**************
Later
Hogwarts Express
"This thing is heavy," Harry strained as he pushed his trunk onto the overhead compartment of the last train car of the Hogwarts Express. He finally sat on the plush, velvety seat and closed his eyes tiredly.
As usual, they had arrived to Platform 9 3/4 with only a minute to spare. After hugging his siblings and Hermione goodbye, Charlie had pulled Harry aside and said, "Harry, if you ever need my help, don't hesitate to ask."
Harry was utterly confused. "Why… why do you say that?" he asked Charlie. "Well, you know… trouble usually finds you when you are at Hogwarts. I'm not saying something is going to happen to you, but… well, I just want you to know I'll always be there for you," Charlie said, putting a hand in Harry's shoulder.
Harry smiled at Charlie. The older Weasley was the closest thing Harry had ever had to a big brother. "Thanks, Charlie. I will," Harry hugged the slightly taller Charlie and turned around, entering the Hogwarts Express and pulling his trunk all the way to the back and into the only empty compartment.
That was 10 minutes ago… and still his friends hadn't caught up with him.
He heard the door to the compartment open, and opened his eyes in time to watch Hermione dragging her own trunk inside. He quickly stood up and walked to her. "Let me help you with that," Harry said in his best gentleman voice.
"Thanks," Hermione whispered tiredly as she helped Harry moved her trunk inside. "Where's everybody else?" Harry panted. "Ron is looking for Luna, and Ginny is looking for Neville."
"Neville?" Harry asked surprised. "Yeah… they've… they've been writing to each other all summer. I thought you knew…" Hermione said breathlessly.
"Ginny fancies Neville? Who would have thought," Harry said as they continued dragging her trunk. "Jealous?" Hermione teased. "Why?" Harry laughed.
"I thought you fancied Ginny," Hermione said matter-of-factly. Her face was flushed; what she had packed in that trunk Harry had no idea. "Me? Never. I love her like a little sister," Harry said as he and Hermione moved her trunk to the overhead compartment
'You are finally alone with her. This is a good time as any.'
"Besides, I fancy another girl," Harry said with a small smile. "Really? And who might that be, Mr…" Hermione started asking, but she didn't have a chance to finish as the train jerked violently as it started leaving the station. Hermione, who had been helping Harry give the final push to her trunk, lost her footing, crashing against Harry's body.
Thankfully, Harry landed on the compartment's seat, and Hermione landed on his lap.
"Err… sorry," Hermione said apologetically, a little breathless. "Don't mention it," Harry said nonchalantly, a small smile on his face as he put his arms around Hermione's waist.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "I think I'm safe now, Harry. You can let go of me," she said. But her voice wasn't serious. In fact, Harry could swear she was flirting with him. So he decided to see where this was going, tightening the hold on her waist.
"I don't know. A train ride can be quite dangerous… this thing doesn't have any seatbelts you know," he grinned. "You want to know something Mr. Potter? I think my safety is the last thing on your mind right now," Hermione said as she shifted on his lap slightly, that same devious smile she had given him three days ago plastered on her lovely face.
Harry tried to ignore his growing awareness as he raised an eyebrow at Hermione. "And exactly what is on my mind right now, Ms. Granger?" he asked with humor. "I think that you are just looking to make your last Hogwarts Express train ride more exciting by having an impromptu snogging session," she whispered, her face slightly closer to his own than it had been moments ago.
As it had happened often in the last few days around Hermione, Harry's throat went completely dry. But he wasn't about to go into his bubbling teenager routine in front of Hermione.
"Shrewd move, Counselor. And… in the hypothetical scenario that you are right, am I going to get my way?" Harry whispered, taking one of his arms from Hermione's waist and gently touching her cheek with the tip of his fingers.
"Maybe. But maybe I'm not drunk enough," she teased.
'She remembers what happened. I think that's a brownie point for me, because she's definitely not mad about it.'
