HARRY POTTER AND THE SECRET ENEMY
Harry Potter and all associated characters and situations are the property of J.K. Rowling. I make no claim to ownership.
CHAPTER 13: Modes of Transportation
1 September 1992
By September 1st, Neville Longbottom had become fairly competent at Potions and Transfiguration, while Harry Potter had become equally proficient at swimming, though he still didn't have a tan. At 10:30 a.m., the two young wizards along with Lady Augusta activated a portkey that transported them to a secluded alleyway across the street from King's Cross Station. Harry and Neville each carried a shoulder bag containing, among other things, their shrunken school trunks. Neville also carried a small sealed terrarium containing Trevor the Somewhat Poisonous Toad. The boy had decided that Trevor made a perfectly decent pet so long as no one handled him without wearing gloves and he wasn't allowed run of the school.
As they made their way to Platform 9¾, the two encountered several fellow students along their families. Harry also noticed that the Lovegood girl was there along with her father, Xenophilius, who was busy talking to several other parents about his newspaper, The Quibbler. While Neville was talking with some of their Gryffindor friends, Harry walked over to say hello to the girl.
"Good morning, Miss Lovegood. I hope you're recovered from Jim's party."
"I am, Mr. Potter, thank you."
"Please, call me Harry."
"Only if you will call me Luna."
He bowed slightly. "Luna it is."
She smiled at that. "I'm glad to hear it. I've found for some reason that most people mispronounce my name regularly. It's most vexing, but I don't want to seem rude by correcting them."
Harry's eyes narrowed. Surely, the girl knew that people were mocking her by calling her "Loony Lovegood," but for some reason, she was refusing to acknowledge it. Whether it was shyness, insecurity or "the nargles" responsible, Harry didn't think it would result in a happy experience at Hogwarts. In a sense, being Sorted into Slytherin was an advantage for him because everyone just assumed that everyone else was gaming out power scenarios from Day One. Draco Malfoy aside, there was surprisingly little overt bullying in-house because you never knew who was really weak and defenseless as opposed to intentionally flying under the radar until it was time for a power play, a fact he'd made abundantly clear to the whole House on Halloween of the previous year. Even though the House was riddled with Death Eater sympathizers, Draco and his flunkies had been the only ones to ever seriously threaten him, as ineffectual as those threats turned out to be.
"It's hardly rude, I think, to insist that people use your proper name, Luna," Harry said gently. "You're not doing yourself or other people any favors by letting them misunderstand who you are." At that, she gave him an unreadable expression, so he shrugged and changed the subject. "So, what House do you think you're going into?"
"Probably Ravenclaw. Both my parents went there." It was hard to read Luna's moods, but Harry thought she was not overly enthused by that prospect, and he politely said so.
"Well," she replied, "I really don't know where I'll fit in best. Following in my parents' footsteps seems the most logical course. If nothing else, it will make Daddy happy."
"Luna, you should never let something as important as your Sorting be governed by a desire to please others. I don't want to spoil the surprise of how you get Sorted ..."
"It's a Hat. Daddy told me when I was a little girl."
He sighed. "So much for cherished school traditions. Anyway, the Sorting Hat is wise and knows its job. Listen to its advice."
She crooked an eyebrow at him. "Even if it wants to send me into Slytherin House?"
"That depends, I suppose, on whether you really believe in, um, nergles and wreckspots...?"
"Nargles and wrackspurts," she said amiably.
"Yes those. Anyway, on whether you believe they're real, or whether you just talk about them all the time to discomfit other people and keep them off-balance."
"Why can't it be both?" she asked in what certainly sounded like innocent naivete.
Harry opened his mouth and then closed it before spending several seconds really studying Luna Lovegood. "You're a mischievous little pixie, aren't you," he said with a chuckle. "Personally, I hope you go into Gryffindor. You'd drive my brother to distraction."
She tilted her head as if too see him from a different angle. "You've seen his mask, haven't you, Harry Potter. You've noticed the seams where the Boy-Who-Lived face fits over Jim's real one."
Harry was taken aback at that. As far as he could recall, Luna had not been at Flourish & Blotts, but the fact that she'd echoed his thoughts about Jim from that day was eerie. "I ... don't know. Maybe. But we all have masks of one sort or another, don't we? I learned that much my first week in Slytherin."
