Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything associated with it. My use of these characters is not intended for anything other than non-profit enjoyment.
A/N: Well, we're on our way back to Hogwarts. Things will eventually start to speed up as the year progresses, and hopefully it'll keep your interest. Ron seems to be a little whipped in this chapter. He lets Hermione walk all over him, but really it is for his own good. I thought it was cute. Anyway, please review! –Miss Laine
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"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked as soon as he'd sat down. He and his friends had found an empty compartment about halfway down the train, and Harry had noticed that no one made any mention of Ginny being there or not.
Ron looked a little uncomfortable, and Hermione frowned. "She's still upset, I think," Hermione finally said. "She's with Dean Thomas still, you know, so she's sitting with him near the back of the train."
"She's being a prat about it," Ron said grouchily. "It's not like it's your fault, you know." Hermione eyed him.
"You do remember being a prat fourth year, don't you?" she asked him. Ron flushed again.
"Sure, but—" he started to protest, then stopped at Hermione's disapproving expression. It was almost enough to make Harry burst out laughing, but he swallowed his mirth to keep from making Ron more embarrassed.
"Exactly," Hermione said. "She just needs time and actions to prove to her that it doesn't mean anything."
Harry sighed. "I hope so," he said. "I don't want her hating me for the rest of our lives."
"She doesn't hate you, Harry," Hermione said sensibly. "She's just…upset."
"I know," he sighed, looking out the window. The train's whistle blew a moment later, and with a slight jolt and rattle the train pulled away from the station. He watched the witches and wizards on the platform slide by, waving at their children, until they passed completely out of the station.
He turned back to his friends with a stifled sigh, forcing himself to resume their conversation.
"How is every else?" Harry asked, hoping to change the topic. "I haven't really seen anyone at all."
"Neville got a new wand over the summer," Ron commented. "I guess his grandmother wasn't really too upset that his other was broken. He said she seemed pretty proud that he'd fought death eaters."
"I was worried about that," Harry admitted. "I didn't want him to get in trouble because of me."
"Nah," Ron said. "He seemed pretty excited still. I think he's finally getting a little confidence."
"What about Luna?" Harry asked. Ron looked worried a moment, and Hermione frowned and shook her head.
"That girl," Hermione muttered.
"What?" Harry asked.
"She won't leave me alone!" Ron exclaimed finally. "Every bloody time we're at Diagon Alley, she shows up."
"Not every time, Ron," Hermione commented. "Though it does feel like it…"
"She shows up and talks to me and won't leave me alone!" Ron complained. "I've told her and told her that Hermione and I are together, but she doesn't get the hint."
"Maybe she just wants to be friends," Harry suggested. Ron eyed him.
"Not when she asks if I can come have dinner at her house and meet her parents," he said flatly. Harry couldn't help but laugh. Ron looked grouchy.
"It isn't that funny," he groused. Harry laughed harder, and had to work to stop himself.
"Ron," he finally got out, "there's nothing funnier than you complaining about attention."
Ron looked hurt a moment, then paused and laughed. Harry smiled. If Ron could take a slight jab, that was good. He didn't want to lose Ron due to any petty jealousy, and it seemed to him that it was time for it to end. "Just wait til we get to Hogwarts," Ron finally said. "You're going to have to hide out in Gryffindor to keep away from your adoring fans."
Harry shuddered. "I have a whole stack of letters from students at Hogwarts now," he said. "They're in the bottom of my trunk somewhere, but some of those people…" He shook his head. "Let's just say that they write some really disturbing things."
Hermione smiled. "At least they'll get a response now," she said. "It's a good way to build connections between the houses and you."
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "That's what I figured," he said. "The more people that don't become death eaters, the better."
They all turned their heads as the compartment door rattled, and a moment later opened to allow a smiling Neville Longbottom. "Hello, Harry!" the other teen said brightly as he plopped down in an open seat.
"Hey, Neville," Harry said. Ron and Hermione also greeted Neville before Harry spoke up again. "I heard you got a new wand, right?"
