And here's chapter 17. We're finally getting to Hogwarts during the actual school year! Nothing else to say except 6 reviews by monday. :)
We don't own these characters or this world. We own the video games, computer games, books, and movies, but not the people themselves.
Chapter 17
On the Way to Hogwarts
Summer ended all too soon for Harry, who was having much more fun now that his godfather had given the Animagus transformation a rest and was no longer tying him to chairs. And now the question of how Harry was to get to King's Cross arose, since Sirius, although he would have loved to come, was not allowed to go any where near it. In the end, it was decided that Lupin would Apparate into an alley near the house and take Harry there via muggle taxi. On the last day of holiday, Sirius came into Harry's room to find him sitting on the bed, staring at his half-full trunk.
"Having trouble packing, are you?" he asked. Harry looked up at him and smiled.
"You know, I think this is the first time that I ever didn't want to go back to school." Sirius laughed.
"So my purpose in life is fulfilled." He came over to Harry and sat down on the bed. "So, why don't you want to go back?"
"I don't know, I just, well..."
"You're worried that something will happen to me?" Sirius finished for him. Harry nodded.
"It's just that, you know, back in June I thought I would never see you again."
"Harry, I'll be fine, I promise. Don't worry about me." He put his hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Just promise me you won't do anything stupid."
"Now, I can't promise you that, but I will promise that as long as you don't go running out of Hogwarts by yourself and getting caught by Death Eaters, I'll stay where I'm supposed to." Harry laughed.
"Deal."
"Now, do you want some help with this stuff?" Sirius waved his hand at the untidy pile of assorted clothes, books, and other belongings. Harry nodded desperately as Sirius used his wand to instantly move everything off of the floor and into Harry's trunk.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. Now, how about some supper? I think we've got some really good chicken somewhere."
The following morning was much less hectic than the last few times Harry had left for school. Sirius, serving as his alarm clock, jumped onto his bed as a dog and licked his face at about 8 o'clock in the morning. Shortly after they had started breakfast, Remus came over and shared the pancakes with them. They played a few games of exploding snap afterwards, and then it was time for Harry and Lupin to take off.
"Goodbye Sirius!"
"Goodbye Harry. See you Moony."
"I can come over for Christmas break, can't I?"
"Of course you can! And Hermione and Ron are welcome to come too, that is, if they're not still afraid of me."
"Why would they be afraid of you, Padfoot?" Lupin inquired, apparently unaware that it was Sirius that had abducted Harry in Diagon Alley.
"Umm, no reason."
"Well, Harry, we'd better get going if we're planning on catching the train." They loaded Harry's things into the trunk of the taxi (with some difficulty) and made their way to King's Cross.
"So, um, nice weather we're having?" Lupin stammered, attempting to break the silence.
"Yeah, it's uh, really bright out today."
"Look, Harry. I know you'll miss him, but there's always the Christmas Holidays."
"Yeah, and I can always owl him too."
"Owl?" the taxi driver turned around and stared at Harry, perplexed.
"Keep your eyes on the road!" Harry yelled, as they narrowly missed colliding with a rather large truck.
"Anyway, you might find that you won't miss him as much this year."
"Why? What do you know that I don't?"
"Oh, nothing," Lupin replied in a lofty voice.
"Right..."
"So, about that, uh, class you're taking with me..."
"Oh, you mean Occlu...I mean, Occupational Guidance," Harry finished stupidly.
"Yes, that one. Since I'm not going to be around that often, I've asked your new Defense Against the, uh, Mosquitoes teacher to fill in for me. Have you met her yet?"
"Actually, Ron and I ran into her at Hog...school. Literally."
"You ran into her??"
"Uh, yeah. She didn't seem to mind that much actually."
"Okay then. Is she nicer than Umbridge?"
"Anyone is nicer than Umbridge."
"Even Snape?"
"I don't even consider Snape a human being."
"Frankly, neither do I, but he's still your teacher and you have to respect him."
"You're just saying that because you need the potion from him."
"POTION?!? What kind of cult do you people come from?"
"OBLIVIATE! Word of advice. Never talk about those kinds of things around Muggles."
"Um, Lupin, how much of his memory did you erase?"
"I guess I went a little overboard, didn't I?"
"Yeah, because I think he forgot how to drive this thing." At that moment, the taxi swerved off the road and into a creek.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" all three of them screamed as the car plunged into the water. After a couple minutes, they all managed to get out of the taxi and haul Harry's trunk and a screeching Hedwig up the steep bank.
"Hermione will never let me live this down," Harry muttered looking down at his soaked clothes.
"Neither will Sir-I mean, Uncle Ned. Look at the bright side, you'll change into your, um, other clothes on the train. Oh, and Harry? You're missing a shoe."
"Shut it Lupin."
"Well, you can't go school without a shoe, can you now?"
"This is all your fault! If you wouldn't have, uh, done that thing, we wouldn't have crashed in the first place! And I'd still have my shoe!"
"You're the one that had to go blabbing about po-um, polkas!"
"You're not very good at this are you?"
"Let's just say that you've had practice with this sort of thing since you happen to live with Muggles!"
"Can we just get to King's Cross sometime before the next ice age?!"
"Wait, we still have to pay him!"
"Uhh, Lupin? I think maybe he forgot about that."
"Right. Let's go before anything else happens."
Later aboard the Hogwarts Express, Harry was being thoroughly laughed at by Ron and scolded by Hermione.
"What were you thinking? Don't you know that you're not supposed to talk about that sort of thing in front of Muggles?"
"Hermione, I know that. I'm not as stupid as you think."
"Harry, you're missing a shoe!" Ron exclaimed, trying not to fall on the ground laughing.
"I'm aware of that. And Hermione, it was Lupin that started the whole thing."
"Right. I'm supposed to believe that Professor Lupin would do something as stupid as that."
"How would you know? Besides, he's not our Professor anymore."
"So?"
"Harry, why are you so wet?"
"Haven't you been listening, Ron? Lupin and I fell into a creek because our stupid taxi driver forgot how to drive because a Professor I just happen to know erased half his brain!"
"Harry, why is your shoe flying?"
"WHAT!?!"
"Look out the window." Harry did, and to his surprise found that his shoe was indeed flying.
"That's a little freaky."
"Oh, for heaven's sake, it's not flying!"
"Then please explain to Ron and me why my shoe is hovering of its own accord outside the compartment window."
"Hedwig is carrying it, can't you see?"
"No."
"Look harder, then! Honestly, boys can be so stupid sometimes."
"Hedwig is not...oh." Harry opened the window and let Hedwig in the compartment. "Thanks! Eww, it's still wet!"
"Well, that would be your own fault."
"No, that would be Lupin's fault!"
"No," Ron cut in, "I think it would be the taxi driver's fault. He is a Muggle after all."
"I'M A MUGGLE, RON!"
"Oh, right. Sorry."
Also an interesting chapter made up of author conversations. And i forgot, we're not actually at Hogwarts yet. Next chapter-Sorting, the new defense teacher, and another little suprise. Review!