"We do all have masks, Harry Potter. But yours fits you like a velvet glove, so soft that your wrackspurts are dozing away most of the time, even though you have more than most people. Jim's mask is hard and brittle and screwed on so tight that it must hurt every time he smiles.
"That's an ... evocative way to put it, Luna. But I have enough trouble pursuing happiness for myself without worrying about my brother's self-inflicted wounds."
Luna smiled sadly and then glanced over his shoulder. "Speaking of your brother, I see him coming. I'd better get on board the train before you two start arguing and I faint again. It was very embarrassing."
"Of course. I'll most likely be in a compartment with Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom if you'd care to join us."
"I'd like that," She gave Harry a funny little curtsy and then ran to join her father and heading through the barrier.
Harry watched her until he was distracted by Jim's arrival, along with that of the Weasleys, all of whom looked out of breath. Apparently, James and Lily had once again fobbed Jim off on the Weasleys while they attended to their jobs, and the Weasleys, who were never a model of efficiency, had nearly missed the train. Harry told Neville to head on and get a compartment as he wanted to grab a newspaper from the nearby stand for the trip. The other boy nodded and made his way through the barrier with his grandmother. In fact, Harry wanted to take the opportunity to needle Jim some more, and he assumed Neville would disapprove.
"Hello, Jim. So glad you could make it. Don't worry. We still have seconds before the train leaves. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, it's so wonderful to see you again! I've missed your delightful cooking so much!"
"And we've missed yours, Harry, dear," Molly said with a smile. Jim nearly growled at the affection Molly showed his brother. As they talked, Percy and the Twins passed by, waving quick but cheery hellos as they did, while pushing large carts for their trunks and other possessions as fast as they could through the barrier. Unfortunately, Ron was moving a bit too quickly, and some of the luggage on his cart slipped off.
"Thanks, Ron," said Ginny angrily. "My trunk is already a hand-me-down. I don't need it to break into pieces before we even get to Hogwarts."
"We wouldn't even be late if you hadn't made us go back for your precious diary," Ron spat at her.
"Ronald, be nice to your sister!" Molly exclaimed. Ron gave a surly apology as he started to repack the cart.
"We'd better get on through the barrier, Molly," said Arthur. "We daren't leave the Twins unattended. They'll probably set fire to the Malfoys or something."
"Oh, like you wouldn't enjoy that, Arthur Weasley!" she replied irritably. "Don't think I've forgotten about that spectacle you made of yourself at Flourish & Blotts!" With that, the two passed through the barrier, leaving Harry, Jim, Ron and Ginny behind. Harry sighed and tried to help Ron with the trunks.
"I don't need any help, snake!" Ron growled.
"Oh, we're back to 'snake,' are we? Last time I buy you any Quidditch books! Anyway, I figured I might as well help since my brother is just standing their gawking. Or perhaps he's waiting for Slappy to show up and load the trunks for him."
"There is no Slappy, okay!" Jim snapped. "It was just something stupid the publishers came up with because ..."
"Because the books that were plagiarized to make the Boy-Who-Lived Adventures were Muggle novels about a pair of brothers, and they needed a second character to fill in for the missing one so they invented a comical house elf sidekick. After all, it wasn't as though you had an actual brother or anything to appear alongside you."
"Are you actually jealous that you're not a character in one of those stupid children's books written about me?!" Jim said in amazement.
Harry started to respond but was interrupted by Ginny. "Hey guys! I know it's wonderful to listen to you two snipe at each other like this because I never have to listen to sibling rivalry from my brothers at home but ... shouldn't I be able to pass through the wall somewhere around here to get to the platform?" And with that she put her hand up to the barrier and knocked on it. It was noticeably solid. Harry walked over to where she stood. It was the exact same area where he'd just seen Mr. and Mrs. Weasley pass through, but now it actually felt like the solid brick wall it appeared to be.
"Okay, that's ... weird." He looked around. "Would there by any Ministry personnel around in case there's a problem with the barrier?"
"No," said Jim as he came over to inspect the wall himself, "because there's never been a problem with this wall in all the time that Platform 9¾ has existed."
