Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I am not JK Rowling. If I was, I would be the second richest woman in England. So all the characters belong to her, etc.
A/N: You'll have to wait for the Drarry. The first few chapters are merely Harry/Ginny.
…But a lie that everybody believes really isn't a lie anymore…
chapter one
Flashes of silver and green flooded Harry's vision. An evil laugh escaped a dark hooded figure, and Harry could feel that his eyes were moist from his tears. He tried to wipe a tear away from his cheek, but a sharp pain in his right arm stopped him from doing so. As the sharp pain in his wrist increased, Harry accidentally dropped his wand. His left hand reached out to help the person the hooded figure was torturing.
'CRUCIATUS!' He heard the hooded figure yell maniacally… Harry winced as his scar pounded in pain… He needed to save this person from torture.
He was screaming 'STOP IT! STOP!' Something deep inside of Harry forced him to reach out further. He was losing… strength… but he couldn't… give… up… He felt a stream of salty tears flow down his cheeks as he fell to the ground.
There was a blinding light… and a scream… and then it was over.
Harry leapt forward from his bed and found himself covered in sweat. He was panting heavily, and he noticed there were a few tears lingering on his face. He also felt a dull pain on the back of his head, because when he flung himself forward, he had hit his head on his bed's headboard.
"Aghh!" He grumbled as he managed to wake up two other boys in Ron's bedroom. George and Ron both began fumbling in their beds. Ron, who had been sleeping in the bed next to Harry, sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Oh Gods Harry. What's going on?" Ron asked as a yawn escaped from his mouth. Harry continued to wince in pain. As Ron's focus became clearer, he saw Harry clutching his head in his hands. "Harry… is it your scar!" Ron asked, suddenly interested, leaned closer to his seventeen year old friend.
"No, I just … agh… bumped my head on the headboard." Harry heard Ron grunt, and he looked up. He heard Ron mumble as his head fell back onto his pillow.
"Well never you mind, then…" Harry chuckled as he grabbed a glass of water that was on his bedside table. After drinking half of the glass, Harry lay back down on his bed. He looked up to the ceiling and ran his finger over his scar. He yawned before turning on his side, and drifting back to sleep.
"Harry…. Harry!" Harry woke up, having a throbbing headache. He saw Hermione standing above him. After suddenly realizing that she was in Ron's room, Harry frantically pulled up his sheets to cover his bare chest. "Harry…are you awake?" Harry fumbled for his black, wire-rim glasses.
"Yeah Hermione…what is it? And what are you doing in Ron's-" Hermione quickly grew agitated for Harry's impeding questions. She walked over to the wardrobe that held Harry's clothing, and began throwing some of his clothes at him.
"Never mind Harry!" Hermione yelled. Harry looked to the right of him and saw Ron still half asleep. "Mrs. Weasley sent me up to come get you both. Rufus Scrimgeour changed the date of the train to Hogwarts. It now stars an hour earlier, so we have to move fast if we are going to make the train!" Harry began to listen to Hermione as he slowly pulled on a dark red shirt. "Honestly, if you don't get a move on we're going to be late!" Ron snickered as he threw on a long sleeve shirt.
"What does he need us for an hour for anyway? Probably going to drone on about how vampires will be placed in the school for more security measures...blah blah blah." Ron said just soft enough for Hermione to not hear.
As the trio hastily walked down the stairs, Mrs. Weasley yelped, followed by a few laughs from people in the room.
"Ron! You're wearing Harry's pants! Get your head on straight!" Ron looked down at his legs and sure enough, he had grabbed the wrong pair by mistake. You could see three inches of his bare ankles. George and Fred both laughed and nearly fell off their chairs. Ron glared in their direction.
"Sod off!" He murmured as he began walking back upstairs to change. Mrs. Weasley shook her head and flicked her wand. There was now an invisible hand holding the back of Ron's shirt.
"Ron, there's no time to change, it's your own mistake if you didn't get enough sleep and ended up putting on Harry's pants." Harry smirked at Ron, who was still frowning. "We are leaving as soon as your father gets home with that last minute book your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has required." Harry glanced at Hermione and then to Ron. They eagerly awaited their new teacher, for it definitely had to be better than Snape. They all even doubted if Snape was returning to teach this year. Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry and smiled. "Though I'm not exactly sure if you need it, even at your age…… and I'm not sure that's a good thing." George stood up and reached for more pumpkin juice.
"Yeah Mum, Harry learned all that ages ago." Fred laughed.
"Yeah, ages! Harry knew more than I did when he was a fifth year and I was… well… he knows more than me right now actually!" Ron and Harry laughed. Hermione frowned.
"Well if you two had tried to exceed in classes instead of creating cream… custard… catastrophes...Or whatever they're called—" Fred and George looked at each other.
