Chapter 6
The Journey Home
Ginny looked around, "I don't know", she replied with a worried tone.
"You start at the back and make your way forward and I'll start from the front and make my way back." Hermione told Ginny. Both girls ran to the opposite ends of the train and started searching for Ron.
After ten minutes, Hermione and Ginny met up in the middle of the train, "no sign of him?" asked Ginny, still worried for her brother.
"No, he can't have made it on the train" replied Hermione also worried about Ron's disappearance, "we need to get to the prefects compartment and tell the others what's happened."
When Hermione and Ginny entered the prefect's compartment they were greeted with a strange sight. "Ron!" Hermione and Ginny exclaimed, "what are you doing?"
Luna Lovegood was dragging Ron inside through the window by his trousers. Looking a bit black with soot, Ron just stared at Hermione for a few seconds, getting his breath back and then said "I made it!"
"Come on you!" Hermione exclaimed and dragged Ron out of the compartment to find Neville. Ginny followed.
They found Neville in a compartment on his own and sat down with him.
"You mind explaining what you were doing hanging out the window?" Hermione asked.
"Sorry Mione, I apparated on the top of the train," replied Ron, "I managed to get down to where I knew the prefects compartment was and got Luna to help me in through the window."
Neville stared at Ron in disbelief, "what were you doing apparating on top of the train?"
Ginny replied, "we nearly missed the train and had to apparate on. Hermione and I managed it okay, but this idiot landed on the roof!"
"Hey, I made it didn't I!" Ron exclaimed.
"Where's Harry?" Neville asked.
"We don't know," replied Ginny sadly. Hermione proceeded to tell Neville what happened back at Grimmauld Place.
"I hope he's okay," said Neville.
"So do we," replied Ginny.
Everyone sat quietly, not speaking.
Knock … knock … "come in" replied Dumbledore. "Remus, how good to see you, what brings you to Hogwarts?"
"I'm sorry headmaster, but Harry's gone missing. I believe he may have made his own way here so I'm here to ask you permission to search the grounds with Hagrid."
"What happened?" Dumbledore asked.
Remus explained to Dumbledore what happened back at Grimmauld Place.
"You go straight down to Hagrid and search the grounds as you see fit, I'll inform the staff to start a search of the castle," Dumbledore said rising from his chair. He turned to the portraits of the old headmasters and asked them all to keep their eyes open for Harry and also to go round telling all the other portraits to look out for Harry.
Remus found Hagrid in his hut and told him about Harry disappearing and Hagrid started to search the grounds. While Hagrid was searching the grounds, Remus decided to search his old haunt, the shrieking shack.
Remus touched the knot on the whomping willow with a stick to stop the tree from swinging its branches at him and dove down the hole at the base of the tree. Remus ran all the way down the dark passageway until he could see the light at the end and proceeded to creep up into the shrieking shack so he wouldn't make any noise and alarm Harry, if he was there.
Remus entered the shrieking shack and walked slowly up the stairs to the bedroom where Harry met his godfather for the first time. He crept into the room and found a golden griffin lying on the bed fast asleep. Remus' jaw dropped; he pulled out his wand and walked slowly up to the sleeping creature. All of a sudden the creature opened its eyes and pounced on Remus knocking him back on the floor.
Remus started screaming and struggling but it was no use. The screaming would be ignored as everyone in Hogsmeade thought the shrieking shack was haunted, and the struggling was a waste of time due to the size of the creature.
After a few minutes, he realised that the creature was only holding him down and not actually attacking him, so Remus finally gave up struggling and stared at the creature worryingly.
"What do you want? What are you doing here?" he asked the creature.
The creature backed up from Remus, stared at him for a moment and transformed into Harry.
"Harry!" exclaimed Remus, "what? when? how?" he shuck his head. Remus suddenly had a dozen questions in his head that needed answering all at once.
"Godric Gryffindor" was all Harry said, sitting back on the bed and looking down at his feet.