"Well, there's one now," said Ginny. "What do you think is causing it? And are Mom and Dad stuck on the other side? I don't want to miss the train!"
Harry frowned and then opened up his book bag and started digging through it. As he did, Jim suddenly looked around the Muggle-filled concourse with a nervous look on his face.
"We need to get out of here," he said quietly but urgently.
"What?" Harry asked sharply. "Why? In a minute or two, the Weasleys or some of the other parents on the other side of the barrier will come back through. Or if they can't come through, they'll alert someone at the Ministry by magical means that there's a problem. We just need to stay calm..."
"No!" exclaimed Jim forcefully. "Don't you get it? In the last two months, someone's tried to kill me once and you twice! And now, we're stuck here at King's Cross on the wrong side of the barrier with no other wizards to help us? It's got to be a trap!" He turned to Ron. "We need to get away from this place and up to Hogwarts as fast as possible. Any ideas? "
"Well," said Ron hesitantly, "I guess we could take the Anglia."
"No!" said Ginny angrily. "That's crazy! You can't just steal Dad's car and drive it to Scotland!"
"Well, of course not," said Ron indignantly. "We'd be flying!"
Ginny stared at her brother, completely gobsmacked. Meanwhile, Harry spoke up. "Ron, that is absolutely the..." He paused and blinked repeatedly. "... the single most brilliant idea I have ever heard. I take back every bad thing I've ever said about you. Flying a magical Ford Anglia from London to Scotland is definitely the smartest and cleverest solution to this problem, and frankly, I can't imagine any way in which it might go wrong."
"Really?" Ron said. "You mean it? So does that mean you're coming with us?"
Harry snorted. "Of course not! Flying to Scotland is a Gryffindor plan. Being a Slytherin, I have my own way to get to Hogwarts. A sneaky snakey way that no Gryffindor would ever dare to consider." He smiled. "In fact, I imagine I'll get there before you and have a camera waiting to take a picture of your crash landing. Impressive landing! That's what I meant to say: Incredibly impressive landing ... of your dad's stolen car."
"Harry, shut up!" Jim interrupted. "Ron, ignore him. He's only trying to use reverse psychology on us to talk us out of taking the car. Ginny, are you coming with us or staying here?"
"I'm not coming with you, and you shouldn't be doing this! Ron, please think!"
Ron looked over to Jim. "We can't just leave her here."
"Maybe it's for the best," said Jim thoughtfully. "She might be in greater danger if she's with us. And once we're gone, maybe the barrier will work again." He turned to the increasingly exasperated girl and put his hands on her shoulders in what was doubtless meant to be a reassuring manner. "Ginny, wait here for your mum and dad. Tell them what's happened and that we're on our way to Hogwarts. Tell them not to worry and that we'll get the car back to them as soon as we can."
With that Ron pulled Ginny's now slightly dented trunk off the trolley, and then he and Jim quickly wheeled their luggage away from Platform 9¾ and back to the parking lot, leaving behind an amused Harry Potter and an increasingly furious Ginny Weasley. They were already out of sight before she finally regained the power of speech.
"Of all the arrogant, conceited, patronizing, chauvinistic ...! Wait here for your mum and dad like a helpless damsel while we steal a magic car and fly it to Hogwarts! WHO THE HELL DOES HE THINK HE IS?!"
Harry coughed softly. "The Boy-Who-Lived, maybe?" Then, he laughed. "You know, what's really funny is that the Git actually saw through my reverse psychology the one time I was genuinely trying to help him instead of take advantage of him."
And with that, Harry sat down on Ginny's trunk and resumed digging through his book bag.
"What are you doing?" Ginny asked as she followed him over.
"Sending a message to Hermione Granger so she can let the prefects know what's going on. Presumably there's someone on the train who can contact the authorities and inform them of what's happened. Surely they don't pack several hundred children on a magic train without any adult supervision at all and no way to send messages for help." Then, he stopped and looked up. "And having said that out loud, I immediately realize how naive that sounds."
He shrugged and then resumed digging as Ginny sat down next to him. "So you were just bluffing. You're going to wait here for help to arrive."
