Chapter Two

L E A V I N G

F O R

S C H O O L

Harry woke up feeling light-headed. He attempted to stretch his body but had wisely kept his form. He remembered his body's abuse and moving is definitely not a wise thing to do at the moment. He looked at his watch and saw that it is already 9:35 in the morning; happy that his relatives haven't woke him up to cook for their breakfast, and even if they wake him up for breakfast, he wouldn't be happy as he knew his Uncle would never resist to hurt him again, coupled with a verbal abuse with his Aunt and cousin. He knew they wouldn't do it as they needed him to function more to be able to walk up to the King's Cross to return school, he is a wizard after all and they are afraid that other wizard would be curious to know why he can't walk properly, and they wouldn't give him breakfast because of his mistake yesterday.

He wanted to take a bath but refrained from doing so. He decided that he would use magic to clean himself when he's at the Hogwarts Express and in a late second also decided that after taking off the Dursley's Car would he drink the potion and do the glamours needed to hide his bruises; he did not want his relatives to think he is healthy again to receive another beating. If only he is an adult already, he could use magic without being arrested for 'Illegal Use Of Magic' as he is still underage. He sighed.

He took his lose robe he bought last year to cover most of his bruises, ignoring the would-be reactions of the people and his relatives at his chosen clothes. He would just tell them that it is needed to hide the abuse his body had taken and they would happily comply. After all, there is a law here in the muggle world that child abuse is not tolerated and they could get sent to the prison. He took a large muggle cap and rested it on his chest after he was done putting the robe on carefully. He took the pouch and the letter and hid it at the pocket of his robe and lie down on the bed again. His trunks and everything that he needed for school term already in front of his bed facing the door. He would just wait until his Uncle would fetch him.

He's still very tired and very much hungry that he wanted to sleep but he decided that would not be a good idea, so he stayed lying in the bed and think things that happened last year through.

Harry was dropped off to the King's Cross by his Uncle as it was only him that dropped Harry off – at least he put his luggage at the side of the road, a walking distance towards the train station – and left him with a few scathing remark. He was walking rather slower than his usual pace that it garnered some attention both from muggles and from the wizards and witches passing him. Ignoring them completely, as he was sure they wouldn't recognize him because his face is partially hidden, he took the pouch out of his pocket and carefully hid it inside his very loose robe. He murmured the words needed to say in order to take the energy boost and the pain killing potion and drank it at once, grimacing at the taste that left his mouth after drinking it.

He almost cried with happiness when after he drank, the potion instantly worked its wonders on his body. Even with his happiness, he was still worried that the effects of the potion will wear off some time and he didn't know when. He decided to have Hermione help him brew potion of that kind. He immediately walked towards the station with his jacket-hood on his head – robes discarded and left safe on his luggage as he didn't feel any pain anymore – in a hurry, his thoughts about the potion momentarily pushed aside for now.

The train will leave at exactly 11:00 am and it was already 10:45 at his watch. He reached the platform 9 and immediately slip inside the innocent wall post with his luggage and in an instant, he found himself at the sea of busy students and parents at the platform 9 ¾. Making some way for the still coming families, he set his trunks and luggage at the side and at last, did some glamours on his body. He also used a strong cleaning charm he knew on himself.

He knows there is an inspection the Hogwarts Express is conducting to the students once they pass the door of the train if there is any use of hiding charm magics, be it polyjuiced or whatever, and he just knew by instinct that he won't be detected. When he walked inside, he was only mildly surprised when nothing happened, indicating that he is safe from unnecessary attention from his professors. He happily looked at the compartments and found Luna, Neville and Ginny at one of them. He slid the door open and sat inside, once his luggage and trunk was safe inside.

"Hello Harry" Luna greeted him and he was about to reply when he noticed the look Luna gave him. He immediately felt worried. Luna might see through his glamour's as the blond witch sometimes is very weird. He held his breath and was surprised when all she said was, "Have you been eating, Harry? You're unusually thin."

He laughed at the comment and blew a deep sigh of relief. Luna can really make him worry, not to mention nervous, sometimes. "Yes Luna, I am eating. I wouldn't be alive if I'm not eating now, would I?" he said and that answer earned him a laugh from his friends. Luna merely smiled and returned to reading a copy of 'The Quibbler' in an upside-down fashion.

