Chapter Four: A New Beginning
The night was grim and dreary. A feeling of plain dread hung in the cool air. A shiver ran down the blonde haired boy' s spine, like a silent scream in the darkness. He was excited, but terrified. He was not sure what to expect before dawn was able to reach him. Draco silently trudged through the thick brush which was his backyard, desperately trying to follow his father, but shortly losing sight as the brush became more dense. He wanted to shout for his father, but there was a void inside, telling him no. He just kept walking, walking, and walking. It seemed as though the palpable night air was clogging his throat, choking him in the lonely dark.
Finally, he stumbled onto a trail leading into a large wood. The forest loomed before him like a forgotten memory, begging to be discovered once again. Draco looked down the pathway as far as he could, then saw a flicker of light in the distance. He decided to take a chance. He stopped short when a blinding pain shot up his left arm. He fell onto the ground, digging his nails into the dirt. A green light approached him. It looked confined, as if it was contained to a small, ordinary lantern. The light shifted and began steering itself toward his nearly unconscious figure.
"There's the boy," a female voice hissed. "He's fallen."
"Then he is too weak to be of use to me. I need someone stronger. Lucius obviously did not look hard enough to find the perfect specimen. Lucius is now to face his punishment," a shrill voice replied, as it slowly began to fade.
"What about the boy? Will you just leave him here?" the female asked, a bit more sincere.
"If you must, take him yourself. See what you make of him."
Draco sat up straight in his bed. He wiped his forehead and found that he was sweating madly. Without thought, he rushed to the bathroom sink and drenched his face in the cool water. As the moisture dripped from the faucet, Draco slowly elevated his head to look at himself in the mirror. His shirt was wrinkled, with one sleeve pulled up above his shoulder. He turned to leave when he caught sight of a dark discoloring on his shoulder. Draco bent closer to the mirror. It was the Dark Mark.
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"Hermione! Wake up! It's time to go to the train st-" Hermione's mother called from the bottom of the staircase, only to be interrupted by a purposeful cough behind her.
"Already prepared to leave, mum!" Hermione said excitedly.
Her mother laughed as her husband entered the room. "Ready to go, Herm?" he asked.
"Of course!" Hermione grinned.
"We are so proud of you, honey," Hermione's father said, pulling her into a big, suffocating hug. Her mother nodded in agreement, following suit. "Now get in the car!"
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King's Cross was full of Hogwarts students, plowing through muggles, just trying to make it onto platform 9¾ to catch the Hogwarts Express. Minutes ticked by as the time grew near to 11:00, exactly when the train would set off on it journey to Hogwarts and a brand new year. Hermione pulled her trolley up towards the pillar between platforms nine and ten, perfectly aware of the time. She hugged her parents goodbye and hurried through onto platform 9 ¾.
Boarding the train had been difficult, several parents had been desperately trying to say their final farewells right in front of the entrance. Hermione figured that they had been parents of the new first years. Saying goodbye for the first time was never easy.
On board the train, Hermione became confused. There were so many parents outside, but so few students within. Hermione saw many empty compartments and quickly found Ron and Harry, moseying around the hallways with loads of treats in their arms, claiming to have been looking for her. Hermione rolled her eyes as the three sat down in an empty compartment.
"Have you noticed?" she asked.
"Noticed what?" Ron asked, biting into a chocolate frog before it was able to hop out of his grasp.
"How few students there are."
"Oh…no," Ron replied, licking his fingers and not seeming to care about what Hermione had been implying.
Harry looked up from his box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, happy after eating a tasty peppermint. "Don't worry. Neville blew his toad up to a gigantic size. Everyone is at the front of the train," he finished with a laugh.
Ron joined in. "Oh yeah!"
Hermione relaxed in her seat, but still had odd questions and feelings running through her mind. She was quite happy to see that Harry had almost completely recovered from the loss of his godfather, Sirius Black, the closest thing he had ever had to a family. And with Voldemort still on the loose, she was surprised that Harry seemed to be getting any sleep at all. She was happy for him. He definitely deserved to be happy.
Ron, Harry, and Hermione all looked up as a breathless second year ran into their compartment. "Hermione…need…help…toad…big toad…"
Hermione quickly got the message and ran out of the compartment to shrink Neville's gigantic toad. What an interesting year it was already turning out to be.
Hermione climbed down the stairs and headed towards the carriages, Harry and Ron following suit. Ron twitched when he saw a blonde head in the crowd.
"Ron," Hermione cooed. "Take a deep breath. This is the last year that you'll have to deal with him." Hermione had obviously noticed Ron's glare.
Harry had been watching Hermione's steps in front of him, trying foolishly to keep in time with her every step. Only did he snap out of his trance when she spoke again.
"Which carriage to take…let's see now. That one will get us there first, but do we really want to be?"
Ron rolled his eyes an Hermione's indecisiveness, but Harry was intrigued. He watched as she carefully picked out the perfect carriage to take the rest of the way to the school.
"Hermione!" Ron begged. "Just pick one! They all go to the same place!"
Hermione scowled and then walked off to the second carriage from the front.
Harry grabbed Ron's wrist before he could follow. "What was that? You know how she is. Let her be!" he scolded in a whisper.
"Gee, Harry," Ron replied. "What's got your knickers in a twist?"
Harry rolled his eyes and followed Hermione the rest of the way to the carriage, as did Ron.
Hogwarts loomed in front of the trio, inviting, yet mysterious. Hermione couldn't wait to witness the traditional sorting ceremony, like she had several times in the past. Only, this time, for her at least, it was different. This would be the last time she saw a cute little frightened girl get warmly welcomed into her new house, and the last time she would see the Welcoming Feast appear on her empty plate. Hermione knew that she was going to miss everything, especially spending every waking moment with her two best friends. She knew that it was going to be difficult. Most of all, she thought of how she was going to miss Harry, the one person who had made her feel like she had a purpose- to love and to be loved by another.
Harry watched as Hermione stared out the window into a black oblivion which was the night. He saw many mixed emotions in her eyes which were motionless. He began to realize that this was the last time they'd be riding the carriage to Hogwarts, ready for another year of excitement and adventure. He'd miss his friends, and knowing himself, he knew he'd lose touch over time. It would be tough.
Ron sat silently, lost in his own thoughts and feelings. There was confusion plain on his face. He wasn't quite sure what to expect of the future, and wasn't sure how to act at the moment. He wondered why he had been angry at Hermione's indecisiveness and why Harry had defended her the way that he did. Things were becoming crazy and the new year at Hogwarts was sure to be an interesting one.