The second chapter is up, Enjoy! R&R
Chapter 2: On the board and the first suspicions
Harry made his way toward the platforms 9 and 10, where the entrance to the platform 9 and ¾ was placed. He was receiving strange looks from the passing crowd. He even heard some whispering behind his back like 'The poor kid, might be homeless'. Trying to ignore the looks and the whispers he hurried towards the barrier, and ran through. Harry found himself on the platform 9 and ¾, where the Hogwarts Express already stood. He checked the watch on the platform, and was glad that it was only 10 o'clock, which meant that he had at least half an hour before the platform would fill with the students and their parents.
Harry boarded the train, with a real difficult he pulled his trunk up, since the damaged right hand and found a compartment at the end of the train, than he took his school uniform from the trunk and went to the bathroom to change. He didn't want his friends to see him in those dirty clothes.
When he looked at himself at the bathroom mirror, he gasped with horror, 'No wonder people thought I'm some homeless, I look terrible' he thought to himself. Before changing, he washed his face and tried to flatten his hair. It was his first time he saw himself at the mirror. 'I'm looking like some refugee at some country in Africa that the muggle news were showing' Harry thought. Harry threw his dirty clothes to the garbage and put his uniform, which suddenly was huge on him, since he lost a lot of weight, and then he made his way back to the compartment. Back there he took his wand from his trunk and flipped through his Charms books, finding a Glamorous charm, he cast it upon himself. 'Now no one will find out what a loser you are' he told to himself. He went back to the bathroom and looked at his work, he was satisfied, now he looked like the Harry his friends were used to, although a little pale.
He sat down in the compartment and leaned on the window glass drifting to sleep, the charm and the physical effort to pull his trunk drained him. He hadn't heard the door slid open and his two best friends entered the compartment, very exited to see him at last.
"O, Harry!" yelled Ron Weasley and landed on the seat near Harry "Wake up sleepy head!"
With a yell 'NOO' Harry woke up and backed toward the window, trying to shrink himself us much as possible.
"What's up with you?" questioned Ron.
Harry, finally wide awake, realized what he just did, went all red, "Sorry, you just startled me" he mumbled.
"Well, it's good to see you!" stated Ron and threw his hand around his friend shoulders, at that Harry flinched, but Ron was oblivious.
Hermione, on the other hand noticed Harry's behavior. "Is everything alright with you, Harry?" she asked gently.
"Yea, I'm fine" was his answer.
"How was your summer, after the last year events?" she pushed further.
"Fine, I guess" Harry shrugged, "but I really missed you guys, and Sirius too, how was your summer?" Harry tried to transfer all the attention toward his friends.
"We actually had a grate time, it's a pity you weren't there," said Ron, "Hermione came over, we, and the twins went to the Diagon Alley, they bought me new dress robes, although I still wonder where did they found the money for them…" trailed Ron.
Harry blushed; he knew the source of this money, since it was him who gave his TriWizard prize, one thousand Galleons to Fred and George.
"We missed you too, Harry," said Hermione, "I really wanted to write you a letter, but Dumbledore said it wasn't safe" she apologized.
"By the way, mate" suddenly remembered Ron, "Happy Late Birthday" and he gave Harry a wrapped package.
"Here you go, Harry" Hermione handed him another one, "Happy Birthday!"
Harry smiled; it was his first smile since the Third Task, although the smile didn't reached his eyes.
"Thanks guys, you shouldn't have to" he said quietly.
"Of cores we do!" stated Ron, "Now open your presents".
Harry took Ron's present and begun unwrapping it; it was difficult because of his damaged hand.
"What's wrong with your hand?" noticed Hermione.
"O, I tripped over the stairs," Harry gave her the excuse his uncle made him use in his letters to Sirius. He looked at his hand, the Glamorous Charm worked perfectly, the hand looked normal, without the purplish color it became over the summer.
"You should see madam Pomfrey," said Ron, "or you'd have a problems with the Quidditch …"
"Yea, you probably right, I'll see her after the feast" said Harry.
Ron helped Harry with the wrapping paper. From Ron Harry received a pile of chocolate frogs and a poster of Ron's favorite Quidditch team the "Chadley Canons" with their original autographs.
