All of this belongs to JKR. I just work here. Notes are at the end.

Chapter Four.  Though Much is Taken, Much Abides

Harry hurried to his room and realized that he hadn't been at Thorost Hall long enough to make much of a mess in his room. He stuffed the things that were lying about into his trunk and dragged it and Hedwig's perch out into the hallway.

At one end of the corridor, he heard Ginny and Ron thumping around in their respective rooms and bickering with each other through their open doors.

At the other end of the corridor, Bill and Hermione were talking a bit louder than was discreet. Harry started to join them but stopped when he heard what they were talking about. He knelt down, pretending struggle with his trunk's lock.

"—and Charlie and I, we're all worried about her," Bill was saying, "She's gone a bit wild. Three boyfriends, all of them older. She's dating this Bean person—"

"Dean," Hermione corrected. "Two boyfriends."

"—and now she's flirting with Harry. Yes, she's growing up, and we're all uncomfortable with that, and she's fifteen and feeling rebellious. But you know what Hogwarts is like. She's going to get hurt."

"I still think you're being—" Hermione began.

"Harry!" Bill called, noticing him, "All set?"

Harry stood up and joined them. "I think so. What's going on, Bill?"

"It's dangerous to have nearly every family in the United Kingdom at King's Cross all at the same time, isn't it? Dumbledore is having students brought to the school in smaller groups," he explained. "It surprised us all. The Order wasn't even told."

Hermione pursed her lips speculatively, but said nothing. Ginny and Ron came out of their rooms dragging their trunks, their argument growing louder. Ginny was holding Crookshanks.

"Am I going to have keep those two separated all year?" Hermione muttered irritably, striding over to the arguing pair. She took Crookshanks from Ginny and barked something at Ron. The siblings abruptly stopped arguing and glared at each other sullenly.

As the four students piled their stuff in the middle of the hall, the rest of the group at Thorost Hall descended on them. Harry found himself running a gauntlet of goodbyes. Mr. Weasley shook his hand. Mrs. Weasley enveloped him in a hug. Tonks grinned at him and promised to write a long letter with metamorphmagus practice exercises. Charlie clapped him on the back, very nearly toppling him over. Mattie caught him a handshake while he was still off balance and proceeded to nearly crack his knuckles. Bill simply grinned at him.

Molly Weasley handed Harry a parasol, and the other students crowded around him, each grasping the umbrella. Harry and Ron, who were the closest to the pile of luggage, each put a hand on that as well.

"Have a good year," Mr. Weasley told them, "and try to stay out of trouble."

"Ginny, I'll send your books along before the start of term," Mrs. Weasley said. "If any of you have left something behind, I'll send that along as well."

"Bye!" Everyone said at once as Harry felt a lurch below his navel and the world spun out of control. When the spinning stopped, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione fell against each other, but they all somehow managed to stay on their feet, each propping the others up.

They were standing in the Hogwarts courtyard. Professor McGonagall was waiting for them, leaning on her heavy stick.

"Leave your things, and the house elves will fetch them up to your rooms. Until otherwise notified, meals will be served in your common room. You have free use of the grounds, but do limit your wandering around the castle. If you have don't have a sensible reason to be somewhere, then you shouldn't. Yes, Ms. Granger, the library is open. This year's Quidditch captain is Katie Bell. Any other questions?" She paused and a ghost of a smile flitted across her face. "Welcome back to Hogwarts."

Not long after, Harry yawned and sunk further into the comfortable chair nearest the common room hearth. Hermione was sprawled out on the floor, her nose close to a massive book she had borrowed from the library. She had insisted on stopping there on their way to the common room. Ginny was using her wand to magically prod a tattered strip of parchment into moving across the floor like an inchworm for Crookshanks.  Ron was alternately staring out of the window and at a book on Seers Hermione had pressed him into taking. Occasionally, he would report that another group of students had arrived.

"Ravenclaws," Ron said.  "Last year's midgets."

Harry stared moodily at the fire. He had looked forward to returning to Hogwarts, but the reality of it was not what he had expected. He was reminded of the Marauders, his parents, and of Sirius. He had talked to him through this fire. Sirius had roamed these halls. He thought of Padfoot roaming in the Forbidden Forest or talking with Crookshanks beside the Whomping Willow, and Harry's mood became steadily drearier.