"Certainly not! I'm going to message Hermione, and then, I'm going to Hogwarts." He looked over to the girl and smiled. "Via the sneaky snakey way."
She was silent for a few seconds as Harry finally found the parchment that was linked to the one in Hermione's possession. "Can I come too?" she asked hesitantly.
He looked at her with a serious expression. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly. She nodded. "Very well, Miss Weasley. And yes, that is the first thing you must understand. For if you follow me on the Slytherin Path, you must follow Slytherin ways. From now on, I am Mr. Potter and you are Miss Weasley, until we reach Hogwarts and, after a suitable interval, formally give each other permission to use our first names in public. Do you understand?"
She nodded quickly.
"Gooood," he drawled in a silky voice. "The other thing you must understand is this: There is a price to be paid for accompanying me on this journey." She swallowed nervously. That nice boy who gave her a glass of water after her late night Quidditch practice was now kind of ... sinister.
"You have knowledge, Miss Weasley," he continued, his voice deepening. "Knowledge that I am particularly interested in acquiring. Knowledge that you must impart as the price for joining me."
Her eyes widened in fear. "Wh ... what knowledge?" she said almost in a whisper.
Harry leaned in closer and spoke softly but intently, as the girl was transfixed by the brilliant green of his eyes. "Your brothers, Fred and George. Which one has the mole next to his left eye?"
Minutes earlier ...
Hermione, Neville, Theo and Blaise were sharing a compartment discussing their thoughts on the upcoming year (and also waiting for an unusually tardy Harry Potter) when there was a commotion outside. Hermione slid the door open and immediately realized that it was Luna Lovegood, who was being accosted by that obnoxious Edgecombe girl who'd been at the party – the one Harry had warded off like a vampire confronted with garlic merely by suggesting that she reminded him of Vincent Crabbe.
"I don't know why you're looking for Harry Potter, Loony! He won't be any more interested in your ridiculous nonsense than anybody else!"
"Well, I'm looking for him because he specifically asked me to find him on the train, which, I think, refutes your statement. And by the way, it's 'Lun-ah.' With an A on the end. I can spell my whole name if it will help." Hermione was amused. From Luna's cheery tone, she honestly wasn't sure if the girl was being sarcastic or genuinely believed that Edgecombe had been confused about how to pronounce her name.
"Nobody cares about your name, Loony. Just like nobody cares about your crazy father or his stupid newspaper or all those ridiculous creatures you're always spouting off about!"
"Hem-hem!" The two girls turned towards Hermione who was standing with her arms folded like a disapproving teacher, with the three boys standing behind her. "Actually, I suddenly find myself intensely interested in hearing more about those creatures Miss Lovegood is always spouting off about. Why don't you come into our compartment, Miss Lovegood, and tell me more. I find your ideas intriguing and wish to subscribe to your newsletter."
At that, Blaise suddenly burst out laughing, while Theo and Neville smiled both at his strange reaction as well as the look on Marietta Edgecombe's face.
"Excuse me," said Edgecombe harshly. "This is a private conversation you're butting into. Who do you think you are anyway?"
"Hermione Granger, Gryffindor, Second Year. And if I remember correctly, you're that Crabbe girl from the Potter birthday party."
The other girl's face contorted in fury. "My name is Marietta Edgecombe. Of the Grovesford Park Edgecombes. And I don't have to take lip from some uppity Mudblood."
Instantly, the smiles vanished from the three boys, while Hermione raised her chin defiantly as she prepared a crushing comeback. To her annoyance, someone beat her to it.
"Um, excuse me. Hi there. I'm Theo Nott of the Ancient and Noble House of Nott. Perhaps you've heard of us? I'm Pureblooded going back twelve generations. Does that give me sufficient pedigree to tell you to bugger off!?"
Hermione turned towards Theo in surprise at his harsh language. Meanwhile, Neville stepped forward as well. "And I'm Longbottom of Longbottom. And while decorum prevents me using those particular words," he gestured towards Theo with his thumb, "what he said!"
Marietta made a face like a bulldog on the verge of a tantrum and then turned and flounced away. Hermione shook her head in amazement. Before Marietta Edgecombe, she had never met anyone who actually flounced in real life. She held out her hand to welcome Luna into their compartment where everyone sat back down just in time for the rocking sensation that let them know the train had commenced its journey.
