Chapter 2: Practice
"It's time to go dears." Mrs. Weasley's voice filled the room. Three boys bolted straight up out of bed. The twins looked at Ron who's yarning on his bed and asked.
"Where is Harry?" Ron looked around. Harry's bed was empty, his glasses gone and his trunks also gone. Ron was horrified, had Harry ran away in the middle of the night? The twins obviously thought the same thing, because they looked at their little brother with their mouth wide open.
"Did I miss the biggest fly catching contest?" Harry said walking into the room finding Ron and his twin brothers looking at each other with their mouth hanging wide open. Then Harry realized what they were gaping about - they thought Harry had run away. Harry couldn't help but laugh. "You guys are starting to act like my mom." The three red-faced Weasley joined Harry, laughing at throwing pillows at each other.
Hermione followed the sound of laughter and found herself in the boy's bedroom. "If I'm not mistaken it is morning." Hermione fought to keep a straight face, but she failed. The four boys looked completely hilarious with feathers sticking out of their hair and tangled in their blankets. "Pillow fights can wait until we get to Hogwarts, if we do not miss the train that leaves in less than a hour."
"Yes mom. " the boys said together and started laughing all over again.
By the time Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys drove (in their awfully small flying car) to King's Cross Station they only had fifteen minuets before the Hogwarts Express leaves. The group of children hurried onto the last compartment having their heavy trunks behind them.
"Good bye." Mr. and Mrs. Weasley said as they all aboard the train. "Behave yourselves now! Ron and Harry try not to get into trouble."
"We will!" called all the children sticking their heads out of the compartment window as the train slowly pull out of the station. As they all settle back into their seat Harry thought about the promise he had just made to Mrs. Weasley and smiled sadly. It's the most impossible thing to accomplish. Even if he doesn't find trouble, it will find him. He had no idea what they were going into.
"Alright you all." Fred and George announced when everyone settled into their seats and the train speeded down the rail. "Lee has save us a spot in the front so we're leaving. See you all when we get there." With that they closed the compartment door behind them. Harry looked out the window watching the field of green summer grass swooping by. Ignoring his friend's usual chatter, he stared blankly out the window not looking at any specific points. Despite all the peacefulness something didn't feel right to him, something keeps telling him that the peacefulness is only a distraction. And the dream what does it mean? With all the thoughts troubling his mind he couldn't even catch up on some sleep. He grunted quietly.
"Is everything okay?" asked Hermione laying a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry turned around and met her eyes. She looked extremely worried.
"Everything's fine, I just fell asleep." Harry lied forcing a smile onto his face "I shouldn't have stay up that late last night." His friends looked at him filled with concern. Before Harry had time to make up an excuse there was a knock on their compartment door, before the door was slide wide open. There stood a tall man in black robes smiling down at them.
"Professor Lupin!" The four exclaimed with great surprise. This was a great surprise, one Hermione had not expected. Harry's occurred silence was put to the back of all their minds.
"Nice to see you lot again." Professor Lupin grinned broadly as he enter the compartment. "Ron you have grown taller." He examined each of them from head to toe. "Hermione and Ginny you two are just getting too stunning. I don't think I could have recognized you if I stayed away any longer." Hermione blushed. Professor Lupin walked over to Harry and ruffled his untidy hair. "And you. You have grown a whole lot since the last time I saw you. You look more like James everyday." He smiled at Harry and whispered, "Sirius gave me something to give to you." Hermione could see the professor slip a thick envelope into Harry's hand. Harry quickly pocketed it.
"Well do you have enough space for me to join you?" Professor Lupin smiled.
"We have more than enough space Professor." Ginny said happily offering Professor Lupin a seat. Before Professor Lupin has time to sit down there was another knock at the door.
"Hi is Ginny here?" a girl with short blond hair stood in the doorway. She was tall and slender, strawberry blond hair and pale blue eyes.
"Hi Melinda!" Ginny was excited to see her friend. She got up and introduced her to everyone. "This is Melinda she's a Ravenclaw second year, she's the one I've been writing to all summer."
"Hi Melinda!" They all gave Melinda a wave. Melinda's pale cheeks flushed.
