Ok, I realize I'm a horrible horrible person for not keeping my update schedule, but as horrible as that is, I'm not horrible enough to be stealing anything from a talented JKR, just borrowing for fun )

Chapter 6: A New Way Home

The last few days at Number 12 passed in a blur. Harry was having a feeling that the first girl he ever slept with wanted this to be a one night thing since she hadn't mentioned anything since. Even through the mild depression of what that night may have cost him, he was still looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts. With Umbridge gone, the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor couldn't get any worse than her. This did bring a smile to the sixteen year old Harry's face.

Harry's new telepathic abilities were random at best. He tried learning to turn it off and on at his leisure but the new gift refused to comply with his wishes. While hearing some of the thoughts were amusing, some of the things his closest friend's thought of were disturbing.

Finally the day Harry had been waiting for arrived, it was time, he was going back home. He awoke and showered, throwing on some of his newer nicer muggle clothes he stared around the room. Scanning for anything he missed to pack a small pang of an emotion he was accustomed to around the Weasleys hit him as he realized he didn't have much to remember, or forget. A sad smile graced his face as he finally knew why it was so hectic at his favorite family's house when it was time to go to school. Releasing a sigh he levitated his trunk out of the room.

On the second floor Ginny and Ron were having a mad dash from room to room, up and down stairs to collect everything they needed. Hermione watched them disapprovingly since they hadn't completed this well in advance. Luna was already headed downstairs to prepare to leave, Neville watched on, laughing at everyone's morning tactics occasionally. Harry had the same idea watching his friends; he too smiled and laughed ever so often.

If Harry thought the second floor was bad, he was shocked when his feet hit the ground floor. Luna was patiently waiting as the adults in the house today scrambled in every direction to prepare for the journey. Harry saw Remus pass so he stopped him to get an answer to a new question he had.

"Remus, are we walking with a guard again?"

"No, you all will be going a different way this year."

"And how is that," Luna's airy voice asked.

"Um, well, you see,"

"Remus! We agreed its best no one knew!" Molly scolded the former professor.

"Yes, we agreed that it was best that no one knew in advance, now seems like the best time to explain everything." Remus replied.

"So how are we getting there?"

"Well, it'll be some portkeys then Dumbledore has something arranged at the end." Remus answered.

"I hate portkeys," Harry simply stated. Then looking in Lupin's eyes Harry saw a little shift, concentrating he caught part of a sentence he was running through his head.

'…they're actually using them…decoys…'

Harry put a half grin on his face then whispered for only Remus to hear, "Decoys?"

Finally everyone was ready to head back to Hogwarts. The six friends were split into three groups of two. Ron and Ginny would travel with Molly and Arthur. Neville and Luna would be accompanied by Mad Eye Moody and Kingsly Shacklebolt. Finally Hermione and Harry would travel with Remus Lupin and Tonks. Each set of four were huddled into a circle, each one with a finger on some unassuming object. Harry reached out to touch an empty cigarette pack; Hermione wrinkled her nose but did the same. Lupin smiled at her reaction then called,

"Its time!"

All twelve disappeared to different locations.

Hermione landed in a heap on the stone floor.

"I hate bloody portkeys," she stated

"Me too, where are we?" asked Harry

"No time," answered Remus, "we have to find the next one."

"NEXT ONE?" Harry and Hermione exclaimed as one.

Harry looked around; it looked like they were in a backroom of some store.

"Found it!" Tonks exclaimed before Harry had taken in all of his surroundings. She held out an old issue of the Quibbler (the one with Harry's exclusive interview) so he put his hand over his face. Hermione was next to rush over, then when Lupin touched the magazine they were off again with the feeling of a hook behind the navel.

On their second landing Harry and Hermione landed in a heap. Tonks looked unbalanced but still stood.

"You say another portkey and I'll hex you Moony," Harry threatened.

"Then I won't say it," Remus smiled mischeviously.

Giving a deep sigh Harry started to look around. Tonks started to laugh.

"What?" Harry asked in irritation.

"We're not taking another portkey this time."

"Oh…"

Harry looked around; this place seemed so familiar to him. It was a park, a very normal looking park. A too normal looking park.

"Why in the hell are we on Privet Drive?" Harry asked anger resonating in his question.

"Shh…." Remus shushed him, "we have to floo from here. Mrs. Figg's house alright."

"Sorry, just assumed the worst," Harry mumbled to himself.

The four started a pace that wasn't a run, but not really a walk either. Harry was fine with his conditioning over the summer, Tonks wasn't complaining either.

"Could you two slow down?" Hermione asked clutching her side.

Harry turned around and started jogging backwards, "come on Hermy, its not that bad."

