Chapter 9

Looking out the rain spattered window, Harry noticed the sky darkening quickly. He figured they only had a short while before the train would pull up at Hogwarts. Only a few more short minutes before he had to deal with the prying eyes of those he had let down; those whose families had died fighting for him. Once again he heard the screaming voices.

'…Help me Harry…'
'…I die for my family…'
'…No! Stop the pain!...'
'…Mommy! Mommy!...'
'…I'm bleeding….'
'…I feel so…cold…'
'…Tell mommy I love her…'
'HAHAhahaha…see what you have done, Harry? All these people died believing in you! All of them followed you blindly to their deaths! It's all your fault!'

Ron looked over at Harry and was worried by the glassy, blank look in his friend's eyes. Standing up, he walked over and gently shook Harry's shoulder. 'Mate…are you alright?'

Harry turned his head and blinked up at Ron, as if seeing him for the first time, and yet, not really seeing him.

'I'm fine. Just a little…tired.'

Ron was still worried for his friend but sat back down helplessly. He'd never seen Harry like this before. Usually Harry was always smiling and joking. He always seemed happy. Happy Harry. Ron mused silently to himself at how he used to silently envy Harry, mock him even. But in the fourth year, when the Hungarian Horntail had looked like she'd almost had Harry, well, Ron had quickly felt a twinge of some unknown emotion in his stomach. Now, whenever he looked at Harry he felt a fluttering in his stomach, and his palms got sweaty, and his heart beat would race.

Ginny looked over at the two silent boys. Looking to Hermione, she silently begged her to break the disconcerting quiet that lay thickly in the cabin.

'Hey, I have an idea. Since we should be arriving at Hogwarts soon, maybe we should all change into our robes. Ginny and I can go change in the girls' bathroom and you two can stay here.'

Hermione stood up, pulling Ginny with her, and slid open the compartment door. Harry and Ron had seemed to snap out of their silent reveries when Hermione had spoke. Harry looked at Ron with a raised eyebrow.

'Those two really seemed to hit it off this summer. I guess Ginny just likes having a girl to hang out with instead of all us boys, and Hermione seemed to get kind of mad about something when she first came over.' Scratching his head Ron said in a soft questioning voice, 'I'm not sure about exactly what though.'

Harry gave a soft smile and stood up. Reaching into the luggage storage, he grabbed his book satchel and pulled out his robe. As he had reached up, his shirt had ridden up fairly high, showing off some tanned, toned skin, flawed by one of his many bruises. Quickly bringing his shirt back down, Harry was glad that Ron hadn't seen the large contusion that had started just above his rib cage. Ron, however, seemed to be busy rummaging around in his trunk. In his head Ron cursed himself for feeling a twinge of excitement when he had seen Harry's exposed side.

Standing back up Ron said, 'So mate, What sort of things are we going to do this year? Have you got any new suspicions or clues that may lead to a new mystery that we could try to solve?'

Harry looked at Ron with an apologetic smile and gave a small shrug, 'Sorry, nothing.'

In the back of his mind Harry corrected himself, 'Nothing you want to share with him anyway.'

Pulling his robe over his head, Harry straightened it out so that he didn't look like a complete frump. Turning he smiled at the form of Ron struggling with his gangly legs to pull his robe over his head. Putting his hand in his pants pocket Harry felt the amulet. Deciding now was the time to put it on, he pulled it out of his pants and quickly did up the catch, sliding it under his robes. While he did so he made a mental note to cast a concealing charm so that nobody would notice it as anything questionable in the showers.

Feeling eyes on him, Harry glanced up to see Ron staring at his amulet with a puzzled look on his face.

'What's that Harry?'

'Oh, it's just….' Harry tried to think hurriedly; he didn't feel like telling Ron the truth right now. '…It's just a…present, from Mrs. Figgs.'

Ron looked at Harry and shook his head. Breaking out into a grin, he said through small snickers, 'I think the old bat may be going soft on you, Harry.'

Harry gave small lopsided smile and said, 'Yeah, but why she thinks I need a silver cross, I don't know.'

Harry mentally gave himself a pat on the back, but hurriedly felt his luck plummet as Ron looked at him with furrowed eyebrows and opened his mouth to ask him yet another question.

But at that moment Hermione and Ginny both stepped back into the compartment. Ron looked over outraged and said, 'What if I'd been naked!'

Ginny sneered at him. 'Then poor Harry here would be blind.'

Hermione bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing as Ron gave her a hard glare. Ginny looked at him and said, 'Besides, we came to tell you two to hurry up. There is only about 5 more minutes until we pull in at Hogwarts.'

Ron looked at Ginny and said, 'How do you know that?'

