Flight of theImagination
Chapter Two
Harry sat across from Hermione and beside Ron; the compartment door was shut. Hermione was reading a bit of the newspapers she had brought along with her. Ron and Harry were in the middle of a chess game.
The weather was dreary, rain poured down on the windows and blurred the sight fro them outside.
For Harry, the train ride had been just the same, but even so, he couldn't help remembering how he had first come on it, how he had been introduced to the wizarding world, and when he met Ron and Hermione in his first year at 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'. Memories would last forever, and yet Harry couldn't wash away the paining sight of his Godfather, Sirius Black, and his death from his mind.
The sight of his Godfather falling down the stone steps in the Department of Mysteries, and Harry dueling Bellatrix Lestrange for revenge…every, single second of it…Harry remembered every millisecond, he was almost certain he knew the whole fight by heart, seeing how it had been racing against him throughout the summer. It had flown around his mind for countless days at the most, he even had nightmares about it when he was living on Number Four, Privet Drive.
"Harry?" Ron was calling him. "Harry!"
"Sorry," Harry mumbled to him.
"There you go, spacing out again…" Ron said, sighing.
Harry said nothing and continued looking out the window.
Hermione gave Ron a hard look.
"I'm just…tired." Harry replied as he took Ron's pawn.
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.
Before long, the compartment door slid open and Ginny Weasley arrived, followed by Luna Lovegood. They closed the door behind them.
"Can we join?" Luna asked politely.
"Sure," Ron said, shrugging as he took Harry's knight, winning the game.
The two girls took their seats next to Hermione. Luna looked at Harry curiously, Harry wished she wouldn't, he didn't feel comfortable when she came staring at him like he was some monkey at the public zoo.
Ron started to set up another game and stopped short.
"Harry, do you think Dumbledore'll be teaching us Defense against the Dark Arts this time?" He was obviously trying to stir up a conversation with him.
"Dunno," Harry replied. "Maybe…"
"I don't think so," Hermione said. "He has so much on his mind right now, don't you think?"
"I think Harry should teach us…" Luna said quietly, blushing.
Ron looked at her, bewildered. Ginny giggled.
"What?" Harry looked at her in surprise.
Hermione frowned.
"Professor Moody was good," Ron said thoughtfully.
"We never knew the real Moody…" Hermione said.
"Oh, right." Ron grunted, his ears red. "Forgot, sorry."
Harry looked back at the window, his hand at his chin, remembering his fourth year at Hogwarts. Yes, Sirius was alive then…still alive.
Ginny watched as Harry went back to staring out the window. It wasn't like him at all, it made her feel uncomfortably, very uncomfortable.
"Harry—"
The compartment door that slid open cut off her voice at that moment; Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle walked in, sneering at them.
The prefect badge pinned onto Malfoy's robes and glistened. It made Harry feel sick. He glared at them and, to his happiness, was glad to find that Crabbe and Goyle had both gained weight during the summer. It made his spirits rise a bit.
"What do you want?" Harry snarled at them, irritated.
Malfoy smirked at them. "Well, aren't we all so comfortable, sitting here and enjoying ourselves?" He said unpleasantly. "Well, I guess you'd have to try your hardest to enjoy yourselves now since the Dark Lord is back. Haven't much time to live, eh?" He sniggered.
"Get out." Harry said firmly, his hand clenching the wand in his robe pocket.
"You better be careful, Potter. Or it's an extra detention for you…" Malfoy threatened.
"Oh, really?" Harry said, fuming.
"Don't forget, Potter, I'm a prefect," He looked at Hermione and Ron. "The mudblood and Weasel won't always be here to save your skin." He snickered. "Your friends won't either, just like that Sirius Black for instance."
Harry felt an urge to hit Malfoy in the face to make him feel the pain he had felt during Sirius' death, but he made himself hold back. He wasn't going to let Malfoy get to him that easily.
"In my opinion, I would've thought he deserved it, a dirty, mangy traitor. As bad as the—"
"Shut it," Ron said, standing up.
"Oh, did I strike a nerve, weasel?" Malfoy mocked while Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind him.
"Get out." Hermione stood up as well.
"Well, we wouldn't want to stay here anyways. Seems like a highly contagious place anyways, might get caught with some mudblood flu…" Malfoy sniggered.
"Get out…" Harry snarled, raising his voice.
"Tsk, tsk, Potter, you really want detention that badly?"'
At that moment, Harry didn't care if he had gotten a hundred detention notes from Malfoy. All he wanted was to kick Malfoy hard in the rear. He gripped his wand tightly, preparing to use it if needed.
"So, has you father finally gotten out of prison?" Harry mocked.
Malfoy turned sharply. "You had better watch your mouth, Potter, or I'll—"
"Watch my mouth? You had better wash yours." Harry said through his clenching teeth. "From all that rubbish in that thick skull of yours…and at least learn to keep it shut. Or would you like me to do that for you?"
Hermione looked from Harry to Malfoy nervously, fumbling with her hands. "Harry…"
Malfoy scoffed. "I wouldn't want to be with the mudblood anyways, you'd best be careful, Weasley, your girlfriend's kind of dirty, if you know what I mean..." He said, turning around to the door, laughing.
A loud banging sound was heard and Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were left on the ground. Ron, Harry and Ginny had their wands raised. Each had used a hex or jinx, whatever they had in mind.
Carefully, they kicked the unconscious trio out the compartment and out in the train's hall.
"Harry! What happened?"
Neville's cry came from behind and he joined their compartment as well, clutching onto his toad, Trevor.
"Nothing much," Ron told Neville as they walked cautiously over Malfoy and the other two, making it sound like a joke. "Just the usual, you know?"
"Are you alright?" Ginny was asking Hermione.
"Oh, he didn't hurt me or anything. But you really must stop using magic like that…" Hermione said.
"What? We just chased them off because he was called you a you-know-what!" Ron exclaimed.
"Oh, it doesn't really matter to me, it's just a name, just like teasing in kindergarten." Hermione said, tossing aside her bushy hair from getting into her eyes.
Ron looked at her, bewildered as Harry took his seat again and they started playing a round of Exploding Snap.
"Erm…so how's Fred and George?" Harry asked Ron.
"Oh, them?" Ron said. "They're acting more crazy than ever, last time they brought home one of their experiments on a rat and the whole house smelled like rotting cabbages. They said they were working on some new formula or something…" Ron said. "But I guess mum can't really do anything about it anymore, they're grown-ups, after all. And they seem to have been in better spirits too, they even bought me these!"
Ron rummaged through his trunk to find a new set of dress robes in an elegant, royal red color with golden decorations at the sleeves and tied by the same golden thread in an elegant knot.
"Wow," Harry mumbled, trying to be happy for Ron. After all, it was he, Harry, that had urged the twins to take the Triwizard winnings he had won to open a joke shop and buy Ron new dress robes. As agreed, the twins didn't say anything about Harry giving the money to them, and Harry was glad, he didn't want anyone to feel left out.
"Wait 'til Malfoy see this…" Ron snickered.
"Yeah," Harry joined him.
Hermione gave them a hard look again.
Ginny and Luna were talking about something on the table beside them. Hermione, Ron and Harry asked them to join for Exploding Snap. They had a magnificent time, but before Harry could feel the time, they had arrived at the front doors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.