Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is in full ownership of Harry Potter and all things related.

A/N: Welcome back to the story. If your reading this it means you like how I'm writing it. If you do enjoy it I would be honored if you told me so. For those of you who already review, please try to keep your reviews progressive. If you have questions – ask them, if you have comments or suggestions – make them.

Phoenix – "Hey Kev. You got a phone call." (Holds up cell phone)

Kev – "Right" (Takes Phone) "Hello" (Pause) "You what?" (Pause) "What do you mean you're on vacation?" (Pause) "You could have at least given me some advance notice!" (Pause) "Fine! But don't expect me to pay you for the time you miss."

Kev – (Hangs up phone and throws it off into the distance where it explodes in midair)

Phoenix – "Who was that?"

Kev – "Vincent went on vacation to the Himalayas, visiting his family."

Phoenix – "How long will he be away?"

Kev – "Two weeks."

Phoenix – "Wow." (Smiles happily) "We are going to have so much fun without that party pooper."

Kev – (Face goes extremely red)
Phoenix – (Oblivious) (Laughs happily)

SmacksKiller – I didn't think anyone liked those. I just put them there for my sanity. Do you like the story at all?

B – I'm glad you like my story. Don't you worry; Cho will be making her appearance very soon.

Chapter Three: Railway Song

The forest around him was beautiful. This was his home. He could feel the soft earth beneath his feet and the air was laden with the smell of the trees after the spring shower. He walked lazily down the paths winding in and out of several forest clearings. Several beautiful, yet odd creatures could be seen scurrying about looking for food.

Harry had no idea where he was at but he felt as though he was home. He continued to walk the paths, letting his feet take him where they pleased. He entered yet another clearing to find a small cottage surrounded by more greenery. To the south of the small building was an herb garden. To the north, a small hedge maze.

The cottage itself was marvelously well built. Harry could remember building it with his own two hands over thirty years ago. The walls were plank wood kept fresh by the enchantments put upon it. The roof was made of straw that never rotted. The windows were of the finest clear worked glass.

Harry took the knob of the door in his hand and pushed it open.

The scene changed

Harry now stood at the edge of a field. In the center of the large field was a large body of water, a lake. The grass was the color of ripe wheat and the water was sparkling blue. Down at the edge of the water he could see a lone figure. A young woman sat on the lakeshore. The sound of faint sobbing floated to his ears from her direction.

Harry didn't want anyone to cry. He was the only person that deserved to be sad, as stupid as he was. Harry started to run. He wanted to go to the young woman and comfort her, tell her that she needn't be sad. However far he ran it seemed that the lake got farther and farther away, and the woman with it. She was still crying as Harry felt himself being pulled away from the ground.

Everything was going black

Harry awoke slowly. Keeping his eyes closed he tried to remember where he was at. He could hear the clack of metal and the rush of the wind. He was on a train, the Hogwarts Express. He could remember sitting with Ginny, Neville, and Luna while waiting for Ron and Hermione to return from their prefect meeting. He remembered them entering the compartment. Hermione was giving Ron a lecture about doing his job and not taking advantage of his power.

He opened one eye to find quite a sight. He struggled to keep back a yelp of surprise. The two aforementioned prefects were currently in a lip lock. Harry opened both eyes and then blinked twice, trying to decide if he were still dreaming or not. He confirmed that he was indeed awake by pinching himself. He watched in utter disbelief for almost five minutes before noticing that Neville was still asleep and both Ginny and Luna were gone.

Finally he spoke up, "Do you two want some privacy?" The lovebirds broke apart instantly and began to blush furiously. "No," Harry said, "I don't mind. I was just about to go for a walk anyway." Without waiting for a reply he stood and left the compartment. So it had finally happened. He had wondered when those two would get together.

Harry tried to suppress a wave of envy that welled up within him. After a few moments he finally squashed it. First and foremost he was happy for his friends. Everyone had known that they liked each other since the third year and it seemed that Seamus Finnegan had one the running bet on "how long". Second, he had no right to be jealous of those two. He couldn't accept any kind of relationship until he took out Voldemort and atoned for all of the people he had gotten killed. He did not deserve to be happy until he destroyed the monster that had killed all of those people. He had to repent for his stupidity.

He briefly nodded as he saw Parvati and Lavender wave at him. He stopped at another compartment and stuck his head in. Seamus was sitting with Dean Thomas and a Hufflepuff boy Harry didn't know. "Hey Harry," they all waved.

"Hey Seamus, Dean. I just wanted to let you know that you won that bet Seamus."

"So it finally happened did it?"

"Yup. You'd better collect. Tell them you have it on the highest authority."

"Thanks mate."

Harry pulled his head back out into the hallway. He continued walking down the hallway from car to car. In about the middle of the train Harry found the one person he had hoped he could avoid this year. Draco Malfoy was busy asserting his authority over a third year Ravenclaw student. The rather small girl looked as if she was about to cry as the Slytherin jerk told her off for 'obstructing the path of important people'.

"I don't see any important people here Malfoy."

"Mind your own business Potter," the blond boy snarled.

"It is my business if you're harassing the younger students." He turned to the smaller girl. "Go back into your compartment and don't worry about this idiot. I think a snake crawled up his keister and died." The girl gave a small giggle and walked back into the room with her friends.

"What was that crack about the snake Potter?"

"Please Malfoy, I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now. Take your two gay lovers here," he said pointing to Crabbe and Goyle, "and stop trying to abuse your authority before I talk to a professor about it." With that Harry brushed past his livid rival and made his way to the next car.

He felt good. It was short lived as he went back to his somber mood but it had felt good. He hadn't lost his temper once during the exchange. He was quite proud of himself.