"Melinda, this is my brother Ron." Ginny pointed at Ron. "And the girl across from him is Hermione Granger, and next to her is the famous Harry Potter." At that, the girl's eyes seem to twinkle with excitement.
"Oh Harry Potter!" She rushed towards Harry, "Can I have your autograph?" As Harry wrote his name on a piece of parchment the girl babbled on. "Oh! Thank you so much. I heard a lot about you and I've read every book there is about you but I never thought I'd meet you in person!" for a quiet looking girl she spoke way more than her share. Harry handed her the parchment.
"Don't go around telling everyone, or showing it off okay?" Harry pleaded.
"Sure. I won't." Melinda nodded happily. Harry doubt she heard what he said.
"Alright I'm going to go and sit with Melinda now!" said Ginny as she and Melinda left closing the door behind them. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Professor Lupin took their places again.
"Aren't you going to see what's in the envelope?" asked Ron eagerly.
"Oh yeah." Harry quickly pulled out the thick envelope. In side there was a letter and several photographs, and a thick little disk.
"Go on read the letter first." Ron urged impatiently. Harry read.
Dear Harry
I hope Hedwig got to you before Lupin did. He won't be teaching this year though...
"You won't." Harry stopped at looked at Lupin, who shook his head.
"Unfortunately I will not be teaching, but I will be around the school." Lupin replied, "Dumbledore had asked me to come just in case Voldemort decide to attack. Go on keep reading. " Harry read on.
I do hope you would come and live with me after school ends. I'm at my own house now. I've started fixing up the place and I found these ask I was cleaning up and decided to send them to you. You might want pictures of you when you were younger to put into your photo album that Hagrid gave you.
Harry carefully lay out the photographs on the empty seat between him and Hermione. Inside one of the pictures his parents waving happily at him with a little blue bundle in their hands in front of a house.
"That's you're house before it was blasted apart." Lupin said pointing at the house.
"Aw! Look at that picture." Hermione pointed at a picture with just Harry wiggling in his little crib under his blue blanket. Harry felt his face redden. He thought he never had to go through this - since the Dursleys didn't have any baby picture of Harry.
"Look at this one." Ron said picking up a picture of Harry pulling on Sirius's hair as Sirius stood holding Little Harry for Lily. Looking at these pictures was like a trip down memory lane for Lupin. He felt tears flood into his eye, he blinked them back. Harry picked up the letter and read on as his friends gawk at the pictures.
The disk is a message your parents had left for you. They told me if anything was to happen to them. I have to give it to you. Just press the button on the corner to start it.
Harry curiously pressed the little red button on the corner of the black disk. A beam of light shot out of the center of the disk. In the light a picture of Harry's parents appeared. Harry's hand trembled and his throat went dry. The figures begin to speak.
"Hi Harry." Said James. "We are making this recording so that just incase anything happen to us you can still have something of us."
"Harry, we want you to know that we love you very much" said Lily, "We won't ever leave you for no good reason and we want you to be happy." Harry's eyes watered and he could no longer hold it back. He didn't care if his friends are watching. He had never thought that he would hear his parent's voice again but here they are standing in front of him, speaking to him. He wanted to be held by his mother to be teased by his father but that's something that is never going to happen. At this moment the compartment was filled with the sound of Lily's singing voice. The song was so beautiful it would make a nightingale a shamed. He felt Hermione's hand touch his. He took it and squeezed it tight. When Lily's song finally ended the image flickered and disappeared. No one spoke for a long time.
"I'm sorry Harry." Lupin started, "I didn't know it's..."
"It's alright. I have to thank you for giving it to me." Harry said drying away his tears and forced a smiled. Lupin's heart ached seeing the boy like this, but he couldn't think of a way to cheer him up. Just as Lupin is troubled by the thought the solution came to their door. A woman pushing a cart filled with food came to their door.
"Any thing for you dears?" she asked. Harry took out his moneybag.
"Oh Harry would you get mine from my trunk?" said Hermione, "it's under your seat." Harry bent over and pulled out Hermione's trunk. He unlocked it and lifted the lid. A sudden explosion caught him by surprise. A black flash zapped him and Harry passed out.
