Chapter 2: Back to School
Harry Potter made his way through the throng of students on platform 9 3/4 towards the Hogwarts Express. The scarlet steam engine awaited the students just as it had for the past six years. Harry began to wonder about what he would do the next year without Hogwarts and with Voldemort still trying to kill him. He pushed those thoughts aside and hurried to the train. Some first year yelled, "Is that…Harry Potter?" That was quickly followed by first years trying to surround him and screaming or squealing in delight. After six years can't people get over the fact that I'm "Harry Potter"? This quickened his pace toward the train where he was supposed to meet Hermoine and Ron. Harry was still upset that he was not allowed to stay with the Weasley's at all during the summer and now everyone was staring at him! When he managed to board the train Harry realized his paranoia had reached new heights, he was running away from FIRST YEARS! Just before his face took on a completely crazed look Hermoine found him and dragged him into the compartment Rona and a sleeping Neville were waiting in.
Neville fitfully turned in his sleep as Harry took the seat next to Ron. "What's up with him?" Harry motioned toward Neville.
"Maybe he forgot to sleep last night." The familiar drawl came from the door. There of course stood Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.
They all jumped to their feet and Ron spat, "What are you doing here Malfoy?"
"I wanted to see if Dumbledore's favorite students had any idea what was in that letter that was sent to all of the seventh years' parents?"
They looked at each other; Ron and Harry shook their heads. "No, Malfoy, we do not. Now do you mind leaving?"
"Should have figured. Even smart mudbloods are useless." Draco said as he left the compartment followed by Crabbe and Goyle.
Harry and Ron took their seats again and Hermoine sat next to Neville, who turned over again in his sleep.
"Do you two really have no clue what was in that letter?" Hermoine asked.
"No. The Dursley's were too thrilled to keep it from me and hold it over my head for the rest of the holiday. "
"My mum became hysterical and every time I brought up the letter she would grab me and start saying I was her 'precious baby'." Ron wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"My dad seemed to think it was a god thing. He said something about advancing my studies. I am now terribly confused!" Hermoine threw her head back against her seat and accidentally bumped Neville's head with her hand in the process causing him to jolt awake. "Neville, are you alright?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Wow! I remember my dream for once! There was a hippogriff and it was chasing Trevor and…where's Trevor?"
"On your lap." Harry rolled his eyes.
"Trevor!" Neville protectively grabbed the toad.
"Come to think of it…has Trevor wandered away at all since last year?" asked Hermoine.
"Do you mean since Draco caught him?" Ron inquired and Neville became quite pale.
* * *
Several hours, chocolate frogs, pumpkin pasties, and other assorted candies later the train arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
* * *
The Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmead Station and students began to pour out of the carts. As usual Harry, Ron, Hermoine and Neville climbed down from the train and began to make their way toward the awaiting coaches. They could not help but notice the first years looking around hopelessly lost and confused by their new surroundings. They found themselves wondering if they were ever so small and clueless as those first years. Of course they could not have been, could they? The four seventh years were jolted out of their reverie by a silky voice that rang through the night air, "First years, follow me. Over here. NOW!"
Shock and horror took over the majority of the second through seventh years still standing on the platform. Some of the students quickened their pace toward the awaiting coaches, some were seemingly frozen in place, but the Slytherins continued as if they ruled the world, with only a slight bit of puzzlement showing through. The already terrified first years were left with only that silky voice calling out to them for direction as all of the older students disappeared or refused to answer their numerous questions while staring off in a stupor.
"Where's Hagird?" asked Harry as the three began to drag the frozen Neville away.
"Dunno," replied Ron, "but those first years are gonna be scarred for life…traveling to Hogwarts for the first time with that slimy git."
* * *
Ashlea Fentin followed the sallow skinned man towards the dock [A/N: there was originally a rather odd author's note here that I no longer understand which probably comes from the fact that I was half asleep at the time and we still continued to write into early the next day. I don't know why, but for some reason I've become slightly sleep dependant. Considering the absence of sleep please excuse the insanity in the following part of the chapter, please?]. There all of the first years sat in some…boats. The strange man looked at a piece of parchment, glanced over all of the new first years, and took his seat in the middle boat. One of the students, obviously muggleborn, exclaimed, "They're moving!" several of the other students giggled or sniggered at this.
The man - Ashlea assumed he was a professor and not some deranged kidnapper (after all, who would kidnap boatloads of eleven year old wizards and witches) - stared with obvious disdain at the boy. [A/N: Yes, I too would enter that sentence in a contest for sentence butchering. Consider my leaving it intact as a form of rebellion against my psychotic contemporary world history professor.] "They tend to do that form time to time."
"Next thing you know he's gonna tell us the stair cases move." whispered another moronic muggleborn. The professor rolled his eyes and several more students tried to cover up sniggers.
* * *
Harry, Ron, Hermoine, and the recovering Neville spent their coach ride speculating about the LETTER and why Hagrid was not at the station this year to greet the first years.
As usual, the coach came to a stop in front of the castle and the four students climbed out. This year there was a large mass of students waiting on the steps to Hogwarts. They joined the throng, others joined behind them, and they all made their way toward the entrance and whatever was causing the traffic congestion into Hogwarts this year.
The group of third years in front of Harry, Ron, Heroine, and Neville quickly went through the entrance leaving them staring at McGonagall, standing next to a table with tow piles of parchment on it and a clipboard. "I will need your letters, please."
"Letters?" asked Neville.
Harry and Ron gave McGonagall their letters, which went into the larger pile, and were admitted quickly with the reassurance that, "All of your questions will be answered tomorrow and it is not terribly important anyway."
Neville handed McGonagall his letter and her mouth actually dropped, she began to choke on her own saliva, and she looked like she just heard that Professor Snape decided to quite teaching and dance for the Royal Ballet. After the shock had dissipated she directed Neville into the Great Hall, carefully placed his letter in the smaller pile, and wrote his name on her clipboard.
Hermoine, now the most confused she had ever been in her life, handed McGonagall her letter. Thankfully, McGonagall smiled, placed Hermoine's letter on top of Neville's, wrote her name on the clipboard, and said, "Please, go take your seat. All of your questions will be answered shortly."
Hermoine followed McGonagall's directions and went into the Great Hall and took a seat in between Harry and Neville, who was trying to remember the strange story about McGonagall…