CHAPTER THREE
The Journey to Hogwarts
Harry awoke from his recuring nightmare the next morning, panting. However, he soon forgot about it, as he realized that today was the day he left the Dursley's for another whole year, to return to Hogwarts.
He yawned softly, stretching and pulling himself out from under the sheets. He glanced around his surroundings, allowing his eyes to finally rest upon the nightstand where his glasses sat. He reached to the and put them out.
After getting out of his pajamas and getting dressed, without attempting to comb his messy hair, as it was useless, he walked out of his room and downstairs where breakfast and the early morning quarrel over food awaited him.
"Now Dudleykins, you mustn't eat anymore than what I have already given you. The nurse said it is bad for you're health." He heard his Aunt Petunia saying in her sweetest voice.
As he walked in, he did not receive a greeting. Rather, he received a strained grunt from Mr. Dursley, and a glance from his aunt that said, 'Fix your own.' And Harry did walk over to fix his own, but all he saw was a undersized carrot. Harry figured this was the smallest one. It didn't make a difference to him, because not only did he still have a bit of food from his friends left, but he would be returning to Hogwarts soon to the Back to School Feast. So, with that in mind, he ate his carrot happily.
"Yes well," said his Uncle, grunting, "What time must you be there? It'd better fit in with our schedule, I plan on taking Dudley to the mall today to do a bit of shopping with Petunia."
Harry glanced around, then looked to his watch. Then, swallowing his last bite, he stood up and spoke, "I have to be there before eleven to catch the Hog-sorry, I have to be there before eleven to catch the train." Harry did not even mind saying sorry today, he was too excited about the prospect of what lay ahead.
As Uncle Vernon stood up to go get something to drink, Dudley reached and grabbed his last remaining carrot. Harry was even happy enough today to say, "Uncle Vernon, Dudley's trying to overeat again." Dudley got scolded and Harry sat happily with himself for the next few hours.
Finally, at a quarter till ten, they all loaded up in the family car, Harry putting his trunk along with Hedwig in the car trunk, Hedwig screeching and squealing.
Uncle Vernon sat in the drivers seat, along with Aunt Petunia who sat in the front. Harry, however, was unfortunate enough to be, literally, stuck in the back seat with Dudley, who took up so much space that Harry found it difficult to breathe.
"Could you please," said Harry, shoving Dudley to the side as Dudley continued to move closer to Harry, in an attempt to make him as uncomfortable as possible. "Move over!"
"I can't!" Lied Dudley. "There's not enough room back here!"
"Well," said Harry angrily, "You might've thought of that before you decided to become a giant whale!"
"Shut it up! Both of you!" Uncle Vernon barked angrily. He was not happy with Dudley at the moment, and he was never happy with Harry in the first place.
The ride, though uncomfortably bumpy, was well worth it by the time Harry arrived at King's Cross. He pushed his way out of the car, stumbling on Dudley's porking fat has he climbed out. With a grunt from his Uncle, which must have meant 'Good-bye', Harry opened the trunk and pulled out his luggage, placing it, along with Hedwig's cage, onto a large trolley he had grabbed from the side of the entrance. As the car drove off, Harry walked happily away, pushing the trolley.
King's Cross was more crowded than usual today, owing to the fact that there were hundreds of young wizards attempting to make their way to the barrier dividing Platforms nine and ten. Harry brushed through the crowds of muggles, trying to look as insuspicious as possible, although a few people eyed strangely at the fact that he had a snowy white owl with him.
Harry finally made it to the barrier. Clutching the trolley tight, he searched around to make sure no muggles were paying attention to him, then raced as swiftly as he could towards the barrier.
SWOOSH! He found himself suddenly at Platform nine and three-quarters, which was already crowded with Hogwarts students gathering onto the train and pushing their luggage onto the luggage compartment. The scarlet read steam engine, The Hogwarts Express, was already billowing great clouds of puffy gray and purple smoke, drawing a haze to the scene behind it.
Harry sighed slightly, looking around for a sign of Ron or Hermione. Then, he heard something from behind him. He realized that someone would be surely heading through the barrier any moment now, and he had not yet moved.
Try as he might to move out of the way, he was bumped into as Fred and George Weasley suddenly appeared, bursting through the barrier.
"Ah!" Harry yelled, jumping aside.
"Hello Harry!" Fred said, waving, a broad grin spreading across his face. "How are you doing, Harry?" said George, waving to him.
