Chapter Four Back To Hogwarts

Double, double, toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
Double, double, toil and trouble
Something wicked this way comes.

Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing.

Double, double, toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
Double, double, toil and trouble
Something wicked this way comes.

In the cauldron boil and bake,
Fillet of a fenny snake,
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witches' mummy, maw and gulf.

Double, double, toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble

Double, double, toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
Double, double, toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble

Something wicked this way comes.

John Williams

As the weeks passed no body had seen or heard from Remus. One morning Harry was sleeping when Hermione burst into the room with Ginny behind her. Harry and Ron sat up quickly, grabbing their wands. Harry squinted at the intruders who stood there gaping like two fish out of water. He slid on his glasses and looked around the room.

"Well don't just stand there," Ron said angrily sliding his legs to the edge of the bed. He stood up and stretched; unaware of the affect it was having on Hermione. Harry watched her for a moment before smiling and standing also. "What is it?" he growled. Ron was not a morning person. Hermione averted her eyes and looked down at her hands.

"Our O.W.L.S. are here," she said excitedly. She and Ginny looked at each other and shared a look. Ron and Harry finished getting dressed and sat on their beds.

"Really? Well bring them here," Harry said, looking at Ginny. Ginny was holding two letters she brought him his and then went to Smith's bed, who was still asleep. She laid it down on his pillow and then turned to sit on Harry's bed. They all looked at each other nervously. "Why don't you open yours first Ron," he said nervously. Ron shook his head and looked at Hermione.

"You go first Hermione. We'll open ours after you," he said, nudging her in the arm. She looked around at them and Ginny nodded.

Shaking, she slid her finger behind the seal and the envelope opened. Biting her lip she pulled out the letter, she opened it and turned so Ron wouldn't be able to see it. Her eyes flew across the page as she read it. When she was finished she set it down on her lap, face down, and the whole room was staring at her.

"Well?" They chorused. A smile slowly spread over her face.

"Twelve. I got twelve!" she screamed. Ron jumped up and hugged her tightly. They pulled back and he placed a kiss soundly on her lips. They pulled back and stared at each other. Harry and Ginny shared a look. Both Ron and Hermione turned red and separated. Harry pulled Hermione into a hug and then she hugged Ginny. When she looked at Ron he was staring at his envelope. "Harry you go now," she said quietly. He nodded. He opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. He smiled and showed Ginny.

"I got ten," he said happily. Ginny hugged him and suddenly he wished they were alone. She felt so good against him. He shook himself as Hermione pulled him into a hug and he and Ron shared a one armed hug. "Your turn," he said to Ron. Ron sighed and shook his head.

"No I-I think I'll open mine alone," he said softly, glancing at Hermione. She turned pink and everyone became silent.

"Go on Ron, everyone else did it," Ginny said, with her hands on her hips. He pursed his lips and looked around. He looked down at the letter in his hands; his ears reddening. He sighed and cautiously opened the envelope. He read the letter and his face fell. He looked up and passed the letter to Ginny who shared a look. She gasped and looked horrified.

"Mum is going to kill you!" she said angrily. He nodded and sighed, taking the letter back regretfully. Harry and Hermione shared a worried look. "Honestly Ronald… you need to do better. I'm appalled!" Ron shook his head.

"I know, I know. I have to show mum," he said sadly. He bit his lip and folded the letter. He glanced up at Hermione and Harry who were looking scared.

"Did you pass to sixth year?" Hermione whispered. He shook his head. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Harry look at him in disbelief.

"You were right 'Mione I couldn't get 12. I didn't even get 8… I-I got 6," he said, his voice cracking. Tears filled her eyes and she looked as if, if she could take back those words she had said to him she would have.

"I'm so sorry Ron! I cursed you!" she wailed. She hugged him tightly and he held her. Suddenly he and Ginny burst out laughing. He pulled back and gave Hermione the letter. She read it and then hit his arm. He jumped back laughing. She looked very angry. "Ronald Bilius Weasley! How could you do that to me?" He kept laughing and Harry snatched the letter.

