Hi everyone,

Probably the longest chapter I have published so far. I hope you will enjoy it. The second year is about to begin.

HARRY IX

"Stand aside, my dear. I can at least prepare breakfast for your last morning here."

Harry accepted to distance himself from the oven. His mother took over the roasting of bacon and the preparation of pancakes.

"Eager to begin your new year?" she asked as he took place to the table.

"Yes. I must confess that I won't mind having my own dinners prepared for me for the rest of the year," he admitted.

His mother made two plates and put one in front of him. She was smiling. "I don't blame you. You're not a house-elf, after all." She sat as well and they began to eat. The mention of house-elves brought back something to his mind.

"Speaking of house-elves, did you learn anything about the one named Dobby?"

"I'm afraid not," his mother replied. "I noticed the Department of Regulation and Control for Magical Creatures, but they have no knowledge of a house-elf by the name of Dobby. He is not in their registers. Maybe that wasn't his real name. I'd say he must belong to a powerful and rich family of wizards. Many have one or a few domestic elves. It is a symbol of wealth to have an elf in your service. Judging by his behavior as you described it to me, he must not be very well treated by his masters."

Indeed, Harry was quite sure that whoever this Dobby served, they were not kind with him. And Dobby himself said he would have to punish himself for visiting Harry, like he did just for almost saying bad things about the family he worked for. The elf visited Harry while he was home, alone. His mother had been training at the Ministry of Magic the whole day. He came to Harry and warned him about a plot that would make horrible things happen at Hogwarts this year. He begged Harry to not go at Hogwarts. For Harry, though, it was out of the question. The elf must have spent almost an hour begging Harry, while refusing to say what would happen at the school. He must have hit himself against their walls, stuck his hands into doorframes and the oven about a dozen times while he was there. Harry almost felt sorry for how the elf hurt himself just for trying to say something he didn't have the right to say, but this also frustrated Harry as he wanted to know why an elf visited him at the price of so many self-inflicted injuries.

In the end, unable to convince Harry, Dobby had left by Apparition. This elf was very strange, but Harry felt he had really been trying to warn him about something. The only problem was that Dobby never told Harry what he was warning him about.

"Do you have any idea what he might have been talking about, when he said horrible things would happen in Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked his mother.

"No. I really don't know what he could mean. I only hope that he's wrong. You had more than enough problems last year. Now that the Philosopher's Stone is gone, I don't see what could make things worse this year."

She said it while eating the last of her bacon. Harry had to agree that he didn't see what could be worse than facing Voldemort in the dungeons of Hogwarts. Dobby told him that Voldemort was not involved this time. At the same time, he felt that whatever Dobby was trying to warn him about was real, at least in Dobby's eyes.

"And you, Mom? How is your second year in Auror training looking like?"

"Still a lot of theory, but with more emphasis on practice. I'll have to solicit the training rooms more than ever. The last term should involve work in the field, supervised by real Aurors."

"So you'll be going after real dark wizards?"

"I'm not sure. The Office does not have many dark wizards to hunt right now. It will be most likely on minor cases, to familiarize ourselves with procedures and the way Aurors work in the field. The third year will be the real test."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, I will. But what about you? You know that during this year, you'll have to choose optional subjects for next year. Have you begun to think about what you will choose?"

"Not really. I still have several months to think about it."

"Yes, indeed. Don't hesitate to ask your mother for advice though, when the time to choose comes."

Harry nodded. They continued to talk during their breakfast. Harry then went to prepare his luggage for the Hogwarts Express. He took special care of Hedwig and his Nimbus Two Thousand. One of the things that excited him the most about returning to Hogwarts was Quidditch. Gryffindor had lost the Quidditch Cup last year because Harry was in the infirmary for the final match against Ravenclaw. This year would be different. Harry had no intention of being stuck into the hospital wing of the castle for any game. He was also eager to see Ron and Hermione again. He hadn't seen them since they met on Diagon Alley a few weeks ago.

One of the advantages of the new home in which Harry lived with his mother was its proximity with King's Cross. They could walk to the station and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters instead of taking a car. In fact, her mother had gotten rid of her car, selling it before they moved last year. A car was more trouble than anything in the heart of London where they now lived.

Around ten o'clock, they made their final preparations to go. Half an hour later, they were standing in front of the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Harry rushed to it... and got through without problems. His mother followed. They were early, among the first to arrive, and Harry's mother allowed him to stay on the platform in order to wait for Hermione and Ron. Hermione and her parents arrived only ten minutes later.

"Harry!" They hugged, like every time they met after a long time. Hermione had come to stay at Harry's home for a week at the beginning of the summer vacations, and they also met on Diagon Alley, but it had been weeks since they saw each other now. She and Harry engaged into their own conversation while their parents were talking between them.

"I'm really excited about Defence Against the Dark Arts this year," Hermione told him.

"Really? Because I don't have very happy memories about Quirrell's class." This professor had been in fact the host of Voldemort's spirit this whole year.

"It's going to be different this year, Harry. I devoured Lockhart's books during summer." Harry had to admit he wasn't surprised. Hermione really did like this author, but Harry couldn't say the same. Since the little publicity stunt Lockhart made with him on Diagon Alley, he was quite annoyed by their new teacher, before the new year had even begun.

"Let's hope he's as good at teaching as for signing autographs," Harry commented.

"Harry, he wouldn't be signing so many autographs if he wasn't competent. And Dumbledore would not have chosen him if he wasn't the best candidate."

"I hope so," Harry commented.

They could hope. Only, he didn't share the same interest Mrs Weasley and Hermione gave to Gilderoy Lockhart. He had seen him trying to grab his mother's attention in Flourish and Blotts, only to end up stammering before his whole audience. His mother refused to confirm when he asked, but the little smile she tried to hide was enough confirmation for Harry that she was the one behind this.

The hour of departure was approaching and there was still no sign of the Weasleys. Harry and Hermione decided to find themselves a place in the last wagon of the train. They brought their luggage inside, then returned to the platform to wait for their friends. When only five minutes remained before eleven o'clock, they began to worry.

"Where are they?" Harry asked. "What are they doing?"

"Late, probably. Though I thought Ronald's parents were more punctual than he was. I mean, Percy is their son, after all," Hermione pointed out.

