A.N.: Nobody got the reference in the last chapter, even Kat missed it, and she's caught every other one so far! Maybe I hid it too well…Well, the line was Ginny's comment to Harry, "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if one day you started saying that, due to your lack of effort, there's no magic in Muggles." This line was borrowed from Duo, in Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, about Quatre, "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if one day he started saying that, due to his lack of effort, there's no air in space." I promise the references will be easier to spot this time around.
A.N. 2: Some people thought that the Dragon Diamond core of Harry's staff was a reference to Escaflowne. To be honest, I've never watched it, and if there is a Dragon Diamond in Escaflowne, it's purely a coincidence.
*~*~*~*~*~*
The morning that the Weasley's left for King's Cross was, as usual, pandemonium. Even Hermione was unable to escape the lure of summer laziness, and spending most of the summer in the company of Ron Weasley and Harry Potter only added fuel to the fire. So it was that morning that Ron got to hear Hermione let loose a few expletives when Crookshanks insisted on being under foot and out of carrier.
"'Mione!"
Hermione whipped around, anger etched into her features. "What? I'm a little busy Ron, so make it quick!"
Ron smirked. "Since when is Crookshanks a, 'Bloody useless git of a cat!'?"
A blush lit up her cheeks. "Sorry, I'm just a little stressed, that's all."
Fred strolled past, a box partially concealed in his robes. "If your stressed now I can't wait to hear what you say when your O.W.L.s are only a few weeks away."
Hermione just hung her head and sighed, "Just bugger off, Fred."
Ron and Fred shared and grin and went about their packing.
*~*~*~*
The rest of the morning went past relatively uneventfully, with the exception of Fawkes pouting when Harry sent him ahead to Hogwarts, and then trilling quite loudly when Harry relented and let Hedwig fly there with him.
They arrived at King's Cross via ministry cars, and were quickly ushered inside by Mr. Weasley. That's when they encountered the first big surprise of the school year.
"There's nobody here!"
Mr. Weasley turned to Ron. "Yes, Dumbledore arranged to have this place closed until the Hogwarts Express has left the building, then it will be opened to Muggles again. He said he also arranged for extra security on the train itself, but didn't say what."
The group of redheads, plus Harry and Hermione, quickly walked through the station to the barrier between platforms Nine and Ten. They passed through without trouble and arrived on platform 9 ¾.
The twins said a quick goodbye to their parents and went in search of their friend, and cohort in crime, Lee Jordan. Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron each got a hug, kiss, and were told to stay out of trouble by Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley told them to keep their wits about them this year.
As they were stowing their luggage away Harry discovered something about his new appearance. Girls really liked it. He blushing as red as a Weasley after the Patil twins, a few seventh year Hufflepuffs, and, disturbingly enough, Millicent Bulstrode tried to pinch, touch, or otherwise feel him up. He practically ran for the compartment when a silver, Muggle coin was thrown at his backside.
As the four Griffindors got settled in their compartment their door slid open.
"Well, Potter, it seems you finally managed to grow up a bit."
Without even looking Harry responded, "Go away Malfoy."
"Malfoy? You must need your glasses back, Potter."
It was then Harry realized that the voice was too high to be Malfoy's. Turning he was greeted to the rather unpleasant visage of Pansy Parkinson.
"Surprised, Potter? Draco's not feeling to well, so I decided to come find you and find out what you did to him."
A confused look passed between the Griffindors. Pansy rolled her eyes.
"Draco is never sick. You had to have done something to him." She planted her fists on her hips and started impatiently tapping her foot. "Well? Spill already, tell me how to make him feel better!"
Ron snorted. "How could we have done anything to him? We just got here."
"A likely story."
Harry sighed. "Go away Parkinson. We didn't do anything, just leave us alone."
Pansy whipped out her wand and was on the verge of casting a hex when a deep, baritone voice interrupted. "What's going on here?"
Pansy turned sharply and spat venomously, "Who are you?"
"You can call me Preventer Wind." Icy blue eyes focused on the Slitherin girl from behind long, platinum blond locks. His right hand was inside his dark navy robes, undoubtedly ready to draw his wand, if needed. Not that he needed it. His robes didn't hide the fact that he was a well-built man, his muscles hardened from use. "Now, tell me what's going on?"