"Boys, it's not that I don't appreciate the gesture – although, Theo, I don't think I approve of saying 'bugger off' to a fellow student – but I am quite capable of standing up to Pureblood bigotry, especially coming from a First Year who hasn't even been Sorted yet. Oh, and Dear God in Heaven, please don't let that harridan be Sorted into Gryffindor!"
"She won't be," said Blaise. "The Edgecombes have all been Ravenclaws for four generations. They think it gives them the illusion of intellectual heft without actually learning to think for themselves." The other children stared at him. "What? It was in the dossier my mother gave me on this year's incoming class. And also, what's so bad about saying 'bugger off'? We're all twelve except for Miss Lovegood here. That's basically young adult in the wizarding world."
"Even if that were so," replied Hermione in what sounded eerily like Professor McGonagall's voice minus the Scottish accent, "that would only be a further argument against using vulgarities like 'bugger' in casual speech. And anyway, we've wandered from my original point which is that I am quite capable of standing up to the Marietta Edgecombes of the world without needing any of you lot to protect me, chivalrous though it might be. And what's all this about 'dossiers'?! First Neville, now you? Do all Purebloods start Hogwarts with a box of dossiers about all their classmates?"
"I didn't get any dossiers either," said Theo. "Father couldn't be buggered to make any for me. And it's not about chivalry, either. You're on Team Harry, just like the rest of us. We stick up for each other whether it's against rampaging dark lords or flouncing firsties."
"She did flounce, didn't she?" marveled Neville. "I thought girls only did that in books."
Hermione sighed. "Fine, fine. Anyway, speaking of Harry, where is the center of our collective universe?" At that moment, there was a soft ding from within the large beaded purse sitting next to the girl. "Humph. Speak of the devil." She opened the purse and said in a clear voice "Harry's Parchment," causing a folded piece of paper to shoot up into her hand.
Neville's eyes widened. "How did you do that? You didn't even use a wand!"
"I knitted runes into the lining of my purse. You don't need a wand for runic magic."
The boys looked at one another in confusion. "We haven't studied runes yet," said Blaise heatedly. "That class starts in Third Year."
"Yes, I know, but I got bored in France this Summer so I started reading ahead." With that, she unfolded the parchment and read Harry's message, her eyes widening as she did.
"Bugger," Hermione said without a trace of irony.
"Language, Hermione!" said Neville with a laugh.
Minutes later, having advised Hermione of his situation, Harry exited Kings Cross, gallantly carrying Ginny's trunk for her. The girl was plainly nervous. She had no idea what "the Slytherin Path" was but from how mysteriously Harry was acting, she was increasingly concerned that it was something illegal and quite possibly something that required Dark Magic. So she was naturally surprised when he stopped at a street corner a block away from the train station, pulled out his wand, and made an upwards motion with it. Within seconds, a purple triple-decker bus arrived in a blur of motion, startling Ginny. To be honest, Harry seemed a bit surprised as well.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike and I will be your conductor today." The young wizard looked up from the card he was reading and smiled at Harry. "Oi! I remember you! You were that sprog we had to go all the way out to Surrey for! 'Zat where we're headed today?"
"No, Stan," said Harry as he handed over Ginny's trunk. "Just to the Leaky Cauldron. By the way, wasn't this bus red last time I saw it?"
"Ministry made us change it. Apparently, our 'British charm and eccentricity' somehow allowed American tourists to see through the normal Muggle-Repellin' Charms, and they kept trying to climb on board and ask for sightseeing tours. Just the Yanks, though. Very strange. Anywho, the Ministry made us repaint the whole bleedin' thing in this special Muggle-Repellin' Paint. Don't like it me-self. We look like a giant grape on wheels."
Harry laughed at that and held out his hand for Ginny to help her onto the bus.
"So what now?" she asked. "Is there someone in Diagon Alley who can help us get to Hogwarts?"
"No, we won't be going all the way into the Alley. There's a fireplace in the Leakey Cauldron, and we'll just Floo through to Hogsmeade and then walk to the castle."
