Well, in just over three hours time, I'll be sitting the first of four exams ... Not happy ... but just because I'm not happy doesn't mean you guys can't be. I will probably update again on my Wednesday, or possibly Tuesday afternoon, after the exams are over ...

Shines A Light

Chapter Seven: The Hogwarts Express

On the morning of September the first, Harry and his friends raced around Grimmauld Place, frantically trying to find everything they needed before the first day of school.

Tatsu and Neko had packed the night before, and gone to Hogwarts then to settle in, along with Tonks, who was breaking the trend for the first time since Harry had started school, and probably before then, because the Twins hadn't appeared to have remembered Professor Quirrell, back in first year, and returning for her second year as a teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Molly and Arthur drove them to Kings Cross station in a car that they'd borrowed from one of the other Order members, Harry hadn't quite caught who. It was magically enchanted, just as Arthur's old car had been, to fit everyone and their luggage into the car, though, with only Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny there wasn't that much need for the charm.

Once they reached the train, Harry and Hermione had to hurry off to the Prefects carriage, where they'd be meeting with the prefects for that year. Harry was amazed to find himself here – he hadn't been a Prefect, but then, his father had set a precedent, he supposed.

No one who came to the carriage seemed in the least surprised to see Harry was Head Boy, which Harry felt oddly pleased about, and they all sat down to go over the plans for the year. Harry relied heavily on Hermione because he didn't understand exactly what was going on.

Soon enough, however, the meeting was over, and they could go and find their friends on the train and catch up after three months of absence. Harry and Hermione went to find Ron, and discovered him frantically trying to finish an assignment that he'd 'forgotten' about when Hermione had asked him what his assignments were.

Amused, Harry left the pair of them to it, knowing that there would be no dealing with either of them in the resulting argument. He decided he'd go and find Draco and Blaise, see what was going on with them.

"Hey, Harry," Blaise called softly from the final carriage. Harry walked inside and the door closed silently beside him. Blaise and Draco were alone in their carriage, which Harry found surprising.

"What happened to your court of Slytherin's?" Harry enquired, as Blaise gestured him into a seat.

"We told them to bugger off," Draco replied, looking Harry over. "Made Head Boy did you?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Ron's the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain," he added, though he doubted that Draco would have cared.

"Granger's Head Girl?"

"Yup," Harry replied. "You bet she is."

Draco smiled slightly. "I wasn't summoned much over the holidays," he told Harry, "But I have no doubt that I will be summoned more in the near future. My father was summoned around ten times, but on all but one of those I was instructed to remain behind."

"Any idea why?" Harry asked.

"Muggle killings or torturings," Draco replied, "I apparently get off those because I don't know the spells, and they can't teach me until next year without getting hurt ... between you and me, Potter – try and kill the Dark Lord before then."

Harry shivered, remembering the prophecy that said he had to. He wasn't sure if he wanted to kill Voldemort quickly or wait until he knew what he was doing ... well, he figured he wouldn't have that much choice in the matter. He would simply be placed in a situation where he could kill Voldemort, and he would do so. "I'll try," he assured the other boy.

Draco smiled, "I didn't mean that. You're only seventeen, aren't you? You can hardly be expected to kill the Dark Lord when you're so young and everyone else who ever tried was probably at least three times your age."

Yeah, but none of them had the stupid prophecy hanging over their heads, Harry thought, then shook off the thought. "Well, you two are looking fairly close," he remarked.

Blaise was sitting curled against Draco's side, and Draco was covering one of her hands with his own. Draco smiled again, this time almost possessively, "Oh, we are," he replied, though he said no more than that.

"Keep in touch," Harry advised. "If either of you ever need in any help, I hope you'll come to me – if it's something you think I can help with. If I can't help you, maybe I'll know someone who can."

Draco and Blaise nodded, and Harry exited the carriage, heading off to find Ron and Hermione. Ron was only a little way through his assignment and attempting to cajole answers out of Hermione, who wasn't having any of it. "Ron, if you couldn't get around doing your homework in the three months you had, I'm certainly not going to help you now!" she was saying when Harry arrived.

"But Hermione!" Ron said.

"No," Hermione interrupted him before he could finish the sentence.

"Can I stop this then?" Ron whined.

"Most certainly not!" Hermione's voice rose to a near shriek at that, "You will sit there, Ronald Weasley, until I know you've finished that work! If you even try to leave I'll put you on detention for a week!"