Pansy shrank back under his intense gaze. "It's p-p-Potter, sir. He won't tell me what he did to Draco."
Preventer Wind narrowed his eyes. "Our detectors have registered no magic from Mr. Potter, dark or otherwise. Now go away and stop harassing other students." Needless to say, Pansy got away from there as quickly as dignity allowed. The man turned to Harry and the others. "Are you all okay?"
"We're fine, sir." Harry answered.
"Excuse me, uh, Preventer Wind," Hermione asked, ", but what's a Preventer?"
"The Preventers," he answered, ", are a group of witches and wizards, formed shortly after the fall of the Dark Lord Voldemort, who are separate from the Ministry of Magic. We work towards preventing the rise of Dark Lords. While the Fudge has foolishly ignored Professor Dumbledore's warnings that Voldemort has risen again, we cannot ignore such a claim. I, along with a few others, have been stationed at Hogwarts as guards, and will also be questioning the students and faculty about the possibilities of Voldemort's resurrection. One of us will also be taking over your Defense Against the Dark Arts class, to better prepare you."
Ginny spoke up. "Who's going to be teaching us?"
The Preventer smiled, "You'll have to wait and see. Dumbledore told us not to tell anyone who the new teacher is. Now, if everything is cleared up here, I must return to my rounds."
The trio, plus Ginny, quickly got settled after the incident, and quickly digressed to more entertaining activities. For Harry and Ron, this meant a vicious game of wizarding chess, Hermione pulled out a Muggle paperback book and began reading, and Ginny alternated between giving Harry advice and playing a game of Solitaire with Exploding Snap cards. This proved to be rather hazardous for Ginny, as the cards would begin to smoke when she didn't place any new ones, and they sparked violently if she tried to cheat. So naturally, when they arrived at Hogwarts, Ginny had several scorch marks on her hands.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hufflepuff!"
The last echoes of the sorting hat rang out through the hall, the last child to be sorted sat at her table, and Dumbledore stood up for the announcements he traditionally delivered at the beginning of every new term.
"I would like to welcome all of you back to Hogwarts for another year of magical learning, fun, and mayhem if the Weasley twins have anything to say about it. I must tell you all that the Forbidden Forest is, once again, forbidden to all students, unless escorted by a member of the Hogwarts staff. Now, as some of you may have noticed, Hagrid is not here. So, until he returns later in the year, the esteemed Professor Remus Lupin will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures."
At this announcement the entire Great Hall, sans some of the more reserved Ravenclaws who clapped politely, and the entirety of Slytherin table, broke out into wild applause and fireworks, provided by the Twins, of course.
Dumbledore smiled and signaled for silence again. "Now, I have just one more announcement. As some of you may have noticed there are a few extra staff members. These are the Preventers. They're a group of highly dedicated witches and wizards focused on stopping dark lords from rising. Coincidentally one of them will be teaching your Defense Against the Dark Arts class this year. It also just happens to be that it was I who founded the Preventers. Therefore I will be teaching your Defense Against Dark Arts class this year."
Stunned silence filled the hall.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in their special way. "Tuck in everyone!"
With this announcement food appeared on the tables before the students. This seemed to break the stunned silence as everybody began to fill their plates with their favorite foods and talk of the new school year.
Harry had just begun to eat his roast beef when a hand came down gently on his shoulder. He turned to see who it was.
"Harry, I…we need to talk."
Harry swallowed the bite of roast beef. It found its way to his stomach like a lead brick. Cho Chang was looking him straight in the face.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elsewhere…
"So tell me Lucious, how did dear Draco take the news?"
Lucious Malfoy, kneeling at Voldemort's feet, raised his masked face to answer. "He is shaken up, my Lord, but otherwise acting normally."
The Dark Lord smiled, baring serpentine fangs. "Well, how else would you expect someone to act when they have just discovered they're related to the most powerful wizard ever?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A.N.: Ohh!! Not one but two cliffhangers! I'm oh so evil! Sorry I haven't posted recently, but I've been super busy with school. Also, sorry I'm not posting any names here, but I kinda misplaced the names of reviewers. Just so you know the reference from this chapter is from Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz also. He should be pretty easy to find ;) Read and Review.
