Return
When Harry woke up early next morning to finally prepare his luggage, he happily realised that Kreacher had already taken care of that. His school robes, books and clothes were unusually neatly put together which meant that he still had a lot of space left in his trunk, so that he didn't even have to sit down on top of it to close it. All he still had to do was to put his new firebolt, Kingsley's mirror, the Marauder's Map and the invisibility cloak into the trunk and then he was already done with packing. He considered lying down again, but then he decided to go down for breakfast. As usual, Kreacher was already awake and waited for him with a breakfast that today consisted of a ridiculous lot of smashed eggs with bacon.
''Thanks for packing, Kreacher'', Harry said, moaning.
''Kreacher helps when he can'', the elf croaked. ''Will Master need anything else before he departs?''
- ''No'', Harry said between two large spoons of eggs. ''Er, actually you can already leave to Hogwarts, if you want to.''
Kreacher nodded, but looked at him nervously. ''Master will think of calling Kreacher when Master needs him?''
- ''Of course, Kreacher'', Harry said.
The house elf bowed deeply. ''Kreacher wishes Master a successful term.''
- ''Thanks'', Harry said and Kreacher vanished with a loud crack.
Harry finished his breakfast and then looked over this morning's Daily Prophet on which's front page he found a report about the low interests at Gringott's. He sighed and put the paper away. If there were be new information on the fugitive Death Eaters, it would be on the front page. Savage had promised to keep them informed, but they hadn't heard anything from him so far. Harry pensively scratched the table with his fingers while he asked himself what Selwyn and the others were up to. If they were really after him, today would be their last chance to get him until christmas break, but he didn't think they'd try to attack him on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. An attack in front of hundreds of children and parents would be plain madness. Nonetheless he checked both his wands before leaving the kitchen and going back to his room. Once he was there, he put his notes on Selwyn into the trunk, asked himself why he hadn't simply given Kreacher his trunk to take it to Hogwarts, then decided that he was getting much too lazy and levitated the trunk down the stairs, past the still sleeping portrait of Sirius's mother. At the door he made a few security charms which would let him know if someone apart from Kreacher tried to enter the house, then he stepped outside into the cool September morning, sealed the door with his wand, and disapparated.
Harry apparated directly onto the platform, and while he was standing there in the shadows, not yet noticed by his school mates and their parents, and looked at the scarlet Hogwarts-Express, he felt a warm feeling rising in his chest: he was going home. He tried to go through the thickest steam clouds on his way to the train to avoid attention, but some people still forgot to close their mouths when they saw him. A tiny first class let go of her trunk when she spotted him.
''I think you may have scared her'', a dreamy voice said behind him.
''Luna!'', he said grinning and turned around, happy to see someone who didn't faint from seeing him. Luna wore her terrible necklace made of butterbeer corks and enormous earrings which supposedly represented some kind of magical creature which didn't exist.
''Hello, Harry'', she said smiling. ''It's really nice that you're back, it was kind of boring without you.''
- ''Yeah'', he only said, because her father had just appeared out of the steam behind her. Around his neck there was the medallion with the sign of the Deathly Hallows.
''Daddy wanted to apologize'', Luna said calmly.
Xenophilius nodded energetically, but Harry shook his head.
''There's nothing to apologize for'', he said. ''They forced you to do that.''
- ''See, Daddy, I told you Harry wouldn't be mad'', Luna said happily. ''But where are the others, Harry?''
- ''I only just arrived'', he said, thankful for her changing the topic. ''Maybe they're already here, let's look for them.''
Luna hugged her father good-bye and then they went on along the train with Harry trying to keep in her shadow to avoid attention, but that didn't work thanks to Luna being Luna wearing her butterbeer-cork-necklace. Finally, as they had just decided to enter the train without the others, they saw a huge group of people coming over who with one exception all had red hair.
''Here they are'', he said relieved.
- ''Hey'', Ginny said happily and gave him a quick kiss which made all the witches in the vicinity stare at her. ''I thought it'd be best if make things clear right at the start'', she said grinning.
- ''Agreed'', Harry said, grinning too. ''What kept you?''
- ''The usual chaos'', Molly said resigning. ''Well then, I wish you a nice, very quiet term, dears-''
She hugged all of them, before they hastily jumped on the train while the doors were already closing, and then they started to move.
