As soon as Harry landed on his ass back at the Burrow, he quickly got up with Hermione in his arm and took refuge on the couch in the living room. To his disbelief, Malfoy was awake and in the Weasley's kitchen. Harry tried to get up, but found that he was unable to because of the death grip that Hermione had on his robes.
"Stay here, Harry," she pleaded.
Harry sat back down and put Hermione's head on his lap and started to stroke her hair. It seemed that he really didn't need to get up because Malfoy was brought to him instead. Harry tried to glare at Draco but found that he had a very somber look on his face and if you looked into his eyes you could tell that something was missing; the glare he was so used to seeing wasn't there anymore. Harry could see Ginny in the corner on the brink of tears and Ron going over to comfort his only sister. Harry redirected his attention to Draco.
"I know it's going to take a lot for you to believe this, but it seems that my father has been lying to me for my entire life… he just killed my mother in front of my eyes… it was terrible…" Draco stuttered out.
Harry could see tears forming in Draco's eyes, something he had never seen before. He could tell that Draco had gone through some very trying things and that he needed some support, even if it meant going against five years of hatred. He slowly stuck out his hand to the blonde haired Slytherin. Draco's eyes lit with fire as one of his enemies for so long would try and help him in his time of need, he had never felt this feeling in his life.
Harry really had no idea what he was getting himself into, but after seeing what he did for Ginny, he reasoned that he might have changed for the better after all. Draco's hand met his and they shook firmly.
Seeing the tension in the air, Mrs. Weasley finally spoke up. "Draco you may spend the night in our spare bedroom and you may come with us to King's Cross tomorrow if you'd like."
Draco delved deep into thought. "I really have nowhere else to go… but why would you offer me this when I have caused you so much trouble over the years?"
"After putting your life on the line for one of our very own, I think that puts you into our good graces. One good deed can speak a lot for someone." Surprisingly, that was Ron who spoke up.
Hermione's head lifted off of Harry's lap. "Was that Ron who just said something competent?" she whispered into Harry's ear.
"Yea… I guess so… he may just be growing up if I didn't know any better…"
The pair shared a chuckle before heading up to their respective rooms so they could get some sleep. They said goodnight to the entire family and to Draco who still seemed shocked because of the hospitality he was receiving, but he soon snapped out of it and was off to bed.
The following morning the entire gang was up two hours early just so they wouldn't be late to the train station like that had been so many other times before. Even with the added time the group barely made it in enough time to hug Mrs. Weasley good-bye and find an empty compartment for the group.
They were still quite shaken up from the events of the other day, but tried to get it out of their heads because they had a lot more on their plates now that they were going back to Hogwarts. Hermione didn't get a lot of sleep, so she was asleep on Harry's lap waiting for the old steam engine to arrive in Hogsmeade Village.
When they were about two hours into the long trip there was a sudden lurch. Harry looked out the window and saw a horde of all too familiar figures flying towards the train. Hermione stirred when the train suddenly jolted, she looked up to Harry's face and followed his eyes outside where she turned a ghastly white.
"Stay here…" Harry told the group before exiting the compartment and heading towards the roof of the train.
There were at least two hundred dementors and fifteen death eaters looming over the train with hundreds of screaming children in its hull. Harry looked up as they started to circle him, almost as if they were egging him on to make the first move. Harry didn't even make a motion for his wand until the death eaters landed on the top of the train and hopped off of their brooms.
"Looks like you're outnumbered here, boy!" yelled a recognizable voice.
"Ah, Malfoy, you decided to grace me with your presence? I'm surprised you didn't send one of your messengers. We all know that you can't get anything done on your own…" Harry taunted.
"Boy, don't test me!"
Lucious burst out with a quick stunning curse to try and catch Harry off guard, but Harry quickly rolled to the side to avoid it.
"That all you got old man?"
"Abscindo!" a blue light emitted from the elder Malfoy's wand moving at an alarmingly fast rate. Harry tried to roll out of the way of this curse as well, but didn't move fast enough. The spell made a huge gash across his back and it started to emit blood rapidly. He let out an agonized scream and relentlessly got to his feet.
As Harry stumbled back to his feet the entire DA joined him on the roof of that small train. Hermione rushed to Harry's side and helped support him by throwing his off hand over her shoulder.
"You shouldn't have come up here…" Harry whispered to Hermione.
"What, and leave you here to die?"
It as worthless to argue with Hermione, she wasn't going to leave unless the battle was over or until someone took her life, which she wasn't planning on that.
