Note: Thank you Lana for the feedback! ^_^ I adore constructive criticism, because I really want to improve my writing, but I'm not sure what you meant by 'jumping a bit'. Could you please explain? If anyone else feels the same, would you please tell me why? I'd like to make the story better if I can.


Harry Potter and the Mystery on the Hogwarts Express

Part Four

Harry sat sprawled in his seat. He nodded and shook his head at the appropriate intervals while Hermione talked. He kept glancing at the door, wondering when she'd stop long enough for him to make a break for it. He was contemplating excusing himself to the restroom when they heard shouting and doors slamming outside their room. Curious, they slid open their door and peered out. Students were piling out of their compartments into the corridor, talking excitedly, but no one seemed to know what was going on. Suddenly a tall Ravenclaw Prefect with dark brown hair appeared, ushering everyone back into his or her rooms. "And stay in there if you know what's good for you."

The Prefect, who Harry recognized as one of the beaters for the Ravenclaw's Quidditch team, stopped in front of Harry. His gaze was grim as he looked over the Gryffindor. "You had better come with me."

As they walked Harry asked, "What's going on?"

The Prefect cast an uneasy glance at Hermione, who bristled at the slight. Harry caught this and said, "Whatever it is, you can say it in front of Hermione."

The older boy blinked and said, "Sorry, I didn't meant it as an insult. Its just-" He choked on his words. Harry noticed for the first time that his face had a rather pale pallor to it. After taking a deep breath, he raised his chin and said, "I think I better let the Head Girl explain."

They reached the back of the train and he stepped aside to reveal Ron and two other students, who looked to be the Head Girl and Boy. The Head Girl was another Ravenclaw with strawberry blond hair and the other was, most surprisingly, a burly looking Slytherin. They seemed to be arguing heatedly over something, but stopped when they saw Harry and his escorts. Ron looked up, but failed to smile when he saw his friends. A cat purred loudly in his arms.

Hermione squealed, "Crookshanks!" She ran forward and scooped her cat from Ron's arms. She cooed delightedly until she noticed the matted blood around Crookshanks' feet. "Ron! What happened?"

Ron stared at the cat in Hermione's arms unblinking. He choked out, "It's- it's not her blood." His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, as though he'd been crying. Harry and Hermione glanced at each other uneasily.

Harry asked, "Whose blood is it?"

Ron's eyes darted to the side. Harry followed his glance to the closed door of the luggage compartment. He looked down and saw the tracks of blood leading away from it. For a moment it seemed as though his heart stopped beating and everything around him became silent and dead. Only one thought rang through his head. 'Draco.' It was a moment before he could find his voice again. "What happened?"

The Head Girl stepped forward. She stammered slightly and Harry could see her eyes roaming to the lighting bolt shaped scar on his forehead as she spoke, "There's b- been a- a..." Her voice trailed off into a whisper.

Harry's eyes flashed in annoyance as his mind continued its mantra of 'Draco'. "There's been a what?"

"Murder." The husky voice came from the Slytherin and Harry's eyes shot towards him.

It was a moment before the word really registered in his mind. 'Murder. Someone's been murdered.' At that moment Harry had a sort of out of body experience. He felt disconnected from everything. His voice sounded strange as he heard himself ask in a hoarse whisper, "Who?"

Ron choked again and looked on the verge of crying. "I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry looked at him bewildered. 'Sorry? For what? Who's dead?' but the questions didn't make it outside his head and instead he felt himself drifting toward the door. As his hand connected with the handle, he heard Ron plead behind him, "Harry, don't." Harry didn't want to, but he had to see. It felt a though something was pushing him through the door and before he knew it he was inside staring at a mass of blood. It seemed to be everywhere and coming from nowhere, until he noticed the opened trunk. And the body inside. He gasped and fell to his knees, uncaring of the blood that stained his pants. His body shook and he cried in guilty relief.

'It's not Draco.'

He continued crying, even as he felt an arm slide around him, pulling him out. He stumbled back outside, leaning heavily on the person holding him.

He heard a soft feminine voice exclaim, "Oh, Harry," before he felt another set of arms surround him. Beneath the crying, Harry felt a bubble of laughter burst up. He couldn't help it. It wasn't Draco. The laughter broke through the crying and he felt the arms supporting him go slack. He wiped away the tears spilling down his face, but even as he continued crying, he laughed. Four sets of eyes watched him in fearful shock.

As he saw their expressions, it felt like he was suddenly being yanked back into his body. His stomach plunged as he staggered forward and began to regain control over his hysterical reaction. A heavy weight soon settled around him as reality took hold on his conscious. Draco wasn't dead, but someone else was. Someone he once thought he cared for. "Cho..."

End Part Four.