I would just like to say thank you to all of those that reviewed. 8 people
may not be much, but its enough to make me happy:)
I would like to apologize for taking so long a this rather small chapter.
For me its an improvement in length, but I got stuck somewhere along in the
dialogue. I just hope this fits along with my original idea.
If you have any comments just go ahead and give them, they might prove to
be useful when I attempt to beat my thoughts into submission.
Disclaimer: I don't own it, otherwise I would not be held liable for
copyright forgery.
1-16-04
~~~
I stepped through the barrier the separated the muggle platforms from the wizarding one on my way towards my seventh year.
It had been an interesting summer. I had finally gotten out of the shadow of my muggle relatives and had, for the first time in my life, stayed in a place of my choosing for the summer. It was nothing fancy, just a leased out flat for a month in a relatively inexpensive area of London. But it was all mine and mine alone. Its location was so that I was able to be at Platform 9 and ¾ in very little time at all.
The funny thing? I didn't even have to pack, not really. Even after living at the Dursleys for almost 17 years, all I owned was able to fit inside of my trunk and I didn't even have to sit on it to close it. I just walked out with my life literally in my hands and headed to the station. It puts a whole new perspective on taking your life into your hands, doesn't it?
Now that I'm actually at the platform, I wonder if maybe this year, this year will be a good year. Voldemort is gone, none of his followers are united enough to make a comeback and I am finally free of the Dursleys. I need to find some wood to knock on, just in case. I would say that the tradition was just an old wives tale, but after all of the things I've heard in the wizarding world I would rather play it safe. It never hurt to be just a wee bit paranoid. Or at least this was the case in my experiences, you know your average everyday life endangered teenager. Getting targeted by Voldemort will make one just a little bit wary.
I gather all of my belongings and start off to find a compartment. I just hope that I can avoid people who know me well enough to sense anything that might be off about me. Its not that I think that something is wrong with me, but I know that I never seem to be able to avoid the concerned looks from housemates when I return from the Dursleys. I'm always skinnier, although this year my only excuse is my own incapability to feed myself well. That is actually a very good excuse though, seeing as how I have never really had the chance to look after myself, at least not with everything I needed available at my fingertips. Old habits die hard I guess. Without a need to survive I still treat myself as if I only need to scrape by, I need to learn better habits. Eventually though, it is a gradual thing to relearn old habits.
I just finally resign myself to the fact that I will see people I know on my way through the train, I have been going to school with these people for the last six years. I can only hope to find an empty compartment, or one that I can convince the passengers to leave and go to another compartment. I don't mind people outside of my friends interacting with me, but I would rather have the first conversations of this new year be with my closest friends instead of casual acquaintances. It's just a personal preference of mine.
After clearing out a compartment, there was only one person in it anyway, I went about putting my trunk in the rack below the seats. Though I don't have much in the way of possessions, it was still heavy considering all of my things were in there. That done, I only had two things I could do: sit here and wait or leave the compartment and wait for them outside. Ahh. I guess this is the downside to being early, while being a good thing it is rather boring if there is nothing to do until you're through waiting.
Well, I just decide to stay in the compartment. After all, it wouldn't do to have to find a new one if this one was taken while I was gone.
So I sit there for a while, or at least it seemed a while to me. It was probably only around a half hour or so, not long enough for me to go search for something to do.
As I sit there watching people outside of the train through the window and waving at those few who see me and wave, the compartment opens. I turn when I hear the door slide open, they should really consider oiling the slide rail on those slightly creaky doors, and see head of familiar red hair. Now that Ron is finally the only male Weasley at Hogwarts it is much easier to spot him and not to confuse him with any of his brothers.
"Hey mate, your summer alright? You didn't write the past couple of weeks." It was a typical remark of Ron, make especially more common by Hermione's influence. Still, it is rather heartening to know someone still cares but I still don't intend on letting him completely into my psyche. Not today anyhow.
I actually suspect him of having Hermione with him but when she doesn't enter immediately after him I assume she's arriving separately.
But to make sure, "Ron, is Hermione coming on her own? Or is she here but just taking her time and chancing being late for the train?"
"She didn't stay over this summer, just visited on the odd day. I 'spect she'll be here soon, otherwise she'll be late" was all he said. It was nothing more than what I had thought already.
