Chapter 34
Compared to the beginning of their journey, the rest of the train ride back to Hogwarts was fairly uneventful. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione returned to the compartment in the center of the train, not long after the food trolley had rolled by. Neville and Harry had just started in on their cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties when Bill slid the door open and ushered the trio inside.
With the security detail on board, the three prefects didn't have to worry about patrolling the corridors, which suited Ron just fine. That is until he tried to leave the compartment in order to retrieve his chess set from the prefect car.
"Where do ya think you're going, Weasley?" Mad-Eye Moody barked, stepping into the doorway the instant the door slid open.
"To the prefect car," Ron replied, rather taken aback by the gnarled wizard's sudden appearance.
"Oh no you don't," Moody said, shoving Ron back into the room before he managed to set one foot in the hallway.
"Why not?" Ron demanded. "Am I a bloody prisoner or something?"
"No one is leaving this compartment."
"What if I have to use the loo?" Ron argued.
"Do you need to use the toilet, Weasley?"
"No."
"Then sit back down," Mad-Eye snarled at the startled red head.
Rather than do as instructed, Ron just stood there, gaping at the crotchety ex-Auror in disbelief. It wasn't until Moody left the compartment and he was gawking at the closed door, that Ron found his voice again.
"What the hell was that?" he cried as his incredulity turned to anger. "He can't tell me what to do."
"I believe he just did," Ginny chuckled.
"Yeah, well I don't have to listen to him," her brother retorted, trying to muster up the courage to open the door again. "I'm sick of this," he grumbled. "First Mum and now Moody. They think they can lock me up just because..."
"Welcome to my world," Harry cut in sarcastically.
"We could play exploding snaps," Neville suggested, rummaging through his bag and pulling out a deck of cards. "Or gobstones," he added, trying to be helpful. "I have a set in my trunk."
"I wanna play chess," Ron griped.
"You are," Hermione muttered from behind her copy of Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six.
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, turning away from the door and looking at Hermione as if she'd just sprouted additional head.
"Well," she said, lowering her spell book, "Moody just set himself up as your opponent, didn't he? He placed himself in your path and blocked your move. The question is, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to go on the offensive and find a way around him, or are you going to admit defeat?"
"You're out of your mind?" Ron replied, glancing at Harry, who quite obviously agreed and rolling his eyes. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Was Hermione actually encouraging him to flout authority, in front of witnesses no less? What the hell?
"Am I?" Hermione responded. "If Harry's knight was the only thing standing between you and his king, what would you do?" she asked.
"He'd take it," Ginny answered when her brother didn't reply. "With his queen," she added with a knowing smirk.
"Why his queen?" Hermione questioned, sounding slightly defensive.
"Because she's intimidating," Ginny laughed, "and the other pieces are afraid of her."
"Not all the pieces," Hermione chuckled.
"Yeah, pretty much all of them," Ginny retorted.
"Mental," Ron cried, falling back into his seat. "The both of you," he added, not quite sure what the two girls were really talking about, but suspecting it had very little to do with his ability to play chess.
"All right," Hermione conceded. "She's a little..."
"Merciless," Ginny answered.
"Overzealous," Hermione corrected. "So Gin, would you like to play the queen today or shall I?"
"Oh I think you should do it," Ginny replied eagerly. "Definitely you."
"Why am I not surprised?" Hermione muttered under her breath as she set her book down and rose up out of her seat.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked when Hermione took a deep breath and approached the door.
"She's going to take on the knight," Ginny answered.
"Actually," Hermione said, halting in the center of the compartment and turning away from the door to face Ginny again. "Now that I think about it, you should be the one to do it. He'll expect me," she added when Ginny looked like she was about to protest. "You said so yourself. But he might not expect you."
"Damn," Ginny muttered under her breath.
"Unless you don't think you can do it," Hermione added, suppressing the smirk that threatened to burst forth when she saw the affronted look on her friend's face. It was amazing really, how similar Ginny and Ron were at times. Which of course, is why she made the comment in the first place.
"Oh I can do it," Ginny replied, jumping to her feet and steeling herself. "You just watch me."
"You're not seriously going to..." Ron started to stammered as his sister pushed past Hermione and threw the door open.
"All right," Moody's gruff voice rang through the compartment. "I've had just about enough of ..."
"I need to use the loo," Ginny said, cutting him off.
