CHAPTER FOUR "Some Enchanted Evening"
DISCLAIMER: The characters and story plot of the Harry Potter franchise do NOT belong to me, I am just one of the many privileged enough to write on J.K Rowling's marvellous novel series.
Hauling her trunk behind her, Ginny's face was beet red as she did her best to keep pace with the couple rushing urgently down the narrow platform of 9¾ ahead of her. Every once and awhile she spared a glance at the passenger carriages she was rushing past in hopes of finding a compartment not yet taken.
"Come on Ginny, keep up or it'll leave with out us!" Called out Ron' from ahead, he was pushing a trolly with both his and Hermione's luggage on it at such a speed the poor trolley's wheels were beginning to wobble as the screws that held them in place began to loosen.
"Perhaps if you remembered to have grabbed me a trolly as well we'd already be on the express!" Ginny yelled back in frustration, her arm had gone numb and she deeply regreted having packed so much.
"Can we please find a carriage first before we all start argueing?!" Hermione interjected, she was clearly annoyed and the small pink tinge on her cheeks showed she was a bit embarrased at being this tardy on the first day of school.
"How in Merlin's bloody beard are we going to find an open carriage?" Ron' asked aloud to no one in particular, all the while ignoring the several dozens of faces of all ages pushed up against the compartment windows staring at him and his companions.
When all three had succumbed to their frustrations and they stood still and unsure, a familiar face in the near distance poked out from one of the Hogwart's Expresses many entryways.
"Oi! Ron'! Hermione! Over here!" Dean Thomas shouted as he waved them over in an invitation to join him.
"Dean!" exclaimed Hermione with relief, she looked to Ron' and then Ginny as if seeking approval from them to accept the invite. "Any objections?"
Ginny looked at Hermione and then to Dean, she had history with Dean and riding the Express with him all the way to Hogwarts in which they could discuss their former relationship was not exactly how she wanted to start her final year at Hogwarts.
"At this point I'd sit with all of Slytherin House if it meant I don't have to push this trolly anymore," Ron' said, he began heading in Dean's direction but stopped short when he realized Hermione and his sister weren't with him. "What are you two doing, let's get a move on!"
Seeing the look of hesitance on Ginny's face, Hermione knew why the other girl wasn't to keen on boarding the train with Dean. "It's going to be fine, Ginny. I'm sure Dean has moved on since your fifth year if that's what you're worried about."
Ginny wasn't so sure about that and as she opened her mouth to dispute Hermione the great train engine let off a whistle so loud it made both girls flinch in surprise.
"Oh my, it's about to leave," Hermione said, her eye's opened big as she saw the locomotive lurch forward. "We've missed the train."
"Not yet we haven't," said Ginny as she strode forward, lugging her trunk behind her with one hand she used her other to grab Hermione's and pull the girl towards Dean. "Come on Ron'!"
Ron' blinked dumbly as two blurs whisked past him towards the Express, grumbling to himself he pushed the trolly after them in pursuit.
"Pass me your trunk!" Dean told Ginny as he extended a hand out from the side of the train which they began running along side.
Letting go of Hermione, Ginny struggled with two hands to pull her trunk close enough to Dean's extended hand for him to take which nearly caused the boy to over extend and lose his balance as he pulled it on board.
"You two are next," Dean ordered as he placed Ginny's trunk inside the train carriage and returned to help the late comers. "Take my hand, Ginny!"
Ginny looked at Dean's hand, her chest heaved with heavy breaths as she grew exhausted from trying to keep up with the trains quickening speed. Not once since she had broken up with the boy did she think she'd ever have her hand in his again, but at this point they were running out of options if they hoped to reach Hogwarts or at least reach it on time.
"GINNY!" yelped Hermione from Ginny's side. "The platforms coming to an end!"
Ginny looked ahead as the front engine of Hogwarts' famous red train disappeared into the exiting tunnel of King's Cross station. Reaching up she took Dean's hand and leaped onto the lower step of the entry way.
