Author's note: Sorry this took so long! If you watch the weather channel, you'll have heard about the ice storm in the south-eastern United States, ne? Well, guess who lives there... ::ignores all the neon arrows pointing to her:: You're right! Me. ::sweatdrops:: So, sorry it's been so long! I JUST got cable back (aka the internet), and I didn't have power for four and a half days.

So... tell me what you think! Sorry if Draco is too OOC. I'll try to do my best to fix it... ::cringes:: Sorry!

ATTENTION: This is now a Harry/Draco fanfic!!! Sorry to all those Harry/Severus fanfic lovers out there! I love them too, but my best friend (Kyuu) has gotten me hooked on Harry/Draco, so that's what this has turned out to be. Sorry, again! Please don't hate me... I'll post a Harry/Severus sometime! Anyway... enjoy (hopefully)!
The next morning, Harry awoke to Tom's gentle knock on the door. He stretched and sat up.

"Come in, Tom," he called sleepily, reaching for his glasses. The innkeeper pushed the door open, smiling brightly and carrying a cup of tea for Harry. "Thanks," he told him as he sipped the tea. "It's been great here, Tom. I'll see you around, shall I?"

"Sure thing, Harry. Have a safe - er - nice school year, Harry!" Tom called over his shoulder as he left. He closed the door behind him.

Nice of him to remind me of it first thing in the morning, Harry sighed to himself. He yawned again and, pushing the covers off, swung his legs out of bed and padded into the bathroom. He had just brushed his teeth and just finished getting dressed when there was a knock at the door.

"Come on, Harry. Breakfast," Ron sounded irritated.

"Hang on. Help me get Hedwig in her cage, will you?"

Reluctantly, his best friend (Harry wondered if he could still call him that) pushed the door open. Harry was stroking the owl's feathers, murmuring softly to her. She had enjoyed her freedom for the past days, and was refusing to re-enter the cage.

"Open the cage door, would you?" he asked quietly, not taking his eyes of the animal. Ron complied and, when Harry had deposited Hedwig in the cage, the two boys headed down the the parlor. Hedwig hooted mournfully after them.

As they ate, Harry thought about what he'd heard last night. He knew it hadn't been a dream, but still couldn't really understand why everyone was so upset. I mean, he reasoned, Voldemort is wary of Dumbledore, Sirius Black certainly should be. So why all the fuss? No more danger than usual, he thought glumly. He wondered if he should tell Ron. No, he decided. He was probably already uncomfortable enough around Harry, defending Slytherins and Snape and all. He would probably think Harry would stand up and defend Sirius Black and Voldemort's humanity. Harry grimaced. Better not tell Hermione, then, either.

After breakfast, the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry hauled their school things down the stairs and piled their trunks by the door. Hedwig and Hermes - Percy's screech owl - eyed the wicker basket containing Crookshanks uneasily. Ron protectively crossed his arms over his breast pocket where a rather unhappy Scabbers was currently residing.

Two hours later, he emerged on the other side of the barrier at Platform 9¾, Arthur Weasley at his elbow. Harry had been escorted everywhere since leaving the Leaky Cauldron, and it was starting to irritate him. Finally, with the Hogwarts Express set to leave in five minutes, Harry pulled Ron's dad to one side.

"Mr. Weasley, can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked, annoyed.

Mr. Weasley flushed, but nodded.

"You don't have to escort me everywhere. I appreciate your concern, but... honestly. Is Sirius Black going to jump me in front of all these people? Even if he did kill thirteen people," Harry continued, ignoring the look of shock on Mr. Weasley's face, "he's got to be at least a little weak after so long in Azkaban, right?"

"Harry... you... you know? But how? I'm sure I didn't let anything slip..." The Ministry wizard looked at him worriedly. "Are you okay, Harry? I mean, is there anything I can do? I know it must scare you..." preoccupied as he was, Harry wondered if perhaps Mr. Weasley was not more frightened than he.

"Thanks, Mr. Weasley, but I'm really not that scared." He continued at the look of doubt that crossed the other's face. "I mean, Voldemort tried to kill me three times, and Sirius Black can't be any worse."

Mr. Weasley flinched at the Dark Lord's name, but nodded dubiously. "I guess you have a point. But, Harry, Serious Black is still dangerous. Don't just brush him off. I want you to promise me something." A whistle blew, and doors along the Hogwarts Express began to close. "Harry, don't go looking for Black. I don't know how you found out or how long you've known, but please... I don't want you planning anything," he whispered urgently.

"Arthur! The train's about to leave!" Molly Weasley's voice came shrilly.

"Harry?" he looked anxiously at the boy in front of him.

"Look, I've really got to go. I promise, ok? You don't have to worry." He paused, then added guiltily, "And... I found out from you. You and Mrs. Weasley were arguing last night, and I heard. But it's okay, really!" he finished hastily, seeing Ron's dad's face pale considerably. "I'll see you at the end of the year, ok? Bye!"

Harry turned and ran to the train which had just begun to move. Ron grabbed his hand and pulled him aboard. Panting, Harry turned and waved to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"I promise to be safe," he called, and Ron gave him an odd look. "Your dad's nervous," Harry explained as Ron led him to the car where George, Fred, Lee Jordan, Ginny, and Hermione were already seated. "I mean, there's been an attempt on my life every year so far," he said dryly. "I guess he thinks it's a new trend." Well, it was the truth, wasn't it?

