DESPITE HOW MUCH Harry longed to go back to Hogwarts, his summer vacation ended far too quickly as after days of Quidditch matches, early morning breakfasts, and helping Freya with her delightful set of magical chores-the last day of summer was upon them.

"Harry James Potter, if you sigh one more time I will be forced to lay down on this couch and do nothing, for you are bumming me out," Freya told him as they set the dining table of the silverware for the dinner that night. She looked at him after a moment, "I mean, you can sigh again if you want to, I'll just have to follow through with what I said because I'm noble like that."

He laughed and she smiled, satisfied, as he shook his head putting down the last cups. "It's just been a really fun summer, you know?"

"Well, duh. You spent it with me…"

At sunset, after Mr. Weasley came home, Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous meal that included all of Harry's favorite things ("You've been living us for about a month and you're still the guest of honor," Freya mused, "But then again, you do add variety in this house of redheads…"), ending with a mouthwatering treacle pudding. Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks; the red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour. Finally, it was time for that last mug of hot chocolate and then bed.

"Sort of a peaceful night," Harry commented to Freya as they made their way upstairs for the night, him to Fred and George's room and her to hers.

"Yep, it's always a calm last night," Freya grinned at him, "Be prepared for the first- morning storm."

The confusion of what she said lasted for a short while for he fell asleep quickly and the answer to his unsaid questions were given as the morning began. Despite Mrs. Weasley waking them all up at dawn, there was much to do.

"I can't find my perfect badge! Fred and George did you-"

"Oh yeah, sorry Percy we were going to do something with it but forgot to do it-"

"FRED! GEORGE! Don't dilly dally-"

"Mum! Where's the brush!"

"Dad! Dad, chicken!"

Chicken? Harry looked up from towing his trunk in the car to see Mr. Weasley nearly break his neck as he crossed the yard to the car carrying Freya's trunk.

Getting out of the house, Harry realized, was difficult enough, but how were they going to fit all their trunks and bodies into such a small car?

It really should have been obvious that for the Weasleys, the answer to the impossible was always magic.

"Not a word to Molly," Mr. Weasley whispered to him smiling as he stretched the seats inside.

By the time all of them had piled into the car; all the boys in the back and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in the front with Freya in the middle of them, Ms. Weasley could look back to see all of them sitting with a startling amount of comfort space between them.

"Muggles do know more than you give them credit for!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed happily, facing the front again, "You would have never thought looking from the outside it could be so roomy!"

There were many stops and go's as it seemed almost every Weasley had to go back for something or another and by the time they got to the station, many tempers were running high.

"Okay, okay we made it!" Mr. Weasley spoke happily as he looked up at the clock anxiously, "Okay everyone, let's hurry now!"

"He says that like we weren't rushing before!" Fred muttered as he hurriedly rolled his trolley past passerby's.

"Okay okay, all of you in, all of you in!" Mrs. Weasley encouraged as the older boys went in first before she looked to Mr. Weasley, "Come on Arthur, we'll make sure to hurry the boys in and you two follow right after you hear!"

They nodded quickly and looked subtly away as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley disappeared past the wall.

"Come on, Harry, we've only got a minute!" Freya muttered hastily, eyeing the clock like her father had, "Ready?"

Harry made sure that Hedwig's cage was safely wedged on top of his trunk and wheeled his trolley around to face the barrier. He felt perfectly confident; this wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as using Floo powder. Both of them bent low over the handles of their trolleys and walked purposefully toward the barrier, gathering speed. A few feet away from it, they broke into a run and-

CRASH.

Both trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backward; Freya's trunk fell off with a loud thump, Harry was knocked off his feet, and Hedwig's cage bounced onto the shiny floor, and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly; people all around them stared and a guard nearby yelled, "What in blazes d'you think you're doing?"

