Harry could hear muffled shouting coming from the direction of the kitchen. As he came down the stairs, the voices got clearer. He still could not hear the words being said â“ or shouted â“ but he was sure he recognised one of the disembodied voices as Asher.
Harry mentally rolled his eyes. He could guess who she was arguing with, though this seemed to be their loudest disagreement yet. Over the last week, Harry had noticed that Asher, who had seemed so easy going, did not get on with Charlie Weasley at all. But then again, he didnât seem to like her all that much either.
They, in an odd sort of way, reminded him of Ron and Hermione in an argument. The only difference was they werenât friends in the first place. If Charlie did something that annoyed the dark-haired woman, she didnât hesitate to tell him. And when Asher said something to the second oldest Weasley brother, he didnât hesitate to reply with a smart comment of his own.
Harry didnât understand it, but he was not going to be the one to stop them. They usually stopped arguing if someone said something, but resorted to ignoring each other for the next hour or so.
He shook his head and opened the kitchen door.
Asher was standing about a foot away from Charlie, hands clenched at her sides. She had to look almost straight up; he was about a foot taller than her. Harry was sure Charlieâs wide shoulders and muscular frame should have seemed intimidating compared to Asherâs small frame, but next to her murderous face and clenched fists, they seemed well matched.
ââ“the hell up!â she screeched, her eyes blazing and cheeks flushing bright pink.
âNo, I donât think I will. What is your problem? What did I do for you to bloody hate me so much?â he shouted, gesturing wildly.
âMy problem? Oh, thatâs rich, coming from the man who â“â
âHEY!â shouted Harry. They both turned to look at him with fire in their eyes. For a fleeting moment, he was sure they were going to turn on him. But they were interrupted by a soft chuckle from the doorway, and when the three of them turned to look, Molly Weasley stood there, smiling at what she presumed was some sort of inside joke.
That was another thing that confused Harry. Molly seemed to find Asher and Charlieâs arguing quite amusing. He rolled his eyes and walked across the kitchen to make some breakfast.
Molly, still smiling, grabbed her washing basket. Charlie mumbled something indistinct and stomped out of the room, while Asher cleared up a broken mug from the floor.
Twenty minutes later, Harry was sitting at the table talking to Asher (who was back to her normal, happy self) when Tonks walked into the room.
âWotcher, Harry, Asher!â she said with a smile. âSorry I couldnât talk last night, Harry, I was on night duty; it takes its toll.â
Harry had asked her if he could have a word in private to ask her about any information on Death Eaters, past and present.
âItâs okay. Could we go into the drawing room?â he said, standing up.
She gave him a curious look, and shared a glance with Asher. Most people in the Order had learned it was a waste of time questioning Harry, Ron, and Hermione about their âadventuresâ; the teens never gave anything away, except that they had to do whatever they were doing before anything else.
Once seated in the drawing room, Harry started to explain what they needed. âWe need information about all the Death Eaters. When I say all, I mean from the first war as well.â
Tonks stared at him for a second, then sighed and ran her hand through her pink spikes. âIâ“â She paused. âThat informationâŠitâs, well, not everyone can get to it. Itâs classified.â She stared at him for a second. âItâs really important, what youâre doing.â
It was a statement, not a question, but Harry answered her anyway. âYes. Nothing is more important.â
She stood and walked over to the window. Watching her so agitated, Harry realised that she must have been expecting something like this. But what he didnât understand was why she was so worried. Surely, being an Auror, Tonks had access to these sorts of things?
âLook, Harry, this is the wrap. When Scrimgeour came into office, he made security tighter; a lot tighter. Information is one of the most sought after things. Up to date information like the names and whereabouts of Death Eaters could be vital to Voldemort. Well, thatâs what the Minister thinks, anyway, and unfortunately, when you have that much power under your belt, what you say goes.