Slipping past Dean, she watched him assist Hermione on next and just in time before the platform of 9¾ came to an end, help Ron' along with his and his girlfriend's luggage on board. They all stood on the short steep steps of the entryway watching as Ron's trolly spun uncontrollably before it was lost from sight as the train passed through the stations tunnel.
"Blimey that was close," Ron' said, he panted in exhaustion before looking over at the others with a toothy grin. "It was exciting though wasn't it?"
"Just thrilling." grumbled Hermione sarcastically as she lugged her trunk from the entryway and into the passenger carriage.
"A minute later and you lot would probably be stranded, or until you could apperate to Hogsmead I suppose." Dean mentioned as he lent a hand to Ron' to help his fellow classmate to his feet.
"Well if we hadn't been so picky on getting a compartment we'd have made it on ages ago," Ron' noted as he grabbed the handle of his trunk. "But you know how it is, everyone's got questions about everything regarding Harry these days and right now we'd all rather avoid them."
"He's not coming this year then I take it?" asked Dean, as he held open the passenger carriage door for Ron' and Ginny.
Ron' didn't quite care to answer but after what Dean had done for them he felt he owed him at least that much. "We haven't heard from Harry since the battle at Hogwarts, so who knows what he's up to."
As soon as they entered into the carriage Ginny bumped into the back of Hermione who seemed to be frozen where she stood. "Care to move a little Hermione, it's a bit cramped back here."
"Then you obviously haven't seen up ahead." Hermione whispered, she stared ahead at the peering eyes of Hogwarts students of all ages who were sticking their heads outside their compartment doors just to watch them.
"What's that you said to me back in Diagon Alley?" Ron' asked with a smirk from behind. "You've got yourself some recognition from this year, don't be rude."
Rolling her eyes, Hermione gave the onlookers a hesitant smile as she wasn't sure what else to do. They all seemed to be observing her as if she was about to break out into some sort of musical number to entertain them.
"Don't mind them," Dean said as he brushed past the two Weasley's and Hermione to a compartment door a few feet up ahead. "This compartments mine, we'll draw the blinds and it'll be just us four."
"I can't thank you enough, Dean." Hermione said, grateful to be out of the spotlight she hastily pulled her trunk into Dean's compartment.
"Thanks mate." Ron' mumbled as he followed Hermione inside.
Following suit, Ginny gave an awkward crook of a smile at Dean as she couldn't quite think of what to say to the boy she used to date that wouldn't be minsconstrued.
Last to enter the compartment, Dean shut the door and drew the blinds closed just as the inquisitive eyes of Hogwarts student body began to fill in around the compartments windows to try and catch a glimpse of Harry Potter's closest friends.
"Why are they all so bloody keen at gettin' a look at us?" asked Ron' as he hoisted and stored their trunks in the shelves overhead of their seats.
"Are you kidding?" Dean countered as he plopped down next to Ginny who in return looked at him oddly. "You and Hermione helped bring down Voldemort. You two are legends now, you don't think just cause Harry was the one to face off with him in the end doesn't mean people don't recognize what you two did during the war, do you?"
"We really didn't do anything different than anyone else who stood up against Voldemort." Hermione replied, she was beginning to understand why Harry didn't always like the attention he had gotten over the years.
"Now you're just being modest," Dean persisted, he cast his eyes out towards the window that showed them exiting London. "You lot saved me from Malfoy Manor, without all of you I'd more than likely would have shared the same fate as Mr. Cresswell and Mr. Tonks did at the hands of those Snatchers."
"Malfoy Manor?" questioned Ginny curiously, her brother and Hermione had always neglected to comment or say what it was they had done while off with Harry during the events of the past year.
"It's a long story," cut in Ron' before Dean could answer, he took a seat next to Hermione and intertwined his fingers with hers. "One that's probably told best after we've graduated and after a few firewhiskeys."
Ginny shook her head but kept quiet, it wasn't her place to go about demanding tales that she hadn't been apart of and no one seemed like sharing.
