Chapter four – the first of many
The members of the order were all tense, walking around in a uniform of a black suit with a red tie and a red lined black travelling cloak as Aberforth had said when he showed them the new uniform
"Well, you've got to out style then before you out fight them, eh?"
Harry agreed, and was pleased when told by moody that all of the order there would be posted at Hogwarts, and expected to wear the uniform all year, they were given badges for this also, showing a phoenix in flight over a wizard with his want aloft and the motto "For all that is good" underneath it.
They all stood in their predetermined positions, hands over the wands placed in the special holsters sewn into their robes. At around half an hour before the train was due to leave, the students began to appear, the first timers and many of the older ones wondering what the wizards standing in pairs were doing, looking nervous, shifting from foot to foot and glancing to each other as if waiting for something. Harry had arrived much earlier with Ginny and Annie to make sure they were safe on the train, for if students were on the train, they were safe, as the school wards extended onto the Hogwarts Express. Harry who had been stationed with Neville was looking for anything suspicious, but nothing yet. Quarter to reached and more students, then at about ten minutes to a loud bang echoed through the station, Harry and Neville who had been stationed near the door had the fight the crowds of people all rushing to the exit
"That's it!" Harry yelled above the screaming "lets Apparate" he did so before Neville had the chance to reply.
Harry reappeared right in the middle of the fight, the bodies of dead muggles laying everywhere and about twenty death eaters blasting random spells into the panicking masses. Harry went straight into action, throwing an approaching death eater against the wall with his left hand whilst going for his wand with the right. The man hit the wall with a dull thud and his head lolled forwards, then he recognised a scream, it was Bellatrix Lestrange, he would have his chance now for revenge. Using his Legilimency he delved into her consciousness
"Bella, oh Bella!"
He said into her thoughts. She spun on her heel "potter!" she said, with a hunger in her voice that was obvious to his ears
"You killed my master, potter and now ill kill you" she said, blasting a slicing curse at him, he dodged it easily
"You really do think you're a cut above don't you Bella!" he said, using his mind to lift her 20 feet in the air
"You underestimate me Mrs Lestrange! I'm the reason you're a widow, I'm the reason you're weak, in the reason you're life means more to anyone now if I take it, instead of leaving it" saying this he threw her at the ceiling, only knocking her out, as she fell, he slowed her, he didn't want her dead, not yet, he had a plan for how she'd meet her end. He put the body bind on her and walked to her
"Say hello to your cousin, wont you, the veil will welcome you with open arms I believe. DON'T MACNIR" he said spinning around to see another death eater approaching, he had been reading his thoughts as he approached
"You're wrong on both parts there, my friend, no she isn't dead, but I can make her, and no, you wont kill me" he said. Then shooting a disarming spell at him and running at him, slamming him against a train and falling to the floor with him, hurting his shoulder but winding his foe. He then pointed his wand at him and said
"Petrificus totallus" he would be another one for the ministry to decide a fate for.
The remaining death eaters realised it was a lost cause and disapparated, not before one had sent the dark mark into the sky however.
Harry, who had been in charge of the team, then shouted "everyone on me!"
And the orders members all did as he instructed, some limping some with small cuts but all alive,
"right, we've only got a couple of minutes until the police get here, so I think we need to get through the barrier" just as he said this the first sirens became audible "right then, lets go" he said, leading them through. He stopped, after seeing a particularly large corpse lying on the floor; he spun it over to see Dudley, staring blankly at him, nothing in his eyes just death. He took the wand from his pocket and pointed it at him
"Corpus incinerous" he said and as his cousin burst into flames he threw his wand onto his body, as was the tradition with a wizard's cremation.
The train hadn't left when Harry got to it; he supposed that it had been waiting for the order. He got on and made his way past the prefect carriage to one at the very front of the train. Inside he was surprised to find not the usual compartments, but squashy chairs arranged into a semi circle, in the one furthest to the right sat Ginny, with Annie sat on a mat on the floor of the room, playing with some bricks. The order greeted her and she kissed Harry on the cheek, he then took a place at the front of the carriage, the rest sat looking at him.