"Fine, thanks." Said Harry, his eyes spreading around. "Where's--"
"Ron's on the way," Fred said, guessing what Harry was going to say before he could even get it out. "Had to help some old git that dropped a pile of shrub clippings. She said she apparated in the wrong place when she was going to go to work at a garden-strange, she was."
"Yeah," George added, "If you ask me, that old lady has lost more than her shrubs."
"Well, better be putting my stuff up," Harry said, looking at the unisonial nods from Fred and George.
Harry pushed his trolley to the side, then began unloading his trunk, cauldron, and Hedwig's cage, then placing them into the train. Fred and George did the same, and once Harry turned around, he saw Ron come dashing through the barrier, closely followed by Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. Ron's hands were covered slightly in dirty.
"Hullo Ron!" Harry said, waving at them.
"Hey Harry." Ron answered, coming over to him, loading his luggage too. "Seen Hermione?" He asked, gazing around to look for her.
"No," Harry replied, "She's probably already on the tra-" But he was interupted quickly.
"Harry! Ron!" Hermione gasped running up behind them. "How are you?"
"Er, fine." Ron replied, slightly blushing.
Harry smiled, letting her know that he was also fine. "Alright Hermione?" Harry added.
"Yes. I'm fine." Hermione replied, as she began to load her things into the train. "Just been reading up on the Salem witch trials of the 1700's."
"Er, Hermione," Ron started, ignoring her last sentence as he attempted to get out something he seemed to find more important, "I was wondering, the Daily Prophet, it--" But he was interupted before he could start by the ear screeching sound of the Hogwarts express, announcing it was about to depart.
"Better get going," Harry said quickly moving along.
They boarded the Hogwarts Express, coming into a mostly happy, talkitive atmosphere. They sat down.
When everyone was finally seated, Harry realized that Hermione was no where to be seen inside the compartment.
"Ron," Harry started.
"Eh?" Ron replied, taking his attention away from his mother waving good bye to him out the window.
"Where's Hermione?"
Ron searched around the room. He couldn't see her either. "I dunno," he replied. "I'll go look for her, I've got to ask her about Rita--" too late. Just as Ron was standing up, he was suddenly thrown back down onto the seats as the train began to slowly move along the rails, gaining speed by the seconds.
"Er, well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to walk into the next compartment. It is covered between each car, usually, isn't it Harry? I mean, it was last year. Right?"
But Harry had already stood up and was making his way to the door of the compartment. He flung it open. But it was not covered. Infact, there was no connectivity between the two cars, just the wind blowing their hair, and the sound of the wheels clicking along the track. And Harry saw why; the car they were in appeared much older than the rest; it was rusty, and the red paint that was left was not only faded, but peeling from all sides.
"No getting through from there while this thing is moving," Harry said, easily closing the compartment door with the force of the wind and walking back over to Ron, where he sat down.
Suddenly, the little lady with the candy cart appeared out of nowhere and came strolling down the aisle, with a cart full of all kinds of wizarding treats. These included: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, and other delicious treats Harry had been longing for all summer long. After selling a few candies to other students, she finally reached Harry and Ron, who were inconvienietly located at the back of the train.
"Good evening dears," she smiled at them, pushing the cart forward. "Anything you would like?"
Harry quickly gave a yes, and he and Ron bought several chocalte frogs, and a large bag of Every Flavor Beans.
For the next hour, they ate heartily on this delicous food, and Harry got two new cards from his frog. (Amina Arnert and Arianne Zon) Harry ate several beans, and was unable to figure out which flavors three of them were, although he recognized the others: Caramel, wood, apple, radish, onion, and something else that tasted horridly like burnt rubber smelled.
As the hours past, the sun began to situate itself behind the clouds, letting several small rays seep through them every now and then. From there, the clouds grew darker, turning into what had once been a beautiful day into a dark, gloomy haze of rain and low rumbles of thunder.
"Say Harry," Ron said, "How do you reckon the witch with the cart got to the other compartment, but we weren't able to?"
"She apparated, didn't you see her?" Harry said, astonished that Ron hadn't noticed this. But prehaps, Ron was more used to seeing aparation than he was, and didn't take as much notice of such things.
As the rain began to pound on the windows and the sky grew still darker, the sun's rays no longer pouring throught the clouds, (Which Harry realized that the coming of nighttime was probably contributing to) Harry looked out the window to see that the ground was becoming more and more mountinous.