"It's time to go dears." Mrs. Weasley's voice filled the room. Three boys bolted straight up out of bed. The twins looked at Ron who's yarning on his bed and asked.
"Where is Harry?" Ron looked around. Harry's bed was empty, his glasses gone and his trunks also gone. Ron was horrified, had Harry ran away in the middle of the night? The twins obviously thought the same thing, because they looked at their little brother with their mouth wide open.
"Did I miss the biggest fly catching contest?" Harry said walking into the room finding Ron and his twin brothers looking at each other with their mouth hanging wide open. Then Harry realized what they were gaping about - they thought Harry had run away. Harry couldn't help but laugh. "You guys are starting to act like my mom." The three red-faced Weasley joined Harry, laughing at throwing pillows at each other.
Hermione followed the sound of laughter and found herself in the boy's bedroom. "If I'm not mistaken it is morning." Hermione fought to keep a straight face, but she failed. The four boys looked completely hilarious with feathers sticking out of their hair and tangled in their blankets. "Pillow fights can wait until we get to Hogwarts, if we do not miss the train that leaves in less than a hour."
"Yes mom. " the boys said together and started laughing all over again.
By the time Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys drove (in their awfully small flying car) to King's Cross Station they only had fifteen minuets before the Hogwarts Express leaves. The group of children hurried onto the last compartment having their heavy trunks behind them.
"Good bye." Mr. and Mrs. Weasley said as they all aboard the train. "Behave yourselves now! Ron and Harry try not to get into trouble."
"We will!" called all the children sticking their heads out of the compartment window as the train slowly pull out of the station. As they all settle back into their seat Harry thought about the promise he had just made to Mrs. Weasley and smiled sadly. It's the most impossible thing to accomplish. Even if he doesn't find trouble, it will find him. He had no idea what they were going into.
"Alright you all." Fred and George announced when everyone settled into their seats and the train speeded down the rail. "Lee has save us a spot in the front so we're leaving. See you all when we get there." With that they closed the compartment door behind them. Harry looked out the window watching the field of green summer grass swooping by. Ignoring his friend's usual chatter, he stared blankly out the window not looking at any specific points. Despite all the peacefulness something didn't feel right to him, something keeps telling him that the peacefulness is only a distraction. And the dream what does it mean? With all the thoughts troubling his mind he couldn't even catch up on some sleep. He grunted quietly.
"Is everything okay?" asked Hermione laying a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry turned around and met her eyes. She looked extremely worried.
"Everything's fine, I just fell asleep." Harry lied forcing a smile onto his face "I shouldn't have stay up that late last night." His friends looked at him filled with concern. Before Harry had time to make up an excuse there was a knock on their compartment door, before the door was slide wide open. There stood a tall man in black robes smiling down at them.
"Professor Lupin!" The four exclaimed with great surprise. This was a great surprise, one Hermione had not expected. Harry's occurred silence was put to the back of all their minds.
"Nice to see you lot again." Professor Lupin grinned broadly as he enter the compartment. "Ron you have grown taller." He examined each of them from head to toe. "Hermione and Ginny you two are just getting too stunning. I don't think I could have recognized you if I stayed away any longer." Hermione blushed. Professor Lupin walked over to Harry and ruffled his untidy hair. "And you. You have grown a whole lot since the last time I saw you. You look more like James everyday." He smiled at Harry and whispered, "Sirius gave me something to give to you." Hermione could see the professor slip a thick envelope into Harry's hand. Harry quickly pocketed it.
"Well do you have enough space for me to join you?" Professor Lupin smiled.
"We have more than enough space Professor." Ginny said happily offering Professor Lupin a seat. Before Professor Lupin has time to sit down there was another knock at the door.
"Hi is Ginny here?" a girl with short blond hair stood in the doorway. She was tall and slender, strawberry blond hair and pale blue eyes.
"Hi Melinda!" Ginny was excited to see her friend. She got up and introduced her to everyone. "This is Melinda she's a Ravenclaw second year, she's the one I've been writing to all summer."
"Hi Melinda!" They all gave Melinda a wave. Melinda's pale cheeks flushed.