"Well, it went very well, as far as I could see, the only muggles to die were those caught in the blast of the first curse, the others it seems were only hurt, cuts and bruises but that seems all. None of the order died and as far as I know, all the students seem to be unscathed. Moody, do you have anything to say?"
"No, I think you've covered it all potter"
"Right then, think ill go and patrol, see if there were any injuries, ill owl Dumbledore also, tell him it went ok" he slid open the door and stepped out, on the Hogwarts express again, and no doubt it would be as unique a year as all the rest.
As he strolled up and down the train reminiscing about train rides past, occasionally glancing into a compartment to see children laughing or playing exploding snap his thoughts turned to Dudley, in the wake of his parents death, the cousins had been getting along quite well, even nearly seeming to be friends. But he had been killed, Harry was sad, but he wasn't as sad as he would have been if it were a member of who he regarded as his family now but he had been upset by it, it had caught him off guard. He stood, staring at the fields and the stone walls around them as the train sped past and he hadn't realised he has stopped, until he felt a pair of arms slowly wrap around him, he spun around to see Ginny stood in front if him, and she reached up on tiptoe and kissed him softly on the lips
"I know you're upset Harry, you don't have to be the hero with me, you're just my Harry. He was your cousin, and you may not have acted like it, but he was family, you've got the right to grieve"
"It's not that, I just want to move on, he was the last one, and now I've got my new family, you're all I need right now"
"I bet you didn't realise which compartment you've stopped outside of" she said, a wicked grin spreading across her face.
"No" he admitted, turning to look into it, seeing the second years inside it "oh! It's that one"
"Yes, it is indeed" she said, "the first ever time we kissed was in that compartment"
"and if I have my way;" he said "it wont be the last time Mrs. Potter" he said, craning his neck downward to kiss her passionately on the lips, to the catcalls and shouts of the children in the compartment. Harry herd shouting and then a voice he recognised as Neville's response, he broke away from Ginny, who was panting slightly and said
"I'll go and see what's happening" before setting off down the train. As he arrived at the scene of the commotion he saw Neville arguing with three senior students and it seemed he wasn't doing to well.
"What's going on here? Professor Longbottom?" Harry asked taking the students, whom he could now see were Slytherins by surprise
"What's it to you?" one asked, shaken but still cocksure with what he recognised as a cockney accent
"Yeah and why'd you call him professor? He's not a professor, my brother knew him, he's Neville Longbottom" said another young wizard, large built with a bald head, the other stood to the side of the first to speak looked strangely familiar also, and not just because of his gorilla like appearance
"He is indeed a professor and so am I, I'm Professor Potter, and this is professor Longbottom. Now Neville, what is the problem?
"I found these three picking on some younger students in the carriage just down the hall and when I challenged them, they began to answer back"
"They did, did they?" Neville nodded "well, I think ill have 5 points from Slytherin, each. Which carriage was it?"
"The next one down"
"Right then" Harry said, and made his way to the carriage. "Hello, I'm here with these students and they are about to apologise to you"
"We are not!"
"You are, or ill jinx you until even you're parents won't recognise you!" he said, in a dangerous tone, this was for Malfoy, who Harry was sure were the biggest twos brothers, Crabbe and Goyle
"No were not, you can't do that."
"You want to try me? How about you Crabbe or you Goyle? Tell me, did your parents enjoy the fight they had after dropping you off? Do they like being malfoy's lap dog again?" the two looked startled at Harry's recognition of them and they stepped back slightly. "That's right, now apologise"
The three mumbled their apologies
"Could you hear that?" he asked the occupants of the compartment and they all shook their heads
"Do it properly" he said, this time drawing his wand on them and speaking in barely more than a whisper
"Sorry"
"Sorry"
"Sorry"
"Now leave before I blast you out of this train, and please do tell your fathers about it, I'm sure they'd love to hear I'm keeping my eye on you."