"We must almost be to Hogwarts," Harry said, turning back to Ron.
But Ron wasn't paying attention, he was apparently lost deep in thought somewhere far off. Harry prodded him on the back.
"Ron?"
Ron jumped, slighty suprised at hearing his name. "What? Oh, Harry...what is it?"
Harry bit his lip. "I was just wondering what you were thinking about so heavily, that's all." He said, giving him an awkward glance.
"Oh," Ron said, turning his head down slightly, and then pulling it back up again. "I was just thinking about what Lucius Malfoy was saying at Flourish and Blotts. Sounds to me like he could not be happier than if her were to get Dumbledore kicked out."
"Yeah, I noticed." Harry said, heaving a sigh. "Guess I forgot about that with all else he said and the excitement, that's all."
"Malfoys." Ron said angrily. "All alike, all of them. Malfoy, he and his father are just alike. The great pricks."
"Speaking ill of my father, are you?" Came a sneering voice from nowhere that made Harry and Ron jump. Draco Malfoy was standing there, his great eyebrows raised and his malevolent eyes as ferocious as ever. Standing behind them, were two big muscled boys, as large and round, (if not larger) as Dudley.
"So what if we were?" Said Ron bravely, standing up to Malfoy. "I don't suppose you have anything wonderful to say in his defense, might you?"
Malfoy choked on a laugh, almost snorting. "I do. He's alot better than you're father. I expect you're father will be working overtime to pay for those new robes, eh Weasley?" He said, looking down at Ron's robes, as Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly at Malfoy's antics.
"Shut up Malfoy!" Harry said, suprised at his own daring has he leaped up, jumping straight towards Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. "Why is it, that those two klutzes follow you around everywhere?" He said, nodding towards the oversized figures of Crabbe and Goyle, who were clenching their fists in anger. "Scared to go alone? Too weak Malfoy?"
Crabbe and Goyle made to jump on Harry, but Malfoy held them back, and with a slight shrug, quietly added, "C'mon." to them, and walked gradually away, looking quite angry.
"Well, that should get rid of him for a good few hours." Ron said, grinning at Harry.
"Hope so." Harry replied. "Say, Ron, who do you think the new defense against the dark arts teacher is?" He added, changing the subject.
"Dunno," Ron said, "I just hope that this time he isn't one of You Know Who's helpers in the form of a teacher." He was refering to the teacher they had last year, Mad-Eye Moody. Although it wasn't really Mad Eye Moody at all, it was one of Voldemort's supporters in the form of Moody, helping Voldemort. Infact, the only normal Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Harry had ever had, (apart from the fact he was a werewolf) was Professor Remus J. Lupin, who had coincidentally been a friend of Harry's father James Potter when he was at Hogwarts.
"Maybe he's a vampire," Ron said thoughtfully.
"Or maybe he's a half giant like Hagrid," Harry added.
"Or maybe," said a voice from behind them, "He's a she." It was Fred, he and George had been stadning behind the two for several seconds now.
"Saw that sleek haired git Malfoy was giving you trouble," Said George. "Thought we'd come help, but before we got here you two were already on about the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"Wait," Ron said, looking strangely at them, "What did you mean by he's a she?"
Harry had been wondering the same thing, he even had his own mouth open, ready to ask the very question Ron that had just left Ron's lips. Did they mean that they would finally be having a female teacher? Harry had never thought of a woman as one for the job, but now it seemed strange really that h had never thought that they might. If so, how would they know? Harry found these words, "How do you know?", escaping from his mouth before they had even answered Ron's question.
"Over there," George said, pointing to the opposite sliding door than Harry and Ron had checked, in an attempt to find Hermione, "In the staff car, we snuck in and heard them refering to her as a she. Didn't see her there, though. Although, we did see Hermione. Talking to Professor McGonagall about her schedule."
"So that's where she was," Harry said, wondering why they had never thought to look there. Then he realized why, it was the staff compartment, afterall.
Ron jumped up.
"I'm going to go see if I can get her, I've got to ask her about, er, something," he said, noting the puzzled looks on Fred and George's faces.
"Yeah, me too." Said Harry, standing up as well. But he need not have, for at that very moment, the staff compartment door slid open and out walked Hermione, looking her usual happy self, he bushy brown hair swinging stiffly around her shoulders.
