Tempers were running high in number twelve Grimmuald Place on September the
first. Mrs. Weasley running about telling them to get ready, and that they
had to leave soon because they were going yet again to King's Cross Station
with a guard.
People inside were running around half dressed, colliding on the stairs with bits of toast in their hands, and Fred and George hadn't helped by accidentally setting off a dozen fireworks on the second floor landing.
". . . don't know what they're up to at all, those two!" Harry heard Mrs. Weasley muttering frantically.
They finally got everything together, Fred and George managed to Vanish the fireworks, and they all headed out into the dull grey morning.
Two cars drove up to meet them. One was full of people who could only be Aurors; Harry could recognize two of them, Kingsley Shacklebolt, a tall black Auror with a deep, slow voice, and the other one, Williamson, with a long ponytail and his usual red robes. They must be the guards, thought Harry.
As Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys clambered into the magically enlarged car, Harry caught a glimpse of a driver who seemed familiar.
"Wotcher, Harry!"
It was Tonks; a new Auror who could change her appearance at will being born a Metamorphmagus, and right now her hair was long and black and fell down past her waist, from what Harry could tell.
Tonks ushered them into the car, which was only half full; its maximum seating capabilities must have reached at least twenty.
As they started off, Harry saw the other car pull back slightly so that the Aurors could see them, and both cars proceeded slowly
The journey to King's Cross was uneventful though, and they reached the station fifteen minutes before eleven.
At ten to eleven they arrived at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Mrs. Weasley divided them into several groups and they walked casually through the barrier smoothly, chatting unconcernedly.
As the platform materialized in front of Harry, he saw several people wave at him happily and felt something brush past him. It was Cho.
She looked at him a second, but he turned around pointedly and she moved on. Harry noticed that her eyes were full of tears, but the sight did not make him unhappy in the least. He felt rather elated. It's her problem anyways, not mine, he thought.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione got onto the train and sat down in a compartment near the back. After a few minutes Neville and Ginny joined them and Ron and Hermione, being prefects, left to patrol the train.
Harry wondered what Ron would do if Malfoy would come into Harry's compartment and fight with him. Maybe he would ignore it like Lupin had done in Snape's Pensieve. Hermione, though, would probably stop him from cursing Malfoy . . . if Malfoy would come in, Harry would make sure Hermione did nothing.
Sure enough, as the train got underway, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle entered the compartment. Malfoy gave a small laugh.
"Well, just Potter, and Longbottom," he drawled.
"You've forgotten me, Bogey-boy," said Ginny from the corner.
She pulled out her wand and Malfoy backed against the wall. Malfoy's hands dropped to his sides.
"I give in," he said quietly.
"Good!" said Ginny.
Suddenly Malfoy plunged his hand into his pocket, grabbed his wand and yelled, "Furnunculus!" A jet of light shot out and hit Ginny in the face. Harry got up quickly. He reached for his wand, which was on the seat next to him, but before he got it there was a loud bang and Malfoy was lying on the floor. He got up and took a terrified look at Harry and fled with Crabbe and Goyle at his heels.
Just then Hermione's face appeared in the glass.
"What did you just do to him?" she asked shrilly, "How-what-I mean-that was wandless magic! It's really rare! Why didn't you tell us before that you could do it?"
Harry tried looking stunned, though he really was thanking Derek in his heart.
"How did you do it, Harry?" Hermione asked again.
Harry stared at his hands.
"I-I don't know, Hermione," he said quickly, trying to sound innocent and curious.
* * *
People inside were running around half dressed, colliding on the stairs with bits of toast in their hands, and Fred and George hadn't helped by accidentally setting off a dozen fireworks on the second floor landing.
". . . don't know what they're up to at all, those two!" Harry heard Mrs. Weasley muttering frantically.
They finally got everything together, Fred and George managed to Vanish the fireworks, and they all headed out into the dull grey morning.
Two cars drove up to meet them. One was full of people who could only be Aurors; Harry could recognize two of them, Kingsley Shacklebolt, a tall black Auror with a deep, slow voice, and the other one, Williamson, with a long ponytail and his usual red robes. They must be the guards, thought Harry.
As Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys clambered into the magically enlarged car, Harry caught a glimpse of a driver who seemed familiar.
"Wotcher, Harry!"
It was Tonks; a new Auror who could change her appearance at will being born a Metamorphmagus, and right now her hair was long and black and fell down past her waist, from what Harry could tell.
Tonks ushered them into the car, which was only half full; its maximum seating capabilities must have reached at least twenty.
As they started off, Harry saw the other car pull back slightly so that the Aurors could see them, and both cars proceeded slowly
The journey to King's Cross was uneventful though, and they reached the station fifteen minutes before eleven.
At ten to eleven they arrived at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Mrs. Weasley divided them into several groups and they walked casually through the barrier smoothly, chatting unconcernedly.
As the platform materialized in front of Harry, he saw several people wave at him happily and felt something brush past him. It was Cho.
She looked at him a second, but he turned around pointedly and she moved on. Harry noticed that her eyes were full of tears, but the sight did not make him unhappy in the least. He felt rather elated. It's her problem anyways, not mine, he thought.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione got onto the train and sat down in a compartment near the back. After a few minutes Neville and Ginny joined them and Ron and Hermione, being prefects, left to patrol the train.
Harry wondered what Ron would do if Malfoy would come into Harry's compartment and fight with him. Maybe he would ignore it like Lupin had done in Snape's Pensieve. Hermione, though, would probably stop him from cursing Malfoy . . . if Malfoy would come in, Harry would make sure Hermione did nothing.
Sure enough, as the train got underway, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle entered the compartment. Malfoy gave a small laugh.
"Well, just Potter, and Longbottom," he drawled.
"You've forgotten me, Bogey-boy," said Ginny from the corner.
She pulled out her wand and Malfoy backed against the wall. Malfoy's hands dropped to his sides.
"I give in," he said quietly.
"Good!" said Ginny.
Suddenly Malfoy plunged his hand into his pocket, grabbed his wand and yelled, "Furnunculus!" A jet of light shot out and hit Ginny in the face. Harry got up quickly. He reached for his wand, which was on the seat next to him, but before he got it there was a loud bang and Malfoy was lying on the floor. He got up and took a terrified look at Harry and fled with Crabbe and Goyle at his heels.
Just then Hermione's face appeared in the glass.
"What did you just do to him?" she asked shrilly, "How-what-I mean-that was wandless magic! It's really rare! Why didn't you tell us before that you could do it?"
Harry tried looking stunned, though he really was thanking Derek in his heart.
"How did you do it, Harry?" Hermione asked again.
Harry stared at his hands.
"I-I don't know, Hermione," he said quickly, trying to sound innocent and curious.
* * *