"Yeah," Neville said, smiling again. "Gran was so proud of me that she didn't care how much it cost or anything." He took out a nine or ten inch wand made of some sort of light-brown wood. "Nine inches, with a unicorn hair core. It's really great."
"How did you do on your OWLs?" Harry asked. "Did your Defense OWL go all right?"
Neville grinned. "Thanks to you, Harry, I got an E on my defense OWL," he said. "I got an O in herbology, and averages in just about everything else."
"That's really good," Hermione said encouragingly. "Have you decided what career you're going to pursue?"
"I'm thinking of working at St. Mungoes, with magical plants," he said. "I don't think I'm really cut out to be an Auror, and I didn't get the potions grade to get into Snape's NEWT class."
"That sounds really interesting," Hermione said. "Everyone should do what they're passionate about."
Harry's stomach clenched a little at that comment. He couldn't do what he wanted with his life. Just because of a choice Voldemort made, because of a silly prophecy, he didn't have any choices. He had to defeat Voldemort, and he was the only one that could. He couldn't play profession Quidditch if he wanted. He couldn't become a teacher or anything at all.
He had to kill someone. Something. That was his future.
He couldn't plan anything with any certainty at all until that was finished.
"Does anyone know who's teaching defense this year?" Harry asked abruptly, wanting to get away from talking of futures and careers.
Everyone shook their heads. "I had hoped Professor Lupin would be back," Hermione said. Harry shook his head.
"I asked," he explained. "Remus said he couldn't, but it sounded like he knew who was."
"As long as they don't try to kill you and have common sense, I'm happy," Ron said. Harry agreed completely.
"It'd be nice to have a defense class where we learned something and where we didn't have to watch our backs because of them," he said.
"I'm sure we'll have a good teacher this year," Hermione said.
"I don't know," Harry said. "Five years, and four terrible professors. Remus is the only one that's been any good."
"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore's done his best to find someone trustworthy, Harry," Hermione said. Harry shrugged.
"Unless they take Veritaserum, I'm not going to trust them. Dumbledore might try his best to find someone good, but he did let that Moody imposter in. He would've killed me right here in Hogwarts if the professors had been any slower."
"Look, I just don't think—" Hermione began to argue, but stopped as the train jolted sharply, but maintained speed.
"Bloody hell!" Ron grumbled, halfway between annoyed and worried. Harry stood up, wand already at the ready. Instantly, all thoughts of future DADA professors and everything else slipped from his mind.
There had been something very wrong-feeling about that jolt.
"What was that?" Hermione asked.
"I do—" Harry began, but another harsh jolt stopped him. The jerk jostled him sideways, but he stayed on his feet, using his quick reflexes to balance himself.
He had barely put his hand on the compartment door when another jolt, much stronger than the other two, knocked him against the glass. He bounced off sharply and grabbed at the door to stay on his feet, shoving it open sharply.
"Harry!" Hermione shouted. "Don't!"
"You'd better come back…" Neville said, sounding very unsure of himself.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said, annoyed. "I just want to know what's going on!"
Another jolt, and the train slowed. Fractionally.
Another and the train screeched like a wounded animal, slowing a little more. There was a crunching sound, and Harry dropped to his knees while Neville, Hermione and Ron rolled off their seats onto the floors.
The roof of their car was slowly caving in, like some huge rolling pin was crushing it from one end to the other. Hermione screamed again, and Ron pushed her down flat, covering her protectively. Harry glanced back in time to see Neville covering his own head as he braced against the side of bench seat.
Harry, on the other hand, stayed up on his knees, wand still held high, and moved into the hallway. Ron and Hermione saw him, though. "Harry!" Ron shouted through the half-closed compartment doors. Harry gave them a quick smirk through the glass.
"I think we might just be under attack," he said. "We need to get out—"
He was cut off once again, but this time the train didn't just jolt. The crushing of the car's roof had moved on, probably rolling down the entire train, but now there was a loud crunch sound.
Suddenly, the train car shuddered horribly and then everything dissolved into chaos. The car tilted wildly, jumping and jolting. "We've derailed!" Hermione screamed. "That's not possible!"