"I think Hagrid's gone again," Ron said shortly. "I just saw Grubbly-Plank out near the paddock."

Harry sighed.

Ron dropped the book casually on the floor. "Harry, let's get in a bit of flying."

Harry nodded, and the two boys went and found their broomsticks. 

"When did you get it back?" Ron asked, nodding at the Firebolt. 

"When you and Hermione were in the Infirmary," Harry replied, shortly, slowly rotating the broom in his hand, examining it. "It showed up on my bed one day."

Ron was holding his Cleansweep, looking uncertain, as if he had said something he shouldn't have.

"Are you really back to normal? You are all healed up?" Harry asked, not wanting Ron feel uncomfortable.

Ron grinned. "I'm fine. I had nightmares for awhile, but Madam Pomfrey took care of that. I did get these." He pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and held out his forearm.

Harry stepped closer and saw an intricate pattern of squiggly, silvery lines etched into Ron's skin.

"It was all for nothing," Harry said miserably. "Worse than nothing. It got Sirius killed. You and Hermione very nearly died.."

"We stopped him, didn't we?" Ron replied earnestly. "It wasn't for nothing. He didn't get something he wanted, and now everyone knows he's back. That we were right. That you aren't mad—it…it just wasn't for nothing."

Harry sat down on his bed and simply nodded.

"Hermione told me some things, Harry," Ron said, sitting down on his bed. "He could've kidnapped Trelawney." Ron snorted. "I don't think she would have been able to stop him with her inner eye. And he can't possess you anymore now, can he?"

Harry nodded again and took a deep breath.  "I'm taking Occlumency with Dumbledore to make sure he can't."

Ron was silent, and Harry sat staring at his Firebolt.

"Well," Ron said, standing up, "I'll be downstairs."

Harry stared at the broomstick for a little while. Not much point in moping is there? What will come, will come, Harry thought morosely to himself, I'll probably meet my parents and see Sirius again soon enough.

With a sigh, he went to find Ron.

Ron and Ginny stood by the portrait hole waiting for him, holding their brooms. Ron held a battered quaffle. They walked quietly to the pitch. Harry caught both Weasleys surreptitiously watching him.

At the pitch, Harry kicked off hard and flew high. He thought he would be elated to be in the air again, but he wasn't. Instead, he just felt empty and tired. But I love Quidditch and flying, he thought desperately to himself.

While he pondered this, Ron and Ginny joined him in the air.

"Scrimmage?" Ron asked. "I'll keep for both of you."

Ron tossed the quaffle to Harry and flew to the south goal hoops.

Harry, distracted, tossed the ball to Ginny. "So, you are going out for chaser this year?"

Ginny nodded.

"Let's see what you can do," Harry said, hoping that he would feel more excited once the game started.

Without warning, Ginny bolted toward Ron with the quaffle. With a small sigh, Harry took off after her.

I just have to play hard, he thought grimly chasing after her. I have to throw myself into the game.

Ginny scored, and Ron retrieved the quaffle and threw it to Harry. He took it to the center of the pitch where Ginny was waiting and threw it high in the air.

He played furiously. He flew violently into Ginny twice, making her drop the quaffle the first time and wrenching the ball out of hands the second. He flung the ball as hard as he could at Ron, who blocked it with his shoulder with an audible, "Oooof."

Within a few minutes, Ginny was frowning, and Ron was nursing his bruised shoulder and glaring at Harry.

"Time!" Ginny called out, stopping abruptly.

Harry swerved to avoid crashing into her, as he had intended, and looped around slow himself.

She stared at him until he began to feel uncomfortable. "What are you doing?" she finally asked coolly. 

"Playing Quidditch," he answered, a bit guiltily.

"I thought this was going to be a friendly little game," she said. "This is supposed to be fun. Right?"

"Er…I-I guess I got a little carried away," Harry replied sheepishly.

"Tomorrow, when we come out here again, we'll have fun, right?"

Harry nodded.