"Eleven O.W.L.S.? Ron that's better than me! How'd you do it?" he asked in awe. Ron shrugged.

"Honestly? I don't know. I was expecting something horrible. But I'm happy," he said cheerfully. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Honestly guys, Ron might be stupid but he isn't that stupid," she said laughing when Ron made a grab for her. "No you don't!" she screamed and ran out of the room with Ron chasing her. Harry and Hermione laughed as they heard a groan from the bed. They both turned to see Smith sitting up in bed, not looking very happy. Hermione turned and talked out of the room leaving Harry and Smith.

"Do you have to be so bloody loud?" he complained.

"Well they aren't Weasley's for nothing," Harry said with a smirk. He saw Smith pick up his envelope and read the contents a smug smile on his lips. "How many?"

"Ten," he said smiling.

"I had that too. Ron had eleven and Hermione has twelve," Harry said and quickly left the room, missing the angry flush that spread over his cheeks. When Harry arrived down stairs everyone was sitting in the living room listening to someone talk. It was Ginny. She was sitting on the couch talking to the people around her.

"No I really don't think you understand Bill. This isn't Gringotts. You can't just break a spell and it's over with," she said heatedly. She saw Harry and smiled. Bill turned slightly looking at Harry.

"Harry um… something happened with Voldemort. Do you know the Macmillan's?" He nodded slowly. "Well they were attacked. They're son, Ernie is fine. But his parent's have been transported to St Mungos."

"So what did they want? What happened?" Harry asked looking from Bill to Charlie to Mr. Weasley and back again.

"Well that's the thing. All they did was curse them and leave some writing on the wall. But it's not in English, or in any language that I speak," Charlie said softly.

"I didn't feel anything from him," Harry said.

"I think I know what he's doing," Ginny murmured softly. Everyone turned to look at her. She was looking down at her hands and a flush was spreading on her cheeks. "I think he's trying to scare off the ministry. You know how Fudge is. Tom does too. Fudge is a coward and he isn't going to try to save anything. He doesn't want to get hurt. So Tom is going to use it to his advantage," she said biting her lip. Harry noticed, and so did her family, that she had used the name Tom in stead of Voldemort. They heard someone on the stairs and Harry silently cursed Smith. When he saw the looks given to him he stopped.

"Am I-uh… interrupting anything?" he asked uncertainly. Ginny stood up and kissed him on the cheek.

"No we were just getting into a heated discussion about Quidditch is all," she said. Ron nodded and turned to Bill and Charlie.

"I still say Chudley Cannons will win this year, they're getting a new Keeper, Oliver Wood. He was Harry's captain," Ron said, his timing well. Once everyone had convinced Smith that it was Quidditch they had been talking about they proceeded to go to Diagon Alley. Bill escorted them to Flourish and Blotts and then left them there, muttering something about Fleur. Hermione looked at their booklists and furrowed her brow. Ginny excused herself to get her books; Smith didn't follow.

"What Defense teacher are we having this year?" she questioned quietly. Ron peered over her shoulder and read.

"All Spells of the Dark Arts, How to Use the Dark Arts, and How to Defend Yourself Against the Dark Arts," he read in a quiet voice. He looked at Harry and he looked shocked.

"I guess he knows what he's doing," Harry said with a small smile. When they went to pay for their books the clerk looked at them a crooked smile twisted on his lips.

"Ah… I know who you have. Right t'cher 'ey are," he said. Once they left they decided to find Mrs. Weasley. When everyone was together again they went home to have dinner. Harry was nervous. He would be going back to Hogwarts and everything was different. What if they had a defense teacher like Umbridge? Hermione and Ginny told him not to worry, but still he couldn't help it. After all, she had order the Dementors on him last summer.

After dinner Mrs. Weasley made them go to bed, knowing they had to get up early in the morning to catch the train. As they were laying in bed, Ron's voice broke through the stillness.

