Angel in a Black Suit

by ilvrmorny

AU: Leia decides that it's time for her son to come home; whether he likes it or not. In a last-ditch effort to take him away from the dark side Leia kidnaps her son and forces him to live among the rebels without revealing that Ben Solo and Kylo Ren are one and the same. Between hiding his identity and brooding in his room Kylo Ren makes some unexpected discoveries about himself.

3. Chapter 4

p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"quarantine had me cleaning out my laptop and suddenly I found the draft for this fic, so decided to update it :) Hope you guys still like it :)/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"-/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"The days (or nights, since that was when Harry snuck out to fly his Nimbus) literally flew class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"On a monumental September 1st Harry's green eyes snapped open and stared right into Kreacher's brown orbs./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Young Master is going to Hogwarts today! Young Master needs to look good like Good Master…" Kreacher rambled class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry gently tried to push the House-Elf's face a little further away from his face than kissing-distance. He pushed Kreacher's head but it bobbed back instantly and the Elf kept rattling on class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""We has a many, many things to finish but not so many times to do it…" Kreachers face wrinkled with worry and concern. "Kreacher be finishing Young Masters pack-bag"/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Err thanks Kreacher." Harry said, whilst battling the Elf's insistent head "Do you mind getting off me… please?"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Kreacher nodded and jumped off Harry's bed as if he'd been burned. Harry was startled by Kreacher's reaction, but his confusion quickly turned to resignation when the Elf continued worriedly:"Of course Kreacher gets off Young Master. Young Master needs to dress in many clothes for the trains."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Then, as if possessed, the Elf started searching though emevery /emdrawer of Harry's closet. Ensuring that "Young Master is dressed good." which apparently included even making sure Harry was wearing his best undergarments and class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"After sliding out of the comforts the bed offered him he glanced at the royal bed longingly. He knew that if there was anything he'd be missing at Hogwarts, it'd be his bed. The tatty beds in Gryffindor tower could not even begin to compare to the sheer emcomfort /emhis bed here offered./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"With a long, suffering sigh Harry allowed Kreacher to take over his dressing and undressing. The House-Elf was flying all over his form manically. Harry barely took note of the frantic elf: he was too preoccupied thinking about his return to Hogwarts./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry glanced at the big, wooden clock and noticed that the Blacks would most likely not be leaving for another two class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Another two hours before he saw Sirius again - the thought made his heart heavy in his chest./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Another two hours before he saw Sirius again; and James Potter, and Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, Professor McGonaggal, Dumbledore and… Mr. Nott./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"A smile worked it's way on Harry's lips at the realisation that there would be at least emone /empersonspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanbesides Sirius who wouldn't be entirely unfamiliar towards class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"After what felt like an hour of poking and prodding Kreacher took a step back to admire his work. The Elf stared at him wide-eyed and started muttering illegibly. Then, putting Harry in a situation he wouldn't have expected to find himself in in his wildest dreams; emTears /emstarted to form in Kreacher's eyes./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Young Master be looking all grown-up… Young Master leaving Kreacher here and going to learn all the magics and Kreacher promises he will be cleaning your room and killing the muggles for Young Masters and-" the little elf choked on his excitement and looked at his little master wide-eyed./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Not sure what to do, Harry simply petted the Elf like you would an overly-loyal dog. "Thanks Kreacher, that means a lot." he voiced awkwardly. The House-Elf's eyes got - if possible - even bigger and another tear dramatically rolled down it's wrinkly cheek./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Then, he wiped his cheeks on the white rugs that hung loosely from his thin frame and gave his big head a little shake, then, having gone from an emotional mess to being perfectly composed in a matter of seconds the Elf regarded Harry's appearance one more time./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"This time Kreacher's judgement clouded by the heavy emotional load of this being the last time the elf would get to dress him for a while. After making a few finishing touches Kreacher was satisfied with his appearance and proudly bowed down and offered:"Young Masters should take a looks in the mirrors to see if Young Master likes Young Masters dresses."