Chapter Nine

Hermione sat at the dinning room table at Grimmauld place, making up several lists of subjects. Harry didn't see the point in worrying until the exam results arrived later that day but Hermione had been in panic mode since the moment she had arrived.

She's only been there for an hour but had already written to her parents twice and was worried about not getting a good enough grade in Potions.

"But if I do get top marks in Potions I wont be able to enter the Auror training program." Hermione fretted.

"You're not even sure that you want to become an Auror." Harry pointed out.

"There are other jobs that need Potions at N.E.W.T level." Hermione sniffed, chewing the end of her quill, "Oh gosh! That will be them!"

Harry looked behind him and saw two owls perched neatly on the windowsill. Lily walked over and let them in, taking the letters and handing them to Harry and Hermione.

"Good luck." Lily said, giving the shaking Hermione a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

Harry stared down at at the creamy coloured parchment envelope and tried to muster up some level of excitement or nervousness or something but there was nothing.

The world he was living in didn't seem to be revolving around exam results, he wasn't even sure he would make it out of school alive. So what was the point?

Hermione let out a happy sigh and beamed at him, "Well, Harry?"

Harry forced a smile and opened his envelope, "Good news I assume?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, very good."

"You sound disappointed." Harry picked up on a slight note hidden at the back of her voice.

"It's nothing." Hermione said, waving her hand.

Harry rolled his eyes and snatched her letter.

"No, Harry don't; I'm just being silly!" Hermione said, blushing.

Harry rolled his eyes; she was being silly but it was typical Hermione, "These are brilliant! All Outstandings with only one Exceeds Expectations in Defence Against the Dark Arts. I'd be very happy with this."

"I said I was being silly." Hermione said, snatching the letter back.

"Anyone was lucky to get above Troll after having Umbridge for a year." Harry reminded her, "I mean, it's not like you failed or anything."

Hermione nodded, "You're right. I… I could still go on to do the N.E.W.T."

Harry nodded and turned to his own exam results.

Harry James Potter has achieved:

Astronomy: A

Care of Magical Creatures: E

Charms: E

Defence Against the Dark Arts: O

Divination: P

Herbology: E

History of Magic: D

Potions: E

Transfiguration: E

Lily wandered in from the kitchen and read over Harry's shoulder.

"You should be very proud." Lily smiled, "We'll be challenging History of Magic though, and Divination. It's hardly your fault you had a fit in the middle of the exam."

"I didn't for Divination." Harry pointed out.

"You did see Mr Weasley being attacked though." Lily smiled, "Seems very Divination based to me."

Harry rolled his eyes, it was too much effort to argue and Lily wouldn't be happy until she had done the best she could for him after all.

Harry mostly was hugely disappointed with his Potions result. In many ways it was better than he had hoped but he had also really wanted to continue and get his N.E.W.T so that he could become an Auror but that dream was gone now, he would have needed an Outstanding.

"Will you be able to make all of your ideal classes?" Hermione asked, craning her neck to have a look at his letter.

Harry nodded, "Apart from Potions."

"That's a shame, but I'm glad you'll manage the rest." Hermione smiled.

Harry didn't bother asking Hermione if she could get into all of her classes, with her marks any teacher would be insane not to take her on.

He knew he should be happier, both for himself and for Hermione but it just wasn't there. No amount of good exam results were going to help him defeat Voldemort and that was all his mind seemed to focus on currently.

It wasn't long before a flurry of owls arrived, dropping of letters from Draco, Pansy, Neville and Daphne all asking how he did in his exams and telling him their results. Draco had nothing but Outstandings, Daphne's mirrored Hermione's but her Exceeds Expectations was in Divination. Neville and Pansy's were closer to Harry's results but without a single failing grade.

Harry felt a wave of guilt for failing History of Magic and Divination. He hadn't done his best, even with everything else that had been going on. He hoped that his mother would be able to raise the grades, at least up to Acceptable.

The next few weeks saw his friends come to visit often, Nikka coming alive again with work and training and Harry was even half looking forward to being back at school. His curiosity had grown over the special lessons that Dumbledore wanted to give him.

Remus had been round often. He was looking thinner than ever, his robes badly patched and torn in several places.

Harry felt sick to his stomach at the sight of him, the way he was being treated. Several new anti-werewolf pieces of legislation had been put out which made it impossible to get a job. He didn't understand what the big deal was; Remus was one of the kindest people he'd ever met. He just couldn't understand why an attack that happened as a child made people hate him so much.

Harry tried to empty his mind, the noises around him were happy enough. Draco was over as well as Hermione, he had turned up the night before, dramatically throwing the door open and declaring he just couldn't cope with 'them' any longer.

Petal had arrived, looking a little jumpy, with his bags and apologising for not giving any notice. Lily assured her and told her that it was no issue.

Petal had given her a half smile and nodded, thanking her again.

Harry had wanted to ask her what was wrong but she was gone before she'd even put a foot though the door.

"I'm planning on taking as many subjects as possible this year." Draco announced, giving Harry a nudge.

Harry smirked, reaching for a pillow and covering his face, "I will be ignoring you both for the foreseeable future. At least until you both have your classes organised."

"This is important Harry." Hermione chided, pulling the pillow from him, "Do you have a spare notebook?" she asked, looking around the mess that was Harry's bedroom.