"They're surely going to be there soon."

"Harry, Hermione, you should climb into the train," his mother then told them.

"But Ron has not arrived yet."

"You'll be able to see each other in the train. When he arrives, I'll tell him where you are. Go on the train."

There was nothing to discuss. Hermione went to say goodbye to her parents. Harry was pulled into a tight embrace by his own mother who whispered into his ear.

"Stay away from trouble this year."

"Trouble? When have I been in trouble?" he said, eliciting the reaction he was looking for. His mother broke the embrace just enough to look at him straight in the face, their identic eyes meeting, a severe look on her face. But they ended up both laughing. She kissed him on the forehead and ruffled his hair like always.

"Enjoy your year. I'll see you for Christmas," she told him. She seemed to take his departure better than last year.

Harry and Hermione had barely settled into their compartment that they saw Ron and his family run to the train with very few minutes left. Harry and Hermione rushed to help him, Ginny and their brothers to get on the train before it was too late.

"Just in time," Ron declared as he got onto the train right when it started moving. He was the last of his family to get on.

Harry rushed to the window and waved his hand at his mother. He looked at her as she disappeared and she waved her own hand at him, smiling at him until she was no longer to be seen. He wouldn't see her for months. Her Auror training may not have given Harry as much time to spend with her as the previous summer, but he would miss her all the same.

They carried Ron's luggage towards their compartment, and they found Ginny on their path, standing in the middle of the corridor.

"Ginny, what are you still doing here?"

Harry almost regretted immediately to have asked the question himself. Ginny turned red on the spot, and she could only mumble something about all the other compartments being full.

"Come with us, then," Hermione said. "We are only three inside ours. There's more than enough space for you."

Ginny followed them, her face turned to the floor. Harry tried to help her place her luggage inside the compartment while not talking or looking at her. She might not feel embarrassed this way.

However, Ginny barely said anything after that. Hermione tried to engage the conversation with her but to no avail. She only spoke in whispers, and whenever Harry looked in her direction, she brought up her legs to hide her red face. Harry ended up talking about Quidditch with Ron. He didn't talk only about the season that would soon begin at Hogwarts, but also of the professional League Cup that had the thirteen best teams of England and Ireland competing against each other. Ron talked at length about the Chudley Cannons, his favourite team. Harry had not decided which team he supported, so he talked a little about all of them. Hermione started reading after a certain time, and she was joined by Ginny who also took a book from her things with Hermione's help. Ginny positioned one of her books from Lockhart that Harry had given to her on Diagon Alley in front of her face, hiding it. But Harry got the distinct feeling that she was looking at him over the pages, and that whenever he seemed to look away from Ron, she brought the book up to hide her face again. It made him a little uncomfortable, but he did his best to ignore it. He didn't want to cause more embarrassing scenes with Ron's little sister.

Around half past twelve, the candy trolley came near their compartment. Harry bought several sweets, Ron jumping on them. He tried to ask Ginny, as kindly as he could, if she wanted anything, but all he got for an answer was a little squeal. Luckily for him, Ron told him what she liked the most, and he bought a suite of Cauldron Cakes that he placed right next to her. Hermione took nothing. Her parents were dentists.

For the next two hours, they ate and continued to talk. Ginny hesitated before she took the Cauldron Cakes Harry had bought her, but in the end she did. She seemed to like it. She even smiled to Harry, her mouth surrounded by chocolate, but hid again behind her book as soon as he returned it.

Around two o'clock, Harry decided he wanted to stretch his legs a little. He went into the corridor and walked alongside it. Normally he would stay in the compartment for the whole trip, but he felt that he needed to be away from Ginny, even for only a moment. He thought it would be good for both of them. As if to give him reason, he heard her talking to Hermione only a few minutes after he left as he looked to the scrolling countryside outside the windows.

This was a beautiful day, the perfect day for a game of football, or Quidditch. Harry had enjoyed going back to the sport he practiced while living as a Muggle, but it didn't replace Quidditch. It would never be like it. There was a bump that shook the whole train and Harry grabbed a rod to avoid falling. He kept looking at the landscape, but then noticed something odd. He felt that his body was being pushed a little to the right. As he looked through the window, he slowly got the feeling that the train was slowing down. He looked around. In some compartments, some people were looking outside their windows, while in others they seemed oblivious to what was happening. Harry looked again through the window. There was no doubt, the speed of the train was decreasing. He didn't remember it ever happening in the six times he took the Hogwarts Express last year, not even in winter when it was snowing heavily.

Harry walked towards the head of the wagon. He looked through the porthole of the door separating their wagon from the next... But there was no other wagon. Well, there was one, but it was distancing their own. Harry watched it in horror as he saw the rest of the train increase the distance between them and their lone wagon kept slowing down.

He ran to the nearest compartment where Ron, Hermione and Ginny were and opened the sliding door. "We're detached!"

"What?" Ron asked, his mouth full of Bertie Bott's Beans.

"Our wagon. It's no longer connected to the rest of the train."

Hermione looked up from her book. "Harry, that's impossible. The wagons are kept together by magic. I read it in Hogwarts: A History."

Harry raged inside. Sometimes, Hermione relied way too much on books. "Well, come and look. You'll see that your book is quite wrong. Why do you think we're slowing down?"

Hermione, a skeptical look on her face, stood up. Still, she took a look outside, seeing they were barely advancing. When she looked back towards Harry, confusion was plain on her face. Once outside, she looked through the porthole, and even by this distance, it was clear that the rest of the Hogwarts Express was continuing its route without them.

"That can't be! We're separated from the train!" Hermione almost cried.

Both Ginny and Ron came outside and looked through the porthole. Ron's eyes grew wide as he opened his mouth in disbelief and let some beans fall on the ground. Ginny grew very pale.

A minute later, their wagon was motionless. They opened the door which ordinarily made the connection between two wagons, went down the stairs and set foot on the track. Far away, the Hogwarts Express continued its route without them. It wasn't long before they lost sight of it.

"I don't understand," Hermione whispered.

"What happened?" a voice shouted behind them.

