Chapter Eleven: Return to Hogwarts

Kings Cross Station was packed with back-to-school travelers. Harry was surprised to notice that Hogwarts students weren't the only ones rushing for trains. He'd never noticed before that there were students wearing other school uniforms in the station as he and the others rushed for platform nine and three quarters.

Looking around, Harry noted that no one was watching, then followed Ron and Hermione through the wall between platforms nine and ten. Neville and Luna were behind, and Harry flushed as he realized he was heading through the barrier with Ginny at his side. Pushing his cart, he concentrated on getting through the wall without spilling his trunk or Hedwig out on the concrete.

Mr and Mrs Weasley and the Grangers followed them, and Remus, Tonks, Kingsley and Mad-Eye Moody brought up the rear.

"Now, Ron, dear..." Mrs Weasley bustled over to her son, proudly polishing the Head Boy badge she had insisted he wear all the way from home with her sleeve. "Do remember you are Head Boy now. You simply can't be getting into trouble..."

"Yes, Mum..."

"I'll keep an eye on him, Mrs Weasley," Hermione smiled.

"Of course, Hermione, dear," Mrs Weasley turned to Ginny. "Ginny, dear..."

"Oh, Mum, don't!" Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine, really!"

"You keep yourself to yourself, young lady. No shenanigans this year!"

Ginny turned bright pink, then looked down at her shoes, mumbling. "Thanks, mum. Thanks a lot."

"Harry, love," Mrs Weasley pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "Do be careful."

"I will, Mrs Weasley," he coughed as she relaxed her grip a bit.

He went to pull back as she released him, but to his surprise, she held him tight and whispered in his ear, "And do keep an eye on Ginny, love... she's so young!"

"Don't worry," Harry blushed, but nodded.

The train whistle went, and they scrambled to get on, say their goodbyes and wave as the Hogwarts Express pulled away from the platform. Harry watched the crowd they left behind for the final time. This would be his last trip to Hogwarts.

"Well, Hermione and I have to get to the Prefect's car..." Ron said. "Harry, can you see to Ginny's trunk for me?"

"Of course, Ron," Harry nodded, looking curiously between a now indignant Ginny and a pink-faced Ron who seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with his sister.

What on earth was going on? Ron had never, in all the years Ginny had been coming to Hogwarts with him, carried her trunk for her.

"I can manage my own trunk, thank you very much, Ronald Weasley!"

"I was just thinking that now that Harry and I can do magic outside of school, you might want him to levitate it for you so you didn't have to carry it," Ron explained, levitating his own and Hermione's trunks behind them. "We'll try and get back to see you guys later."

Ginny gave him a nasty look, then turned to pick up her trunk by the handle.

"Gin..." Harry said. "It's really no problem, I can levitate them both."

Ginny looked at him for a moment, then at her heavy trunk. It was very apparent she was struggling between wanting to be independent, and not wanting to cart the heavy trunk down the long aisle of the train.

"Oh, okay," she finally gave in. "Thank you, Harry."

"I... um... Luna," Neville didn't look at the other girl. "I could help you if..."

"Thank you, Neville," Luna smiled. "It's very nice of you to offer."

So the four, Harry, Neville, Ginny and Luna, went in search of a compartment to occupy. Three quarters of the way down the train, they finally came to one that was empty.

They had been sitting, talking and eating treats from the snack cart for over an hour when a small commotion outside their compartment drew their attention. Harry stood and opened the door, looking out to see Malfoy and his two thugs with what appeared to be a first year pinned against the wall.

"Malfoy!" Harry snapped. "Let him go."

Malfoy turned his white-blond head to look at Harry through narrowed eyes without letting loose the much smaller boy.

"Well, well. Imagine that. Potter sticking his nose in where it's not welcome once again."

Upon hearing the name, the small boy's eyes widened. Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward menacingly.

"I don't have time to mess with you and your... friends, Malfoy. Let him go."

"Why should I?"

"Because if you don't, I'll have to get involved."

"By all means, Potter..." Malfoy dropped the boy, who immediately ran for the other end of the train, and stepped over towards Harry. "Get involved."

Harry watched him closely for a moment, not breaking eye contact, and maintaining a look of complete lack of emotion on his face. It took a moment, but Malfoy finally broke eye contact and turned to the other two.

"Come on, let's get out of here. Potter's too much of a chicken to get into it here."

"Malfoy?"

"What, Potter?"

"Good choice," Harry said, turning back to the compartment and closing the door behind him.

