Chapter eight
In the train Harry quickly found a compartment. He brought in his stuff. Soon Hermione and Ron joined him. The three settled in. Not much later Ginny came by. "Can I sit with you?" she asked. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, they seemed okay with it. "Okay." Harry said. "Who were you talking to Harry?" Ginny asked. Harry sighed, and then he decided he could trust her. "Those were my uncle and my sister. They aren't really my family, but they feel like it. I ran away from the Dursleys in the summer and uncle Moony picked me up. When we were transferring the guardianship to him we met auror Tonks. We became pretty close over the summer and towards the end we discovered we were like siblings when we were younger. We decided we would be siblings again. Tonks is a metamorphmagus so she can change her appearance. Could you please keep this a secret, because for some odd reason professor Dumbledore wants me to stay with the Dursleys, being unloved by my relatives." Ginny looked at him with big eyes. "Do you think the philosopher's stone was also a trick for him? I mean, if he wanted you to stay there he probably wanted himself to be your surrogate family. Maybe the Philosopher's stone was for you to meet Voldemort and respect Dumbledore even more." "You really are too clever for your own good Ginny, but yeah, that's what we think. There is more, but the train isn't perhaps the best place to talk." Ginny nodded.
"What did you say to Remus when you walked away, because he was staring at you with his mouth open as you walked away?" Hermione asked after a while. Harry laughed "his mouth was really hanging open? That is an even better response as I had hoped for." "What did you say then Harry?" Ginny asked, now also curious. "I told him to just ask her out already." Harry said, laughing almost hysterically. Now Ron and Hermione had to laugh to. "I don't get what is so funny." Ginny said "And who is she?" So Harry proceeded to give Harry an explanation of Remus and Tonks and their actions around the summer. "I fully expect a letter from both of them tomorrow. Tonks will want to know what exactly I said. Remus will want to know what I said to Tonks earlier. I heard her mention something about how she had looked earlier in the summer. Oh, and uncle Moony will be holding his regular rant again about how he is too old, too poor and too dangerous for him. She has heard the rant before to. The time she asked him if it was true that he had a crush on her. I wonder how long it will take him to surrender. Although one of his arguments doesn't count. He gets more money in a month for raising me than we actually spent, so that argument doesn't count. I should write Tonks about that. I don't think he is too old for her, they are ten years apart, that isn't too much right?" Harry asked. "No that isn't too much, are you really going to write Tonks about the money?" Hermione wanted to know. Harry nodded. "Yes, it is very clear that they like each other very much and they both deserve the other."
"What did you mean with too dangerous Harry?" Ginny asked. "He thinks he is too dangerous to be around because he is werewolf. I know, I know he took me in. But he said he owed that to me and my parents. He also said he couldn't leave me there when I had run away." "He is a werewolf?" Ginny asked. Harry nodded. "Yes, that's his biggest argument for anyone who tries to get close." "What are you going to do about that argument Harry?" Ron asked. "Simple," Harry said "I'm going to become an animagus. With my ability to manipulate magic I should be able to do it fairly quick. After that I could teach Tonks and the problem is solved."
"Manipulate magic?" Ginny wondered. "What other abilities do you have?" Harry decided to tell her about his abilities. "That's so cool Harry. Do you think you could teach us to, to become an animagus?" Ginny asked. "Well, if you want to, I can help you all." Hermione nodded "Yeah I think it's actually a good idea. We all know You-Know-Who won't stop trying to find a way back. This way we could be at advantage. We shouldn't register though. People could start asking questions." Harry and Ron looked in shock at Hermione. Ron was the first to voice their thoughts: "Who are you and what have you done to Hermione?" he asked. "I changed, Ron. It's that simple." Hermione replied.
Ginny snickered; she knew it hadn't been that simple. She and Hermione had also talked a lot. She had helped Hermione with her obsession with rules. She had said that rules were meant as guidance, but that they weren't a thing of life or death. She had also pointed out, that if they hadn't broken the rules last year, Voldemort would have been back by now. It hadn't taken a lot of convincing though. After Hermione had lost her trust in Dumbledore, she had lost her blind trust in everything authority. She now understood that people weren't always good and deserved respect simply because they had authority. People now had to earn their respect with Hermione. The shock of what had happened had made them all grow up faster.
Soon the witch with sweets came. "Something from the car?" she asked. Harry stood up and bought a chocolate frog for everyone. "You didn't have to do that Harry." Ron said, a bit uneasy. "I know I don't have to Ron, but I have much more money then I care about and you are my friends. I like to be able to share with you." Ron nodded. He had grown up to during the summer. Money wasn't such a sore point with him anymore. He now understood that, although Harry had money, he hadn't had the most important thing: a family that loved you.
Short after they had finished the sweets, Malfoy came to their compartment. "So, living from Potter's money Weasley. Oh what do I see, your little sister has joined you? Watch out she doesn't trick you into marrying her Potter." Malfoy sneered. "Leave Malfoy, because you don't know what it is to have friends, doesn't mean you can pick on another one's friends." Harry shot back. He pushed Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle out the compartment and closed the door. "Brilliant Harry, where did you learn that?" Ron asked. "Uncle Moony taught me." Harry said. "I believe we should change into our robes. We're almost there."
After the train ride the trio left Ginny with the other first years. They would go to the castle by boat. Harry, Ron and Hermione would go there with carriages. They loaded their trunks into a carriage and sat inside. "Hello Harry, Ron and Hermione, can I sit with you?" Neville asked "Of course, Neville." Harry said. On their ride to the castle it started to rain. "Poor first years." Neville said. "They will be soaked when they finally arrive." The other three agreed with them.
Inside the castle they had to wait on the first years. After about ten minutes they walked in, completely soaked, just as Neville had predicted. The Sorting Ceremony went quick. Harry clapped for everyone who was sorted into Gryffindor. Finally it was Ginny's turn. The hat seemed to be in discussion with her. After what felt like an eternity, but it was more like ten seconds, the hat screamed: "GRYFFINDOR!" Harry, Hermione and the Weasley brothers all clapped and cheered for Ginny. She walked over to them and slipped in the seat besides Harry. Professor Dumbledore gave his usual speck and introduced their new defence professor, Gilderoy Lockhart. Then the food appeared and everyone tuck in. Harry turned to Ginny
"Well done, Gin. What is it?" Harry asked, as he saw her face fell. "It is strange, the hat gave me a warning that my dad has been giving me for years: Never trust anything that thinks if you can't see where the brains are. It is like the hat knows something is to come." "It'll be alright." Harry tried to reassure her. "Just listen to the Hat's warning and if you find such an object throw it away." Ginny nodded.
Albus Dumbledore had been watching their exchange. It wouldn't do for Harry to befriend another Weasley. He had enough trouble keeping Harry under control with just the other Weasley and Granger as friends. Those two weren't supposed to go with Harry for the Philosopher's stone last year. Harry was supposed to go alone and the get stuck. He, Albus Dumbledore, would come to the rescue and he could be Harry's hero. He had to think of a way to get Harry's friends away from him and make sure that he was Harry's hero. It was a good thing Harry lived with his relatives. They wouldn't love him and it made sure Harry was desperate for family. He only had to make sure, he was that family. Not someone else.
A/N: So, a look into Dumbledore's mind for the first time.
As is already clear, I think, the events won't go as described in CoS, for those who want to know. Yes the chamber will open. I won't tell how now. You'll see.
Hope you like it!