There was a kind of awkward silence for a few minutes. You know, the kind where you're in a situation with someone you can't quite judge well enough to tell how they'll behave. It wasn't like I was some kind of abused dog or something, but to tell the truth I didn't much know how to react to Ron either.
It wasn't too long, maybe five minutes or so, that I heard the door open again. This time it was Hermione and at least she was expected and on time. If she had been maybe fifteen minutes later she might have missed the train. I don't think she would take a flying car, even to make it back to Hogwarts for her final year.
"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late, but the traffic is horrible in London what with the construction and all. I was afraid I wasn't going to make it"
She should know she didn't need to apologize, but why break such a good habit?
"Oh it's fine Hermione, Ron just got here too. I thought you might have come together." I left it open, she could answer if she wanted to, it wasn't really a question anyway.
"Well, I was rather busy this summer. Did I tell you I got a job Harry? I'm sure I told Ron but that's a given since I saw him in person this summer. Anyway, it was so much fun having a muggle job. I think I might just go to university after I graduate this year, afterall you can't have to many credentials." She practically beamed as she got all of this out. I had to wonder if I had just given them the address to owl me if it wouldn't have been easier. There wouldn't have been a build up of all that information. Ah well, at least that annoying uncomfortable silence between Ron and I was gone.
But there was still silence from Ron and apparently Hermione noticed also. "Ron, you seem awfully quiet. Something wrong?"
"No, nothing really." Pause. "It's just that this is our last year, and I have to wonder if the train ride will be any different or if it will always be the same, even when we don't go here anymore. It's so hard to believe that not one of us has died by some dark force or by laughter at Malfoy." For a moment he just sat there with the look on his face that said 'I'm entertaining deep thoughts' otherwise known as nostalgia. Hermione just looked a little bit teary, I guess she too was thinking about the end of our Hogwarts time.
"Oh, what the hell. Let's just plan to enjoy this year to the fullest. I don't think anyone, even Malfoy could screw up this year for me. What about you Harry?"
"Ron I don't think this is a year either of us is going to forget. After all, how often do you have the assurance of a totally Voldemort free world?"
It was decided then and there in that train car. This would be a year to remember, at least for us.
We didn't know how right we were. We never saw it coming, the year started out so normally, and it just seemed to stay that way, for all appearances, for months.
~~~
I stepped through the barrier the separated the muggle platforms from the wizarding one on my way towards my seventh year.
It had been an interesting summer. I had finally gotten out of the shadow of my muggle relatives and had, for the first time in my life, stayed in a place of my choosing for the summer. It was nothing fancy, just a leased out flat for a month in a relatively inexpensive area of London. But it was all mine and mine alone. Its location was so that I was able to be at Platform 9 and ¾ in very little time at all.
The funny thing? I didn't even have to pack, not really. Even after living at the Dursleys for almost 17 years, all I owned was able to fit inside of my trunk and I didn't even have to sit on it to close it. I just walked out with my life literally in my hands and headed to the station. It puts a whole new perspective on taking your life into your hands, doesn't it?
Now that I'm actually at the platform, I wonder if maybe this year, this year will be a good year. Voldemort is gone, none of his followers are united enough to make a comeback and I am finally free of the Dursleys. I need to find some wood to knock on, just in case. I would say that the tradition was just an old wives tale, but after all of the things I've heard in the wizarding world I would rather play it safe. It never hurt to be just a wee bit paranoid. Or at least this was the case in my experiences, you know your average everyday life endangered teenager. Getting targeted by Voldemort will make one just a little bit wary.
I gather all of my belongings and start off to find a compartment. I just hope that I can avoid people who know me well enough to sense anything that might be off about me. Its not that I think that something is wrong with me, but I know that I never seem to be able to avoid the concerned looks from housemates when I return from the Dursleys. I'm always skinnier, although this year my only excuse is my own incapability to feed myself well. That is actually a very good excuse though, seeing as how I have never really had the chance to look after myself, at least not with everything I needed available at my fingertips. Old habits die hard I guess. Without a need to survive I still treat myself as if I only need to scrape by, I need to learn better habits. Eventually though, it is a gradual thing to relearn old habits.