"Oh yes," Mad-Eye scoffed, "I'm sure you do," he added, his magical eye jumping from her to Hermione, who was still standing in the center of the compartment, to Ron. "What do ya think, I was born yesterday? Don't know a diversion tactic when I see one? You think that I'll just escort you to the toilet so your brother here, can sneak out?"
"No," Ginny replied honestly. That particular strategy never even entered her mind. Why should they both get involved when it only took one of them to accomplish the task? "I just need to use the loo. And you don't have to escort me. I know the way," she added tetchily as she attempted to maneuver around him, "so you're free to stay here and mind Ron."
"Hold it."
"Until we reach Hogwarts?" Ginny protested loudly, purposely trying to draw attention to herself. "You can't seriously expect me to wait that long," she added, silently assessing her options. She couldn't back down now. Might as well get it over with, she told herself, knowing that the best way to get past him was to embarrass him and throw him off his game. It was a strategy she'd learned from Fred and George. It worked wonders on most of her brothers, so it would probably work with Moody. Of course it might mean embarrassing herself as well, but so be it. Everyone in the car knew it was all an act. Even so, she was loathe to play the 'female problem' card in front of Harry and Neville. She'd save that for a last resort. "I really need to go," she said, fidgeting for effect.
"You kids are the most bothersome lot of..."
"Problem, Mad-Eye?" a dark haired witch with rosy cheeks asked as she strode up the hallway towards her comrade.
"There will be one in a few minutes if he doesn't let me use the toilet," Ginny muttered under her breath, but she made sure it was loud enough for the two adults to hear.
"Honestly, Alastor?" Hestia Jones said, while shaking her head disapprovingly. "The poor girl just needs to..."
"Poor girl my arse," Mad-Eye interrupted. "She's just trying to distract me so her brother there," he said, pointing at Ron, who was gaping at them with his mouth slightly open, "can sneak off."
"I'll watch the compartment for you," Hestia volunteered, "and make sure no one tries to 'sneak off '."
It took moment for Mad-Eye to respond, but when he did, he seemed none too happy about it. "Fine," he growled, his good eye locked on Ginny while his magical eye scrutinized Ron. "But watch out for that one," he added, grabbing Ginny by the arm as he pointed at Hermione.
"Me?" Hermione questioned. "I didn't do anything, did I?" she asked, looking at the boys innocently.
"What?" Ginny cried anxiously, yanking her arm out of Moody's grasp. "No way. I'm not going with you," she continued. " There is no way in hell I'm going to have you watch me use the toilet with that magical eye of yours."
It was all Hermione could do not to laugh as she saw the stunned expression that covered Mad-Eye's face when Ginny accused him of being a Peeping Tom. It was even worse when she spun around, so he wouldn't see her smile, and she saw Neville and Harry. They were even more gobsmacked than Moody, if their slack jaws and wide eyes were any indication. Ron's reaction was harder to gauge, because he was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, with his hands over his face. It was hard to tell if he was laughing or so mortified for his sister, that he simply couldn't look at her any longer. Although Hermione suspected he was probably laughing.
"No way," Ginny continued. "You'll take me, won't you?" she asked Hestia hopefully.
"Of course, dear," she replied, stepping around Moody and placing her hand on Ginny's back. "We won't be but a minute," she called out over her shoulder as they walked away.
"Go ahead, Ron," Hermione said as she reached for the door. "Say it. You know that you want to."
"Checkmate."
"You little shits," Moody growled, as the door slid closed and the compartment erupted with laughter.
"Hello, Ronald," Luna Lovegood chimed, the instant Ron emerged in the doorway of the train with Pig's cage in his hand. "I thought you might need someone to watch your owl again," she added serenely, regarding him with her unusually protuberant eyes.
"Er...no, that's ok," he replied, not even bothering to look at her as he stepped onto the platform. "We're just about done unloading everything," he continued, scanning the crowd of students looking for Ginny's long red hair. "You haven't seen my sister, have you?"
"Oh yes," Luna replied.
"Well?" Ron asked when she offered no further information. "Where is she?"
"Over there," Luna responded, pointing to the left where Hagrid's massive form was silhouetted against the dark blue of the lake.
"Fist' Years. Over 'ere!" Hagrid's deep voice bellowed as Ron walked off in the direction Luna had pointed. "Firs' Years. This way!"
"Aren't you done yet?" Ron griped, the instant he spotted his sister standing beside a pile of trunks.
"We would have been if you'd actually stuck around long enough to help us," Ginny fired back. "Nice of you to reappear now that the works almost done."
