we're going to find Lee Jordan's compartment. See ya," said Fred and George in unison and they left. "Yeah and I'm going to sleep. I wish I had last night, but I was so excited," said Ginny sleepily as she yawned and laid down on the seat.
Harry turned to Hermione to ask about her being a prefect. There was no surprise where Hermione was. In a book.
"Hermione," Harry said.
"Yes. What?" Hermione stated as she poked an eye out of A Guide to O.W.L.s.
"I see that you are a prefect," Harry said pointing to her badge.
"Yeah," she remarked and blushed vividly. " I've been studying the basics of being a prefect ever since I found out about it."
Ron came in from the food compartment with a few Chocolate Frogs and Pumpkin Pasties.
"So, Hermione, do you have any idea of what is going to be new at the school?" Ron asked as he took a bite into a Pumpkin Pasty.
"No clue," she said, " I may be a prefect, but I don't get in on major secrets like that."
"I wish that my dad could have told me what it was," he said with a sigh.
"Maybe he couldn't afford to, Weasley," said an unwelcome voice. It was Draco Malfoy and his goons Crabbe and Goyle. They had just come in and Malfoy couldn't resist making a comment. "With you being so poor and all, he probably would have to give up your last knut to even give you a clue" he continued. Crabbe and Goyle snickered behind him.
"Watch it, Malfoy," said Hermione showing him her prefect badge.
Malfoy laughed at the remark. "Ooh, I'm so scared," he sarcastically said. He then turned to Ron and said, "I guess you need a prefect to fight your battles." At that, Malfoy took one of Ron's Chocolate Frogs and started to leave.
"Give that back, Malfoy," Ron yelled. Harry could tell that Malfoy was on thin ice in Ron's opinion.
"Are you worried it may be your last? They are high-priced these days."
"I said give it back."
"Make me and, of course, you can't, so cool it, Weasley."
"Why don't you?" Ron said and whipped out his wand. "Freilos!" Ron shouted and a dark blue light went out of his wand. It would have hit Malfoy if he hadn't turned around. The light went past Malfoy and hit the unsuspecting Goyle. Suddenly, Goyle's whole body was turning to ice. Ron had made a human ice cube of Goyle in a few seconds. He said it again and it hit Malfoy. Malfoy, too, turned into ice.
"There," said Ron, who was happy with himself. His proud grin was not awarded, though.
"Ron! What have you done?" Hermione shrieked loudly. She stared at the two ice sculptures with awe and shock. Her quivering mouth also turned to Crabbe, who also had his mouth drop open.
"He has done some people proud," stated Harry, who was impressed with the spell. Hermione jabbed in the side. "What! It's true. Some people would pay galleons to see this."
"Harry…"
"Just looking at Malfoy there sitting in ice would even make Dumbledore laugh."
"Harry!"
"I wish I had something to take a picture of this with."
"HARRY!"
"What! It's all true!" Hermione gave him another large jab to the side. "Ow! Quit it!"
"Ron," Hermione said turning to him, "What I mean to say is you are going to get in big trouble when we get to Hogwarts."
"What do you mean? You wouldn't tell, would you?" Ron asked.
"No, but they will," Hermione said, gesturing to the gaping Crabbe and the two icicles. "So change them back, now."
"I...can't," Ron said with a shrug. Hermione's eyes then widened.
"WHAT! Why can't you? Don't you know the reverse spell? How long will they stay like this? And with me being here and not stopping you. I will never get special honors again!" she said quickly as she started to meltdown.
"Wait a minute. I can change them back. It's just that I have to wait 15 minutes to do it because if you don't and try to melt the ice off, you will melt them, too."
At the last thing Ron had said, Hermione started to cool down. While this was happening, Crabbe had been getting madder and madder seeing the way Malfoy and Goyle were frozen.
"YOU!" Crabbe, who finally found his tongue, said. "You did this," he said, pointing at Ron.
Ron tried to get out his wand again, but Crabbe, for once, was faster. "Stupefy!" Crabbe yelled and a whitish light came from his wand.
"Ron! NO!" Harry said and pushed Ron out of the way. The end of the light hit Harry and he flew against the side of the compartment.