Harry smiled at her and moved closer, gently kneading her cheek with his thumb.
"I think we need to find out," Harry whispered. Her face was close enough so that tip of their noses touched. "I think so too," Hermione whispered. They were about to meet for a kiss when they heard familiar voices coming from just outside the compartment.
Hermione jumped from Harry's lap just as the compartment door was opened. Ron, with the beautiful Luna Lovegood holding his hand, was the first to look at Harry and Hermione, and immediately noticed their flushed faces. "What's going on here?" Ron asked as he dragged both of their cases inside.
Before Harry could say anything, Hermione promptly answered, "Nothing" and sat on the compartment seat opposite Harry. Harry's chest tightened, slightly hurt by Hermione's reaction. Ron and Luna sat next to Hermione, leaving Harry alone on the other side of the car.
But it wasn't for long, because soon Neville and Ginny appeared. Neville looked taller and fitter than last term, but his round face and expressive eyes still held that pure Neville quality. Neville hugged Hermione and shook Harry's hand, and he and Ginny sat next to him.
They spent most of their trip making small talk. Neville told them all about his summer working on an internship for famous herbologist, Marcus Bushleaguer (which was what he attributed his improved appearance to, since he worked mostly building greenhouses). Luna, on the other hand, had spent the summer working for her father in The Quibbler. It seemed that Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys summer had been more enjoyable, even with Voldemort still on the loose.
After a while, things started to go downhill for Hermione and Harry. While Ron and Luna were now telling each other how much they had missed one another, how much they love the other, and again, how much they had missed one another (it went on and on until Harry tuned them out), and Ginny and Neville's flirting with each other (thankfully, they weren't as bad as Ron and Luna), Hermione and Harry were left pretty much to themselves.
'Today is definitely not your day, mate,' Harry thought gloomily as Hermione picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet (which he knew she had already read over breakfast) and pretended to ignore everybody else on the car. Harry decided to try to ignore the situation and catch some sleep.
But two hours later, the train was slowing down, and sleep had failed to come to him.
When the train stopped, Harry help Hermione lower her trunk, but they didn't speak more than what was necessary. They followed Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna to one of the empty carriages and placed their luggage on the roof.
Harry looked back toward the lake and, sure enough, Hagrid was guiding the First Years toward the boats. He sighed. This was probably the last time he would get a chance to see this.
And it seemed like it was only yesterday when he made the trip across the lake and looked for the first time at the magnificent grounds of Hogwarts.
"I'll miss this sight," he heard a voice say next to him. He looked to see Hermione standing there, her eyes moist with unshed tears. Harry gave her a comforting hug; it was good to know he wasn't the only one feeling nostalgic.
"Let's go," he said as he kissed the top of her head. They walked together back to the carriage while Ron and Neville finished putting everything in order. Luna and Ginny were already inside. Harry looked toward the front of the carriage to find the magnificent creature that pulled it.
"Where is it?" Hermione asked, knowing exactly what he had been looking at. Thankfully, she was still unable to see a thestral, for only the people that had seen Death with their own eyes could see a thestral. "It's by the front. Want to touch him?" Harry offered. Hermione nodded shyly, and Harry guided her toward the animal in the front.
He took her hand gently in his and guided it, until he placed the palm of her hand over the thestral's back. The thestral looked back at Harry and Hermione, and Harry recognized it as Tenebrus, the leader of the Hogwart's thestrals. Maybe others would have considered the thestral a monster, with his bat-like black wings, his skeletal body, his red eyes and reptilian appearance. But to Harry, it was a truly magnificent creature, beautiful in his singularity.
Harry smiled when Tenebrus nodded his head, almost happily, at the feel of Hermione's touch. "What?" she asked, breathlessly. "He likes you," Harry said simply, proud of her. She smiled shyly at him, and he felt a new surge of warmth spreading to his cold limbs. "I can't feel him," Hermione said disappointedly. "Well, he feels you," Harry said, smiling as Tenebrus nodded his head approvingly.