''Well'', Ron said. ''Let's find a compartment where we can put all this stuff-''
- ''We need to hurry up'', Hermione said nervously. ''I have to talk to the prefects-''
- ''Easy, Hermione'', Ginny said calmly. ''We'll find someplace.''
- ''Couldn't we just confiscate a compartment?'', Ron asked and twinkled at Harry quickly. ''Because, you know, you're Head Girl?''
- ''That would be absulutely inappropriate'', Hermione hissed. ''Luna, aren't you coming?''
- ''I'm going over to Dean'', Luna said dreamily. ''Ginny, are you mad that I'm going with him?''
- ''What?'', Ginny asked perplexed. ''Er...no.''
- ''That's nice'', Luna said happily and left in the opposite direction.
Ron chuckled while everybody else was staring after her. ''Always good for a laugh, that one. So...''
He started to move and the others followed him. There was a lot of chaos in the corridors: students of all ages greeted their friends and told each other the best experiences of their summer. All was as it had always been, and still so very different, for Harry couldn't help having to think of those who were missing. When they passed a compartment with older Ravenclaws, among them Terry Boot, he had to think of how usually Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner and Padma Patil would be sitting with them. Even worse was seeing Dennis Creevey without his brother.
''At last'', Ron finally said and opened the door to an empty compartment.
''Merlin'', Hermione moaned, put down her trunk and Crookshanks and hastily pinned her new Head Girl's badge to her robes.
''Come on'', she hissed and went outside.
Ginny gave him Arnold and followed her, obviously very amused.
''Will you be alright?'', Ron asked.
''Yeah'', Harry said. ''Go on, everybody's afraid of me, so nothing's going to happen.''
- ''Get us some chocolate frogs, okay?'', Ron said and followed the others.
Harry stored his trunk and then sat down in a corner. It was strange to sit all on his own in the Hogwarts-Express, he thought, while looking at Arnold who stared out of the window with huge eyes. The last time that had happened had been in his first year, before he had met Ron and Hermione. This time it was obvious that he wouldn't make any new friends, because all the students who were still dragging their trunks after them and looked inside the compartment and spotted him panically ran away. Even after he had bought a huge box of chocolate frogs form the trolley witch, nothing changed. Finally, later in the early afternoon, a couple of people he knew paid him a visit, among them Seamus Finnigan, who couldn't stand it alone with Dean and Luna any more, Demelza Robins who asked him when the Quidditch tryouts would be held, and Ernie Macmillan who asked him a million questions about working at the auror office while eating a pound of chocolate frogs.
When it already started to turn dark outside, Ginny, Ron, and Neville at last returned and tiredly fell on their seats.
''Hey, Neville'', Harry said. ''Where did you leave Hermione?''
- ''She's still confiscating some Weasley products'', Ginny said, shaking her head. ''Apparently Filch banned them all again. Really, that's so bad for business...''
- ''I dunno'', Harry grinned. ''All the attraction only means publicity.''
- ''Malfoy's Slytherin's new Quidditch Captain, by the way'', Ron said and took a chocolate frog. ''And he finished things with Parkinson.''
- ''What?'', Harry asked surprised.
''I saw it when I was passing, she didn't take it too well-''
- ''I think Harry doesn't really care about that part'', Neville said.
''Wha- oh, yeah. So, he's the new captain. Wearing the badge as if it were an Order of Merlin...still, he's not a prefect anymore, that's Zabini now.''
- ''Clever of Slughorn'', Harry judged pensively. ''He punishes him, but rewards him at the same time.''
- ''Aah, how I long to finally again rip the Slytherin's ar-''
- ''Oh, please stop it'', Hermione moaned while entering the compartment. ''Can we please talk about something nicer than Slytherin?''
- ''Gryffindor?'', Ron proposed while she fell down next to him and started to lean against his shoulder.
''Speaking of Gryffindor'', Neville said slowly. ''Who do you guys think will be our new Head of House? McGonagall won't be keeping that post as well.''
- ''Why? She's also continuing with Transfiguration after all'', Ron said.
Hermione snorted. ''Because the headmistress is supposed to be neutral, Ron.''
- ''Maybe it's going to be Hagrid'', Ginny said smiling.
