DISCLAIMER: I own nothing – it all belongs to JK Rowling.
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Harry and his friends spent the few remaining hours of that day shopping for school requirements in Diagon Alley. They had all received their book lists from Hogwarts, and to Ron's horror they were as long as his arm. He and Harry had decided to take the same subjects (Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms and Herbology). Their only differing subjects were Potions ("For my sins", moaned Harry), as Ron had not achieved an O for his OWL and Professor Snape would not take any student who had achieved less. Instead, Ron was taking Care of Magical Creatures.
"At least I'll be able to keep Hagrid company," he said happily.
Hermione, of course, was outdoing everyone by taking eight NEWT subjects. On top of what Ron and Harry were taking, she had included Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. "Can't wait – if Arithmancy was great for O.W.L level, it can only get better for NEWTs!" she caroled happily. Ron looked at her as though she had just emerged from a madhouse. "There's something wrong with that girl," he confided in Harry. "Absolute maniac. I thought she'd learned her lesson in third year? D'you think she'll be using a time-turner again? Because if she does, I'm not planning to go near her until June next year."
On top of everything, there were new robes to get. Ron had totally outgrown all of his hand-me-downs, being the tallest Weasley in the clan, and needed new ones. As her "well done for becoming a prefect" gift from her parents, Ginny had requested new dress robes.
"Oh no," groaned Harry, "please don't tell me there's another ball this year?"
Ginny grinned at him. "Well, you never know – they sprung the last one on us without much warning, didn't they?" she said. "Maybe you and Ron will actually get dates you LIKE this time." She shot a meaningful glance at Ron and Hermione, grinning at Harry slyly.
Diagon Alley was absolutely swarming with Hogwarts students, so they bumped into most of their friends. They were particularly delighted when they saw an aged witch in a tall hat topped by a stuffed vulture emerging from Ollivanders, followed by a short, chubby boy with a nervous expression.
"Neville!" Harry and Ron yelled in delight, sprinting over to shake his hand enthusiastically.
"Hello!" said Neville nervously. "Er … you remember my gran, don't you?"
"Of course," said Harry, turning to shake her hand. "How are you, Mrs Longbottom?"
"Very well, thank you, Mr Potter," she said imperiously. "Just getting Neville a new wand, after he so carelessly destroyed his last one. Neville, I will leave you to mingle with your friends for a few moments while I speak with Griselda Marchbanks." She swept off across the street.
"Did you get into awful trouble about your dad's wand?" whispered Ron, intimidated. Neville's wand had been broken in the fray with Voldemort's squad of Death Eaters the previous term.
Neville's face suddenly broke into a smile, his eyes twinkling. "Actually, she's so proud of me I thought she was going to burst," he said shyly. "She kept going on about how I had proved I was a true Longbottom, and that she never had any doubts about me at all. That's why she whisked me off to France for the holidays as a treat – sorry I didn't write, but the owls there only speak French and had no idea what I was saying to them. Did you both have a good holiday?"
Shrieks from behind interrupted their reply as Hermione and Ginny spotted Neville and swooped on him to hug and kiss him hello. Neville blushed furiously – he'd never had such treatment from girls in his life.
"Have you heard from Luna?" said Ginny eagerly, speaking of the sixth member of their "Death Eater fighting" gang.
Neville nodded. "Yes, I got an owl yesterday," he said. "She's been with her family in Sweden – looking for some magical beast that I can't even pronounce. She says she'll meet us on the train tomorrow."
"By the way, Neville – how did you do in your OWLs?" asked Hermione.
They all frantically traded results before Mrs Longbottom returned and swept Neville away.
"I always knew Neville would get a good result in Herbology, but a perfect score?" said Hermione enviously.
"Yes, but he did get a D in Potions – not surprising, really, considering how much he and Snape hate each other," Harry pointed out.
Tired out from the day's shopping, they ate dinner early and retired to bed shortly afterwards after packing their trunks.
The next morning after breakfast, Mrs Weasley informed them that Ministry cars would once more be coming to collect them. Harry looked disgruntled.
"It's not just for you this time, Harry dear," she snapped, seeing his expression. "The Ministry believes the whole lot of you could be in danger this time, considering the shenanigans you got yourself into last year."