"Harry, Hermione! We're ready!" Ron called from inside the compartment. Harry and Hermione looked back and sure enough, Neville and Ron had managed to fasten all the trunks and the cages to the top of the carriage.
"Shall we go?" Harry asked her. "Harry, I'm sorry about what happened in the train," Hermione said apologetically. "Don't worry about it. We'll talk about it later," Harry said, smiling gently at her.
Hermione smiled back and, with a last pat on Tenebrus hind leg, put her arm in the crook of Harry's arm and said, "Let's go." Harry let her guide him inside the carriage, but this time they sat together. She rested her head on his shoulder as they made their way up the mountains to Hogwarts, a comfortable silence between them.
**********
One hour later,
Hogwarts Castle
Harry and the others left their trunks and cages in the entrance hall with the rest of their students. Hermione complained about the poor house-elves dragging their things to their common rooms, but thankfully, nobody took the bait, and she quickly dropped the subject.
They entered the Great Hall and, after Ron said goodbye to Luna, they walked to their corresponding house tables. As it had become their custom, Hermione was sitting between Harry and Ron, with Neville and Ginny sitting in front of them.
Harry glanced at the Staff table. Dumbledore, with his crooked nose, wrinkled hands and slightly smudge glasses, was sitting in the Headmaster's chair, smiling down at the students coming in. He caught Harry's eyes and winked at him. Harry smiled back. For all the arguments he had with Dumbledore in the past, he knew he loved the old man dearly.
Next to him was the Head of Gryffindor House, Professor Minerva McGonagall, a thin, tall witch who hardly ever smile. Harry knew that under that cold façade lay a heart of gold. On McGonagalls's right side was Hagrid, the half-giant professor of Care of Magical Creatures and Hogwart's Ground's Keeper, who had been Harry's protector and friend since the day they met. Hagrid waved at the trio happily, and they waved back at him.
Next to Hagrid, there was an empty chair. Harry knew that the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher usually occupied this chair. He groaned. This meant that Professor Moody (the real Mad-Eye Moody) was not going to be returning this year, and that there will be a new DADA teacher. With their luck, the new teacher was going to be worst than Lockhart and Trelawney combined.
And next to the empty chair was sitting Harry's least favorite teacher. Ever. Professor Severus Snape, with his greasy shoulder-length hair, pointed nose and deadly pale complexion, hated Harry as much as Harry hated him. That was a good thing about this being Harry's last year at Hogwarts… there will be no more Snape afterwards.
"Hello, guys!" Dean Thomas greeted as he and Lavender sat next to Ginny. Harry shifted his attention back to the Gryffindor table. "Had a good summer?" Seamus asked as he sat down with Parvati next to Ron. Hermione and Ron both answered, telling them about the great summer they had together. Harry sighed inwardly; it seemed everybody had found his or her better half this summer except Harry.
But Harry knew summer had officially ended when he chance to look at the Great Hall doors and saw the familiar white-blond hair and pointed face that belonged to Draco Malfoy. He had half hoped that Malfoy would have not dared to show his face in public, with all that business about his father in Azkaban and his family losing their fortune.
Malfoy looked at the Gryffindor table and sneered. As if he had decided years ago to make it his start of term ritual, he stopped by the Gryffindor table on the way to his own. What was unusual is that he didn't say anything to Harry, but rather, focused his attention in Hermione.
"Granger, I think this is going to be the best year ever. What about you?" Malfoy drawled, Crabbe and Goyle snickering by his sides. Harry didn't like this; Malfoy knew something they didn't.
"Go to hell, Malfoy," Hermione said, her body calmed, but her voice betraying how furious Malfoy's presence made her. "Let's see if you still think that way when the term ends," he said lazily. Walking away, he looked over his shoulder and winked at Hermione before sitting next to Pansy on the Slytherin table.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked, furious. "I don't know," Hermione answered forcefully. "Well, Seamus, you asked how my summer was? It had been good till that little son of a bitch showed up," Harry said, only half-joking.