"I hope this year is better than last year," he said quietly. "Are you still going to have the DA Harry?" he added as an after thought. Harry turned on his side to squint at him.

"Yeah Potter, I mean if we have someone like Umbridge again we're going to need it," Smith said.

"You're going to need it even if we don't have someone like Umbrige, twit," Ron said, they all laughed. Harry sighed.

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. We'll see," he said and then drifted off to sleep.

The next morning they were awakened to someone banging on the door telling them they had ten minutes to be up and ready to go. They jumped up and threw everything into their trunks and headed downstairs. As they passed Ginny and Hermione's room they heard music going and they caught a glimpse of the girls getting dressed. All of them looked at each other and flushed. They continued downstairs when the girls came down they left.

Once they arrived at the train station they went in two at a time. Mrs. Weasley stopped to say something to the train driver and let Harry and them put their trunks away. They walked over to side of the train and began to slide their trunks into the compartment where they belonged.

"Back to Hogwarts, again," they heard someone say not to far from them. After Ron slid his trunk on and stepped back a girl, Mandy Brocklehurst a Ravenclaw in their year, stepped in front of him and had trouble putting her trunk in the compartment. Ron stepped forward.

"Here Mandy, let me help you with that," he said in his deep voice. Harry noticed that when Ron stepped forward to offer, Hermione glared at her. After Ron had put her trunk on the train Mandy giggled and threw her head back to look at him.

"Thanks Ron. I never realized how strong you were," she said as she ran her hand lightly up his right arm. Ron smiled nervously and the tips of his ears turned a light shade of red.

"Thanks Mandy," he stammered. She flashed him a smile, which Harry thought wasn't necessary, and stepped back.

"Maybe we'll have Prefect duty together," she said in a tone that made Harry stifle his laughter. She turned and flounced back to her Ravenclaw friends. As she walked away, Harry caught Ron watching her and when Ron saw Harry he raised his eyebrow. Hermione huffed and stalked back towards Mrs. Weasley holding Ginny by the wrist.

"What's gotten into her?" Ron said as he cast one last look at Mandy. Harry shrugged, when it came to girls he was at a loss too. When they reached the girls Mrs. Weasley was giving them hugs and saying good bye. She turned to Ron and looked at him with an unknown look in her eyes.

"Be careful Ron. I want you to take extra care of yourself this year. It's going to be hard this year, with everything going on, but you need to concentrate on everything. You might not hear me say this again, but if it comes down to it, forget your studies. Voldemort is out there and he's biding his time. Be careful Ron, I love you," she said softly and then she pulled him in for a tight hug. When she pulled back she had tears in her eyes. She kissed Ron's cheek and then turned to Harry. "Remember what you have to do Harry. I trust you to take care of my Ron and he you. Just remember," she said and pulled him into a hug as well. The train whistle blew and they all took off towards the train and hoped on yelling good-byes to everyone.

Once they were on the train Ron, Hermione and Smith separated from them to go to the Prefects compartment, leaving Harry and Ginny to find one of their own. They found one that was empty and sat down. Ginny sighed as she leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. Harry looked at her and couldn't believe that it had taken him so long to notice her. Her red hair spilled over her shoulders and caught the sunlight, shining in from the window. Her long lashes looked like soot against her pale cheeks. Her lips were slightly pouty, but they were full. He wanted to taste her smile, he had, but he wanted to again.

He let his eyes wander over her body. She was short; she wasn't tall like Ron. She was shorter than he, which Harry was grateful for. He let his eyes rest on her breasts. She was bigger than Cho. She was softer than Cho as well. Her stomach was flat but it wasn't hard from Quidditch like Cho's. Ginny might be soft, but she wouldn't break either. She knew how to take care of herself and she didn't cry all over Harry about a past boyfriend either. Her hips were perfect. She had long legs and she looked great in jeans and skirts. He tore his eyes away from her when she moved. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him.

