Chapter 21: Magical Barriers and Flying CarsChapter TextHarry had to admit he was excited about going back to Hogwarts. He was eager to go on the start of the school year train ride. He also looked forward to taking his Nimbus 2000 for a flight as well. He would probably have to remind himself a number of times you weren't allowed to fly brooms in the halls.
The end of summer had been pleasant enough. He actually went on another trip to Diagon Alley. Hermione came again, while once more using the Knight Bus. Tracey joined them this time and brought with her a 'reluctant' Pansy. It was actually an enjoyable time for them all, even if Pansy acted like she was acting like it was fun for her.
One thing Harry really enjoyed was going to a crowd free Flourish and Blotts. There weren't any book signings by future foolish Defense Professors. No lines you had to maneuver around just to get inside. This trip they had plenty of time to look at the store. It was actually the main stop on their trip.
While at the store, Harry found a book that seemed to be a continuation of the one he got last year, but never got around to reading fully. He didn't see it as his fault. Magic was new to him and fascinating. The book was more advanced stuff anyways, but he did try the meditation exercises from time to time.
Harry got that book as a future investment. He really needed to up his magic game. He was far behind where someone like Voldemort probably was at his age. He did not want to just barely scrape by, if even that, against the Dark Lord once he returned. Harry wasn't foolish. He knew it was only a matter of time before Voldemort returned. Harry wanted to be as ready as possible when the time came.
There was something unfortunate about his returning to Hogwarts. Harry couldn't get there as early as he would like this year. Things were busy with the Knights and it was a tight schedule just dropping Harry off at the train station. "Maybe next time I'll try the bus Hermione always seems to take, " Harry thought to himself as he rode to the station.
[-] [-] [-]
"Harry!" Hermione said as she gave him a hug once she saw him. They hadn't even passed through the barrier yet. She was happy to find him so soon.
"Well. Didn't expect to meet you again so soon," Harry joked with a grin.
"Happy chances, right?" Hermione asked with a smile of her own.
Before Harry could answer, they were greeted again, "Hey you guys!" Hannah said with a bright smile.
"Hannah?" Harry asked in surprise. She wasn't carrying her trunk or anything. She was also alone.
"What are you doing out here?" Hermione asked her fellow Puff.
"I was waiting for you two. Susan grabbed us a spot on the train towards the back. We got here early so I figured I might as well wait and lead you both to our compartment," Hannah said.
"It is good to see you again. And that was a pretty good idea. We don't have to check every compartment now," Hermione said.
"I'm actually surprised to see you here without your parents, Hermione," Hannah said.
"I was just about to ask the same thing," Harry added.
Hermione gave a sigh. "An emergency popped up at their workplace today. At first, it was just going to be my dad who took care of it, but then it turned out to require them both," Hermione explained.
"How did you get here then?" Hannah asked.
"I took the Knight Bus," Hermione answered simply. She then cocked her head to the side in thought and added, "Huh. I think I'm getting used to it." Hermione frowned to herself as she concluded, "I'm not sure if that's a good thing…"
Hannah couldn't help but giggle to that.
"As long as it doesn't become your preferred method of travel, I think you'll be okay," Harry said with a chuckle.
"Agreed. It is very quick and very convenient, but boy is it uncomfortable and definitely a wizard kind of thing," Hermione answered with a giggle of her own.
"Well then. Let's get going! I'm sure Susan's feeling lonely about now," Hannah said urging them forward.
"Alright," Harry said as he took the lead towards the barrier. He was ready to pass through when suddenly he was jolted as his cart came to a dead stop right in front of the wall. "That's odd…" Harry said.
"What is?" Hannah asked.
"The barrier's closed…" Harry said perplexed.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him before placing her hand on the wall where the entry should have been. "So, it seems…" she said as her hand touched cold and solid stone.
"Really? You think I was making that up?" Harry asked her with a raised eyebrow.
"You never know…" Hermione replied with a cute blush as she looked to the side.
"I just came through it though," Hannah said as she too touched it with her own hand. Harry didn't bother her about triple checking him. Hermione wasn't sure what to make of that.
Harry looked to his watch and frowned. "We still have time," he said. They weren't late or anything. It was kind of close, but they knew the barrier didn't actually seal until after the train departed and only the workers were left on the platform.