As the three sulkily walked along the carriage the fired a spell above their heads and shouted
"AND HURRY UP ABOUT IT" down the train at them, he turned to Ginny who was laughing and the two walked back up the train, arm in arm.
As the train slowed the order members went to the front doors, they were to get off first, and set p a perimeter around the platform, to stop and budding attackers Harry stood, the sum beaming into his eyes but the heat not affecting him as his cooling charm did its job perfectly. They were stood, some on the plat form, others lining the path to the carriage and Harry and bill were going to escort the first years, with hargid into the boats and over the lake. Hargid greeted Harry with a wake and a roar and Harry walked over to him, when the group of tiny first years arrived, Harry bill and the half giant made their way down to the lake and into the boats, across the lake.
"right then, we'll leave you here" he said to Hagrid, and he and bill set off up the stair case and into the hall, where a table had bee set up parallel to the staff one, but on the same level as the student's for members of the order, all facing the students, Harry took his place at the staff table, thinking how weird it was to be sat up there and he waited as the hall filled up.
Finally as the hall was full, the first years sorted and a hush had filled the large room, professor Dumbledore stood, and said
"we have a time for talk, and a time for food, fortunately this is a time for food, tuck in!" and the usual splendid feast filled the ancient tables and Harry began to eat, feeling very self conscious as he could feel the body of people in front of him starring and muttering.
"It's all right Harry, I remember feeling the same on my first day here" said professor McGonagall who was sat to his left
"Oh professor, Imagine how I'll be for my first class! I can't do it!" he said, suddenly panicking and thinking longingly of the burrow and an easy job
"Don't talk nonsense Harry, you taught the DA didn't you? You know what you're doing!" the old witch said "and potter, I'm no longer your professor, call me Minerva"
"Yes prof… Minerva" he replied thankfully and he then ate well and drank, realising it was wine, not pumpkin juice they served at the teachers table. Dumbledore stood once again and the hall fell quiet and the last remnants of food disappeared from the table
"I have a few start of term notices to give out but now you must hear the usual, students are reminded that the forbidden forest remains forbidden, and as the older students may well know, Mr Filch has chosen to keep his list of artefacts he deems inappropriate for the school and I am amused to say that it has extended again to include all the products in the Weasley's wizard wheezes summer catalogue!
"Now, you may well notice the many many new members of staff." He said, this is what the students were waiting to hear about, and you could almost taste the anticipation in the air
"Firstly we have several new members of teaching staff; our first new appointment is one Miss Cho Chang, who is replacing Madam Hooch, who was drafted in to coach the England team. Next, we have Mr Neville Longbottom, who I have hired to replace professor sprout, as she has also been taken away from me, and is currently working at Que botanical gardens" there was sporadic applause
"and for my last appointment I would like to welcome Mr Harry Potter back to Hogwarts to teach defence against the dark arts, replacing professor Barkley who sadly died during the summer, at his French holiday home" there was a more vigorous applause this time, particularly from the Gryffindors and some even shouted his name and congratulated him on the defeat of Voldemort.
" also, I would like you to greet the members of the order of the phoenix who shall be in residence at the castle, they are for your safety and are here to stop any more attacks like the one this morning. What I am about to tell you needed to know, it is for your safety, and I ask for no interruptions. Voldemort has indeed died, but another has taken over his death eaters. Lucius Malfoy has taken command and we believe he will carry on the attacks and the terror campaign that Voldemort once employed. Now let me introduce them to you all, firstly we have my brother Aberforth" he stood and waved to the students
"Next, we have Kingsly Shacklebolt, an ex ministry auror" he stood also and raised a hand to the crowd
"also an ex auror id like to introduce you to Nymphadora tonks, although anyone who calls her by her first name may find them selves gravely hurt" Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling
"We also have Remus Lupin, an ex professor here and a highly skilled wizard" Lupin stood also and smiled graciously
"We also have Alastor moody, another ex auror and a legendry wizard"
Moody raised his hand, but remained seated,
"and now we have three Weasley brothers, Bill, Fred and George, bill has long hair, but Merlin help anyone trying to tell the other two apart" the three stood, bill raising a hand but Fred and George both going into deep theatrical bows I think that's all" he said "now its much to late and I don't want to see any of you again until morning, now to go sleep!" he said, and the students began to file out of the hall. At that moment Ginny, who had been sat with the order got up and announced to the staff
"I think we all need a small reward for today, everyone back to our house for a nightcap"
"Hear hear!" said Dumbledore and he led the way. They were walking down the lawns and Dumbledore turned to Harry and said
"Haven't you wondered where your beautiful daughter is?"