âHe made it harder for even Aurors to research certain things, past Death Eaters being one of them. I will try, Harry, I promise you that. I just have to be careful. Iâll talk to Kingsley; heâs higher ranking than me so it might be easier for him. Of course, if I get a job that requires some research, I could get what you want, easy as anything.â
Harry nodded. âThanks,â he said. âJustâŠif you donât get a job and Kingsley canât get the lists either, donât do anything â“â
âRash? Yes, I know and I wonât. Thatâs your job,â she grinned.
Harry pretended to be insulted and threw a pillow at her. She laughed and threw one back. When Harry was about to return fire, he heard something at the doorway. Apparently Tonks heard it too, and when she saw Remus there, smiling, she put on an innocent face and pointed a finger at Harry.
âBig bad Harryâs being mean to me!â she exclaimed. Harry shook his head inwardly at how she could change from serious Auror-Tonks to the Tonks that falls over umbrella stands in so little time.
âBig bad Harry?â Remus made a teasing, mock sympathetic noise, âDonât let him get to you, Nymphy.â
Harry burst out laughing at the look of shock and disgust on Tonksâ face. âNymphy?â she said, as if it pained her to say it. âThatâs almost as bad as full-blown Nymphadora!â
âWell, Nymphy,â Remus said mildly, âYou do insist on calling me RemeyâŠâ
âYes- but- I-â She seemed unable to get the words out and glared at Harry, who was still laughing. âThatâs not as bad as Nymphy! You make me sound like aâŠa fairy! And you should know I donât go strutting around like â“â She stopped as Remus burst out laughing as well. âOh touchĂ©, Mr Lupin, touchĂ©.â
*
The morning of the first of September dawned bleak and cloudy, making the whole world seem grey and depressed. Only the birds chirruping outside a first floor bedroom window showed signs of the summer that had passed all too quickly for Harryâs liking.
There was a loud knock at his door. Harry grumbled and burrowed into his pillow just as the door slammed open.
âHave either of you seen Crookshanks?â Hermione asked loudly. âYou boys need to wake up, weâll miss the train!â She received a grunt and a snore in reply. âGet up, or Iâll get Asher to give you a wake up call.â
Hermione smirked as the boys looked suddenly wide awake.
Harry and Ron arrived in the kitchen half-an-hour later, dressed and showered, but still bleary-eyed from the early wake-up call. Molly Weasley was at the cooker, watching over the bacon and sausages as they fried, and Asher was buttering some toast. Hermione was sitting at the table petting Crookshanks behind his ginger ears, and Ginny was next to her, slumped forward with her head resting on her arms.
Seconds after the boys sat down, the twins bounced into the room. They took one look at their sister, who seemed very reluctant to part with the dream world, and a devious glint lit their eyes. Before anyone could blink, they were crouched on either side of Ginny, their heads parallel to hers.
The twins shared an identical, evil smirk.
âMORNING GINNYKINS!â they bellowed jovially down her ears. With a scream, Ginny started violently and fell off her chair, landing on her backside on the cold stone floor. She looked up to see who had disturbed her, only to find the twins smiling innocently back.
She glared and jumped up, smacking her brothers on the back of their heads. âYou gits!â
âYou know, wee one â“â said Fred, rubbing his head where his sister had hit him.
âIt is very un-lady-like to use language like that,â finished George.
âThatâs enough, boys,â Molly admonished, her hands on her hips.
Ginny looked murderous, and Harry felt it was about time to step in. He took Ginny by her arms and led her back to her seat. She continued glaring at the twins, (who continued smirking despite their motherâs warning) muttering, âIâll give you un-lady-likeâŠâ
An hour and-a-half later, there was what some may call only slightly organised pandemonium inside number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron were rushing around the house trying to get some extremely last minute packing done, searching for lost items of clothing, homework, and pets.
Harry moved from room to room looking for his cauldron. He really had no idea how it managed to get anywhere but his trunk, but in this house, things seemed to just move of their own accord.
Coming out of the drawing room, Harry was nearly knocked off his feet by Asher, who had been rushing by in the direction of the kitchen.
