Chapter Fifty Six

Harry woke the next morning to a bright sunny day. He could see it streaming through the tops of the windows, filtered though the water. He wasn't sure he was ever going to get used to his dorm being underwater but he liked it, it was peaceful.

He dressed quickly with Draco and went to say goodbye to the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. They were all gathered in the Entrance fall and spilling out into the grounds.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted, "Over here!"

Harry and his friends pushed their way through the crowd.

"All ready to go home?" Neville asked.

"Yep." Harry smiled, "Pretty sure I've not forgotten anything this time. You?"

Neville grinned, "Can't find my little brother but apart from that I've got everything."

Harry smiled, "Pretty sure Thomas can find his way to the train by himself."

"He's a big boy now after all." Pansy laughed.

" 'Arry!"

He looked over to see Fleur Delacour hurrying over to them, he could just about see Hagrid helping to attached two of the large flying horses into their reins.

"We will see each uzzer again, I 'ope." Fleur said, holding out her hand for him to shake.

Harry took it and shook it warmly, "Yeah, I hope so too."

"I am 'oping to get a job 'ere, to improve my Eenglish." She said, smiling.

Harry grinned, "Still better than my French."

Fleur let out a light, tickly laugh, "Goodbye, 'Arry." she said, "It 'az been a pleazure meeting you."

"You too." Harry said.

Harry couldn't help but feel a little better after talking to her, watching her silver hair glow in the sunshine as she rushed down the grass to the carriage that was about to take off.

"Wonder how the Durmstrang students are getting back?" said Pansy.

Daphne shrugged, "I think they'll be OK. I never saw Karkaroff as the type to actually, you know, work. Let a lone steer a ship."

"Karkaroff did not steer." Krum said, coming over, "You are right there. He stayed in his cabin and let us do the vork." he looked over to Hermione, "Could I have a vord?"

Hermione smiled, blushed slightly and nodded, "Oh. Yes, of course."

"Ooo," Pansy and Daphne said together, grinning broadly.

They came back after a few minutes, Hermione tucking a bit of parchment into her pocket.

"I liked Diggory." Krum said, the other students that had sat with them also came over and nodded, "He vos alvays polite to me. Alvays. Even though I vos from Durmstrang, vith Karkaroff."

"Have you go a new headmaster yet? Or been any word about Karkaroff?" Draco asked.

Krum shrugged

"Ve have no news yet." Birgitta said.

"To be honest, Karkaroff did very little." Havelock said, "There vill be little difference vith him gone."

Agne stepped forward and held out her hand, "Ve vanted you to have this."

Harry reached out and took the small pin she was holding, it had a lion on it.

"The Lions of the North badge?" Harry said.

They nodded.

"I think, ve think, you have earned it." Viktor said, "You vere more than brave, you are a true varrior."

Harry took the badge gratefully, "Thank you." he pinned it to his robes and smiled.

The horse-less carriages were starting to arrive now. Harry looked at them and sighed; Thestrals. He should have known, Danica loved Thestrals, although thankfully she couldn't see them.

"Harry are you OK?" Neville asked, "You seem a bit somewhere else?"

Harry shook his head, "I'm fine. It's… it's Thestrals, they pull the carriages."

"Oh." Pansy said quietly, "That makes sense."

Harry nodded, "We'll see you again soon, I hope." He said to the Durmstrang students.

Krum nodded and shook his hand warmly, "I am in no doubt that ve vill meet again, Harry Potter."

The weather was still bright sunshine, without a cloud in the sky as the train chugged along through the countryside.

Harry felt a lot better since the leaving feast, it seemed to have cleared up a block in his head a bit, it wasn't so painful to talk about what happened any more.

The was happy to sit on the train with his friends, talking about everything and nothing. They had a big lunch from the lunch trolley. Harry was still thinking over the large bag of gold, a thousand Galleons was not to be sniffed at, but he didn't want it to be his any more, so used his own money to buy lunch.

"I'm surprised that we haven't had several interviews from Rita Skeeter yet." Neville said, "I can't believe that Dumbledore is going to be able to keep this quiet, not from her."

Hermione laughed, "Oh I haven't had the chance to tell you! I don't think that Rita will be writing much of anything for a while." she pulled out a glass jar, with a small hole poked in the lid, "Not unless she wants me to tell on her."

Harry looked forwards, the jar was filled with leaves and a few twigs, "What are you talking about?"

Pansy grinned at the jar, "Look closer."

Hermione pointed to a small bug, well it was more of a large bug, a beetle in fact, sat on a twig in the glass.

Harry looked closely, the markings matched those strange glasses that Rita Skeeter always wore.

"You turned her into a bug?" Draco asked, both shocked and impressed.

"No!" Hermione gasped, looking appalled.

"She's an unregistered Animagus?" Neville said, "Well I never!"

"Yep." Hermione grinned, "I caught her on a window still, listening in just before the third challenge. She can't turn back while she's in here. I've told her I'll let her go when I get home but she wont be writing anything any time soon." Hermione looked very pleased with herself.

"There are harsh penalties for not telling the Ministry if you're even trying to become an Animagus." Harry said, "Sirius was in so much trouble just after James died, he had a massive fine and it was in his record for five years. Would have been imprisoned as well, if the circumstances had been different. I think little Rita here will do whatever you want her too."

"You're sure she's no on the list?" Draco asked.

Hermione nodded, "Yep, I double checked. There are only nine registered in the last century. A couple are dead already, McGonagall, Pettigrew and Sirius obviously, and a couple of twins who turn into rabbits down in Cornwall. A seal up in Shetland and then another dog out Manchester way. No insects at all."