"I forgot about our cream custards. Was that was one of our earlier products?" Fred asked George.
"Why yes Fred, yeah it was." George replied. Harry laughed as he grabbed a piece of toast off of a hovering silver platter.
"….Like I was saying!" Hermione interjected, "if you two applied yourselves, you would've learned much more!" Harry looked at Ron, who was rolling his eyes.
"Hermione…we did apply ourselves."
"…In making the best joke shop."
"Yes exactly Fred, right on the money. Speaking of money, doesn't Lee owe us 23 sickles?" George asked. Fred nodded and stood up.
"Yes he does! Let's go George." Fred turned towards his mother. "We'll be back later tonight Mum." Mrs. Weasley looked worried, but seeing as though she couldn't stop them since they were adults, she sighed and let them go. As George and Fred left, Mr. Weasley came through the door, carrying a rather large bag that contained three large books. Mr. Weasley came into the kitchen and set the books on the table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all went to go see what their new books looked like. They had a dark orange cover, and red felt writing on the front.
"'Curses and their Defensive Strategies' by Lisbeth Hulstrode" Hermione read aloud. "Well… at least it looks like it will do us some good." Ron laughed sarcastically.
"Oh yeah, any book that's over 700 pages will do us some good." Harry laughed. "Do us some good right into dozing off." Hermione couldn't help but laugh at Ron's joke, and Mrs. Weasley made their entire luggage suddenly appear before them.
"Now, since all of you can apparate, Ginny and I will travel by car to get to the station." She handed Hermione three tickets. "Now Hermione will handle the tickets-" Ron frowned.
"Mum, why couldn't I handle it? I'm seventeen!" Mrs. Weasley looked at him and smiled.
"Precisely." Harry laughed and Ron punched him lightly in the arm. "Now, as soon as you arrive there, go onto the platform and you will see Rufus Scrimgeour. Now, since Dumbledore…" She immediately looked at Harry, who was trying to suppress any feelings of sadness, but was failing miserably. "…well, he'll want to talk to all of you, so listen Ron." Ron muttered something under his breath that no one quite heard, but sounded like 'stupid old git'. Hermione, Ron, and Harry all took turns hugging Ginny and Mrs. Weasley goodbye. When Harry and Ginny hugged goodbye, Harry couldn't help but kiss her on the cheek. Even though they weren't together, Harry couldn't deny he still had some feelings for her. Mrs. Weasley turned to the trio and waved. "Alright, well… farewell!"
After eating a quick breakfast, Ron and Hermione joined Harry upstairs in Ron's room. They found him gathering what remained of his items, and shoving them into his Hogwarts' school trunk.
"Harry?" Hermione asked. Harry looked up at her, and cocked his head to the side. "….Will you be alright?" She asked as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Instead of giving her a fake answer, Harry finally smiled sincerely and looked up at her and Ron.
"…I…don't know."
Five minutes later, the three of them, one by one, disappeared from the messy, undersized kitchen, and reappeared at a busy platform. Harry looked above him, and on a sign, it read: PLATFORM 9¾. Hermione gave their three tickets to a man in a long black silk robe, with a name tag that read: Charles Alexander Griffin. Ron and Harry however, were busy looking at all the first and second years. Ron turned to Harry.
"… Were we that small when we first came here?" Harry sure hoped not. He was now 5'11 and he tried recalling how tall he had been when he first boarded that train.
"Well, I think I was around 5 feet at the time…. So maybe." Ron looked disgusted at Harry's answer, and continued to subconsciously give the first years evil stares. It wasn't until Hermione nudged Ron when he realized what he had been doing.
"They half deserve it…just for being so annoying." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"What have they done to you?" Ron laughed.
"Hermione…it's not what they have done…it's just how annoying they could be." Ron turned to Harry who would've normally laughed at his red-headed friend's joke. Harry however, was busy looking to his right, at a big commotion. Malfoy had just entered the platform, and was no longer surrounded by Crabbe or Goyle, but by Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. Harry couldn't help but wonder what happened with Crabbe and Goyle. Harry had a feeling that everyone was staring because they were wondering that very same question.
'….Probably followed in their father's footsteps'. Harry thought to himself. Malfoy however, had grown a good three inches taller, now grazing somewhere around 6'1. His white-blond hair had grown about two inches, with shaggy ends. Harry had a feeling that he hadn't had time for a haircut with everything he must've been doing over the summer. Harry could tell he had been practicing Quidditch too; Malfoy's muscles were faintly visible under his black robes…. Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Ron standing next to him.