"Hey Harry" Neville greeted and patted his side, offering Harry a seat which the teen gladly took.

"Hello Harry" Ginny greeted at him.

"Hi guys. Where's Ron and Hermione?" he greeted and at the same time asked when he was comfortably sitting inside.

"They were called by Professor McGonagall. Apparently, she's here to talk to the prefects and heads girl and boy some announcement on their new assignments and duties, well sort of." Neville answered.

"They said they'll be joining us after their duties" Ginny said after Neville was done.

"For me, I think that is not the only announcement Professor is going to make." Luna said casually while still reading the newspaper. She didn't even glanced at them and instead, flipped the page over to read at another page. The three looked at her questioningly and only Harry voiced out their question.

"How'd you know? And if that's so, what is it?"

"Just a feeling, and I don't know. Maybe we'll be able to find out at The Welcoming Feast" she said, as usual, only giving them vague details about what he really knew. Because this is Luna, and she never gives out details until she wants to, they let the subject slide and decided to talk about something else.

Only Harry had not relax like his friends thought he was. He's worried about what Luna said. What if it was because of him? What if they detected his use of glamours after all? But then again, why didn't they come to him immediately? With that thought, he relaxed. Maybe it wasn't him or anything about him after all. Maybe he was just getting paranoid, and he relaxed further. Suddenly, his fatigue caught on him when he relaxed and his eyelids threatened to close.

"Guys, let me sleep for a little while, okay? I'm quite tired." And following that statement, he yawned. Ginny and Neville snickered and Luna smiled. They all nodded and almost immediately, he fell asleep.

He woke up when a hand shook him from his sleep and he opened his eyes sleepily. He saw that it was Hermione who woke him up. He stretched and sat up; looking around aside from his friends who were looking at him and noted that it was already getting nightfall to his surprise.

"Harry, are you okay? You've been asleep like a log for quite some time already and we've been having trouble waking you up. You look like you needed it but we really—"

"It's okay Hermione. I can see it would only take some more minutes for the Hogwarts Express to arrive at the Hogsmead Station and I need to prepare." Harry said immediately to cut off any of what his witch friend were about to say.

"Harry—"

"It's really okay. I guess my body just needs some sleep. I'm tired you know" I guess even with the energy booster, my body wants to rest, Harry thought. He then took out his uniform and robe and got out of the compartment, leaving his friends looking at him weirdly.

'That was close!' Harry thought, furiously chastising himself for his mistake. He was so deep in thought. How could he sleep that long? Well he should thank his very accommodating Uncle for his body wanting to regain some of its strength. But doing it around his friends is dangerous. They would know! They already have enough trouble as it is! And he absolutely hated having attentions to himself. And what would he do tomorrow? He didn't have any potion left. He would feel the drainage of his energy. Then he remembered. Why doesn't he ask for an energy booster in the hospital wing? A brilliant idea!

After storing that thought in the back of his mind, he changed his clothes to his uniform.

After seeing Harry walking away from the compartment in a hurry, the 5 of them looked at each other, wondering about the unusual action of their friend.

"What was that?" Ron asked, looking at them all strangely.

"That was weird" Neville commented. Ginny and Hermione nodded. They were contemplating the odd way of Harry's leaving earlier. Why had he fled out of the compartment almost immediately?

Before they could ponder more on that thought, Luna's voice snapped them out of their thoughts.

"I think Harry has problems." She said. The Ravenclaw almost immediately read her copy of her father's magazine a few seconds after the magnificent display of Harry scrambling out of the compartment as if his butt was searing with smouldering fire.

"Care to elaborate, Luna?" Ginny asked, looking at the blond Ravenclaw curiously. Luna has almost always shown that she knew certain things others do not. Perhaps because of her weird behaviour. 'Well,' she managed to think after questioning the ravenclaw, 'I don't really care if she's a bit weird, she's my friend and that will stay the same.'

