A/N: This is where it finally gets interesting... Okay not quite yet, but at least I didn't get tired of writing the story before they made it to Hogwarts. Oh yes, and thank you everyone for letting me know the real Dean Thomas story. It was really helpful! (By the way, I did indeed sing the 'I was right' song to my younger sister over the phone yesterday, although I had to change the lyrics to "I was mostly right, and you were mostly wrong, I'm going to sing the 'I was mostly right' song!")

Disclaimer: Since I can't seem to find as much fun in writing original fiction, I'll just have to wake up to the reality of being totally broke for the rest of my life. (At least I have a good time doing it.)

Chapter Eight -

The Hogwarts Express

At fifteen minutes to eleven the next morning at King's Cross station, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna, all said goodbye to their families, and boarded the Hogwarts Express travelling as usual, on track nine and three-quarters.

The trunks and pet cages were stowed in the overhead compartments with some difficulty, and many grumblings about not using magic until the train started up. The great red steam engine puffed two whistles to give the ten-minute call just as they all took their seats and pulled down the windows.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny all left for the prefect carriage, promising that they would be back as soon as the meetings were over.

Quite a few of the Order were there to say goodbye to Harry, and he couldn't help but think that it was all on Dumbledore's orders. They weren't all there to be nice, but to protect him and his friends. Still even if they were doing it just to make him happy, he was still happy, so it didn't really concern him too much. It was a silent understanding he now had with Dumbledore that his safety meant the safety of the wizarding world. He couldn't complain, since it made way too much sense. He just wished that people would want to see him off because they cared about him

What really concerned him at the moment was the figure of Draco Malfoy climbing into the next carriage with his mates Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Malfoy didn't look quite so stuck up and righteous this year, but he was still giving people a hard time as he pushed his way onto the train. Harry could hear him berating a young frightened looking first-year girl who had stepped on his toes.

"Uh-Oh." Harry muttered.

"What?" Asked Neville, trying to see what Harry was looking at.

Harry pointed out to where Dean Thomas stood with his mother on the platform, and they were both theatrically weeping in each-other's arms. This was the first time Dean was leaving for Hogwarts when his father wasn't around to see him off, and they seemed to be getting very emotional about it. Malfoy had noticed the tears, and was heading in their direction, a look of gloating disgust on his face. Obviously this wasn't going to be a heartwarming encounter, since his father had been involved with the massacre that had killed Mr. Thomas.

"Uh-Oh is right." Said Neville. "What do we do?"

"I don't know." Harry muttered back. "We need to stop this somehow." He stood back up, and raced for the door. "I'll handle it. Don't worry." Harry thought for a moment that this could be a place and time where he could reclaim some of his lost Gryffindor bravery. It wasn't something he couldn't handle, he knew. Malfoy might sometimes be intimidating, but he held much more loathing for Harry than he did for any other person. Harry would easily be able to sidtrack him.

Neville obediently stayed behind and watched the scene unwravel through the open window, and Harry was grateful.

By the time he had reached the platform again, Malfoy was already yelling obscenities, and Dean Thomas' fist was already being held back to prevent him punching Malfoy's lights out. Mrs. Thomas looked to be a little scared of Draco, and she was holding her son back with a terrified desperation that was slightly alarming.

"Malfoy!" Harry called angrily, drawing his wand and pointing it at him. "Don't you dare!"

Malfoy sneered, and turned to Harry. "Don't dare what Potty? Tell the truth?"

"Nobody wants to hear your filth, so just stop spewing it! Just leave them alone!"

"Filthy murderer!" added Dean, as he writhed in his surprisingly strong mother's arms to get at Draco's neck.

Harry turned to Dean, slightly shocked. Harry knew that the right way to deal with this was to point out the problems with that particular title, but Harry felt a little hypocritical to say it. He sucked in his pride, hoping that as he said the words they might become more true in his mind. "Dean, as far as I know he hasn't murdered anyone. I can't say the same of his father, but Draco Malfoy isn't a murderer." Yet, Harry added silently.

Harry spun back to the surprised looking Malfoy. "That doesn't mean you are allowed to berate Dean in any way Malfoy. I recommend for your own safety and health that you stay away from him." Harry narrowed his eyes, and glared as fiercely as he could, holding his wand steadily in the blond boy's face.

Draco backed down muttering, knowing he couldn't do anything with Harry's wand pointed at his nose. He looked at Crabbe and Goyle, who had approached to flank him. "C'mon." He waved them back onto the train. Harry felt more than heard the many relieved breaths that were expelled by the Order witnesses. Molly Weasley looked a little sick.