"Dad's a friend with the new head of the department of Magical Sport, Joshua Goldman" said Ron proudly, "And he knows the seeker of Chadley Canons, so we went to their game at the beginning of the summer, and received their autographed poster, I got one too."
"Thanks mate" said Harry.
From Hermione he received a book "To become an Auror – first step".
"Whoa, thanks a lot Hermione. That can be really useful." thanked Harry.
"Well, I thought that after the last year…" and than he saw Harry's grimaced face, "Sorry, Harry" she apologized.
"No, it's fine, I just don't like to think about it…" said Harry. After that there was an awkward silence, which was broke when someone knocked on the door of the compartment. Ron pushed it open, and Ginny, his little sister came in.
"Hi guys," she said "Can I seat with you? I just had a fight with Michael Corner"
"Sure," said Hermione, "Come in" she moved towards the window to make her a place.
"What did he do to you?" demanded Ron, "If he heart you, I'm going to kill him!"
"O, relax Ron," said Ginny, "It's nothing I can't handle by myself, just for you to be happy, I broke up with him."
"Good!" was Ron's answer, "I always knew he wasn't good for you!" At that Hermione rolled her eyes.
"O, by the way, Happy Late Birthday, Harry" Ginny said, noticing him. She reached inside her jeans pocket and pulled out a small box, and handed it to Harry. "I hope you'll like it", she began to blush.
"Um, thanks Ginny" said Harry; when he looked at her he felt his ears became red as Ron's hair. Inside was a simple silver chain with an emerald stone.
"I found it at the Diagon Alley, it's not much, but I think it's suites your eyes" said Ginny.
"I think it nice!" stated Harry, blushing. He smiled his first true smile, and put the chain on his neck, struggling with the lock, but despite the pain in his hand, he finally managed to lock it.
After about half an hour Fred and George came in. "Hello everybody!" they declared in unison. "Happy Late Birthday, Harry", they throw a package towards him, inside were a lot of various candies. "It's our prototypes…" started Fred, "Thanks to our investor…" finished George winking at Harry, "See you around, kiddies!" with that they left.
"I'd like to know who is their investor, they were working on those tricks whole summer," said Ron to particularly no body.
In the middle of the day the compartment door slid open again, that time it was Draco Malfoy and his cronies Crabe and Goil.
"Isn't it Potty, mudblood, Weasel and a baby Weasel?"
"What do you want, ferret boy?" Ron demanded.
"O, nothing, just came here to warn Potter, that he should watch himself this year!"
Harry, who was really sick from the torments from his uncle over the summer, wasn't happy to hear Draco taunt him too, so without spare words he got up, walked over Malfoy and punched him in his face. "Get out of here!" he hissed in a dangerous voice. Malfoy fell over Crabe, who tripped over the entrance of the compartment and they both were on the train floor.
"What's wrong with you, Potter?" Malfoy was astonished, "You'll pay for it!" and he left gripping his bloodied nose.
"Why did you do it, Harry?" asked Ginny.
"I think it was bloody brilliant, mate" grinned Ron.
"Ronald Weasley!" shouted Hermione, sounding a lot like his mother, Molly.
But Harry didn't hear them, suddenly filling dizzy, from the punch, he tried to grab the table in the compartment to steady himself, but missed it, he fell and bumped his head on the sharp edge of the table.
"Harry!" shrieked suddenly Hermione, noticing him. Everybody else turned to see what happened to their friend, when they saw him they bent toward him.
"Harry, wake up mate," Ron called Harry. A couple of seconds passed, till Harry finally opened his eyes.
"What's happened?" asked Ron in a worried voice.
"I don't know," said Harry, "I suddenly felt dizzy; I guess I stood up really fast." He rubbed the back of his head, wincing from a pain he felt when he touched it and there was something wet and sticky. He brought his hand to his face and saw a blood on his fingers.
"O, really grate" he muttered. Hermione conjured clean gauze to absorb the blood and a small pack with ice to reduce the swelling.
"Thanks Hermione," Harry thanked her. "I think I'm going to lie down for a while, I don't fell well."