"Harry?" Neville enquired. "Everything okay?"

Harry noticed that Neville had gotten up from his seat and come to stand behind him, his wand out. He smiled. "For now. I have a feeling that Malfoy isn't finished, though."

"Is he ever?" Ginny asked.

Harry smiled, then sat down beside her, leaning his head back against the seat. "I guess not."

"Should we tell Ron and Hermione?"

"What for?"

"Well, they are the Heads..."

"Yes, and as such, would feel compelled to do something," Harry pointed out. "Relax, Gin... Malfoy is all talk."

"I hope so, Harry," Ginny said quietly, going back to her magazine.

Some time later, Harry estimated it to be about halfway through their trip, the door opened and Ron and Hermione stepped through.

"Well, you can feel the party attitude in here, can't you?" Ron smirked.

Harry and Neville looked up from their game of Wizard's Chess, and Ginny and Luna put down their magazines.

"Well, we've been waiting for the entertainment to arrive. Apparently it has," Ginny said.

"Gin, can you budge over?" Ron said, pulling Hermione to sit next to him on the bench.

"Ron! Sit on the other side!" Ginny objected as she was forcefully pushed into Harry's side.

"Can't. That side rides backward and it makes me feel ill," he complained.

"Then I will!" Ginny said angrily, pushing herself off a very startled Harry and moving to sit down beside Luna, now across from Hermione.

"So, last year for you lot," she commented. "No more Golden Trio ruling the school."

"Golden... what?" Hermione looked askance at the younger girl. "We don't..."

"Oh, come on, Hermione," Ginny laughed. "You three have been stirring things up for years. What will hoggy warty Hogwarts do without you?"

"Hopefully get down to doing some real work," Hermione said darkly, sticking her nose in an Arithmancy book.

"Hermione, you've already read that book three times," Ron said impatiently.

"And I would imagine that I'll be reading it several more times in order to get a decent mark, Ron."

"Merlin, there are things in life other than books, you know!"

"Like?" Hermione asked, not bothering to lower her book.

"Like... life. Like... Quidditch, and... girls and..."

"Girls?" she laughed. "Sorry, Ron. I'm sure you'll forgive me for not sharing that particular fascination with you. Talk to Harry."

Harry immediately colored. He didn't want to start discussing girls with Ron right now.

"That's not what I meant, Hermione," Ron said. "But you do raise a rather interesting point."

"Oh?"

"Harry," Ron turned to him. "Exactly what is going on between you and..."

"Ron!" Harry said, glancing around the compartment.

"What?"

"Ron," Ginny said from the other side of the compartment. Harry glanced at her, finding her staring at her brother, her cheeks pale. "Leave them alone."

"Who?"

"Just leave it, Ron." Ginny said quietly, going back to her magazine.

"Harry, you're not paying attention," said Neville, as he captured Harry's queen and threw himself back against the upholstered seat. "It's no fun when I can beat you without even trying. Luna, will you play with me?"

"Of course, Neville," Luna said, putting down her magazine and standing, moving to where Harry was sitting. "Harry, would you mind...?"

Sighing, Harry stood to allow Luna to sit down, and moved to where the Ravenclaw had been seated, next to Ginny.

Great. Just great.

The Great Hall was decorated with the house banners, as it had been for every Welcoming Feast since Harry's first year. They filed in, and took their seats at the Gryffindor table, and sorted themselves out. It was rather odd, though, as Harry felt himself being almost herded into a seat by Ron, only to find Ginny sitting next to him.

Lord, this is awful! he thought. I don't know what Ron is up to, but...

"Welcome, students!" Dumbledore's voice boomed through the Hall.

"Look! Look who is up there!" Hermione said excitedly.

As the crowd sat, Harry got a better look at the head table, to see two people he would never have expected to see there. Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks.

"Remus must have taken the DADA position again!" Ron whispered. "Oh, man, this is going to be a great year!"

"Welcome, students!" Dumbledore said again as the noise level in the room dropped to a manageable degree. Harry turned his eyes back to the headmaster. "To another year at Hogwarts!"

Cheers sounded about the room. Harry glanced at Ron, and Ron smiled. The old man certainly enjoyed the drama of it all.

"Well, here we are. Once again, together. Before I ask Professor McGonagall to bring in the first years, I would like to speak to you about a situation I have heard of which happened on the train today."

"Apparently, three seventh year students felt the need to waylay one of our new first years on the train. Apparently, had it not been for the timely intervention of another one of our seventh year students, he fears that he would have been tossed from the train, as his assailants threatened."