He had made it all the way to the last car and he still hadn't found an empty compartment to sit in. He knew that he would have to go back to the front because he was still wearing his muggle clothes. He would have to return for his school robes. He still had about two or three hours until then so he decided he would just find a place to sit and think.

As Harry approached the door leading to the back of the train he heard singing. It was a young woman's voice that sounded quite familiar. The song was quite sad. She sang for forgiveness and strength. She asked if it was okay to move on. She sang that she missed someone dearly. The song was sang to someone that had passed on and asked if it was okay for her to be over him.

Harry felt tears streaming down his face. Why did so many people have to be saddened and depressed? Why couldn't he be the only one who had to suffer? He sighed and continued looking for a compartment. When he reached the last two compartments he knew that the singing was coming from one of them.

The compartment on his right was occupied wit a few first years. The one two his left, the one that held the singer with the familiar voice, was occupied by a face equally familiar. Harry saw, and heard, Cho Chang. He gasped. Seeing her flooded him with emotions. At the end of last year he had thought he was over her. He realized now that he hadn't been over her at all. He had merely been so overwhelmed by grief and guilt over the loss of his godfather that he hadn't had any room for other emotions at the time.

Now all of the painful emotions came flooding back. He cried out softly in despair. Realizing too late what he had done he slapped his hand over his mouth. The soft, sad song stopped as Cho looked up to the compartment window. Neither one of them could move. Harry felt a gamut of emotions swirling painfully inside his head. His chest felt like it could explode. Despair washed over him as he thought of what she might do.

To his utter surprise she waved and motioned for him to enter the compartment. His jaw went slack. He opened the door, dumbfounded, and sat down. He quickly closed his mouth. Harry didn't know what to say so he averted his eyes out of the window.

"Hello Harry," he heard her say. "What brings you down to this end of the train?"

"Needed to take a walk. My friends were getting on my nerves," he lied. His nerves were fine. He had just been very uncomfortable sitting in a compartment with his two friends at each other's mouths.

"Oh."

"I," Harry hesitated, "I heard you singing." Cho blushed at this.

"Sorry."

"No," he said hastily, "Its my fault." He felt even more uncomfortable now but he said something he had been thinking anyway. "You have a beautiful voice."

"Thank you." Harry still couldn't look at her. If he did he was sure she would leap at his throat and blame him for Cedric's death. "Harry?"
"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For last year." Harry looked at her stunned.

"What do you mean? I'm the one who should apologize for that."

"No Harry. I apologize for everything I put you through. You probably hate me now but I'm sorry. I shouldn't have led you on like I did. I wasn't over Cedric's death yet and what I did was stupid."

"It doesn't matter. I was being just as stupid. I got what was coming to me for that though."

"What do you mean?"

"My stubbornness and stupidity got someone killed again. It was someone I was close to and I think now that I deserved what happened because of how stupid I was. There were so many things I could have done to stop it but I was to stupid to see it."

"Harry you shouldn't talk like that. No one deserves to have someone they care about die. Things happen and whatever happened was not your fault."

"Yes it was," Harry had himself convinced that it was his fault and that he deserved this for his stupidity. It was very hard, however, to have someone who has experienced the same sort of thing tell you otherwise and not believe it. "Sirius died because I wasn't smart enough to see what was going on." He was crying again. He didn't know why but he was letting it out. Everyone had told him to let himself cry, to let out the grief and pain but he hadn't been able too.

"My godfather died because I couldn't see that it was a trap. He died because of my stupidity and I have to atone for everything. I have to atone for every life Voldemort has taken." Harry placed his face in his hands and cried.

He felt Cho sit down beside him. He didn't look up even as she began to rub his back in soothing circles. "Let it all out." Of course everyone knew now about Sirius being Harry's godfather so it came as no surprise to him that she didn't mention it. What did surprise him was that she was comforting him.

"I don't hate you," he sniffed out.

"What?" she seemed surprised.

"I don't hate you," he said again. "You should be the one who hates me. I was such a jerk last year."

"I can't hate you Harry. Not after I found out what Marietta did." Harry finally looked up. That had surprised him. She must have seen his surprise because she began to explain. "It was all over the train at the end of last year. I had left her to go to the bathroom and I heard some fourth years talking. I over heard one of the D.A. members telling some other students about what she did. I also found out that she didn't like you at all and had spread a rumor about me dating Michael Coroner."

As Cho finished explaining Harry felt at least one of his problems was solved. He and Cho began talking and Harry let out all of his concerns and continued to voice his grief. By the time he left to return to his friends and change he and Cho had agreed to at least be friends this year.

Harry felt better after that but by no means was he happy. He still felt responsible for his godfather's death and he knew that he could not go any farther than friendship with Cho until Voldemort was destroyed lest he put her in danger as well. He entered the compartment in his now usual somber mood and proceeded to grab his school robes.

He noticed that Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna had all already changed.

"Oy Harry," Ron said, "Where did you go?"

"I went for a walk."

"For three and a half hours?"

"I needed some time to adjust to the new circumstances."

"Oh."

Harry took his robes and went to change. As he exited the bathrooms he felt the train slow to a stop. He stepped outside of the train and looked up at the castle before him. "I'm finally home."

A/N: That's it for today guys.

Phoenix – "That was a good chapter Kev."

Kev – "Thanks." (Blushing slightly)

Phoenix – "Vincent is going to miss out on all of the fun."

Kev – (Nervously) "Yeah."

Phoenix – (Leans over Kev's shoulder again.) "I especially like that part." (Points to emotional scene)

Kev – (Still trying not to stare at anything.) "Glad you like it." "Ciao everyone!"