"No, you're not!" protested Ginny, "You just bumped your head, you mustn't fall asleep, you may have concussion!"
The rest of the trip was without incidents. Hermione, Ginny and Ron occupied Harry with various activities to prevent him to fall asleep. They played Wizard Chess, Exploding Snap, and other silly games, till they heard an announcement that they'll be at Hogsmeade station in about ten minutes. The girls left to change. When they came in Harry saw a shining badge on Hermione's robes.
"What's that?" he asked.
"O, I was made a prefect" Hermione said proudly. "And Ron is the other one."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry turned to Ron.
"Sorry, I forgot" shrugged Ron. "Anyway, Fred and George made me hard time when they found out." Harry could see that although not showing it, Ron was very proud of himself. Harry felt a little jealous. 'Why didn't I get that badge?' a nasty voice said inside his head, 'I deserve it more, after everything I'd done!".
But then another voice interfered 'But you don't deserve it, and you know it! You are nothing than a murderer! A freak! You don't deserve to be a prefect, you deserve to be beaten up, like you got this summer. You even can't be glad for your best friend!" and this voice was much stronger than the first, it had a frightened resemblance to Vernon Dursley's and it made Harry feel really guilty.
Finally, the train pulled to the Hogsmead station. The trio plus Ginny went towards the horseless carriages. This time, though, Harry noticed that there were some kind of creepy looking winged horses.
"What do you reckon they are?" asked Harry his friends, pointing towards the horses.
"What are you talking about?" asked puzzled Ron.
"Those horses, don't you see?" Harry was getting angry.
"Sorry, mate, I think you bumped your head harder than we thought, there is no one."
Harry looked at Hermione and Ginny, but they had the same puzzled look as Ron.
"I sink you should go to madam Pomfrey right now," advised Hermione, "Head injuries could be a serious thing."
"Yea, right, now I'm crazy!" shouted Harry; a few people looked at him. "What are you looking at!" he snapped.
He heard some whispers when he marched toward the carriages, Blaze Zabini, fifth year Slytherin stated in a pretty laud voice, "I think Potter finally lost it!" Around him Harry heard laughs. He was really pissed off. He climbed to the first carriage he saw.
"Well, I don't think you are crazy," he heard someone speak, he looked at the person and saw Neville Longbottom, his roommate.
"Those are Thestrals," explained Neville, "You can see them only if you watched someone die, my Granny told me about them in my second year, I can see them too."
"Who did you see die?" asked Harry, now really interested, he now understood why he could see them.
"It was my uncle, we were sitting at a dinner and suddenly he just dropped dead, I was seven." Neville said quietly, "The Healers told us it was heart attack, I think."
"I'm sorry" said Harry, filling awkward.
"Don't be" smiled Neville, "It was a long time ago, and I didn't like him anyway. So how where you been lately, after the last year, you know."
"Fine," was Harry's only reply. Neville dropped the subject. "I'm glad to know that I'm not crazy. Thanks Neville."
"Anytime, Harry" laughed Neville. The rest of the trip to the castle was made in silence.
When Harry get into the Great Hall and sat at the Gryffindor table, Ron and Hermione sat beside him.
"Those were Thestrals, by the way" said Harry flatly, "You should read about them Hermione, before you accuse your friends about being crazy!"
"Harry, I didn't…" began Hermione.
"Just drop it, O.K." Harry turned toward the staff table.
Hermione nodded toward Harry, and mouthed to Ron while Harry wasn't looking, "Something wrong with him!" Ron agreed.
As Harry turned to look to the staff table his gaze fell on something black, he looked up and saw a fury face of his Potions Professor, Severus Snape.
"Detention. Tomorrow at seven o'clock, Potter!"
"What for?" exclaimed Harry.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, for back talking." Said Snape, when he turned to leave, he added "For fighting at the train!"
"Damn Malfoy!" Harry cursed.
"Another ten points for cursing" Snape's voice reached his ears.
After everybody was sited, the Sorting ceremony was announced. Ron complained that it was too long, Hermione tried to silence him, and Harry just glared to space.
