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Chapter 13: Back to School
It was almost the end of the summer, and Harry, Remus, and Sirius woke up on a fine sunny August morning. This was the day they'd all been waiting for, the day they'd get to move into their new house, 804 Lawdershod Avenue, Hogsmeade. Stan Shunpike and Ernie Prang of the Knight Bus helped move all of their belongings to the new house. The three residents had gone furniture shopping earlier in the week, and they'd found tables, chairs, and beds to go in the house. The next couple of days were spent moving all their stuff, and they loved the new house. It was the most comfortable Harry had ever been, and he adored his room, which was situated right next to the bathroom. Remus's room was also right next to his, and Sirius's room was on the other side of the bathroom.
On the very last night before Harry was to go back to Hogwarts, he and his two guardians were sitting in the family room on a couch they had picked out. Harry was a little nervous about going back to school after the events of the summer. He was still having nightmares about the Dursleys, and was scared that he'd get found out. He knew he wasn't able to do magic outside of school, but had spent ages looking in his spellbooks about Silencing Charms. He had figured out the incantation and wand movements, and hoped he'd get it right when he tried it at Hogwarts. If he woke up Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville with his nightmares, they'd surely start asking questions, and that was the last thing he wanted. He also felt sorry to leave his guardians behind after they'd just started developing such a wonderful relationship.
"Hey, kiddo," Sirius said, recognizing the look on Harry's face as the boy looked at him and Remus. "I know you have mixed feelings about going back to Hogwarts, don't you?"
Harry had had no idea he was so transparent. He felt like asking Sirius what he was talking about, but knew better than to lie to him. Remus was also very good at sensing emotions. "Yeah," he admitted.
"Listen," said Remus. "We need to talk to you about that. You're going to be seeing Sirius and I more than you think you will. You won't have to wait to see us until Christmas."
"Really?" said Harry, surprised. "When will I be seeing you, then?"
"We know you might be uncomfortable with this," answered Remus, "but Professor Dumbledore, Sirius, and I have talked, and we feel it would be prudent for you to start talking to us about your treatment at the Dursleys. We don't want you to bottle up all those feelings inside yourself, and we know you've been trying to hide them. Once a week, I will be coming to Hogwarts to have therapy sessions with you. During the twelve years Sirius was in Azkaban, the only job I could really get was in the Muggle world, since they don't believe that my condition exists except in fairy tales. I got a job working as a therapist, and it did me well for those years. ON some of the sessions, I will be bringing Sirius with me, so you'll get to see him, too."
Harry's face fell. He was glad he was going to be seeing his guardians, but the very last thing he wanted to do was burden them with his treatment by the Dursleys. He didn't want to talk about how he'd been made to live in a cupboard for eleven years, how he'd been called a freak all his life, how he had to sit in his cupboard while hearing them exclaim over their sweet little Diddydums, being treated like a punching bag by Dudley, and all the rest of it. Recognizing the terrified look, Remus and Sirius put their arms around him and let him lean on them. "We know you don't want to, pup," Sirius said soothingly. "But it'll be better for you in the long run. Remus will also be giving another person therapy, and she told him it's okay that you know who it is, because you already know her situation."
"Ginny?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Remus said. "I will be seeing her separately, but eventually, you can see me together if you want. Molly Weasley spoke with Albus and specifically asked her for someone to help Ginny, and he recommended me."
"Oh, okay," said Harry, squirming in his seat.
"It'll be fine, Harry, please don't worry about this," Remus calmed him. "We want you to know that we'll listen to everything you have to say. You're not a burden on us; everything your relatives told you is a lie. Your parents would be so proud of you, you're a wonderful young man. We don't want you to think badly of yourself, and hopefully these sessions will help you to see that."
Harry felt those dreaded tears coming to his eyes again. He tried desperately not to let them fall, but his stupid tear ducts wouldn't listen. They started to fall anyway, and his guardians hugged him comfortingly, whispering soothing words in his ear. They continued to hug him until his crying finally subsided.
The three then spent the rest of the evening talking about Hogwarts. Harry remembered what Charlie had let slip at the Quidditch World Cup about the fact that something big would be happening this year. He needled his guardians about it, but they just smiled mischievously and refused to tell him what was happening. "Ah, you'll see," they kept saying.
Harry went to bed early that night, but he had a few nightmares. The charm was still on his room that let Sirius and Remus know what was going on with him, and they spent a little time reassuring him that everything would be okay. They knew that the talk of these therapy sessions had shaken him up pretty badly, but knew that if he bottled up all these feelings, they would finally explode out of him and the results wouldn't be good. He finally went back to sleep at around three in the morning. He kept apologizing profusely for interrupting his guardians' night, but they told him not to be silly and that they were always there for him whenever he needed them.