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry couldn't get it over his heart to deny the request and hesitantly made his way to the mirror, feeling Kreacher's eyes burning holes in his side the entire time./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Staring back at him cas a familiar, sleek face. The face he had gotten used to by now, but his reflection was wearing emHogwarts Robes. /emThe exact same clothes he'd worn regularly over the course of five years, a strange emotion welled up inside him at the thought of returning to hogwarts without Ron Hermione by his class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He was staring at his reflection in awe when there was a soft knocking on the door. "Come in." Harry croaked out, not taking his eyes away from his reflection./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He absentmindedly heard the door swing open and only tore his eyes away from the mirror when he heard Orion's voice fill the room:"I remember my first day at Hogwarts." the man said with a chuckle./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry smiled tentatively and turned to face the large, black-haired man. "Are you nervous?" Orion asked class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry felt blood rush to his cheeks, and after biting his lips he muttered:"Yeah, I am…"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Well of course you are! It's completely natural son." Orion said comfortingly. "It's natural to be nervous, but feeling it and showing it are two entirely different matters." Walburga's voice joined them, she went to stand next to Orion just inside his room and pride made it's way into her eyes. She looked him up and down approvingly and said:"Hogwarts robes suit you well, Regulus."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Thank you, mother." Harry said genuinely as he took another glance at himself in the class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Kreacher has prepared breakfast, come." Walburga concluded./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"After a pleasant breakfast, a speedy last-minute packing session numerous reminders from Walburga on proper behaviour the family was ready to depart to Platform 9 and 3/4./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry took in a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He had been looking forward to this moment ever since coming to this time period (however involuntary it had been).span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"emFinally /emhe would be getting the chance to spend more time with his Godfather. emFinally /emhe would be able to go through Hogwarts the way an 11 year old should: without having a Dark Lord chasing after him. (He chose to ignore thespan class="Apple-converted-space" /spansmall voice inside him that reminded him of his responsibility to save House Black anxiously.)/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He felt Orion put a comforting hand on his shoulder:"Are you ready son?" he asked./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Unfortunately for Harry, Orion took his nod as the go-to sign to apparate the both of them away. The sickeningly familiar sensation of being squeezed through a way-too-shallow tube overtook him and when they reappeared on the Platform it took Harry a while to propely get orientated./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He blinked to clear up his vision and was surprised to see how empty the platform was. The Blacks had wanted to avoid the crowds, so unlike the Weasley who tended to arrive at the last minute, Walburga Oriol had decided to drop their son off way ahead off time./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"The Express would not be leaving for another hour and a half, but apparently that did not stop people from piling onto the platform. Although not nearly as busy as it would get right before arrival, the Platform was already swirling sea of colours, wizard and witches were happily chatting and greeting old class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry felt slightly nervous about knowing that Ron and Hermione would not be waiting for him on the train. The onslaught of unfamiliar faces was overwhelming and Harry felt himself starting to hyperventilate./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry was nervously fidgeting with the hem of his robes when a POP! signalled Kreacher's return with his trunk. The House-Elf obediently dropped the trunk in front of Regulus's feet. Walburga had already warned the Elf not to cause a scene on the platform. Not daring (nor wanting) to disobey Walburga the Elf had left the Platform after a sad look at "Young Master" and disappeared after only about 20 seconds with a emPop!/em/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"em"/emit's time for you to board the Express Regulus." Walburga stated. Harry shot her a panicked look, suddenly the stream of students filing into the train was entirely intimidating and the thought of having to look for a compartment whilst knowing only a handful of students was enough to make him almost go full panic-attack again./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He had faced Dark Lords before, and currently he would have taken a showdown with Voldemort over the hoard of emchildren. /emHe remembered all too well how ruthless 11 year olds could be./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"After seeing Harry's distraught expression Walburga's features softened:"You will do just fine Regulus, you will make us proud." she said. Harry got the distinct impression that she was trying to convince herself of that fact as much as she was trying to reassure Regulus./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry mentally flinched at knowing that his heart wanted to go back to the House of the Lions again. It wouldn't feel emright /emwalking through the halls of Hogwarts without his Gryffindor tie proudly around his class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""I agree with your mother, you will make us proud, I am sure of it."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"An eerily familiar voice rang behind him and Harry froze on the spot:"Of course our little Reggiebaby will make us proud." none other than Bellatrix Black exclaimed n a sing-song class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry was stunned by how empretty /emshe was. Her curly hair was luminous and tied in a half-up do, framing her aristocratic face; plump red lips adjorned her face and dark eyes were glittering with mirth and, even at this age, contained a tinge of madness./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"A pair of arms were flung over his shoulders in an unceremonious manner and gripped him firmly; then they pulled so that Harry was spun around and he was staring into the face of the very woman he hated with a passion. She was grinning at him manically and pinched his cheeks. Then she grinned and sussed:"Look at our little Reggy all grown up, you look so pretty!"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry had never been the best at keeping his temper in check, emespecially /emnot around the likes of Bellatrix Black:"I am emnot /empretty!" he snapped angrily./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Bellatrix cackled delightedly and said:"Why Walburga you have done a wonderful job on this one, look at how feisty he is!"