To answer a few of your questions this story will be updated once a week, and on this schedule it will probably be thursday nights, or friday mornings. I have already finished up to seven chapters. I'd like to give a shout out to my brilliant beta Formely Known As Erin, I wouldn't be able to do this with out her. I also have a yahoo group where you can discuss the story, and get update info. http:groups. I appreciate the reviews, keep them coming, I read them all. Happy Reading
The rain was fast approaching, nix that it was already here. He was flying through the Quidditch pitch in deep search of the Snitch. The lightning was flashing, scattered throughout sky. The Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were trying to dodge each other in the little amount they could see. An umbrella flew past him, as he climbed higher and higher in the sky. Thunder cracked from somewhere above him; in the same instance the sky flashed…
The grim, no it wasn't the grim. Sirius was coming toward him; he was in his canine form. Leaping through the sky, jumping on the clouds like a trampoline, and then he was gone… falling through a veil. Harry tried to catch him, to save him, but he couldn't move. Something was holding him back. At first he thought it was Remus, but Remus would never shake him this forcefully. Harry looked up into Remus's face but it was no longer Remus, in his place stood Uncle Vernon.
As Harry came round he automatically pulled away from Vernon. From what Harry could see, for he didn't have his glasses on, Vernon was a puce, sickly color, and looking very disgruntled.
"Get your things together. It's time to get you out of here," and with that his uncle left the room. Harry sat blinking for a moment, trying to determine if he had dreamed the events that had just occurred. Also, was he foolish enough to hope his uncle meant Hogwarts? For all Harry knew they could be taking him to a dumpster, but even Vernon wasn't stupid enough to try that. After gaining his composure, and still in somewhat of a daze Harry took his glasses off the bedside table.
With his room in much clearer perspective, his mind came in with clarity as well. If Uncle Vernon was going to take him to Kings Cross he'd better get to it. With as much speed and precision as he could muster, Harry gathered, or more correctly threw his belongings in his school trunk. With a triumphant slam of the lid Harry gave himself a mental pat on the back, for a job well done.
As he started to walk back out the door, Harry caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Stupid, master of packing my ass, might want to get dressed yourself first. After unpacking his trunk again, and properly clothing himself Harry hauled his trunk down the stairs. Vernon was already standing at the threshold of the door, tapping his foot, and clicking impatiently.
He glared at Harry, "Go put your trunk in the car." Harry did this promptly and respectfully; he was in no way going to push his luck today. He popped the trunk, and with some struggle managed to coax his trunk in the trunk. Wiping his brow, Harry pushed the trunk lid back down. Harry turned to face the street, but blocking his view was Dudley. He stared at him in suspicion.
"What do you want?" Harry said with more curiosity than hostility.
"I just wanted to say goodbye," said Dudley looking incredibly awkward, and himself feeling very confused. "Bye, then."
"Goodbye…"
"Get in the car boy." With one last nod to Dudley, he opened the passenger door and got in.
As they pulled out of the driveway, Harry watched Dudley until he disappeared on the horizon.
The ride to the station was longer than Harry had ever noticed it to be before. He began to get a crick in his neck from keeping his head looking out the window at all times. Harry never let his eyes leave the passing scenery of farms, cities, and suburbs. Not until they pulled into the Kings Cross parking lot did Harry look out the windshield out onto the upcoming station.
Vernon pulled the car around the front of the building, and Harry moved to unbuckle his seat belt, but Uncle Vernon grabbed his arm.
"Let's get one thing straight boy," started his uncle, "you are not to tell a living soul the events of this summer." He tightened his grip on Harry's arm. "Do I make myself clear?"
Harry stared down at his wrist, "Crystal." Vernon released him. Harry finished unbuckling his seatbelt, and jumped out of the car. He was cautious when going around the back of the car to get his trunk, he didn't want to get run over when he was so close to salvation.
Inside the building Harry found himself a trolley, and carefully moved through the bustling crowd, his hand on his wand the entire time. Constant Vigilance. Harry tried to speed through the hallways as quickly as possible both because of safety and anticipation. When he reached the barrier, he looked around to make sure that the other people were going about their own business, and lightly pushed his cart through the barrier.
Once on the other side he was besieged by an onslaught of varying ages of women. Mrs.Weasley and Hermione were in the lead; they came from both sides, squeezing him into a lopsided sort of sandwich.
"Harry dear, so good to see you, are you all right?" Mrs.Weasley grabbed his face, turning it side to side, inspecting him with her keen brown eyes.
"Harry, you are entirely too thin," Hermione came round circling him like a vulture. She stopped in front of him, "They did feed you, didn't they Harry?"
He shrugged, "Course they did." Ron approached him next.
"How you doin, mate?" He clapped Harry on the back. Harry flinched away; he really needed to work on that. Ron looked at him curiously, and looked ready to say something. Luckily, Mr.Weasley made his way over.
"Harry, good to see you. We were waiting for you to board. You all better get a move on." Everyone said their various goodbye, mingling hugs and kisses flew all around. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all boarded the train together, walking down the velvet lined hallways, to an empty compartment. Farther along they spotted one and settled in.