Harry's eyes narrowed and turned towards the Slytherin table. Malfoy was glaring at him.

"I understand that tensions run high on such days, but threats of this kind will not be tolerated here at Hogwarts. Should I hear of any similar situations occurring, rest assured that I will find those responsible and deal with them."

"Now, on to the sorting!"

Professor McGonagall stood and made her way down the centre aisle towards the great doors. She leaned down as she passed Harry and, without really pausing at all, spoke.

"He would like to see you in his office after the feast, Potter."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry whispered back.

With a nod, she was gone and, within moments, back again, leading the first years.

Each year, Harry was amazed at the size of them. He was absolutely certain that he and Ron hadn't been that small when they started Hogwarts. These children looked like... well, children.

And children certainly didn't take on turban-headed monstrosities or cave trolls. Harry sighed. He suddenly realized that he was feeling far from well. He was tired, and just wanted this over with so that they could eat and go to their dorms.

But he had to talk to Dumbledore first. Wonderful, just wonderful.

Remus Lupin was standing across from Dumbledore's desk when Harry entered.

"Remus," Harry nodded.

"Harry," Remus smiled. "I'm sorry I couldn't say anything about taking the position here. I would have liked to, but we weren't even sure until this afternoon that it would work out."

"That's okay, really," Harry smiled. "I'm just really glad you're here. Mad Eye was great last year, but I think that he scared the younger students."

Remus laughed. "Well, try to not let it out that I'm a werewolf. That might be rather more than they could take."

Harry turned to the headmaster. "You asked to see me, sir?"

"Yes, Harry. Remus, we shall speak later about your classes, if you wouldn't mind. I hadn't thought of the problems of mixing the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins..."

"Very well, Headmaster. Let me know when will be convenient," and with that, stepped back out through the door and closed it behind him.

"Now, Harry..." Dumbledore tented his hands and looked at the younger wizard over them. "I understand that you witnessed something on the train."

"If you mean Malfoy threatening that kid, then yes, sir, I did. I didn't hear what he said to him, but I certainly saw him."

"Did you feel... anger?"

Harry was sidetracked by this. "Nothing worth mentioning, sir. I was rather annoyed, actually."

"Annoyed?"

"Draco Malfoy is a pain in the... You'll forgive me for saying so, but he's more of an irritant than a threat. I wasn't surprised to see him threatening someone weaker than himself. He's a bully, and a bad one at that. Like most bullies, when you stand up to him, he backs down."

"You were not tempted to... deal with him in a more... permanent manner?"

"Why?" Harry looked curiously at the headmaster. "Would you have expected me to? I told him to leave the boy alone. He did. I'm very aware it's not over..."

"Why not?"

"Because it never is with Draco, sir," Harry informed him.

"Very well, Mr Potter," Dumbledore nodded after a moment. "I understand. Now, on to other business... I would like to formally request that you continue the Defense club again this year..."

"Yes sir," Harry said. He hadn't really expected to not.

"And this year, I would like you to take on a staff advisor."

"A staff advisor, sir?"

"Yes. Nymphadora will be assisting Professor Lupin in his classes, taking over classes entirely when Professor Lupin is... otherwise occupied. I felt she would be a good resource for you to draw upon for your classes."

Harry considered this for a moment. Had it been anyone else, Harry would have suspected Dumbledore of placing a spy within the class. Perhaps that is what he thought he was doing, but Harry knew, no matter what the role Tonks had been told she was to have, she would be great to have around.

"Thank you, sir. I would greatly appreciate Tonks' help."

"I rather thought you would, Harry," Dumbledore smiled. "There is just one last thing..."

"What is it, sir?"

"Harry, sixteen years ago, on the eleventh of August, two things happened. One of them had, I believe, a great deal to do with you."

"August eleventh? That's Ginny's birthday," Harry said.

"Yes. It was the night of Miss Weasley's birth. You have asked me to not keep anything from you, Harry, and now that you are back here, at school, for your final year, I find it impossible not to share this with you, despite the fact that I have no evidence that it has anything at all to do with you."

"What?"

"On the same night that Ginevra Weasley was born, I was summoned to St Mungo's. A muggle had been injured in a magical attack on a London nightclub, and she'd been brought to the hospital."

"Why?" Harry asked. "Why wasn't she taken to a muggle hospital?"

"Because what she was mumbling in her dementia appeared to be a prophecy."

