Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They all belong to the gifted Joanne Kathleen Rowling so don't sue me! All I have are my plot and my computer =).
A/N: I'm really, really sorry for taking such a long time. My exams are just over, on the 22nd of Nov to be precise. I've gotten a part-time job since then so even though I have more time than before, I'm usually dead tired by the time I reach home. This chapter is not as long as what I usually write but still, it's better than nothing =). I'll write more soon. I could have written more as I've already started on the next chapter but I just had to leave a cliffie. Anyway, I do hope you like this chapter and looking forward to more reviews. You all have been generous with them so far and I'd love to see more. I also want to ask if you have any preferences for pairings as even though I know who to pair Harry with, the rest are still not decided on yet. Thanks.
End Of The Holidays - School Begins
Harry could think of nothing else but that peck on his cheeks for the rest of the holidays. It gave him hope, yet it also brought waves of guilt. Was she hinting something at him? He did not know. All he knew was - that day would be indelibly etched in his memory forever. From the moment she turned up while he faced Nagini to Sirius' teasing when he arrived back at Hogwarts, he would always treasure every second of it.
He laughed inwardly at himself as he eagerly awaited Hogwarts Express to arrive, or to be honest, for her to arrive. Dumbledore had given him permission provided that he kept alert and would apparate to a safe spot if danger approached. As he waited, he realized how the past few days had flown by. So much had happened in so little time. Arthur Weasley had been appointed the new Minister of Magic in spite of great opposition from Lucius Malfoy. Harry had immediately written to congratulate the Weasleys even though he knew that the Minister would have a hard job at hand. The great thing was that it would be much easier to build defenses against Voldemort now that the man at the helm of the Ministry believed that Voldemort had indeed returned. But that was still not what delighted Harry the most. Sirius had been pardoned. A statement had been released giving the truth of the whole ordeal that Sirius had gone through, with money offered as compensation. People were still wary around Sirius but it had only been a few days and Harry believed that they would warm up to him when they realized that he was on their side. Harry was just ecstatic that he had a real family now.
A horn blared, bringing Harry back from his thoughts, as the Hogwarts Express finally arrived. He watched the students streaming out, and looked out for Ron, Hermione and…Cho. He heard his name being hollered and saw Hermione and the Weasleys waving at him from a few meters ahead. As he made his way across, he noticed some students looking at him warily. He guessed that it was due to what happened last year and also whatever rumors had leaked out about the death eater attack at the Dursleys home. He sighed and bent his head, trying to ignore the stares. He had guessed that this would happen, what with the whole school's hostile treatment towards him in the past when the students found out that he was a parselmouth.
"Need some help there, Ginny?" Harry asked as he saw Ginny struggling with her cloak that had somehow gotten stuck at the edge of the door of the train.
Ginny blushed as she nodded, seeming to be unable to speak for the moment. Harry helped her to disentangle her cloak before turning to greet the rest of them.
But before he could say a word, George cut in, grinning wickedly, "So Ginny, maybe you'll have a chance this year after all."
While Fred joked, "You better name your intentions towards my little sister, Harry, or we'll have to kill you."
Ginny blushed even redder than before, if that was possible, before retorting, "I'm not 'little' anymore. What about you George? Fancy a chance yourself? I can help you drop a hint here and there."
Fred knew better than to provoke Ginny when she was near red-hot. Now it was George's turn to flush red, before he initiated a truce, "I'll not tease you about Harry if you stop talking such rubbish."
"Is it just rubbish?" Ginny asked innocently.
"You know what I'm talking about." George replied grimly.
"And what if I don't?" Ginny's lips started to twitch from her otherwise straight-faced expression.
"Ginny…" George said, with a warning in his tone.
The rest of them watched the two siblings going at it with great interest. Ginny's interest in Harry was widespread but there was no hint on George having a crush on someone else. This was something new.