"You didn't expect me to leave Pig in the prefect car, did you?" Ron cried defensively, brandish the cage he was holding in the air which only served to increased the volume of Pig's chirping. "Oh will you shut up already?" he shouted at his tiny owl. "I didn't forget about you, although I'm starting to wish that I had."
"Maybe if you stop waving his cage around like a maniac," Hermione suggested as she appeared in the doorway with a small blond girl in tow. "A little help would be appreciated," she added, motioning to the trunk she was dragging behind herself.
"Oh. Right," Ron said, setting Pig's cage down as the two girls stepped off the train and then quickly shifting the girl's trunk from the doorway to the pile on the platform. "Anything else?"
"No, that ought to do it," Hermione replied.
"Well then, let's go," Ron said. "Before all the carriages are full."
"Firs' Years! Over 'ere!" Hagrid shouts were getting closer.
"Don't worry," Ginny said softly to the small blond girl when she backed away from the booming voice beckoning her forward. "I was scared to death of Hagrid when I first got here, but he's actually rather sweet, once you get to know him."
"Hiya Hagrid," Ron cried out over the hum of the departing crowd.
"Blimey," Hagrid replied, as he spun and the lantern he was holding illuminated the bruises on Ron's face. "What 'appened teh yeh?"
"Oh, er...," Ron stammered. "Nothing."
"Don' look like nuthin' teh me?"
"I seem to recall saying the same thing when 'nothing' happened to you last year," Hermione replied.
"All righ'," Hagrid replied, holding a large hand out in front of himself to stop her. "I was just askin' is all. Speakin' o' which. Grawpy's bin askin' bout yeh. I tol' him yeh'd come visit once yeh got settled in an' all. "
"Lovely," Hermione muttered under her breath. "I can hardly wait."
"Yeh better get goin'," Hagrid suggested, glancing over the heads of the students meandering towards the carriages that were waiting to take them up to the castle. "Harry and Neville won' be able teh save yeh're seats forever."
"Come on," Ron said, snatching Pig's cage up off the ground.
"See ya, Hagrid," Ginny cried, as she disappeared into the crowd with Luna.
"You go with Hagrid," Hermione said to the young girl she'd helped off the train. "He'll see that you get to the castle safely."
"Hurry up, Hermione," Ron called back impatiently.
"Right," Hagrid said, smiling down at the little girl who was staring up at him with her wide blue eyes. "Come on Emma," he added, motioning for her to follow him back to the lake. " Nothin' teh worry 'bout. I promised yeh're mum I'd take good care o' yeh, didn' I?"
"What are you waiting for?" Ron asked, when he came up behind his sister who was still standing outside the carriage Harry and Neville were sitting in. "Get in before they start moving," he whined, giving her a light shove to speed her along.
"Don't push me," Ginny retorted, pushing her brother back.
"Honestly?" Hermione sighed as she brushed past the squabbling siblings and climbed into the carriage herself. "You two are prefects. You should set a better example for the younger students."
"What younger students?" Ron asked, grabbing Ginny by her robes and dragging her away from the step so he could get in first and sit beside Hermione. "It's just Harry and Neville and they don't care what I say to my sister," he added, handing Pig to Hermione, before climbing up himself.
"What was that?" Ginny asked Hermione as she climbed into the coach herself and heard her friend mumbling something unintelligible under her breath.
"Nothing," Hermione replied crossly, but Ginny noticed that she continued to glower down at a cluster of fourth year girls that kept glancing at their carriage and giggling. "Trade me spots," she said to Ron as Luna climbed into the carriage and sat down beside Ginny.
"What?" he asked in surprise? "Why?"
"Because I want to sit by the window," Hermione shot back quickly, not bothering to tell him the real reason. She'd been around Parvati and Lavender enough to know what it meant when groups of girls looked at a bloke, then put their heads together, and started giggling. Just because Ron and Harry didn't realize the fourth and fifth years were smitten with them didn't mean that Hermione had missed it. She hadn't missed the looks they'd given Bill on the train either. Damn it, she swore to herself, knowing what those girls were thinking. Just give him a year or two to fill out and he'll look just as good as his brother. "Now get up," she demanded, determined to obscure their view of her boyfriend.
Although technically speaking, Hermione reminded herself, he isn't your boyfriend. Because he never did ask you, did he? Which means he's free to date any one of those twits if he really wants to.
"Maybe I want to sit by the window."