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Walburga looked startled by the fact that Regulus was emfeisty /emat all, a trait she had never associated with her younger son before:"Thank you Bella." Walburga said:"Here to see off your sister and fiancé?"/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"As if summoned another voice sounded behind Harry:"She is." said Narcissa Black softly. Harry had not been familiar with the woman in his own time; yet any woman who managed to raise someone like emDraco Malfoy /emcould not be very pleasant in his book./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Yet Narcissa Black was smiling at him and it appeared to be sincere:"Hello Regulus, are you excited to start Hogwarts?"/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Slightly put-off by Bellatrix's arm still flung over his shoulder and Draco Malfoy's mother friendly greeting he blushed and said:"No,not really."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"She shot him an understanding look and said:"Of course you're not." Bellatrix decided to add her own two cents and exclaimed:"Well why would he be nervous! He's a proper pure-blood after all, and a empretty /emone at that."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry repressed the urge to comment on her calling him pretty emagain /emand instead turned to his parents, conveniently shrugging off Bellatrix's arm in the process./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""I will write you often." he said, not knowing what else to say. Then he cursed himself internally for having promised something he really was not keen to do at all./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Orion nodded at him, a fond smile on his face. Walburga had zoned out and was scanning the crowd in a discreet manner. Looking for Sirius, no doubt./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry felt his heart speed up considerably at the thought of the Marauders. He had thought of a plan of course; he would search the train, find their apartment, barge in say…/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"well he had not really figured out emwhat exactly he would say /emyet. But, in the end he would replace Wormtail as a Marauder./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"It was a fool-proof plan really, so Harry did not know why he was so emnervous /emabout class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""And we you." Orion responded. Narcissa took Harry by the hand gently and said softly:"Come, we do not have much time left."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"With a wave of her wand she levitated Harry's trunk and after some quick goodbyes they started towards the train. He heard Bellatrix's sing-song voice behind him:"Good luck Reggy-peggy-baby!"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He balled his hands into fists to keep from cursing the witch on the spot. Instead he focused on the surprisingly nice and emmotherly /emNarcissa class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"She levitated his trunk onto the floor of the Express and let it drop softly. Then she turned to Regulus, affection hidden in her eyes and said with a smile:"I fear you will be on your own from here on out, don't worry. You will be fine, I promise."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry shot her a genuine smile and said nervously:"Yeah, all right. Thank you."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"She let out a chuckle and tucked her pretty blonde hair behind her ears:"Not a problem Reg."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Momentarily startled by the use of the nickname he blushed and mumbled a quick goodbye. Then he grabbed the heavy, black handle of his trunk and took a deep breath. Narcissa's footsteps could be heard shortly but were quickly overpowered by the noise of running and shouting class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Owls were fluttering; cats were sprinting and the sounds of toads could be heard in the backgrounds. Students clad in everything ranging from muggle clothes to the finest of wizarding robes were rushing past and searching for class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry stood frozen on the spot. It was unfamiliar and emterrifying /emto enter the Express without seeing familiar faces all around./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"emNo /emhe told himself. He did know some people on the Express. He had a brother on this very train. With newfound determination Harry looked at his surroundings. Narcissa and himself had boarded the Express somewhere in the middle of the train./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry flipped a mental coin and decided to search the righthand side of the express first; then he would search the lefthand side and hopefully encounter the Marauders./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Dragging his heavy trunk (courtesy of Kreacher and Walburga) behind him he was chronically apologising to students he bumped in to. He glanced into the compartment to his right; five Raven claw boys and a single Hufflepuff. He moved on to the next one; sixth or seventh year Gryffindor's were in a heated discussion on the upcoming Word Duelling League./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"About seventeen compartments later he heard rather than saw Sirius's barking laugh. "Come on Peter, you bloody well emknow /emthey have the better Seeker."