The other students in the wagon had probably realized by now that something was wrong. They left the wagon one by one, looking all around them, wondering where they were and why their wagon was detached from the rest. Soon, they were talking so loudly that it became chaos.

Fred and George arrived. They had embarked on the same wagon as Ron and Ginny. Only Percy wasn't there since he went to the prefect's wagon.

"What's going on?" They seemed as clueless as the others were.

"I don't know. Our wagon just seems to have... detached," Harry said, feeling powerless. They were in the middle of nowhere, somewhere between Hogwarts and King's Cross, immobilized. Harry went to the connection, making its way through the crowd of students. There didn't seem to be anything unusual, aside from the obvious fact that it wasn't attached to another wagon.

"I don't understand," Hermione repeated. "That's impossible."

"Someone managed to release our wagon," Harry stated the obvious.

"Fred, George, don't tell me it's one of your jokes!"

Ron had spoken so loudly that everyone turned towards him, and especially towards Fred and George. Both raised both hands.

"Hey, wow, it's not our fault," they said together. Harry would have laughed had the situation not been so dire.

"Not your fault!" An older student from Slytherin, perhaps in his fifth or sixth year judging by his robes, came to stand in front of them and pointed the twins. "You're always causing trouble. What? You thought it would be funny to trap us on the track?"

People began mumbling, but Fred cut short to this. "Okay, first, if we wanted to leave someone on the track, we would arrange to not be blocked ourselves as well."

"Second, we would only do that to people we hate, like the Slytherins," George added. The boy who accused them turned red. "We wouldn't do that to a wagon full of first-years and with students from various houses. The Slytherins we hate the most are not even there."

"Third, it can't be us, because we can't separate the wagons," Fred concluded.

"Well, I'd say our situation proves the contrary," the Slytherin countered.

"No, you don't get it," George said, separating very well each syllable, as if he was talking to a child. "We can't separate the wagons."

"We tried two years ago," Fred explained. "The last wagon was only filled with Slytherins, so we tried to detach it, but it wouldn't. We tried everything, every spell we knew, every firecracker and explosive we could come up with. We even tried it the Muggle way, with our bare hands. It wouldn't let go. I'm telling you, it can't be us."

"Fred and George are right," Hermione jumped in. "The wagons are enchanted. Magic keep them together. We can no more detach them than we could bend a steel bar only with our hands."

"Then how do you explain this, Miss know-it-all?" the Slytherin guy said, pointing to the wagon.

Hermione had no answer to this.

"Well, no matter what, we're stopped," a Ravenclaw girl said. "Is there a way to make the wagon move until we reach Hogsmeade station?"

"No, it's magic that is too advances," Hermione stated. "Anyway, the wagons are enchanted as well. They cannot be moved by magic, only by the locomotive of the Hogwarts Express."

"If wagons can now be detached, I guess we can make them move," another Ravenclaw. "Come, everybody, let's try!"

Some of the students followed the fifth-year who just talked. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George remained where they were.

"They'll never succeed," Hermione stated as a matter of fact.

"Unless they have a year ahead of them to try," Fred said. "It's a wagon's train!"

"So what do we do now?" Ron asked. "I mean, how do we get to Hogwarts if we have no more train?"

"The best thing would be to send an owl to Professor McGonagall," Hermione answered. "Harry, you got Hedwig? She should be able to bring a message to Hogwarts quite quickly."

"Quite quickly?" Ron asked in disbelief. "How fast is an owl when compared to a train?"

"Much quicker than you think, Ronald. They use the high winds to fly more quickly. And unlike the Hogwarts Express, they don't have to turn all the time to circle obstacles of the nature."

"Perhaps, but Hedwig may only arrive at Hogwarts in the evening, with some chance perhaps an hour before the Hogwarts Express," Fred pointed.

"No matter what they try, it will take time for them to reach us," George continued. "We will miss the feast and the Sorting, for sure."

"But wait..." It was Ginny. She spoke for the first time since the wagon stopped. "If I'm not there for the Sorting, how will I get assigned to a house? Will I be forced to leave Hogwarts because no house chose me?"

Harry wasn't sure. He supposed that in these cases, they just needed to place the Sorting Hat on Ginny's head later, in another place than the Great Hall and not in front of all students, and it would choose a house for her. Ginny was panicking and Harry wished he could reassure her, but before he could try, Ron spoke.

"It's out of the question that we miss the feast. It only happens once every year!"

"We have no choice," Hermione said. "We need to wait for someone to come and find us. Perhaps someone on the train realized that the last wagon is missing. They could be here any minute now."

The twins looked at each other. "Willing to wait?" they asked each other in tandem. "That's what I thought."

They ran back to the wagon and climbed in it. Hermione turned to them. "The best thing is to wait. We send Hedwig to Hogwarts, and we wait for help to arrive. Anyway, what other options to we have? Walk along the track until we arrive to school?"

"I think Fred and George found a better way," Ron said.

The twins were indeed coming back, with their luggage and their broomsticks in hand. They attached their luggage to the broomsticks using a spell and mounted them. But they stayed on the ground.

"Who wants to make a trip on broomstick?"

Harry was sure that the four of them were looking at the twins in disbelief, but for various reasons. He also thought that other students were looking at them.

"Of course, why didn't I think about it before?" Ron said, sounding excited.

Harry had to admit that he found that exciting as well. A part of him found the idea of flying all the way to Hogwarts on a broomstick and to land at everyone's view in the park was quite enticing. However, there was another part of him, more rational, that was worried, and it was best voiced by Hermione when she spoke.

"Are you crazy?"

"Yes, we are!" Both twins replied in unison. "That's why it's a very good idea," George added.

"You can't be serious! There are probably a hundred miles, maybe more that separate us from Hogwarts."

"Which is why it's worth the journey," George stated, a huge smile on his lips.

"But you could get lost or be knocked off your broom by a bird or a huge gust of wind."

"We will follow the track, there's no risk for that. And if we can play a Quidditch match for hours without getting knocked off by Bludgers and Slytherins bums, it's not a little wind that's going to knock us off."

Harry had to agree. And there was more. "Uh, Hermione," he started slowly. "They're right. Before the Hogwarts Express entered service, students went to Hogwarts for centuries riding broomsticks and magical creatures. You told me yourself. It's in Hogwarts: A History."