"Hermione!" Ron looked shocked. "You wouldn't?"

"Are you willing to bet on that?" Hermione asked dangerously.

Ron considered for a moment, then muttered a sulky, "No," and got back to working on his homework. Harry sighed and took out a Defence book, settling down to read it for awhile.

As the trip wore on, members of DA wandered through the carriage and bid Harry a cheerful hello, most of them asking when the first DA meeting would be. Harry assured them all that he would post a time table on the noticeboard in the Entrance Hall so that everyone would know where to find him, and when.

Finally, just after darkness had fallen, the train reached the Hogsmeade Station. Harry was a little surprised that Voldemort hadn't tried to attack the train, but he thought that it might have been because of the defeat he'd suffered the last time he'd tried it.

Harry and his friends caught the carriages that now, unfortunately, most of the students could see were not actually horseless.

They were carried quickly to the school and shooed into the Great Hall to take their seats. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat together, and everyone they hadn't seen on the train gathered around to talk loudly.

Soon everyone started finding seats and settling down to get ready for the Sorting, which would have to start soon. The doors opened and the new first year students marched into the hall, following Professor Flitwick, who had apparently been chosen as McGonagall's deputy.

The Sorting Hat was placed on its stool, and sung its song, which Harry paid very little attention to – it started out going on about the traditional values of the four Houses, which was just like it always was. There was no warning at the end of the song this year, and Harry let the words wash over him.

Flitwick called out the names, and the first years went to their tables. Harry clapped for everyone who was Sorted, and the rest of his friends picked up on the idea. It wasn't fair for only the House that the student was Sorted into to clap, every single first year deserved to feel welcomed by the whole school.

Once everyone had been sorted into their respective Houses, Headmistress McGonagall stood up for the welcome speech. "It is times like these when we all miss our former Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore the most," she began, and immediately put a damper on the spirits of those students who'd known the old Headmaster, "His place will always be a hard one to try and fill, but I will do my best.

"Arabella Figg, the castle's caretaker, wishes to inform you that the list of banned objects has been reviewed since last year, and several objects have been removed," she paused for the delighted sounds to dissipate, "But a few have also been added. I would advise that you check on that.

"The forest on the grounds is called the Forbidden Forest for a good reason. Any student found there will lose house points and be placed on detention, unless they can give a very good reason for being there," she was looking straight at Harry when she said that, he thought.

"Also, we have two new teachers at the school this year, Kendo Tatsu and Neko, who will be teaching you two different forms of Japanese combat. Tatsu will be teaching unarmed fighting techniques, and Neko will be teaching the use of the Katana. These classes are only open to third years and over. For those of you were not given an opportunity to chose it as a subject, there will be classes in the evenings and on weekends if you wish to learn anyway.

"Apart from that – welcome back to another year at Hogwarts, we will strive to make your year enjoyable, educational ... and above all, safe. Please, enjoy the feast."

She sat down amidst the cheers as the food appeared on the plates and everyone dug in. The feast was as enjoyable as always, and Harry focused on enjoying himself. Everyone had asked him how his back was feeling, and he gave the same basic reply, "As good as can be expected, I can't fly though."

The feast was as delicious as always, "The House Elves really have tried hard this year, huh," Harry remarked.

"Yeah, maybe it helps that Winky is at your place now," Ron replied. They hadn't seen much of the two House Elves that year at Grimmauld Place – they had been busy maintaining the house, which was quite a job, Harry thought.

Hermione sniffed slightly. She hadn't been at all deterred from S.P.E.W., despite the fact that it was increasingly obvious that the House Elves enjoyed being enslaved.

Harry, as the Head Boy, had to go with Hermione to meet with McGonagall for a moment before they went up to the common rooms. "Ah, yes," she smiled at the two of them, "Two Head Students from Gryffindor, it's been awhile since that happened. You two will be in charge of calling Prefect meetings, so you had better remember about them, because I do expect fortnightly reports on the doings of the Prefects."

"Of course, Headmistress," Hermione replied, "And, thank you for picking me as Head Girl!"

"You deserve your position," McGonagall replied, "Now, off to bed with you two, it's been a long day and you'll want to be fresh for classes in the morning."

That night Harry fell asleep with a contented smile on his face.

Well, that's the end of chapter six, and we're already back at Hogwarts. It took me five times less than it did last story (chapter wise)! I THINK that's a good thing ... No thanks this time, because updating was a spur of the moment type thing, and I need to get ready for exams ...

WolfMoon