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Hogwarts, which Harry now knew like the back of his hand, came into view. As usual, they all took their seats in the Great Hall. Harry caught the first glimpse of Cho who was seated at the Ravenclaw table. He had felt slightly disappointed when he didn't see her at the train station but that was probably because he had been too caught up with George's and Ginny's conversation. Now as he looked toward her, the memory of her lips imprinted on his cheek came into mind again. He flushed a little as she caught his eye and waved at him. He waved back before tearing his eyes away from her to enjoy the sorting, wondering what song the hat will sing this year.
Some of the other students caught sight of the shared moment between Harry and Cho, and looked to him more warmly. They figured that if Cho did not blame Harry over Cedric's death, they should not as well. The Slytherins all raised an outcry when they saw Professor Lupin at the teachers' table and started pointing at him and gesturing to each other at the same time. The rest of the students did not mind seeing Professor Lupin back again even though they did not know that he was no longer a werewolf.
After the sorting, Dumbledore stood up to give the announcements and also to state that Professor Lupin is no longer a werewolf, to which the majority of the school cheered while the Slytherins jeered, due to a potion that had been discovered over the summer. He also announced, to great applause from the students respective houses that the head girl and head boy of the year was to be Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor and Roger Davies of Ravenclaw.
Harry enjoyed the feast, and though he spent a considerable amount of time staring at Cho, he managed to spoon food into his mouth and also tease Ron on his huge appetite. He also introduced Dudley to the rest of the house, to which the Weasleys who had seen him before were unable to conceal their surprise at the sight of an amicable and normal-sized boy. They still remembered the Dudley who was fat and a spoilt brat. How could he have changed to swiftly? Was this the right person they were staring at? Dudley seemed to settle in fine, getting along with many of his new housemates. It was as though he enjoyed starting life afresh with a new lot of friends who did not know about his past history. He had a chance to be different from what he was in the past and he grabbed it as if it was a lifeline.
As he looked towards the teachers' table, he saw Sirius in animagus form at Remus' feet. He wondered why this was so as Sirius' name was already cleared and he could be seen anywhere freely. He started to turn to ask Ron and Hermione but before he could, he caught hold of a strangely wistful expression on Snape's face. As he was debating it in his mind, Snape probably felt his stare and looked towards him. It was even weirder when Snape did not glare or sneer at his but just looked at him thoughtfully. He continued to stare but he felt someone shaking his shoulder.
"Harry, is there anything wrong," Hermione's concerned expression came into view.
"No, it's just that Snape seems a little weird." Harry broke out of his reverie.
"I don't see anything wrong with him," Hermione commented, while Ron who had been listening to them added, "He's probably thinking of ways to kill us."
"Ron!" Hermione cautioned. Just then, Snape who finally noticed the three Gryffindors interest in him, glared at them.
"There… He's glaring again. He probably just spaced out for a while." Ron said triumphantly.
But Harry still could not dismiss the thought that the greasy-haired Potions Master was somewhat different from what he had seen last term. He took one more glance at Snape before turning once more to Ron and Hermione to ask them what they thought of Sirius being there. In the end, what Hermione said made the most sense - Dumbledore was afraid that Sirius' appearance might frighten the students. But he still kept an eye on Remus, thinking to follow them out when they left.
"Hey, Re- Professor Lupin. Wait up for me." Harry shouted at the man and the dog that were some distance away from him.
"Hello Harry," Lupin smiled warmly at him, "What did you want?"
Panting a little after he had sprinted towards them, Harry replied, "I didn't know that Sirius would be here as well. And why must he be in his dog form?"
"Oh…" Lupin remarked, "You know that Sirius would not leave you alone at school." "He still feels the need to protect you even though you are more powerful than him." Lupin added as an afterthought, to the growl at his feet.
Harry started to protest but Lupin beat him to it, "It's also safer for Sirius to be here. And he would also not need to keep coming here to contact Dumbledore if he lived here permanently."
Harry wanted to protest some more but thought better of it and asked instead, "So do you think he can come with me sometimes?"