As if Luna heard her thoughts, the blond smiled brightly and warmly at her and she began to stupidly blink several times. It was not only her that had the same reaction; it was almost all of them inside the train compartment and that's because the usual dazed smile the blond gives is gone and a clear bright smile could be seen. Only when Luna chuckled did they regain back to their proper faces and they blushed, belatedly realizing that they've been staring intently at the blond.

"Can't you see anything at all?" she asked back and when they were still looking at her questionably, she shook her head and looked at them, slightly disappointed. They don't know why, but that look the Ravenclaw pulled struck a very deep emotion inside them and they could almost taste in their entire system that Luna is indeed disappointed, even if she looked at them with her usual dazed eyes after that look.

"Hmm, I wonder," Luna said instead and put her attention back at the magazine she was reading earlier.

When it was certain Luna won't be saying anything, Ginny, Neville and Hermione looked at each other in concern. Ron just shrugged and stood up, casually walked towards the door compartment and called, "'Mione, come. Its duty time"

Hermione looked at Ron unbelievingly. Isn't he worried at all? And Hermione exactly asked that and they all received a shrug from the readhead. "He can overcome whatever problem he has. Don't worry about Harry too much. He must still be 'grieving' about the loss of his godfather"

They all gaped at him, all except Luna who only hummed. The tone Ron used when he said 'grieving' was…not good. And the way he casually say those things made it seem like he didn't…care? And the sentence Ron said might have been casual – too casual in her opinion – but there seems to be a hidden message in those lines that made them uneasy. Hermione recovered immediately.

"What are you saying Ron? Are you still upset that he snapped at us when we tried to talk to him that night Sirius died? Or when he ignored us when we want to help him overcome his grieve?" Hermione asked uncertainly.

"'Mione, Sirius did not exactly die, he was just cast to the afterlife by that bitch cousin of him—"

"Ronald, are you out of your mind? If you are cast to the afterlife, You. Are. Dead. You cannot return to the living!" Ginny shrieked in outrage at what his dunderhead of a brother said. Neville cringed at the high note of the readhead's voice as she was closest to him. Neville agrees with her, of course. But having that voice almost shouting in your ears, you could not really concentrate on the matter, right? But at least, he knew that what Ginny said is true.

Hermione just looked at Ron with unbelieving eyes. Clearly, what Ginny said was right. 'Just'? He said 'just'? Maybe Ron is really out of his mind. Is her readhead friend really that stupid? Ron furiously turned tomato red with anger and was about to retaliate when the horn turn off, signalling that they already arrived at their destination and it is time for the prefects to do their duty.

Ron opened the door compartment forcefully, almost shattering the glass on its door and stalked outside to get to his duties, he almost ran towards Harry but thankfully, the latter's seeker skills made it possible for him to do a quick and efficient side step to avoid the collision. Ron glowered at him before dashing towards the first years getting out of the train. Harry looked puzzled when he entered inside the compartment.

"What happened?" Harry asked. Seeing the look his friends had made him realize that something unexpected happened. Even Luna looked really sad and quite furious. With Ron's look towards him, it wasn't hard to figure out that it has something to do with him. He sighed, "I'm sorry."

With that word, they all looked towards him disbelievingly, "Why are you apologizing, Harry?" Hermione asked. For once not really caring about her duties as a prefect and she pulled Harry towards the seat beside Luna.

"It's all because of me, isn't it? Ron looked really furious at me. And seeing your looks—"

"You are not at fault at all Harry! That idiot brother of mine is the one at fault!" Ginny said forcefully.

"Don't worry about it Harry. I mean, I know you'll worry about it but just leave it for today, okay? At least you could talk to each other at the dorm or tomorrow. It's Friday today, remember?" Neville said and Harry could only nod, seeing that all of them looked like they are determined to make my mind forget about that little exchange tonight.

Hermione rose and immediately headed outside, "I need to get back to my duty. See you at The Welcoming Feast." She said and before a word can get through her, she took off in a hurry. They all got out of the train and left their trunks and luggage's as they knew it would be transported back to their dorms. They rode in the carriage to the castle and sat in the table of Gryffindor, waiting for the sorting ceremony to begin.

