...it took away my exclamation points in the earlier chapter...I had a bunch of them...like a hundred...or so...makes me sad...oh well :D

Life at Grimmauld Place was dull if Harry had anything to say about it. Snape was rarely there and when he was it was for the meetings only, so he only ever said "Hello" and "Goodbye" to Harry if he even got around for that. Lupin was friendly and Harry admitted to himself that he liked the man, despite being a bit prejudiced about Slytherin. Unlike Sirius, Lupin didn't let this show as well nor as often. The twins were nice to Harry, which meant they didn't pick on him, as were their parents, but Ronald was as nasty as ever and Ginny and Hermione blatantly ignored him, sticking to their own when they could. Cedric was busy with homework most of the time and therefore not much for company, though when he could talk to Harry he was as kind and unprejudiced as any Hufflepuff could manage. His parents were as friendly as they could be, but they seemed stressed about the Order and its meetings. Apparently anyone who worked in the Ministry and was friends with Dumbledore were getting investigated, so both Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory had to pretend they weren't. This was putting a lot of strain on the family life.

For the most part, Harry busied himself with cleaning up the place, which was a lot of work as there seemed to be just about every creepy crawlie in every corner. It wasn't entertaining in the least, but at least it was something. Ron and him got in several tiffs, which Molly had fumed about, mad at both of them, and Harry had managed to make friends with the House elf named Kreacher, which he knew didn't sit well with Sirius.

During his stay, Harry had been moved into the old room of Sirius' little brother, Regulus Black, who had apparently died during the earlier war. While this seemed to trouble Sirius, Harry couldn't tell if it made the man sad or not. Regulus had been a Slytherin like the family had wanted therefore his room reminded Harry very much of Theodore's, except there were also included on the walls news of Voldemort as if the Dark wizard had been an idol of the young Regulus. Sirius hadn't seemed happy that Harry had preferred this room over the others and Harry was glad that Black spent most of his days off doing business for the Order instead of staying cooped up in the house with Harry.

The Ministry hearing had gone well. Snape had escorted him and Dumbledore had defended him despite the Ministry's attempts to not have the Headmaster arrive and he had brought with him a witness: Mrs. Figg, who while a Squib had still been able to describe the dementors. Scrimgeour had been adamant and vivacious, much reminding Harry of Mr. Crouch Sr. who had been much the same, but the Wizengamot had decided Harry was innocent and Harry would not be expelled.

He then spent the rest of his summer holiday fretting over Theodore and anxious for school to start. The book lists arrived (Ron and Hermione were made Prefects) and Molly said she'd go to buy all their school things.

"Can't I come?" Harry asked, following her down the stairs. "I'd like to..."

"Oh, no." She shook her head. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"I would really like to go." Harry insisted. "Please..."

"No." She said more firmly. "You are not going, Harry. You are staying."

"But..."

"No!"

And then she had gone and Harry had no choice, but to stand there in the entrance hall seething.

Perhaps that was why he hadn't shown much remorse when he had watched her tackle the boggart, even when he had been one of the dead. Lupin and Sirius had comforted her, but Harry had stood there, quiet and trying hard to keep his features emotionless like Theodore did in such situations that he didn't know how to react. In the end, he had come off looking bored, he realized and he had left quickly before anyone had commented.

The following day several of the Order accompanied the group to King's Cross Station and Sirius saw Harry off in a godfatherly way, even if it was a bit cold.

Once on the train, Harry started to go looking for Theodore, but Hermione stopped him.

"Listen." She said seriously. "I know you're friends with Nott and all and I know we haven't ever really been nice to you, but I have to warn you to be careful. He's been with his family all summer without any contact with you. He might not be...who you remember."

Harry shrugged her off. "You don't know who he is, let alone who he could become."

And he continued his search. To his disgust, he finally found Theodore in the same compartment as Goyle and Crabbe, all three whose fathers were loyal Death Eaters. Harry hesitated and then moved on to sit in a compartment with Blaise and a couple of the Slytherin girls (Tracey and Millicent), whose surnames had not come up when Voldemort had mentioned his followers. The conversation here was dull, but finally interrupted by the worse thing that could have happened: Malfoy, now a prefect, had finally arrived with his bodyguards.

"Well, well, Potty." Malfoy spat, glaring down at Harry. Blaise looked away, not wanting to be involved, and Tracey made a mad dash, escaping out the side by Goyle. Millicent froze, eyes glued to Crabbe as if he would spare her from whatever Malfoy planned. "Seems you did dare to get on the train."

"Well, there aren't a lot of other ways to get to Hogwarts." Harry replied as calmly as he could. Inside, his heart was pounding so hard it hurt.

"I'm surprised the Ministry let you go." Draco changed tactics. "I wouldn't have, but Potty's always got to have Dumbledore treating him special. Of course, I doubt Dumbledore's going to be last long as Headmaster...I wonder what Potty will do then?"

"Bit of a poor attempt at an ill-intended moniker, don't you think, Draco." The new, much deeper and cold voice, like it had come from some secret dark and forboding cave from deep within the earth, wasn't one Harry recognized and he craned his neck to see who had spoken from the corridor, but he couldn't see past Goyle. "Shouldn't forget either the number one rule of Slytherin...nor should you forget what your father has told you..."

Malfoy gave a scoff, irritated, but without a retort and moved along his way, Goyle and Crabbe in tow.

Then Theodore walked into view.

He was incredibly taller than he had been the last time Harry had seen him and made Harry feel as if he hadn't grown at all. His hair, darker than before, was longer now too and held in a low ponytail by a green ribbon, but several strands still escaped to fall before his blue eyes. While he had grown up, he hadn't grown out much and retained his stringy appearance, which was enhanced by how his robes fell loosely about his frame. His long face had thinned over the summer, causing his cheekbones and chin to be more pronounced and his skin was paler than ever as if he had spent most of the summer days inside. Harry wouldn't have been surprised if he had.

Raising a long-fingered and spidery hand to brush at the strands in front of his face, Theodore's thin lips gave a twitch of a smile as he spoke, "Hello, Harry."

:D Short, but sweet.