Title: Is It Worth It 2: The Final Battle
Summary: The temptation of darkness ebbs away at Harry's last nerve as he attempts to keep his views out of public eyes. Everyone believes he has returned to the light, but has he really or is he fighting for both dark and light, inside himself and in the impending war. Sequel to: Is It Worth It?
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Here goes...I don't own him, no one does. He is his own person thank you very much!
A/n: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS EVERYONE!
Chapter 6 "Back to Hogwarts"
Platform 9 3/4 was crowded. It seemed that this year there were more people there than ever.
Harry, Hermione and the remaining Weasleys piled right after the other through the train door. Arthur and Molly stood on the platform waiving good-bye as the train began to move.
Harry watched until they disappeared around the bend. He felt the familiar home sickness as soon as he turned back to the others. They were watching him.
"Are you okay Harry?" Hermione asked. Harry had the urge to spill everything, tell them that he wasn't okay, nothing was okay. How could it be? He was going back to Hogwarts. He was going back to hell.
Three years ago he wouldn't have thought going back to Hogwarts hell, he would have thought Hogwarts the best home because it sheltered him from the outside world. One year later, the truth came out and everything turned dark, even him.
"Harry? Are you there?" Again Hermione asked. She was sitting across him, leaning in so she could see his eyes.
Harry mentally shook his head and smiled at her. "I'm okay, just a bit nervous."
"Why?"
This time Harry turned to Ron and Ginny, but Hermione beat him. "He's afraid how everyone is going to react to him this year. Last year was just a taste, it might be worse this year."
"But they can't just turn their backs on him!" said Ron through clenched teeth.
"You have to remember, not everyone knows Harry as well as we do. If the media told them that he turned, they would believe it faster than hearing Harry's side." Ginny said softly.
The compartment settled into silence after that. Harry went back to his own thoughts, Hermione rummaged through her bag until she found what she was looking for and settled down. Ginny sat quietly in her corner, occasionally she would glance in Harry's direction. Ron sat staring out the window, trying not to disturb the silence.
Harry sat looking out the window. The witch with the trolley had passed and they took the time to buy some Chocolate Frogs before they all resumed their silence. Harry didn't know if they were doing it for him, or themselves. He knew they were still a bit edgy around him, but it was to be expected. If they acted like that around him, he dreaded to think what was going to happen at Hogwarts.
"We will be arriving at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in ten minutes." The conductor's voice sounded through the speakers. Ginny and Hermione immediately left the compartment, giving the boys time to dress.
By the time they got to the Great Hall, they were the last ones. When they opened the door, silence filled the room as everyone turned to look at them. Harry tried to hold his shiver in and followed Ron and the others to Gryffindor table.
"What are you doing here, Potter? You should be with the Slytherins!" Hisses even from his past friends were thrown at him. Harry tried not to retort.
"Traitor!" Padma Patil spat. Ernie Mcmillan glared at him and hissed as he passed. Most of the Great Hall glared at him, even the Slytherin table had a couple of hisses thrown at him.
"Shouldn't you be licking You-Know-Who's ass Potter? We don't need traitors here, go back to where you came from!" Harry closed his eyes, that was a hit.
Ron, who had stood next to him when they came in, now stood in front of him and glaring at the mousy brown haired boy. Red sparks were spewing from his wand.
"You think you're so high and mighty don't you Macnamera? You who can't even say his damn name! If he showed up at this school right now, I bet you would be the first one to run to him and lick his ass! The only traitor I see here is you! You shouldn't believe everything you hear from others until you actually see it for your self!" Ron yelled.
The whole hall stood silently, every breath was held in, waiting. Macnamera glared at Ron and stood up.
"Weasley, as a pureblood you'd think what was best for you, just like Potter. He couldn't handle a little shit so he ran and got himself in a shit loadof trouble! Why don't you just admit that he crossed. I've read between the little coated up articles that the Prophet put out for people. All lies in it just like you're lying right now!
"Potter's nothing but a traitor and if you call me a traitor again I'll cut your throat out! Why don't you step aside and let Potter fight his own battles!"
By now Ron's face was red and Harry could tell that only a thin thread was holding that anger in. If Macnamera pushed too hard, things could get ugly.
"Ron, leave him alone. Let him think what he wants to think." He spoke softly. He wasn't sure if his friend even heard him.