"What?!" Ron demanded.
Hermione didn't have a chance to respond, as the car suddenly crashed over onto its side. Harry tried to think of what to do, even as he was thrown against the compartment's doors now above his friends, and quickly raised his wand.
"PROTEGO!" he shouted desperately, aiming at his friends. They were falling straight towards the shattered window of the car, and even from where he lay on the compartment doors he could see the jagged glass and metal.
The blue-silver shield blossomed from his wand in a blast of power, and even as Hermione screamed the shield caught Neville, Ron, and herself, cushioning them about three feet above the wrecked wall of the compartment.
But it wasn't over yet. The car had tipped over, but it had not hit the ground yet, nor had it lost enough speed. The shield barely held as the car slammed into the ground on its side, almost coming to a complete halt, and Harry was jarred loose from his own precarious hold on the sliding door. He was sent rolling head over heels towards the front of the car, wand still staying clenched in his fist. He only hoped that the shield held, even in his absence.
He slammed into the train car's door and knew no more.
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He woke up very slowly, as if coming back out of a thick white fog. His mind felt muddled and tired, and his eyelids were much too heavy to lift for several minutes. He already knew where he would be when he opened his eyes, and he was not disappointed.
The hospital wing surrounded him as it had many times before, and he blinked blearily a few times before groping around for his glasses. "Here," Madame Pomfrey's voice came, and he turned to see the nurse approaching. When she was close enough, he could see that she was holding his glasses in her hands.
"Thanks," he said, voice a little rough, and the he slipped his glasses onto his face. "I'm in the infirmary," he said aloud, not really needing to ask where he was. "Is everyone all right?" he asked. Pomfrey smiled somewhat sadly.
"Everyone's alive, thank Merlin," she assured him, "But a few had to be taken to St. Mungos. There were a few in the middle cars that were badly hurt."
"Ron? Hermione?" he asked, worried. They'd been in the middle of the train.
"Both bumped a little, but fine thanks to you," she said. "That spell was still holding long after we got them out of the train car."
"I wasn't sure it would work, but I had to try something," he said. Pomfrey fussed with the edge of his blankets and smiled again.
"I should tell you, Harry," she said. "Miss Weasley was taken to St. Mungos."
Harry sat up straight in bed, and icy chill drenching him as his stomach dropped. "What?!" he gasped. "I—Is she all right?" he demanded. "How bad was it?"
"Calm down, Harry," Pomfrey said. "She will be fine in a week or so. She had a bad head injury and a few broken ribs. She's recovering."
"W-when can I see her?" he asked, then looked down, remembering that Ginny wasn't on talking terms with him lately. Although visiting her might help improve that situation, he reasoned.
"You're not going anywhere, Mr. Potter," Pomfrey said sternly. "The only reason you're here and not at St. Mungos is that it's much too dangerous to take you anywhere. Albus thinks that it was…You-Know-Who's hope that we would take you there and he could attack. So it's been made very public that you're being kept here."
"I don't remember," Harry said slowly. "I don't feel hurt."
"Mr. Potter, you've been unconscious for two and a half days," she told him. Harry blinked, astounded.
"What about classes?" he asked. "What about the Welcome Feast?"
"Classes have been postponed until the start of next week," she said. "The Welcome Feast will be held the night before, don't worry."
"Unconscious for two days…" he murmured softly. "Was I that badly hurt?" he asked again, amazed. He didn't feel like he'd been out for two days at all.
"Mr. Potter!" Pomfrey said in a scolding tone. "You were almost in a coma, and having a broken arm and shoulder didn't help matters."
"Oh," Harry said. "Well, how long do I have to stay in bed then?" he asked. "I feel fine now."
Pomfrey almost glared at him. "You're staying here until I say you can leave!"
"Well, where are Ron and Hermione, then?" he asked, feeling irritated but knowing that he would never win a fight against the nurse.