When he woke up a few hours later, the house was filled with the bustle of getting ready for Hogwarts. Remus and Sirius made him eat a hearty breakfast, and then they took the Knight Bus to Kings' Cross station. "We knew you'd want to take the train, even though we live so close to Hogwarts," Sirius said. "Taking the train's always the best part."
Harry grinned. "Thanks," he said.
"We'll say goodbye to you at Platform nine and three-quarters," Remus informed him when they arrived.
"And I've got a little trick up my sleeve as the train leaves," Sirius grinned.
Remus gave him a good-natured glare. "Oh, Padfoot, I think I know what you're going to do," he laughed. Harry wondered just what his godfather's antics would be.
As Harry walked towards the barrier, the thought of Hedwig entered his mind. He hadn't gotten a new owl, for he hadn't felt ready to yet. He had told Ginny to let the others know that Hedwig had become ill and not survived the experience, and he knew she'd do it convincingly. Eventually, he would tell them what really happened, but at this point in time, the memory was too vivid and horrible to even relive.
They all went through the barrier, and Harry immediately spotted the Weasleys standing there with Hermione. Fred and George had caught up with their friend, Lee Jordan, and the three of them were all laughing about something. Hellos were exchanged between all of them, and Hermione hugged Harry tightly, saying how good it was to see him. He got his trunk into a compartment, and then he went to stand out on the platform again to say goodbye to his guardians.
Sirius ruffled Harry's hair affectionately, causing Harry to mock-scowl at him. As he hugged his beloved godson, he took something out of his pocket and handed it to him. "I want you to use this whenever you need me," he said. "This is a two-way mirror."
"What does it do?" Harry asked.
"James and I used to use them when we were in separate detentions," Sirius replied. "I always try to have the other one with me. If you ever need to talk to me, just hold the mirror and say my name. Then my face should show up, and we will then be able to hear what each other is saying."
"Oh, cool!" Harry exclaimed.
"And you'll be able to speak to Remus, too, if he is where I am when you call," Sirius told him. "I hope you have a wonderful time at school. Owl me tonight after the feast, okay? Use one of the school owls. We want to know that you got there safely."
"Okay," Harry said, his heart constricting again at the thought of Hedwig. He then realized this was the first time he'd ever felt a little regretful about leaving his guardians. He had a real family now, and he wouldn't be surprised if he missed them a lot while he was at Hogwarts. Having anyone who cared for him like this was foreign to him. He knew the Weasleys cared, but they had such a big family already that they couldn't possibly have taken him in as well.
"Bye, cub," Remus said, pulling Harry into a hug. "I'll see you next week, okay? Sirius and I will call you on the mirror to let you know where to meet me, and what time."
"Okay," said Harry, the embrace making his emotions run wild again. He then hugged both of them together, and then Mrs. Weasley gave him her usual motherly hug. "Have a wonderful year, dear," she said. "Look after my children for me."
"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley. I will," Harry promised.
"And take care of my Ginny," she whispered in his ear. "You two need each other."
"I'll never let her get hurt again," Harry reassured her.
"Thank you, dear," she said, her voice choked. She squeezed him tightly.
"Come on, mate, the train's about to leave," said Ron.
"All right," said Harry as the whistle blew. He jumped onto the train, and then he saw Sirius turn into the big, shaggy black dog. As everyone looked on, the dog chased the train as it moved away from the station. Harry, Ron, and Ginny burst out laughing. Hermione tried her best not to laugh too, but lost the battle and a giggle escaped her lips. Remus and the remaining Weasleys waved as Sirius barked and continued to chase the train until it moved around the corner. Then he disappeared, and Harry sat back in his seat, his heart filled with gratitude for his guardians' caring.
They sat in silence for a minute, and then Ron began to speak.
"You won't believe what happened this morning," he exclaimed. "While we were eating breakfast, Mr. Diggory and Dad started talking through the fire. They were talking about Mad-Eye Moody."
"Mad-Eye Moody?" Harry asked. "You mean, the guy who Sirius mentioned the night we first met him?"
"Yeah, that's the one," said Ron. "He's a bit loony these days. He was one of the best Aurors during the First War, you know. He caught a lot of Death Eaters and shut them up in Azkaban. Saved the other Aurors a lot of work, and saved a lot of lives."