Harry's backwards jog came at a price when the curb appeared behind him, and magic had nothing to do with it.

"HMMPHH," Harry landed in a sitting position, the air escaping his lungs.

Between laughs Remus managed, "Any escort mission is worth it to see 'The Boy-Who-Lived fall on his ass!"

Tonks seemed to be thinking along the same lines as she started her own laughing. Hermione looked like she would start up too, if she hadn't been breathing so hard.

Harry got up, his face a crimson to put any Weasley hair to shame.

"Alright, let's just get there," Harry mumbled out of embarrassment.

Mrs. Figg greeted them at the door.

"Come in, come in, time is wasting," she shoved them through.

Tonks walked straight to the fire and pulled out a pouch of Floo powder. She grabbed a handful and threw it into the flames. Red, orange, and yellow turned to green, black, and white. She handed the pouch off to Remus. She stepped in and spoke,

"The Leaky Cauldron," and she was gone.

"Did I mention I hate the Floo too?" Harry asked no one in particular.

"Come now, time is running short." Remus said giving Harry the bag.

He grabbed a handful and passed it to Hermione; he too threw the Floo powder into the fire, stepped in and made sure he spoke very clearly.

"The Leaky Cauldron," and he was gone. Spinning like a top above the house now everything was a blur of color and sound. Suddenly he was spit out of the fire place of a tavern that separated magic from muggle.

He quickly rose to try and dust off his robes when Tonks grabbed him out of the way. Then Hermione landed in a thud right where Harry was a second ago.

"We really need to teach you two the finer points of a wizard's life," Tonks said holding in a giggle.

Remus was next, but instead of flying out of the fire at some breakneck speed, he calmly stepped out. He could only smile at the grimaces on Harry and Hermione's faces.

"OK, another Floo I'm afraid," Remus smiled again, "this time from your favorite twins."

They all left the pub, Tonks already tapped the bricks to reveal Diagon Alley, and so the journey proceeded. While they walked along the cobblestone road, Harry started to feel a prickle on the back of his neck, like he was being watched. Subconsciously he tightened a strap that held his amp to his palm.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a black cloak flutter by the entrance of Knockturn Alley. "Remus, we may have problems," Harry warned.

"As expected," Remus replied, and then gave Harry his instructions, "you and Hermione have to make it to Number 93, and Floo to 'The Ministry of Magic – Reception', Arthur should be waiting for you."

"But…."

"No buts!" Remus exclaimed and pushed the two teens on their way.

Harry and Hermione went off in a dead run, they could hear spells being cast behind them. They never turned to see how they faired.

Upon seeing Fred and George's shop the two also noticed Fred and George, hanging out the windows of the second floor firing curses at the Death Eaters preoccupying Remus and Tonks. Without hesitation Harry and Hermione burst into the store, the scanned the area and set off in another run to the very back where a fire was burning. Grabbing some Floo powder from the pot on the mantle Hermione was the first off. Harry then grabbed his own handful and threw it into the flames. He hurried in and when he turned around a Death Eater was approaching with his wand drawn.

Quickly he shouted fast but clear, "Ministry of Magic – Reception!"

Before the spinning started he heard a Stupify being cast. He didn't have time to think about it though as he then did start to spin, faster and faster, trying with all his might not to lose his breakfast, until he finally landed in another heap on the floor of the Ministry of Magic.

He bounced up to his feet, fully in attack mode, not only because of the Death Eaters in Diagon Alley, but also because this place didn't hold any fond memories for him. He took in the area; everyone was here except for his two escorts. Every worst possible scenario started to play in his mind when two pops sounded beside him and Lupin and Tonks arrived slightly out of breath.

"Death Eaters in the Alley, the ones we saw are gagged and bound," Tonks updated them.

Kingsley nodded his head and pulled out a piece of parchment. Quickly he wrote a note and charmed the paper. It folded itself up and flew off to its destination.

"We'll have Aurors there soon," he answered Hermione's questioning gaze.

Arthur then pulled out what looked like a muggle rope with a lasso tied into it, "Everyone needs to be touching it."

"Again? This better be the last one!" exclaimed Ron to his father. Arthur only smiled at him.

Everyone there grabbed an empty piece of rope and with another tug behind the navel was off again.

Upon landing this time everyone's knees buckled. The pile with human body parts sticking out at odds and ends truly must have looked humorous, and someone was having a hard time restraining their laugh. Harry looked up to find the Headmaster of Hogwarts quite amused.

"Glad you think its funny," Harry answered the glare, growing irritated by all of the wizarding travel that he hated to use.

"But you all are right on time Harry; it's the little things that work out in life that makes it so worth living."

Harry couldn't help but to smile at the Headmaster.