"Ron? Harry's right, just let him go. If you do anything stupid you might end up in prison." Hermione said. She had managed to get in front of Harry also, along with Ginny and a couple of others. They were standing around Harry, as if shielding him from the others.
"What's wrong, Potter? Can't fight your own battles? I thought you were the Boy-Who-Lived? I thought you were the one that everyone idolized." Macnamera said.
"If you don't shut up than you'll see how well I fight my own battles." Harry hissed. He smirked slightly as he saw the flicker of doubt in Macnamera's eyes, but it vanished.
"I thought you were supposed to be this hero and save us all, but instead you join the enemy. Are you so scared that you wouldn't defeat him, so you joined him? Your mother and father would roll in their graves if they saw you right now."
Two red robes and one blue flashed before the hall knew what was happening. Ron and Harry had both jumped onto Macnamera at the same time. Forgetting magic and beating the boy with fists.
Harry didn't know that he snapped, he more saw it like slow motion. As soon as he heard the comment coming out of the boy's mouth, all hell broke loose and Ron and he had both jumped on him.
"WHAT is going on here?!" They broke apart and stood up, Macnamera left on the floor bleeding. McGonagall and Sprout strode up to the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor table. They didn't know what to say. The boy on the ground was bleeding freely while Ron and Harry stood guiltily at their spots.
"Explain this right now!" McGonagall said. There was no other way to say it, she was beyond pissed, outraged even.
"Macnamera said some stuff about Harry, Professor. Some stuff he shouldn't have. Ron and Harry warned him to stop, but he continued to insult Harry until Harry lost it and attacked him. Ron helped him. Professor, Macnamera deserved it." Hermione said.
"Was it so bad that you had to beat the boy? Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, you have detention starting today."
She turned to the unconscious boy, "When he wakes tell him that he also has detention and if I see this repeated, anyone who was involved will be suspended. Immediately."
"Professor it wasn't Harry and Ron's fault. Macnamera said some personal stuff." Ginny said.
"Miss Weasley, be glad that we have not started classes yet or I would have had to take points away."
Harry stood watching as she walked out of the hall, Macnamera floating behind her. "Come on Harry, we need to sit down."
"What just happened?" He asked as he followed Ginny's example and sat.
"You and Ron beat Macnamera to the brink of death. Remind me to never say anything about your parents." Ginny muttered. Harry smiled.
"I wonder why none of the teachers did anything until McGonagall came." Hermione said. Harry glanced questioningly at her but she just pointed her finger at the head table.
Most of the teachers sat at their respective seats and talked to each other as if nothing happened. Snape and Dumbledore were absent from the group.
"I was certain they would do something if a fight issued, but nothing happened. They all sat and watched when Macnamera said that stuff to you. They didn't do anything when you and Ron attacked him. It's strange." Hermione mumbled.
"Who cares, no points were taken off, except earning Harry and myself detention." Ron said.
"Hey, Potter." Harry turned and looked for the voice that called to him. Marietta, Cho's friend, the one that had betrayed the DA in their fifth year, waved at him.
"That was my friend you attacked, Potter. Watch your back this year, you won't get away with what you did. You're a traitor. I don't know why Dumbledore let you even set foot into Hogwarts again. Where ever you are there's trouble. If it wasn't for you Cedric never would have died."
The comment hit Harry full on. He expected a lot of things from her, but never something like that. She had just mentioned one of the things he had kept trying to forget. He clenched his fists and glared at her.
"Just who's the traitor Marietta?" Marietta's eyes went wide and she scrunched up her nose at him.
"Just stay close to the few friends you have left, Potter."
Harry ignored her and turned back to his dinner.
"Harry?"
"What?!" Harry half yelled. He turned around only to find himself face to face with Luna Lovegood.
"Luna. Don't tell me you're against me too?" Luna smiled at him, her face serious for the first time.
"You haven't betrayed us, Harry. No matter what they keep saying, I believe you. You were just feeling insecure last year. You were angry and needed some space. Things just didn't turn out the way you hoped.
"Harry just ignore them. For Ravenclaws, they are dimwits that cannot see a good heart if it stared them in the face. I will always be your friend Harry. I may not have known you long, but I have a gift that tells me which people are good. You are my friend and always will be. Don't let their judgment cloud your mind, don't get angry at them or yourself. You will show them who you really are soon. You have a lot of allies, you just don't know it yet. When you need us the most, we will stand by you."