Harry nodded and sat up, handing her the half finished list of subjects he was thinking about taking next year.

"Harry you should be far further along with this!" Hermione gasped, "You've not even changed your O.W.L grades from where your mother managed to get them raised."

Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed a pen, scribbling down the corrections. He now had nothing below an Acceptable.

"You don't seem very engaged with all this." Draco commented gently. They still hadn't completely gotten over Harry's outbursts last year.

Harry sighed, "I know, it's just… it's just, I'm not sure that I'll make it through school…"

"What are you talking about?" Draco frowned.

"Well, things are getting worse and the Ministry tried to kick me out last year." Harry pointed out.

"They are really sorry about that now though." Hermione reminded him.

Draco picked at a scrap of parchment, "Harry's right, it'll swing back. We should try and get through school though, which means we have to try as hard as we can while we can."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Yes, sir!"

Harry grumbled a little more, smiling all the time. He was very grateful to them really, he enjoyed their nagging and normality as everything else seemed to be falling apart.

After a few hours they had agreed that Harry would take Charms, Transfiguration and of course Defence Against the Dark Arts. He would also try and get into Potions, Draco and Hermione assured him it wouldn't be an issue to persuade either Severus or Slughorn.

Harry felt much more positive when, just a few days later his Hogwarts letter arrived, including a shiny badge informing him that he was now captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, making him equal to a prefect. It seemed like Dumbledore had completely given up on trying to make him invisible.

Harry felt like he'd barely gotten home from the horror of the Ministry at the beginning of the summer before he was sitting on Sirius's bed side, saying goodbye and he would come and see him again at Christmas, if not sooner… if he would only wake up.

"I don't mean to rush you but it's a quarter past ten and Mr Black is due his bed bath." a nurse said, knocking softly on the door, "I wouldn't want you to miss the train, either."

Harry nodded and tucked what would be the last picture for a while into Sirius's bedside table.

"I must say, this is one of the prettiest long stay rooms we've had." the nurse smiled, "You two have some real talent."

Harry and Danica thanked her before holding Lilly's hand and leaving the hospital.

The train station was more crowded than ever, with far more weepy mothers and snappy fathers than normal. Molly Weasley was sobbing into Ginny's hair, double checking with everyone in the Order that it would be safe for her children.

Harry avoided her, he couldn't deal with being fussed over right now. He spotted Neville talking to Draco and hurried over, Danica following close behind.

"Hi Harry." Neville grinned, "We need to find another carriage, a bigger one." he pointed to Matthew, Neville's brother.

"You're coming too this year?" Harry smiled, "Gods, time flies!"

The small, ashy haired boy nodded; he'd always been the shiest of the three Longbottom brothers and could of passed for someone Danica's age.

He looked up to Neville and smiled, "You don't need a bigger carriage; I'm going to go sit with the other first years."

Neville rolled his eyes.

"Too cool to sit with us apparently." Draco remarked with a raised eyebrow, "Well, I never."

"It's good he's making friends." Neville shrugged, "Friends who aren't currently under house arrest hopefully." he glared over to where the Lestranges were already sitting in a carriage; two Aurors were standing by the door having already warded the door against letters or anyone else entering.

"Corvus isn't so bad." Draco sighed, "Can't say the same for the other two."

"I don't envy you being stuck in the same house with them all summer." Harry nodded.

Gemini was glaring at him from her carriage window, Harry shivered, someone walking over his grave.

"Something happened…" Draco told them, little more than a whisper, "She'd been acting like a crazy person for weeks and then… she just changed, she was more together and… it's like she's been planning or something."

Harry felt himself panic for a moment before taking a very deep breath, "I think… well, they were never going to give up were they? But they're just kids, so if they can't get in touch with their folks…"

Neville shrugged, "We're just kids though."

Harry laughed, he couldn't help it. He hadn't felt like just a kid in years, so the idea of someone, of most people really, looking at him like just a kid was hilarious.

"Hurry up you three!" Daphne called over from the other side of the platform, "Hermione and I have found you all a seat but you kinda need to sit in them!"

Harry made sure that he still had a tight hold of Danica's hand and fought his way back through the crowds to his mother.

A rather breathless Nikka rushed over and gave him a huge hug, "Sorry I'm late, I had to sneak out of the office to get here; we're stretched so thin."

"You're not going to get into trouble, are you?" Danica asked, looking up at her wide eyed.

Nikka shook her head, "Nope. Tonks is covering for me and I'll be back in a jiffy."

Harry smiled; he was very glad to see her, however briefly.

She gave him another hug and tried to smooth his hair, "Look after yourself Harry, and I'll see you at Christmas?"

"Yeah of course." Harry nodded so vigorously his head hurt.

"You'd better get on the train, I have to go anyway. See you later Lily." Nikka smiled waving goodbye before disappearing into the crowds.

Harry said goodbye to his mother and Remus, who was getting several dirty looks from various parents. Danica begged to be allowed to go to school as well even though she knew she was too young.

Lily held him tight, waiting until the last moment to let go of him and let him board the train.

"Look after yourself, I mean it!" Lily told him.

Harry nodded, waving goodbye until his family was nothing more than a speck in the distance.