Disclaimer: Don't own HP.
Chapter 10: Back to Hogwarts
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ron, wake up! Ron… Ron!!! … Ron? Oh, fine, we'll leave without you, if that's what you want."
Ron sprang up immediately. "Sorry, mate, I forgot we're leaving today."
Harry frowned. "So I've been spending the last hour shouting, just because you have a very poor memory??"
"Emmm… Yes?" suggested Ron. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry… Hey, where's my trunk?"
"Downstairs, in the car," answered Harry casually.
"Car? What car?"
"Mundungus Fletcher came with his car – you remember, the one he drove last year. Your trunk's already there, so you won't even have to drag it down the stairs – I did it."
"Oh, great, thanks. No – wait a second – no!!!! What am I supposed to wear now???? All my clothes are in there – " Ron was looking bewildered.
"Oops… Well, sorry, you'll just have to go in this," Harry pointed on Ron's pyjamas, and went out of the room, grinning. Ron came running out of the room ten seconds later.
"Harry… No… You didn't… Please tell me you didn't…"
Harry grinned again. "Of course I didn't, here it is. But next time, I won't bother to wake you up."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Two hours later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Remus and Tonks were sitting in the car, waiting for Mundungus to get in. Mrs. Weasley was, once again, looking disapproved, but she focused on calming down her husband, who became all excited about the car. Harry wondered if Mr. Weasley wasn't supposed to punish Mundungus for charming and using it, but he didn't say anything about it.
Upon arriving to Kings Cross, they met Mad-Eye Moody, who was waiting for them, looking very sinister with the bowling hat over his magical eye.
"All clear here," he growled. "Hurry up and get on the platform."
Harry and Ron went forward, and passed through the barrier to platform nine and three-quarters. Hermione and Ginny followed, and then all the adults came. While Mundungus and Mad-Eye Moody helped everyone to upload their things on the train, Remus took Harry aside.
"Harry, I –" he started saying, but Harry already knew what he was about to say.
" – want me to be careful and stay away from trouble, I know," said Harry grimly. He started feeling annoyed – does everyone still think that he is a small child?
Remus smiled sadly. "I know you are tired of hearing it, but it's true. You know how dangerous the situation is – "
"No, actually I don't know – nobody bothered to tell me anything about what's going on, just like last year," said Harry angrily. The anger that he felt last summer and after Sirius's death, arose in him once again. "Why not, it'll be very convenient for everyone to blame me for the next death too – as I'm so irresponsible, and always landing myself in trouble."
Then, Harry realized just what he said, and how much it must have hurt Remus, who was taken aback.
"I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean –" he mumbled. "I just… I'm sorry."
"You're not the only one who cared about Sirius, Harry. And nobody thinks you're irresponsible, or blames you for his death. But you must understand the need to be extremely careful these days," said Remus quietly.
"I'm sorry, I really didn't want to – "
"That's all right, Harry. You need to get on the train, or it'll leave without you."
~*~*~*~*~
Harry was sitting alone in the train compartment, being in a very bad mood. He was angry with himself for his outburst, and was feeling guilty. Ron and Hermione were fulfilling their Prefects' duties somewhere on the train, and Ginny, who left her things in the compartment, went with her fifth-year friends, so Harry was completely alone, and nothing could distract him from his guilt feelings. He was stroking Crookshanks, who lay curled in his lap, and his thoughts drifted to the Department of Mysteries. It's not your fault, he told himself firmly, it's not. After a while, he fell asleep.
He awoke half an hour later. Ron and Hermione could be heard arguing outside the compartment. They came inside, and Ron said, "It's not!"
"Yes, it is," said Hermione angrily.
Harry didn't even bother to ask what they were arguing about, and just said, "Oh, just stop fighting."
"Fine," muttered Hermione. Then she said in a perfectly normal voice, "I wonder who'll be teaching us Defence against the Dark Arts this year."
"Can't be somebody worse than Umbridge, can they?' smirked Harry. "What happened to her, by the way?"
"She was in St. Mungo's for a while, and now she just stays in her house, never goes out. That's what the Prophet said, anyway," said Hermione.
"Probably turned into a big and ugly toad," laughed Ron.
"Like your mother, Weasley?" said a sneering voice. Draco Malfoy was standing in the doorway, with his friends, Crabbe and Goyle, both having a stupid look on their faces.