"Tough."
"Oh that's nice," Ron cried.
"You can have my seat," Harry said from the other side of her, hoping to avert the row he saw looming on the horizon. "I'll sit in the middle."
"No, Harry, that's all right," Hermione replied, placing her hand on his arm before he had a chance to stand up. Damn it, she swore silently. So much for the no bickering in front of Harry rule. "I know how you like to watch the castle come into view. It's fine. I'll ride in the middle," she added elbowing Ron in the side as she did so.
"Hey! Stop that."
"That looks painful," Luna said, gazing at Ron's split lip and completely ignoring Hermione failed attempt to get him to stand up.
"Not really," he mumbled, before glancing at Hermione who'd just sunk back in her seat in resignation and called him a prat.
"Did you have a nice summer, Luna?" Neville inquired, hoping to distract Ron and Hermione from their quarrel.
"Oh yes," she replied languorously. "Daddy and I had a wonderful time in Sweden.
"Did you catch that Crumple-Horned Snorkack?" Ginny asked conversationally.
"No, but we did manage to get a Hippocampus," she replied, pulling a picture out of her pocket and handing it to Ginny.
"Imagine that," Hermione muttered under her breath. The instant she said it, she felt a bit guilty. Luna hadn't done anything, really. Besides talking to Ron, but that wasn't a crime. Luna had put herself on the line for all of them last year and just because Hermione was irritated with those other girls, didn't mean she could take it out on her. Deep down she suspected that the younger Ravenclaw had a crush on Ron, but she couldn't be certain. Luna's behavior was not exactly normal. It was possible that she was just misreading the signs. And if not, it didn't really matter all that much. Luna wasn't a threat, but those other girls were. Ron had always craved attention and if those girls started giving it to him there was no telling what might happen.
"You've changed you hair," Luna said, her large eyes now focused on Hermione, who had her arms crossed in front of her chest. "It doesn't suit you."
"I think it looks nice," Neville replied, as Ron's mouth dropped open in shock.
Uh oh, Harry thought when he saw Hermione purse her lips. This is going to get ugly.
"What do you think, Harry?" Luna asked.
"Um, yeah it's nice I guess," he replied uncertainly. As soon as the words left his mouth, he ventured another quick glance at Hermione to gauge her reaction. He knew her well enough to recognize when she was in a bad mood and he didn't really want to be the one to set her off. The problem was, Hermione was unpredictable and there was no telling what would trigger a reaction. When she wanted to vent, she found a reason to vent, even if she had to fixate on an innocent comment to do it.
"Luna is right," Hermione replied as the carriages started moving, taking both Harry and Ron by surprise. "It looks ridiculous. But things will be back to normal in the morning."
Harry didn't pay attention to the conversations taking place around him once the carriages started to rattle and sway their way down the road leading from Hogsmeade Station to Hogwarts. He was far too busy looking out the window, waiting for the stone columns topped with winged boars to come into view. His heart pounded with anticipation as they passed through the massive wrought iron gates those pillars flanked, because he knew that as soon as they rounded the corner, he'd get his first glimpse of the school.
It didn't matter how many times he'd done this in the past. It didn't matter how many times he'd seen the castle. The feeling he got when the towering turrets and jumbled battlements came into view after his summer estrangement was always the same. He felt the same calm contentment. The familiar warmth spread over his body the instant he peered up at the blazing windows. He felt the same tranquility he always felt when the carriages wound their way up to the castle and stopped in front of the stone steps that lead to the huge oak doors.
Home, Harry thought as he followed the Hermione and Ron off the carriage.
That's what it was. It was the peace that you felt when you knew, deep down in your soul, that you've finally come home. Voldemort was still out there. The war was still looming. Harry knew that he'd have to face it all eventually.
But not tonight, he thought as he followed his friends through the oak doors and into the into cavernous Entrance Hall ablaze with torches. Tonight he was home and he could rest. He could heal. And more importantly, he could prepare himself for the coming battle.
"MR.WEALEY! MISS GRANGER!" a voice called over the drone of the crowd, streaming through the double doors that lead into the Great Hall. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Professor McGonagall added as she marched down the marble staircase that led to the upper floors and weaved her way toward the two prefects.
Ron barely had time to glance at Harry, when McGonagall was standing directly in front of them, a scowl plastered across her face. "You two will come with me," she said somberly.
"But Professor," Ron started to protest.