"What's Godric Gryffindor got to do with anything?" Remus asked sitting next to Harry.
"Sirius' money and house wasn't all I inherited this summer," replied Harry.
Remus gave him a minute and Harry continued, "he's been showing me visions ever since I started teaching myself Legilimency and Occlumency and blocking out Voldemort."
"What sort of visions Harry?" Remus asked.
"When I started training to be an animagus, Godric started showing me visions of a golden griffin."
"It only took you two months to become an animagus?" Remus exclaimed more than asked.
Harry ignored Remus and carried on, "Tonks came round to Privet Drive and helped me train but it happened so fast … we … we were both so scared. I kept collapsing on the floor every time I transformed because of the visions I was getting from Godric. I'm still getting the visions and they're getting stronger but I'm beginning to understand them more, I think." Harry looked up at Remus who put his arm around Harry. Harry hugged him and started crying into Remus' chest, "I'm sorry if I hurt you, I shouldn't have acted that way."
"It's okay Harry, let it all out." Remus said.
After a couple of minutes, Harry had cried himself out. He hadn't had anyone there for him all summer that would understand about how he felt about Sirius' death. Tonks was there for him, but for a different reason.
"So," Remus broke the silence, "what else have you been learning this summer?"
"Not much, apart from what I've already told you, just a bit a wandless magic," Harry replied.
"A bit of wandless magic?" exclaimed Remus more than asking.
Harry looked up at him and then down to his feet, "banishing, summoning, locking, unlocking and shielding charms. Also transfiguration and apparating, among other things."
"Well," Remus said, "you have been keeping yourself busy." Remus was rather annoyed that Harry didn't ask him for any help in any of this, but he was also proud of Harry.
"Come on then, let's see what you've got," Remus said standing up.
"I don't want to fight you Remus," said Harry softly.
"Oh come on Harry, what's a bit of play fighting going to do?" asked Remus playfully.
Harry stood up and faced Remus. Remus got his wand up and saluted, Harry just held his hands up to show Remus he wasn't holding his wand. "Don't get too cocky Potter" Remus said. They both turned around and walked three paces forward, away from each other and spun around.
Harry raised his hand, summoned a silver knife from the Hogwarts kitchens and banished it towards Remus. Remus didn't even bother raising his wand, his eyes grew wide, he stepped back and breathed in deeply. Harry stopped the knife a couple of inches from Remus' chest, let it sit there for a few seconds and then banished it back to the kitchens.
Harry casually walked up to Remus, plucked his wand out of his hand and stepped back a couple of paces.
Remus just stood in place, not moving, with his mouth open.
"Come on old man," Harry joked, "let's get back to the castle."
"We're nearly there." Hermione informed everyone sadly.
"Well, I suppose we ought to make one more round seeing as we're prefects." said Ginny in the same tone of voice as Hermione.
Ron, Hermione & Ginny got up and were just about to leave when Ginny just stopped in the doorway.
"Harry!" she exclaimed. She turned around and was greeted with confused looks on everyone's faces. "He's okay!"
Hermione pushed past Ginny and into the corridor. "Where is he?" asked Hermione with an even more of a confused look on her face.
"He's at Hogwarts," replied Ginny.
"How do you know?" asked Ron.
"I can feel him," replied Ginny.
"Scuse me?" asked Ron.
Ginny just smiled back, "right, come on, let's go on our rounds."
"Ginny!" Ron exclaimed.
"I can feel him that's all," keeping the secret about her legilimency training with Harry.
Ginny went out of the door and turned right, to go back towards the front of the train and Hermione turned left to go to the rear and Ron decided to follow Ginny. Hermione looked at Ron as he went off ignoring her and went off in a huff.
Ron kept badgering Ginny about 'feeling' Harry but Ginny wasn't letting up. She smiled as she walked back down the corridor to their compartment. Unknown to Ron, Ginny was talking with Harry in her mind. "This year is going to be sooo good," Ginny said more to herself than anyone else.
