It was a very depressed Harry Potter that woke up on the morning of
September 1st. He should have been happy. He was going back to Hogwarts
today. He would finally get away from his dreadful aunt and uncle after
weeks of solitude. His friends owls lay scattered about the floor. Harry
had made an effort to answer some of them. Mostly the ones who would be
most concerned if something happened to him. He had answered two of Ron's
and one of Hermione's and a few of Remus'. He absolutely refused to answer
Dumbledore. Harry hated Dumbledore. If he had been told the Prophecy when
he started Hogwarts, Cedric and Sirius wouldn't have had to die. After
weeks of being ignored by his aunt and uncle and taunted by his cousin,
Harry had finally decided that although he had been the reason Sirius was
at the Department of Mysteries, it wasn't his fault he had died. Harry was
still depressed though.
An enraged shriek came up the stairs.
"What are you doing here? I will not have your kind polluting my house." It was Aunt Petunia.
"Calm down Mrs. Dursley. I'm only here to collect Harry." That was Remus. Harry's depression quickly disappeared.
"Potter!" shrieked Petunia, "Get down here now."
Harry quickly clambered out of bed and pulled on the closest thing to hand. In this case, it happened to be one of Dudley's old jumpers, which was about eight sizes too big, and a pair of trousers Mrs. Figg had given him. They were a nasty shade of red but Harry didn't care.
"Potter! Hurry up."
"I'm coming," shouted Harry. Harry pulled open his door and hurried down the stairs. He saw his Aunt standing in front of the door. She obviously wasn't going to let whoever was standing outside with Remus, inside the house.
"I'm here." His aunt glared at him.
"Potter, why are they," she pointed outside, "outside my house?" Harry shrugged and peered around his aunt. To his surprise not only Remus was standing there but Moody and Tonks as well.
"What's up Harry?" grinned Tonks.
"Harry, good to see you." Harry smiled and said, "Remus what are you doing here?"
"We're going to take you to Kings Cross of course. What with everything that's going on, we can't trust you with these muggles."
"By all means, get him out of my sight," snapped Petunia. "Okay then. Harry. Where's your school stuff?" asked Tonks. Harry pointed upstairs. "In my room."
"Great." Tonks pushed past Petunia, who only stared at her in disbelief, and Moody followed right behind her. Remus looked at Harry.
"So," he said after a long pause, "How's your summer been?"
"Alright I guess."
"Not still blaming yourself are you?" Harry shook his head and replied, "Nope. I've decided it wasn't my fault." Remus looked surprised. He had expected Harry to answer 'yes'. That was what he had implied in his letters. There was a loud bang behind Harry. He jumped and spun around. Almost immediately he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Moody was sprawled at the bottom of the stairs with Harry's trunk on top of him and Tonks was standing at the top of the stairs going a very bright shade of scarlet.
"What happened," exclaimed Remus, who looked in around the doorframe. Tonks, it seemed, had stopped outside Dudley's room when coming back downstairs. Moody didn't realise this, he was trying not to fall. Tonks was trying to see what Dudley was doing when Moody had slipped and, because Tonks wasn't paying attention, Moody had fallen down the stairs and the trunk landed on top of him. Tonks leapt down the stairs and pulled the trunk of Moody. He just glared at her.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly.
"We have to go now. Got everything Harry?" asked Remus. Harry quickly checked over his school things, saw Hedwig was safely in her cage and then nodded. "Great then. Let's go." Harry looked around, "Uh Remus. How are we getting to the station?"
"Portkey," he answered simply. Harry groaned. Portkeys always reminded him of Cedric and seeing Voldemort come back. Remus pulled a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. Harry grabbed hold of Hedwig's cage and touched the paper, Tonks held onto the end of the trunk and Moody just held onto the paper. After a few moments, Harry felt the familiar tugging just behind his navel and the feeling of leaving the ground. Harry shut his eyes. Almost immediately he touched back down again and would have fallen over if Remus hadn't of grabbed him. Harry muttered "thanks" and looked around him. Above him was a large train sign that said 'Platform 9¾' Harry turned around and saw the scarlet Hogwarts Express steam engine on the platform.