When Harry was seated, he tuned out of the different noises around him and blanked his mind out. He didn't want to think at the moment. His mind is too tired from thinking for the past month and he just wanted his mind to rest and had absently tapped his table. He was shut out of his relax mind exercise when a jab hit him in his ribs. He was surprised and inwardly, he winced, thinking that the jab he took will double his pain when the pain killing potion wear off tomorrow.

"Pay attention!" he heard Hermione said before her attention returned to where it was before. He looked at the front also and was surprised to see that the Headmaster is already giving a speech to its students. He didn't really need to hear it and frankly, he didn't care what the headmaster is saying. Dumbledore had slowly made it to the list of 'Not To Be Trusted' people Harry had. Considering what had happened last year where he was thoroughly ignored by the headmaster. Even if the man said it was necessary, he still felt betrayed because Dumbledore clearly deemed him as a boy not capable of running his own life that even the mildest decision he did and will do needed to be reported to him.

He just returned his attention when the food is served and he ate hungrily. Hermione looked at him in disbelief, and across the seat he was seating, Ginny and Neville looked at his plate with curiosity. From beside him, Dean and Seamus looked at him with interest. Ron was not among the group he was in as the redhead took a seat far away from them. Almost all his fellow housemate who saw him was looking at him questioningly, apparently because he never ate like that and it was Ron who does it all the time, but he ignored them all and continued to eat.

"Harry, mate, don't you think you have many food in your plate?" Dean said beside him and the rest who heard him nodded and looked at him.

"I'm hungry" he managed to say after swallowing the food he ate. He then proceeded to eat the rest before the food disappears.

"Are you deprived from food? You're eating like you haven't been fed for days!" Seamus exclaimed and the ones who heard him nodded once again and Harry just shrugged and continued to ignore them. It was true. He was deprived from food for 3 days, who wouldn't be hungry? And he figured he needed enough food to replenish the energy and nutrients his body needed.

If he had only paid attention, he would have seen that, because of Seamus' remark, he garnered attention from other houses as well. The Hufflepuffs mostly laughed silently or snickered at it. The Ravenclaws was startled and was wondering what was wrong with The-Boy-Who-Lived.

The Slytherins mostly wear an amused look and a scowl on their faces. Their leader, Draco Malfoy, even went far as to comment 'I didn't know The-Boy-Who-Lived is a glutton' that earned him a glare or a snicker and giggle from some students.

He also garnered the attention of his professors. Hagrid was clearly worried, McGonagall, and the other professors looked appalled at Harry's stack of food on his plate, Snape was clearly disgusted at the way Harry is eating, and Dumbledore looked mildly wary and mostly interested.

But even if he saw this, he probably won't care. He's nurturing his health and others have nothing to do with him and his body's need to eat. He simply didn't care about anything at the moment.

When he was finished, he drank his pumpkin juice and was satisfied that he is filled already. He looked around at the probing eyes of the students looking at him and he only laugh and shook his head. "You know, any minute now, your food will disappear" Harry commented with his voice just enough to be heard by everyone, and as if that was the cue, the food did disappear. They blinked several times and when the words registered in their minds and saw that the foods did disappeared, many groaned. Some even demanded the foods to be returned and Harry laughed.

"Oh my, it seems the house-elves deemed it time to take the foods away when they noticed no one is eating much anymore" Dumbledore offered an explanation and the students just looked at the Headmaster, pleading for the foods to be returned and expectedly, the Headmaster chuckled. He was just as shocked as the students, although he didn't mind it one bit as he didn't have any appetite to eat more than what he had eaten. He could see that his colleagues were also surprise but he can't really be certain if they have the same thing he had in mind.

"Now, now students, it should be okay. It's time for bed after all. Now, hop off and go to bed." He said and dismissed everyone. The professors went their separate ways and the Heads of Houses came with their students.

Hermione immediately rose on her feet and hurriedly bid them goodbye and to see each other at the common room. Harry didn't see Ron since that almighty scowl that was thrown at him. He pushed that thought aside and decided to ponder at it later when they could talk again. He stayed seated until only a handful of students remained. He finally rose up and was surprised to realize that Ginny and Neville had remained seated with him. Obviously waiting for him to finally leave.