"You're being awfully quiet. Something wrong?" she asked as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He shook his head. She titled hers and looked at him. She tucked her feet next to her and licked her lips. "You can talk to me. You haven't said a thing about anything all summer. I know it's hard Harry. Trust me I do. I -wait until I'm done before you open your mouth- I am not going to pressure you into talking. I'm not Ron and Hermione. They want to help and they think that the only way to help is to make you talk to them. I see it as, when you're ready you'll say something," she said carefully. He looked at her and knew she was right. Somehow he thought that talking to Ginny would be easier than talking to Ron and Hermione, but he couldn't talk to her on the train. He had to talk to her when he knew no one would walk in on them.

"I know. Not here, wait till we get back to Hogwarts," he said as he looked down at his shoes. He glanced at her and saw her nod. She titled her head back and closed her eyes again. Harry wanted to look at her, but he knew he had to busy himself with something. He reached into his pocket and felt something. He pulled it out and saw that it was the letter Ginny had written him that he'd never opened. He decided he'd read it later, so he stuck it back in his pocket. "Ginny… how did you get together with Smith?" She opened her eyes and looked at him. She shrugged.

"Well he had written over the summer telling me that the main reason he had join the DA was because he thought I was pretty, but I was with Michael then. So I wrote him back and we continued that for a few weeks. Then he said that his family was going someplace and he didn't want to go so I told him he could stay with us. Usually mum wouldn't have let him stay, but there were reasons why she did," she said quietly. He nodded. "Why?"

"I just thought it was sudden. I mean you had mentioned Dean on the train and I was more than a little shocked that Smith was there." She nodded and laughed.

"Oh I know I said Dean, but I was lying. I was trying to get Ron to shut up. It worked," she said smiling. She settled back in her seat when the door slid open and Ron came in angrily and sat down next to Harry, crossing his arms. Hermione sat down in a huff and kicked his feet out of her way. He growled at her and Harry looked from one to the other. Ginny excused herself, saying something about the trolley and left.

"Um… is something wrong?" Harry asked timidly. Hermione closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Yes. Your friend here has just gotten his first detention. We aren't even at Hogwarts yet!" she exclaimed angrily her cheeks flushing. Ron threw her a look.

"If you hadn't have gotten McGonagall then I wouldn't have detention, now would I? It's your fault. You couldn't just let me hex Malfoy, could you?" She looked at him in disbelief. He raised an eyebrow at her and she looked away.

"What happened?" Ron sighed and unfolded his lanky form to sit up in his seat and place his feet next to Hermione's thighs.

"Malfoy was talking about Ginny and it wasn't a compliment either. It was sick," he said, looking out of the window. Harry looked at Hermione who was looking at Ron with a strange look on her face.

"I'm sorry Ron. I just felt like you weren't doing a very good job as Prefect and I wanted to… oh I don't know. I'm really sorry Ron," she said sadly. "But what did he say?" Ron sighed and looked at both of them.

"He said some horrid things about Ginny," he said, gritting his teeth. His ears turned a bright red and his cheeks flushed. Harry sat forward listening intently. "He said that if she pranced around with her little self some more she'll find herself where no one can find her. He said Voldemort wants her and he'll get her, again. He said that he wouldn't mind tasting her soft flesh. He said he thought she was a very tempting dish, one of the best at Hogwarts." Ron stood up and began pacing in the small space between them.

"If he lays one finger on her I'll-I'll…" He turned and looked at the again. "I can't promise that I'll be responsible for my actions. I will not have her ripped from me just because I'm not paying enough attention like before. I will not have Ginny taken away. I'm her older brother, I'm here to protect her against this and I couldn't protect her. But that won't happen again," he said and he slammed open the compartment door and stalked from the room. Harry looked at Hermione who was staring at the door as it closed quietly. She looked at him and he saw the guilt in her eyes.