"Do you know I just noticed that Seamus isn't here," Hermione pointed out, she turned to Dean who ran a hand through his dark coarse hair. "I thought you two rode to Hogwarts together every year?"
"We usually do, but over the summer because Seamus was able to attend Hogwarts last year he qualified to take the apptitude quiz to see if he knew enough to take his N.E.W.T.S," Dean explained. "I suppose when the Carrow's weren't beating him, he was studying. The bloke passed."
"Seamus Finnegan passed his N.E.W.T.S?!" proclaimed Ron' laughing. "Well if the Ministry wasn't courrupt enough, whatever he paid them must've been a fortune."
Dean chuckled with a grin. "Probably cost him every knut he had. I'm proud of him though. As much as I'd like to have had him along for my final year."
"So since he's graduated, what's he up to then?" Ron' asked.
"Seamus? Last I heard he had got himself a gig with his Uncle planning the fireworks display for the next Quidditch World Cup." Dean answered.
Ron' eyebrows arched. "No kidding? Lucky him."
"Have you seen anyone else from our year whose returning?" Hermione asked after a brief moment of silence.
"Not really, you three are actually the first familiar faces I've seen since I got to King's Cross," Dean said, he paused for a second as if remembering something. "Well that's not entirely true, I did see Malfoy."
"Malfoy?!" repeated Hermione and Ron' simultaneously.
Nodding his head, Dean shrugged. "I guess he's attending this year along with us."
"I thought he attended Hogwarts last year?"questioned Hermione.
"He did." answered Ginny and Dean together, they had been a few seconds off par with one another but it was enough for them to look at each other and quickly look away.
"Then why didn't he take his N.E.W.T.S over the summer?" Hermione asked, not catching the awkward moment between Dean and Ginny.
"Didn't you hear what happened to him and his family after the battle?" Dean asked in reply.
Ron' snorted. "No mate we didn't, we're not biggest fans of Malfoy and his family if you haven't noticed, though I do remember him mentioning something when we ran into him at Madam Malkin's I think."
"Trust me, after spending time in that cellar under his family's house neither am I," Dean agreed, he rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and leaned in with a lower tone of voice. "After the battle the Ministry held a trial for him and his parents, don't ask me how or why but they all got off scot free. Although the trial was held long enough to delay Malfoy so he wasn't able to take the apptitude quiz in time to qualify for his N.E.W.T.S."
"Great another year with Draco," Ron' grumbled. "Have I ever mentioned that I hate that git?"
"Is there ever a day you don't happen to mention it?" Hermione replied, she brought their linked hands up to her chin so she could place a kiss on one of his knuckles.
Ginny smiled at the open display of affection Hermione bestowed on her brother, however she could sense Dean looking at her as her brother and his girlfriend began conversing in hushed tones.
"They make a good couple, don't they?" Dean asked Ginny.
"I think so," Ginny acknowledged. "They certainly love each other."
Dean nodded as his fingers absentmindedly drummed on his lap. "Gin'?"
"Ginny." She corrected.
"What's that?" Dean asked confused.
"Call me Ginny, please."
"Oh, um sorry about that... Ginny?" Dean tried again.
"Yes?" Ginny answered, she looked over to meet the slightly older boys eyes. At one time she used to enjoy looking into them, until it got to the point that each time she looked into them that it was in anger from him trying to help her through the portrait of the Gryffindor common room.
"Do you think you and I could have stood a chance in the long run if Harry hadn't been around, or were we doomed to fail from the start?" Dean asked hesitantly. "I know I probably shouldn't ask, but it's been bothering me since my Sixth Year. I like Harry don't get me wrong he's a great bloke who I owe my life to. It's just I'm curious is all."
"... Do you want me to be honest?" Ginny replied slowly.
Dean didn't answer for quite sometime as if now that he asked he wasn't ready to hear the answer. Finally, he nodded 'yes'.