"Why is he loony these days?" Harry asked, interested.
"He's really paranoid, and always thinks someone's trying to break into his house," piped up Ginny. "Last night, he heard noises and thought an impostor was breaking in. So he set these Muggle dustbins on him. They started magically clattering and emptying rubbish out onto the street."
"It was a false alarm," Hermione interjected.
"Now he's in trouble with the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts." Ginny said. "Dad said he was supposed to start a new job today. He's still going to, but he had to sort this all out first. So Dad had to go to work early."
"Wow," said Harry. "So he thinks everyone's out to kill him?"
"Well, being in a war can make people paranoid like that," explained Hermione. "Many people call it PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I read about it."
"Of course you did, 'Mione," said Ron, and she glared at him.
"So what job was Mad-Eye supposed to be starting?" asked Harry.
"Dunno," said Ron. "It'll probably be in the Prophet sometime, though."
Harry then saw a cage, with something lying on top of it. He hadn't really paid attention to the cage before. He saw an owl skittering around in it, and it seemed to be a very excitable creature. "Hey, Ron, is that your owl?" he asked.
"Yeah," said Ron. "I bought him several weeks ago. I've wanted an owl for ages, and I had just enough money. Ginny named him. He's called Pigwidgeon. Really dumb name, if you ask me."
"Shut up, Ron," scowled Ginny. "It's not stupid, it's cute."
"Oh yeah? Having an owl called Pig? You can't tell me you don't think that's dumb!"
"Will you two stop bickering?" said Hermione crossly.
"Yes, ma'am," said Ron, earning another glare from the bushy-haired girl.
"Hey, what's that on top of the cage?" Harry asked. It looked a little like a dress; it was frilly and lacy.
Ron immediately scowled and glared at the thing. "Dress robes," he mumbled.
"What was that, Ron?"
"Dress robes," Ron snarled. "Mum wouldn't even cut off the lace. I told her I was absolutely not going to wear them for whatever this occasion is that's supposed to happen sometime this year. She said I could go naked in that case, and to let you get a picture. Fred and George were in the room when she said that, and they've been teasing me mercilessly ever since."
"Hey, I'll let you wear mine," Harry reassured him, "or I can cut off the lace for you. Sirius, Remus, and I went shopping for some the other day."
"Thanks, mate. Why is everything I own rubbish?" said Ron, continuing to look sullen.
The lady with the snack trolley came by, and Harry bought him, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione some of everything. The two Weasleys were reluctant to accept, but Harry insisted upon it. They sat there, eating snacks and having a conversation about Moody and then about the Quidditch World Cup.
When there was a lull in the conversation, Harry heard a familiar drawling voice coming from the compartment right next to theirs. He put a finger to his lips to let everyone else know to listen.
"... my father wanted me to go to Durmstrang, you know. That school teaches all about the Dark Arts, it doesn't teach all this defense rubbish Hogwarts does. But Mother didn't want me to be so far away, so Father finally relented and said I had to go to Hogwarts. But I wish I was at Durmstrang; Father knows the Headmaster. His name's Igor Karkaroff, and he doesn't admit mudbloods into his school, unlike that barmy old codger Dumbledore. That kind of riffraff doesn't go anywhere near Karkaroff."
Hermione tiptoed to the compartment door and shut it, blocking out Malfoy's irritable voice. "Well, he wants to go to Durmstrang, does he?" she said angrily. "Well, I wish he did, that way we wouldn't have to put up with him!"
"There are other wizarding schools?" Harry asked. He wanted to hit himself for not realizing that Hogwarts wasn't the only school for magic in the whole world.
"Yes," said Hermione promptly. "There's Beauxbatons, in France, and then there's Durmstrang."
"Where is Durmstrang?" asked Harry.
"Nobody knows," replied Ron. "It's hidden very well. Obviously the founders wanted it to be a secret."
"Oh, that's interesting," said Harry.
"Yeah," agreed Ginny. "But we think it's somewhere in the far north."
"Yes, because they have fur capes as part of their uniforms," explained Hermione.
As the afternoon progressed, other friends came in to look on them. Cedric Diggory came and said a friendly hello, along with a pretty Ravenclaw, Cho Chang. Harry had had a crush on her in the past, but noticed it had seemed to go away. He did want to get to know her, but didn't feel that swooping sensation in his stomach anymore when he saw her. Cedric and Cho had apparently met at the World Cup, and had become friends.
Later on, Neville Longbottom came to sit with them. "Hey, Nev, did you go to the World Cup?" asked Harry.