"Good." Ginny said and grinned maniacally. She stuffed the quaffle under her robes and made a mad dash to the hoops. Harry followed her closely but was at a loss about what to do to stop her. She flew herself through the largest hoop, then spun herself around in a victory dance, whooping loudly.

Ginny was chanting.

Ginny is our queen,

she's the best chaser

Gryffindor's ever seen

Ginny's got the quaffle

But it can't be seen

Ginny is our queen!

"Oi!" someone called

Harry looked around and saw Dean, Seamus, and Neville walking down toward the pitch.

Ginny abruptly stopped chanting and looked at Harry. She hung there a second, waiting. 

Harry watched her. He thought there was something she wanted him to say, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Without a word, Ginny nodded good-bye and swooped down toward the other sixth-year boys.

"What's going on with you two?" Ron asked.

"We're friends," Harry said shortly.

"I think she's got far too many friends," Ron replied. 

They watched Ginny leap off her broom. Dean wrapped his arms around her.

"I can't watch this," Ron growled. "Dean's awfully glad to see his friend." He flew off toward the castle.

"Well, I can't really blame Dean for that," Harry said to no one in particular. "I would be—" He stopped himself, baffled. What would I be? He wondered.

Where had that come from?

Now hold on right there, mate, he told himself bracingly. She's my friend. I have never had a crush on her. I don't fancy her or anything. I just don't like her like that. Never have.

See? Harry said severely to himself, everything is under control..

He wandered over the lake. The giant squid drifted lazily below him amid the reflection of the clear blue sky. Something inside him rose like a bubble and wouldn't go away.

Harry frowned.

Cho made me dizzy. Ginny doesn't make me dizzy. So it can't be that I like Ginny.

There's a bit of reasoning that Hermione would be proud of, Harry concluded, feeling relieved.

He considered this. I must be concerned about her, Harry decided, like her brothers.

Almost immediately, he discarded that conclusion. No, not like her brothers. Definitely not.

He tried again. She's my friend. I am naturally concerned, he thought, feeling better about himself. Harry watched a cloud scud through the sky without really seeing it.

But I like looking at her, he admitted to himself after a moment.

So? I like looking at the Patil twins too, another thought countered.

And I've never thought about looking at her before.

I've never thought about not looking at her, either.

I'm looking now, though, at Ginny…and at Parvati and Padma…and Lavender, too, I suppose, and Hermione, but only because I'm around her all the time, and at Ginn—

All right, all right, so I look, Harry acknowledged, peevishly, dismissing that whole train of thought. That doesn't mean anything. He shook his head, hearing Hermione's voice saying, Honestly, Harry, get a hold of yourself.

Just because I look, that doesn't mean a thing, Harry repeated firmly.

I've known Ginny since I was eleven. She's my friend. People don't just go and start liking people after knowing each other for years and years.

Or do they?

Don't people see each other—maybe at a party, or maybe at the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall, or maybe…maybe in a field of tulips or something—and don't people just  know right off that they like each other?

But my mum—

—yeah , yeah, hated my dad for years before they got together. Harry stared blindly at the castle walls. So it's possible. I saw her first on Platform 9 ¾. She was loud.

Hold on! Together? he screamed to himself, ME? Ginny Weasley?

Harry nearly collided with the Astronomy Tower. He swerved upwards with a jerk, but the tip of his broomstick caught on the edge of the parapet. He flipped over onto the observation platform with a heavy thud.

"Glaaaargh," he gasped.

It was a long time before Harry trudged back to the common room. To his simultaneous relief and disappointment, Ginny was not there.

Ron was using his arm gingerly and was a bit cool to Harry, although he did wave off Harry's apology.

"Do you have an idea what you are going to teach the DA this year?" Hermione asked Harry.

"I'll repeat last year's course for any new members," Harry said. "For the returning members, first a review of what we did last year. Then, for those who haven't mastered the Patronus Charm yet, I'll assign mentors to see that they do learn it." He paused. "I have an idea for some other training, but I want to surprise you." 

Hermione looked mildly impressed that he had given it any thought at all.

"I think," Ron said, "that we should learn one or two simple healing charms."

Harry nodded. "Good idea. I also think Hermione should teach us the Alohamora charm."