The group tried a few different methods of going through the barrier. They even all three pulled out their wands and poked the wall randomly. "Maybe poking unknown magic with our wands… isn't the best idea," Hermione said after a moment with a nervous gulp.
The three stopped. Hannah blushed and suddenly found a strand of her hair extra interesting. Harry cleared his throat and acted like he hadn't just done what was possibly the stupidest thing to do with unknown magic.
"What's going on here?" a woman asked from behind them.
The three turned to the voice and were greeted with the sight of the Weasley family in full force.
"Harry?" Ron asked in question.
"Hey, Ron. The barrier isn't working," Harry told them as he pointed to the wall.
"Why's that?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged his shoulders in reply.
"Oh no! I don't want to miss the train!" a girl's voice said.
Harry looked to the youngest of the family and only daughter. "You must be Ginny. Ron's mentioned you a couple of times. It's your first year, right?" he asked.
Ginny's face turned as red as her hair and she nodded. She then nervously tried to hide behind Ron.
Ron looked to his sister with a raised eyebrow. "What's gotten into you?" he asked her. "Usually you never shut-up. Let alone act all shy like this."
"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about…" Ginny said as she made of point of not looking at her brother.
Ron shook his head and decided Ginny was mental, as were all girls.
"Ronald… Don't be like that to your sister on her first day," Mrs. Weasley scolded him.
"Hmmmm…" Fred interrupted before Ron could retort and probably stick his foot in his mouth again.
"Yes… Very serious…" George said giving an exaggerated thoughtful nod.
"Indeed, my less than handsome half," Fred said.
"Fred… Now is not the time. But we all know I'm better looking," George said.
"The barrier is indeed stuck…" Fred said as if he made some amazing deduction.
"I think we actually have the answer to this problem," George said with a mischievous grin. Mrs. Weasley was looking backwards trying to locate her husband and Percy and missed their shared looks. If she had seen them, she would not have been pleased.
"You two can really fix it?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Ron… Ronald… Bilius. Buddy," Fred started.
"Why you got to go and say my middle name," Ron grumbled while looking angry.
Hannah couldn't help but giggle at hearing Ron's middle name.
Ron frowned deeper.
Harry was impressed he hadn't laughed. He was also impressed Hermione only managed not to giggle because she placed a hand over her mouth to stifle it.
"Because, our unfortunate younger brother of debatable intelligence… You doubt us. Have some faith in your wonderful older brothers," George said.
"Wonderful my foot…" Ron grumbled.
"Nevertheless… We have a solution!" Fred said.
"Yes indeed," George replied.
Both of the twins pulled something out of their pockets. "We have never come across a problem dung bombs can't solve!" they said together as they held them up high. All of the gathered Hogwarts students looked to them horrified.
"George! Fred! You are not about to just do what I think you are going to do…" Mrs. Weasley shouted in warning.
The twins quickly put their tools of choice away and hummed innocently. "We have no idea what you're talking about, mother dearest," they said in unison with far too innocent voices.
Mrs. Weasley was about to rip into them, but they were saved by the arrival of Mr. Weasley and Percy. "What's going on here?" Mr. Weasley asked brightly as Percy gave the twins a look. He heard the tail end of their mother's shout.
"Barrier's stuck," Fred answered.
"George and I checked it just to be sure," George added.
"Let me have a look then," Mr. Weasley said as he moved forward. The father of the Weasley family brought out his wand and waved it over where the barrier was. "Interesting…" he said to himself.
He stepped a little closer and waved his wand while saying a spell the kids didn't recognize. A white misty weasel was floating in front of him as he said something to it. The misty creature then popped away. "Help should be on the way," Mr. Weasley told them all.
Hermione, Harry, and Hannah were in shock seeing the magic he just did in the middle of the station. "You just did magic in the middle of a muggle train station?!" Hermione asked in a mix of awe and worry.
"Ahh. That. No worries. The barrier actually forms a bubble of sorts. No muggle noticed and it was essentially cloaked by the barrier so no Ministry rules were broken," he said.
"A bubble? Why?" Harry asked.