They got back to their compartment and Ron started badgering Hermione about what Ginny had said, but Hermione just ignored Ron as he ignored her not twenty minutes ago.
Ron got the hint, took out a chocolate frog, laid back on the seat and bit its head off.
Neville stared at the three of them bewildered. Ginny was still smiling, Hermione was staring out the window and Ron was on his second chocolate frog.
"Ah, Harry. I see you've returned to us. Remus told me what happened. There's no need to explain," said Dumbledore.
"I'm sorry for any trouble I've caused professor," Harry said looking down at his feet.
"Now, the Hogwarts Express will be arriving in Hogsmeade shortly, I'm sure Hagrid will enjoy your company," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Yes professor. Thank you." replied Harry and turned to leave.
When Harry left Dumbledore's office, he apparated straight outside Hagrid's hut.
"Albus," said Remus, "do you know what Harry's been up to this summer?"
"Oh yes, he accidentally apparated to my office after he bought some books from Diagon Alley. I believe he's gotten a lot better at apparating now." Dumbledore replied as happy as if Harry was his grandson.
"It's not apparating, it anim..." Remus was cut off.
"I know Remus. I know all about the visions and the Animagus training. I think we should keep this to ourselves." replied Dumbledore.
"Oh, 'ello 'arry. I'm just off down to meet the train at Hogsmeade," said Hagrid.
"I know, I was wondering if you minded some company?" Harry asked knowingly.
"Course not 'arry," replied Hagrid.
The two went to meet the train at Hogsmeade. They only had to wait a couple of minutes before it arrived. It was odd to Harry to meet the train like this. It was the first time he hadn't arrived by train with all his friends, except for his second year when he and Ron stole Mr Weasley's car.
"firs' years over 'ere… firs' years…" bellowed Hagrid. Hagrid looked down at Harry and smiled, Harry smiled back and went off to find his friends.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed and ran up to him, followed by Ginny and Ron. After huge hugs from Hermione and Ginny, and a brotherly hug from Ron and Neville, they all went off to get into a carriage to take them to the castle. They all sat down in the carriage and Luna breezed in through the door and sat down next to Neville making him blush violently. No one seemed to notice Neville other than Harry, so he kept it to himself.
"So, are you going to tell us what happened with you at..." Hermione was cut off by Harry.
"I'll tell you later," Harry said, not wanting to talk about it at all.
"Well," said Ron wanting to change the subject, "we haven't got much time before school starts this year. We start our lessons tomorrow. I wonder what we've got?"
"We'll definitely be having Snape again, that's for sure", replied Harry.
"We're here," said Hermione, "we'll find out soon enough!"
Everyone exited the carriages and entered the castle. "I'm starvin'!" exclaimed Ron.
"You're always starving!" exclaimed Hermione.
They all entered the great hall and sat down together, except for Luna who went and sat with her fellow Ravenclaws.
Neville leaned over to Harry, "When are we starting the DA meetings again?"
"Don't know yet. We'll have to find out when everyone's free first, but probably midweek, on Wednesday," replied Harry.
The doors to the great hall opened and in came Hagrid followed by the new first years.
"There's not many first years this year," said Hermione, "it looks like there's only half the amount that we normally get."
They watched all the first years congregate down near the staff table around a three legged stool with an old battered hat sat upon it.
"Why do you think there's so few first years?" Ron asked Hermione.
"It could be that parents in the wizarding world don't want to send their kids here," Hermione trailed off looking at Harry and then down at the empty plate in front of her.
"But why?" asked Ron again.
"It's because of Dumbledore… and me," replied Harry also looking at his plate on the table.
"I still don't see why. Hogwarts is the safest place to be!" exclaimed Ron.
"God, you can be so thick sometimes!", exclaimed Hermione, "Voldemort is rising to power, he's shown that he's not afraid of showing up at the Ministry and to show his followers and potential followers he's the most powerful wizard alive he'll come here to face Dumbledore and perhaps Harry as well."