"You mean, we're on Voldemort's 'most wanted' list now?" said Ron skeptically.
"Well, he most certainly knows who you all are," said Bill quietly. "Whether you realise it or not, you've been closely watched by Aurors since the end of last term."
While this wasn't news to Harry, the others looked shocked. "Even me?" squealed Hermione. "While I was in Spain with my family?"
Bill nodded. "We also kept an eye on Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood," he said. "Better safe than sorry. We're sending Ministry cars for them today too."
Stunned by this piece of information, they went out to the cars in silence. Harry and Ginny rode in one car with Tonks and Lupin, while Ron and Hermione went with Mrs Weasley, Bill and Mad-Eye Moody.
"You're taking this well," said Ginny.
Harry shrugged. "I'm kind of used to it by now, you know?" he said indifferently.
"Well, I'm not," Ginny said, nettled. "I had a quick word with Bill and he said they had people placed all over Ottery St Catchpole, and hanging around the house. Mum knew, of course, but she never said a word!"
The Ministry cars slid effortlessly through the traffic, jumping to the head of queues and mounting the pavement when no gaps were available. Lampposts, telephone poles and letterboxes jumped obligingly out of the way, only to reappear exactly where they had been before once the cars had passed.
Arriving at the station with plenty of time to spare, they took their time about loading up luggage and heading for Platform 9¾. Once through the magical gateway that separated platforms 9 and 10 (Harry was enough of pro now to do it casually, instead of using the full-tilt run at it that he used in his early days), they found the platform on the other side full to bursting.
"We're up in the Prefect's compartment," said Ginny, returning from the top end of the train. "And utterly bloody Malfoy's already taken up residence. You'd think he'd be a bit more modest, considering his dad's a convicted Death Eater, but oh, no, not him. Shouting his mouth off already about how he's going to get you this year, Harry."
"I'd like to see him try," said a familiar voice behind them. Harry swung around to find Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott standing there with grins all over their faces. "Hasn't the stupid git forgotten what we did to him and those gargoyle friends of his on the train at the end of last term?"
Shaking hands all round, Harry was startled when Ernie whispered: "Are we carrying on with the DA again this term, Harry? I swear, I've been looking forward to it all holidays…"
"Haven't really thought about it, Ernie," said Harry frankly. "Though I think a bit more practical defence is a good idea, in the light of what's going on at the moment."
"I reckon we won't have to do it secretly either," said Ginny, who had been eavesdropping. "Surely Dumbledore will give us permission – maybe even a helping hand?"
"Yeah – maybe he will," said Harry slowly. "I'll ask him."
"And Harry – we'd really like to hear about what happened to you lot at the end of last term," whispered Justin. "We've only heard rumours, but apparently you guys fought brilliantly against a hardened bunch of Death Eaters."
Harry's face tightened a little, and then he forced himself to relax. After all, none of them knew about Sirius, and they had no idea how much Sirius had meant to him. He nodded slightly.
"I suppose the DA members have a right to know – if it hadn't been for the DA and the practice we put in, I reckon none of us would be here now," he said. "I'll have a chat with the others and let you know."
Mrs Weasley was in tears, sobbing into Ron's shoulder. Never good with emotional outbursts, he was patting her back uncomfortably. "Come on, Mum," he muttered. "You've never cried when we've gone off to school before."
"Yes, but there's never been so much at stake before," she wept. "I just want you back safe and sound, do you hear, Ronald? Ginny? Please … no heroics this year!"
Remembering Mrs Weasley's Boggart from the previous year, where it had transformed itself into various dead members of the Weasley family, Harry went up to her and gave her a firm hug.
"Thanks for everything, Mrs Weasley – you're the closest thing to a mum I've ever had," he whispered into her ear. "I promise I'll do my best to keep myself and everyone else out of trouble."
She hugged him back hard. "I know you don't go looking for it, Harry," she said. "And please, I think it's time we dropped the formality and you called me Aunt Molly."
His throat constricted, Harry didn't know what to say. Giving her a final hug, he stepped away from her and onto the train.
With a final whistle, and a huge puffing of steam from the engine, the train started to pull away from the platform. Finally, Harry was on his way home to Hogwarts.