CHAPTER NINE: THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS


"Stay in your room," Severus Snape said.

"I want to make sure my broom is . . ."

"Your broom is fine, Dewey. Stay here."

"Professor?"

"No, Malcolm."

"But I didn't even . . ."

"I told you no. Both of you are going to stay in your room all night. Get used to it."

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"For the safety of everyone, I will remain awake and guard this door."

"Professer Snape," Hagrid said as he came up the stairs. "Dumbledore asked me to stop by and relieve ye fer a bit."

"Thank you, Professor Hagrid. I will be back after I manage to eat something."

As he passed by the giant, he whispered, "Tonks?"

"Yer welcome," the giant whispered in return.

"Um, Hagrid,"

"No, Malcolm."

"But I didn't even . . ."

"I told ye, no."

*

Severus Snape looked happily at the clock in King's Cross Station. All he needed to do was put Malcolm and Dewey on the train and his babysitting task was over. He turned around to see if anyone was watching and turned back to motion the two boys through the secret entrance to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

"Where is Dewey?"

Malcolm pointed. "He's over there talking to Reese."

"What is Reese doing here?"

"I don't know. We could ask Mom."

Severus was completely confused.

"MOM," Malcolm called out. "This is Professor Snape. He's one of the teachers at school."

"You have my sympathies," Lois said as she shook Snape's hand. "These two can be a handful."

"I know. I was guarding their room last night."

"Did they get out?"

"Almost. A colleague was nearby to lend support."

"That's my fault," Lois admitted. "but I had Dewey at home as well, and with Reese and Nob . . ."

Severus gave her a look of complete understanding.

"Mom, why is Reese here?"

"It's a last minute thing. He's going to a boarding school. The Ministry was very helpful."

"When did this happen?"

"About a month ago. Your father and I didn't tell anyone. We wanted to surprise Reese so he couldn't make any objections."

"When did you tell him?"

"His train leaves in fifteen minutes. We'll tell him then."

Severus Snape smiled.

[I know. It's scary when he does that.]

"Madam, you are a very wise woman."

"Hey, dummy," Reese said as he came over. "Did you get your luggage yet?"

"Yes." Malcolm whispered as his mother and his teacher talked to each other. "Reese, those are your suitcases."

"You're wrong," Reese said with authority. "I'm not going anywhere. You're going to your stupid school of magic."

"No, you idiot. You're going to the Glen Levitt Academy."

"You're lying. I never even heard of that place."

Malcolm rolled his eyes in disgust. "See that crest on the pocket of the blazer you're wearing? It says the name of the school right there."

"No it doesn't. Mom said it was the manufacturer's label."

"And why are you wearing the blazer anyway."

"So I would look good when I saw you off?"

Malcolm pulled the blazer open. "Reese, see inside there. The label that says made by? That's the manufacturers label. Mom tricked you into wearing that jacket. In about ten minutes, they're going to put you on that train at Platform Ten and ship you off to boarding school."

"You're lying."

"Think about it. We're talking about Mom and Dad."

Reese began to panic. "What do I do?"

"I have a plan, but you have to do exactly what I say."

*

Lois looked at her watch. "Sorry, Severus. It's time to spring the surprise." She looked around. "Malcolm? Where's Reese?"

"He's on the train already, Mom. I told him what you were doing and I even helped put his luggage on board."

"Bye, Mom," Reese called out happily. "I'm off to school. I'll write you everyday."

Lois smiled and waved. "What did you do?"

Malcolm smiled as he waved to Reese. "I told him to sneak off the train after you left."

"But I'm not leaving until the train is out of the station with him on it."

"I didn't tell him that."

Reese continued smiling and waving. "Goodbye. Goodbye. You can leave now. I'm fine. I'm going off to school." The train began to move and panic filled Reese's eyes. "No, no, I'm going off to school."

As the train pulled out of the station, a faint shout could be heard. "I'll get you. Malcolm!"

[But not for three and a half months.]

"Such a loving family," Severus said snidely.

"Hey, whatever works," Lois said in as snide a tone. "Malcolm, will you be okay?"

"Yeah, Mom."

"Where's Dewey?"

"I think he's on the train with Reese."

Lois shook her head. "Well, we have a spare Dewey at home. I'm not going to worry."