Lupin grinned and teased, "Of course, Harry. I won't have it otherwise. It's not easy to take care of a dog, much less a hyperactive dog." At another growl, Lupin added, "But seriously, it would be nice for you and Sirius to spend some time together, whether like this or maybe we could find a private place for him to change back to human too."
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The first few days at school passed as normally as it ever could. All the students enjoyed catching up with each other over what happened during the holidays. Harry was seen as usual with Ron and Hermione but he also spent a great deal of time with Cho. Both of them could still remember the incident in Diagon Alley clearly at the back of their heads, yet they also seemed hesitant to approach each other about it. It was as if they each wanted more from each other but neither dared to initiate the next step in their relationship.
With his daily increasing knowledge and control over his powers, Harry progressed quickly in his lessons without any difficulty. He even surpassed Hermione, to which everyone was amazed. How did Harry Potter improve so fast over the summer break? Everyone tried asking him about it, both subtly and straightforwardly, but he declined to talk much about it, just mentioning that he did some reading over the summer when he was at Hogwarts and had nothing better to do. Ron and Hermione sensed that there was more to it but they also knew that he could be very stubborn and that it was best if he told them about it from his own free will. But they did feel left out at times when he left them to venture elsewhere alone or just couldn't be found, so they spent an increasing amount of time alone in each others company, to which Ron was pleased as he felt that he was making progress in his relationship with Hermione.
Unknown to them, Harry was with Cho most of the time he wasn't with them. They practiced Quidditch together, just walked about the school grounds talking and spent time in the library - looking up new spells, finishing homework or just enjoying each others company. To others, it might seem like they were already a couple but both of them studiously avoided the topic and seemed to be happy with the path their relationship was taking at the moment. Harry also took Sirius around with him sometimes, except to the library where he was forbidden access by the formidable Madam Pince, who did not know Snuffles' true identity yet. Anyway, she would probably rather have dogs in her precious library than one of the Marauders.
Though Harry had an easy time so far in all his classes, what surprised him most was Professor's Snape's new attitude towards him. He was not friendly, which Harry assumed that he would never be, but gone were the sneers, snarls and favoritism towards Slytherin. He still favored his house but he gave points to other houses more freely now. Maybe it would not seem so weird if Snape changed his attitude to the whole school but still took every opportunity to belittle him. Snape still held a grudge towards his father and him, but now, it was like he was equal with everyone else. Maybe Dumbledore made him do it or could it be that he actually felt remorseful? That doesn't seem possible but he had seen it with his own two eyes. Maybe he should ask Remus about it but he felt that if he wanted to ask someone, it should be Snape.
Dudley was having a great time in school, for once enjoying the fact that others liked him for who he is and not for his money or fear of him. His parents still tried to hide the fact that he was a wizard but at least they did not blatantly show their disapproval as they had when Harry found out that he was a wizard. He hoped that his parents were actually getting used to him being a wizard but he dared not keep his hopes too high for fear of being disappointed. He was satisfied as long as they did not show open dislike on his magical qualities.
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"Harry, do you want to practice Quidditch later. You can help me improve myself to stand a chance for the Keeper position on the team." Ron found himself talking to thin air, while Hermione just glared as the conversation had once again shifted to Quidditch. It was not that she disliked the sport. Instead, she started paying it more attention when she realized how much the boy she liked was passionate about Quidditch. It was just that when these two started talking about Quidditch, it was a never-ending conversation that she would not be able to get a word in or understand.
"Um Mione, did you see Harry leaving?" Ron queried.
Hermione turned back from her thoughts and replied a little worriedly, "No. I thought he was still with us. We did come out of Charms class together so he couldn't have disappeared so quickly. What if something had happened to him?"
"Mione, he's been vanishing a lot recently. And in the end, he turns up fine too. Maybe he just needs some time alone to think or whatever."
"But-," Hermione tried protesting.