"Nah," said Neville, looking upset. "Gran wouldn't let me. Said it was too rowdy and too expensive. Tell me all about it."
So they all launched into a discussion about how good it was, the good part being the match. None of them wanted to talk about the fiasco afterwards. "We got to sit in the Top Box!" exclaimed Ron excitedly.
"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley!"
The compartment door had slid open again, and Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway, along with his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle.
"And was your daddy one of those masked men who ruined it, Malfoy?" said Ron viciously. "Did he have fun killing innocent children, huh?"
Malfoy glared at him. "Shut up, weasel," he snarled. "Oh, and Potter, you do pick a sorry lot of folks to hang around with, don't you? A man who spent twelve years in Azkaban and a werewolf, along with a horrible excuse for a Longbottom, two weasels, and a filthy little mudblood."
Harry and Ron jumped out of their seats, raising their wands. Neville's face had gone white, and Ginny looked very angry. "Don't, please, Harry, Ron, don't!" Hermione said desperately. "He's not worth it!"
"I'm not worth it, you disgusting little mudbl-"
"SHUT UP!" Ron snarled. "Don't call her that!"
"It doesn't matter, Ron, it's just a word! Lower your wand, please!" Hermione yelled.
Harry was the first to lower his wand, because he saw the look in Hermione's eyes. It took longer for Ron to do so, and he looked as though he wanted nothing better than to punch Malfoy in his horrible, sneering face.
"Oh, and what's THIS?" drawled Malfoy, pulling Ron's dress robes off Pigwidgeon's cage. He started to laugh uproariously, with Crabbe and Goyle following suit. "Oh, Weasley, this is too good to be true! Dress robes, and look at the state of them!" he sneered. He was now laughing really hard, and Ron tried to snatch them back from the blond. "Ah, you spent so much money on the World Cup and that ridiculous excuse for an owl you've got that you couldn't afford anything else, could you?" Malfoy continued to chuckle.
"Would you shut the fuck up, Malfoy!" Ron roared angrily.
"My, my, my," Malfoy chortled. "Language, Weasley. What would your mother say if she heard you speaking like that?"
"And what about YOUR mother, Malfoy?" Ginny said bravely, standing up as well. "Does she support what your father did at the cup?"
"You have no proof, Weaslette," Malfoy yelled. "Don't you dare accuse my father of anything without proof!"
Ron, Ginny, and Harry just glowered at him, all three believing very firmly that his father was involved in the killing of those two innocent children and the burning of tents at the World Cup.
"So," said Malfoy suddenly, "going to enter, Weasley? Going to bring your family of low-life scum some fortune? Believe me, you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won."
"Excuse me, but what the fuck are you talking about?" Ron shouted. "Ronald!" Hermione chastised, "language, please! Stop swearing!"
"Ah," said Malfoy, a horrible smirk plastered across his face. "What about you, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you? Strutting around the school like you own the place. I know you're going to enter, I shouldn't even ask."
"Tell us what you're talking about or go away, Malfoy," snapped Hermione.
"I won't take orders from you, Granger," sneered Malfoy. He looked at everyone's faces and burst out into peals of laughter again. "You don't know about it, do you, Weasley?" he drawled viciously. "MY father told me about it ages ago. After all, he's always associated himself with the top people at the Ministry. Your father's so low-down that it's probably not even talked about in front of him. Ah yes. That's probably it." Still laughing derisively, he flung Ron's dress robes back on Pig's cage, and he, with Crabbe and Goyle sniggering on either side of him, left the compartment.
"Bastard!" Ron snarled, slamming the door so hard it broke. "Ronald!" exclaimed Hermione reproachfully, waving her wand and fixing the door.
"Making it sound like he knows everything!" Ron snarled. "He's such an arse! I wish he didn't exist! If he went to Durmstrang, it'd be easy to push him off a glacier and make it look like an accident!"
"You mustn't let him get to you, Ron," said Ginny quietly.
"Get to me? Get to me?" Ron yelled. He sat back down in his seat, glaring all the while. "As if!"
Harry sighed, silently thanking Merlin that in all the kerfuffle, Malfoy hadn't noticed Hedwig's absence. If he'd taunted him about that, Harry didn't know what he would have done.
Ron's terrible mood continued the rest of the way to Hogwarts. As they disembarked from the train upon arrival, Harry tried to get a smile out of him. Finally, Ron gave in and let a tiny grin slide onto his face. "Ready for another year, guys?" Harry asked.
"You'd better believe it," Ron replied as they walked toward the carriages, anticipating the year to come.