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry's heart sped up considerably and his sweaty palms made the grip on his trunk looser. He moved forward one step. Once more copying the emreal /emRegulus and doing a quick; emone two three four five six seven eight nine class="Apple-converted-space" /span/em/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He estimated the Marauders to be about two compartments away. He was still marvelling at the pure impossibility of seeing the four Marauders alive and kicking./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He shuffled past the first compartment; dragging his heavy trunk behind him with sweaty palms and with his heart beating loudly in his chest. He barely registered the loud sounds coming from the compartment he walked past; it's inhabitants were discussing the Daily Prophet. And rather loudly at that. Harry barely registered it./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"All he heard were the voices of the Marauders; Sirius's voice he recognised easily. As did he Wormtail's quiet one and Remus's hoarse voice. The fourth voice he also recognised. A shudder ran down his spine as he recalled what he knew the voice class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"em"Lily! TAKE HARRY AND GO! IT IS HIM." James's Potter's voice had haunted his nightmares./em/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"The same voice was now not screaming out in desperation; it's owner not about to lay down his life to protect his wife and son. Instead it was passionately defending the importance of Quidditch from Remus's class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry snapped out it quickly and started forward again slowly. It felt like an hour before he reached the compartment at last. With beating heart his hand reached for the handle. He was about to slide it open and announce his presence when he heard a familiar voice behind him:/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Oi! Reg, I have been looking for you mate." Harry was snapped out of his daze and spun around. He was looking straight into Nott's grinning face./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry let out a sigh of relief; he did not know what he was expecting. But the thought that Regulus may have been mates with the likes of Lucius Malfoy had crossed his mind class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Oh." was all Harry had to say to that./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Part of him felt honored and happy that the other boy had been looking for him when he himself had frankly mostly forgotten about the Nott class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"With a mischievous glint in his eyes he smirked toothily at Harry and said in a hushed voice:"So, how does your broom fly?"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry could not help the chuckle that escaped him:"Just as I expected, yours?"/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"The other boy opened his mouth and took a deep breath, then he frowned and said:"Well it would take more than ONE sentence to describe the perfection of just how well it flies. Let's find a compartment so we can sit down and discuss this in the serious manner it should be."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"His heart warmed slightly at the way the boy spoke of Quidditch in the same highly manner Ron had always done. He glanced to his right; into the compartment of the Marauders. They were all bowing their heads and looking at a magazine and had not spotted him hovering outside the compartment yet, which Harry was grateful for./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He looked down and said:"I kind of wanted to say hi to my brother first."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott's expression morphed into one of confusion:"Why would you want to see him? Mother told me that he will be disowned soon and that your family barely has contact with him anymore."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry stared at Nott with an expression of disbelief; he had forgotten about the way Wizards and Witches had turned gossiping into an class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He wondered what other rumours the purebloods had managed to conjure up. In response to Nott's question he simply said:"Yes, we have barely spoken to him all summer. Mother asked me to try and talk some sense into him."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He mentally padded himself on the back for coming up with the believable lie. Nott appeared to buy it for a look of comprehension dawned over the black-haired youth's face. "I see, well I mean I understand that, but why would you want to try that with Potter there, they would hex you on the spot you know. I heard my cousin talk about how they hex every Slytherin they see."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry had already known this of course, but it still hurt to have it confirmed. Not put off though, he said confidently:"Well I am not a Slytherin yet, am I?"/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott rolled his eyes:"No not yet, but you are a shoe-in for Slytherin, and I bet your brother Potter know it too."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry bit his lower lip; not wanting to argue the matter with Nott. However, the decision was made for him when the compartment door slid open and a grinning James Potter was staring at him. The boy was wearing his signature glasses and his hair was as messy as Harry's own had been./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Who is a shoe-in for Slytherin?" James Potter tutted and shook his head in a condescending manner; in the manner a parent would belittle a naive child./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry could only stare, the words did not register in his brain. He gaped as he took in his would-be/had-been father. He was almost identical to his old self. He was taller, and clad in finer robes than Harry had ever owned but other than that the boy in front of him was a carbon copy of his old self./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Regulus is, as opposed to his emdisgrace /emof a brother." Nott said proudly, although Harry noticed the slight tremble in Nott's voice as he stood up to the older Gryffindor. Harry did not know whether he wanted to laugh or cry./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"James Potter simply laughed and fixed his hazel eyes on Harry. Harry shrunk under James Potter's glare and instinctively took a step back; to James Potters amusement./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Just because you are too much of a coward to get into Gryffindor does not mean you have to be jealous." James Potter said in a sickly sweet class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry fought to keep the tears from surfacing. Seeing the man who had sacrificed his life for him and to have him look at him with emdisgust /emwas like having a knife thrown to his class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Where he would have been able to come up with a comeback in a matter of seconds if it were Draco Malfoy standing across from him he was now coming up empty; his voice hitched in his throat and he did not know what to class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He was not sure what angered him more; the fact that his father was treating a first-year who had not even been sorted yet so badly or that operation become-a-marauder-in-a-day would have to be extended into become-a-marauder-in-a-week-at-best./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott instantly jumped to his defence again:"Why would he want to be a Gryffindor like you?"