Hermione looked quite sceptical and Harry silently agreed.
They went on and on further north trough the darkness. After a while, Hermione started to read The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Seven which turned out to be rather difficult, as the others were playing a game of Exploding Snap next to her. Just as she was starting to make an angry comment, the compartment door opened again and Romila Vane entered, a Gryffindor fifth-year who had a huge crush on Harry.
''Hi Harry'', she said and smiled wildly. ''I have a message to you, from Professor Slughorn, and for the others as well.''
- ''Thanks, Romilda'', Harry said surprised and took the piece of parchment. Romilda kept standing there for a moment, but when nobody started a conversation with her, she threw back her long, hazel hair, twinkled at Neville shortly and left.
''What was that?'', Neville asked confusedly.
''Seems that she's keeping other options open, now that Harry's off the market'', Ginny said disgustedly. ''Take care, Nev. As Head Boy, you may very well be second on her list.''
Harry grinned and opened Slughorn's message.
Harry,
I would be honoured if you participated in a small social event which I will host in my office this Friday at 7 pm.
Hoping you are well and enjoying the ride,
Professor H.E. Slughorn
''Social event?'', Ron asked and looked at his parchment in confusion.
''Welcome to the Slug Club, mate'', Harry said.
''We should go'', Hermione said pensively.
''Of course'', Ron said arrogantly. ''It wouldn't do if the Head Girl wasn't present at such an occasion.''
- ''That's not why'', Hermione laughed. ''It's important to show unity.''
Harry nodded silently. He wasn't really looking forward to have dinner with Slughorn, but he owed the Potions master a great deal. Without Slughorn's help, the final battle may have turned out even worse.
''We should change'', Ginny said. ''We'll be there soon.''
She was right; while they were still busy changing into their school robes, the train slowed down. Neville nervously checked his badge in the window, Harry realised.
Finally, the train stopped and they stepped onto the corridor, right into a large group of excitedly talking second-years.
''I swear, they're getting more useless every year'', Ron murmured quietly.
They let the second-years pass and then jumped onto the platform, with Neville's toad Trevor starting a half-hearted escape try.
''Accio'', Hermione said calmly and Trevor zoomed back into her free hand.
''Some things never change'', Neville said grinning.
He was right, Harry thought, when the usual call ''First years! First years, with me!'' came and he saw Hagrid's huge outline appearing at the end of the platform. Suddenly, he had to smile: it was just wonderful that after everything that had happend, Hagrid still came to collect the first-years, as if it was just another normal school year.
''Come on'', Ginny said. ''Or the best carriages will already be taken.''
They waved over to Hagrid and then moved to the carriages that brought the older students up to the castle.
''So that's what they look like'', Ron said quietly.
Harry nodded grimly. Not only Ginny, Ron, and Hermione seemed to be able to see the Thestralsfor the first time, many older students stared at the huge, horselike creatures. It was no surprise that there was depressed silence in their carriage for most of the way up to the castle. While they passed the winged boars and drove through the gate, Harry felt how a mixture of fear and nervousness appeared in his stomach. The others seemed to feel it as well. Ron looked out of the window.
''As good as new'', he murmured.
Ron was right, Harry thought while he stared at the outline of Hogwarts Castle: towers, walls, the big entrance door which slowly appeared out of the darkness; it all looked just like it had before the battle. Was that a good thing?
The carriage stopped and for a moment, they all exchanged nervous looks. Then Harry braced himself, opened the door and stepped outside, followed by the others. The younger students streamed into the entrance hall chatting happily, but Harry saw that Ernie Macmillan, Susan Bones and others who had been here during the battle were hesitating just like them. Then Luna marched past them humming quietly and entered the castle. Neville grinned widely and followed her, the others with him. But in the entrance hall, they stopped dead immediately, because this was when they saw the new memorial for the first time. It was beneath the repaired hour glasses that showed the house points, and it was an alphabetical list of all the battle's fighters. Next to every name was the badge of their houses, and next to some of them - 54, as Harry knew only too well- was a small cross. Fred's name seemed to capture his eyes nearly magically and as he could see clearly on Ginny's pained face, it was the same for her.
''How can I go past this every day without breaking down?'', she whispered and because Harry had no answer, he softly took her hand and pulled her with him into the Great Hall and to the Gryffindor table.