"He's fine. He wouldn't like it if we barged in on him." Ron explained patiently, as if talking to a child.
At that moment, Harry was at the library, trying to complete his homework despite the alluring distraction sitting across from him. He smiled, staring at her struggling with some Ancient Runes homework. She just looked so beautiful, with her face a little scrunched-up and her lower lip jutting out, deep in concentration. After a while, she looked up, probably having noticed him staring. He flushed a little as her eyes met his.
"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Cho asked a little worriedly.
"Nope," Harry replied with a smile.
"Then what?"
"It's really nothing. I swear." Harry chuckled.
"Seems like you've learnt to lie better but still, there's always space for improvement," Cho teased.
"Trust me," Harry said sincerely before trying to change the subject swiftly with a grin, "Though I've never seen a Ravenclaw struggling with homework. Aren't you people supposed to be completing you homework twice as fast as us mere mortals instead?"
Cho swatted playfully at him, "Well, such people don't have special powers like some people here."
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Harry kidded.
"Nothing. And there was no pun intended."
"Uh huh. And here I was thinking of helping you with your Runes. Well, good deeds are never repaid."
"And why would I need your help?" Cho remarked cheerily, "After all, I'm a Ravenclaw."
"Hmm, if you want to complete your homework by tonight, I suggest that you take back your words," Harry put on a thoughtful expression.
After a few more moments of staring blankly at her work, Cho looked up to see Harry grinning knowingly at her. "So, are you still willing to help?"
Hearing the forced tone in her voice, Harry knew that Cho must not have asked for help often, but he still couldn't resist teasing her. "Let's see. Maybe if you…"
"No," Cho muttered before he could end his sentence, trying to stay serious though she was amused at him.
"No?" Harry asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Seeing that he was going to take this as far as it would go unless he got his own way, Cho replied a little frustrated, "Oh fine. I need your help. So you can either help me or I'll…"
"Or you'll what?"
"I'll let you know when I think of it. So are you willing to help or not?" A grin started to form on Cho's face.
"Maybe," Harry replied noncommittally.
"Harry," Cho smiled in exasperation.
"Well, since my expert help is needed," Harry paused for the effect while Cho punched him playfully, "Alright. Now shove over." As Cho stared blankly at him, he said with a mock-sigh, "How do you think I'm going to decipher Runes upside-down?"
Cho blushed a little as she noticed their closeness when he plopped down next to her but they soon got immersed in the Runes. She was amazed that he could do what she had struggled with easily despite him not taking the class. It was truly remarkable, and she realized for the first time, how powerful he really was.
A little distance away, Ron and Hermione saw the whole thing. Both were stunned to see Harry with Cho, and a little jealous that he was spending more time with her than with them. Though they knew that the two were friends, they never expected them to spend so much time together - they assumed that all the time he wasn't with them, he was with Cho.
"See, I told you that Harry wasn't in danger. He's in fact making progress with Cho." Ron said triumphantly, and on seeing Hermione's frown, felt even more jealous as he assumed that she liked Harry and now had no chance. "Why did every girl have to swoon over Harry Potter?" Ron mused angrily.
In fact, Hermione was fuming over Ron's 'I told you so' instead. He always liked to prove that he was one better than her but that was better than going unnoticed by… (A/N: Don't write off R/H as they still might have a chance.) "Yeah. You were right." Hermione said shortly.
At Hermione's tone, Ron was now angry for her. What did Harry see in Cho and not Hermione? "But we would not have found him if you had not decided to come to the library to get a book."
Surprised that Ron would even give her credit for coming to the library - a place he detested, Hermione was dumbfounded and just said a, "Whatever" which only fused Ron's anger.
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"Lucius."
"Yes, Master," One man stepped out from a group of hooded people and faced his master.
"You had failed to capture Potter for me…" Voldemort snarled.
"I'm really sorry about that Master. It won't happen again." The man groveled at Voldemort's foot.