"All right. I still think we should research some other spells that might be useful to the DA," Hermione said firmly. "We should go to the Library."

Although Ron and Harry were reluctant to go anywhere near so many books, in the end, Hermione convinced them. There was nothing else to do. They followed her to the Library, each carrying an enormous pile of books.

"If I'd known she needed a mule, I would have conjured her one," Ron muttered to Harry when she was out of earshot.

Later, Harry was absently flipping through at an enormous Vindictus Viridian book and pondering what to do about Ginny. He had to do something sooner rather than later—after all, Ginny was always around, and Dean lived in his dormitory—but he had no idea what that something was.

He briefly considered asking Hermione's advice, but decided against it. His feelings were too new and shocking, and he certainly didn't under any circumstances want to have that conversation with Ron listening.

"Here," Ron grinned, pointing at a spell in the book he was scanning. "Impressive, that is."

"Innterrectiscapis?" Harry said, leaning over and reading the entry.

"Impressive?" Hermione said distastefully looking over at Ron's finger. "I think that is disgusting."

"It's supposed to be," Ron replied. "It's impressive because it's so disgusting."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Impressive means to cause wonder or admiration. That spell does neither."

Ron was replying, but Harry had already stopped listening. Of course! That's it! he thought, I need to impress her. He smiled to himself.

Hermione and Ron were settling in for a nice, quiet bicker to keep themselves awake while they scanned for useful spells.

A prank? Yes, she would appreciate an ingenious prank. But nothing mean, he added quickly, remembering James' stunts. Nothing that involves underwear or toilet seats. He went back to scanning Viridian's book with some excitement. He needed an idea.

"When do you want to hold our first DA meeting?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "I need to find out which professor is going to be overseeing the meetings," Harry told them. "I'll ask McGonagall, I suppose."

The three of them, after an afternoon's work, had come up with a list of what Ron had taken to calling the DA kit. There were a number of useful spells in the kit that were neither defensive nor offensive, including a simple healing spell, alohamora, the bluebell flame spell that Hermione had been using since their first year, and the compass charm Harry had used in the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Harry was pleased to see that there were a number of spells on the list that he didn't know.

By the time the three returned to the common room, it was loud and crowded. It seemed that nearly all the Gryffindors from the second years to the seventh years had been brought back to Hogwarts early and without warning. The windows were open, and a steady stream of overburdened and irritated owls was dropping packages and books on students' heads. There was a crowd of students swirling around the fire, and the fire itself was full of different parental heads. Every so often, one head would disappear with a little pop, and another would immediately take its place and ask to speak to someone. This would set off a storm of shouts for the correct Gryffindor. Ginny, her hands mimicking the flight of two broomsticks, was talking to Katie Bell. Katie was watching Ginny's hands and nodding intently.

"Come on, Harry," Ron said, nudging him out of a daze and turning to follow Hermione to their usual table. They spent the time until dinner learning a few of the spells off their list, but there weren't very many that could be practiced in a crowded room on a tabletop.

When dinner arrived in the Common Room, a disembodied bell rang, and covered platters appeared randomly on various tables, along with plates and utensils. The two platters nearest Harry contained shepherd's pie and roast potatoes.

"I'll get plates," Harry offered, standing up. He headed for the nearest stack and found himself between Dean and Ginny.

"Hi, Harry," Dean said.

"Hullo, Dean."

 "Good summer?"

 "No, not really," Harry replied, "although the last few days weren't bad."

"Oh." Dean hesitated. "Ginny says the DA is reforming this year. Are we having a meeting soon?"

"Yes."

"Are you feeling well?" Dean asked him curiously. "You look ill."

"It's nothing," Harry said shortly. "I think I need some air." He snatched up some plates and silverware and hurried off.

"Must be something going around," Harry heard Dean say, "Seamus just went off to the infirmary himself."

Harry pushed food around his plate for a time before he gave up. "I should go find Professor McGonagall. I'll be right back."

Ron, concentrating, on his plate, said something that sounded like, "Ohkershimumph."

Hermione looked at him appraisingly with the faintest of smiles.

Harry hurried out through the Portrait Hole. He saw Seamus with his head bowed, sitting on the floor in the corridor.