"You really think he'll come here?" asked Ron with a worried look on his face.
"It's bound to happen sooner or later," replied Harry, "he's got to show everyone he's not afraid of anyone. If Voldemort grows to full strength this year then he'll attack the school this year, if not I expect he'll attack next year. We have to get prepared. This year we all have to be able to face Voldemort's Death Eaters which means blocking out pain from the Cruciatus curse and blocking out Imperius curse to stop ourselves turning against each other."
"Do you really think we'll be able to block out the Cruciatus and Imperius curses?" asked Neville.
"There's no reason not to as long as you've got a strong mind," replied Harry, "we'll begin using mind strengthening exercises and go from there."
"We've missed the sorting hat's song!" exclaimed Hermione turning round to look where the sorting hat was.
Professor McGonagall pulled out a parchment from her robes and everyone quietened down, "When I call out your names you are to come up here, sit on the stool and I will place the sorting hat on your head. When the sorting hat has told you your house, please go to the appropriate table and sit down."
McGonagall started shouting out the names of the new first years:
"Cadogan, Michael". He sat down and the sorting hat was placed on his head, "This is an easy one, lots of courage here, Gryffindor!" exclaimed the hat. Everyone on the Gryffindor cheered and Michael got up off the stool and joined his new family.
"Davis, Stephen"
"What? Is he Roger's brother?" asked Harry.
"No, his surname is Davis not Davies," replied Hermione.
"Hufflepuff!" exclaimed the hat.
The sorting continued for another twenty minutes. There were only twenty-five new students, six of which were sorted into Gryffindor. McGonagall stowed the sorting hat and stool away and sat down at the staff table; Dumbledore stood and addressed the school.
"Welcome all to another year at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry. Just a few words: Let the feast begin," and with a wave of his hands the tables filled up with almost every type of food imaginable and Dumbledore sat back down.
Everyone pilled into the food as though they hadn't eaten for several months.
"You know, you don't have to eat every single dish on the table." Hermione said to Ron. Everyone laughed.
"You'd think mum never fed him at home." Ginny said jokingly.
After a couple of hours of gorging themselves, nobody could move, including Ron who had seconds and even thirds of some of the courses.
Dumbledore rose again to address the school once more.
"The head boy and girl are handing out your class schedules," as Dumbledore said this, the head boy and head girl started handing out the class schedules for this year to all the prefects and Dumbledore continued, "As usual, Mr Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to remind you all to familiarise yourselves with the list of banned items which is pinned on the notice board outside the caretaker's office. Once again I remind you all that the forbidden forest is still forbidden and that no student is allowed to go in there," he said looking over to Harry and his group, "This year we see a few changes in professors and classes, Professor Trelawney will be teaching Divination to the third, forth and fifth years and Professor Firenze, from last year, will continue to teach here for the sixth and seventh years."
"At least we won't have Trelawney anymore!" Ron said, smiling, to Harry.
"We both failed Divination anyway so we can't take the N.E.W.T. class," replied Harry.
"Oh yeah, I forgot. That goes for History and Astronomy as well!" Ron exclaimed.
The two boys were beaming, they didn't have to take their worst subjects ever again. Hermione was giving them cold looks from across the table but the boys didn't care.
"Hagrid our gamekeeper, will be teaching Care Of Magical Creatures to the first through fifth years and our new Care Of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Weasley, will be teaching the sixth and seventh years."
"What? Charlie is working here?" exclaimed Ron more than asked.
"I don't see him up there," replied Ginny.
"Will it be him? Dumbledore only said 'Professor Weasley'," asked Hermione.
"I don't think it can be anyone else, Charlie does, or did, look after dragons," replied Harry turning back to watch Dumbledore.
"and our new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin, has returned to teach all years," continued Dumbledore. A cheer went up from the small group of friends on the Gryffindor table.