She stopped and stared at Harry. "That's the mysterious Slytherin Path? Take the Floo to Hogsmeade?"
He sniffed. "The Slytherin Path is the path of least resistance and greatest advantage. As opposed to the Gryffindor Path, or as I like to call it, the Path of 'LOOK AT ME!'" As he said that, Harry held up both hands with his fingers splayed wide and shook them in a manner that Hermione might have described as jazz hands. "You see, Miss Weasley, the Gryffindors are the House of the Brave. And bravery is a good thing, but not when it trumps all other concerns. In any given situation, the first instinct of a Gryffindor is to look for a solution that shows off how bold he is, just as the Ravenclaw will first look for a solution that shows off how clever he is. The Slytherins, however, look for the solution that produces the best results."
"And the Hufflepuffs?"
"I actually have a lot of respect for Hufflepuffs. They also tend to look for the most efficient solution. They're just ham-strung because they ignore any efficient or advantageous solutions that might possibly hurt someone's feelings or that might seem unfair or unethical to other people. In many ways, a Hufflepuff is just a Slytherin with an overdeveloped sense of fair play. Or maybe a Slytherin is just a ruthless Hufflepuff. Amounts to the same thing really."
She laughed, and the two chatted amiably about wizarding ethics while trying to ignore the insane recklessness with which the Knight Bus careened through the streets of London.
Ten minutes later, back on the Hogwarts Express, Hermione was beginning to have second thoughts. True, she had freely expressed an interest in Luna's strange (and likely non-existent) creatures, but she had not been prepared for just how convoluted the girl's fantasies were, and she was almost to the point of reevaluating Marietta Edgecombe's views on the subject of Miss Lovegood's sanity. Fortunately, just as Luna was about to expound some more on the vile machinations of the Rotfang Conspiracy, Hermione was rescued by a knock on the compartment door, followed by Lavender Brown entering in a huff.
"Hi guys. Sorry to intrude, but have any of you seen Jim?" she asked in a frustrated tone. "Because if he's avoiding me, I'll just have to make his life miserable."
"He's not on the train," said Hermione. "I am reliably informed that he and Ron missed it and are traveling to Hogwarts via a flying car they've acquired."
"Ha-ha, very funny. Seriously, where is he?" Lavender said irritably.
"She's telling the truth, Lavender," said Neville earnestly.
"But that shouldn't stop you from making Jim's life miserable," said Blaise. "In fact, since he's out breaking the Statute of Secrecy as we speak, you should probably make his life even more miserable."
"Blaise," said Hermione, "stop instigating."
"A flying car? Really, a flying car?" said Lavender in disbelief. "Fine, whatever. Is Harry with him? Surely he has too much sense for that!"
"He isn't and he does," said Hermione. "Unfortunately, he also missed the train, but his plan for getting to Hogwarts is much more sensible."
"I should hope so," Lavender replied. "Anyway, when you see Harry, let him know we need to talk about this."
She handed Hermione a copy of Teen Witch Weekly which featured a moving picture of Harry looking surprised, Jim glaring angrily at Harry, and Lavender standing between them clapping and looking excitedly at Harry. Hermione recognized the scene from Flourish & Blotts, but she was startled by both the headline – Boy-Who-Lived caught in love triangle! – and the accompanying article, which insinuated that Jim's apparent anger was the result of Lavender's attention turning towards Harry, presumably because of his reliance on hair care products supplied by the House of Brown. Hermione looked up at Lavender in astonishment.
"This is ..."
"Nonsense. Yes, I know. But we still need to respond to it. I'll be damned if I get a dozen Howlers tomorrow morning calling me a scarlet woman or something!" And with that, Lavender turned and left the compartment. Even with the door closed, however, the group could still hear the girl ranting to herself. "Honestly! A flying car?! No inheritance is worth this!"
Not long after, the Knight Bus arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry led Ginny inside and to the fireplace, where he dropped a few galleons into the jar and took a pinch of Floo powder with his hand. Ginny did likewise.