Ginny looked at him disbelievingly and said, 'Besides the fact I've made this trip about 6 times now, Hermione and I went to ask the conducter.'

Hermione nodded her head with a smile and Ron mumbled something under his breath. Harry smiled at his friends and sat back down; it would be a long 5 minutes now that Ron was mad.

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

Draco stroked Bitz's silky hair behind her ears as he stared at the rain splattered windows that separated them from the thrashing storm outside.

'Draco, it would probably be best if you didn't pet Bitz while we're in our school robes. I mean, if she sheds you're going to have to do some explaining, and that could get awkward.'

Draco smiled up at Pansy and said, 'Not to worry Panse, Bitz has never shed. So I have no need to worry about her leaving a mark on me that I would have to explain away.'

Pansy looked at Bitz with a raised eyebrow and asked to no one in particular, '….What are you?...'

Draco smiled and said in a slow, teasing voice, 'She's a Meeval, Panse.'

Pansy looked up at him and blushed, her cheeks going slightly pink. Crabbe and Goyle let out barks of laughter.

Draco looked over at Crabbe and Goyle and thought about how hard the two must have it at school. They had to purposely act dumb in order to keep the other school houses blind as to their total abilities.

Crabbe caught Draco staring and said, 'What? Does the weight I lost show that much?'

Draco shook his head and said, 'No, your muscles hide the fact. I mean, besides that, we could always pad you out to look bigger.'

Crabbe gave a sneering, 'Hardy har har. That was so funny I forgot to laugh.'

Draco smiled and said in barely concealed laughter, 'oh, but you did laugh.'

At that they all fell into laughter, Crabbe included. Interrupting their laughter the loud whistle, announcing that the train would be stopping at Hogwarts in 1 minute, sounded out, and cut their laughter short. Draco heard other students hurriedly doing their last minute preparations.

'Looks like we must get back to our roles as the hated Slytherins. Ugh, how this disgusts me.'

Pansy lightly touched Draco's arm and said, 'Yes, but it can be fun at times.'

Draco stroked Bitz once more time before saying, 'Come on girl, back into the satchel.'

Bitz let out a soft, mournful whine at Draco's words and gazed up at him with saddened eyes. Draco let out a large breath and said, 'Alright, you can stay in my pocket, but you must remain invisible.'

Bitz hummed excitedly at the victory and then licked Draco's nose with her small tongue. Draco smiled at her and then gently laid her in his robe pocket.

xxxxXXXXXXXxxxx

Harry looked at his three friends and said, 'You three should go first. I've got to pick something up from the front anyway.'

Hermione looked at Harry questioningly before Ginny took her hand and said, 'Come on, we can meet up with him in the Great Hall. I mean, he has to sit at the same table as us.'

Hermione nodded her head and followed Ginny out into the throng of surging students. Ron turned to Harry and said, 'See you in a bit, mate.'

Harry waved good bye to Ron and then sat down, waiting until he felt that there was sure to be no one else on the train. Standing up he walked to the door while fiddeling with the amulet around his neck.

'Why don't you watch where you're going, Potter?'

Harry looked up to see Draco and was sure that he had seen a puff of silver disappear. Shaking himself mentally he said, 'Hello, Malfoy.'

Draco sneered and said, 'A lot of things have changed Potter, yourself included.'

Once he was finished speaking, Draco walked away from Harry, leaving him to ponder what all had changed. What was Draco referring to? And he felt slightly frightened that Draco had noticed a change in him.

Remembering that he had to be going, he quickly jumped out of the train and walked over to the carriage that seemed to be waiting for him. Inside he was surprised to see Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom kissing. Neville blushed as soon as he noticed Harry catching them locking lips.

'H-hello Harry. Uhm….thought we were the last carriage.'

Harry smiled at the two and said, 'Yeah, you were, and I was the last one on the train. Sorry for interrupting, but I need a ride up to the school.'

Luna smiled dreamily at him and said in her faraway voice, 'Yeah, Neville and I were just kissing. You don't mind if we continue, do you Harry?'

Not even waiting for an answer Luna turned back to Neville and began to kiss him again. And even though Neville may have been slightly embarrassed by Harry watching, it wasn't enough to stop him from kissing her back.

Harry smiled, glad that there was still some who were happy. Tuning out the groping and kissing of the two across from him, Harry turned back to thinking about Malfoy. What had changed?

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Hi, I'm just such a happy camper. I have a wonderful beta, who totally took alot of time out of her day to revamp this chapter. So for her sake, and mine, I blieve it deseves some reviews.
I will say this, if I don't get any more reviews I'll take it that you guys don't like my writing, so will leave it at this, not giving yo uthe juicy next chapter.
I know, I'm evil, but I really would like some reviews.