Seamus grabbed his glass of pumpkin juice and raised it in a toast. "To our last year with the Slytherins," he said. Everyone around them raised their glasses and repeated, "To our last year with the Slytherins." After clicking their glasses together, Harry turn to Hermione when he heard her chuckle.
"What?" he asked. "Seamus does have a point," Hermione winked at Harry. Further attempts at conversation were squashed when the hall suddenly became quiet. Harry looked at the front to the Staff table to see Prof. McGonagall had stood up from her chair and was now flicking her wand.
A wooden stool appeared in front of the staff table, with an old and tattered wizard hat propped on it. He had witnessed the Sorting Ceremony many times already, but it always managed to hold his attention. In the last three years, the Sorting Hat had not only sorted first years into their corresponding houses, but had also provided very bizarre and cryptic information.
"First years enter!" McGonagall said loudly. The doors of the Great Hall opened again as a row of young boys and girls walked slowly inside. Harry looked at their faces; some of them were scared, others were excited and others… others just didn't know what the hell was going on around them. Harry smiled; that was exactly what he had felt when he first stepped into the great hall years ago.
The doors closed behind the excited children. Harry looked back at the sorting hall just in time to see it spring to life. A mouth appeared on the tattered edge of the hat, and its booming voice broke into a song, startling most of the first years.
"I know this sounds odd, weird and bizarre,
to listen to guidance from an old singing hat!
But open your ears and listen in well,
for things here at Hogwarts are sure to get strange."
Harry unconsciously leaned forward, the tension in his shoulders raising somewhat.
"For the last three songs, my advice was ignored.
When I said all houses needed to resolve
their petty differences and fights galore
because only together will Hogwart's be strong."
"Gryffindor leads with courage in heart.
Ravenclaw follows with wisdom in mind.
Hufflepuff is always clever and bright.
And Slytherin's power serves as the bind."
"When you finally find you desire at once
to come all together and fight just as one
will Hogwarts be saved from the darkest of hearts
and only then will you bring the Dark Lord's demise."
"And as this song ends,
a last warning I heed.
Not to be fool by appearances
for they can deceive."
"The world around you is
neither black nor white.
And you may find yourself
blind by the dark."
"And in those sinister times I ask that you hear
what your heart of hearts tells you to heed.
For sometimes the heart holds the answer that's true
When the mist in your mind hides you the truth."
When the Sorting Hat ended the song, the Great Hall was so silent a pin could have fallen on the floor and everyone would have heard it. Some applauded meekly, but the applause died almost as soon as it started. Even Prof. McGonagall seemed a little flustered, nervously clearing her throat before a parchment appeared in her hand.
"Yes, very well. Thank you. Now let the sorting ceremony begin," she announced as she opened the scroll in her hand and announced the first name.
Ron quickly turned around and whispered to his friends, "That was a little bit more odd than usual, don't you think?" Everyone agreed. Ginny spoke next, "This whole 'listen to your heart' deal… I thought it was the other way around. I mean, isn't the heart supposed to be a traitorous thing?"
Harry looked over his shoulder at Malfoy, who was politely applauding the fact that the last student had been sorted into Slytherin. "Working with the Slytherins… like that's ever going to happen," Harry said bitterly.
Hermione grabbed his hand under the table and gave him a tentative squeeze. "What?" Harry whispered to her, taking in her how her chocolate eyes seemed hesitant. "Maybe is not a bad idea."
"Working with the Slytherins? Are you out of your bloody mind?" Ron had heard their conversation and interrupted. Hermione turned to him and said, "What if it is the only way, Ron?"
Dumbledore, who had stood up from his seat and was now inspecting his students with those mystical blue eyes, interrupted what was sure to become another confrontation between Ron and Hermione. The sorting ceremony had already ended.