"Now, we're going to 'The Tonks Clinic. Hogsmeade.' Say that back to me. As my brother has shown, poor enunciation when Floo-traveling can get you flung off to who knows where." She nodded and repeated the destination. The two passed through without incident and arrived at the Tonks clinic and residence, where they were met by Iris.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Harry Potter Sir! What a pleasant surprise! Are you ill or in any pain? Iris regrets that Master Healer Tonks is in with a patient at the moment."
"That's quite alright, Iris, we're just passing through. Something happened to block the barrier at Kings Cross and we couldn't get through, so we had to find alternate transportation."
Iris stepped forward and sniffed both of them. Then, she made a soft growling noise. "It was that wicked Dobby Elf, sir! Iris recognizes the scent of his magic!"
"Really? House elves can recognize each other's magic by smell?"
"Not usually, sir. As Iris said, some wicked elves act at odds with their masters. They give off a smell that any other house elf can spot a mile away. Those who are acting on their masters' orders leave no trace of their passage."
"Hmm. I guess that makes sense. Well, anyway, we'll be heading up to the castle. Please let Healer Tonks know that I came by and am sorry I missed him."
"Iris will do so. Does Mr. Harry Potter Sir wish Iris to send the young lady's trunk on to Hogwarts? And for that matter, does Mr. Harry Potter Sir wish Iris to repair the damage to it?"
Harry looked over at Ginny, who was still staring goggle-eyed at Iris (as she'd never actually seen a house elf before) and then back at Iris.
"Yes, please. We'd be very grateful."
Iris curtsied, and then she and the trunk disappeared to Ginny's surprise. She and Harry left for Hogwarts. On the way, Harry told Ginny about Dobby and asked that she not repeat the elf's name, lest he be punished or even killed by the Malfoys. She readily agreed. About fifteen minutes later, the two arrived at the castle gates and were met at the door by a scowling Severus Snape.
"Mr. Potter. You're quite a bit ahead of schedule I think. Too special to ride the Express with your peers?"
Harry ignored the dig. "We had another 'Dobby' incident, sir. The barrier at Kings Cross was blocked and we had to improvise. How did you know I'd be coming this way?"
"One of the Hogwarts house elves informed the Headmaster that Miss Weasley's trunk had been sent on ahead from Hogsmeade. Soon after, the Headmaster sensed your passage through the outer Hogwarts' wards and he sent word to me. Now, tell me everything that happened."
Harry complied, telling everything he could remember, including Jim and Ron's impulsive decision to take the Anglia without permission and fly it to Hogwarts. Snape said he would attend to it. The slightly vicious smile he gave, however, suddenly made Ginny concerned for both her brother and Jim, neither of whom she wanted to get into trouble. Harry reassured her that it was better for both of them if the situation were resolved quickly rather than risk a catastrophic breach of the Statute of Secrecy by letting them fly all the way to Scotland, especially a breach that might reflect poorly on Arthur Weasley, the owner of the highly illegal car. He also said that she was free to lay all the blame for tattling on him since, after all, he was the one who gleefully tattled on them.
"I'm sorry, Luna," said Hermione. "I really don't want to be ... disrespectful of your beliefs. But I also don't really see any reason to think those beliefs are true. I mean ... nargles are tiny little invisible buzzing things that effect people's emotional responses? And wrackspurts are some other kind of invisible, intangible insectoid life forms that live inside people's brains and are the reason people get upset when exposed to frustration or strong emotions? And only you can perceive them?"
"Well, I'd always assumed there were other people who could see them but not many. My mother told me what they were when I was a little girl, so I assumed that she could see them too." Then, Luna looked a little sad and bashful. "Though, to be honest, she did tell me about them in the context of bed-time stories when I was three or four, so that's not the most authoritative source, I guess."
"You know, Hermione," interrupted Theo, "there's all kinds of obscure magic in the world that we'll probably never learn about unless we pursue a relevant Mastery. And there is precedent for magical creatures that only some people can see."
"Like what," she asked doubtfully.
"Thestrals," he replied with a slight edge in his voice. "The creatures that pulled the carriages when we left Hogwarts for the train station last June.
"I didn't know there were invisible creatures pulling the carriages. I thought they'd just been enchanted."
"Lucky you," Theo said bitterly. "Though from what I've heard, that may change this year."