"Now, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, pointing towards the stairs. "Move along Potter," she added when Ron startled to shuffle away. "This doesn't concern you."
"I'll save you seats," Harry said to Hermione who glanced at him anxiously before following McGonagall through the crowd.
"Mr. Weasley," the Head of Gryffindor House called when she saw Ron start to mount the marble stairs that lead to her office. "This way," she clarified, pointing to the narrow stone staircase that led down into the dungeon instead.
Bugger, Ron thought, gulping loudly. This could only mean one thing. Snape.
"Don't lose you temper," Hermione warned quietly as she followed Ron down the cold passageway at the end of the staircase. "Let me do the talking."
Rather than reply, Ron simply nodded his head. It seemed like a good plan to him. If he held his tongue and let Hermione do all the talking, they might even make it upstairs in time for the feast.
"In," McGonagall said, opening the door to Professor Snape's office and pointing inside. "Not you Miss Granger," she added, when Hermione made for the door first. "You will wait out here, for now."
"All right," Hermione replied, but she was looking into Ron's wide eyes as she spoke. This is not good, she thought as she watched McGonagall ushered Ron into the room and closed the door behind them. Not good at all. We should have taken Bill's advice and at least discussed what we'd say if we were questioned separately. Damn. DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! This is sooo not good. Please don't lose your temper. Please. Please. Please.
"So?" Professor Snape said softly the instant Ron was shoved into the room and the door closed behind him. "Care to explain yourself?" he asked, looking rather smug sitting there behind his desk as if he were trying not to smile.
"Er..." Ron said. "About what?"
"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about," Snape replied, his calm facade crumbling quickly. "I'm talking about Mr. Malfoy here," he said, pointing the Slytherin prefect who was sitting quietly in a chair to the right, "ended up in the hospital wing."
"HOSPITAL WING!" Ron cried in outrage, turning to face Draco the instant he realized he was in the room. "There was nothing wrong with you, you lying little..."
"SILENCE!" Snape roared, rising up out of his seat and reclaiming Ron's full attention.
"Have a seat, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, her lips pursed and looking even sterner than usual.
"Professor, it wasn't Hermione's f..." Ron tried to interject before he was cut off.
"Did I, or did I not just tell you to shut up, Weasley?"
Ron shut his mouth quickly, but he didn't need to speak for Professor Snape to know what he was thinking. It was written all over his freckled face.
"Draco, here was just telling me what happened on the train," the Potions Master informed Ron, who was now glaring daggers at him. "Would you care to explain yourself?"
"I'm allowed to speak now, am I?"
"Mr. Weasley," McGonagall warned. "You'll do well to remember who you are speaking to."
Oh I know who I'm speaking to, Ron fumed inwardly. A vindictive, two-faced git.
"WELL!" Snape shouted.
Rather than reply, Ron turned his glower on Draco, who surprised the angry red-head by shaking his head ever so slightly. What the hell? he wondered. Surely Malfoy wasn't trying to warn him off. It had to be a trick. Smarmy little Slytherin bastard.
"Mr. Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"What?"
"What happened?" Snape demanded.
"He already told you his version," Ron replied. "What's the point of telling you mine?" You prejudice piece of dung.
"I for one and very interested in your version," McGonagall interjected. "Did you or did you not, start the fight Mr. Weasley?"
"I guess that depends."
"On what?" Snape snarled.
"On who you ask."
"And I just asked you," McGonagall said tersely. "Did you start the fight?"
"No." I might have thrown the first punch but he provoked me, so he started it, he thought, justifying his actions in his own mind.
"If you didn't start it and Mr. Malfoy didn't start it," Snape sneered, "that only leaves one other person. Perhaps we should ask Miss Granger to join us and she can explain how it was that she started the fight."
"Yeah," Ron said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Why don't you just do that then."
"That won't be necessary sir," Malfoy piped in, taking all three of them by surprise. "I did it. I started the fight."
"Indeed?" McGonagall said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. She had no doubt that the Slytherin prefect probably provoked Ron. Goading Weasley seemed to be one of his favorite past times, but it was highly out of character for Malfoy to take responsibility for anything. There was obviously more going on then she realized. She'd have to talk to Mad-Eye about it when she got the chance.
"Somehow, I don't quite believe that is the whole truth," Snape replied, studying Malfoy carefully.
"It is, sir."
"We'll just see about that, shall we?" he asked, sweeping across the room and throwing the door open. "Granger. Inside. Now!" he barked.