Dumbledore smiled and continued, "a new Advanced Defence class will be held after school hours taught by our very own Professor Potter." The room suddenly erupted with whispers and mumblings.
"Harry, did he mean you?" Neville asked.
Harry looked around the room. All the DA members from the previous year were staring back at him with huge smiles on their faces, everyone else kept looking up and then turning round to whisper to their neighbours.
Dumbledore raised his voice and continued, "For those of you who took Professor Potter's class last year, please see Miss Granger for the class schedule. For anyone else, you will be transferred over to that class by merit and recommendation from Professor Lupin."
"Hermione?" Harry asked simply.
"Well, I guess Dumbledore sees me as a better person to organise the class," she replied proudly, sitting up straight.
Harry grinned at her, "Yeah, but I'm still your Professor, Granger" he joked back.
Everyone laughed but Harry was still finding it hard to focus; he was a Professor at Hogwarts and would be teaching.
"Because of last year's unfortunate change in headship and a number of disturbances throughout the O.W.L. exams, students who would not have normally been permitted to join N.E.W.T. level classes this year will now be able to take those lessons. That is all," continued Dumbledore, "prefects, please escort the new arrivals to their dorms. Thank you."
"What did he just say? Does that mean we've got Divination, History and Astronomy after all?" asked Ron worriedly.
Harry looked at him with a face that could have turned a Slytherin to stone and said, "it sure looks that way."
Hermione sniggered and leant over to the pair, "I knew you wouldn't get away with it."
Colin Creevey and Ginny rose up to escort the new first years back up to Gryffindor Tower and the others remained sat until the bustle had calmed down. Harry tried talking to his friends but all the DA members kept coming up to him to congratulate him on becoming a teacher and continuing on with the DA lessons. The news that Harry was now the Advanced Defence professor didn't cheer Harry up at that moment, with hearing the news that he still had to endure his worst lessons, he was feeling as down as Ron.
"So," Hermione began, crossing her arms. Harry knew what was coming. "Where did you go when you disappeared from," Hermione looked around, "'your house'?"
"I went to the shrieking shack. I knew no one would think of looking there, well, except Remus." Harry replied, looking down at the table feeling even worse than he did before.
"Did Remus find you then?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Harry replied simply and rose up from the table.
Hermione took that as a hint to stop this line of questioning and everyone followed Harry back up to their common room.
When they arrived in the common room, they noticed a grey haired man sitting on a large armchair on his own in front of the fire. They went to investigate.
"Professor?" asked Harry.
"Ah, Harry, Hermione, Ron," replied Dumbledore, "Ron, you may go to your dorm." Giving Ron a hint that he wanted to talk to Harry and Hermione on his own.
"Oh, okay. Good night everyone," Ron said downheartedly and turned to walk up the stairs to the sixth year dorms.
"The Advanced Defence classes will consist of those who attended last year and will be held every Wednesday after regular classes." Dumbledore turned to Hermione, "Hermione, please keep a record of all those students and their progress throughout the year. Harry," Dumbledore turned back to Harry, "have you drawn up a lesson plan yet?"
"No sir, I didn't know I'd be teaching," Harry replied.
"Now, now Harry, you knew you would be starting the DA again," Dumbledore replied with a glint in his eye.
"Yes sir," Harry said. Hermione interrupted, "he'll have a lesson plan ready for you tomorrow night sir."
"Very well. School starts tomorrow, so you'd best be off to your dorms now." Dumbledore said rising from the armchair.
"Yes sir," they both replied.
Hermione and Harry went up to their dorms. Ron was waiting up for Harry, "What did Dumbledore want?" he asked quietly.
"He told me that Advanced Defence classes would start on Wednesday with all the old DA members and Hermione and I have to come up with a lesson plan by tomorrow night," Harry explained.
"Oh, good luck," Ron said closing the curtains on his four poster bed.
"Cheers mate," Harry replied sarcastically, closing his curtains.
"No problem," replied Ron.