"Luna take a group and start fending off the dementors! Ron, Hermione, Draco, Ginny! We'll take on the death eaters, be careful though!" He added as an afterthought. He really didn't want another Department of Mysteries.
Harry reached to his scabbard to grab his wand, but oddly enough, the sheath expanded and in the wand's place was a sword. Harry didn't have time to think about the oddity of the sword appearing, he had to spring into action or the effects could be fatal. He brandished the sword above his head and charged at two oncoming death eaters. The sword felt like an extra limb to him, almost as if it were another part of his body. He swung it with grace and speed that could not be matched. In a matter of seconds, five death eaters lied before him, fatally wounded.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Draco dueling his father and it was becoming more heated with each curse and countercurse. The elder Malfoy's comrades were falling like flies, as the experienced sixth years were able to handle most of them. Harry saw Ron on the ground clutching his arm and Luna was having trouble keeping the dementors at bay.
Yet again, a strange feeling came over his body as he grabbed his wand. "Pius Expecto Patronum!" Three golden stags exploded from his wand and didn't only fend off the dementors, but continued to rip them to shreds. Harry returned to the fight between the Malfoys but found he was unable to lend aid because of the dome of power that was surrounding the two, making it impossible for anything to penetrate.
"I knew you were weak, Draco. You're mother's final wishes while she was begging for her life was that I didn't kill you. But I couldn't pass up this opportunity to kill my so called son."
This was the last straw for Draco. "Amatorius abomino!" In a flash of white and red the battle stopped. Lying on the ground, dead, was Lucious Malfoy. There was a large "X" shaped gash across the left side of his chest.
The skirmish finally over, Harry could finally relax. The mysterious sword fell limply out of his hand and clattered on the top of the roof and his wand followed. He fell to his knees and blacked out.
Harry awoke in the hospital wing inside of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with a cold sweat pooling on his brow. He looked around and darkness overwhelmed him. He tried to sit up but found that he was unable to. He reached his hand around to his back and felt the long scarring gash on his back and he grimaced realizing that he was indeed hurt again. He had a tendency to find himself in one of those cots and he was surprised that Madam Pomphrey didn't just simply reserve a bed for him because he was there so often.
Harry reached for his glasses and looked at the clock that was present above the doorway, it read three o'clock AM. Harry leaned over and saw the mystifying sword that he had used during the scuffle. He grabbed the hilt and tipped it up so he could see the blade. Engraved on the blade was GRYFFINDOR. Harry's jaw dropped as he looked at the weapon. His heart started to pound as he tried to figure out where this sword had come from. He assumed it was a family heirloom or something of the nature its heir could summon it, but that was the only thing he could figure it would be.
He then reached for his wand and noticed two sheaths. One was his wand sheath and the other he assumed belonged to the metal. He returned the two items to their correct housing and heard Madam Pomphrey coming towards him. He quickly set the two items down beside his bed and waited for her to stroll around.
She saw Harry awake and let out a gasp. "What are you doing up, Potter?" she asked trying to catch her breath.
"I just woke up, I really didn't mean to…" he started to explain.
"Nonsense, I'll just give you this draught and you'll be back asleep in no time." She gave him the small vial and sure enough within the minute Harry was out like a light.
Harry didn't know what hit him, he was out until the morning, but when he work up he had full mobility of his back. He felt where the cut was and felt the scar that was now present. He quickly leapt from the bed and put the sheath for his wand and sword on his left side. He threw his robe over the two items and walked towards the Great Hall for breakfast.
He walked in to find Draco sitting with the Gryffindors. It was an odd site for him, but he walked over to where Hermione was sitting patiently for him. He sat down between Hermione and Ginny and hungrily dug in.
"Are you doing alright Harry?" Hermione asked with concern apparent on her voice.
Harry shook his head and took off his robe and pulled up his shirt to reveal the scar. Hermione gasped as she saw what that spell had done to him.
"Oh, Harry! Does it hurt?"
"Not at the moment, but I'm sure there will be some pain later…"
Before Hermione could say anything else, Dumbledore stood up to address the student body. "It seems that everyone experienced something very traumatizing yesterday on the train, so I must ask all of you to be on the watch while you are here. I ensure you that it is safe here, but you must all pay close attention to the new rules. Prefects will inform you when you return to your common rooms. Classes will not start until next Monday, so enjoy the weekend!"
(A/N) Sorry for the wait, school is becoming a pain in the ass. I'll try to have the next chapter out sooner! Please READ and REVIEW, I respect everything you have to say.