Hermione stood agape at Harry. He thought she didn't appreciate him taking George and Fred's side.

"See, Herm," the twins said together, pointing at Harry as if he was an impartial judge in this matter.

"But... the Hogwarts Express was created because there were too many accidents with former means of transportation. That's why it is still being used today," she said with a desperate voice.

"Perhaps, but as you can see, we no longer have the Hogwarts Express," Ron said. "We just have a wagon, and judging by the efforts those idiots behind are doing, they'll be lucky to not be here at Christmas."

Indeed, the many spells other students had tried on the wagon didn't manage to make it advance by a single inch so far. It was still like a tree in a forest.

"As for me, I'm mounting with George," Ron declared, walking towards the wagon.

"You are?" George asked.

"Yes. I don't have my Shooting Star because I always borrow Harry's Nimbus when I want to fly. That means we have three brooms for six people. You two and Harry will need to take a passenger each."

Ron rushed into the wagon. The five who remained behind looked at each other. Finally, the twins shrugged and smiled. "Why not?" they said together.

"You want to fly to Hogwarts during hours, carrying two people and their luggage on brooms that were made for one person only? That is..." Hermione began.

"Crazy, we know," both Weasleys suggested.

"Ridiculous!" Hermione completed. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"At least, we won't miss the feast." Ron was back with his own things. "George."

"You forgot the magical word, little brother," George said.

Ron sighed. "Please."

George attached Ron's luggage with his own to the same broomstick. "Now, behind me, little brother, and you hang on tight to the broom."

"I know how to fly."

"We'll see."

George kicked the ground vigorously, and the Cleansweep went flying ahead with his two occupants and their luggage, much more quickly than Harry would have expected. He heard both Ron and Scabbers squealing. Harry was divided between laughing and worrying as George purposefully made his broomstick go in one direction and another, taking abrupt turns.

"Well, who wants to climb?" Fred asked.

Hermione didn't seem to know what to do anymore. Ginny, on her side, said nothing. She seemed as divided as Harry was. In the meantime, other students had come out from the wagon with their own broomsticks and were proceeding to attach their luggage and to fly too. Harry saw a student who had to be in his last year bringing with him two first-years. He also saw two other students around fifteen who forgot to attach their luggage and came back hurriedly to take them back. Two other students saw their trunks fall to the ground when they had reached a few meters and were forced to land to recover their belongings that scattered on the ground.

"I think most of the students are already leaving," Harry said, only stating the obvious.

Hermione sighed furiously. "Really? Okay. Okay! I'll come, but on one condition. We send Hedwig with a message explaining what happened and what we are doing. Does that work for anybody?"

No one dared to disapprove her. Harry accompanied Hermione to the wagon, Ginny following them behind. She wrote a letter that was maybe a little too long for Professor McGonagall. Harry attached the message to Hedwig and sent her in the sky as they emerged from the wagon with their trunks and other luggage. Now that he thought about it, it was better that Hedwig wasn't in her cage while he would fly to Hogwarts. She would certainly not have appreciated.

"You took your time," Fred pretended in such a way that it was obvious he wasn't serious. Hermione, however, wasn't in a mood for jokes.

"It's getting mad inside. Everyone is leaving," she lashed.

"See? You would have remained alone in an empty wagon if you had stayed."

"Everyone wouldn't be flying to Hogwarts if you had not gotten out your brooms."

"Someone else would have gotten the idea. We were just bright enough to have it first."

"Okay, Hermione, I need your help," Harry told her. "I don't know the spell to fix things to my broom."

Hermione approached his Nimbus. "Epoximise!" Hedwig's empty cage and his trunk attached themselves to the broom as if they were glued to it.

"Fine. I forgot about that spell."

"You didn't forget about it, Harry. It's your mother who showed it to me last year." His mother taught Hermione a spell? "In the dungeons, after the potions challenge. How do you think I managed to fly Ronald back to the third floor while he was unconscious?" she said, probably because of his questioning expression.

"Oh, I get it. Okay. So now, we just have to fix your stuff and..."

"We're not fixing my stuff to your broom. We're fixing Ginny's stuff. She's coming with you."

Harry was so surprised that he looked to Ginny. He thought that her face just invented a new shade of red.

"Hey, you hear that, Ginny? Your dreams are finally coming true," Fred laughed. Harry guessed Ginny's face probably invented a second new shade of red within a few seconds, but he didn't look to see it if that was the case.

"Hermione," he whispered, to make sure neither Fred nor Ginny would hear him, "you're really sure it's a good idea? Ginny can barely stay in a room where I am."

He didn't want to imagine what Mrs Weasley would do to him if Ginny fell from his Nimbus while he was driving it. Ron and Mr Weasley would probably kill him too, and they would have very good reasons to do so.

"She's not going with Fred. He's like his brother. He's going to do everything just to scare her. I trust you a hundred times more than I will ever trust him," Hermione snapped.

Strangely enough, he didn't feel touched at all by this show of trust. "She never mounted a broom. What will I do if..."

"All the more reasons for her to accompany you. You have a natural talent when it comes to flying. Fred doesn't."

"Hey, I heard you," Fred said, but Hermione ignored him.

"Ginny is coming with you. I've been handling Ronald Weasley for a whole year. I can handle his idiot of a brother."

She said the last sentence very loud and clear. The few students still around laughed as they also took flight. No one was left trying to make the wagon advance. Hermione fixed Ginny's trunk to Harry's that was already fixed to his broomstick, then she did the same with her own trunk but with Fred's broomstick.

Harry turned to Ginny, who hadn't moved this whole time. Hermione had already mounted Fred's broom.

"Okay, Ginny, come." Harry straddled his Nimbus as Fred and Hermione took flight.

"We see who's arriving at Hogwarts first," the Weasley brother said as he got farther.

Ginny hadn't moved. "Ginny, come."

They were the last on site. All the other students seemed to be gone. Harry looked away, hoping Ginny would be less shy. It seemed to work to a certain extent since she approached slowly and clumsily mounted the handle. Harry could feel the shaking of her hands reverberating on his own.