"Not what I thought I'd be doing, that's for sure!" Freya replied with a jaunt grin, laughing it off until people looked away until she stopped altogether, turning to Harry wide-eyed as he ran to get Hedwig, muttering an apology to his owl. "Harry!"

"Why can't we get in?" Harry whispered to Freya.

"Like I'm supposed to know!" Freya looked around wildly as there was still onlookers gazing over at them and she winced, looking at something behind him. "Harry, the clock!"

Harry looked up at the giant clock with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Ten seconds... nine seconds…

He wheeled his trolley forward cautiously until it was right against the barrier and pushed with all his might. The metal remained solid.

Three seconds... two seconds... one second…

"It's gone," said Freya, sounding stunned. "The train's left. What if Mum and Dad can't get back through to us? Have you got any Muggle money?"

Harry gave a hollow laugh. "The Dursleys haven't given me pocket money for about six years."

They both fell into disgruntled silence, not knowing what to say with so many onlookers still looking at them as his owl continued to screech. Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Err, I guess we'll wait for your parents in the car. We're attracting too much attent-"

"The car!" Harry blinked as Freya whirled to him, bright-eyed as if he'd said something amazing. "Harry, the car! We'll fly the car to Hogwarts!"

After voicing some doubts that Freya reassured Harry finally decided, yes, the car was the best option.

The obvious option.

It wouldn't be until later that they'd both find out that flying a magic car to school wasn't the most brilliant plan in the world, but Harry would assume after time it had something to do with being a Weasley for the past several weeks.

After all, with the Weasley family, no matter how uncalled for-it all came back to a magical solution didn't it?

Draco Malfoy wandered the Hogwarts express, peeking his head into every compartment, searching.

I'm looking for Pansy, he told himself even after Pansy had found him first, five minutes into the trip.

I'm looking for Crabbe and Goyle, he told himself even after Crabbe and Goyle had been found where the Trolley Lady was, and he had told them he'd be at the compartment they said they'd be waiting in in just a minute.

I'm looking for the Slytherin Quidditch Captain for this year, he told himself until he found the quidditch captain and he solidified his spot on the team with an offhand remark about how his father like uniformed members and about the new brooms he knew his father would be willing to buy. He could get in by pure talent, he knew, but he had these outrageous doubts in his mind and he was scared to let down his father if something else were to happen during tryouts.

It wasn't until he found Will Granger sitting all alone in a compartment by himself and felt surprised and annoyance wash over him, that he realized he was trying to find Granger.

Granger, Potter, and Weasley.

And despite how silly it was; to be able to ridicule them first thing was the only somewhat acceptable reason he could grasp as to why.

"Don't tell me they've ditched you?" Will looked up from his book and scowled as he saw that Draco Malfoy was leaning against his open compartment door, looking surprised. "You mean they actually found some sense after all, Granger?"

"They didn't ditch me," Will frowned, feeling annoyed he even responded back to the pale blonde-haired idiot. "They just aren't here."

"Aren't here?" Draco blinked. "Where are they?"

Will blinked too because of the way the question was asked for there was no malice in the bully's tone. Instead, for a moment, Draco Malfoy stared at him with an expression as perplexed as Will felt at the predicament that Will was surprised into answering honestly. "Probably somewhere getting in trouble. You know how Harry and Freya are."

Their names seemed to bring Draco back to his regular self as the boy's eyes drew shutters and he became the Malfoy that Will knew as Will felt his own mood darken again as Malfoy scowled, "No, I do not know Weasley and Potter, but now that I do know they aren't here that at least answers the question on why I came onto this train feeling like something incredibly good was happening." Malfoy smirked, turning away. "Have fun being in here alone, Granger."

Malfoy shut the door and Will stared at the closed door for a moment before rolling his eyes. His friends were somewhere causing trouble, he was sure. And once he saw them again…

Will smiled.

He'd yell at them for sure, with Harry smiling sheepishly and Freya trying (and failing) to defend them as he did.

He couldn't wait.