A/N - This is my first attempt at Harry Potter fanfiction. The first post
isn't very long, but I'd love people to tell me what they think. Picks up
as Harry is returning to Hogwarts for his sixth year.
Samantha.
Part 1.
"Be careful this year." Aunt Petunia warned. "Try not to get killed."
Harry managed a weak smile, since his return to 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, his Aunt Petunia had been nothing but nice, careful with him, almost as though she was worried about him. Every night she insisted that Uncle Vernon check every window and door in the house before he went to bed.
Every few days a member of the Order of the Phoenix visited. More often than not it was Lupin or Tonks, but occasionally Professor McGonagall, Mad- Eye Moody, or even Hagrid dropped by for lunch or tea, or even dinner once, when Aunt Petunia was in a particularly good mood.
"Where do you catch your train?" Dudley demanded, looking around at the surrounding platforms.
"Just here." Harry told them, gesturing towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten. "You have to walk through the barrier to reach platform nine and three-quarters." He explained seeing the confused looks on their faces.
"If you like, you can come through and see Harry off." Tonks said to the Dursleys.
"Er..." Uncle Vernon began.
"We should be getting along." Aunt Petunia told him, "Dudley needs to be on his train in a few minutes."
Harry nodded. "See you then."
"Behave yourself at school boy." Uncle Vernon barked, but his voice held little of the bite it once had.
"All right then Harry?" Lupin asked.
"I'll take him through," Mad-Eye growled. "Kingsley come through with us."
"We'll bring the trunk." Lupin told Harry as he went to take the trolley. Harry nodded falling into step between Mad-Eye and Kingsley, passing through the barrier.
As he blinked, registering the new surroundings, Harry realized that Tonks and Lupin were behind him, and that people were calling to him.
"Hello Harry dear." Mrs. Weasley said, putting her arm around his shoulders. "Did you have a safe trip?" She asked, turning to Lupin and Moody.
"It was quiet." Lupin confirmed.
"Good, how are you Harry?" She asked.
"I'm okay." He answered, trying to sound like he meant it.
"Have fun at school, Harry." Tonks said, reaching over to give him a hug.
"Don't dwell on the past." Lupin told him, hugging him as well. "Sirius wouldn't have wanted that."
Harry nodded, blinking away tears at the mention of his godfather's name.
"Go and get on the train, Harry dear. It'll be leaving a few minutes." Mrs. Weasley told him.
"Remember, any trouble, send up purple sparks, we'll be watching the train." Moody growled, touching his shoulder as he turned to follow the other students onto the train. He barely noticed Ginny and Hermione walking alongside him until they boarded the train.
Hermione and Ron disappeared to the prefects compartment, both promising to meet the others later in Harry's compartment.
Without speaking Harry walked to his compartment, which Moody and a team of skilled witches and wizards had charmed to only allow Harry and his friends through the door, exposing any glamours or usage of the Polyjuice potion. As he and Ginny heaved Crookshanks, Pig and Hedwig inside the door sealed behind them, becoming an impenetrable sheet of glass, so that those inside could see who was outside.
Before Hermione and Ron appeared, Neville and Luna knocked on the door and Harry let them in. Undisturbed they passed the trip mostly in silence save for games of Exploding Snap, Wizard's Chess and Gobstones.
Harry spent most of his time polishing his Firebolt, before finally putting it away in the case Sirius had bought for him for his sixteenth birthday, in spite of the fact that Sirius had not been able to give it to him.
Lupin had passed it on to him, after finding the package, already wrapped and addressed to Harry among Sirius's possessions.
As the sky outside grew dark, Harry felt himself become nervous. If Voldemort still wanted him dead, now would probably be the most dangerous time. Dark, away from his bodyguards, and most importantly, away from Dumbledore. Right now he was almost unprotected.
Hermoine noticed the tension in his muscles. "It's all right, Harry. We're all safe here."
"I should know that. Anything goes wrong and eight bodyguards are just an apparition away. I've just been so on edge, you know?"
Neville nodded. "Gran's been watching me like a hawk."
"It'll be okay." Ginny told them. "Remember, we have each other, if we stick together we'll be all be fine, we'll get through this."
Harry reached out to squeezed her hand. "You're right. We're safe, we're here. I guess we can't really ask for much more." They all stared around the room before continuing on with what they had been doing.
Finally the train pulled into Hogwarts Station. As they walked out onto the platform Hagrid was waiting for them, right beside the door of their carriage. "Hullo Harry, everyone." He smiled at them.
"Hello Hagrid." Harry replied, the others following suit.
"You lot'll have ter wait fer the carriages." Hagrid told them. "Harry, I'm s'posed to take yer straight up ter see Dumbledore. I'll be back in a minute fer the firs' years." He told Ron and Hermione. "Keep 'em in line a bit would yer?" Both nodded. "See you Hagrid. Be careful Harry."
"Come along then Harry." Hagrid held out a teacup and Harry reached out to touch it, feeling a sudden jerk in his navel.
His surrounding went from blurry to clear, showing the statue of a gargoyle. They were just outside Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Come on Harry." Hagrid told him, planting one of his oversize hands on Harry's shoulder, guiding him over to the gargoyle. In a clear voice he spoke. "Sugar quill."
The gargoyle opened, revealing the stair case up to Dumbledore's office. In the entrance room, before the office, Hagrid paused to knock.
"Enter." Called Dumbledore's familiar voice.
Hagrid pulled the heavy oak door open. "Professor, I've brought Harry ter yeh."