"Right on time for what sir?" asked Hermione. Ron nodded to agree with the question.

Pulling out his pocket watch he smiled and answered, "Your prefects meeting will begin shortly."

Hermione's face fell, "But how can we get there? The train is already on its way here and you can't portkey onto a moving object can you Professor?"

"No, you can not portkey onto a moving object Miss Granger."

"I didn't think the Express had a fireplace," chimed in Ron trying to help solve the problem of getting onto the train.

"Moving trains can't be connected to the Floo network Ron," Hermione said matter-of-factly not noticing his ears turning a bit pink.

Dumbledore chuckled and said, "Correct again, if school were in progress I think you would have earned some points by now."

This time Hermione's cheeks turned a bit pink.

"Now, onto the current dilemma, please, students join hands."

They all did and stayed in the line they were already in, Harry was at the end closest to Dumbledore. He turned to look at something and Harry smiled as Fawkes flew toward him. As the phoenix neared Harry grabbed his tail feathers and with a burst of flame the six students were gone.

Another burst of flame and all six students were in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express. Harry let go of his favorite phoenix and has soon as he did Fawkes was gone in another burst of flame.

Harry sat down besides the window with a grin on his face; Luna was beside him and also sat. Neville took his seat opposite Harry, while Ron, Hermione, and Ginny rushed off to the prefect's car.

"I didn't know Ginny made prefect," Harry said looking dumbly at the door.

"Yes, her mother bought her some new dress robes while in Diagon Alley to celebrate the event," Luna answered pulling out the current issue of the Quibbler.

"She's really excited, though she wouldn't let me say anything to Fred and George, I wonder why," Neville wondered also remember the trip.

"Fred and George wouldn't have let her live it down," laughed Harry. Then his face reverted to certain sadness, "I never even asked if she got it. What a prat I am."

"Yes, you are sometimes," Luna said in her airy voice like it was just plain as day.

"I didn't even ask Hermione about her O.W.L.s," he started again, "or if Ron got Quidditch captain."

"Don't beat yourself up Harry," Neville began, "we know you've had enough on your mind."

Harry nodded but then just stared out of his window into the passing landscape.

After the two youngest Weasley children along with the smartest student currently enrolled at Hogwarts returned Harry tried to catch up with anything not focused on defeating Voldemort, Ginny smiled at her congratulations on making prefect, Hermione beamed when she informed Harry that she did receive all Os on her O.W.L.s, and Ron almost split his face into two when he showed Harry his Quidditch captain badge. Soon enough lunch arrived with the trolley and Harry treated everyone. While finally relaxing after a couple of games of chess with Ron Harry sank into his seat happy with his defeat.

"Harry?" Luna asked his name to see if he was awake.

"Yes?" he asked opening his eyes to meet her gaze.

"I just wanted…" but her sentence was broken when the door to their compartment was opened.

"I swear Potter sinks lower every year," Malfoy's dull drawl echoed into the room. Crabbe and Goyle laughed at command flanking their leader.

Ron lazily stood up, and to many surprises Neville also rose.

"Sod off Malfoy, every year the same thing, its getting old," Harry said from his seat.

"Yes, it is old, every year I have warned you, this year will be different scarhead, you can count on that."

"What's different about this year?" Ginny asked, but before she let him answer she continued, "other than your precious daddy rotting away in prison?"

Malfoy's eyes narrowed a bit, his hand twitched to his pocket, "Don't talk to me weasel, I'm already plagued by breathing the same air as the mudblood."

Suddenly Malfoy was thrown back with such force he knocked down Crabbe and Goyle, the compartment door slid shut too, locking itself.

Hermione turned to give Harry a piece of her mind to only find he was looking at Luna with his jaw hanging open. Upon reverting her eyes she saw Luna holding her wand pointed at the door, certain steel in her normally vacant expression.

"Don't bother Hermione, I've wanted to do that for ages," Luna said in her same dreamy voice.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. Ginny, Hermione, and Ron would go on rounds every so often. Many members of the D.A. dropped in to not only thank Harry for their scores on their defense tests, but to also ask if they were going to continue. Harry had assured them all that not only would they continue, it would be better this year. The train finally pulled into Hogsmeade, the sextuplet greeted Hagrid on their way to the carriages. Luna, Neville, and Harry each took a hard look at the thestrals, but none of them commented. The ride mostly remained silent, but Harry looked out to see the castle looming into view. While it wasn't as strong as it had been in previous years, he still felt like he was finally home.

rahl - sorry for that cliffie, and for not updating, and one more apology, cos I'm not sure when you'll find out who the girl is. Yeah, my evil streak is coming to me, on a lighter note, I do hope to start updating more often.