"Come Harry, let's get your stuff on the train," said Remus quickly. Harry nodded and followed Remus as he strode forward. Tonks put a levitating charm on the trunk and followed Harry and Remus down the platform. Moody stayed behind to stand watch. Harry only now noticed how quiet it was. He looked up at the clock on the wall. It was only quarter past ten. Most people wouldn't start arriving for another fifteen minutes at least. Remus found Harry a compartment at the end of the train. He climbed up, with Harry close behind. Tonks floated the trunk aboard and then went off back down the platform with a "Bye Harry." Between them, Remus and Harry managed to force the trunk underneath the seat. Harry sat down. Remus followed suit. Harry looked at him curiously.
"No, I'm only staying until one of your friends gets here. Wouldn't want you to be lonely now." Harry and Remus spent the next twenty minutes talking about anything, their summers, quidditch, although they avoided the topic of Sirius like the plague. It was really too soon to talk about it.
The compartment door slid open and the noise of students interrupted them. Hermione walked in.
"Hey Harry, hey Prof.. Remus. Remus replied, "Hi Hermione, good summer?" She nodded. "Be seeing you then Harry." Harry nodded.
"Bye then." Remus stood up and walked out of the compartment, saying a quick hello to Ron, who had just arrived. Ron looked at Harry quizzically.
"Remus, Tonks and Moody brought me to the station."
"Oh right." Ron sat down next to Harry.
"So how are you Harry?" asked Hermione, sitting down opposite Harry.
"I'm fine." Hermione gave him a Look. "No really I am. I've thought about It over the summer and realised it wasn't my fault." Hermione and Ron breathed a sigh of relief. Harry asked Ron about his summer. Apparently it had been quite eventful. Both Charlie and Bill had come home and joined the order. It seemed as if Fred and George's shop was now very successful and Mrs. Weasley wasn't too happy about it. Harry was just about to ask Hermione the same question when the whistle sounded. The train jerked forwards. The platform was filled with goodbyes and promises to write all the time.
"Hey," yelled Hermione.
"What?"
"Something just fell on my head." Hermione leaned down and picked up the object off of the floor. It was a book.
"Hmm. Hermione getting hit by a book. Who would have thought it?" Ron grinned. Hermione punched him on the arm.
"Hey, what was that for?" Hermione glared at him. She turned the book over and looked at the front cover. Through time and space it read. "That's strange," she murmured, flicking through the book.
"What is?" asked Harry curiously. Hermione looked up at him.
"Well, I've never heard of this book."
"That's strange," said Ron solemnly. Harry looked at him and both boys burst out laughing.
"Stop it." Ron and Harry stopped. "That's not what's strange. These spells are so different from the ones we use. They're more like," Hermione stopped and shook her head. "Oh I can't remember. The point is they're like nothing I've ever seen before. They're in English but they seem to be just words put into sentences that don't make sense."
"Huh." Both Ron and Harry had no idea what she was talking about.
"Here." She thrust the book at them. Harry and Ron looked down. They now saw what she meant. It just seemed to be words that meant nothing.
"Time. Lost. Change. Want. Desire." Harry stopped. There was a sudden lurch as the trio were thrown off their seats and onto the floor.
"Woah. What was that?" exclaimed Hermione. Harry shrugged and stood up.
"I'll go and see if I can find out what happened. You two stay here." Ron and Hermione shook their heads.
"We're coming with you," said Hermione quickly.
"Yeah. Who knows what happened."
"Fine." Hermione and Ron stood up. Harry opened the door. The sudden silence seemed deafening. It was eerily quiet. Only the chugging of the engine could be heard.
"Well, that's strange," muttered Hermione. Harry walked out and looked into the carriage next to them. It was empty.
"That's strange," muttered Hermione again. She was right though. Normally all of the compartment carriages were filled up. Harry pointed.
"Look up there but stay in this carriage." Ron nodded and walked up the carriage. Every compartment was empty. He hurried back to his friends.
"Empty. All of them," he said quickly.
"What! That's impossible."