"You've never ridden a broom, Ginny?" He assumed not by her lack of answer. Perhaps the fact he looked over his shoulder when he spoke to her was for something in this. "Okay, listen to me carefully in this case. You must hold the handle..."

"I know how to control a broom."

Harry was almost surprised that she spoke, so much that he turned his entire body while staying on his broom. Ginny looked down. "You do?" he asked after a moment. To his relief, she answered.

"Yes," she stammered in the end. "I... I'm breaking into the broom shed and using my brothers' brooms. I've been doing it for years, early in the morning, or late in the evening, sometimes at night. Please don't tell them."

Harry never heard her say so many words before. At least, not when he was around and when she knew he was there. What surprised him more here was that Ginny was actually looking into his eyes, a begging expression plain on her face. Harry laughed.

"I promise. I won't tell them. So you know everything you must do? Ready?" She nodded. She looked ahead again. "Okay. Then off we go. At three. One... Two... Three..."

He kicked the ground, and his Nimbus began to take altitude. Harry found it slow first. He was used to his Nimbus Two Thousand getting high in the air very quickly, like an arrow. This time however, that was impossible. The additional weights that were Ginny and their luggage slowed it down. Harry had to push in order to reach the altitude he wanted.

He decided to stay at a lower altitude. He looked behind at Ginny, who luckily was staring under her feet, so they didn't make eye contact. She seemed to hold herself good enough for now. Her tight around the handle was firm. He noticed that she wasn't shaking anymore. Or perhaps it was just an impression due to the wind shaking the broom itself that caused him to not feel Ginny's shaking anymore. But looking at her hands, they seemed firm for now.

Harry returned his attention ahead of him. Due to the added weight, he soon found himself continuously raising his broomstick to keep the same altitude. He also needed to provide additional push when he tried to turn. It was as if the broomstick resisted his commands. For someone like Harry who was used to play Quidditch, and who expected a broomstick to be reactive, quick and easy to control, the situation didn't please him much. On the other side, he couldn't have left Ginny behind. And judging how Harry quickly outran several of the other students, he soon conceded that he and Ginny were far better off than the others.

He followed the track that was used by the Hogwarts Express. After a short while, he met with Fred and Hermione. Harry's Nimbus slowly got an advance on the Cleansweep.

"Hey, Fred. I hope you'll better perform when we face Slytherin in November," Harry shot at him.

"Let's hope the Golden Snitch is slow like a snail, or else you will never catch it at this speed," he retorted.

Both laughed. Harry saw Hermione roll her eyes in exasperation. He also heard another laugh, right behind him. It was small, short, but it was a laugh. He smiled, preferring not to look behind, or he might spoil the moment when Ginny laughed in his presence for the first time.

Despite the folly of what they were doing, it was impossible for Harry to not feel exhilarated in this moment. He was heading to Hogwarts on a broomstick with about fifty other students, like they did before the twentieth century. The wind was fresh, the sun was high in the sky. The landscape below and ahead of them was beautiful. As they began their flying journey to Hogwarts and he outran all the other students, including George and Ron, the latter demanding from his older brother that he accelerates, Harry wondered why they built the Hogwarts Express at all.

Harry found out about two hours later. The excitement of the start of the journey was gone. The wind that hit him left his cheeks and hands raw and insensitive. The landscape slowly turned repetitive and without interest. And the sun made his face sweaty. Maybe he had a sunburn. Being in the same position on a broom for so long also made him uncomfortable. It wasn't like playing Quidditch, where you changed direction all the time, avoided other players and Bludgers, and the captain could call a time out for players to get on the ground, if only for a minute. Travelling on a broom was a dull business.

"Ginny, are you alright?"

"Yes."

He asked the same question repeatedly, just to make sure everything was okay. Thankfully, Ginny seemed to be handling herself quite well. Harry thought that she was tired, but she seemed to not want to show it. When he asked her if she wanted to go on the ground just to stretch her legs, she refused, saying that she was fine all the time.

Harry had tried to start a conversation with her, but Ginny's answers always came short, and she never tried to ask him something. She wasn't comfortable about maintaining a conversation with him yet. So Harry focused on the track they were following. And then he saw it.

"Ginny, look to your left. The Hogwarts Express. We've found it."

The red steam engine and the wagons it carried couldn't be mistaken. Harry turned left. He could cut through the landscapes to reduce the distance he would travel when compared to the train. Within half an hour, he had reached its tail.

"Hey, Ginny. I'm going to lower down. I'll try to see why our wagon detached itself."

"Okay," she replied quickly.

"So, ready?"

"Yes."

"Going down."

Harry did it as slowly and progressively as possible. He approached the train as much as he could while not placing himself right behind it, in case it would brake, and not getting too low or they might be hit by tree branches. Giving up some altitude had the benefit of increasing their speed for a moment. However, Harry couldn't see anything from where he flew. They would need for the train to arrive at Hogsmeade first to look at how the last wagon might have gotten separated.

For a moment, Harry considered flying next to the windows of the wagons, to show everyone what he was doing and make them jealous while informing them that they were fine, but the landscape was morphing from empty plains to more dense forests. He would risk getting overthrown, he and Ginny, if he flew too low. He took some more altitude and continued to follow the train, getting closer and closer to the engine. When he outran it, an idea came to his mind.

"Want to be the first student to arrive to Hogwarts this year, Ginny?" he asked her.

She didn't answer. He looked over his shoulder. She finally looked at him a moment and nodded. Harry increased his speed just a little, still following the track, gaining a greater lead on the Hogwarts Express, inch by inch.

As Harry and Ginny slowly gained distance over the Hogwarts Express, the sun also slowly went down. It was beginning to get darker. As a Seeker, Harry had very good eyes, so he hoped he would manage to keep sight of the track for quite a long time. Surely they were not far from Hogsmeade now. He thought he recognized the landscape as the one when they approached the castle.

As if to prove him right, the castle soon became visible on the horizon, the thousand lights of its candles and oil lamps illuminating its facade in the developing obscurity.

"Look, Ginny. It's Hogwarts."

"It's so beautiful." No discomfort in her voice this time. Harry understood. He was agape the first time he looked at Hogwarts as well. He had forgotten almost everything else then. Ginny had almost forgotten for an instant that she was flying with him.