"Hey," Dewey cried from behind her.

"Then don't hide," Lois yelled. "Now, the two of you. Where's your luggage?"

"I've had it placed on board already by one of my more reliable students," Severus offered.

Lois smiled her gratitude. "Malcolm, Dewey, off with you. You have your own train to catch."

The two boys said their goodbyes and walked through to the hidden Platform.

Severus smiled his goodbye but Lois wasn't paying attention to him. She was too busy wiping tears from her eyes. "I will take care of them, Madam. I promise you."

"It's hard," Lois admitted. "I try so hard to send them off, and now I want them back. I must seem like a fool."

"Or a loving mother," Severus said diplomatically. For some reason it made him feel better when this woman smiled again.

*

"This is better than I remember," Dewey said looking at the train.

"Hurry up, Dewey. We want to find a place to sit."

"There's Draco," Dewey shouted and began to wave.

Malcolm swallowed hard.

[And he's with Crabbe and Goyle.]

"Hello, Malcolm." Crabbe was rubbing his fist against his palm. Goyle was doing the mirror image on the other side of Malcolm. "Draco told us you had a good reason for what you did, but we thought we'd discuss it with you while your brother distracts him. You have three seconds to convince us not to discuss this."

"I can't," Malcolm said. "It's a family matter."

Goyle paused in his windup. "A family matter? That's not much of a joke."

"I know, but I promised Uncle Lucius not to say anything. I'm sorry. You'll just have to go ahead and discuss things with me."

[I'm getting a lot of mileage out of this Uncle Lucius thing. I wonder why nobody knows about it?]

"You're the one? You're that lowlife that Draco is related to?"

[Now I remember. Everybody does know about it.]

Crabbe hit Malcolm in the mouth.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I could," Crabbe said with a laugh.

"Malcolm," Draco called out. "Are you hurt?"

"Not really. Thanks to Reese, I've gotten used to it."

"Good. I have something to tell you that is going to annoy you. I need to talk to you in private."

"Could it wait until next year?"

Draco pulled Malcolm to one side. "I did something to help you. I was going to keep it a secret but I've had second thoughts."

"Why? Didn't it help you enough?"

"That was cruel, Malcolm. It was honest, I admit that, but it was still cruel."

"What did you do?"

"When I was pretending to be you, Father payed a visit and talked to me, that is you, that is to say he talked to me thinking it was you he was talking to. Do you follow what I'm saying."

"Yeah."

[I hope there's a point to this. Draco never rambles.]

"I agreed to take the money that father offered, so that the two of us could remain friends."

"What money? That money? The money I've been spending? (Draco nodded after each question.) I thought that was part of the scholarship deal?"

"Malcolm." Draco gave his sincerest smile. "Look at it this way. If You-Know-Who wins, you're on the winning side. And if he fails, you can honestly tell everyone that you knew nothing about it."

"Will they believe me?"

Draco put his arm around Malcolm's shoulder. "They wouldn't believe you, even if you didn't take the money. This way, at least you can buy a fast broom." He paused and grinned. "That's right! You already did. Good thinking Malcolm, You're always two steps ahead."

Malcolm frowned. "And that's why you're always one step behind me."

"Believe it or not, around you is the safest place to be."

"Why?"

"First, you don't want to know. Second, I'm trying to find out and no one is saying anything to me, so I can't tell you anyway. And third, I wasn't thinking about this at the time but . . . while HE thinks you are on his side, he won't try to do anything to you, or your family, just because he has a chance."

"Am I that important."

Draco laughed. "I doubt it. But you are a nuisance, cousin, and I want you to be safe."

Malcolm frowned. "You're not a very safe friend to have, cousin."

Draco looked at Malcolm without any humor. "You watch out for me, and I watch out for you. The grown-ups are playing a very dangerous game right now and, personally, I want to live through it and come out in one piece, and you are my best hope. You may be my only hope."

*

The train had barely pulled out of the station when the first incident occurred.

"Look at this," said Bill, a boy about Reese's age and height, to his friends He then pushed the younger boy who was a foot and a half shorter..

"Ow. Stop it," the younger boy said. "I didn't do anything to you."

"And it's good that you didn't," Bill said as he pushed the younger boy again. "You wouldn't like me if I was mad."