"Melinda, this is my brother Ron." Ginny pointed at Ron. "And the girl across from him is Hermione Granger, and next to her is the famous Harry Potter." At that, the girl's eyes seem to twinkle with excitement.
"Oh Harry Potter!" She rushed towards Harry, "Can I have your autograph?" As Harry wrote his name on a piece of parchment the girl babbled on. "Oh! Thank you so much. I heard a lot about you and I've read every book there is about you but I never thought I'd meet you in person!" for a quiet looking girl she spoke way more than her share. Harry handed her the parchment.
"Don't go around telling everyone, or showing it off okay?" Harry pleaded.
"Sure. I won't." Melinda nodded happily. Harry doubt she heard what he said.
"Alright I'm going to go and sit with Melinda now!" said Ginny as she and Melinda left closing the door behind them. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Professor Lupin took their places again.
"Aren't you going to see what's in the envelope?" asked Ron eagerly.
"Oh yeah." Harry quickly pulled out the thick envelope. In side there was a letter and several photographs, and a thick little disk.
"Go on read the letter first." Ron urged impatiently. Harry read.
Dear Harry
I hope Hedwig got to you before Lupin did. He won't be teaching this year though...
"You won't." Harry stopped at looked at Lupin, who shook his head.
"Unfortunately I will not be teaching, but I will be around the school." Lupin replied, "Dumbledore had asked me to come just in case Voldemort decide to attack. Go on keep reading. " Harry read on.
I do hope you would come and live with me after school ends. I'm at my own house now. I've started fixing up the place and I found these ask I was cleaning up and decided to send them to you. You might want pictures of you when you were younger to put into your photo album that Hagrid gave you.
Harry carefully lay out the photographs on the empty seat between him and Hermione. Inside one of the pictures his parents waving happily at him with a little blue bundle in their hands in front of a house.
"That's you're house before it was blasted apart." Lupin said pointing at the house.
"Aw! Look at that picture." Hermione pointed at a picture with just Harry wiggling in his little crib under his blue blanket. Harry felt his face redden. He thought he never had to go through this - since the Dursleys didn't have any baby picture of Harry.
"Look at this one." Ron said picking up a picture of Harry pulling on Sirius's hair as Sirius stood holding Little Harry for Lily. Looking at these pictures was like a trip down memory lane for Lupin. He felt tears flood into his eye, he blinked them back. Harry picked up the letter and read on as his friends gawk at the pictures.
The disk is a message your parents had left for you. They told me if anything was to happen to them. I have to give it to you. Just press the button on the corner to start it.
Harry curiously pressed the little red button on the corner of the black disk. A beam of light shot out of the center of the disk. In the light a picture of Harry's parents appeared. Harry's hand trembled and his throat went dry. The figures begin to speak.
"Hi Harry." Said James. "We are making this recording so that just incase anything happen to us you can still have something of us."
"Harry, we want you to know that we love you very much" said Lily, "We won't ever leave you for no good reason and we want you to be happy." Harry's eyes watered and he could no longer hold it back. He didn't care if his friends are watching. He had never thought that he would hear his parent's voice again but here they are standing in front of him, speaking to him. He wanted to be held by his mother to be teased by his father but that's something that is never going to happen. At this moment the compartment was filled with the sound of Lily's singing voice. The song was so beautiful it would make a nightingale a shamed. He felt Hermione's hand touch his. He took it and squeezed it tight. When Lily's song finally ended the image flickered and disappeared. No one spoke for a long time.
"I'm sorry Harry." Lupin started, "I didn't know it's..."
"It's alright. I have to thank you for giving it to me." Harry said drying away his tears and forced a smiled. Lupin's heart ached seeing the boy like this, but he couldn't think of a way to cheer him up. Just as Lupin is troubled by the thought the solution came to their door. A woman pushing a cart filled with food came to their door.
"Any thing for you dears?" she asked. Harry took out his moneybag.
"Oh Harry would you get mine from my trunk?" said Hermione, "it's under your seat." Harry bent over and pulled out Hermione's trunk. He unlocked it and lifted the lid. A sudden explosion caught him by surprise. A black flash zapped him and Harry passed out.