It wasn't long before Harry caught sight of the Hogsmeade station.

"We are there, Ginny. I'm dropping. Hold on."

He could feel her nodding behind his back. Harry couldn't say how glad he was to finally arrive at their destination. He slowly gave up altitude, running in circle around the station. They did it. They arrived before the Hogwarts Express. At the station, he distinguished very clearly the massive figure of Hagrid who was holding a huge lantern. He raised it in Harry's direction, as if it could help him better see in the coming darkness. It was only when Harry was about to land that he recognized him.

"Harry? What are you doing here? Why aren't you on the train?"

Harry didn't answer, preferring to focus on his landing. When there was barely a meter left between his feet and the ground, he warned Ginny.

"Landing, Ginny. Be careful with your legs."

And they landed. Maybe it was too abrupt. The trunks and cage they were carrying hit the ground with a loud sound. Harry let his broomstick fall to the ground and stretched. He put his hand on his back. He didn't remember it being so stiff in the past.

He looked at Ginny, who looked just as exhausted, but straightened up the moment he looked at her.

"Harry! What's the meaning of this? Why aren't you on the Hogwarts Express?" Hagrid asked again.

The giant man had just arrived next to them. "It's a long story, Hagrid."

"Long or not, it better be good. Because when Professor McGonagall..."

"Potter!" The voice of the Transfiguration teacher resonated through the station. She was out of breath and almost running. "So this is true! You really did it!"

She had a piece of paper in her hand. When she stopped in front of Harry, he recognized Hermione's writing.

"So Hedwig made it?" he asked.

"Yes, your owl brought this to me fifteen minutes ago. Is this true what Miss Granger is saying in that letter?"

"Yes, it's true. The wagon, and all of us who decided to fly to arrive here. It's all true."

"Are you out of your mind? You could have lost your way. Do you realize how dark it is?"

"Professor, it's not his fault." Harry was surprised again to hear Ginny. "We didn't know what to do. My brothers suggested that we take our brooms to fly here because we couldn't find a way to get the wagon moving, and everyone started leaving. We were the last to go."

She looked like when she snapped at Draco Malfoy on Diagon Alley. Only this time it was a Hogwarts teacher that she was almost yelling at. Professor McGonagall looked at her, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Who are you, young woman?"

Ginny then returned somewhat to her previous state, very shy. "Ginny. Ginny Weasley."

"Oh. Finally. I was wondering when the only girl among the Weasleys would arrive. Anyway, it doesn't matter. What you did was dangerous and imprudent."

"We followed the track, Professor. We were very careful," Harry said.

"And if you hadn't made it to Hogwarts before the night fell? What if you had gotten lost because you couldn't see the track anymore?"

Harry had to concede he hadn't thought about this. No one had thought about this. Even Hermione didn't raise this potential problem. And now she was, along with all the others, still far away. Harry had distanced them all. The sky was almost completely dark. How would they manage to reach the station?

"Look, Potter, you're going to the Great Hall right away. The Hogwarts Express will be there in about fifteen minutes. Your comrades will join you soon enough. As for you, Miss Weasley, you stay here with Hagrid. You still have to do the crossing of the lake," McGonagall said.

"Wait a minute," Hagrid said all of a sudden. "What is this all about? What's the story about the wagon?"

"I'll explain everything to you, Hagrid," McGonagall said before Harry could place a single word. "As for you, Potter, the Great Hall."

"But Professor... the others... I haven't seen them in a while. It was hours ago since I last saw them."

"He's right," Ginny added. "We flew so much faster than they did. How will they get here? My brothers..."

"Calm down, Miss Weasley," the Transfiguration teacher interrupted her. "Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick have already gone to find them all. They will make sure they arrive to Hogwarts safely. Now, Potter, the Great Hall. No lingering behind. Let your luggage here, people will take care of them."

Harry saw there was nothing to do or say here. He should feel good that he got out of this without making Gryffindor lose points or getting detention. Though maybe McGonagall was waiting for tomorrow to sever.

"I'll see you at the feast, Hagrid," he said to the gamekeeper. Hagrid waved his hand. He then turned to Ginny. "I'll see you at the Sorting."

She turned red once more. He guessed the time when she almost behaved normally in his presence was already over.

Harry headed for the road that led to Hogwarts. A line of a hundred stagecoaches was waiting. That must be how students who were not first-years travelled from the station to the castle. There were no mounts harnessed to them. Harry climbed into the first one. Maybe the horses would arrive later. But the coach advanced on its own as soon as he closed the door. It carried Harry along a mud path that went up. Harry felt very alone during the whole journey. He was excited when he landed at the station, at least relieved if only for his back, but now he was worried about Ron, Hermione, Fred and George. Would they find their way to Hogwarts in that darkness?

When the carriage stopped, Harry disembarked. He climbed the last steps leading to the castle, walked into the Entrance Hall, which was empty, and headed to the Great Hall. Harry never saw the castle so empty. Well, except when he, Ron and Hermione travelled through its corridors at night. They were lucky to never have been caught by Filch or a professor.

The Great Hall, however, was not empty. There was already someone there, sitting at Gryffindor's table, but he wasn't a student. He was an old man, tall and thin, with a silver beard and hair, and half-moon glasses. He wore a long robe with a purple cloak.

"You made quite the entry this year, Harry," Professor Dumbledore told him, looking over his shoulder. Harry didn't know what to do, but the Headmaster just smiled and stood up. "Do you realize how long it has been since I sat at this table?" He had a questioning look, as if he expected Harry to answer. "It's probably better that we both don't reply."

Harry didn't know what to do, or what to say. He was in the Great Hall, alone with Hogwarts' Headmaster, after he violated the rules of the school by flying to it. Well, did he really violate the rules? After all, this was a case where they were trapped with an unmoving wagon in the middle of nowhere. Surely there were exceptions for this kind of situation. Though he could already hear Hermione arguing against this.

"Why don't you sit, Harry? After all, you come back from a long trip, if I understood well."

Harry's answer surprised himself. "If you don't mind, Professor, I'd rather remain standing." He reached to his back, who still ached.