When the sorting had been over, the feast began. Ron immediately filled his plate and begun stuffing himself. Hermione looked disgusted. Harry just looked at all the food, the smell of it made him a little nauseous.
"Harry, you should eat something" said Hermione, when she noticed that he wasn't eating.
"I'm just not hungry" said Harry.
"But you didn't eat probably since the morning, how can you not be hungry?" pushed Hermione.
"I just don't" answered Harry, his tamper rising. Truth be told, his body adjusted itself to eat every three days, and this morning he already ate.
"Harry, common," Ron joined, "Try this pudding, it's great, and it's your favorite".
"Fine!" he took a piece of the pudding and stuffed it in his mouth, "Satisfied now?" he said with his mouth full.
As he swallowed he felt pain in his stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick!" he said and then threw up right in the Grate Hall with everybody, including the teachers watching him.
"O, Harry," cried Hermione "It must be the head injury, you should go to the hospital wing right now."
As on cue, madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, who was sitting at the stuff table, ran towards Harry and demanded to know what's happened. Hermione told her the events of the train ride, dropping the part where Harry punched Draco Malfoy.
"Mister Potter, you're coming with me to the Hospital Wing that instant!" said the nurse, leaving no place for argument. "Head injuries are no jokes."
"And you should look at his hand" added Ron, "We need him healthy when the Quidditch starts."
"And what's wrong with his hand, Mister Weasley?" inquired Madam Pomfrey.
"He said he hurt it a few days ago" said Ron.
"Very well, come along, Potter!" Madam Pomfrey waited for Harry to get up and then followed him to the hospital wing.
As soon as they arrived, Harry was ordered to the infirmary bed; Madam Pomfrey ran a test on his head and treated the wound, than she attended his right hand.
"You told Mr. Weasley that you damaged it a few days ago?" the nurse asked.
"Yea, I tripped over the stairs, I thought it will heal by itself, guess I was wrong," repeated Harry his cover story.
She ran her wand on his palm. She didn't like what she found.
"Are you sure it's a few day injury?" she eyed him suspiciously.
Harry shifted uncomfortably on the bed, "Yes, ma'am" he lied.
"Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey said sternly, "I'm a nurse for a long time, and I'm positively sure that what you have there it's a two month old comminuted fracture (A/N fracture in which the bone is splintered or crushed) of two of your fingers with some complications. Now, I would like to know why didn't you asked for medical attention and what charm did you use to hide the signs of the injury."
Harry began to panic, "Could you just heal it?" he asked the nurse, "Please…"
Madam Pomfrey went to her office and brought two potions. She waved her wand over his hand and gave the potions to Harry.
"Fine, Mr. Potter, I want you to drink those potions, one is for your head and the second for the hand. I would like you to stay here for the night and to ran a general health check on you."
"Why?" Harry got scared, "I'm perfectly fine, I don't need a check up!" His breathing fastened and he began to sweat. He thought about Hedwig and what his uncle might do to her if anybody find out.
Madam Pomfrey knew something was wrong, she worked as a school nurse long enough to know that Harry Potter was hiding something. His head injury was barely a scratch, it couldn't be the reason for the vomiting in the Great Hall and than Miss Granger said he fainted on the train, and of course the hand. He couldn't had such injuries just from tripping the stairs, it looked as if something heavy fell on it or someone intentionally crushed it. She got suspicious when he got nervous about the check up. After four years of treating Harry Potter, she knew he was stubborn, he could delay as much as possible his visit to the infirmary when injured or sick and hated to stay for a long time, but when finally there he never refused to the check up. His behavior today was definitely strange, and she intended to figure out what's wrong with her patient.
"I'm going to bring you the pajamas, Mr. Potter," said Madam Pomfrey, "Drink the potions; take off your robes and shirt for me to check you."
Harry's mind worked fast, he drank the potions, feeling better, and as soon as the nurse turned her back to him and went for his pajamas he sprinted as fast as he could from the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey ran back as she heard the infirmary door slammed shut. She just cursed to herself. She decided to talk to Prof. McGonagall, head of the Gryffindor house to watch Mr. Potter.