Chapter Seven

Murder on the Hogwarts Express


Professor McGonagall arrived back at Grimmauld Place two days later so she could arrange more accommodation at Hogwarts and also to fill in Buffy and her gang about the present situation. That was not the only meaning for her trip though. She had also come to give Harry and Hermione something that they would require for school, two somethings actually.

Harry and Hermione stood with Professor McGonagall in front of the kitchen hearth and away from the main dinner conversations. Professor McGonagall reached into her robes and produced two tiny velvet bags, one for each of them. Harry tipped the contents, three shining badges, into the palm of his hand. One badge was his old Quidditch Captains badge; the second one had a gold and red background with the letters HB emblazoned over the top (this badge caused Hermione to scream loudly in joy) but the third one he had never seen around Hogwarts before. The third badge sported a deep-blue background underneath a golden Celtic symbol – a circle containing three interlocking oval shapes.

"What's the symbol mean, Professor?" Harry asked, still staring at the new badge.

Professor McGonagall waited for Hermione to open her bag (who again screamed when she found a badge with HG written on it) before she answered Harry's question.

"The symbol is called the Triquetra, it's the Charmed Ones symbol. The badge has been given to you two because you are both protectors of the school, of the innocent. If in the event of an attack on Hogwarts, students will know that the people wearing badges like these will keep them safe," Professor McGonagall explained. "I have also sent this badge to all of the former DA members"

Hermione looked up from her badge. "When are you going to tell the students, or have you already told them?"

"I am planing on telling the school on the first night back," McGonagall answered. "You should know that there is an incantation that's been made to go along with the badge, the incantation is Triquetratum. This incantation will shoot a flare high into the skyand when the flare bursts it will form a large Triquetra. You can try it out now but best to do it in the backyard"

The three of them moved out of the kitchen and into the darkness and silence of the old house's backyard. Harry took his wand out from his back pocket and held it high up over his head and yelled. "Triquetratum!"

Suddenly a blinding flash seared the night as the white flare came out of his wand. Up…up it soared, high above the roof and chimneys of the house. Then with a loud report it exploded into a large and bright, white Triquetra.

The door to the house burst open and Piper and Buffy came running out to see what the cause of the loud explosion was. Piper gasped when she saw the white triquetra in the sky. "Wow. That's one powerful charm, Minerva. It's going to be very easy for the students to spot"

Professor McGonagall shepherded them all back into the house when the symbol faded away to a wisp of smoke. Piper and Buffy went back to the kitchen but the others diverted to the privacy of the lounge.

"Harry, only you, Hermione and Ron will know that incantation, no one else," Professor McGonagall stated. "And I suggest you keep it that way, just in case there is a spy in the school, we can't have death eaters knowing that incantation"

Harry sank down into the sofa and placed the badges back into the velvet bag and put it into his jeans pocket. He then asked a question that had been pulling away at his thoughts for a while. "Professor, do you want me to start the DA again?"

McGonagall peered at Harry through her glasses. "Its up to you. If you want to start it up again then by all means do so but be very careful if you do"

"Why's that?"

She sighed. "Because that horrid excuse for a Ministry has issued another so called "approved" teacher to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts this year"

Harry looked at her, surprise etched across his features. "You're kidding! What about Potions? Who's teaching that?"

"It's a surprise," she answered with a smile. "Anyway, I'd best be off. By the way, Harry. You are going on patrol with Buffy tonight, to watch how she works," With that she swept out of the lounge and back into the hallway.

Harry and Hermione sat in silence, side by side and watched the wind bend the trees in the fading light. Another day was drawing to a close making the time before the return to Hogwarts shorter and shorter. Tomorrow they would be going to Diagon Ally to get their school supplies and then it would be just four days until they boarded the train to school.

"Harry, It's time for you to go now," Hermione said quietly.

Harry looked at her, at her beautiful eyes, her soft brown hair, which tumbled carelessly over her shoulders, her lips, and her cheeks. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her and he didn't know if he would be able to go on with out her if he did. She meant absolutely everything to him and so much more, the word 'love' didn't even begin to describe what he felt for her.

"Hermione, I want you to learn how to protect yourself against vampires," he said to her. "I want you to come with me and Buffy tonight"

"Oh…really?" she asked, clearly surprised that he had asked her that. "Harry, I dunno. I have my wand and my magic. I will be fine, that's all I'm going to need"

Harry glanced away from her face and looked out the window, when he looked back she wore an expression of concern. He covered her hands with his and said: "Remember back in our fourth year during the tri-wizard tournament? We were on the bridge and you told me that you were 'scared for me'?" he asked of her.

She nodded.

"Well, I'm scared for you now. I don't want to lose you, Hermione. I don't know if I could take it if I did. Please, do this for me. I love you too much to lose you and I know that I would die if I did"

"I love you too, Harry. So very, very much," she said, tears blinding her eyes and choking her voice.