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"James Potter sneered at Nott and snarled:"Another shoe-in for Slytherin? We do not usually hex ickle unsorted firsties, but I suppose I could make an exception for you." the handsome boy reached in his robes and drew his wand. Before he could say a spell Harry wished he were invisible because Sirius's head poked out of the compartment./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Everything all right Prongs? What's going-" then Sirius spotted Harry standing hunched over in a corner. Sirius's eyes went from Harry to Nott and James's wand pointed at him. A look of understanding dawned over Sirius's face./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Your brother here" James spat the words "was just talking about how he wanted to be in Slytherin because he is not like his disgraced brother."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Sirius looked at Harry with disbelief and hurt etched over his face. Harry wanted to scream and yell at Sirius that he had not said that, that he would be joining him in Gryffindor and that it had been Not that had called him a disgrace. But the words hitched in his throat, and all he could do is bite his lower lip and try to keep the tears from welling up./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Sirius asked quietly:"Is it true?"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry simply shook his head, Sirius nodded stiffly; he did not look wholly convinced that Harry was the innocent party here. Instead Sirius turned to James and said:"Let it go James, we will see which house he get sorted in."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"James shot Sirius a questioning look but at Sirius's pleading eyes he relented, shot Harry and Nott a warning glance and retreated into the compartment. Sirius did not follow. He stood uncomfortably with his hands in his pockets./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott, noticing Harry's predicament said softly to SIirius:"Just so you know Black, Regulus did not say those things. I did." span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Sirius nodded and said:"All right." Then, he turned to Harry and gave his little brother a hesitant smile which warmed Harry's heart and inspired the idea that perhaps everything would be all right:"Hope I'll see you in the Lion's den then Reggie."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"With that said Sirius spun around and retreated into his compartment. Nott let out a long whistle:"That was intense."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry shook his head a little; trying to snap out of it and said:"Yeah, it was."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Then Nott glanced at him and said:"You are not really planning to go into Gryffindor are you? Although I reckon it would be amusing to see how our parents would react. The Daily Prophet would have a field day I'm sure."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry chuckled slightly at that and smiled at Nott:"Let's go find a compartment."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"No, he would not be able to become the honorary Marauder he had planned to become today, but that did not mean he could not be grateful that he had managed to befriend at least one other boy./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott shrugged and started walking. The two walked in silence for a few seconds before Not recovered from the little... incident and resumed talking excitedly:"Anyway, I was going to tell you about how I like my new broom. It flies magnificently of course. But there is room for improvement. For example; it is ideal for a seeker because it is so fast but a Keeper for example could use a broom with a bit more...span class="Apple-converted-space" /spansturdyness?"/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"No matter how much Harry had pretended to hide it in front of Hermione, there was a hidden Quidditch fanatic inside him and he enthusiastically discussed with Nott on the perks and drawbacks of their identical class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Then, out of the blue Nott came to a halt and stated:"We won't be finding an empty compartment..." then he glanced at the compartment to their right and said hesitantly:"I suppose we should join the girls. I do not fancy scourging the train looking for some of our other mates. We will see them when we arrive at the school."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry shrugged; he would have preferred to share a compartment with Nott alone but even he realised that they had arrived too late to claim an empty compartment. The train had already departed the Platform sometime during his run-in with class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""All right." Nott stated, before hesitantly sliding open the door to the compartment and walking in. Harry followed on his heels and stood in the doorway awkwardly./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"There were four girls in the compartment; some of whom looked strangely familiar to Harry. There was a girl that bore an uncanny resemblance to Lavender Brown, one who looked a lot like Daphne Greengrass and two girls that looked familiar but whom he could not quite place./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Four heads snapped up simultaneously when they heard Nott and Harry enter. Instead of asking them who or why on earth they had barged into their compartments they simply smiled and said./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Hey Reg, Alex" said one of the girls Harry had not been able to place. She had dark, auburn hair and her face was pale and class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott simply shot a greeting back and plopped down on the empty space next to the girl who Harry had mentally dubbed Lavender Sr. and Harry himself hesitantly sat down next to a dark-haired girl with intelligent grey eyes. He would have liked a window seat but, alas, the odds were not in his favour today so instead he would have to make do with sitting near the compartment door./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""So Regulus..." Lavender Sr. begun excitedly, sharing a look with the other girls who all looked at him with eager eyes:"My mother told me what happened to you."