"Hermione," Ron gasped. "I was wondering where you were."
Hermione gave a slight frown, they replied. "I was talking to Professor McGonagall about my schedule for the end of the year, since I won't be here,"
"What?" Harry said, a confused look spreading across his features. "What do you mean you won't be here? Where are you going?"
But Ron, who had not been listening, suddenly broke in. "Hermione, about what I was going to ask you earlier before we got on the train."
"Yes Ron?" She said curtly.
"Well," Ron began, but did not finish. For at that moment, the train stopped, and everyone fell silent. Suddenly the door sprang open, and Professor McGonagall was standing at it, beckoning everyone off the train.
Harry, along with Ron and the others stepped down from the train, finding themselves in a downpour, soaking their robes. They broke out at a run, scrambling to get into a carraige.
Harry boarded a carraige with Ron, Seamus Finnagin, and Neville Longbottom. Ron, who had been hoping Hermione would be boarding with them so that he could finish his question, was rather dissapointed when she did not board.
As the horses began to pull the carraiges up the steep hill through the rain, Harry looked over to Neville, who seemed frightened indeed at the low rumbling of thunder.
"S-so, Harry," Neville began, trembling from the cold rain that was penetrating his skin, "Rainy night, isn't it?"
"Yeah," said Harry in reply.
"Wonder," said Ron minutes later, as the ride became more bumpy on the way to the castle, "if the new defense against the dark arts teacher is going to be like McGonagall, or if she's going to be fun."
Harry shrugged.
"She?" Said Neville and Seamus in unison.
"Yeah," Harry replied to them. "Fred and George told us, they overheard the other Professors talking about it."
"Wow." Said Neville. "We've never had a witch for a defense against the dark arts teacher before."
"Oh I do hope she's not too strict." Said Seamus, looking nervous, but excited.
Finally, the carraiges stopped and Harry, Ron, Neville, and Seamus hopped out along with all of the other students. They scuttled as quick as they could up to the large double doors through the rain, watching as the first years paddled across the Great Lake. Finally, Hagrid, a giant man who was twice as tall and three times as large as most people, came up pushing through the students, and pushed the doors open. Harry walked into the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts. Now, he looked around. Finally, he was home. He was at Hogwarts.
The Journey to Hogwarts
Harry awoke from his recuring nightmare the next morning, panting. However, he soon forgot about it, as he realized that today was the day he left the Dursley's for another whole year, to return to Hogwarts.
He yawned softly, stretching and pulling himself out from under the sheets. He glanced around his surroundings, allowing his eyes to finally rest upon the nightstand where his glasses sat. He reached to the and put them out.
After getting out of his pajamas and getting dressed, without attempting to comb his messy hair, as it was useless, he walked out of his room and downstairs where breakfast and the early morning quarrel over food awaited him.
"Now Dudleykins, you mustn't eat anymore than what I have already given you. The nurse said it is bad for you're health." He heard his Aunt Petunia saying in her sweetest voice.
As he walked in, he did not receive a greeting. Rather, he received a strained grunt from Mr. Dursley, and a glance from his aunt that said, 'Fix your own.' And Harry did walk over to fix his own, but all he saw was a undersized carrot. Harry figured this was the smallest one. It didn't make a difference to him, because not only did he still have a bit of food from his friends left, but he would be returning to Hogwarts soon to the Back to School Feast. So, with that in mind, he ate his carrot happily.
"Yes well," said his Uncle, grunting, "What time must you be there? It'd better fit in with our schedule, I plan on taking Dudley to the mall today to do a bit of shopping with Petunia."
Harry glanced around, then looked to his watch. Then, swallowing his last bite, he stood up and spoke, "I have to be there before eleven to catch the Hog-sorry, I have to be there before eleven to catch the train." Harry did not even mind saying sorry today, he was too excited about the prospect of what lay ahead.
As Uncle Vernon stood up to go get something to drink, Dudley reached and grabbed his last remaining carrot. Harry was even happy enough today to say, "Uncle Vernon, Dudley's trying to overeat again." Dudley got scolded and Harry sat happily with himself for the next few hours.
Finally, at a quarter till ten, they all loaded up in the family car, Harry putting his trunk along with Hedwig in the car trunk, Hedwig screeching and squealing.
Uncle Vernon sat in the drivers seat, along with Aunt Petunia who sat in the front. Harry, however, was unfortunate enough to be, literally, stuck in the back seat with Dudley, who took up so much space that Harry found it difficult to breathe.
