"Harry, mum said she was going to invite you over this summer. Reckon
the Muggles will let you come?"
"Sure they will. They're as glad to get rid of me as I am to leave them," replied Harry stepping into the carriage with Ron, Hermione, and Renata.
They talked and laughed during the ride to the station. As the carriage stopped near the train the little fleet of boats carrying Hagrid and the first years reached the shore.
Hagrid called, waving his large hands, "Bye, Harry! Bye, Ron! Hermione! Renata!"
They all turned and waved back, "Goodbye, Hagrid!" and "See you next September!"
They got onto the train and found a compartment to themselves.
They shut the door and sat down.
Ron looked out the window thoughtfully. "I hope things go okay with Sirius this summer."
"Why shouldn't they?" asked Hermione. "We've got the proof we need, don't we? Pettigrew is captured. We've got what we need. Plus there are witnesses who can testify for Sirius, including Dumbledore. Nothing should go wrong."
Ron pointed out, "Shouldn't, but still could."
Harry sighed, "I know, but remember, they don't trust him. He was sent to Azkaban without a trial; and I'm not really on Fudge's good side right now." He told them briefly about what he had said to Fudge at St. Mungos.
"I'm not sure how smart that was, Harry."
"Oh come on, Hermione, Fudge is a horrible Minister. I remember when I first met Hagrid he told me that Fudge only got the job because Dumbledore wouldn't leave Hogwarts."
"Ron, your dad would make a good Minister of Magic," Renata commented.
Ron's ears turned red.
"How do they choose the Minister, anyway?" asked Harry, dealing out cards for a game of Exploding Snap.
Ron led them through the process of discussing how the Minister was chosen and then how he was sworn into office and when he was done with that he started ticking off names of people who seemed like they might have a chance of becoming Minister.
"There's that Fletcher man. I don't like him much, though. Something about him is just." Ron trailed off.
"Dumbledore trusts him," Harry said suddenly. "Remember when I found that Tower earlier this year with the newspapers? He was one of the wizards there. But Snape said something about it being his second chance."
"That's right. And Dumbledore might trust him but he's trusting, he trusted Quirrell and look what he turned out to be."
The others agreed.
"I still think your dad would be a good Minister."
"I just hope they sack Fudge soon. That guy is really getting on my nerves."
The compartment door slid open and Draco Malfoy sauntered in, flanked as usually by Crabbe and Goyle.
"Weasly, your father isn't fit to run a household much less the whole Ministry of Magic. My father on the other hand has the whole place wrapped around his finger. He has connections. He will make this world as it should be, and he'll punish the Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first. He'll get rid of Dumbledore and clear the way for the Dark Lord. Potter, you won't live to your next birthday. You will-" Instantly Draco Malfoy lie slumped on the floor of the compartment right under the doorway.
Crabbe and Goyle came forward and began to pummel Harry and Ron but were surprised by a counter attack from not only Ron and Harry but Renata and Hermione as well. Eventually the two Slytherins fled the compartment.
Harry grabbed Malfoy's foot and dragged him further inside the compartment before shutting the door. "I was going to just shove him into the hall but I've got a better idea."
"Harry, how'd you knock him out? You didn't use a spell or your fists."
He flashed a wicked grin. "Fred and George's Catnap Blow Darts. I had one in my pocket to use on Dudley if I got bored on the way home but I decided this was a better use." Harry then used the Leg-Locker Curse on Malfoy in order to make it more difficult when he woke up.
Renata used a variation of the spell she had used to change Ron's hair color on the airplane to make Malfoy's hair pink. Ron and Hermione each did a spell as well. Hermione used the Furunculous Curse and Ron used a rather clever one: an unscratchable itch that travels for ten minutes. Then, roughly, Harry and Ron dragged Malfoy further into the hall.
When Fred, George, and Lee found them later they were playing Exploding Snap again.
All three graduates were grinning. "Nice work out in the hall!"
"Excellent."
"Very neatly taken care of."
The others couldn't help but grin at them. "Sit down. Play a game with us."
They dealt out the Exploding Snap cards again. "So, what do you plan to do now that you are all out of Hogwarts?"
"We are working on starting that joke shop of ours," Fred shrugged.
"Pretty much that's it."
"What about you, Lee?"
"I don't really know yet. Actually my parents were thinking of having me sent out of country somewhere. They think I need more schooling or something to make me not so careless and concentrate less on pranks and more on work. The seem to think I should try to be responsible."
"Lee," Ron said putting a hand on his shoulder, "it would take a miracle to make you stop caring about jokes more than any sort of work."