Harry cupped her face in his hands and slowly lowered his mouth to hers. She felt his lips touch hers in a kiss as tender and light as a summer breeze, sending shivers down her body and leaving her with a burning desire, an aching need, for another kiss. She opened her eyes and gazed into the sparkling green emerald eyes of the one she truly and deeply loved.

"I don't ever want to lose you either, Harry," she whispered. "I will come with you tonight, if that's what you really want"

He gathered her into his arms and held her snugly. "Thankyou," he whispered.

They withdrew from their embrace and hand in hand they went into the foyer to meet with Buffy.


Pain.

Severe pain shot through the back of Harry's skull as his head slammed into the cold cement gravestone, causing his world to momentarily black out. When he reopened his eyes it was to see the fuzzy outline of a vampire bearing down on him, lips curled back to reveal sharp and deadly teeth. The stench that emitted from the vampire's mouth strung Harry's nostrils.

OK, focus. Where's my stake, I need my stake! Harry frantically patted the moist grass around him with one hand while he held the vampire back with the other. Oh, Jesus. Oh, Jesus. Relief washed over him when he felt the wood of the weapon that had been knocked away from him when he fell. He wrapped his fingers around its smooth surface and brought it up high above the vampire's back and with a hard thrust downwards he plunged the stake into the vampire's back.

The vampire's mouth dropped open and he looked down at Harry in wide-eyed astonishment.

"Bye," Harry said, and as if on cue the vampire exploded into a shower of dust.

Hermione ran over to him and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Harry. That was so scary"

He smiled. "Hey, Im fine," he said and rubbed the lump forming on the back of his head. "It's just a bump"

Buffy extended her hand to Harry and he took it and let her pull him up. "Well, done, Harry," she said, smiling at him. "You got the heart the first time, very good"

He smiled weakly. "Thanks, Buffy"

Later that night Harry's mind wandered to the vampire that he had slayed earlier that evening. How easy it had been to slam that stake through its heart and how it had turned into a pile of dust. Could it possibly be that easy to kill Voldemort as well? Harry let himself dwell on this thought for a moment but deep within him he knew that it wasn't so, it wouldn't be at all easy. He rolled over and sighed in content as he draped his arm over the warm, peaceful, sleeping body of Hermione. He was asleep within seconds.


The morning of September first was like every other morning so far, wet, dreary and blustery. It was a wonder that the house was still on the ground and not floating around the sky like a piece of paper caught in an updraft. This was what Harry thought anyway, as he dragged his trunk down the rickety stairs and into the foyer where the others were waiting. He was really excited to be going back to Hogwarts and yet he felt sad about it too, because now was the beginning of his last year at Hogwarts and he knew that this year was going to go quickly. It all seemed very final to Harry and when he shared his feelings with Hermione she agreed with him.

"It does seem very final doesn't it but you have to look at this as a positive thing," she said as she wrapped Harry's scarf around his neck.

"A positive thing?" Harry asked her incredulously. "How is this a positive thing, the last year of school, the end of my child hood, or lack there of, the end…"

Hermione cut him off. "The start of a new phase in you life, the beginning of your independence, the start of the rest of your life," she reached out and clutched at his hand. "And I will be there with you every step of the way"

They stood in opposite each other without speaking, in a comfortable silence, both of them respecting each other's private thoughts. They were abruptly pulled out of their silent revere by the shout of Mad-Eye as he walked past them.

"Come along, love birds. You'll have ample time to ogle at each other later but now we have a train to catch," and with that said, Mad-Eye levitated their trunks out the door.

Harry and Hermione both looked away from each other, grinning and blushing widely from embarrassment. But embarrassment soon turned to laughter as they stumbled out the steeps and into the misty drizzle.

The drive to Kings Cross took longer than expected and they arrived at the station with only ten minutes to spare. They finally made it to platform nine and three-quarters with a lot of banging and clattering and tripping over each others trolleys, but they made it just the same. They all took their turns running through the barrier, Harry having to coax The Charmed Ones and Buffy's group through the barrier. A surprise was waiting for not only The Charmed One's and Buffy but also for Harry and his friends, because not only were there students from Hogwarts but there were also students in maroon and blue robes on the platform as well.

"Who do you suppose they are?" Ron asked.

Hermione, stunned that Ron was speaking again, tripped over her feet but was caught by Harry before she could hit the ground. "Erm, I'd take a leap and say that they are Australian students"

They stared in awe at the strangers until Mrs. Weasly brought them back to reality.

"Now you must promise me that you will all behave, no running off and getting into mischief," Mrs. Weasly said as she hugged Ron, then Harry. She then swept Hermione into her arms and said. "Promise me you'll look after our, Harry. Won't you? Keep him out of trouble"

Hermione smiled, knowing all to well that she could only keep half of that promise. "Of course, Mrs. Weasly"

Ginny smiled mischievously. "I'm sure Hermione will watch his back," she said and winked at Hermione.