"Thank you Hagrid." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "You'd better attend to the first years."
"Yes professor." Hagrid replace his hat on his head and left the room.
Part 1.
"Be careful this year." Aunt Petunia warned. "Try not to get killed."
Harry managed a weak smile, since his return to 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, his Aunt Petunia had been nothing but nice, careful with him, almost as though she was worried about him. Every night she insisted that Uncle Vernon check every window and door in the house before he went to bed.
Every few days a member of the Order of the Phoenix visited. More often than not it was Lupin or Tonks, but occasionally Professor McGonagall, Mad- Eye Moody, or even Hagrid dropped by for lunch or tea, or even dinner once, when Aunt Petunia was in a particularly good mood.
"Where do you catch your train?" Dudley demanded, looking around at the surrounding platforms.
"Just here." Harry told them, gesturing towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten. "You have to walk through the barrier to reach platform nine and three-quarters." He explained seeing the confused looks on their faces.
"If you like, you can come through and see Harry off." Tonks said to the Dursleys.
"Er..." Uncle Vernon began.
"We should be getting along." Aunt Petunia told him, "Dudley needs to be on his train in a few minutes."
Harry nodded. "See you then."
"Behave yourself at school boy." Uncle Vernon barked, but his voice held little of the bite it once had.
"All right then Harry?" Lupin asked.
"I'll take him through," Mad-Eye growled. "Kingsley come through with us."
"We'll bring the trunk." Lupin told Harry as he went to take the trolley. Harry nodded falling into step between Mad-Eye and Kingsley, passing through the barrier.
As he blinked, registering the new surroundings, Harry realized that Tonks and Lupin were behind him, and that people were calling to him.
"Hello Harry dear." Mrs. Weasley said, putting her arm around his shoulders. "Did you have a safe trip?" She asked, turning to Lupin and Moody.
"It was quiet." Lupin confirmed.
"Good, how are you Harry?" She asked.
"I'm okay." He answered, trying to sound like he meant it.
"Have fun at school, Harry." Tonks said, reaching over to give him a hug.
"Don't dwell on the past." Lupin told him, hugging him as well. "Sirius wouldn't have wanted that."
Harry nodded, blinking away tears at the mention of his godfather's name.
"Go and get on the train, Harry dear. It'll be leaving a few minutes." Mrs. Weasley told him.
"Remember, any trouble, send up purple sparks, we'll be watching the train." Moody growled, touching his shoulder as he turned to follow the other students onto the train. He barely noticed Ginny and Hermione walking alongside him until they boarded the train.
Hermione and Ron disappeared to the prefects compartment, both promising to meet the others later in Harry's compartment.
Without speaking Harry walked to his compartment, which Moody and a team of skilled witches and wizards had charmed to only allow Harry and his friends through the door, exposing any glamours or usage of the Polyjuice potion. As he and Ginny heaved Crookshanks, Pig and Hedwig inside the door sealed behind them, becoming an impenetrable sheet of glass, so that those inside could see who was outside.
Before Hermione and Ron appeared, Neville and Luna knocked on the door and Harry let them in. Undisturbed they passed the trip mostly in silence save for games of Exploding Snap, Wizard's Chess and Gobstones.
Harry spent most of his time polishing his Firebolt, before finally putting it away in the case Sirius had bought for him for his sixteenth birthday, in spite of the fact that Sirius had not been able to give it to him.
Lupin had passed it on to him, after finding the package, already wrapped and addressed to Harry among Sirius's possessions.
As the sky outside grew dark, Harry felt himself become nervous. If Voldemort still wanted him dead, now would probably be the most dangerous time. Dark, away from his bodyguards, and most importantly, away from Dumbledore. Right now he was almost unprotected.
Hermoine noticed the tension in his muscles. "It's all right, Harry. We're all safe here."
"I should know that. Anything goes wrong and eight bodyguards are just an apparition away. I've just been so on edge, you know?"
Neville nodded. "Gran's been watching me like a hawk."
"It'll be okay." Ginny told them. "Remember, we have each other, if we stick together we'll be all be fine, we'll get through this."
Harry reached out to squeezed her hand. "You're right. We're safe, we're here. I guess we can't really ask for much more." They all stared around the room before continuing on with what they had been doing.
Finally the train pulled into Hogwarts Station. As they walked out onto the platform Hagrid was waiting for them, right beside the door of their carriage. "Hullo Harry, everyone." He smiled at them.
"Hello Hagrid." Harry replied, the others following suit.
"You lot'll have ter wait fer the carriages." Hagrid told them. "Harry, I'm s'posed to take yer straight up ter see Dumbledore. I'll be back in a minute fer the firs' years." He told Ron and Hermione. "Keep 'em in line a bit would yer?" Both nodded. "See you Hagrid. Be careful Harry."
"Come along then Harry." Hagrid held out a teacup and Harry reached out to touch it, feeling a sudden jerk in his navel.
His surrounding went from blurry to clear, showing the statue of a gargoyle. They were just outside Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Come on Harry." Hagrid told him, planting one of his oversize hands on Harry's shoulder, guiding him over to the gargoyle. In a clear voice he spoke. "Sugar quill."
The gargoyle opened, revealing the stair case up to Dumbledore's office. In the entrance room, before the office, Hagrid paused to knock.
"Enter." Called Dumbledore's familiar voice.
Hagrid pulled the heavy oak door open. "Professor, I've brought Harry ter yeh."
"Thank you Hagrid." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "You'd better attend to the first years."
"Yes professor." Hagrid replace his hat on his head and left the room.