"Oh, the problem of travelling by broomstick on large distances. Well, you can wait, Harry. Your comrades will only start pouring into the Great Hall in about twenty minutes. Which gives us some time to discuss. I hope you'll forgive an old man for sitting. His legs are no longer as vigorous as your own."

Harry nodded. Dumbledore sat at Gryffindor's table, facing Harry. It was strange for him to have a teacher sitting in front of him while he stood, without a desk between them.

"Why don't you tell me what happened, Harry? On the track, and with your own words."

Harry told Dumbledore everything that happened, how the wagon mysteriously detached from the rest of the train and how they ended up stuck in the middle of nowhere, uncertain of what to do. How everyone ended up taking up their broomsticks and flying towards Hogwarts, two per broom. He told how he and Ginny managed to get there first.

"I guess you're one of the lucky students to own a Nimbus Two Thousand. It's probably the main reason why you and Miss Weasley arrived before all the others," Dumbledore declared at the end of his story. "And you didn't notice anything strange before or after the wagon was separated? Not even before you embarked on the train, or right when you arrived at the Hogsmeade station?"

"No, Professor."

Dumbledore seemed a little concerned. "Well, we must find out how this happened. For now, let's be relieved that you are here and safe. The other professors will make sure that the other students who fell behind reach Hogwarts safely. Though maybe some of them will not arrive before the next morning, if they are mounting broomsticks such as Shooting Stars."

Dumbledore had a small smile, and Harry couldn't stop himself from sharing it for a short time.

"Professor... Are you going to... punish us?" he asked.

He sighed and stood up. "Not tonight, Harry. There are about fifty students involved, and probably from the four houses. I'll discuss about it tomorrow with the Heads of all houses to decide what to do about it. In the meantime, we'll enjoy the feast. Now sit. Your comrades will be here very soon. And I suggest you put some solar cream on your face before you go to bed. It seems the sun burned you a little."

Dumbledore was right on both accounts. Harry felt the sunburns under his fingers when he touched his face. Harry barely sat down, and Dumbledore was back at the large table for professors when the rumors of discussions reached his ears. The first students from the Hogwarts Express must have got into the Entrance Hall. Only a minute later the first ones entered the Great Hall.

"Hey, look! That's him!"

Within moments, Harry was surrounded by students who asked him questions about how he arrived at Hogwarts by flying on a broomstick. They were not only Gryffindors. Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were just as eager to shake hands and ask him all kind of details on his journey. Even a few Slytherins came to congratulate him. Harry didn't enjoy all the attention he usually got, but for this time at least it was for something he did, not for who he was. The attention he gathered slowly dissipated as other survivors from this flying trip arrived. Each house hailed its own heroes, but Harry still had a few people who came to shake his hand and ask him a few questions there and there.

Finally, Ron and George arrived, obviously exhausted, though George still looked rather excited while Ron looked like Snape.

"I hate it. I never want to do it again," he told Harry as he sat down next to him.

Ron changed his mind a little after some Gryffindors came to congratulate him. It wasn't long before Fred and Hermione joined them. Hermione ignored all people who wanted to address her, but Fred and George were more than happy to share their story with everyone else. Lee Jordan, their friend who somehow happened to be in another wagon when they were separated, perfectly filled his role as a commentator.

The tables of all four Houses were soon filled, and the staff table as well, though judging by the absence of Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick, they were still helping those who arrived by broomstick. Harry guessed some had not made their way to Hogwarts yet.

"Welcome, everyone," Dumbledore said all of a sudden. He waited for the students to stay silent. "I just have an announcement to make before we start this new year. As most of you are probably already aware of, but I will tell you all the same just in case, some of our students decided to come to Hogwarts this year... by unconventional ways."

Harry felt scanned by the Headmaster's blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles, and he was sure all the other students who were concerned by this situation felt the same.

"Some of them haven't arrived yet. I just want to reassure you that they will be safe and ready for the first day of school tomorrow morning, though some of them might not arrive before the end of our feast. But we're not going to force you into fasting for this."

"Thank Merlin!" Ron said. "I'm starving."

"But before we fill our stomach, we are going to proceed with the Sorting Ceremony. I ask you to welcome our new students as if they were your brothers and sisters."

"Even Slytherins?" Fred and George asked together. Dumbledore either ignored or didn't hear them.

"Some of the new students might not have arrived yet due to complications on the Hogwarts Express," the Headmaster resumed. "They will be sorted later, before their first class tomorrow morning. For now, let's welcome those who have arrived."

The oak doors of the Great Hall opened. Professor McGonagall walked in with a long line of first-years behind her. Harry's seat was positioned in the central alley they took. He noticed Ginny among the group. Ron waved his hand at her, but she turned scarlet as soon as she saw Harry next to him, and she didn't reply.

"I thought a long journey with Harry would make her less shy," Fred commented.

Ginny didn't look in a much better state than her brothers or Hermione or anyone who came flying. She was always red with sunburns before she reddened even more. Professor McGonagall placed a stool with the Sorting Hat on it. Soon the Hat began to sing the praises of each House, like he did last year.

It was very different for Harry to hear it for the second time. The song was different, but he was no longer as fascinated or worried about the Hat as before. He didn't have to place it on his head, nor to worry about which House it would send him to. He cast a glance at the Slytherin House, thinking it was a good riddance. He was a Gryffindor, and he was proud to be one.

When the Hat was done singing, the whole Hall erupted in applauses. Then Professor McGonagall took a long scroll of parchment and began to call each student by his name to put the Hat on his head.

Like last year, the first student to put the Hat on his head was a girl who got sorted into Hufflepuff. Their table erupted in cheers. Hannah Abbott, the very student who was first sorted last year, welcomed her very warmly and the boy sat next to Hannah. There was a Ravenclaw, then another Hufflepuff, then a Slytherin. Gryffindor seemed to be left behind until a very small boy by the name of Colin Creevey climbed on the stool.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The first new Gryffindor was welcomed by very loud cheers which Harry joined. He sat next to Percy, who had once again decided to be in the position to welcome all new students as a Prefect.