"My dear students," Dumbledore said. He stretched his arms to his sides, "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts." The students clapped this time, still excited by the students who had joined their houses.
Dumbledore smiled down at them, dropping his arms to his side and saying, "First, I have an announcement to make. This year's Head Boy and Head Girl are the lovely Hermione Granger…" The Gryffindor table erupted in applause as Hermione's cheeks reddened significantly.
Harry proudly hugged her. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her, the cheering roaring around them. "I guess I forgot," Hermione said quickly, flashing a very embarrassed smile at Harry as he let go of her. Harry was aware that Dumbledore had said something else, but he was too busy controlling the impulse of kissing Hermione right there and then to pay attention.
The laughter around them suddenly ceased, and the Slytherins were now the one's cheering. "What happened?" Harry asked Ron, who looked like he was going to puke. "Didn't you hear?" Ron said incredulously to Harry.
"Hear what?" Harry snapped. "Who the Head Boy is!" Neville answered, his face as green as Ron's. "No, I didn't…" Harry started but there was no use finishing that sentence as he watched Draco Malfoy standing up and taking a bow.
"MALFOY!?" he said under his breath. Hermione once again squeezed his hand and said, "Which is exactly why I didn't tell you." Harry looked over his shoulder at Malfoy, who was now smirking as he looked at Harry.
Harry became painfully aware of the fact that the Head Girl and the Head Boy shared a common room.
"You are not staying with him!" Harry and Ron said simultaneously, both very territorial when it came to Hermione. Hermione looked at them with a raised eyebrow.
"For Merlin's sake! I'm not a maiden in distress. I can very well hold my own against Malfoy," she said matter-of-factly. "And we all know she has one mean right hook," Ginny said, winking at Hermione. Harry decided to drop the subject until they were by themselves.
Dumbledore next announcement was not as shocking, but was equally interesting. "This year I am also privileged to announce that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," he said, motioning to the empty chair, "was an old student of mine, and one of the best Hogwarts has seen in its illustrious history."
"However, Professor Ea seems to be running late. So I leave you with these last words before the feast begins," Dumbledore said, his voice suddenly serious. Almost all the students leaned forward and waited for him to continue.
"Oompa! Loompa!" Dumbledore smiled. Waving his arm, the food magically appeared in front of them. "Finally! I'm starving!" Ron said as he greedily grabbed a big helping of roasted ham. "Ron? Hungry? Never!" Ginny made fun of him. Harry laugh in spite of himself. He hasn't about to let Malfoy's announcement ruin what could be his best first day yet.
Harry was still chewing his second helping of a delicious custard pie when the doors to the Great Hall opened. Everyone looked at the entrance curiously; it was very unusual for the feast to be interrupted.
Everyone fell silent until only a pair of footsteps could be heard tapping against the marble floor outside. A second later, a hooded figure dressed in a heavy green winter long cloak with flecks of mud still clinging to his boots appeared.
Dumbledore smiled at the newcomer.
"Aw, Professor Ea. So glad you were able to join us."
*********
A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter. I specially enjoyed writing the song (it is even set to a the rhythm of a nice guitar polka LOL) Please R/R and tell me what you think.
And thanks to my wonderful reviewers for inspiring to write faster:
-Chris-warren876: Thanks for the support, Chris! Hope you like the love interest!
-Lisa Oceans Potter: Hey Lisa! Glad to have you here too. That's right. DRINKING -- BAD. Well, not drinking, but getting trashed… Ha, I was listening to Keli's Milkshake when I was writing that part, and I knew that I had to include it. Well, glad you had fun with this chapter… because I'm afraid the story might get quite dark. I am also grateful you didn't go thru with it… good to have you here! And oh, I read the story in Portuguese and I love it too… sounds even more romantic! Good job!
-AngelicHuntress: Hehe, thanks for the kind words. Hope you enjoyed the new one.
Oompa, Loompa,
Anasazi