When the light faded, Harry fell on top of the sleeping Ginny on the seat.
"Ow! Get off me!" Ginny yelled as she got up from under Harry.
When she realized who it was she asked, "Harry, why did you do that? Were you guys up to something?" When there was no answer and Ginny saw Ron and Hermione gaping at Harry, she finally knew what it was.
Everyone, even Crabbe, went to his side. Oooh, Harry thought, what happened? Harry could see Crabbe, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron standing beside him. He could see their lips moving, but couldn't hear what they were saying. Then, everything was blurry. A mix of a lot of colors came in. It went blurrier and blurrier until it went black.
Harry suddenly was in a dark hallway of the school. He started running for no real reason, at first. Then, someone was laughing behind him evilly and making him run. Harry saw a door at the end of the hallway. If I could just get to the door, Harry thought. So, Harry ran and ran. The voice came behind him and laughed so evilly. Over and over it started to say "Kill Harry Potter, kill Harry Potter, kill Harry Potter". The door was getting closer and so was the voice. Harry wanted to turn around to see it, but something wouldn't let him, so he ran. In a second, the voice had come right up to his ear to say, "Harry, Harry, Harry," continuously. I'm…almost to…the door, Harry thought. He ran with all his might, now. He was at the door. But something grabbed his shoulder!
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm!!!" Harry screamed as someone muffled it with their hand.
Harry was short of breath and sweating when he first noticed himself. When he got his breath back, he turned to the person who had shut up his screaming. Harry was surprised to see that the person was...
"Sirius!?!?" he said.
Sirius put his hand over Harry's mouth once again. Harry next knew why.
"Harry? Harry are you awake?" said a woman outside the door. It was Madam Pomfrey. He also figured out where he was: the hospital wing.
"Yes," Harry yelled to Madam Pomfrey.
"Well, have the stuff on the tray by your bed to make you feel better. I will be out for a few minutes. I want to see everything on that tray gone when I get back, is that clear?"
"OK," Harry answered. When it was safe to talk, Harry whispered to Sirius, "How did you get here?"
"There is little time to talk so I'll make the facts clear," Sirius whispered.
Sirius came closer to Harry and talked quickly. "Now, Dumbledore owled me as soon as he could. Buckbeak is back in the remote part of Hogsmeade. I came here in my dog form and came up to Dumbledore. He obviously knew it was I because he rushed me here. It took some convincing, but Dumbledore got Madam Pomfrey to go out of the room and leave me here to keep you watch over you while they were gone. The point of Dumbledore sending me here is to make sure nothing happens to you."
When Harry had all of this in his head and had finished the drink on the tray that tasted like warm Jell-O, he said, "OK. So you will stay close?"
"Yes, and I will need to get owls from you for your well being and updates of Hogwarts."
Harry sighed, but said, "That's fine with me. Just as long as you don't keep close like a babysitter."
"And what do you mean by that?"
But before Harry could answer, the door to the hospital wing rattled hard. Sirius backed away from the bed and changed back into a dog. Harry ate the last pieces of chocolate left on the tray. When the key unlocked the door and it opened slightly, they could hear Dumbledore talking about ordering something called a Pestarian Sylva Potion. As he heard how the potion cured most facial wounds and spells, Harry placed the tray back on the side table.
The door fully opened and the two people walked in, still talking.
"I'll think about it," said Madam Pomfrey slowly as she turned to Harry, "So, how are you now, Harry?"
"Oh, I am fine now. Thank you for leaving the dog here. It kept me company," Harry said and turned to Sirius. Sirius gave Harry a wink and went over to Dumbledore. They then left the room to let Sirius back outside.
Harry was about to get up, but Madam Pomfrey made him stop.
"Oh, no you don't. The Headmaster will be taking you to the Great Hall shortly. Though I wish for you to stay here, he insists that you are fine. Anyway, he is going to be revealing the Hogwarts secret at the start of term feast."
"You mean it hasn't happened yet?" Harry asked.
"Of course not," Madam Pomfrey replied, " You have only been here 20 minutes!"
A moment later, Dumbledore was back and gestured Harry to come along. Harry got out of the hospital bed, told Madam Pomfrey he was fine again, and followed Dumbledore to the Great Hall.