"Don't interrupt me. I haven't finished. Maybe I should reconsider giving you a chance. 'Crucio.'"
Laughing menacingly at the man writhing at his feet, Voldemort commanded, "You will obey me and me alone."
"Yes, Master," the man wobbled a little after Voldemort stopped the spell.
"Now listen to me. I want you to get information out of that woman. She has been laughing at us and I won't allow that. If you don't get any accurate information out of her, don't come back and see me. Torture her and do anything to her but don't kill her. Remember that."
"But Master, how do I know if the information is accurate?" the man quivered.
"How dare you question my orders, Lucius? You should be smart enough to know what to do or you would be better off dead. Now, leave before I change my mind about what to do about you." Voldemort threatened.
Harry woke up in the middle of the night feeling shivers down his spine. Who was that woman? What did Voldemort want from her? Is she related to him? Then he recalled that he had dreamt of a woman who was captured by Voldemort. If he did nothing, an innocent woman would be dead because of him. He thought of disappearing to save the woman but he himself acknowledged that it would be a foolish idea. Maybe it would be better if he spoke to Dumbledore. With that idea in mind, he immediately set out for Dumbledore's office, just remembering to grab his invisibility cloak, not caring about the time. As he entered Dumbledore's office, he took off the cloak and was shocked to see Snape, Remus and Sirius there together with Dumbledore. The gentlemen that were there were all shocked to see him too except perhaps Dumbledore who probably already knew what was going on. Nonetheless, he stared at him expectantly.
But before Harry could say anything, Sirius, being Sirius, pounced on him, questioning him about his well being anxiously. "What's wrong, Harry? Are you okay? Did something happen?" And also began poking him about, checking for any injuries he might have sustained.
All at once, Dumbledore said, "Let him speak, Sirius," while Remus added, "Sirius, he doesn't seem to be injured or cursed. Hear him out before you start getting nervous over nothing," and Harry protested, "I'm fine Sirius. I just had a dream that I thought I should tell Dumbledore about." Snape just stood in a corner, looking a tad amused at what was happening, which would be unlikely for the Snape of the past.
But Sirius immediately jumped at what Harry said, "Dream? What dream? Did your scar hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital wing? Someone, call Madam Promfrey."
"No, my scar did not hurt. I do not need to go to the hospital wing. If you could just calm down, I'll tell you about it." Harry tried to placate Sirius.
After a while, everything was back to normal, though Sirius was still on edge. Harry wondered at the expression of recognition on the faces of all the gentlemen in the room as he related his dream and how he connected it with the first. But before he could ask anything, Dumbledore spoke.
"Harry, I believe that you need to hear us out first." Dumbledore said gently. Seeing Harry nodding his head numbly, Dumbledore sighed before continuing, "The woman that Voldemort was talking about is Arabella Figg."
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Bon: Glad that you liked that chapter. And I'm honored that you liked my story so much that it was the first you checked =). Anyway, just want to clear up one thing; I'm a girl, not a guy.
Lucky: Thanks. Do update your story. It has not been updated for some time.
Creamy Mimi: Thanks. Maybe I can turn you into a H/C supported huh =).
Crystalite 104: Thanks. Loved your fic too. When will you write more?
Kate Potter: Sure will. Thanks.
don't wanna mention: I'm honored to be thought of as a good writer. I'm writing the fic just to amuse myself and to think that so many people review it makes me feel honored. If you can, let me know the spelling mistakes. I'll change it. Thanks for your lovely comments.
Lil B: I'll complete this story and write more if I have time. I already have trouble updating chapters quickly =). Thanks.
Nick: Glad to hear that you read my story first. Tell me more suggestions if you have any. If I can't use them for this story, I'll keep in mind for the future =). Thanks.
Malnaix: Thanks for reviewing.
Surfer Dude: Okie, I finally updated. Sorry, but I was really busy last month. Will try to write faster. Yah, I simply love H/C =).
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