"Could you please," said Harry, shoving Dudley to the side as Dudley continued to move closer to Harry, in an attempt to make him as uncomfortable as possible. "Move over!"
"I can't!" Lied Dudley. "There's not enough room back here!"
"Well," said Harry angrily, "You might've thought of that before you decided to become a giant whale!"
"Shut it up! Both of you!" Uncle Vernon barked angrily. He was not happy with Dudley at the moment, and he was never happy with Harry in the first place.
The ride, though uncomfortably bumpy, was well worth it by the time Harry arrived at King's Cross. He pushed his way out of the car, stumbling on Dudley's porking fat has he climbed out. With a grunt from his Uncle, which must have meant 'Good-bye', Harry opened the trunk and pulled out his luggage, placing it, along with Hedwig's cage, onto a large trolley he had grabbed from the side of the entrance. As the car drove off, Harry walked happily away, pushing the trolley.
King's Cross was more crowded than usual today, owing to the fact that there were hundreds of young wizards attempting to make their way to the barrier dividing Platforms nine and ten. Harry brushed through the crowds of muggles, trying to look as insuspicious as possible, although a few people eyed strangely at the fact that he had a snowy white owl with him.
Harry finally made it to the barrier. Clutching the trolley tight, he searched around to make sure no muggles were paying attention to him, then raced as swiftly as he could towards the barrier.
SWOOSH! He found himself suddenly at Platform nine and three-quarters, which was already crowded with Hogwarts students gathering onto the train and pushing their luggage onto the luggage compartment. The scarlet read steam engine, The Hogwarts Express, was already billowing great clouds of puffy gray and purple smoke, drawing a haze to the scene behind it.
Harry sighed slightly, looking around for a sign of Ron or Hermione. Then, he heard something from behind him. He realized that someone would be surely heading through the barrier any moment now, and he had not yet moved.
Try as he might to move out of the way, he was bumped into as Fred and George Weasley suddenly appeared, bursting through the barrier.
"Ah!" Harry yelled, jumping aside.
"Hello Harry!" Fred said, waving, a broad grin spreading across his face. "How are you doing, Harry?" said George, waving to him.
"Fine, thanks." Said Harry, his eyes spreading around. "Where's--"
"Ron's on the way," Fred said, guessing what Harry was going to say before he could even get it out. "Had to help some old git that dropped a pile of shrub clippings. She said she apparated in the wrong place when she was going to go to work at a garden-strange, she was."
"Yeah," George added, "If you ask me, that old lady has lost more than her shrubs."
"Well, better be putting my stuff up," Harry said, looking at the unisonial nods from Fred and George.
Harry pushed his trolley to the side, then began unloading his trunk, cauldron, and Hedwig's cage, then placing them into the train. Fred and George did the same, and once Harry turned around, he saw Ron come dashing through the barrier, closely followed by Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. Ron's hands were covered slightly in dirty.
"Hullo Ron!" Harry said, waving at them.
"Hey Harry." Ron answered, coming over to him, loading his luggage too. "Seen Hermione?" He asked, gazing around to look for her.
"No," Harry replied, "She's probably already on the tra-" But he was interupted quickly.
"Harry! Ron!" Hermione gasped running up behind them. "How are you?"
"Er, fine." Ron replied, slightly blushing.
Harry smiled, letting her know that he was also fine. "Alright Hermione?" Harry added.
"Yes. I'm fine." Hermione replied, as she began to load her things into the train. "Just been reading up on the Salem witch trials of the 1700's."
"Er, Hermione," Ron started, ignoring her last sentence as he attempted to get out something he seemed to find more important, "I was wondering, the Daily Prophet, it--" But he was interupted before he could start by the ear screeching sound of the Hogwarts express, announcing it was about to depart.
"Better get going," Harry said quickly moving along.
They boarded the Hogwarts Express, coming into a mostly happy, talkitive atmosphere. They sat down.
When everyone was finally seated, Harry realized that Hermione was no where to be seen inside the compartment.
"Ron," Harry started.
"Eh?" Ron replied, taking his attention away from his mother waving good bye to him out the window.
"Where's Hermione?"
Ron searched around the room. He couldn't see her either. "I dunno," he replied. "I'll go look for her, I've got to ask her about Rita--" too late. Just as Ron was standing up, he was suddenly thrown back down onto the seats as the train began to slowly move along the rails, gaining speed by the seconds.