"At St. Mungos," Pomfrey said, and Harry could hear the reluctance in her voice. Harry blushed, feeling stupid. Of course Ron would be with his sister, and obviously Hermione would be with him. Pomfrey must have seen his embarrassment, because she put a hand on his shoulder. "They were by several times while you were unconscious, Harry," she said. "They couldn't stay the entire time, and honestly Miss Weasley is the more injured."
"I know," Harry said quickly. Perhaps too quickly…
"They don't mean to abandon you, Harry," Pomfrey said, looking at him with gentle eyes. "They were both very distraught when they found out you were in here. Again."
"I know," he said again, and this time meant it. "I just…nevermind." He shook his head. "Where is everyone else? It's awfully quiet around here."
"As you can imagine, everyone's incredibly busy," she told him. "But I do believe that a certain someone should know by now that you've awoken, since I sent him an owl as soon as you opened your eyes."
Harry thought. "Who?" he asked. Pomfrey rolled her eyes almost.
"You'll see," she told him. "You need to eat up before he arrives, though." Harry sighed and waited as Pomfrey went back to her office and then reappeared with a tray of food.
"Oh yum," he said, looking at the lukewarm chicken broth and bowl of porridge. "This looks delicious."
Pomfrey eyed him sternly. "You haven't eaten in two days, Mr. Potter," she told him. "Eat this, and eat again this evening, and I'll think about letting you attend the Welcome Feast."
"Fine," Harry groused before taking up the spoon and starting in on his broth.
He was interrupted only a few spoonfuls in when the doors of the infirmary flew open. "Harry!" he heard.
"Remus!" he cried out, surprised.
The thin werewolf almost ran to his side, his amber eyes filled with worry. "Are you all right?" he asked. "What hurts? Did Poppy give you something?"
Harry smiled. "I'm fine, Remus," he promised. "I feel fine. I didn't even realize that I'd been out for two days."
Remus sighed and seemed to look him over. "Well, I must admit that you certainly look all right…"
"I am all right," Harry insisted. "See, I'm even eating," he added, drinking more of the soup straight from the dish.
"You certainly didn't look all right when they brought you in here," Remus said. Harry raised his eyebrows.
"That bad?" he asked. "I heard I was hurt…"
"Hurt?" Remus echoed. "Hurt?! Harry, when we got you out of that train car, you were covered in blood with your right arm twisted under you completely wrong! Albus had to lift you with about a half-dozen different spells, Harry!"
"Why wasn't he helping the others?" Harry asked, feeling ridiculous. He didn't remember any of this. "I heard Ginny—"
"Harry, there aren't any Dark Lords specifically after Ginny, are there?" Remus asked.
"Was Voldemort there?" he asked, alarmed.
"No…we don't think so, anyway," Remus said slowly. "But only the Hogwart's Express had anti-apparation wards on it, not the area around it. Once the train was derailed, the spells were destroyed. We had to get you out of there fast, before unwanted help arrived."
"I don't remember any of this," Harry said, feeling mixed up. Two days…he'd lost two days…
"Hermione and Ron can fill you in," Remus said mildly. "So can Neville."
"Are—are they all right?" he asked.
"Hermione was crying," Remus admitted. "I think she was afraid you were dead. Ron was trying to calm her down…but it was pretty nasty. You were bleeding everywhere, and they had to crawl past you to get out…we couldn't move you until they were out…"
Harry saw Remus's haunted expression and shifted awkwardly. "Er…I didn't mean to get hurt," he said. Remus gave him a fleeting smile.
"I know, Harry," Remus said. "Every year something happens to you, and every year I know it's not your fault…it never was your fault…"
Harry didn't know if Remus was talking in general or about Sirius now. Or perhaps he was thinking about his parents… "I try to stay out of trouble," he said, knowing full well that that wasn't entirely true. He tried to stay out of trouble if no one was in danger, more often.
Remus seemed to know he was lying too and gave a soft laugh. "Of course, of course," he said humorously.
The laugh died, and Harry stilled at Remus looked at him with one of the most solemn expressions he'd ever seen on the man's face.