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry wanted to shrink back in his seat; he was not sure what Lavender Sr was talking about. But whatever it was, he knew that having Lavender Brown Jr. gossip about you was never good news, he was pretty sure the same rule would apply to Lavender Sr./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"The girl next to Harry spoke up with a smirk:"As did mine. I did not truly believe it of course, no one did. But now that you are here in front of me, I am tempted to believe the rumours."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott shot Harry a confused look; which Harry mirrored, and said :"What the bloody hell are you girls yapping about."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Greengrass Sr. let out a delighted laugh:"Of course YOU would not notice, do you not think Regulus looks a little different than he did before?"/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott - or Alex as the girls had called him, turned back to Harry and after a careful inspection shrugged and stated:"I suppose yeah, but me and Regulus have only truly met again this summer so I would not know."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Lavender Sr. gushed and said:"Well then Regulus, is it true? Did you come into a magical inheritance?"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Realisation dawned over Harry and he swallowed heavily. Then he said; avoiding anyone's eyes:"Ermm yeah, your guess is as good as mine. Mother says it is what happened, as do the Doctors at St. Mungos. I do not feel any different though."span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He would be darned if he allowed himself to be turned into some interesting Hogwarts celebrity again and was determined to let any and all rumours surrounding his person blow over quickly./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Lavender Sr. giggled and said:"You may not feel any different, but you certainly look a little different."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Not knowing what to say to that Harry shot a look at an equally confused and horrified looking Nott; the two latched into a discussion on Quidditch, the girl next to Harry (who he found out was called Kiara Zabini) joined in, whilst the other girls moved on to more pressing matters concering the latest happenings in the Wizarding World./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"After what had felt like mere minutes but had, in reality, been hours the Express was nearing Hogwarts. After the members of the compartment respectively changed into their robes it was not long untill Harry recognised his surroundings, and recognised that Hogwarts was only mere minutes away./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""We are almost there." He blurted out nervously. His companions did not question how he knew this; they were too nervous. The students whom had all been confidently calm and collected before were now starting to fidget nervously./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott asked a question that had been on the minds of undoubtedly many other students:"Did-Did your parents tell you how we are to be sorted?" the boy pouted and said:"Mine refused to tell me no matter how much I begged them."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He turned to Olivia Lavender whose mother was apparently infamous for not being able to keep a secret if her life depended on it. The girl shook her head dissapointedly, then Nott turned to the other two girls who also shook their heads. He sighed and turned to Harry as a last resort; no one suspected Walburga Black of all people of spoiling the best-kept secret concerning Hogwarts to her son./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry gave keeping it to himself about 2 seconds worth of thought. Then he grinned at his companions mischievously and said:"Yeah my brother told me."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He smirked as he saw the eager looks on the eleven year-olds faces and; remembering the lie Fred and George had told Ron he stated with a nod of his head:"He said we have to battle a-" he glanced around the room as if making sure no one overheard them, then, with a dramatic air that even Professor Lockhart would be proud of he whispered:"he said we have to battle a TROLL."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"The companions all gasped; all except Nott who simple grinned and whispered:"wicked." This earned him a condescending look from class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"She turned to Harry pleadingly and almost screamed:"Please tell me you are kidding." The other girls also looked to be on the verge of tears; Harry was about to tell them the truth and help them out of their misery when the door to their compartment slid open and a girl with a shining prefect badge appeared./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Oh you are already wearing your uniform, good." was all the brown-haired prefect said with as an afterthought:"We will be arriving at Hogwarts shortly."