"Hey!" Hermione said sounding scandalised. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ginny laughed good-naturedly. "Well, I was using, 'watch his back' as a euphemism for 'watch his arse'"

Hermione blushed crimson then stepped up onto the train, trying to hide her face from the others but this didn't work to plan because Harry and Ron stepped up onto the train just after her. Lucky they had decided to board the train when they did because as soon as Buffy stepped onboard the train began to move.

"Wow. They don't muck around here, do they?" Buffy said. "You never told me that the English were so prompt in everything" she said, turning to Giles.

"Yes, well. I would have thought that after all the years that we've spent together that you would have picked that up by now. Especially when you were back in High School, you used to dawdle with Willow and Xander just to get on my nerves," Giles said and polished his glasses with his handkerchief.

"He does that a lot. The glasses polishing thing," Willow said with a smile on her face. "Remember how you popped the glass out one time because you were really tense. That was funny," Willow said then realizing what she had just said decided to rephrase her statement. "Well, obviously not funny for you as they were your glasses. I'll just be quiet now"

Harry looked at Willow in amusement, and then said. "Come one. We best get us a compartment before they all fill"

They walked down the train, squeezing past Hogwarts and Australian students who were crowding the companionways. They finally found two empty compartments at the very rear of the train. Buffy and her gang sat in one compartment while Ron, Ginny and the Charmed Ones sat in the other compartment. Harry and Hermione put their stuff into the compartment then left to the prefect's compartment but promised that they would be back soon. They were only an hour into the journey when the train's speed suddenly began to decrease and finally slowed to a crawling pace.

Ron stuck his head out into the companionway along with the rest of the people in the carriage.

"Do we know what's going on?" Buffy asked as she and came out of her compartment to stand with Ron.

Just as she said that a buzzing noise sounded and Hermione's voice could be heard from all around them, like a magical PA system. "Attention please. The train will be delayed due to the rough weather outside. We shall be on our way within the hour."

Again there was a buzzing sound and then the only sound that could be heard was that of the storm raging outside.

Conversations gradually began to start up again and everything got back to normal. Harry and Hermione arrived five minutes later, the food trolley just behind them. "Anything from the trolley dears?" the lady asked.

Harry bought a mound of sweets and distributed them amongst his friends, explaining to the new comers what the specific sweets were.

Suddenly a distant yet piercing scream rent the air around them causing a large amount of students to come out of their compartments, including Harry, Hermione and Ron.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron gasped out.

Harry shook his head. "But Im going to find out," he said then ran off down the train, Hermione, Ron, Buffy and Piper following.

When Harry reached the second carriage it was to find a group of students clustered around something halfway down the companionway. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and pushed through the students. What he saw horrified him.

In front of him lay the body of a girl bathed in her own blood. Her throat had latterly been torn out and blood had not only sprayed on her clothing but on the walls and windows as well. The girl looked to be no younger than eleven-years old.

Hermione clung onto Harry's arm and pushed her face against his chest, trembling wildly with shock. Harry snapped is eyes over to another girl, leaning against a compartment door and sobbing hysterically.

"Did you see what did this?" Harry asked her softly.

The girl looked at him and let out another cry of grief before answering. "It was…it was a…" her words were cut off by another sob.

"What did this?" Harry asked of her again.

The girl, reeling from shock, looked him over and whispered. "A vampire," her eyes fluttered closed and then she dropped to the floor.

"Alright!" Harry bellowed. "I want this carriage cleared. I do not want one student in here. Move it"

Nobody argued with him mainly because they didn't want to be in a carriage that had just become the scene of a terrible murder. Within five minutes the faint girl had been carried off and the carriage was clear.

Hermione raised her head and looked into his eyes, searching for reassurance. But she found only anger and sadness. "What are we going to do? We can't just leave her hear," she said.

Piper laid a reassuring hand on Hermione's back. "Don't worry. I've got it," she said. She then began to shout "Leo!" at the top of her voice.

Leo abruptly appeared in a flurry of blue-white lights. He didn't even ask what the problem because he could see it with his own eyes. "Where do I take her?"

"Take her to the school," Harry choked out, trying to keep down the sob that was trying to escape his throat.

Leo nodded and then silently orbed himself and the girl's body to the school, to the hospital wing.

Harry and Hermione slowly began to walk back to their compartments with the others. Harry was still hopelessly trying to come to terms with what had just happened, what he had just seen and not to mention why it had happened. That poor girl hadn't had any chance in the world. When they arrived back to their compartment he gratefully sank down into his seat and took deep calming breaths, trying to clear his mind of thoughts, but to know avail. So he did the next best thing and he began to cry. Then the train began to move.


Authors Chat

Finally! I am so sorry it has taken me nearly two months to update this story. It's just that school has started up and I've had to do assignments and all the other stuff that they say we will need in the future. But it is here. Sorry for spellings. Sorry again.