"Er, well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to walk into the next compartment. It is covered between each car, usually, isn't it Harry? I mean, it was last year. Right?"
But Harry had already stood up and was making his way to the door of the compartment. He flung it open. But it was not covered. Infact, there was no connectivity between the two cars, just the wind blowing their hair, and the sound of the wheels clicking along the track. And Harry saw why; the car they were in appeared much older than the rest; it was rusty, and the red paint that was left was not only faded, but peeling from all sides.
"No getting through from there while this thing is moving," Harry said, easily closing the compartment door with the force of the wind and walking back over to Ron, where he sat down.
Suddenly, the little lady with the candy cart appeared out of nowhere and came strolling down the aisle, with a cart full of all kinds of wizarding treats. These included: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, and other delicious treats Harry had been longing for all summer long. After selling a few candies to other students, she finally reached Harry and Ron, who were inconvienietly located at the back of the train.
"Good evening dears," she smiled at them, pushing the cart forward. "Anything you would like?"
Harry quickly gave a yes, and he and Ron bought several chocalte frogs, and a large bag of Every Flavor Beans.
For the next hour, they ate heartily on this delicous food, and Harry got two new cards from his frog. (Amina Arnert and Arianne Zon) Harry ate several beans, and was unable to figure out which flavors three of them were, although he recognized the others: Caramel, wood, apple, radish, onion, and something else that tasted horridly like burnt rubber smelled.
As the hours past, the sun began to situate itself behind the clouds, letting several small rays seep through them every now and then. From there, the clouds grew darker, turning into what had once been a beautiful day into a dark, gloomy haze of rain and low rumbles of thunder.
"Say Harry," Ron said, "How do you reckon the witch with the cart got to the other compartment, but we weren't able to?"
"She apparated, didn't you see her?" Harry said, astonished that Ron hadn't noticed this. But prehaps, Ron was more used to seeing aparation than he was, and didn't take as much notice of such things.
As the rain began to pound on the windows and the sky grew still darker, the sun's rays no longer pouring throught the clouds, (Which Harry realized that the coming of nighttime was probably contributing to) Harry looked out the window to see that the ground was becoming more and more mountinous.
"We must almost be to Hogwarts," Harry said, turning back to Ron.
But Ron wasn't paying attention, he was apparently lost deep in thought somewhere far off. Harry prodded him on the back.
"Ron?"
Ron jumped, slighty suprised at hearing his name. "What? Oh, Harry...what is it?"
Harry bit his lip. "I was just wondering what you were thinking about so heavily, that's all." He said, giving him an awkward glance.
"Oh," Ron said, turning his head down slightly, and then pulling it back up again. "I was just thinking about what Lucius Malfoy was saying at Flourish and Blotts. Sounds to me like he could not be happier than if her were to get Dumbledore kicked out."
"Yeah, I noticed." Harry said, heaving a sigh. "Guess I forgot about that with all else he said and the excitement, that's all."
"Malfoys." Ron said angrily. "All alike, all of them. Malfoy, he and his father are just alike. The great pricks."
"Speaking ill of my father, are you?" Came a sneering voice from nowhere that made Harry and Ron jump. Draco Malfoy was standing there, his great eyebrows raised and his malevolent eyes as ferocious as ever. Standing behind them, were two big muscled boys, as large and round, (if not larger) as Dudley.
"So what if we were?" Said Ron bravely, standing up to Malfoy. "I don't suppose you have anything wonderful to say in his defense, might you?"
Malfoy choked on a laugh, almost snorting. "I do. He's alot better than you're father. I expect you're father will be working overtime to pay for those new robes, eh Weasley?" He said, looking down at Ron's robes, as Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly at Malfoy's antics.
"Shut up Malfoy!" Harry said, suprised at his own daring has he leaped up, jumping straight towards Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. "Why is it, that those two klutzes follow you around everywhere?" He said, nodding towards the oversized figures of Crabbe and Goyle, who were clenching their fists in anger. "Scared to go alone? Too weak Malfoy?"
Crabbe and Goyle made to jump on Harry, but Malfoy held them back, and with a slight shrug, quietly added, "C'mon." to them, and walked gradually away, looking quite angry.
"Well, that should get rid of him for a good few hours." Ron said, grinning at Harry.