âOh, sorry, Harry â“ didnât see you there. Have you seen my travelling cloak anywhere â“ the black one?â
Harry raised his eyebrows. âArenât all your clothes black?â
She paused and looked down at her black jeans and shirt. âYou make a good point,â she grinned. âWell⊠itâs black and has red silk lining.â
âUhâŠsorry, no. Have you seen a cauldron?â
âCauldron? I think there was one in the libraryâŠno idea what itâs doing there, though.â
âThanks, Asher,â he said, and ran up the stairs. It wasnât until he was back in his room (with cauldron in hand) that he realised something. Why was Asher looking for possessions as well?
âHarry!â exclaimed Ginny as she stomped through his doorway. âHave you seen Arnold?â she asked, referring to the purple pygmy-puff she got last year.
âNo, has he taken a bid for freedom?â
âYes he has, the little monsterâŠâ she mumbled and left him alone again. The currently empty portrait in the corner Harry knew to contain Phineas Nigellus snickered.
Harry ignored the canvas and reached to get Hedwigâs cage off the top of his wardrobe. Once it was down, Hedwig herself flew gracefully and silently down to Harry shoulder.
âHey, girl, you okay? I havenât been giving you much attention these past weeks, have I?â
She hooted and nipped at his ear affectionately.
âSo you forgive me then?â he smiled and looked into the amber orbs that were her eyes. She blinked and hopped on top of her cage.
He stroked her white feathers for a second, before locking her securely into the cage.
âReady for another year at Hogwarts?â
She clipped her beak, before hooting encouragingly.
*
Everyone was gathered in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. Charlie was sitting at the table, drinking from a chipped mug and talking to Remus. Hermione was attempting to get Crookshanks into his travelling basket, while Fred and George looked on with amusement. Mrs. Weasley was fussing over the teenagers, making sure they had everything packed, and Ginny was poking her fingers through the bars of (newly found) Arnoldâs cage.
Harry floated his trunk into the room and walked up next to Ginny. âHey,â he said, giving her a peck on the cheek. âYou found him, then?â
âYes, and only just in one piece,â she answered with a shake of the head. âI got to him about three seconds before Crookshanks. Poor little Arnold was hiding under my bed.â
Harry rolled his eyes. Ginny noticed this and smacked him on the arm âOw!â he exclaimed, rubbing his arm. âWhat was that for?â
âDonât be mean,â was all she said. He just shook his head.
Molly rushed up to them. âNow, are you sure you have everything, dears â“ all your robes, books, and equipment?â
âClean underwear, Ginny?â George quipped from the other side of the room. Ginny glared at him
Ginny glanced at Harry, who was fighting a laugh and blushed. âYes, mum, I have everything,â she said politely, and completely ignored her Georgeâs comment.
Mrs Weasley nodded, either ignoring or not noticing her daughterâs annoyance with her brother. âYou too, Harry?â
Harry smiled. âYes Molly.â
Ron walked in the room, dragging his trunk and a caged, squawking Pigwidgeon behind him. Mrs. Weasley glanced at the clock and realised they were behind schedule once again, and the cars werenât there yet.
Ten minutes later, Asher rushed into the room. âTheyâre here.â
*
Harry was sitting in the back of the first car, next to the window, with Ginny on his other side. Next to Ginny was Hermione, and Ron was next to her. Asher was sitting in the front, currently trying to make conversation with the driver, who seemed to be adamant in only giving her one-word answers.
Mrs. Weasley, Remus, Charlie, Fred, and George were in the other car. They had come to say goodbye at the platform. Even though Mr. Weasley had to work today, he had managed to get the cars for them. According to him, it was pure luck he had managed to get them, because no one wanted to take Muggle public transport; people thought it too dangerous.
Asher sighed in defeat. It seemed she had failed to get the driver to talk to her after all. She turned round to face the four passengers. âReady for another year at Hogwarts?â she asked, unknowingly repeating Harryâs question to Hedwig earlier that morning.