"No I checked. There's no luggage and there's no noise coming from the next carriage."
"Maybe they were just empty," said Hermione hopefully.
Ron shook his head, "No, Fred and George were in the carriage next to us. Maybe it has something to do with the lurch."
"Maybe. But a lurch like that wouldn't make people disappear," said Hermione. Harry shook his head. "No way. It wouldn't. The question is though, where is everybody else and why are we the only ones left on this train?"
An enraged shriek came up the stairs.
"What are you doing here? I will not have your kind polluting my house." It was Aunt Petunia.
"Calm down Mrs. Dursley. I'm only here to collect Harry." That was Remus. Harry's depression quickly disappeared.
"Potter!" shrieked Petunia, "Get down here now."
Harry quickly clambered out of bed and pulled on the closest thing to hand. In this case, it happened to be one of Dudley's old jumpers, which was about eight sizes too big, and a pair of trousers Mrs. Figg had given him. They were a nasty shade of red but Harry didn't care.
"Potter! Hurry up."
"I'm coming," shouted Harry. Harry pulled open his door and hurried down the stairs. He saw his Aunt standing in front of the door. She obviously wasn't going to let whoever was standing outside with Remus, inside the house.
"I'm here." His aunt glared at him.
"Potter, why are they," she pointed outside, "outside my house?" Harry shrugged and peered around his aunt. To his surprise not only Remus was standing there but Moody and Tonks as well.
"What's up Harry?" grinned Tonks.
"Harry, good to see you." Harry smiled and said, "Remus what are you doing here?"
"We're going to take you to Kings Cross of course. What with everything that's going on, we can't trust you with these muggles."
"By all means, get him out of my sight," snapped Petunia. "Okay then. Harry. Where's your school stuff?" asked Tonks. Harry pointed upstairs. "In my room."
"Great." Tonks pushed past Petunia, who only stared at her in disbelief, and Moody followed right behind her. Remus looked at Harry.
"So," he said after a long pause, "How's your summer been?"
"Alright I guess."
"Not still blaming yourself are you?" Harry shook his head and replied, "Nope. I've decided it wasn't my fault." Remus looked surprised. He had expected Harry to answer 'yes'. That was what he had implied in his letters. There was a loud bang behind Harry. He jumped and spun around. Almost immediately he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Moody was sprawled at the bottom of the stairs with Harry's trunk on top of him and Tonks was standing at the top of the stairs going a very bright shade of scarlet.
"What happened," exclaimed Remus, who looked in around the doorframe. Tonks, it seemed, had stopped outside Dudley's room when coming back downstairs. Moody didn't realise this, he was trying not to fall. Tonks was trying to see what Dudley was doing when Moody had slipped and, because Tonks wasn't paying attention, Moody had fallen down the stairs and the trunk landed on top of him. Tonks leapt down the stairs and pulled the trunk of Moody. He just glared at her.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly.
"We have to go now. Got everything Harry?" asked Remus. Harry quickly checked over his school things, saw Hedwig was safely in her cage and then nodded. "Great then. Let's go." Harry looked around, "Uh Remus. How are we getting to the station?"
"Portkey," he answered simply. Harry groaned. Portkeys always reminded him of Cedric and seeing Voldemort come back. Remus pulled a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. Harry grabbed hold of Hedwig's cage and touched the paper, Tonks held onto the end of the trunk and Moody just held onto the paper. After a few moments, Harry felt the familiar tugging just behind his navel and the feeling of leaving the ground. Harry shut his eyes. Almost immediately he touched back down again and would have fallen over if Remus hadn't of grabbed him. Harry muttered "thanks" and looked around him. Above him was a large train sign that said 'Platform 9¾' Harry turned around and saw the scarlet Hogwarts Express steam engine on the platform.
"Come Harry, let's get your stuff on the train," said Remus quickly. Harry nodded and followed Remus as he strode forward. Tonks put a levitating charm on the trunk and followed Harry and Remus down the platform. Moody stayed behind to stand watch. Harry only now noticed how quiet it was. He looked up at the clock on the wall. It was only quarter past ten. Most people wouldn't start arriving for another fifteen minutes at least. Remus found Harry a compartment at the end of the train. He climbed up, with Harry close behind. Tonks floated the trunk aboard and then went off back down the platform with a "Bye Harry." Between them, Remus and Harry managed to force the trunk underneath the seat. Harry sat down. Remus followed suit. Harry looked at him curiously.