First-years went one by one to put the Hat. Gryffindor had its fair share of new members, and so did Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Harry wanted to boo each time someone got sorted into Slytherin, like Fred and George did, but at the same time he felt pity for some of those children. Some were probably not aware of Slytherin's reputation or of how many dark wizards this House produced. A certain Colin Harper joined their ranks, and he was welcomed by Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Harry unquestionably hated the most among all. There was also a girl with blond hair whose gaze seemed to wander off all the time, Luna Lovegood, who kept staring at the ceiling in such a way that the Sorting Hat slipped to the floor the first time McGonagall put it on her head.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Still with an absent gaze, and in a strange walk, the girl went to her new House. The small crowd of first-years was thinning with each minute, with only two missing to the call, until finally only a single person was left before the stool.

"Weasley, Ginevra."

Professor McGonagall called the last name of the evening. Harry and the Weasleys looked attentively as Ginny shyly approached the stool, and sat uncomfortably on it. Maybe she had back pains from their journey, like Harry did. He was surprised to hear Ginny's real name. A few other students from the flying trip had entered the Great Hall in the meantime, sitting at the table of their respective Houses.

The Hat fell on Ginny's eyes. Harry thought it was a good thing. He felt himself relieved when he could no longer see people all staring at him.

They waited. Harry could feel the tension among the Weasleys. All of them, from Bill to Ron, had been selected into Gryffindor, and Harry knew they hoped that their sister would join them. He hoped she would get into Gryffindor as well. She would have her brothers this way, and furthermore, this would be a good way to end the Sorting, to have a Gryffindor, to the opposite of the previous year whose last student was Blaise Zabini, a Slytherin.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor seemed to explode, if only because of Harry and the Weasleys. Ginny, red again, out of joy this time, hopped to the Gryffindor table, and was hugged by all her brothers. She then sat to the table... and to find herself right in front of Harry. He wished she sat somewhere else.

Harry watched the stool and Hat being taken away, in the hope that looking somewhere else would make Ginny less uncomfortable. Dumbledore stood up.

"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. And it began in a way that we are certainly not about to forget." The flying students received pats on the shoulders by their comrades as the Headmaster said those words. It was as if Dumbledore himself found it quite funny. "Now, I can announce you that no corridor is forbidden of access this year, and there is no danger of death looming in any of them. I also want to welcome your new teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts, the Professor Gilderoy Lockhart."

Gilderoy Lockhart received quite the ovation from all the tables, especially from girls. Harry, who Hermione sat just next to, almost got his eardrums pierced by her screams. The ovation lasted far too long to Harry's taste.

Dumbledore reminded them that Hogsmeade was forbidden from access to all students under their third year, and that the Forbidden Forest was forbidden to all students, without exception. He also reminded them of all the forbidden objects inside the castle. When he was done enumerating the interdicts, he pronounced the words everyone was waiting for.

"Now, as our neighbors across the Channel say, Bon appétit!"

"Finally!"

Ron jumped on the chicken wings the moment food appeared in the plates previously empty. Ginny marveled at this sight. Harry remembered his astonishment at his first feast last year. He took some ribs along with fries and vegetables, and a chicken thigh. Hermione took a little less, and Ron took way more, as usual.

"I'm so eager to start the courses," Hermione said. "I wonder when our first class of Defence Against the Dark Arts will take place."

"I hope we will not get it at the very beginning or the very end of the week," Harry said. He could already feel that this course would be no better than last year, when he was given by a man who literally shared his head with Lord Voldemort. Harry preferred not to begin nor end his weeks with someone like Lockhart.

"It is true that students are more focused in the middle of the week," Hermione conceded, having clearly not understood why Harry wished that. "We don't have flying courses this year, so we may have some more time to dedicate to other subjects."

"Hermione, let us savor the food," Ron interrupted. "The term has not begun yet. It starts tomorrow."

"There's nothing wrong in getting prepared."

"She is right," Percy approved. "It is never too soon to prepare our classes. And it is certainly a more productive way to use our time than to fly between London and Hogwarts on broomsticks."

The eldest Weasley at the table had previously lectured Harry, his brothers and Hermione, and probably every other student who journeyed to Hogwarts the same way they did.

"It's not our fault that the wagon detached itself, Percy," Harry said.

"You should have stayed where you were and sent an owl. Help would have been sent your way immediately."

"Like what I said," Hermione pointed out.

"I don't think it was a bad idea." It was Ginny who spoke for the first time since she arrived at the table. "If Harry didn't fly me here, I would have missed the Sorting Ceremony."

She didn't turn red, she didn't stammer, and she didn't knock anything down. But that was because she was looking at Percy. The moment she turned back to her food and noticed Harry was looking at her, she spilled her pumpkin juice on her robe. Percy was kind enough to clean her with a spell, but she looked down at her plate for several minutes afterwards.

The feast was an event that Harry enjoyed quite a lot, like everyone else, but he was so tired from the journey that he was relieved when Dumbledore sent them all to bed. Harry still felt pain in his back. He hoped it would be gone by the morning. Ginny followed the first-years group led by Percy while Harry headed to the Gryffindor Tower with Ron and Hermione.

"I guess we already had our share of adventure this year," Ron said, stretching as they walked. Harry was definitely not alone to feel pain all over his body.

"Let's hope this is the only share we will get," Hermione added.

Harry was shared between the thrill of new adventures like the one they had tonight and the will to stay out of trouble. Despite his back pain, it had been exciting to fly all the way to Hogwarts on his Nimbus Two Thousand. However, when adventures involved facing Voldemort, this was another story. His mother clearly told him to stay out of trouble. And when he thought about what happened last year, when he saw her almost buried under a ceiling of marble, the last thing he wanted was for something like this to happen again. He didn't want his mother to risk her life for him once more. She had already done so when he was a baby, and again ten years later. He wouldn't let her endanger her life for him a third time. That was also why he never asked her what Voldemort meant when he said someone asked him to spare her. These were probably just lies, anyway, just another way to anger and destabilize both Harry and his mother.

When Harry slipped into his bed this night, following a brief party in the common room for those who arrived at Hogwarts on broomsticks tonight, he fell asleep almost immediately. He didn't dream that night. His second year at Hogwarts would begin on the morning, and he slept peacefully, thinking about how this new year would unfold.

I hope you liked my take on how they arrived at Hogwarts in this modified version. This is only the first of many changes to this second year.

Please review.

Next chapter: Ginny