âI guess so,â Ginny shrugged.
âSchool will be okay, but I really could wait for the NEWTs,â Ron said, and Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
âTheyâre really not that bad,â Asher said. She chuckled at the boysâ unbelieving faces. âReally, as long as the professors arenât too bad and you donât get too far behind on your homework, youâll be fine.â
Ten minutes later, the cars stopped outside Kings Cross station in central London. Large, intimidating, grey clouds were overhead, threatening rain in the very near future.
âWotcher, Harry!â exclaimed Tonks as she approached. She wore hair a violent shade of electric blue today, along with a black Weird Sisters t-shirt and a pair of distressed and faded jeans. Kingsley came up behind her, gold earring glittering and looking, Harry thought, rather strange in a pinstriped Muggle business suit.
âMoodyâs waiting by the barrier for us,â he said in his deep, calm voice. âWe should get inside as quick as we can. Do you need any help with that, Asher?â
âNo, no, Iâm fine. Thanks, Kingsley,â she said as her petite frame heaved her large suitcase out of the boot of the car. It landed with a slam on the pavement.
Charlie, who had been watching her struggle, rolled his eyes and grabbed the handle. Asher glared at him and took the trunk from him. âI can manage, thank you.â
He sighed and let her take it from him. âWill you just grow up?â he mumbled, loud enough for Asher and everyone in the surrounding area to hear him.
She looked at him coolly. âWill you ever come up with a better insult? You sound like a broken record.â
She turned away and led the way towards platforms nine and ten.
Ginny raised her eyebrows at Harry. âAt least she didnât yell at him.â
*
âOh, please be careful this year, Harry dear.â
âI will, Molly,â Harry said as he struggled to breathe through her vice grip on him.
They had made it to the barrier at ten to eleven, so everyone was making rushed goodbyes and well wishes for the next year. Looking around the platform, Harry could see several Order members and Aurors scattered around watching people closely for any suspicious behaviour. With the constantly growing threat from Voldemort and his Death Eaters, the Ministry wasnât taking any chances. The Hogwarts Express could be used as a target, and according to Tonks, the board of governors had even considered organising a different method of getting the students back to school. But they had decided against this precaution. Voldemort was trying to make as much mayhem and disorder as he could, and the governors had decided that, by keeping some sort of normality, it would help keep people calm in such an out of control world.
Molly let Harry go and turned to her daughter. Harry found himself face to face with Remus. âSee you, Remus,â said Harry.
Lupin smiled and glanced around to make sure no one was listening to them. âIâll keep looking in the Blacksâ library for any information you might need. Keep in touch, Harry; Iâll write.â He hesitated for a second, before wrapping Harry in a friendly hug.
âBye,â Harry said. He turned to grab his case, but stopped as Remus put a hand on his shoulder.
He leaned forward with a gleam in his eye. âMake sure you have fun this year, Harry. Despite any prophecy, despite the task you have to achieve, you are still just seventeen years old. The world needs to stay positive at times like these. Keep up the Marauders name; make your dad and Sirius proud.â
Harry looked at Remus for a long second, hardly believing that his former professor had just said that. Grinning, he grabbed Hedwig and his trunk, before glancing at Lupin again.
âI will. Iâll make you proud too,â he said. He heard Remus chuckle and grinned. Just then, he turned to find himself facing three Weasley brothers, all with strange looks on their faces. For a second, Harry thought about extending his hand; they were just going to say goodbye and send him on his way.
How wrong he was.
âWe may not have said anything before now,â started Fred.
âBut we just want to let you know,â continued George, who, like his twin, had never looked more intimidating.
Charlie stepped forward and continued, âThat if you ever â“â
âEver,â repeated Fred.
âHurt our baby sister, youâll have us to deal with.â
Harry just stared at them, his mouth working furiously to find the words. Suddenly, something seemed to snap and all three smiled and clapped him on the back, making him stumble slightly.