"Another prophecy?" Harry shook his head. "What does it have to do with me?"

"Perhaps nothing, Harry. But I thought you ought to know about it." With that, Dumbledore took a sheet of parchment from his desk and handed it to Harry. "This is the complete text of the first prophecy the young woman gave that night."

"The first?"

"The second concerns... someone else."

"Oh," Harry turned his eyes back down to the parchment, and read.

They will come, three together

Four, five, six shall follow.

One begins what they together must complete.

Four and two, three and three,

two, two, two.

Six together, in their power.

As in all things, the end is the beginning,

the beginning, the end.

For one to lead, another must follow,

For one to succeed, another must fail,

For one to live, another must die.

For balance must remain in all things.

To find the power to vanquish hate, he must know love.

Of friends, of comrades, of mate.

"And this is... it's talking about me?"

"So I believe," Dumbledore nodded. "But I have no proof, Harry."

"Then why do you think it's about me?" Harry said.

"Because..." Dumbledore sighed. "Because I believe the others it speaks of are your friends. And, as you have always known, I believe that the power that you have that Voldemort does not is the love and loyalty of those friends."

Harry looked at the parchment, reading the prophecy again. He swallowed.

"It says that one of us must die."

"Yes, it would appear that way."

Well, are we progressing nicely? I hope so, as my bloody muse appears to have gone AWOL. We're looking at a major detour here, I think, unless I get her back, and on track.

Sigh

Oh well, I know you're all with me on this... and relax, I have a few chapters in reserve... hopefully by the time they're posted, things will be back to normal. I hope.

CQ

Whimsical Firefly: I don't know... the things she says in that article may be interpreted in several ways. Personally, I think she's hinting that we've all made some broad assumptions. Which we know we have. Anything could still happen. Geez, I wouldn't be surprised to find out in the end it was never Harry at all, but some other character who was fated to defeat Tom Riddle -- "marked as his equal"... what about Ginny? And the prophecy says "As the seventh moon dies" not "as the seventh MONTH dies – and we know that Ginny's birthday is August 11... but that's probably just my evil mind talking...

Sabine Strohem-Moss: Soon enough for you? "Yayness" -- I LOVE that!

Kordolin: Be nice! He's not THAT thick...

Sumers Girl: Happy Thanksgiving!

HermioneJaneGranger: Sorted. Updated.

Shotgunn: Sorry about the five day wait... weekend, then decided I wasn't allowed to post anything while they updated their servers... but we're back on track, I think...

Gorman: Yeah, I thought so. Ron needs a little push now and then, but when he gets going... well... the next few chapters ought to be interesting.

Treck: You got it...

MrsSakuraPotter: You've got to understand, he's seventeen, and he's been dealing with some pretty heavy stuff since he was 11. Have you ever met someone who had to act as the "parent" in their family from a young age? Be responsible for younger siblings, responsible for irresponsible/neglectful parents? Simply had too much responsibility thrust on them at too young an age? This is often what happens... they grow up too fast. Harry is no different. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter despite this, though, as Harry IS too responsible for his age, and much too mature. He still has the urges to act 17, but there is so much more going on in his life that he has to deal with, his life is going to be fast-tracked... and there's not a whole lot to be done about it. He honestly looks at things in a very different way than most 17yo boys.

Azn-anime-freak11: Wait for it...

Merlindamage: You're right, he does need to realize that, but do you think, given the way that Dumbledore and other adults in his life have treated him, he's going to blindly trust them? And Ron and Hermione have a few surprises in store for us, I think.

Larna Mandrea: You're too damned insightful for your own good sometimes, you know that? Of course you do, because I've told you before.

Life is Good: Thanks, it's always nice to hear that a new reader is enjoying my stories!

Madoleine Tolkien: I'm glad you're enjoying it. You know, that's the highest compliment I could get – thanks!

XiaoXiao: I'm not real fond of SuperHarry type stories. There are a few borderline that I really like, but the ones where he becomes practically a God... well... I guess saying that they're unrealistic is silly, considering we're talking about a fantasy series here, but... well, you know what I mean! I do like to portray him coming into more power, though, because I think it's a good analogy of the ages of 13 – 18 – we do come into our power then, and JKR has portrayed this brilliantly in canon, IMHO.

Heather: I'm having a bit of a tougher time with this one. My Truth series really flowed... but this one, I've hit a place where the muse is tugging in one direction, but I'm not sure that it's appropriate to the story. Hopefully the upcoming developments are as well received!

CQ