"Ron and I best be getting to the prefects meeting, we'll be along shortly," said Hermione, quickly followed by a dramatic groan from Ron. Harry and Ginny took their seats. Harry found that his eyes kept wandering from Ginny's face, um downward; he decided a distraction would be best.
"So, do you want to go find Dean? He can stay with us," Harry asked her. Ginny was pulling her hair into a somewhat messy bun, and looked up at him with a surprised expression flashing across her face.
"Oh, I guess no one told you we broke up." Harry felt his eyebrows jump up into his hair.
"Really? I'm sorry," he said, finding that he wasn't very sorry at all. Ginny had finished messing with her hair by now.
"No, it was very mutual. We were just better off as great friends." There was a silent moment, not so much awkward as peaceful, but the moment was soon interrupted. The compartment door slid open, Neville and Luna entered surprisingly holding hands.
"Hello, all how were your summers?" Neville said as he and Luna took a seat together.
"Mine was pretty dull," started Ginny. Ron and Hermione had just walked back in from the meeting. Ginny continued, "We didn't leave the house much, so being stuck with Ron all the time, as you can imagine was quite an experience," she joked. Ron poked her in the side, and she ruffled his hair.
"What about you Hermione?"
"Well, it was quite peaceful actually. I just spent some time at home with my parents. Then met up with Ron." Hermione spared a cautious glance at Harry, he returned in kind with a small smile.
Neville started up again, "My gran got me a new wand, on account of the old one, uh, you know. Anyways, can't wait to try it out." Slightly put off by the mention of the Ministry battle, it took Harry a moment to realize everyone was staring at him, obviously waiting for his summer description.
"Oh, you know how it is. Dull, the relatives were an ass, the usual." When the compartment door slid open for a third time, Harry never thought he'd be glad to see Draco Malfoy. Hermione was already delved deep into a new book, and spared Malfoy the slightest glance.
"Malfoy, are you just starved for attention? Because you notice, it's always you that comes to see us." Malfoy scathed at her.
"I wasn't talking to you, mudblood," most of the compartment was on their feet at that remark, "I'm here for Potter."
Harry now seemed to realize in the worst of all times just how exhausted he really was. He wearily started to get to his feet. Ron was already standing up, ready to defend him, but neither of them should have bothered, Harry soon discovered. Ginny was walking to Malfoy with nothing but determination on her face.
"No you're not, now get out," Ginny said, a fiercer look on her face than he had ever seen before. Malfoy was put off for a moment.
"Excuse me?" Harry was extremely amused that Ginny Weasley could leave Draco Malfoy so baffled.
"You heard me, get out," she was now speaking as though talking to a four year old. This appeared to only make Malfoy more aggravated, as he was already ready reaching for his wand. All of the carriage was already rushing to her defense but once again, they needn't have bothered. In only a few seconds, Harry's mind was imbedded with the most wonderful images he could imagine. Better than the bouncing ferret incident, better than Hermione punching him, better than Harry could ever have fantasized in his own mind.
Ginny Weasley, the goddess of his world, had just kneed Malfoy in the groin. The expression on the ferret's face was the best of all of it. Twisted in disgust, anguish, embarrassment, and too many other things to name. Malfoy slowly turned, and walked out of the compartment, more slowly and carefully than he had ever done before.
Everyone except Ginny was still standing with his or her mouths hanging open in a rather unpleasing fashion. She turned and faced the rest of her friends, a very bored look on her face. She simply said, "Well he shouldn't be bothering us for quite sometime." That seemed to break the shock in the rest of the students.
Ron had jumped on his little sister and appeared to be squeezing the life out of her. Ginny was patting his back, in an awkward fashion, obviously trying to get him to let go, but Ron was not taking the hint.
"My sweet, wonderful, beautiful, amazing sister," he blabbered. "You are the light that shines on my face, the essence of my soul…"
Hermione decided to cut in at that time with a dramatic wave of her hand, "The wind beneath his wings." She flopped on the couch with a giggle quite unlike herself. Everyone was laughing, except for Luna that was. She just sat down and stared at everyone blinking as if she had just walked in on a very awkward moment.
Ginny had had enough of Ron's gushing, "Okay, time to let go now," he still had her in a tight hold, "come on Ron, or do you want me to do to you, what I did to Malfoy." It didn't take much more persuasion to have Ron quietly sitting in his seat.
The rest of the ride was filled with peace full chatter and giggling. Talking about something, but nothing at the same time. Harry had dozed off at one point, and he slept restlessly until he felt the train come to a lurching stop. It was quite a task to get everyone's trunks and various animals out of storage and out onto the damp streets of Hogsmeade station.
Harry was equally relived to have spotted Hagrid immediately upon stepping off the train. In all the bustle and activity Harry didn't get to do much more than shoot him a wave. As they made there was to the carriages that would lead them to the castle, Harry purposely avoided looking at the skeleton like horses leading the carriages.