"Theo," said Blaise forcefully. "That was uncalled for. And none of that is Hermione's fault, so don't take it out on her."
Theo didn't respond but just turned to look out the window as the scenery passed by. Hermione looked at the others, wondering what she'd said to upset the boy so. Finally, Neville spoke.
"Hermione, thestrals are real. I've never seen them myself and hope I don't for a long, long time, but Gran told me that there's a whole flock of them living in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. They're ..." He glanced over at Theo sadly. "They're invisible except to people who've seen someone die up close and been old enough to understand the significance of what they've witnessed."
Theo spoke again without turning back from the window. "A thestral has a skeletal horse's body, like a stallion that's been starved to the point you can count its ribs. It's got a face like some kind of lizard, and great leathery bat-wings. It looks like the sort of horse that Death would ride. Maybe he does."
The rest of the students went silent, as they contemplated what it meant that their friend could see them. Hermione was particularly troubled, for she'd seen the auror George Wyndham die in front of her at Harry and Jim's birthday party. If what Neville said was true, she'd soon see for herself if Theo's description was accurate. Then, she noticed the sad expression on Luna's face and recalled what Ginny had said – that Luna had seen her mother die in front of her at the age of eight. She too would see the thestrals for herself. Hermione took a deep breath.
"Alright then, that's quite enough about the nargles and wrackspurts, I think," she said energetically as if to dispel the gloom that had settled over the compartment. "Tell me more about Blibbering Humdingers!"
Luna smiled.
The Anglia had been airborne for three hours. They couldn't see the train anymore, as the car's flight speed was no match the Hogwarts Express. Making matters worse, the invisibility effect failed about two hours into the journey, so Ron had to take detours every time the Express passed through a Muggle-populated area. Both boys had become somewhat irritable, as neither had brought any food, and Ron refused to land so they could find a loo because the flying gear was sticking and he was afraid they wouldn't get airborne again. After the third time Jim raised the subject, Ron snapped and told him to look in the back seat because there might be an empty Butterbeer bottle he could use. After that, Jim didn't speak again and, in fact, fell asleep, leaving an annoyed Ron to drive by himself with no one to talk to.
Suddenly, Jim was awoken by a sharp rapping sound on the window his head was leaning against. He cried out and fumbled for his wand, certain it was Death Eaters or insane house elves. But it was something far, far worse – James Potter, in full auror regalia and riding a broomstick, with an expression of absolute fury on his face. The elder Potter shifted his angry gaze from Jim to a petrified Ron. He stabbed his index finger in Ron's direction and then stabbed it again towards the ground. Ron gave Jim a sick look and shifted gears to head in for a landing. Jim swallowed, wondering how angry his parents were and whether his father had the power to assign him detentions.
On the bright side, at least he'd get to take a wee.
The next chapter will be uploaded on Friday, October 10, 2015. "Ginny's Day (Pt 1). Daphne and Tracey are back. Plus, we get to see the Sortings for Ginny, Luna, Marietta, some annoying Creevey kid ... oh, and someone you haven't met yet, but whose appearance will definitely make Harry and Company sit up and take notice.
AN 1: This is a very long chapter compared to what's come before. I almost split this chapter up because of its length but couldn't find a logical place to break it that didn't feel like a very boring cliffhanger. Besides the idea of the trip to Hogwarts taking up two chapters seems ridiculous to me. Hopefully, it won't bite me later, as I'm not as far along as I'd wished.
AN 2: I'm also uploading this earlier than usual because (a) I have to travel today and (b) I'm switching up on my upload times to see what effect it has on visitors and reviews.
AN 3: "I find your ideas intriguing and wish to subscribe to your newsletter" is an anachronism, as the Simpsons episode in which it first appears ("The Mountains of Madness") did not air until 1997 during Season Eight. I don't care. I think it's one of the funniest one-liners to appear on network television in my lifetime and it fits this scene so perfectly that I couldn't stand to cut it. So just assume that in this AU, Harry is a Slytherin with a twin brother who everyone thinks is the Boy-Who-Lived ... and "The Mountains of Madness" aired early enough for Hermione and Blaise to have seen it. Lord knows that won't be the biggest change to canon we've seen. :)