"I-I didn't know, honestly. If I had known what Malfoy was saying I would have let Ron beat him up. This means though, what Malfoy said, that Ginny is in danger," she said quickly. Harry sat back and reviewed everything Ron said. Ginny, like Hermione said, was in danger if what Malfoy said was true. He didn't know if he believed him, but he did know that he was going to watch Ginny like a Seeker looking for the Snitch.

"Do you think we should listen to him?" Harry asked, trying to get some ground on it.

"I think we should consider it. Which mean that we have to watch Ginny closely this year, we didn't in her first, so I think we're going to need to this year." She fell quiet, looking through books, but looking as though she was still thinking about Ginny. The door slid open and Neville walked in with Dean and Seamus.

"Hello guys," Harry said as they sat down. They nodded and started a conversation about Quidditch.

"Who do you think is going to win? Puddlemore or Ireland?" Harry sat for a minute thinking that Ron might be better at this. He shook his head.

"I really don't know. I would say Puddlemore, because Wood is on the team, but that's a hard decision. Both are really good teams," he said slowly. He realized that he missed his former Captain.

"Speaking of Quidditch Harry, are you going to be re-instated?" Hermione voice broke through his thoughts. The compartment went silent and everyone looked at him. He shrugged.

"I hope so, but I don't know. Do you think McGonagall will let me play again?"

"Are you kidding! She's the one who put you on the team in the first place, mate," Ron's voice said. He was behind Ginny who had and armload of food. Harry noted that Neville blushed when Ginny smiled at him and both Seamus and Dean moved over for her to sit with them, giving her flirtatious smiles. Ron noticed. "Watch it boys," he said dangerously. Ginny looked at him curiously and he just smiled.

"I don't really know. I hope she will, but we're going to need a captain this year," Harry said. Ron shook his head and waved his hand.

"Don't worry about that."

They continued the Quidditch talk until the girls kicked them out so they could change. Ron rolled his eyes and called them something rude. Harry saw Mandy approaching them with her friends and he looked at Ron, who hadn't noticed yet. She came up to him, and touched his arm.

"Hello Ron," she said smiling. He looked at her, and began to blush. "What are you doing out here?"

"My sister and Hermione are changing," he said uncertainly. Harry saw Dean poke Seamus and laugh at Ron.

"Yes well, a lot of girl are self-conscious. I would be too, if I looked like her," her friend said looking at Harry with a smile. Harry blushed and looked away.

"Oh Sarah, don't say that about Hermione. She's very nice and she looks loads better now that her teeth are smaller. She's very pretty," Mandy said, giving her friend a disapproving look. The girl, Sarah, shrugged.

"Yes, Hermione is pretty," Ron said thoughtfully. Harry, Neville, Dean and Seamus looked at him with wide eyes, holding their breaths. Was he going to say it? Mandy looked at him, her face falling.

"Oh… are you and Hermione together?" Ron blushed redder than Harry had ever seen him and he shook his head. She smiled and touched his hair, which had grown quite long.

"Oh good, I thought there was something between you two," she paused and bit her lip. "I hope to see you on Prefect duties, I'd love to do my rounds with you," she said smiling and leaned up to bravely kiss his lips lightly. She pulled back and smiled shyly and went to her compartment. Harry looked at Ron shocked. Obviously, the rest were just as shocked, seeing as how they weren't saying anything, but staring at Ron.

"Gee mate, I think Brocklehurst likes you," Seamus said, sounding in awe. "I can't believe she kissed you." Ron looked at them and smiled lopsidedly.

"I can't believe that happened," he said. He touched his lips and looked over his shoulder.

"Are you going to ask her out?" Dean asked, excitedly.

"Ask who out?" Ginny stepped into the hall, her arms crossed over chest. They jumped and looked at her.

"You're brother was just kissed by Mandy Brocklehurst," Seamus and Dean said in unison. She raised her eyebrow and Harry felt flip-flops in his stomach.

"Oh really?" They nodded. "At least he can admit he likes her," she muttered under her breath. She turned around and went back inside and the boys followed.