George grinned at him. âBut donât worry yourself, Harry, as long as youâre good to her,â
âAnd keep your hands to yourself,â added Charlie.
âYouâll be fine. Youâre virtually family, but we still have to protect out baby sister, right?â
âWrong!â growled a voice from behind the three Weasley brothers. They paled visibly and turned to face Ginny. She had her hands on her hips and a dangerous look in her eyes. She grabbed Harryâs hand and dragged him away from the twins and Charlie.
âHow old do they think I am?â she muttered to herself.
Maybe he was pale, or had a worried look on his face, because she took one look at him and giggled. âDonât worry about it, Harry; youâre like family to them. Plus, theyâll have me to deal with if they ever do anything.â
Harry grinned and kissed her straight on the lips. When he pulled away, she looked at him with an impish grin. âWhat was that for?â she asked, taking his hand and pulling him back over to her family.
He shrugged. âI donât know, for just being you. Would you rather I stopped?â
âHah! Iâd like to see you try,â she said jokingly, fluttering her eyelashes.
âCome on, Harry, Ginny! We need to get your trunks on here!â Harry turned to see Asher standing in a doorway of the scarlet steam train. âRon and Hermione have already got a compartment. Theyâre sharing with another girl, Luna was her name, I think.â
Ginny smiled as she pulled her trunk onto the train. âYep, Luna. Which compartment?â
âItâs the third to the right,â said Asher, motioning with her arm. Ginny walked past Asher and started down the corridor. Harry was about to follow her when he remembered something from that morning.
âAre you starting your new job today?â he asked, and Asher smiled.
âYes, I am. But first, Iâm on guard here and for the rest of the journey to Hogwarts. No goodbyes yet,â she paused, and her eyes glazed slightly as if she were lost in memory. She shook her head slightly to clear it. âI donât like goodbyes, even now,â she said with a slightly embarrassed grin.
She stepped off the train and back onto the platform. Harry watched her start talking to Mr. Weasley. Asher was such a complex character at times. If you met her only once, she could come across as immature for her age. It was sometimes very hard to remember that she was the same age as Remus, and that she had been through war, loss, and hardships. But she had been, and occasionally you could see the ghosts of her past haunt her eyes, like just now.
âOi, Earth to Harry!â
Harry jumped, startled. He had been in his own world, staring into space for what could have been any amount of time.
âHuh?â He looked down at Ginny, whose eyebrows were raised in amusement. âOh. Yeah. Iâm going.â
As he walked over to the compartment, he wondered if this school year would end on a better note than the last.
*
Harry stared out the window, watching the English countryside whiz by and the rain pour. A strange half-light made it not dark enough for the lamps to turn on, but left everything looking dim and shadowy. He felt his eyelids start to droop, the hypnotic patter of the rain against the glass lulling him into that place between the worlds of sleep and awareness.
He was sitting in a compartment with Ginny, Neville, and Luna. After the train left the platform, Ron and Hermione had left for the prefects meeting and had yet to return. Ginny was already asleep on his shoulder. After weeks of sleeping in (as long as her mother let her), early mornings really didnât agree with her.
Lunaâs face was hidden behind the latest copy of The Quibbler, which bore the headline:
Britainâs ugliest witch or Secret Beauty?
When they had first taken their seats, Luna had glanced at Harry and Ginnyâs joined hands and said, âI told you. He canât keep his hands off you.â Then she went back to her magazine. Harry just stared at her with a gaping mouth and flushed cheeks as Ginny and Neville roared with laughter.
Neville was currently reading a book about rare herbs and fungi which his gran had given him for his birthday. Apparently, Professor Sprout had sent an owl to Mrs. Longbottom, showering her praise on Nevilleâs interest in Herbology. Sprout had written all about Nevilleâs breeding of the Mimbulus mimbletonia last year, and how his grades in Herbology were constantly so high. Neville said his gran had been so proud, especially after he had helped defend his school last June.
