Harry sat, lost in thought, on the Hogwarts Express. He had not planned to return to Hogwarts but since over the summer he had been successful in destroying all the horcruxes he thought it best to learn more and wait for Voldemort to find him.

Hogwarts had not employed a new head teacher but instead a group of teachers had come together to lead the school together. They hoped that they would soon be able to choose a permanent head but Harry thought it was unlikely, nobody at the school had the same qualities as Dumbledore.

As Harry sat there, bored, Tonks and Lupin rushed over to him.

"Hello Harry," said Lupin, "We have come to tell you something, shall we go somewhere private or are we Ok here?"

Harry looked around the compartment. In it were Ginny, Neville and Luna. (Hermione and Ron were in the front with the prefects.)

"Yeah, it's fine to say it here, take a seat."

Tonks walked to sit opposite Ginny and Lupin took a seat opposite Harry.

"Ok," Lupin began, "On the order of Professor McGonnagall and the other head teachers we were sent one month ago to get Malfoy back. We were told if he wanted to come with us then we should take him and protect him and his family. If he did not we had to leave him."

"WHAT!" shouted Ginny, angrily. "He doesn't deserve help!"

"It wasn't our decision Ginny," Tonks told her, "If you want more answers you need to go and talk to Professor McGonnagal."

"Well that is what we'll do then!" said Neville, surprisingly confidently.

"I'm going to go and find the food trolley," Harry told them and stood up and walked out through the doors. He walked aimless down the train. He didn't really know what to think. He hated Malfoy for what he had done to Dumbledore but Harry had been there that night. He saw and heard Malfoy and as he thought back on it knew that Malfoy was never going to kill Dumbledore. If he had been going to he would have done so straight away, not wait around, scared.

"Harry," said a wistful voice behind him. He turned round to see Luna Lovegood walking towards him. "I think they were right to bring Malfoy back here, you do to, don't you Harry."

Luna did not say this as a question nor did she say it forcefully she just stated it as a fact.

Harry smiled at her, not knowing how to reply.

"He went with them, didn't he," she went on. "If he had wanted to stay with Voldemort, and Snape, he could have done."

"I know what you mean," he replied because she was basically summing up what he was thinking. "I still think I'll be keeping an eye on him though."

Luna said nothing until they reached the snack trolley. Harry had not truthfully set out to find it but now he had he did fancy getting something. He bought a pumpkin pasty for himself and many chocolate frogs. He handed one to Luna who thanked him.

They went back to their compartment where Ginny, Neville, Tonks and Lupin were still sat, watching Tonks transfigure her nose. He shared his chocolate frogs with his friends and managed for what he thought was the first time not to see Malfoy on the train. He asked Lupin about this later and was told that Malfoy had been brought here separately.

The train came to a halt and the passengers sidled out, grabbing luggage and moving towards the doors. Harry managed to catch up with Ron and Hermione in time for them to board the threstrel-driven carriages together. Ginny, Luna and Neville got into the one in front, leaving Hermione, Ron and Harry to have one to themselves. Harry hurriedly told them everything Lupin and Tonks had told him about Malfoy.

"WHAT!" shouted Ron angrily. "That's rubbish!"

"He as good as killed Dumbledore! What if he tries to kill you Harry, this is terrible."

Harry didn't feel like arguing with his two best friends so he merely sat and listened to them.

When the carriage reached Hogwarts the three of them climbed out and walked towards the magnificent building of Hogwarts.

They walked into the entrance hall and then through into the great hall. Harry and his friends took their seats at the Gryffindor table and were greeted cheerfully by Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan.

"Harry! How was your holiday, I've been skiing in the Alps for most of the summer, it was amazing!" Dean called to him.

"Ron, how's Pig, I got an amazing new owl over the summer, my great aunt bought it me, it's called Tweegle." Seamus then said.

"Tweegle, why Tweegle?" Hermione replied.

"I just picked any old name." he answered.

"Really?" Hermione responded, "Did you know that Salazar Slytherin's second cousin twice removed was called Tweegle?"

"No, and I'm not sure many people do," Seamus replied warily

They all took a seat just in time for McGonagall to lead a large line of first years into the hall. She placed a small stool on the ground in front of the teachers table and placed the Sorting Hat upon it.

Harry was shocked to see that the Sorting Hat did not sing a song as normal, merely stated a few rhyming lines.

I am the sorting hat

A lot of you already knew that

I will sort you into your houses

Where you will be as safe as houses

It said, not sung, this in a long, slow monotone, as if all the life had been sucked out of it. Harry knew the feeling.

The first years were sorted into the appropriate houses and about 8 new Gryffindors were chosen. They greeted them with applause but Harry was lost in thought. He was wondering what they would say before the meal. It had been Dumbledore's tradition to 'say a few words' but Harry doubted anyone would even attempt to follow in his shadow.

When it came to them starting the meal all that was said was by Flitwick. This was just a short sentence inviting them to eat. As usual the same delicious and vast variety of foods appeared on the table and everyone helped themselves to everything they could reach. Harry was very aware that this would be the last 'first day back' meal he would have at Hogwarts.

After they had all eaten and the plates had stopped re-filling a collection of teachers stood up.

McGonnagall welcomed them all to a new school year and encouraged them to work hard. Flitwick gave notices about when they would get there timetables and to check their notice boards for news of any clubs. Filch read them a long list of newly banned items and Sprout told they could now leave and asked prefects to guide students safely to their common rooms.

At once there began the very loud sounds of people hurrying to their dormitories and people talking in loud voices. Hermione and Ron had to rush to the front of the Gryffindors to take them to the common room but Harry chose to lag behind at the back of the crowd. He noticed that Patsy was guiding the students out accompanied by a sixth year instead of Malfoy.

As Harry walked into the common room he was greeted by the usual stares and mutters that followed him everywhere, especially on the first few days of term. Harry wondered why they hadn't become disinterested by now. He may have been The Boy Who Lived but he was no longer the person who had defeated Voldemort, at least, not yet.

It occurred to him as he went up to his dormitory that he didn't really know where he stood on the matter of Ginny. He had had to end it with her when he had decided not to come back to Hogwarts. But here he was, did the decision to come back change his reasons for them breaking up? He decided he would have to talk to her as soon as possible.

As usually happened on the first day back he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.