After a few games of exploding snap and more Quidditch talk the train slowed and stopped at Hogwarts. Harry and the other's stepped off the train and heard the familiar voice of Hagrid.

"Firs' years oe'er 'ere, firs' years oe'er 'ere!" He saw Harry and he smiled and waved. Harry smiled and looked up at the castle. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny joined him and looked at it also.

"Home, this is really home," he said quietly. Ginny looked at him and he at her.

"I know," she said, just as quietly. The more he looked at her, the more he fell for her. He wanted her to be his, not Smith's. He had a feeling that Ron would be happy if he decided to take up with his sister, but he knew he didn't want to break up a relationship, especially if she had "given up" on him. They turned and began to walk up to the castle. They got seated and looked at the staff table. Dumbledore smiled at them. Once everyone was situated, McGonagall brought in the Sorting Hat.

"Many great things come and go,
Many bad things come and go,

You have to be prepared for what is ahead,
If you're not, you might not make it,

So here I am,
Hogwarts Sorting Hat,
Put me on and I'll tell you where you ought to be,

I might put you in Gryffindor,
Where many people are courageous,

I might put you in Ravenclaw,
Where the wise one's come from,

Or I might put you in Hufflepuff,
They are loyal, they always do their homework,

Or I shall put you in Slytherin,
Where only the cunning go,

But do not forget,
That in these times,
There is only one answer,

Choose the right side,
Before it's too late."

Once the sorting hat finished his song, Hermione looked at Harry and he shrugged. McGonagall began calling the names of the new students. Every time a Gryffindor student was called the child looked at Harry Potter and his eyes widened. Harry just smiled at them and continued to watch the sorting. Once it was over, Dumbledore stood up and looked at the Great Hall.

"I will not talk all night, but I do have some announcements. First one being, Welcome to Hogwarts, I believe that this year will be one to remember. Second I would like to introduce your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Melonie Pattin." The teacher in mention turned away from her conversation with Professor Snape and stood and smiled at the Great Hall. She was young, probably a little younger than Snape, but she was pretty. She sat back down and turned back to Snape. "The third thing, dig in!"

The plates and dishes began to fill with food. Ron piled his plate with food and Harry could have sworn he had never had a meal. Ron poured himself some pumpkin juice, but when Ginny bumped his arm, he spilled it all over Hermione.

"Oh Ron, honestly!" she exclaimed, wiping herself. "Be more careful, okay?" He nodded and glared at Ginny, who was stifling her laughter.

"What, you're the one who is acting like you've never had a meal," she said and turned to talk to a girl in her year. As dinner was finishing, McGonagall came over to their table.

"Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter, I would like to see you in my office when you're done," she said, briskly and walked off. They looked at each other and frowned. Had they done something already? They knew Ron had detention, but what had Harry done? They shrugged and continued eating. After the feast was over they told Hermione they would tell her what happens when they get back.

They walked down the familiar hallway, in silence. They passed the portraits on the walls and made a left.

"So, are you going to get together with Mandy?" Harry asked, breaking the companionable silence. He felt Ron shrug.

"I don't know. I've never had good luck with girls," he said, lightly. Harry looked at him incredulously. "What?"

"And like I have? Don't you remember last year, with Cho?" At the reminder of Valentines Day, Ron burst out laughing.

"Okay, I suppose I am asking the wrong person," he said smiling as they made their way to McGonagall's. When they reached her room Harry raised his hand to knock on the door. She opened it and stepped aside.

"Ah, you're here, come in and sit down. I have good news for you," she said as she shut the door.

A/N: I have finally updated. It's taken awhile, since I'm working on a bunch of stories, but I've finally got it. :) Now… what I would like to say is, this is a Ron and Hermione fic. I know it looks like it's Ron and Mandy, but it WILL be Ron and Hermione. I just have to get them together. It's a Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione, but Harry and Ginny will get together first. I can't say how long Mandy will be with Ron, but it won't be long. Trust me.

Anyway, please review.