Ginny shifted in her sleep, and Harry glanced down at her sleeping face. Her face was so close he could count ever freckle on the bridge of her nose. She must have felt his gaze, because her eyes slowly flickered open and she looked up at him groggily.
âWhat are you looking at?â she yawned, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head.
âSomething pretty,â Harry said with a grin.
She chuckled. âArenât you a charmer?â
He smirked and was about to make a comment when the compartment door slid open to reveal a rather annoyed looking Hermione, and a Ron whose ears were turning red.
âReally, Ron, you could have said something. Youâre Head Boy; you have responsibilities,â she admonished as she sat down on a bench. âHi Neville, Luna, how were your summers?â
Neville opened his mouth, but was overridden by Ron, who had sat down beside Hermione despite the fact that they were having an argument. âI know I have responsibilities, Hermione, but you were doing just fine without my input. If I had interrupted, you would have been just as annoyed as you are now!â
âNo I would not.â Hermione folded her arms across her chest and huffed.
âYou only fight because you like each other.â Amused, Harry looked over at Luna, who was carefully folding her magazine, and then went on to stare from Hermione to Ron. âHave you two not told each other yet?â
Ginny was convulsing with silent giggles. She got hold of herself in just enough time to say, âYes, they have, though sometimes you wouldnât guess it by the amount of affection my brother dearest can give.â
Harry ginned. âOh, no, they certainly can show affection. I seem to remember a certain incident, inside a certain tent, on a certain bedâ“â
âHey!â Ron exclaimed, his ears burning.
Ginny looked highly interested. âOh really? And why wasnât I informed of this, ahem, display of affection?â
Hermione, by this time, had gone beet red. âGinny!â
Ginny burst into hysterical laughter from the look on the couples face. Harry looked across the compartment at Neville.
âAwkward moment?â Neville said with a laugh.
âAt the time, not so much for them, as they didnât even notice I was there.â
Hermione let out another annoyed huff, this time at Harry rather than Ron. âOh shut up.â
As Ginny wiped tears of mirth from her eyes, Luna looked at her with a completely serious look on her face. âYou should watch out, Ginny, I think thereâs a Sniggler around here.â Luna started looking carefully around the compartment, as if trying to catch a glimpse of some strange creature flying around the lamp shades.
The compartment door suddenly slid open again, and everyone turned to look at the doorway. Standing there, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, with the air of someone who feels theyâre much more important than anyone else, his already narrow, slanted eyes narrowing in dislike, Blaise Zabini looked down on them with a sneer.
âLook what we have here.â
âOh, how pathetic; it seems the Ferret has been replaced already,â shot Ginny, with contemptuous eyes.
âMalfoy was an idiot to get himself caught up in that Death Eater crap,â said Zabini, his eyes looking her up and down. Harry slid his arm around her waist, pulling her closer protectively. âI just came here to tell you something,â Zabini went on.
âWeâre not bothered about anything that comes out of your mouth, Zabini, so you can bugger off back to your Slytherin friends,â said Ron, glaring viciously, obviously not amused by the way he was looking at Ginny.
âShut it, Weasley.â Blaiseâs eyes stopped when they reached Harry. âI was just going to say, Iâd watch it Potter. You pick sides, you pick enemies. By going against You-Know-Who, youâve made some serious enemies. You shouldnât have taken sides.â
Harry didnât say anything for a long moment, mulling over what Blaise had just said. He looked straight into Blaise Zabiniâs eyes, only one thing about his little speech aggravating him.
âItâs Lord Voldemort.â
Zabini visibly flinched, despite trying to hide it. âYouâre a fool to speak his name.â
Harry had suddenly had enough; he stood. âAnd youâre a fool to think you can stay out of this war by not taking sides,â he scorned.
Blaise surveyed him with distasteful eyes for a long minute. âAt least Iâll get out of it alive.â And then he was gone, Crabbe and Goyle lumbering after him.