Mr. Weasley smiled. "If it was just flat against the wall, then the slight magic discharge from people passing through it would be noticed, or at the very least raw magic would escape into the train station... This place really is so fascinating. How on Earth did Muggles build it!" he said as he started looking around.
"Arthur! What is going on here?!" a new voice asked as Professor McGonagall approached them quickly.
"Oh. I didn't expect you to answer," Mr. Weasley started a little nervously.
"I should think it obvious with such a message!" The Deputy Head said. Mrs. Weasley gave her husband a look which made it clear they would be discussing this matter later.
"Well… it is kind of an emergency. The barrier's acting up," he said in his defense.
"Is it now?" Professor McGonagall asked in surprise. She no longer seemed angry with Mr. Weasley so he thought he was safe.
"Yes. House Elf magic possibly... I didn't want to examine further given it is technically in Hogwarts' jurisdiction," he said.
"Then it was right you called me. Next time though… Don't make it sound as if You-Know-Who arose again," Professor McGonagall said.
"I wasn't that bad… I was just excited by how curious it was," Mr. Weasley defended himself.
Professor McGonagall heard none of it. She was busy looking over the barrier herself. She gave a nod after a moment and started moving her wand in motion. She let out a stream of incantations unheard by the others.
Suddenly there was a light blue flash. "That should do it. I told the train to wait for you all. Enjoy the ride," she said while waiting for them to pass through. She wanted to make sure nothing else happened.
Harry gave the still blushing and very shy Ginny a smile as he said, "Looks like you'll get to enjoy your first Hogwarts Express ride after all."
Ginny smiled and giggled in happiness. "Thank you," she mumbled out to him.
Harry didn't get why she was thanking him. He also found it curious both Hermione and Hannah seemed to step in closer to him. It was as if they were getting ready to protect him from something. Whatever the case may be, he was just glad they would get to enjoy the train ride as well.
Harry also had a feeling he knew who was responsible for the barrier acting up.
"Too bad it was easily fixed. Would have been cool if we had to like, take the flying car to school instead," Ron said to Ginny who nodded in agreement.
His comment was unfortunately overheard by others.
"Flying car?! Is that so, Arthur…" Professor McGonagall said severely while looking to the man.
Arthur gave a nervous laugh and smile in response.
"I knew this would happen someday…" Mrs. Weasley sighed with a shake of her head as the kids all walked through to Platform 9 ¾.
[-] [-] [-]
Hannah led both Hermione and Harry to the compartment she and Susan saved. After a quick round of greetings, they settled in for the ride. "That whole thing was weird," Hannah commented after they recounted it to Susan.
"Yes, it was… Mr. Weasley spoke of House Elf magic being used as well," Hermione started.
"I think I know who it was," Harry said surprising them all.
"How?" Hermione asked.
"I was going to mention it later once we were all in our dorm. I actually had a house elf visit me over the summer. He couldn't say what family he belonged to. I was careful when talking to him. His name was Dobby," Harry said.
"What was a house elf doing visiting you?" Susan asked in surprise.
"He didn't want me returning to Hogwarts. He wouldn't say what it was, but was carrying on about some kind of danger. I asked as much as I could and dared. He wasn't even sure how dangerous it would be compared to what we faced last year, but was certain it was really bad," Harry said.
Hermione frowned. She kind of understood the whole house elf thing, but it still bothered her a little. It was something she hoped they could change once they were out of Hogwarts. "Is it usual for a house elf to just visit someone like that?" she asked.
"No. It isn't. House elves rarely have much to do with a wizard who isn't part of their family or working where they do. They usually won't do something unless ordered to do so," Hannah said.
"It sounds like this Dobby was doing just that though," Susan said.
"Is it possible it was someone's idea of a joke?" Harry asked.
"Unlikely. You're on good or neutral terms with most people at our school. There might be some from families who followed You-Know-Who that don't like you, but they wouldn't act carelessly like that," Susan said.
"Did Dobby… do any of that punishment business?" Hermione asked carefully. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer.
Harry shook his head. "Nope. I'm not sure if that was because of how I talked to him or not though. I was very careful," he said.
"I guess we should be prepared for something to happen this year…" Hannah said with a frown.