"No, I'm only staying until one of your friends gets here. Wouldn't want you to be lonely now." Harry and Remus spent the next twenty minutes talking about anything, their summers, quidditch, although they avoided the topic of Sirius like the plague. It was really too soon to talk about it.
The compartment door slid open and the noise of students interrupted them. Hermione walked in.
"Hey Harry, hey Prof.. Remus. Remus replied, "Hi Hermione, good summer?" She nodded. "Be seeing you then Harry." Harry nodded.
"Bye then." Remus stood up and walked out of the compartment, saying a quick hello to Ron, who had just arrived. Ron looked at Harry quizzically.
"Remus, Tonks and Moody brought me to the station."
"Oh right." Ron sat down next to Harry.
"So how are you Harry?" asked Hermione, sitting down opposite Harry.
"I'm fine." Hermione gave him a Look. "No really I am. I've thought about It over the summer and realised it wasn't my fault." Hermione and Ron breathed a sigh of relief. Harry asked Ron about his summer. Apparently it had been quite eventful. Both Charlie and Bill had come home and joined the order. It seemed as if Fred and George's shop was now very successful and Mrs. Weasley wasn't too happy about it. Harry was just about to ask Hermione the same question when the whistle sounded. The train jerked forwards. The platform was filled with goodbyes and promises to write all the time.
"Hey," yelled Hermione.
"What?"
"Something just fell on my head." Hermione leaned down and picked up the object off of the floor. It was a book.
"Hmm. Hermione getting hit by a book. Who would have thought it?" Ron grinned. Hermione punched him on the arm.
"Hey, what was that for?" Hermione glared at him. She turned the book over and looked at the front cover. Through time and space it read. "That's strange," she murmured, flicking through the book.
"What is?" asked Harry curiously. Hermione looked up at him.
"Well, I've never heard of this book."
"That's strange," said Ron solemnly. Harry looked at him and both boys burst out laughing.
"Stop it." Ron and Harry stopped. "That's not what's strange. These spells are so different from the ones we use. They're more like," Hermione stopped and shook her head. "Oh I can't remember. The point is they're like nothing I've ever seen before. They're in English but they seem to be just words put into sentences that don't make sense."
"Huh." Both Ron and Harry had no idea what she was talking about.
"Here." She thrust the book at them. Harry and Ron looked down. They now saw what she meant. It just seemed to be words that meant nothing.
"Time. Lost. Change. Want. Desire." Harry stopped. There was a sudden lurch as the trio were thrown off their seats and onto the floor.
"Woah. What was that?" exclaimed Hermione. Harry shrugged and stood up.
"I'll go and see if I can find out what happened. You two stay here." Ron and Hermione shook their heads.
"We're coming with you," said Hermione quickly.
"Yeah. Who knows what happened."
"Fine." Hermione and Ron stood up. Harry opened the door. The sudden silence seemed deafening. It was eerily quiet. Only the chugging of the engine could be heard.
"Well, that's strange," muttered Hermione. Harry walked out and looked into the carriage next to them. It was empty.
"That's strange," muttered Hermione again. She was right though. Normally all of the compartment carriages were filled up. Harry pointed.
"Look up there but stay in this carriage." Ron nodded and walked up the carriage. Every compartment was empty. He hurried back to his friends.
"Empty. All of them," he said quickly.
"What! That's impossible."
"No I checked. There's no luggage and there's no noise coming from the next carriage."
"Maybe they were just empty," said Hermione hopefully.
Ron shook his head, "No, Fred and George were in the carriage next to us. Maybe it has something to do with the lurch."
"Maybe. But a lurch like that wouldn't make people disappear," said Hermione. Harry shook his head. "No way. It wouldn't. The question is though, where is everybody else and why are we the only ones left on this train?"