Seeing the surprise look in Harry, Ginny answered the unvoiced question. "Of course we'll stay with you!"

"Besides, were worried and Luna also wanted to make sure you won't start to worry about what happened with Ron in the train earlier. Remember, you promised not to worry about it tonight." Neville said as he knew Ginny wouldn't give the proper explanation. Harry nodded in understanding and proceeded to walk to the door out of the Great Hall but was cut short when a group of Slytherin came up at the same time as them. When he properly had a good look, he noticed with a sigh of resignation that it was the group of the 'Ice Prince', Draco Malfoy.

Expectedly, the famous Slytherin smirk and the trademark 'Ice Prince's sneer' came coupled with a start of verbal abuse Harry didn't want to deal at the moment.

"Oh, it's Potter. Why didn't you left earlier? Plotting something to earn more minions to do your every whim?"

"Why didn't YOU leave earlier?" Harry can't help but retaliate, clearly emphasizing the 'you' in his words. As expected, Malfoy scowled at him and was about to retaliate by giving a few scathing remark – and Harry was certain it would only give him another pain to endure – when Harry decided to just back down to get over it already. They were garnering the attention of some students that were left in the Great Hall.

"Alright Malfoy, you go first" Harry said, gesturing the door and making a path for the Slytherins to cross, pulling with him Neville and Ginny. Understandably, Malfoy looked at him in disbelief and suspiciously.

"What are you planning now?" Malfoy asked warily. The Slytherins who was with Draco Malfoy looked understandably shocked. When these two crosses paths, they never left each other unscathed, never. So of course they'd be suspicious.

"Look, if you don't want to go first then well go. I don't want to start a fight with you right now, Malfoy." He said tiredly. "I don't want to add pain in my already sore body." Harry added but had immediately bit his lip in a fashion that suggested that he didn't intend to tell that last bit of information. Thankfully, only the blond git saw and heard his nervous reaction and Harry immediately took all the signs of his agitation altogether.

He received a wary stare from the Slytherins and patiently waited for their leader to take initiative. Malfoy, on the other hand looked like he was torn from being suspicious to being curious. The-Boy-Who-Lived for the first time didn't want to fight with him? Because he didn't want to add pain in his body? Pain? Potter looked healthy, so what pain? Add? Why? Did he receive pain earlier? This question kept on swimming in his mind and he felt utterly curious, to his dismay. He decided to store that thought at the back of his mind to think later on in the quarters of his room and he walked at the path Potter created with his fellow Slytherins at his back.

"Okay. I also don't want to start a fight with you right now. Let's go" Malfoy said and led his fellow Slytherin to their own common room. After they were gone, Harry also casually went to the Gryffindor common rooms with Neville and Ginny following suit, leaving the other students in bewilderment over what happened between Malfoy and him.

Ginny and Neville were also gaping at him as they went to their own common room. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy didn't fight today. Nothing like that ever happened before, as in never. Whenever they encounter each other, they always needed a trip to the Hospital Wing when their fights are over. Some are light, and some are…not so light. They never leave each other unscathed and that's normal occurrence for them. They are the perfect embodiment of the rivalry between the Slytherin House and the Gryffindor House. But the exchange between the two of them earlier astounded them. That was definitely unusual; they could already hear the talks surrounding the school about it tomorrow.

When they entered, Harry left them saying he needed to talk to Hermione and Ron and before they could utter a word, he was off. He looked for Hermione and when he didn't saw her, he asked some random co-Gryffindor and they said that the Prefect Girl immediately walked towards her room. Harry sighed. Maybe Hermione is tired. After all, her entire family just arrived yesterday early morning from their summer holiday in their relative – Harry didn't ask where that is – and so is Ron.

Feeling his eyes wanted to drop close, he thanked them and entered his dorm room. He walked towards his bed and sat down. He wanted to talk to Ron today but it seems he's already fast asleep. He even put a silencing and a locking charm in his bed. Harry sighed and decided to sleep.

Things would be difficult tomorrow, Harry thought as sleep took over him.

A/N:

Sorry for the late update. I was busy with the exams, you know, education is important.

Anyway, thank you for reading!