"You know, I think learning all that isn't as hard as people make out." Daphne said, "I mean if Pettigrew and Skeeter can learn it..."

Harry smirked, "I just think they don't want people learning it, the wrong people I mean."

They played a few rounds of wizard chess and Harry was reading his book when he saw the Weasley twins wonder past, looking rather upset.

Harry stood up and opened the door.

"You OK Harry?" Daphne asked.

Harry nodded, "Yeah. I'll be back in a minute." he said, grabbing his prize money.

"Hey, wait up!" Harry called.

Fred and George turned around and forced themselves to smile.

"Hi Harry." Fred said.

"Everything OK?" Harry asked, "You looked a bit down."

They sighed and nodded.

"Well no point hiding it now." George said, "Bagman played us. You remember we bet with Bagman at the Quidditch World Cup?"

Harry nodded.

"Well the git paid us in leprechaun gold." Fred hissed, "He took everything, all our savings. Turns out he's in deep trouble with goblins for his debts, he's got nothing to pay us with."

"Well that sucks." Harry said, "You should put in a formal complaint."

George sighed, "We can't. We'd been in as much trouble as he would be, gambling under age and all."

"Oh he tried to get it all back though." Fred snapped, "Oh yeah, he bet on you, against the goblins, I mean have you ever heard of something so stupid?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "So that's why he kept trying to help me, he wanted me to win even if he had to cheat to get me there."

George nodded.

"The real shitty thing is we were going to use that money," Fred said, "It was all planned out. We were going to use it for our joke shop."

Harry nodded, "I remember." he had a sudden thought, "Here." he handed them the money, "Have this, please."

Fred and George looked at him in shock.

"Harry, you can't be serious?" Fred said.

Harry nodded, "I am. Look I don't want the money, I don't need it and I don't want it one little bit. But you guys, you could use it. We're all going to need a few laughs in the days to come, and Cedric loved going to Zonk's in Hogsmead. It's a good way to remember him, don't you think?"

George nodded, "I don't know what to say."

Harry grinned, "Well I want free samples, when you've got them all sorted of course, I'm not about to be a guinea pig for you guys" he laughed.

"It's a deal." Fred said, shaking his hand.

Harry felt a lot happier now the money was gone, that it was going to be put to a good use, something a lot of people would get a lot of laughs out of it. The train pulled into the station and came to a stop.

Harry could already see Lily and Remus waiting for him out the window. He grabbed his bag and jumped out the carriage into their waiting arms.

"Wait for the train to stop fully before jumping out." Lily grinned, "It helps to minimise the braking of bones."

"Sorry Mum." Harry smirked, "Just happy to be back."

Rodolphus was standing, white faced on the platform. He looked over his children, not even touching them just waving his hand at them to follow.

"I see Bellatrix's motherly love has gone again." Harry sighed.

Lily nodded, "Not that those children seem to care much."

Harry shrugged, "Gemini and Rodolphus are rather like their parents but Corvus is all right, more like Draco, sort of… a bit."

Remus wrapped his arm around Harry, "Don't worry about that right now. Come on, you say bye to your friends and I'll grab your trunk and Hedwig."

Harry smiled and nodded. Hermione was with her parents, filling them in on the year.

"I'll see you in the holidays?" she asked.

Harry nodded eagerly, "Yeah. For sure. I'm sure mum would be happy to have you over."

Daphne was next, she was waiting to get their cat and owl with Astoria. She also promised to write and come to visit.

Neville was surrounded by his brothers and sisters, he'd managed to find Thomas once they were off the train.

"Wow, you two have grown!" Harry grinned, the twins were three now and looking very smart in matching white frilly dresses, Hallie in green ribbons and Hannah in purple.

"I'm so sorry Harry." Alice said, "We heard what happened."

Harry felt a knot in his stomach, "Yeah. Thank you."

Frank patted him on the back, "We'll see you over the summer? I'm sure Neville would enjoy your company."

Harry smiled, "That would be brilliant."

"We have to get going, sorry." Neville shrugged, "Dinner at grandmother's house."

Harry smirked, "Have fun."

"Bite me." Neville grinned.

Pansy and Draco were sitting at the back, as Petal collected their suitcases.

"Just found out, Mummy and Daddy got called into work yesterday, they're away for a week so I'm staying with Draco." Pansy sighed, "Stupid international issues, interrupting my holiday."

"I see William is waving at you." Harry grinned, pointing over to the side.

Pansy blushed slightly, "I should go and say goodbye." she said and skipped over to him.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Really?"

Harry took her seat and grinned, "Well, she's a very fine young lady."

Draco shifted, "Yeah but she… well he's older than us."

"Are you getting jealous?" Harry asked.

Draco leaned back and shook his head, "No. I just… she's like a sister to me. She could do better."

Harry laughed, "Well as someone with a sister I can tell you that no one will ever good enough. But he seems like a pretty good guy."

Draco smiled, "Yeah, you're right. I guess."

Harry stood up, "Right I should go, can't wait to see everyone. Mum said there is a big meeting thing going on at the house. See you soon?"

Draco nodded, "Of course."

Harry walked back to his family and took his mother's hand. He was too old to hold her hand really but there was something very comforting about it and that's what he needed right now. They stepped into the crowed disapparation point and wait for it to clear a little.

He felt his mother turn on the spot and they landed on the thick carpet in the hallway of Grimmauld place.

He was home.