Harry stared after them for a second, still standing in the middle of the compartment, feeling like he had just been punched in the stomach. At least Iâll get out of it alive. He mentally shook himself and sat back down.
Ginny looked furious, her cheeks turning an ominous shade of red, ready to run straight after the Slytherin. âI swear to Merlin, I should have bat-bogeyed thatâ“â
âGinny,â Harry said, taking her hand and squeezing it. âItâs fine.â
âItâs bloody not, the stupidâ“â
âGinny, he doesnât know what heâs talking about. He thinks if he tries to keep his own skin out of it, he wonât be affected. I guess that in some way he is right, but there is no way in the world I could be such a coward to not go and fight.â
She smiled up at him. âAnd thatâs exactly why youâre in Gryffindor, not Slytherin.â
The rest of the train journey was uneventful. As they pulled into Hogsmede Station, the rain was still pouring. Harry pulled down his and Ginnyâs trunks from the rack, and as they were stepping through the doorway, they heard a muffled yelp, followed by a loud thump coming from the hallway.
âHey, watch it!â exclaimed Lavender Brown, stepping back from someone sitting on the floor. Lavender had apparently made the yelp and thumping noises. She stepped round the person on the floor, and a girl with dark brown hair and clear olive skin, wearing Slytherin robes came into Harryâs view. She looked around their age, and was wearing a great deal of dark makeup around her brown eyes. She had a nasty scowl on her face as she tried to pick up all the things that had spilled from her open trunk
She was blocking the corridor, so Hermione stepped forward, and Ron rolled his eyes at her. The girl glanced up as the Head Girl, a Gryffindor no less, started helping her collect her books and robes up.
When they were done and the girlâs trunk was shut, the Slytherin stood, and she seemed to notice Harry for the first time. She looked between Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione, and after several moments, seemed to make her mind up about something. She squared her shoulders, but as she opened her mouth to talk, another voice called from the end of the carriage.
âOi, Toni! Get a move on or weâll go without you!â
The girl, who was apparently called Toni, turned at the sound of the voice, and with one last glance at the four Gryffindors, turned and left the train.
When she was gone, Ron started leading them off the train, saying, âWhat was that all about?â Harry wrapped his cloak tighter around him. It was still raining and achingly cold; he was soaked to the skin and shivering in a matter of seconds
âI donât know. It looked like she had something to say,â said Hermione, raising her voice over the rushing weather.
âProbably something to do with what happened last year,â said Ginny in an annoyed tone.
âWho is she anyway? Tony did they say her name was?â asked Harry, as they reached the final carriage, which stood alone, its single Thestral staring at them with blank white eyes
Ginny looked over at him as they entered the carriage, dragging their trunks behind them. âToni Moretti. Sheâs in my year but a Slytherin. I donât think sheâs as bad as some of them, but she has to be in Slytherin for a reason.â
âWell, if what she wanted to say was so important, she should have just said it,â said Ron, as the carriage started moving.
Harry watched as the twinkling lights of Hogwarts got forever closer. The tallest tower, the astronomy tower, loomed above them to the east as they passed through the huge gates.
A blanket of respectful silence fell over the four teenagers as they all remembered what had happened that fateful night last year.
Harry started over at the base of the huge tower. In his mindâs eye he could still see Dumbledore laying there, broken. But Harry knew that right now, he was off on that next great adventure.
He will never be gone as long as those here remain loyal to him.
Harry stared over in the opposite direction, over to the black lake. He could just make out a white tomb, painted black by the night. He felt Ginny squeeze his hand as one single fact pierced his brain.
Harry was returning to Hogwarts.
A Hogwarts without Albus Dumbledore.
Author's Notes: Thanks to all my readers, especially those who are kind enough to review! Also, I have submitted a spin-off to this story - "How Long?". It is a one-shot, and ready for some reading + reviewing Love! If you have a spare moment, please, go check it out!