Chapter Four A Surprise Visit

"Well, are you guys ready to get off the train?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

It had been nearly 3 hours. Ron was talking about his latest wizard card, Tilly Toke, with Ginny, Hermione and himself. Luna and Hannah were doing a quiz and flipping through The Quibbler.

"We will go straight to the entrance hall, where I will give you your - ah - schedules, would you call them? However, it will be hard to manage. Today you will have Transfiguration all evening. I believe Professor Lupin will be arriving as well as Professor Sinistra, so you may have Defense Against the Dark Arts and Astronomy."

"Are we safe from Lupin at well - midnight?"

"Yes, Miss Lovegood. However, Professor Grawp-"

"WHAT?!" was Harry, Ron, and Hermione's first reactions.

"Who's er- Professor Grawp?" Hannah, Luna, and Ginny looked confused.

"Dumbledore, you don't mean the giant Grawp?" asked Hermione.

But before Professor Dumbledore could respond to Hermione, Grawp came stomping out of the castle.

"Dumbdoor! Want Hagger!" the giant wailed.

"THAT THING IS A PROFESSOR?" shrieked Ginny.

"Insult Grawp! Want Hagger!"

"I'm sorry, Grawp. Hagrid will be here in two days."

"Dumbdoor..." Grawp looked slightly saddened.

"I know, I know, you miss Hagrid."

"Haaaaagggeeeerrrr!" the giant cried.

"Erm, Professor, what exactly does... he... teach?"

"Potions."

"Heh, not much of a difference between him and Snape," Ron told Luna and Harry quietly. All three of them giggled. Hermione gave them a kind of shut-up-and-listen look.

"This giant can't even say your name! What does he know about potions?"

"Oh, you will see..." Dumbledore winked at them all.

Professor McGonagall appeared from behind them. "Come on, to the Great Hall," she nudged at Ron and Hermione, who Harry could tell were holding hands.

They walked right into the entrance hall, but skipped past it into the great hall. There, they saw none other than Peeves. "They're the Ginny pig, and smartso girl! Potty Wee Potter and little Weasel! Oh look, smarso's in love with the little stupid-

"SHUT UP, YOU GIT!" Ron roared. Hermione, also furious, raised her wand and yelled "Skurge!" which forced Peeves to go away. Loud as they both were, McGonagall nor Dumbledore seemed to pay attention.

The Great Hall looked completely different. Instead of walking in and seeing four long tables and one staff table, you saw just a little staff table and one for the house elves. ("Dumbledore! Want to join S.P.E.W?") "Alrighty! So then, I'll sit in the center. Minerva, you sit next to me then? Alright. You six shall sit to the right of me, the teachers shall be on my left. Harry sat next to Dumbledore and Hermione.

"Y'know, I kinda like this," muttered Ron. Then, quiter, he muttered "No Slytherins!"

"Where's Grawp?" asked Hannah.

"In the forest, I s'pose.

"Hey, wait a sec!" yelled Hermione. "Ginny and Luna can't take the same classes as us, can we?"

Ginny and Luna glared at Hermione, Dumbeldore and McGonagall didn't seem to pay attention.

"Now, I suppose you need an explanation," muttered Dumbledore. "The Ministry is - thank you, Minerva - asking that you be kept here while Voldemort - it's okay, Hannah - seeks your families. Well, that's what the Ministry thinks. Your families are safe, do not fret, we are keeping them at the-" He looked at the four Gryffindors "-Grimmauld Place for the time being."

"What's that?" asked Luna.

"Nothing imporant, don't worry. I assure you they are perfectly safe."

Suddenly, the doors flew open. Standing before them was none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. Everyone except Dumbledore and Hannah gasped. "Dumbledore! I don't care how strong you are. I'm going to kill you, here and now! You're the reason my master is not at power-"

"AH! YOU'RE NOT KILLING DUMBLEDORE!" Harry got up from his seat and walked to the front of the table. "I don't care what you try and do. You are a horrible person. YOU KILLED SIRIUS! I'll - I'll get you for that! REDUCTO!" Bellatrix glanced around and yawned, "Protego. Now, boy, it's time I get rid of you. I don't know how you got by me last year, but today, NOW, you're going to PAY! Avada Kedavra!" But nothing happened.

"Harry! Harry, are you alright? You were muttering something."

Harry woke up only to find out that they were still on the Hogwarts Express, just the eight of them.

"What... happened?" Harry felt sick to his stomach.

"Harry..." Hermione began to say, swallowed, and continued, "You fell asleep. You were muttering something like Reducto... I'll kill her... Is something wrong?"

"Y-yeah..."

He wanted to tell Hermione and Ron something, but he couldn't let the others know. So, he waited while they were all occupied before he whispered in their ears, "I had a dream that Bellatrix Lestrange came in the Great Hall, ready to kill Dumbledore."

"Harry, we haven't even-"

"I know, I know. It was just a dream..."

"Harry, you're still not upset about, well, you-know-what?"

A tear emerged from Harry's eye. He looked out the window and muttered, "Sirius..." This also had an effect on Hermione, her eyes were beginning to water but she did not make a tear. In fact, it was like her tear froze inside her eye... then Harry heard voices inside his head...

"LILY! LILY! TAKE HARRY AND GO! RUN!"

"NO! NOT HARRY! Anything but Harry... please..."

"Oh no, it can't be!" yelled Ron.

Soon, everything felt cold.