The ride to the castle was short and uneventful. As they climbed the moistened stairs to the castle Harry wondered who would be Dark Arts teacher for the year. Everyone was sure to keep an eye out for Peeves and any water balloons that might be in his possession.
The Great Hall was filled with warm colors and vanilla candles, the same as every year, and Harry found himself quickly settling into a void. He found it cruel that you could so easily adapt to something you'd longed for, for so long, and when it came to pass it didn't seem all that wonderful.
The sight of his fellow Gryffindors did ease his spirits, and not so many of them were staring in hateful ways, which was always a good sign. Last year had ended with relatively less gossip spinning through the rumor mill than previous terms. Of course, he assumed people would still be curious why Ron and Hermione were in the hospital again, but the adventures of the Golden Trio seemed to have become the norm at Hogwarts. Not for the Golden Trio themselves though.
Harry watched as professor McGonnagal brought the sort hat out on to the stool, he was interrupted by an elbow jab from Ron. This left him slightly incapacitated, and Ron shot him that questioning glance for the second time that night.
Better change the subject. Harry blinked at him, "Did you want something?"
"Yeah look who's at the teachers table," Harry followed Ron's finger, and found it to be pointing to another person with the same blood Ron had running through his finger.
"What's Bill doing here?" Harry asked.
"Hell if I know, but it better not be what I think it is," responded Ron. Harry felt it wiser not to voice his opinion, but there was only one position open on the teaching staff. Hermione cleared her throat and nodded to the front of the teachers' table.
The children all looked, small, and frightened, really, really small. Harry's eyes started to gaze over after the first few names were called, but he clapped respectfully when someone joined his house. He was snapped out of his daze when a name was called that he recognized.
"Mark Evans." Harry shot up out of his slump and leaned over to see if it was the Mark he knew, it was a very common name after all, and indeed it was.
"Someone you know Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Yeah, he lives in Privet Drive."
"Really, that's interesting." Harry noticed Hermione wasn't the only one who found this interesting. Both Dumbledore and Snape seemed very interested in what house Mark would be sorted in.
The hat seemed to be taking quite a long time to decide. Mark was gripping the edge of the seat and seemed to be listening intently to whatever the hat was saying to him. Harry found himself crossing his fingers in hope of Mark coming to Gryffindor, he wasn't exactly sure why. After what seemed an eternity, the hat opened its brim of a mouth wide, and shouted…
"GRYFFINDOR!" Harry clapped hard with the rest of his table, looking up at the Professors table Harry noticed that Snape looked considerably less than pleased. Scratch that, he was furious. Mark sat at the far end of the table over by the rest of the first years.
The rest of the names passed slowly, and the in sync rumbling of both his and Ron's stomach was not easing his impatience for dinner. After the last first years were seated, Dumbledore rose from his seat.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts, to both my old and new students," his eyes twinkled as merrily as ever. "We have a few announcements to make before we become bloated with fine food. Position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher has been filled this year by, a former student of our own, head of his class, and Head Boy." Harry heard Ron groan behind him, and saw Ginny shaking her head out of the corner of his eye. "Professor Weasley." The low boo's coming from the Slytherin table were drowned out by the cheering of the rest of the dinning hall, and Ron banging his head on the table. Bill waved and nodded in response.
"Thank you, thank you that will do," silenced reined. "This term will we'll be having a new tradition enter out fine institution. The families of our sixth year students will be invited to attend a sort of open house. They will stay at the castle with you for three days and you can accustom them to your life at Hogwarts." Ron's head banging was growing in intensity. "We will work out all the details, the closer we come to the event. I suppose that is all. Let's eat!"
Ron's banging head landed right in a plate of mashed potatoes, as the long tables groaned with the weight of the feast. Harry chuckled, and loaded his plate, laughing as Ron wiped his forehead with his napkin. Their wasn't much talking after that, everyone was to busy stuffing their faces. Including himself who hadn't eaten a decent meal in two months.
Dean smiled at him, "Hungry Harry?"
"Oh, you know my aunt and uncle aren't big on eating."
Hermione snorted, "More like they aren't big on watching you eat." Harry glared at Hermione. Dean's eyebrows raised into his hair.
"Well more power to you mate. You look like you could use some food." Harry just rolled his eyes; he was going to have a problem with people pointing these things out. Harry did as he was directed all the same, and promptly stuffed his face. When dessert came around Harry partook in the conversation, now that his stomach was no longer distracting him.
Harry noticed Ginny and Seamus were quite talkative with one another, this irked Harry for some reason he couldn't understand. Just as he was feeling considerably bloated, the food from the tables vanished and the students rose to go to their dorms. Hermione and Ron headed off in the other direction in order to show the first years to the dorm.
Dean, Seamus, Neville and himself took the shortcut through the third floor tapestry and managed to beat the onslaught of students in enough time to get to the dorm with out being hassled. The guys were all chatting about the girls, and Harry found he wasn't particularly interested in hearing Seamus ogling Ginny.
He was exhausted anyway. Ron entered just as they were all pulling on their pajamas.
The rest of the room was still talking when Harry shut the curtains of his four-poster bed.