"Tell me, Malfoy, how's your father doing? Enjoying himself?" asked Ron, smiling.
"Don't you dare talking about my father, Weasley!" said Malfoy angrily.
"Get out of here, then. And be careful, don't fall again, like you did in Diagon Alley," Ron laughed.
"You know," he said after Malfoy left, "It's becoming pathetic – he comes here every year, and always walks away, embarrassed."
The rest of the journey passed quickly. Many students dropped by to greet Harry, mainly people from the DA. Everybody was curious whether Harry's going to continue teaching.
"It all depends on the new teacher," he said to Seamus Finnigan, when he came with the same question.
"I didn't really think about continuing the DA lessons," Harry admitted to Ron and Hermione when, finally, they were left alone.
"You have to continue," said Hermione. "Now that Voldemort (Ron shuddered) is back, there'll be a lot of people waiting to join."
"But if the new teacher is good, we won't need the DA," said Harry.
"I guess you're right," said Hermione thoughtfully. "Is the train stopping? Ron, hurry, we need to supervise the students!"
"I wish I wasn't a Prefect," Ron muttered to Harry before Hermione dragged him away.
Harry took Hedwig's cage, and followed them. He found an empty carriage, and, after stroking its Thestral sadly, sat inside. Neville Longbottom, who was, as always, carrying his toad, Trevor, soon joined him.
"Look, Harry, I've got a new wand," Neville said proudly, and showed him a short thick wand.
"Good for you, Neville," smiled Harry unwillingly. Neville's old wand was broken when he came with Harry to the Department of Mysteries. Harry shook his head – he didn't want to think about it anymore.
Ron and Hermione came soon afterwards, and the Thestral spread his black wings, and started flying towards the Hogwarts castle.
~*~*~*~*~
"When will they start the feast?" muttered Ron angrily. "I'm starving." Nobody paid much attention to his words, because he always complained about his hunger on the first day of school. But this time, Harry shared his feeling – he couldn't wait for the food to come, and couldn't concentrate on anything beside the empty plate before him.
When everybody settled down, a long line of first-years was ushered into the Great Hall by Professor McGonagall. As usual, they all seemed small and frightened. Together with them, Hagrid slipped into the Hall, and tried to go unnoticed to his place. Obviously, everybody in the Hall noticed, and Harry, Ron and Hermione waved happily. Hagrid smiled, and wanted to say something, but then Prof. McGonagall brought forward the Sorting Hat, which immediately started singing.
So many many years ago,Before the start of Hogwarts,
There were four wizards – such good friends -
Who had a single purpose:
"The younger wizards all should learn
The ways of doing magic."
They started Hogwarts on their own
But this they couldn't imagine:
Each one of them had different views
Of those who should be taught,
So each had founded his own house
And I am bound to sort.
To Griffindor I send those who
Are brave and stout of heart,
In Ravenclaw I shall put you
If you are very smart,
You will be put in Slytherin
If 'Pure Blood' is your motto,
And Hufflepuff will take you in
They are good friends, they ought to.
Last year I gave a warning,
And now I must repeat:
Though you will now be sorted,
Don't think that I like it.
For we're facing times of danger,
And you must unite within,
So be best friends together,
No matter what house you are in.
And this advice I'm giving,
Should be attended to,
'Cause otherwise there'll be
No place to sort you to.
Once again, the Sorting Hat was giving a warning. The Great Hall was buzzing – everybody was discussing what they heard. Last year, the warning seemed not important, but now, when they knew that Voldemort had indeed returned, the students took it more seriously.
"Nothing new here," said Hermione. "It said the same things last year, but unfortunately, nobody listens to it."
"Yeah, well, I want food," said Ron.
"Ron!! How can you be so… so… superficial!" said Hermione indignantly. They started fighting again, and didn't even notice the sorting. But Harry didn't pay attention to it either, and didn't hear the names that Prof. McGonagall read from her list ('Andrews, Robin' – Hufflepuff … 'Crest, Persephone' – Slytherin … 'Evans, Mark' – Ravenclaw … )
A\N: I'll think I'll end it here. I planned to continue with Dumbledore's speech, but it's long enough that way. I know that the Sorting song isn't even close to what JKR writes, but as you all know, I'm not JKR… Too bad for me… Anyway, tell me what you think!!