"Oh my!" exclaimed Harry "where is she, I forgot al about her"
"well there was a particular member of staff whom upon hearing you were moving and living at Hogwarts refused to work anywhere but with you" just has he said this he herd a high pitched excited squeal
"HARRY POTTER SIR!"
"DOBBY!" shouted Harry, bemused
"He remembers dobby!" the house elf shouted through his delighted sobs "suck an honour it is to be working for Harry potter! When dobby hears Professor Dumbledore telling Professor McGonagall you is to be moving here Dobby insists that he is to be working for you"
"Not just me Dobby" Harry explained "you know my wife as well" Harry said, taking Ginny's hand
"YOU'VE MARRIED YOUR MISS WEEZY!" Dobby shouted and then feinted.
They managed to revive dobby in front of Harry's fireplace, Dumbledore holding the small elf's head up and saying
"I think the excitement got to you there dobby!" and she tried to stop the elf from running into the kitchen and gathering all sorts of snacks and drinks for the house guests, but to no avail, although he was amused by his behaviour. After the guests had left, Harry sat with Ginny on his knee and Annie on hers. Dobby walked in and burst into tears at just the sight of them
"Oh, Harry potter and his Ginny have a baby they is so happy and now dobby has them to look after"
"Dobby come and sit down" Ginny said and the elf did so, tears shining still in his eyes
The elf sat in one corner of the sofa and looked at them, tears still filling his eyes.
"Dobby, do you want to hold her?" Ginny asked quietly
"OH MISS GINNY!" he wailed "dobby would like nothing more! Such an honour it would be!"
Ginny rose and placed the baby in his lap; he gazed at her speechless with silent tears streaming down his face
"Dobby? Do you think you could hold her for a while I want to talk to Ginny, ok?"
Dobby nodded, unable to speak still. Harry took Ginny's hand and led her into the kitchen. There, he saw a "welcome back" cake, obviously baked by hagrid Harry saw this and pulled Ginny into a long slow kiss when he broke away she said
"What was that for?"
"Do I need a reason to kiss the woman I love and admire?"
She giggled and pulled him into another kiss
"That's for the man I love and admire then"
"I love you, Ginny Potter"
"And I you, my Harry"
On the way back to the living room, Harry stopped at his trunk to get a camera he had brought for his holidays with Ginny last summer and he took it in with him. They entered the room and herd dobby singing a beautifully haunting lullaby in an elven language, they couldn't understand he saw them and raised a finger to his lips
"Miss Annie is sleeping, you mustn't not wake her" he went to get up but Harry said
"Stay there a minute dobby" and took a picture "I'll get a copy for you, to put in your room?
"I gets a whole room!" he said, sounding like a child at Christmas
"Yes dobby, of course you do!" said Harry "will you take Annie up to bed please dobby?"
"Yes of course Harry Potter sir, Dobby will be going to bed then also. Goodnight" said the elf, and carried the sleeping baby to bed, still gazing into her sleeping face
"Well, my angel, I think this bed needs christening, don't you?"
"Oh yes definitely" Ginny replied a mischievous on her face and they made their way upstairs.
A/N helloo! back again. another thursday another update! i suggest reading this listening to Iron Maiden as this is who i wrote it to, yo umay also see some slight maiden references, as i am using a lot of thier songs and independant research to get plots and people. i'd just like to say a hello to my lone reviewer zippyfox, people like you spur me on to write like a thing posessed and fuel my love of the words
simon