"…Malfoy…" Ron said in a tone that anyone would take as hostile. When Ron looked at Malfoy, Harry knew what he saw. Although Ron wasn't with Harry at the time when Dumbledore died, Harry told him about it later, and Ron couldn't help but glare furiously at Malfoy. Harry had felt some pity for Malfoy at the end of last year, as to he had to go home for the summer and work for the Death Eaters, even if he didn't want to. Since his father was captured, Harry seemed to think that Voldemort probably thought Malfoy had a life long debt to pay. No one else however, saw what Harry saw in Malfoy's eyes the moment he was told to kill Dumbledore. In that moment he really felt sorry for Malfoy, because he saw what he thought was an ounce of kindness in his gleaming silver eyes. A kindness that could tell anyone that Malfoy didn't have it in him to kill Dumbledore, he didn't want to. Malfoy was therefore, not a killer. Just like Dumbledore had said, moments before Snape showed up. Then, as Snape killed Dumbledore, he saw Malfoy gasp and that kindness was replaced by astonishment. Though, he still maintained a deep hatred with his arch nemesis.
Hermione finally averted Harry and Ron's attention from Malfoy, to Scrimgeour. There were maybe a hundred to two hundred students gathered around a podium, which was raised above everyone else. The Minister of Magic took his wand, and pushed against his throat, his wand now served as a microphone.
"…Hogwarts' Students! Settle down!" Rufus said as everyone eventually turned their attention towards him. "Now, I hope you will try to make this year as successful as any other year. And as seeing that dark times are…indeed…ahem…ahead of us," Rufus stared at Pansy and Blaise who were doing their best impression of him. "…. We are trying something new this year. It is called the 'Intre-House Connection'." Ron groaned, and Harry agreed. From what he could hear, this didn't sound too promising. He would rather sleep in the Forbidden Forest for a week than talk to certain members of other Houses. "Now, now, this will be a good experience for all of us. Now, since the Intre-House Connection will encourage people in different houses to communicate, we have a seating chart for the train cars in the Hogwarts train to start off." There were groans from the audience, including Harry and Ron, when they looked at Hermione, they could tell she would think this was a 'good experience to have', but when they saw her scowl they were surprised.
"What? You think I would like to sit with Malfoy or Pansy all the way to Hogwarts?" Hermione said as she flicked back a strand of loose hair. Scrimgeour coughed again.
"Okay, if you make your way over to either me, or another Ministry worker, if you tell them your name, they will give you where you are sitting and who you are sitting with. I hope that this year is just as fruitful as all the others." Harry rolled his eyes, he deeply hoped when Scrimgeour said 'fruitful' he didn't mean the killing of the Headmaster and the full return of Voldemort and his followers. Harry looked at Ron, and he wished that he would at least be in a train car with someone he knew, preferably a fellow Gryffindor. Apparently, Rufus Scrimgeour was not done yet.
"And, now that I remember, we have yet to assign Head Boy and Head Girl badges. As I call your name, please come forth and you will receive a badge. Then, after I have called the last name, you will report to Professor McGonagall and receive further instructions. Now, right. Ahem. Okay, for Head Boy…Ernie Macmillan!" There came a rumble of cheers from the crowd, and two or three coughs; which Harry had no doubt in his mind came from Malfoy. He looked over at Hermione and laughed. Her eyes were closed and she was panting deeply. Ron looked towards Harry.
"…Like she won't get it." Sure enough, when Scrimgeour said who the Head Girl was, Hermione's name was called out. Harry clapped, and was sure he heard 'mudblood' whispered among the Slytherin gang, but ignored it. Rufus Scrimgeour coughed loudly to get everyone's attention.
"Now, let the year begin!"
It was chaos. A swarm of people ran over to the Ministry workers, eager to see who they would be sitting with. Harry himself, was in no hurry to find out who he was with. With his luck, he wouldn't be surprised if he was in a train car with Malfoy, Blaise, and Pansy. Really though, he just minded Malfoy. He didn't have the particular interest to talk to Malfoy this year, and he wouldn't mind starting now.
As Harry got closer to the seat arrangements, he saw Hermione shrug.
"Who's in your car?" Harry asked. Hermione slightly grinned.
"I mean…it could be worse. Neville's with me. I recon I'll be spending the whole time with him. And then there's Blaise, Padma, and Susan Bones. I don't really know Susan that well, but Blaise and Padma will be paired together for sure." Harry nodded, and didn't give up complete hope. If Hermione got Neville, then maybe he would be paired with Seamus or Dean or someone.
A minute later, Harry was at the front of the line and looked at the sheet in front of him. He saw Hermione's group, he saw Ron's, and as his eyes moved to the very bottom of the list, he saw his group. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He had to find Ron.
"Ron! You will not believe who's in my group!" Harry said as Ron turned around from talking to Hermione.
"It can't be that bad mate….I just suffer for the person that's in Malfoy's car, hah, what a load of fun that'll be." Ron added sarcastically. Harry didn't blink and didn't avert his eyes away from Ron. When Ron finally got the message, he screamed.