"Are you all right Dean?" Harry asked, shooting glances around the station platform, just in case any other recognizeable Death-Eaters were in the vicinity. It wasn't that he expected any, it had just become something of a habit.

A red-faced and tearstained Dean turned to Harry and nodded. "Thank-you." He said. His mother nodded her agreement.

"Any time." Harry began to walk back to the train, when he turned back. "By the way...My condolences on your loss..."

They both nodded, though Dean looked more bereft than Harry had ever seen him.

"I hate to mention it at a time like this... but trust me when I tell you to celebrate the fact that you still have some family left."

Mrs.Thomas broke down sobbing again, clutching her son, and Harry felt horrible. He shouldn't have said that. He felt horrible until she dropped her arms away from Dean, and moved forwards and enveloped him too in an emotional embrace. Harry nervously patted her back in comfort. He realized that she thought he was referring to his own situation. In a way he was, but Harry hated to have pity heaped upon him. It wasn't what he had really intended.

"Mum, uh..." Dean tried to interrupt, sniffling loudly. "The train is going to leave soon. I need to get my stuff on board."

"All right. Remember, I love you." She pulled away from Harry and wiped her eyes, nodding. She kissed her son on the forehead, and stepped back, dabbing at her eyes now with a tissue.

"Me too." Dean spoke to her slowly retreating form.

"Do you need help?" Harry asked.

It took Dean a moment to hear Harry, as he was looking worriedly after his waving mother. Finally, he answered in almost a whisper. "Sure, can you get the other end?"

Harry picked up the weighty trunk's closest handle, and they trundled the trunk up the steps.

Seamus poked his head out the door to a compartment, and Dean gratefully joined him, giving Harry another mournful 'thanks' as the door closed.

Harry went back to his compartment where Neville and Luna sat chatting about a Drama they had both heard on the Wizarding Wireless Network.

The engine gave a single whistle, and train began to move. Harry waved to the people outside, and even after the platform had vanished, he imagined that a large black dog was running alongside the train.

"What are you looking at?" Luna asked curiously.

"Nothing." Harry shook his head at her, and returned to his seat.

"You look worried." She commented. "Perhaps you've caught the poncherga virus? Apparently it makes people perpetually paranoid."

Neville rolled his eyes, and looked at Harry. Neither one of them thought to mention the fact that it was highly unlikely that the poncherga virus even existed.

Harry decided not to comment. "I was hoping that I could talk to you guys about something."

Both Neville and Luna sat further forwards in their seats. Harry reached into his pocket, and pulled out his ward beads.

"I've been reading up on warding spells and such, and Remus gave me these beads." He didn't want to say that he had actually conjured the beads, or explain about his lessons. "I was hoping I could integrate you both into this, so that I can practice."

Neville smiled. "What do you need?"

"Well, if you don't mind. I just wanted to put emotional wards around you, so that I'll know if something goes wrong. It's not enough to really protect you, but I'll be able to tell if you're worried or in danger. Is that all right?"

Luna stared at him with her large vacant expression. "Emotional wards are used to keep magical viruses away too you know. Maybe you should get someone to put you under one, then you wouldn't have to worry about things like the poncherga virus."

Harry didn't know for sure, but he sort of tilted his head to the side in a way that could be construed as agreement. Neville didn't miss it, and chuckled a little behind his hand.

"So you don't mind if I cast one on you?"

Both Neville and Luna nodded. Harry raised his wand, pointed it at Neville, and with a sort of zigzagging motion he muttered, "Emotiward". The last zigzag he moved so that the tip of his wand was lightly touching the yellow bead on his chain.

He did the same for Luna next, and her ward was connected to the purple bead.

"Thank you." Luna said calmly. "It's a bit like being innoculated isn't it?"

Neville and Harry laughed. Luna had a very strange sense of humour.

The train jostled them a bit as they crossed a trestle bridge, and the three of them fell silent. It wasn't really uncomfortable, but they all knew that they were just trying to think of what to talk about.

After a few more minutes, Neville finally spoke up. "I wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is going to be this year?"

Harry shrugged. "Dumbledore hasn't said anything. I'm not sure..." He suddenly thought of something and wondered why he had never checked it out before. "Maybe there's a way to find out."

"What? How?" Luna asked, as Harry carefully lifted his trunk down.