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Then, without another glance, she slid the compartment door shut. The teens hurriedly looked out of the window; it was dark outside and all that was visible were the vague outlines of trees and a number of lights in the far class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"The remainder of the ride was spent in silence. Everyone preparing for their battle against the mountain troll in their own respective ways. Before long the familiar station came into view and; no matter how utterly terrified he felt the warmth starting to bubble inside him./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Finally he was going home./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He did not waste any time and stood up promptly. The others shot him questioning looks but when they saw him reaching for his trunk they quickly followed suit./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"As if on cue the train came to a stuttering halt. He shared an excited look with Nott and the two boys left the compartment with the girls following them closely. The hallway of the train was busy; people were pooring out of compartments and heading for the nearest exit./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Fortunately for Harry (and his companions) he knew where to go and beckoned the others to follow him. Slowly moving with the crowd and towards the exit it was not long before the six youngsters were standing on the dark class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"The upper years were all pooring away to the carriages and the girls and Nott all stood, looking around and resembling lost puppies./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry hoped the procedure for first years had not changed all that much and was happy to hear Hagrid's voice over the nervous chattering of the students:"FIRST YEARS, FIRST YEARS OVER HERE! FIRST YEARS!"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"He could hear Olivia Lavender let out a sigh of relief:"Thank Merlin, I was afraid we would have to WALK to the school or something. These shoes are not made for walking..." she said. Harry glanced down at the girls's feet but her shoes were covered by the length of her robes so he would never know just how inconvenient the girls shoes were./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"The crowd was starting to thin out and they soon reached Hagrid. Harry glanced around and did not see any more familiar faces./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"More first years were starting fill in; some of them looking utterly terrified, others trying to look tough but still looking terrified - but still none familiar./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry himself was surprisingly calm. He had been nervous initially but had mentally come to terms with his predicament. He knew that after his sorting everything would be all right, and he knew which house he would be sorted into; he had been a Gryffindor in his old time after all./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"All thoughts of feeling guilty about how Walburga would feel or even how appalled the original Regulus would be if he knew Harry was planning on becoming a Lion were washed away by his determination to get to know the family he never had./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"One of the girls who had been in their compartment but whose name he had not yet managed to catch leaned over to him and exclaimed:"Regulus how can you look so relaxed! We are about to battle a mountain troll?!"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry shrugged; he was nervous of course, but in comparison to the other first years he probably looked the very beacon of calm and collectedness. He knew the sorting hat would place him where he asked./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott grinned and said with a grin:"You do look surprisingly calm mate, but you have had time to prepare for our grand battle. Mind giving us some pointers on how to battle the troll?"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry ran a hand through his hair nervously:"Err yeah about that, we will not have to-"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""Is everyone here?" Hagrid bellowed, drowning out the last part of Harry's sentence. The first years did not reply; they would not notice if anyone was class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Hagrid apparently quickly realised this as well for he did a quick head count. 49 students later the giant let out a sigh of relief and declared that:"All right, let's go!"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"The giant started walking; his lantern swinging in his hand as he did so and the first years eagerly followed. No one wanted to be left behind of class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"They walked through a small patch of forest. Normally this would not have been scary in the least. But it was dark and the shadows of the trees were looming over the students intimidatingly. The first-years stayed closely together like a pack of frightened class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Before long they reached what Harry knew was the Black Lake. The boats were lined up neatly and the lights hanging at the front of each boat brightly illuminated the harbour./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry could not help himself and said to Nott:"I wonder if the Giant Squid is hungry!"span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott grinned back at him and opened his mouth to reply; he was cut off./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""There's a Squid? A GIANT ONE?" Shrieked Dora Greengrass/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Hagrid meanwhile, had reached the boats and stepped to the side to let the students through. When none of the students moved he frowned and said:"Well come along!"/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Nott dragged Harry to the front of the crowd and whispered excitedly:"If there is a Giant Squid, I refuse to let anyone but us have the glory of battling it. What if it is a component of the Sorting?"/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;""If it truly were a component of the Sorting; would battling the Giant Squid not be your Golden Ticket to Gryffindor?" Harry deadpanned. Nott halted at that and shrugged:"No of course not, not if we do it in a cunning way. Besides, battling a Giant Squid is ambitious is it not?" the boy half-asked class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Harry simply nodded and said:"Sure."/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Thoughts of child-eating Giant Squids slowly faded away and the air of fear was replaced by one of class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"Even Harry gaped. The castle was as beautiful as ever; the lights coming from the windows were sparklingly bright against the dark sky. It's towers stood triumphantly and the lights from the boats shone brightly; illuminating the class="Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000; min-height: 13px;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: #000000;"span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"And, with a smile on his face, Harry realised he was emhome./em/span/p