"Hope so." Harry replied. "Say, Ron, who do you think the new defense against the dark arts teacher is?" He added, changing the subject.
"Dunno," Ron said, "I just hope that this time he isn't one of You Know Who's helpers in the form of a teacher." He was refering to the teacher they had last year, Mad-Eye Moody. Although it wasn't really Mad Eye Moody at all, it was one of Voldemort's supporters in the form of Moody, helping Voldemort. Infact, the only normal Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Harry had ever had, (apart from the fact he was a werewolf) was Professor Remus J. Lupin, who had coincidentally been a friend of Harry's father James Potter when he was at Hogwarts.
"Maybe he's a vampire," Ron said thoughtfully.
"Or maybe he's a half giant like Hagrid," Harry added.
"Or maybe," said a voice from behind them, "He's a she." It was Fred, he and George had been stadning behind the two for several seconds now.
"Saw that sleek haired git Malfoy was giving you trouble," Said George. "Thought we'd come help, but before we got here you two were already on about the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"Wait," Ron said, looking strangely at them, "What did you mean by he's a she?"
Harry had been wondering the same thing, he even had his own mouth open, ready to ask the very question Ron that had just left Ron's lips. Did they mean that they would finally be having a female teacher? Harry had never thought of a woman as one for the job, but now it seemed strange really that h had never thought that they might. If so, how would they know? Harry found these words, "How do you know?", escaping from his mouth before they had even answered Ron's question.
"Over there," George said, pointing to the opposite sliding door than Harry and Ron had checked, in an attempt to find Hermione, "In the staff car, we snuck in and heard them refering to her as a she. Didn't see her there, though. Although, we did see Hermione. Talking to Professor McGonagall about her schedule."
"So that's where she was," Harry said, wondering why they had never thought to look there. Then he realized why, it was the staff compartment, afterall.
Ron jumped up.
"I'm going to go see if I can get her, I've got to ask her about, er, something," he said, noting the puzzled looks on Fred and George's faces.
"Yeah, me too." Said Harry, standing up as well. But he need not have, for at that very moment, the staff compartment door slid open and out walked Hermione, looking her usual happy self, he bushy brown hair swinging stiffly around her shoulders.
"Hermione," Ron gasped. "I was wondering where you were."
Hermione gave a slight frown, they replied. "I was talking to Professor McGonagall about my schedule for the end of the year, since I won't be here,"
"What?" Harry said, a confused look spreading across his features. "What do you mean you won't be here? Where are you going?"
But Ron, who had not been listening, suddenly broke in. "Hermione, about what I was going to ask you earlier before we got on the train."
"Yes Ron?" She said curtly.
"Well," Ron began, but did not finish. For at that moment, the train stopped, and everyone fell silent. Suddenly the door sprang open, and Professor McGonagall was standing at it, beckoning everyone off the train.
Harry, along with Ron and the others stepped down from the train, finding themselves in a downpour, soaking their robes. They broke out at a run, scrambling to get into a carraige.
Harry boarded a carraige with Ron, Seamus Finnagin, and Neville Longbottom. Ron, who had been hoping Hermione would be boarding with them so that he could finish his question, was rather dissapointed when she did not board.
As the horses began to pull the carraiges up the steep hill through the rain, Harry looked over to Neville, who seemed frightened indeed at the low rumbling of thunder.
"S-so, Harry," Neville began, trembling from the cold rain that was penetrating his skin, "Rainy night, isn't it?"
"Yeah," said Harry in reply.
"Wonder," said Ron minutes later, as the ride became more bumpy on the way to the castle, "if the new defense against the dark arts teacher is going to be like McGonagall, or if she's going to be fun."
Harry shrugged.
"She?" Said Neville and Seamus in unison.
"Yeah," Harry replied to them. "Fred and George told us, they overheard the other Professors talking about it."
"Wow." Said Neville. "We've never had a witch for a defense against the dark arts teacher before."
"Oh I do hope she's not too strict." Said Seamus, looking nervous, but excited.
Finally, the carraiges stopped and Harry, Ron, Neville, and Seamus hopped out along with all of the other students. They scuttled as quick as they could up to the large double doors through the rain, watching as the first years paddled across the Great Lake. Finally, Hagrid, a giant man who was twice as tall and three times as large as most people, came up pushing through the students, and pushed the doors open. Harry walked into the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts. Now, he looked around. Finally, he was home. He was at Hogwarts.