"Just a second, you'll like this." He rummaged for only a few seconds before... "Aha!" He pulled out a ragged piece of old blank parchment.

Neville lifted his eyebrows suspiciously, obviously wondering if Luna had made that much of an impression on Harry.

"This is more than just a basic piece of parchment." Harry said impressively, then touched his wand to the parchment face. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He said, and the thin ink lines of the Marauder's map swam into focus.

He handed it to Neville to let him take a look.

"Who are Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs?" he asked curiously.

"They're the people who invented this map." Harry answered evasively. "See how there are little labelled dots of people wandering around? From my experience, the map doesn't lie, so if there were someone with an invisibility cloak or disguised by polyjuice potion, it would tell you the truth. It's pretty useful."

Neville and Luna stared at the map. "There's Dumbledore. Look." Luna pointed out. "He's in the hallway outside the transfiguration classroom."

"Oh. There's McGonagall too." Neville said excitedly. "I could watch this for years! There's so much I didn't know! Is that a secret passage?" he asked, pointing it out to Harry.

"Yeah, that one is apparently caved in though. This one is the most useful." He told them, pointing. "It comes out right in the basement store room of Honeyduke's sweet shop." He moved his hand over to point to the whomping willow out on the grounds. "This passage is good too, but you have to know how to freeze the tree, otherwise you might get hurt." He didn't mention that the last time he'd been down there, it had been in third year, when he had first met Sirius.

"I don't see any new teachers here." Luna said wistfully after they had quite thoroughly analyzed the parchment. "Maybe they know how to keep themselves off the map."

Harry thought it was highly unlikely, and was about to comment, when Ron, Hermione and Ginny returned from their prefect meeting.

"I was just showing them the Marauder's map." Harry explained after they exchanged greetings.

"And how are our old friends Moony, Padfoot and Prongs today?" Ron asked.

"What about Wormtail?" Luna asked, and everyone except for Neville ignored her. Neville obviously thought Harry was going to answer her question, but Harry wanted change the subject.

"They won't tell us who the new Defense teacher is going to be." Harry answered, shaking his head.

"Maybe he or she just hasn't arrived yet. We can check again later." Hermione waved her hand at the map. "Besides, it's not like we won't find out soon enough. If the new one is at all like Umbridge, I'm dropping the class. To heck with my future."

Everyone stared at her in amazement.

"Hermione?" Ron asked. "Did I just hear you say 'to heck with my future?'"

"Yes, I did. What about it? That woman was a hag."

"Umm... right." Harry searched his mind for another subject.

"So how was the prefect meeting?"

Ginny huffed. "The other fifth year prefect is Colin Creevey. Don't worry, I told him there's no way I'm posing for a picture."

Harry laughed. He'd certainly been a focus for Colin's camera often enough to know what it felt like.

"So you have to patrol the halls then?"

"Yeah. Colin and my shift is Monday nights until one-thirty in the morning. Are they expecting us to ever get any sleep?"

"What about you guys?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione.

"Thursdays." Ron answered.

"I almost pity the poor Slytherins who have Friday night watch." Hermione giggled.

"Let me sense your thoughts." Harry put his fingers to his temples, and pressed his eyes shut. "Malfoy and Parkinson? Were they being punished for their involvement in the inquisitorial squad?

"What do you know, Harry! Maybe you should have gotten a pass in Divination after all?" Ron laughed.

"Wait, I'm getting more vibes!... Not only are they going to be forced to miss out on Friday night Slytherin common room parties, they're going to need a teacher supervisor!"

"Wow! And I thought Divination was an imprecise art!" Hermione smirked at Harry, and the entire cabin broke out into laughter.

The moment was interrupted when the witch that pushed the sweet trolley went past, and the compartment nearly exploded with wrappers, chocolate frog cards, and peanut-butter slugs. Harry had bought a huge pile of treats and was sharing it between all of them. While they ate, he pulled out his ward beads, and with their permission, cast four more warding spells. He gave the orange bead to Ron, and the green bead to Hermione.

Last of all, he zigzagged Ginny's ward onto the red bead. While everyone else had just taken his explanation that he had read about them, and that was why he could do the spell easily,Ginny gave him what might be construed as a very knowing look.

Harry had the uncomfortable feeling that Ginny knew more about his summer than she should have.

000000

A/N: I'm sorry, I know Neville already found out about the map in the fifth book, but I'm assuming it was just a sort of fleeting notice that he just didn't bother to log into his brain properly.