"I don't think you and I are or were meant for each other," Ginny explained softly, there was a twinge of sympathy in her voice but she pushed on. "You're a great guy Dean, any lass would be blessed to have you. But for me personally, you suffucated me with your need to do everything for me... It got to the point where it felt like if my shoe lace came undone you'd probably tie it for me."
Dean took a second to take in what she said before exhaling a long held in breath. "That wasn`t my intent, you do know that... Right, Ginny?"
Ginny gave him a puzzled look. "Your intent to what? Make me feel dependant on you for everything? To make me feel as though I couldn't do anything myself?"
Her words probably stung more than she intended and instantly Ginny regreted saying them.
"My intent was to show I cared for you," Dean clarified. "That I would do anything for you, not that it matters anymore. I'm just... Well I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or put you in a position where you felt incompetent."
"Merlin, don't apologize." Ginny blurted at once.
Dean Thomas clapped a hand to his forehead. "If I can't apologize, what can I do to make things right between us? How can I make things less awkward for us?"
"That's just it, it isn't you Dean..." Ginny snapped, she was irritated, not with Dean but with herself for not realizing her trouble with him earlier. "You keep on insisting that what happened between us is your fault or issue or whatever you want to call it, and at the time I'd probably agree but the fact is it was me. It's really me that should be asking what can I do to make things right, I'm the one that should be saying sorry. I can see now that you cared for me, but I guess I just found..."
Dean saw her freeze up on what she planned on saying and if he hadn't been so concerned with what she'd do to him for putting an arm around her for comfort to help her finish her sentence, he might have actually done it.
Ginny struggled with forming the words, she needed to say it as much as she wanted to resist. In the end her subconscious seemed to win out as the words came pouring out. "I found that no matter how good you were to me, you just weren't Harry."
Complete and utter silence filled up the compartment. Ginny hadn't said it in a loud voice, but perhaps her voice was just loud enough that the name 'Harry' drew both Hermione and Ron's attention.
A subtle short chucle broke the deahtly silence of the compartment as Dean put on a brave if not wavery smile. "I suppose I was right then."
"Right about what?" asked Ginny, at this point she sat curled in the far corner of the seat bench she shared with Dean in the compartment, her knee's pulled up close to her chin.
"That we were doomed to fail from the start," Dean pointed out, he turned to meet the focused gaze of Hermione and Ron'. "Just so you two are aware, i'm not mad or holding any grudges... I just needed some closure for at least one thing in my life."
Ron' held up a hand. "No explanation needed."
Shifting in her seat, Ginny peered out the side window. In the distance she could make out the all to familiar castle towers and high walls of Hogwarts. "We're almost there."
"Hogwarts," murmured Hermione, just the sight of the old educational institute brought a flood of memorys to the forefront of her mind. The most vivid one being the recent when it was caught ablaze and the battle ground setting between good and evil.
"We should probably get changed into our robes, Hogsmeade station isn't far off." noted Ron' as he got to his feet and tore his eyes from Hogwarts.
The four inhabitants of the compartment changed into their school robes just as the Hogwarts Express slowed to a sudden halt at the Hogsmeade platform. Students began flowing from the Express like ants pouring from an ant hill, amongst the spreading student body came Ron', Hermione, Dean, and Ginny.
"We're finally here," Ginny mumbled as she dragged her trunk over to a growing pile that was being deposited carelessly on the side of the platform. "What now?"
"I'd say we follow their lead," remarked Hermione, as the mass herd of students began filing up the pathway towards Hogwarts. She dropped her trunk alongside Ginny's and lead their small contingent after the mass of people. "It seems we won't be having the pleasure of riding carriages this year."
"Yeah, where are the carriages or more importantly, where are all the Threstral's?" Ron' asked, placing his trunk down along with Dean in the steadily growing pile of trunks.
"Probably a question better left for Hagrid, don't you think?" Ginny said, as she began walking with Hermione after the mass of travelling students heading for Hogwarts' front gate.