"Thanks. My parents said in the last owl they sent, 'Lee, you have lacked in your studies and effort. We feel it's necessary for you to study more and we are sending you to.' Well, I don't remember really where they said but I'm going somewhere so I guess I'm not working yet."
They talked a while before Lee and the twins left and wandered off to another part of the train.
It wasn't long after that when Ginny knocked on the compartment door. "Hi, I was kind of lonely. Can I stay in here?"
Hermione put her arm around Ginny. "Of course you can."
The train slowed to a stop sooner than they would have liked it too. As he left the train with his friends Harry realized with a sudden pang in his chest that there would only be two more years for him at Hogwarts. He shook the thought from his head with some difficulty.
"Harry, I'll have mum write and pretend to ask the Muggles if you can come stay with us again," Ron promised.
"I'll be looking forward to it, unlike the rest of my summer," Harry replied
The security guard that was regulating how many students could walk through the barrier at a time (so as not to attract the attention of the Muggles) motioned to them that Harry and Ron, and then Hermione and Renata, could cross the barrier leading to the Muggle side of King's Cross Station.
Mrs. Weasly came over to them and gave them all hugs. "Had a good term, I hope?"
"Yes, mum."
"Yes, Mrs. Weasly."
"Yes, Mrs. Weasly."
Renata nodded.
"I hope all three of you will come stay with us this summer."
"We will."
Hermione saw her parents waiting and told them goodbye and that she'd keep in touch.
The Weaslys waved and said farewell too.
Renata stood next to Harry a few seconds longer and Harry saw the Dursleys approaching.
Renata began to walk away and it seemed wasn't going to say anything but she stopped, came back, and whispered to him, "You're cute, Harry, you know that? You are, really." She went over to where her mum was waiting for her not too far away, and without a single backwards glance. Harry stood a moment, dumbstruck. Slightly bewildered, he smiled and walked over to where the three unhappy Dursleys stood, waiting to take him home once again, home but not home. He was leaving his home behind, Hogwarts. Privet Drive was just place he had to stay until the Weaslys would have him over, then he would return home, to Hogwarts. Harry looked back for one last glance at Renata; she was a strange girl but somehow it was interesting and comforting too. Harry was glad to still have more darts and a Sherbet ball to use on Dudley; it would be a long summer until September came.
"Sure they will. They're as glad to get rid of me as I am to leave them," replied Harry stepping into the carriage with Ron, Hermione, and Renata.
They talked and laughed during the ride to the station. As the carriage stopped near the train the little fleet of boats carrying Hagrid and the first years reached the shore.
Hagrid called, waving his large hands, "Bye, Harry! Bye, Ron! Hermione! Renata!"
They all turned and waved back, "Goodbye, Hagrid!" and "See you next September!"
They got onto the train and found a compartment to themselves.
They shut the door and sat down.
Ron looked out the window thoughtfully. "I hope things go okay with Sirius this summer."
"Why shouldn't they?" asked Hermione. "We've got the proof we need, don't we? Pettigrew is captured. We've got what we need. Plus there are witnesses who can testify for Sirius, including Dumbledore. Nothing should go wrong."
Ron pointed out, "Shouldn't, but still could."
Harry sighed, "I know, but remember, they don't trust him. He was sent to Azkaban without a trial; and I'm not really on Fudge's good side right now." He told them briefly about what he had said to Fudge at St. Mungos.
"I'm not sure how smart that was, Harry."
"Oh come on, Hermione, Fudge is a horrible Minister. I remember when I first met Hagrid he told me that Fudge only got the job because Dumbledore wouldn't leave Hogwarts."
"Ron, your dad would make a good Minister of Magic," Renata commented.
Ron's ears turned red.
"How do they choose the Minister, anyway?" asked Harry, dealing out cards for a game of Exploding Snap.
Ron led them through the process of discussing how the Minister was chosen and then how he was sworn into office and when he was done with that he started ticking off names of people who seemed like they might have a chance of becoming Minister.
"There's that Fletcher man. I don't like him much, though. Something about him is just." Ron trailed off.
"Dumbledore trusts him," Harry said suddenly. "Remember when I found that Tower earlier this year with the newspapers? He was one of the wizards there. But Snape said something about it being his second chance."
"That's right. And Dumbledore might trust him but he's trusting, he trusted Quirrell and look what he turned out to be."
The others agreed.
"I still think your dad would be a good Minister."
"I just hope they sack Fudge soon. That guy is really getting on my nerves."