Ron said nothing. He opened the door to the compartment. He stepped inside, but Harry paused. He had seen a familiar silver-blonde head further down the corridor, and waved. To his surprise, Draco nodded back to him, their eyes locking.

"Harry! Have a seat, old boy," George's voice came.

Harry snapped back to reality and stepped into the compartment. He remembered to breathe again as he sat next to the twins. He waved to Lee, Ginny, and Hermione.

"So, Harry, do anything worth mentioning over the summer?" asked Fred, grinning. He knew very well what Harry had done. Hermione frowned.

"Other than blowing up my aunt, running away from the Dursleys, and staying at the Leaky Cauldron?" he asked lightly. "No, not really. Well," he conceded, "I did make some new friends."

"Oh really? Who?" Hermione apparently preferred this topic.

"Florean Fortescue, Tom at the Leaky Cauldron... just people I saw around..." he answered vaguely.

"Cool," commented Lee. "I found a book of spells at my aunt's house. Mum would have a fit if she knew... I want to try some of them out this year." He grinned, and George and Fred perked up.

"What kind of spells?" asked Ron curiously. Hermione's lips pursed in perfect imitation of Professor McGonnagal.

"We can't tell, but maybe you can help us test them," said Fred.

"No thanks," said Ron hastily. Ginny giggled.

Around one o'clock, a witch pushing the food cart knocked on the door interrupting the three older boys' plotting session. She left them with the extra seats piled high with treats; Harry had bought enough to share. They eagerly dug into their pile of treasure: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Cockroach Clusters, Cauldron Cakes, and a new oddity: Chocolate Charms. George was the bravest, and tried the first. Everyone laughed as his eyelashes suddenly grew several inches and became very curly. George just batted his eyes at them, blowing kisses.

As the train rattled on, what had begun as a light rain poured down heavily, darkening the car. The lanterns flickered on as the sky lost its light, and the storm grew worse. Harry wondered if the school's lake would flood. Still, the chatter in the car didn't falter, and time passed quickly.

"We must be nearly there," commented Ron. As if on cue, they realized that the train was indeed slowing. "Good! I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..." he pressed his freckled nose against the window and tried to peer out, but nothing was visible past the sheets of rain.

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch confusedly.

"So why're we stopping?"

"Maybe a bunch of salamanders are crossing the tracks," suggested Fred.

"Or rare poisonous snails," added George helpfully.

Harry stood up and slid the door open, stepping into the corridor. In both directions, students' heads were curiously poking out the their compartments. Suddenly, the train stopped with a jolt, and Harry fell into the corridor, rolling to one side to avoid being hit by falling luggage. Without warning, the lanterns went out, plunging the Hogwarts Express into darkness.

Harry's first thought to explain the blackness was that he was unconscious. But, he reasoned, if he was unconscious, he wouldn't be conscious of it. With some difficulty, he pushed himself up and opened the compartment door.

"It's me," he said, feeling his way back to his seat.

"Who?" came a voice from his right. It sounded like the owner was trying very hard not to sound frightened.

Harry froze. He realized suddenly that he must have accidentally gone into the compartment across the hall from his. Oops.

"Hullo. I'm in the compartment across the hall. Sorry..." he turned to leave, but the voice stopped him.

"Wait!" it said quickly. "Pot- Harry?"

"Yes, I'm -" his eyes had become somewhat used to the dark, and he could now make out the form of the person he was talking to. A slim, white-blonde haired boy stared back at him with wide, gray eyes. "Draco?" he asked, incredulous. The other nodded. "Where're Crabbe and Goyle?" he asked, voicing the first coherent thought he had.

"With Blaise," Draco answered quietly, "looking for more food."

Harry could hear the fear leaving the Slytherin's voice, and, from what he could see, the other's rigid body was slowly relaxing a bit. He realized that, if he had been alone and the train had stopped and gone completely dark, he'd be glad of someone's company, too.

"Do you know what's going on?" Draco asked. "I can hardly see you."

Suddenly Harry remembered the time when, in their first year at Hogwarts, he, Ron, Neville, and Draco had been taken into the Forbidden Forest to serve detention. It seemed to him that Draco - Malfoy, back then - had stayed unusually close to his side when they were alone. It dawned on him that his former-nemesis was scared of being alone, especially in the dark. Wordlessly, he moved to the seat beside Draco and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it'll be okay." Harry paused. "We're friends now, right?" he asked quietly. Hesitating only a moment, the other nodded. "Then I won't leave. It's good to have a friend in the dark, Draco."

The pale boy nodded, grateful, and, Harry could see, a bit embarrassed.

Cold. Harry suddenly felt cold, and the door slid to the compartment slid open without warning. The two froze, staring at the silhouette in the doorway. It was a tall, thin figure, cloaked so that no part of its body showed. Intimidated by the looming and forboding creature, neither of the boys spoke. Then the thing - Harry didn't think it was human - drew in a breath, slow, long, and rattling. It was as if it had sucked the warmth out of each of them, and Harry gasped. He felt as if an icy hand had clutched his heart. He heard Draco whimper, and tense under Harry's hand. Harry, meanwhile, couldn't breathe. His eyes rolled up into his head as he felt his consciousness slipping away. He felt as if he was being dragged down, a loud rushing noise filling his head... and then he heard screams. Terrible, terrified, pleading screams. He wanted to help, to do something. He couldn't move, he -
Ooh... don't you hate cliffhangers? ::smirks::