What had always been usually a short walk between Hogsmeade and Hogwarts took an abnormally long amount of time due to the constant stopping of other students whom just wanted to look at them as they walked by, a few younger years even tried to ask for autographs from Hermione and Ron' who weren't so inclined to comply.
"This is getting mental, I can't so much as take a step to the left without bumping into someone whose just staring at me," complained Ron' under his breath. "How long is this going to go on for?"
Dean Thomas laughed as he strode carefree. "Fame and attention getting to you, Ron'?"
"You know maybe if we were back in our Fourth Year this might have actually been a bit flattering for me, but this is really to much, I mean you can't go anywhere anymore without people coming up to you." Ron' said, he muttured an apology while pushing past a couple of third years who had began forming around them.
Ginny smiled to herself as she passed through the large arched frontdoors of the Entrance Hall, she had to admit it felt good to be back at the school and even more so when she saw Mcgonageal standing to the side of the Great Hall's doorway helping direct the flow of students to their respectable House tables.
"Come now, Ravenclaw is to the left," Mcgonagell commanded, pointing with her hand so that a few confused second years could see. "Mr. Dremmond your shirt is untucked."
Ginny laughed as a fourth year Hufflepuff frantically tried to push his dress shirt back into order under his belt.
"Something funny Miss. Weasley?" asked Mcgonagall, her face straight for a moment before it broke in a thin smile. "Welcome back to Hogwarts, I see you've brought Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger along for your final year."
"We wouldn't dream of missing it Headmistress," Hermione said, her hand clasped with Ron's. "They did a wonderful job putting this place back together."
"That they did, it wasn't a quick process either and there are still parts of the castle that need tending to and are closed to students, I hope you and Mr. Weasley remember that better than you all did in your first year," Mcgonagall answered while waving a few Gryffindor students who had taken a seat at the Ravenclaw table to move back to their own House table. "Now I suggest you all take a seat, we'll be sorting the First Years soon."
Nodding her head, Hermione towed Ron' towards Gryffindor table. "Come on, Ginny, Dean!"
Sharing a look at one another, Ginny and Dean followed Ron' and Hermione to the end of the Gryffindor table where the rest of the Seventh Years sat or as Ron' still thought of them as Sixth Years.
Saying a few quick greetings to the girls of her year she was close with, Ginny tilted her head back to take a glance up at the ceiling, there overhead like a painting of the sistine chapel was a serene star studded night sky with a few pale clouds stretching like whisps of smoke.
"So, Gin' you gonna introduce us to all your friends?" Ron' enquired as he took a seat next to Hermione, looking down the table at the faces of Gryffindor's who had once been a year under but were now in his own.
"They're not all my friends," Ginny replied "And you know most of them already."
Ron' looked from face to face at the table. "Are you certain? Because if I'm being truthful, I don't think I know a single a name... Well I did know Colin, but he's... He's passed."
Hermione gave Ron's hand a comforting squeeze at the thought of poor Colin Creevey. "There will be time to get to know them, we have an entire year."
"Forget them look at the staff table, is that Oliver Wood?" Dean questioned, he squinted his eyes in order to get a better look at the far end of the Great Hall.
"Wood?" Ron' repeated, turning his head he scanned the staff table until his eyes fell upon the familiar face of the old Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. "Blimey, what's he doin' up there?"
"The logical explanation is that he's probably joined the school faculty," Hermione noted, then put a finger to her mouth as if to 'hush' them into silence as Headmistress Mcgonagell took to the podium at the front of the Great Hall.
"Attention students!" Mcgonagall's voice rang out and echoed through the Great Hall.
Immediatly the Hall fell quiet like a 'Silencio' charm had been cast over the Hogwarts studentbody. Each and every head was turned, uncomfortably craned, and twisted towards the front of the Great Hall to watch Headmistress Mcgonagall.
"Gamekeeper Hagrid, if you would please bring the First Years in we will begin by sorting them into their Houses before indulging in the welcoming feast," Mcgonagall declared.