I just finally resign myself to the fact that I will see people I know on my way through the train, I have been going to school with these people for the last six years. I can only hope to find an empty compartment, or one that I can convince the passengers to leave and go to another compartment. I don't mind people outside of my friends interacting with me, but I would rather have the first conversations of this new year be with my closest friends instead of casual acquaintances. It's just a personal preference of mine.
After clearing out a compartment, there was only one person in it anyway, I went about putting my trunk in the rack below the seats. Though I don't have much in the way of possessions, it was still heavy considering all of my things were in there. That done, I only had two things I could do: sit here and wait or leave the compartment and wait for them outside. Ahh. I guess this is the downside to being early, while being a good thing it is rather boring if there is nothing to do until you're through waiting.
Well, I just decide to stay in the compartment. After all, it wouldn't do to have to find a new one if this one was taken while I was gone.
So I sit there for a while, or at least it seemed a while to me. It was probably only around a half hour or so, not long enough for me to go search for something to do.
As I sit there watching people outside of the train through the window and waving at those few who see me and wave, the compartment opens. I turn when I hear the door slide open, they should really consider oiling the slide rail on those slightly creaky doors, and see head of familiar red hair. Now that Ron is finally the only male Weasley at Hogwarts it is much easier to spot him and not to confuse him with any of his brothers.
"Hey mate, your summer alright? You didn't write the past couple of weeks." It was a typical remark of Ron, make especially more common by Hermione's influence. Still, it is rather heartening to know someone still cares but I still don't intend on letting him completely into my psyche. Not today anyhow.
I actually suspect him of having Hermione with him but when she doesn't enter immediately after him I assume she's arriving separately.
But to make sure, "Ron, is Hermione coming on her own? Or is she here but just taking her time and chancing being late for the train?"
"She didn't stay over this summer, just visited on the odd day. I 'spect she'll be here soon, otherwise she'll be late" was all he said. It was nothing more than what I had thought already.
There was a kind of awkward silence for a few minutes. You know, the kind where you're in a situation with someone you can't quite judge well enough to tell how they'll behave. It wasn't like I was some kind of abused dog or something, but to tell the truth I didn't much know how to react to Ron either.
It wasn't too long, maybe five minutes or so, that I heard the door open again. This time it was Hermione and at least she was expected and on time. If she had been maybe fifteen minutes later she might have missed the train. I don't think she would take a flying car, even to make it back to Hogwarts for her final year.
"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late, but the traffic is horrible in London what with the construction and all. I was afraid I wasn't going to make it"
She should know she didn't need to apologize, but why break such a good habit?
"Oh it's fine Hermione, Ron just got here too. I thought you might have come together." I left it open, she could answer if she wanted to, it wasn't really a question anyway.
"Well, I was rather busy this summer. Did I tell you I got a job Harry? I'm sure I told Ron but that's a given since I saw him in person this summer. Anyway, it was so much fun having a muggle job. I think I might just go to university after I graduate this year, afterall you can't have to many credentials." She practically beamed as she got all of this out. I had to wonder if I had just given them the address to owl me if it wouldn't have been easier. There wouldn't have been a build up of all that information. Ah well, at least that annoying uncomfortable silence between Ron and I was gone.
But there was still silence from Ron and apparently Hermione noticed also. "Ron, you seem awfully quiet. Something wrong?"
"No, nothing really." Pause. "It's just that this is our last year, and I have to wonder if the train ride will be any different or if it will always be the same, even when we don't go here anymore. It's so hard to believe that not one of us has died by some dark force or by laughter at Malfoy." For a moment he just sat there with the look on his face that said 'I'm entertaining deep thoughts' otherwise known as nostalgia. Hermione just looked a little bit teary, I guess she too was thinking about the end of our Hogwarts time.
"Oh, what the hell. Let's just plan to enjoy this year to the fullest. I don't think anyone, even Malfoy could screw up this year for me. What about you Harry?"
"Ron I don't think this is a year either of us is going to forget. After all, how often do you have the assurance of a totally Voldemort free world?"
It was decided then and there in that train car. This would be a year to remember, at least for us.
We didn't know how right we were. We never saw it coming, the year started out so normally, and it just seemed to stay that way, for all appearances, for months.