Without another word, Luna went away. Harry and the others stared after her.
"You know she's right. We are here for you." Ginny said.
"Thanks guys."
Everyone fell silent when the doors opened once again and McGonagall walked in with the first years.
"Sorry we are late, but there were problems that needed to be fixed."
She walked up to the podium and grabbed the parchment, calling out the names of the first years. Harry tuned most of it out and kept glancing up at the table, waiting to see if Dumbledore or Snape had come.
"Now, you will all eat and go to bed. I will have no one out in the corridors causing trouble." McGonagall said. As soon as she sat down everyone went to eat, forgetting all that had occurred not minutes before.
"Hi, I'm Hermione, I'm the head girl." Harry turned and stared at his friend.
"You are?"
Hermione laughed, "Course I am, where've you been?"
Harry blushed and continued eating.
"You'll love it here at Hogwarts, it's the best and safest place to be." Hermione said, not missing the snort that came from Harry. When she cast him a confused stare, Harry ignored her.
"I'm Aerlyn." The first year Gryffindor said timidly. Harry looked upat the girl, seeing her for the first time. She had black hair and the bluest blueeyes he had ever seen, they were almost black.
"The one across you is Harry, this is Ron and Ginny. They're brother and sister." Hermione said pointing to each one.
"Harry Potter? I've heard about you." Aerlyn said, her eyes traveling up to Harry's forehead. Harry rolled his eyes.
"What did you hear? The good or the bad?" Harry said cynically.
"Harry! Be polite."
"The good I think. How you defeated Voldemort and how now you're fighting against him. My mum also told me about you turning dark, but she said not to believe all the nonsense. I think she is right." Aerlyn smiled at Harry. Harry couldn't bring himself to smile back.
Hermione scowled at him, "He's just not feeling up to talking right now. Try to engage him in conversation after he had some sleep."
"Hermione, I think McGonagall is calling you." Ginny said turning back to them after talking to Parvati.
Sure enough McGonagall began to wave her over when she looked up. Excusing herself, Hermione went up to the head table. Ten minutes of trying to read their lips Harry quit and waiting until Hermione came back. Five minutes later she sat down in between him and Ron.
"Well what did she want?" Ron asked.
"Nothing, just that there is a Head Girl and Boy meeting right after we show the new students where they sleep."
"Now that we are all done with our dinner, you will go straight to your dormitories. I don't want no foolish students running around late. Anyone who is caught will be receiving detention."
McGonagall said.
Hermione and other Prefects stood up and told the new students to follow them. When they reached the Fat Lady, Hermione turned around and smiled at the confused faces.
"Through this portrait is the Gryffindor common room. You will spend seven years here and any points you earn or lose will be taken from the house hour glass. Make sure you try hard not to lose points. Try to follow the rules and not sneak out like I know some people to do. Whatever you do, don't try to upset Professor Snape. You cross lines with him, you're done for." Hermione smiled.
"Now the password for the portrait now is Dumbledore's Army. As the year goes by, the passwords will change, make sure that you check with me or any of the Prefects for the password. Whatever you do, do not tell anyone that is not in Gryffindor the password. If you have to, guard it with your life."
"Stop scaring them, Hermione." Harry said, smirking.
"The girls' dormitory is on the left and the boys' dormitory is on the right. Boys' just to warn you, don't try to use the girls' stairs. It's very painful to slide all the way down. If you want to know just ask Ron Weasley." Hermione smirked at Ron's crimson face.
"So when did Hermione get a twin?" Ron asked. Harry and Ginny laughed.
"She has changed." Ginny said.
"Is that good or bad?" Hermione asked as she joined them.
"That was pretty good. You actually didn't try to lecture them and tell them to study, study, study!" Ron said.
"Oh! I forgot to!" All three laughed at her expense. Hermione sent them a scowl.
"Well I'm goint to that meeting. Youthree should be getting to sleep too. We have NEWTS this year, so study, study, study!"
Ron groaned and Harry hit him over the head. "You had to mention that!"
The girls laughed and they parted going separate ways.
AN: Sorry for the lateness. I just had finals at school and had to study for them. First semester just ended Thursday and we had today off. We had three snow days so far and one where they cancelled school for no reason and expect us to make it up...pfft as if! lol. Anyway I'll try to post more often. REVIEW PLZ! If anyone has any ideas don't be shy!