Ginny and almost every person of the school turned to look at the giant, bushy haired man who seemed to have appeared from nowhere standing at the closed doors of the Great Hall.
"'Ay, Headmistress," Hagrid acknowledged in his booming voice. He turned and grabbed hold of the handles of the door which seemed oddly tiny in his hands, pulling them open he ushered in the group of waiting, wide-eyed First Years.
As the First Years made their way up to the front of the Great Hall with Hagrid following them from behind, the half-giant stopped at the section of Seventh Year Gryffindor's.
"'Ron, 'Mione, Ginny," Rubeus Hagrid greeted in haste, his eyes looking them over and then to the seat beside each of them. "Wher's Harry?"
All three shook their heads in unison.
Hagrid's eyes were downcast for a moment before giving a nod. "I'll talk more wit' yeh all later. Best be catchin' up with the firs' years."
Hagrid's long legs didn't take more than a few long strides to catch up to the nervous looking group of first years, all seemingly optimistic if not determined on the House in which they would soon be sorted into.
Ginny smiled at them from afar, she had seen the sorting multiple times since her First Year yet still to this day it brought a giddy happiness to her that she once thought lost. In the recess of her mind she pictured a day in the future that her own child might be a nervous looking first year, a day she felt comfortable with meeting one day.
In the absence of her own day dreaming, names and houses were called in succession by the sorting hat until it came to a close after some time. The only thing that brought Ginny from her mid-evening day dreaming was Mcgonagall's authorative voice bellowing out from the front and resounding around the Great Hall.
"Please treat each and every new housemate with the respect and help you yourselves recieved upon you first year," Mcgonagall said in closing of the First Year sorting, she cleared her throat and let her voice deepen as if preparing for a more darker subject to discuss ahead. "Before we begin the Welcoming Feast, there are a few things that must be addressed so I will try and keep it as brief as possible. I will start by saying Welcome all new and returning students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardr-"
Every student in the Great Hall tilted closer to the front as Headmistress Mcgonagall stumbled on her words to a stutter, then silence. The reason why lay at the other end of the room as the heavy doors of the hall creeked open as a sneering and worn looking Argus Filch entered inside with a stray cat tucked under his arm.
While Filch barging into the Great Hall at unaccustomed times was not much of a shock to anyone, it was who followed after Filch that made every persons eyes stretch open and their jaws drop in surprise.
With a slow limp and drag to his right leg as he stepped, Harry Potter made his debute for the first time since his victory over Voldemort. His hair matted and long to the point it shagged to his shoulders and over the oval lenses of his glasses, Harry limped forward down the straight pathway of the Great Hall.
Unlike the eruption of applause one might have expected at his sudden appearance, the Hall broke out in hushed whispers of absurd speculations that as quiet as they were they still resonated around stone walls of the Great Hall.
"Hermione, is that..." Ron' started but he stopped in disbelief, he couldn't quite grasp the idea of Harry just showing up at Hogwarts after months of he himself and others trying desperatly to reach him with no avail.
"It is," Hermione replied in a distant mumble, she wanted to check on Ginny's well being but she just couldn't bring herself to tear away her eyes from her old friend as he limped to a vacant spot along the table in between the Sixth and Seventh Year Gryffindors.
With an overflowing burst of butterflys in her stomach, Ginny Wealsey felt faint, her knees wobbled and her hands felt like a ships anchor left on shore. All she could do was stare.
Sitting down in between a couple of students whose names he couldn't place, Harry took a seat and kept his gaze low and to himself. Without looking he could feel the immense weight of hundreds of pairs of eyes on his back, if the expression of staring daggers was true he might as well be Julius Caesar.
A/N: This probably the quickest update of a chapter that I've done in quite some time, I truly hope to keep up the momentum. Thanks to all who favorited, followed, and left a review for Right Hand on My Heart. I appreciate all the feed back and support, for those who are curious the next chapter will pick up right after this one and as the saying goes. 'Let the games begin' lol. Until next time, see you all!