Reese opened the door to the compartment he was tricked into, and looked in the corridor. "Hi, what's up?"

The boys paused to look at the newcomer. "You're a Yank," the older boy said with authority. His three friends snickered. "And a Wally, too, to look at you."

"The name's Reese. Get it right. You're doing everything else wrong."

"What are you talking about you bloody useless git."

Reese pointed to the younger boy. "You don't push kids that small. You smack them in the back of the head. Like this."

"OW."

"It gets his attention and makes a statement."

"Look, Wally. Get away from me. You're interfering with my fun."

"It's Reese, you idiot. I already told you that."

"Then tell my fist!"

"Bill?" one of the larger boy's friends asked after he hit the ground. The younger boy quietly hid in the compartment that Reese had left.

"Never give a warning," Reese said as Bill rolled over. "That's why I hit you first."

"Get him," Bill shouted as he climbed to his feet.

The four boys rushed at Reese as he backed into the compartment and shut the door. He ran to the other door, the one that led to the outside and began to open it.

"Don't do that?" the boy shouted as he tried to hold the door closed. "It's dangerous."

Reese nodded. "Get on the seat, then let go off the door," he told the boy who followed the instructions. "When they run in past us we'll run out."

"You're nutters," the boy said as Reese pulled the door open. The four boys rushed in. The forward boy, Bill, tripped on 'someone's' foot and hit the door on the other side. It flew open.

"Bill?" one of his friends said, as he looked out from the moving train. In the moment of surprise, Reese and the other boy ran out into the corridor of the train.

"You were great, kid," Reese said as the boy tried to run away from him.

As the train began to slow, the boy stopped and turned around. "Why did you do all that?. Are you mental?"

"I can't read minds. What are you talking about?"

The boy stared in amazement. "You didn't plan any of that?" He paused in thought. "They'll kill us before we even get to school."

Reese looked surprised. "Are you going to the same school?"

The boy looked up in scorn. "We are wearing the same blazers, and so were they. So is almost every boy and girl our age who is on this train. And now, thanks to you, the two of us are the walking dead."

"Okay, I get it." Reese made a mental connection, "that guy who fell off the train is why we're dead."

"Thanks to you," the boy repeated as the train stopped.

Reese thought with amazing efficiency. "About how far are we from the station?"

"Since we only left a few minutes ago, perhaps five miles at most. Why?

"And what time is it?"

The boy checked his watch. "10:25. WHY?"

"I can make it," Reese said and went to the exit door at the end of the car, jumping off the train before anyone could stop him. The boy looked around and saw Bill's three friends coming back into the corridor. He ran after Reese.

*

"Marge," the old man cried, "Come look at this. Some fool boy jumped off that train and right into your bloomers."

Marge walked to the back door and looked out at the laundry she had set to dry. "Children, these days," she sighed. "From the way he's yelling he's not hurt or anything. Cut him down for me when he quiets down a bit."

"That's right." the old man sneered. "Leave all the work to me. It's his own fault. He can get himself down for all I care."

*

Anthony always hated the fact that he was short. His parents kept insisting that he was a late bloomer, and he was getting later every month. He was already fourteen and was still the same height as the average eleven year old. It also made him a target for bullies such as Bill and his friends.

Now he was in trouble, and his panicking mind told him to follow the American idiot. He clearly had a plan and that was Anthony's only hope. Anthony followed as Reese ran to a service gate in the fence guarding the track and managed to throw it open. A minute later, Anthony caught up to him as he stopped on a street corner looking around.

"You've trapped me in this mess," Anthony said angrily. "What is your brilliant plan?"

"I need to get back to the train station and I don't have much time. Do you know how to get there?"

Anthony pointed to the bus stop and to the oncoming bus labeled for King's Cross Station. "If you have the fare, we can be there in ten minutes without having to run."

"Great, then we'll get Malcolm. He'll know how to handle this."

During the ride, Anthony began to calm down, and as he began to calm down he began to think. His first thought was that this was a stupid idea after all. His second thought was that Bill the Bully, who's screams were attracting everyone's attention, looked rather silly hanging upside down from a clothesline with half his body trapped in some fat lady's knickers. Knowing how Bill would probably react at their next meeting, Anthony's third thought was to see how Reese's plan played itself out."