Which was saying a lot, since Remus was usually reserved and solemn. "I know it wasn't your wish to get in trouble, Harry,' the werewolf said quietly, "But don't ever do that to me again. You have no idea…"
Harry stared, feeling completely off balance again as he watched Remus have to swallow a few times and clear his throat. "Remus…" he started, but his guardian raised his hand to stop him.
"Harry, I knew when I decided to be your guardian that I would be spending more time around you and taking care of you. I knew that you'd become more than just my long-dead best friend's orphaned child. I've never had children, Harry. Just you. I—I don't know what I'd do if I knew I'd lost you, Harry. Just remember that when you have a decision to make or something like this occurs, all right?"
Remus sounded almost as if he was pleading, Harry noticed. He nodded quickly. "I—I know, Remus," he said quickly, though he wasn't sure he had until Remus had told him. Did Remus really care about him that much? He was surprised to realize that he hoped that his new guardian really did care about him.
"I've never been that scared, Harry," Remus said seriously. "Never."
"I'm sorry," Harry said, unsure what to say. Remus sighed.
"It's not your fault, really," the werewolf said. "I don't know what I mean to say…finish your lunch, Harry," Remus added. Harry blinked, thrown off by the chance in topic. Automatically he started in on the porridge, which had been kept hot by some sort of charm, and Remus watched him eat with a satisfied expression.
When Harry had finished the bowl, he set it aside with the empty soup bowl and turned back to see that Remus was staring at him again. "Are you all right?" he asked cautiously. Remus started, then looked a little embarrassed.
"I was just trying to imagine what could have happened two days ago…"
"Well, it didn't happen," Harry said firmly. "And it's not going to, Remus."
"I know…" Remus said, then seemed to shake himself. "I have to go soon, Harry," he said. "I'm supposed to be helping clear the tracks."
"Clear the…oh, that's right," Harry said, feeling a little out of it all of a sudden. "Was…everything wrecked?"
"There will have to be another Hogwarts train next year," Remus confirmed. "Very few of the cars were really salvageable. But don't worry about it. It'll be fixed within a month."
Harry nodded, starting to feel sleepy again. "Did…Pomfrey drug my food?" he asked, eyes drooping. He saw Remus smile warmly.
"I think she did," Remus agreed. "You're looking a little fuzzy."
"I…feel…"
Later, he couldn't exactly recall when he'd fallen asleep.
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A/N: Thought of making this longer, but this is where it ended. Lots of dialogue in this, but hey, there was some action, right? I just am not good at cliffies so I didn't make it one. I promise, Harry's just napping again. He's feeling fine, really. So next chapter will be up in about a week, and according to my little schedule of unwritten chapters, it's going to be about Harry (big surprise there) and his friends before and during the Welcome Feast. I'm sure it will be oh-so exciting.
Well, if you want to read it, you'll review, right? So please Read and Review and I will work hard to post again in about a week. Probably next Sunday or something. I'm not sure I can do any sooner, as I have a nasty exam this week, as well as three quizzes.
Responses to Reviewers:
Dianne: Thanks for reviewing! Your insights are always interesting, and the thought about Lily teaching Remus was very interesting. If you see it getting mentioned later, the credit goes to you. It's a good idea. Thanks!
HPFreakoutDraco's complicated. I'll leave it at that. He keeps surprising me at every turn. We'll see where he ends up.
KarayGlad you liked it. I wanted it to make sense, but I didn't want Harry to linger over Occlumency. That was his obstacle last year, and as much as I understand that events can't always be separated by years, I think it was time for him to move on.
Ash Knight: Thanks. You've been reviewing since the beginning, along with a few others, and I'm always glad to have a faithful reviewer.
To all: Thank you so much for your reviews! You've all been wonderful encouragement, and I hope it continues!
Things to Ponder: The 'Castle' mentions will become important soon, and don't forget that little bit in the beginning about Voldiewarts being related to Harry, however distantly. It's not major to the story, but it explains something later. There's a few other hints floating around, and even I haven't noticed them all yet.
Happy reading,
--Miss Laine