He saw Harry and shuddered. "I…I have to get…to…to the infirmary," Seamus muttered thickly.

"Do you need help?" Harry asked.

"…No," Seamus said, shuddering again. He got to his feet.

"You sure?" Harry pressed.

"I…I'm fine," Seamus  croaked, dragging himself off.

Harry walked absently in the other direction, wondering briefly what was wrong with Finnegan and hoping that it wasn't contagious. After all, he slept in the same room with him. Dean could catch it. Ginny could catch it  Just thinking about how Ginny could catch Seamus' bug made Harry feel ill. 

He walked to McGonagall's office, trying to figure out Ginny Weasley. She was flirting with me, he thought, Bill said so, but…there were too many 'buts', he concluded morosely. She seems to like me, but Hermione said she was got over me ages ago. She wanted me to say something to her today, but she's very obviously with Dean…

Harry reached McGonagall's office and sighed. The door was open.

"Professor McGonagall?" Harry called, nudging the door open further.

"Mr. Potter? Come in."

McGonagall was sitting behind her desk. On it, there were several magical quills scratching away at various piles of parchment.

"You have a request?" she prompted him.

"Er—yes, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell me who the faculty advisor to the DA was going to be."

"I believe she will be arriving tomorrow. You wish to hold a meeting?"

Harry nodded.

"You have my permission to hold a meeting before she arrives as long as it's informational in nature only. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Professor."

"I imagine that she will contact you in the next few days. Now if you don't mind, Mr. Potter, I am extremely busy."

"Thanks again, Professor!" Harry said grinning as he left the office. The DA was something Harry cherished, and the prospect of getting the group started up again sooner than he expected managed to override, at least temporarily, his new preoccupation with Ginny Weasley.

Despite everything that had happened to him since his first year, Harry felt safe at Hogwarts. After all, most of the really horrible stuff had occurred elsewhere. So although he wasn't exactly surprised when Draco Malfoy stepped out from behind a suit of armor with his wand held loosely by his side, Harry wasn't terrified either.

"What do you want?" he asked impatiently. These periodic confrontations with Malfoy were just becoming too predictable.

"I don't want anything," Malfoy sneered, "I already have it."

"What are you on about now?" Harry said irritably. "Look, it's been a long day, and I'm tired. Can't we do this tomorrow?"

Behind him, Harry heard feet shuffling on the castle's stone floors.

"But you are alone tonight," he smirked. His wand swiveled toward Harry.

"Innterrectiscapis!" Harry shouted, drawing his wand so fast that it seemed apparate into his hand.

Whatever hex Malfoy had attempted to cast ended with a squawk as his head took on a pointy bullet shape. He collapsed on the floor and curled into a ball, his arms and legs flailing madly at odd angles. There were a couple of lurches that ended in muffled gurgling noises. He looked like a headless, bulbous insect.

Harry ducked and spun around, feeling a curse ruffling his hair.

"Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus! Rictusempra!" Harry shouted blindly.

Two wands clattered at his feet. Crabbe and Goyle were staring dumbly at him.  They looked at each other and then began to run away.

They stopped short, however, and backed up until they were pressed against the wall, their eyes wide with dread.

Snape, cape billowing around him, strode past them and loomed over Harry.

"Potter," he snarled. "What is going on here?"

"Good evening, Professor," Harry said calmly. "I've decided which curse to use on Malfoy, sir."

Snape looked livid. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and detention. You will report to the headmaster's office and wait for me there," he said, his voice shaking with anger.

Crabbe and Goyle, horrorstruck, were staring at Malfoy.

"I'm certain that Madam Pomfrey will be able to remove Malfoy's head from his arse," Harry assured them.

"Another fifty points," Snape hissed, levitating the still flailing Malfoy. "Move, Potter."

With a shrug, Harry walked away.

TBC

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A/N:

Thanks loads to all the readers who have taken the time to leave me a review!

This was a tough chapter to write, so I am ending it a bit early. All the internal dialogue in this bit was rough going. If you found this installment a bit slow, I am expecting things will pick up again in the next chapter.

This chapter title is from Tennyson's Ulysses.