*

"I did it," Reese gasped as he looked at the clock. "Fifteen minutes to spare."

"Fifteen minutes for what?" Anthony asked

Reese paused in surprise as a thought came to him. "Why did you follow me?"

"No choice," The boy said. "Bill's friends were looking for us."

Reese considered it and shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, follow me." He grabbed Anthony and pushed him in front.

"Where are we going?"

"First, we're going to walk through this wall."

"We're Wha . . ." the boy yelled as he was pushed through the barrier and onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters. He stood there, staring at the Hogwarts Express in complete surprise.

"You coming?" Reese asked as he ran for the train.

The boy awoke from his daze. "Yes. Definitely."

*

"Dewey," Severus Snape said informatively. "You are to stay in this compartment with me."

"I didn't do anything."

"And you won't do anything until we reach the school," The Potions Teacher said. "Under the circumstances I was asked to keep an eye on you at all times. Malcolm, where are you going?"

"I was going to see how Draco was doing."

"Really? And you are not worried that Gregory Goyle will object?"

"We, uh, worked it out."

"That is nice to hear, Malcolm. Sit back down."

"But Draco is expecting me."

"Then he will look for you when you do not show up."

There was a knock, and the compartment door opened to reveal Draco Malfoy.

"You see," Malcolm said quickly, "Draco was looking for me."

"What?" Draco asked, then added, "Yes I was, and I thought I heard your voice, Professor."

"Would you care to join us, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I have a compartment with Vincent and Gregory, Sir. As I said, I heard your voice and thought I would say how happy I am that you will be teaching us again this year."

"Thank you, Draco," Snape said with a thin smile. "I even half believe you. Since you came for Malcolm, take him with you AND keep him with you."

"Yes Sir," Draco said, and Malcolm happily followed him out.

"Why am I looking for you?" Draco asked.

"To keep Snape from babysitting me. He's stuck watching Dewey and he wanted to make me suffer as well."

"Happy to help," Draco said with a smile. "And since I now have you in my care, would you like to join us for real? I'm trying to clear the air between all of us, and with Crabbe and Goyle that means a lot of thick air."

"Why bother?"

"I do everything with them. They're my friends as well. I don't want to choose sides if I don't have to. Will you join me?"

[I've got to go somewhere.]

*

Anthony jumped onto the bright red train. For better or worse, he was taking this train someplace. He paused to look in a room where two girls his age were wrestling with a truck while a third girl, an Eurasian who was clearly older, tried to help. "Here, give us a hand, or move on," the third girl said.

Reese had already disappeared up the train, so he stopped to help.

"Thanks," One of the girls said. "Mum was right. I packed too much. But your help did the trick. You have Hufflepuff written all over you."

"Um, thanks," Anthony said and backed out of the compartment.

The third girl held out here hand. "I'm the one who should thank you. My name's Cho."

"I'm Anthony."

"It was nice meeting you, Anthony, and don't listen to Hannah. You want to be in Ravenclaw."

"That sounds nice," Anthony said as he walked away. He was a fairly smart boy and assumed those were names of houses at the school, although they were odd names."

His next encounter was with a young girl who stuck her head out of her compartment and looked in the other direction.

"I don't see anybody." She turned around and gave a small shriek of surprise. "I didn't see you. Sorry," she added in embarrassment. "Rose Zeller, I'm a first year, too."

"I'm Anthony, and I'm not . . ."

"Are you a second year?"

"No," Anthony said as he tried to think. "I've never been on this train before, and I'm a bit confused."

Rose smiled helpfully. "Did you forget where you stored your trunk?"

"I know where my trunk is. Not that I can get to it right now. You see . . ."

"I know what you mean. I have brothers, too. I saw yours, and I've heard about him as well. Is Reese really that . . ."

"Yes," Anthony agreed, happy to be able to answer a question.

"Rose," a voice called, "Who are you talking to?"

Rose smiled again at Anthony. "It's a long train ride. Would you like to join us?"

"For a while. I'm still trying to adjust to what has happened so far."

"Magic does take some getting used to if you're not used to it. I'm still trying to adjust as well. Let's do it together."

Anthony followed her into the compartment, pondering the word she had used. Magic.