The compartment door slid open and Draco Malfoy sauntered in, flanked as usually by Crabbe and Goyle.
"Weasly, your father isn't fit to run a household much less the whole Ministry of Magic. My father on the other hand has the whole place wrapped around his finger. He has connections. He will make this world as it should be, and he'll punish the Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first. He'll get rid of Dumbledore and clear the way for the Dark Lord. Potter, you won't live to your next birthday. You will-" Instantly Draco Malfoy lie slumped on the floor of the compartment right under the doorway.
Crabbe and Goyle came forward and began to pummel Harry and Ron but were surprised by a counter attack from not only Ron and Harry but Renata and Hermione as well. Eventually the two Slytherins fled the compartment.
Harry grabbed Malfoy's foot and dragged him further inside the compartment before shutting the door. "I was going to just shove him into the hall but I've got a better idea."
"Harry, how'd you knock him out? You didn't use a spell or your fists."
He flashed a wicked grin. "Fred and George's Catnap Blow Darts. I had one in my pocket to use on Dudley if I got bored on the way home but I decided this was a better use." Harry then used the Leg-Locker Curse on Malfoy in order to make it more difficult when he woke up.
Renata used a variation of the spell she had used to change Ron's hair color on the airplane to make Malfoy's hair pink. Ron and Hermione each did a spell as well. Hermione used the Furunculous Curse and Ron used a rather clever one: an unscratchable itch that travels for ten minutes. Then, roughly, Harry and Ron dragged Malfoy further into the hall.
When Fred, George, and Lee found them later they were playing Exploding Snap again.
All three graduates were grinning. "Nice work out in the hall!"
"Excellent."
"Very neatly taken care of."
The others couldn't help but grin at them. "Sit down. Play a game with us."
They dealt out the Exploding Snap cards again. "So, what do you plan to do now that you are all out of Hogwarts?"
"We are working on starting that joke shop of ours," Fred shrugged.
"Pretty much that's it."
"What about you, Lee?"
"I don't really know yet. Actually my parents were thinking of having me sent out of country somewhere. They think I need more schooling or something to make me not so careless and concentrate less on pranks and more on work. The seem to think I should try to be responsible."
"Lee," Ron said putting a hand on his shoulder, "it would take a miracle to make you stop caring about jokes more than any sort of work."
"Thanks. My parents said in the last owl they sent, 'Lee, you have lacked in your studies and effort. We feel it's necessary for you to study more and we are sending you to.' Well, I don't remember really where they said but I'm going somewhere so I guess I'm not working yet."
They talked a while before Lee and the twins left and wandered off to another part of the train.
It wasn't long after that when Ginny knocked on the compartment door. "Hi, I was kind of lonely. Can I stay in here?"
Hermione put her arm around Ginny. "Of course you can."
The train slowed to a stop sooner than they would have liked it too. As he left the train with his friends Harry realized with a sudden pang in his chest that there would only be two more years for him at Hogwarts. He shook the thought from his head with some difficulty.
"Harry, I'll have mum write and pretend to ask the Muggles if you can come stay with us again," Ron promised.
"I'll be looking forward to it, unlike the rest of my summer," Harry replied
The security guard that was regulating how many students could walk through the barrier at a time (so as not to attract the attention of the Muggles) motioned to them that Harry and Ron, and then Hermione and Renata, could cross the barrier leading to the Muggle side of King's Cross Station.
Mrs. Weasly came over to them and gave them all hugs. "Had a good term, I hope?"
"Yes, mum."
"Yes, Mrs. Weasly."
"Yes, Mrs. Weasly."
Renata nodded.
"I hope all three of you will come stay with us this summer."
"We will."
Hermione saw her parents waiting and told them goodbye and that she'd keep in touch.
The Weaslys waved and said farewell too.
Renata stood next to Harry a few seconds longer and Harry saw the Dursleys approaching.
Renata began to walk away and it seemed wasn't going to say anything but she stopped, came back, and whispered to him, "You're cute, Harry, you know that? You are, really." She went over to where her mum was waiting for her not too far away, and without a single backwards glance. Harry stood a moment, dumbstruck. Slightly bewildered, he smiled and walked over to where the three unhappy Dursleys stood, waiting to take him home once again, home but not home. He was leaving his home behind, Hogwarts. Privet Drive was just place he had to stay until the Weaslys would have him over, then he would return home, to Hogwarts. Harry looked back for one last glance at Renata; she was a strange girl but somehow it was interesting and comforting too. Harry was glad to still have more darts and a Sherbet ball to use on Dudley; it would be a long summer until September came.