Harry sat, solemnly thinking, on the Hogwarts Express. He heard the faint clack of doors being shut, and the thud of luggage being dropped into compartments. He saw the Weasleys saying their good-byes, Hermione holding Ron's hand. He saw new, fresh-faced students coming onto the train, and noticed that Padma did drop out of school since her sister's.tragedy. It was still so painful to think about Pavarti, or even Ginny for that matter. What did she say, again? Something about a diary, he presumed. Harry suddenly had a wave of understanding. Hermione and Ron came aboard, and Harry almost crushed them down.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione's voice, a usually beautiful contralto was quivering; apparently she hadn't gotten over Ginny's, Neville's, and Seamus's deaths, either. "Harry, what's a-matter?"

"Okay, before Ginny.umm.left us, she said something about a diary. Ron, where does your sister stash her stuff?"

"Harry! Well, I suppose under her bed, but Harry- "Ron never got to finish his sentence as Harry whisked up his trunk, and grabbed Hedwig's cage, leaping for the train's exit Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, grabbed their things, and bolted after Harry. Harry, Ron and Hermione got off the train in just enough time for it to start moving. The lonely trio walked through the barrier, to end up in London's Express Station. Harry then saw a very strange sight: not a single Muggle was in sight, and instead, he saw a pale, blond

"Malfoy", Ron muttered under his breath. He, Hermione, and Harry all drew themselves up importantly, and strode over to the awaiting Draco Malfoy. "Malfoy, you're late, the train's left. Too bad." Ron made a sarcastically sad face, and ejected tears from his eyes. Malfoy turned his thin face on the trio, and his eyes fell on Hermione in her new hip-huggers, and yellow tank top. His eyes grew narrow, and turned to Ron.

"Weasley, a nice surprise, not. So, seems that you finally got enough money for a new owl, eh? And you Potter, same old glasses, I see. It's a pity, how they would better suit a pig, or maybe not such a pity, after all." Malfoy's sneer was filled with maliciousness. "Seems to me, Weasley, that I'm not late, after all. In fact, I'm early."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Harry and Ron stated.

"Why, I'm early for the appearance of my master." And, out from the shadows, strode Lord Voldemort. In a single word, ropes flew out to capture Harry; Ron and Hermione were launched backwards. The bindings wound ever tighter; until Harry thought he'd burst. Voldemort reached out a skeleton- like hand, and gracefully stroked Harry's face with a cold finger. "At last, Harry Potter, you're mine." But, so it seemed. In a small corner came the whisper of "Accio wand!" And Harry's wand, fallen pathetically from his limp hand, was whisked away to none other than Sirius Black. "Expellaramus!" A bellow louder than the Hogwarts Express itself rang across the empty room. Voldemort stumbled, and quickly regained his composure, although, maybe not quickly enough: Sirius was on him quicker than lightening, hexing every part he could reach. Eventually, the bindings holding Harry relaxed, and Harry grabbed his wand from Sirius, and moved to protect his friends. Sirius had his wand out, ready to chant the death curse, as Harry felt the wavy sleepiness of the Imperius curse wash over him. Walk towards me, it commanded. Come closer give me your wand.

No. Harry retorted. No, I don't think I want to. I'm good right here. What's so good about over there, anyways?

Come closer! It commanded, harsher.

No. Why would I want to? I need to protect--Harry snapped out of the Imperius curse, and noticed that he took no steps closer to Voldemort than Ron did. He beat the curse. Harry got a sense of his own power that he never felt before: he felt like he grew 10 inches. Harry got the courage, finally to utter the final spell. It seemed that his voice echoed as he said it, but Ron, Hermione and Sirius both had the same idea.

"Avada Kedavra!" The four yelled at once. Four colours, the pure colours, flowed from their wands: red, yellow, blue, and from Harry's wand, pure white, all twisted formed into a solid black spell. The spell flew across the room, and slammed into the chest of the Dark Lord himself. What happened next Harry would never forget: The remnants of the spell grew into what seemed to be a Patronus, taking the form of a stag, Prongs, to be exact. Voldemort eyes, seeing the Patronus, grew wide in shock. Prongs galloped over to Voldemort, and ran him down with its hooves. Voldemort deteriorated, bit by bit, and in the end, cursed Harry's name for eternity. Harry lay down on the cold stone floor, and passed out.

"Harry, Harry! Wake up, Harry." Harry woke up on the ground, to see three hovering faces above him. Feeling stupid, he thickly said

"Stop, spinning, you're gonna make me sick, all nine of you." Hermione let out a small chuckle, and brought Harry to his feet.

"Harry, look in the corner!" Hermione pointed to a limp figure in black robes lying on the ground. The figure was Draco Malfoy. A grin spread widely along Harry's face, and Ron burst out laughing. However, Sirius was not so pleased.

"Harry, what was that coming out of your wand?"

Harry remembered Prongs, and replied, "That was my dad, Sirius, it was my Patronus." Harry got up slowly, and Hermione, Ron and Sirius began walking over to get their luggage. The biggest adventure of their year was right up their alley.