Susan nodded in agreement. "Even if it was some kind of weak ploy for you not to return… Best to be prepared. Auntie is always going on about how even witches and wizards outside of the Ministry should be ever vigilant. She kind of gets that from Moody I believe," she said.
As they continued to talk, Hermione finally asked something she was curious about. "So how illegal is a flying car exactly? Professor McGonagall seemed very unimpressed with that, especially considering who it was," she asked.
The door to their compartment was opened at that moment and a voiced soon joined them. "Who has a flying car?" Draco asked in curiosity.
Hermione was caught off guard by his sudden appearance and simply answered, "Mr. Weasley."
"Does he now…" Draco said as he wore a victorious smirk while Pansy stood by his side with Tracey right behind them both.
"It is very illegal," Pansy answered.
"To think, Mr. Weasley has a flying car... Ha! Such a hypocrite," Draco said as he gave a chuckle.
"I'm guessing he's in trouble then?" Hermione asked.
"Oh… he will be. I will have to tell father about this," Draco said.
Hermione gave a frown to that. She really didn't want to be caught up between Draco and Ron. She also felt sort of surprised, if not a little pleased, Draco was actually talking to her so causally. He was usually politely indifferent at best. Mostly ignoring her without being too obvious at worst.
"Even if he is within the laws, it will not look good on him. He made those laws and really pushed for them. If he is abusing them... Regardless, he will be investigated," Pansy said.
"Just the fact he is doing something that possibly skirts the line is big news in the ministry. He's usually seen as one of the least likely to do anything troubling. He even prides himself on that," Tracey added.
Draco actually gave a slight frown. "It is a pity he made the laws he did regarding that. Father was on board with some other investors to bring in magic carpets to Magical Britain. Mr. Weasley's law forbids them though. If he is in enough trouble over this… It could be used to benefit us," he said in thought.
"Magic carpets?!" Hermione couldn't help but ask in surprise.
Draco was mulling over the possibilities of this new information, so it was Pansy who replied. "Some of us were hoping to bring them over as a family mode of transportation. It was a niche market that could have really taken off. If the law didn't prevent it."
"How do magical families usually travel?" Hermione asked.
Tracey answered this time. "Usually by portkey. It isn't pleasant, but is convenient and less taxing on one's magic when it comes to family travelling."
"Not brooms?" Harry asked.
"Not brooms. It can be rather uncomfortable for longer flights with a family in tow, even with cushioning charms and such," Draco answered Harry.
"What about… Apparition? I read a little about it in a book this summer," Hermione said.
Harry couldn't help but give her a teasing grin as he asked, "Just a little?"
Hermione blushed cutely and looked to the side as she quietly said, "There was too much I wanted to look into and not enough time… There's never enough time."
"Apparition requires certification. You have to be of Age or very close to being of Age to take the classes. I believe we learn that in our sixth year at Hogwarts," Tracey answered the question.
"There is side-along-apparition. But that would be very taxing on one's magic, especially if done too frequently, even for the best us," Pansy added.
"Yes indeed. It is not a good method for family traveling. Speaking of brooms though," Draco started with a grin. "Did you get one?" he asked as he looked right at Harry.
"Yep. I got a Nimbus 2000," Harry answered.
"I got Nimbus 2001. It ought to be interesting to see how they stack up against each other. Especially with you flying the Nimbus 2000. If our flying lessons were anything to go by," Draco said.
"Is that your plan to assure your position on Slytherin's team?" Harry asked.
"A part of it… Let's just say Slytherin will be the team to beat this year. Even if it is unlikely someone will," Draco said with a smirk.
Harry gave his own smirk in return. "I'm also very interested to see how the two actually perform. On paper, the Nimbus 2001 should win, but you shouldn't always trust what's printed," Harry said.
"I am glad to see you aren't chickening out. Though no one would blame you if you did… considering," Draco said with a smirk.
"I may not be recklessly brave, but I know backing down too quickly is never good," Harry said in reply.
"Until we have our race then, Potter," Draco said as he dismissed himself while Pansy and Tracey stayed behind to visit with Hufflepuffs.
"So long, Malfoy," Harry said in reply as the boy left.
[-] [-] [-]
As the train came to a stop at Hogsmeade Station, Harry was excited to see how the other students got to the castle. "I've heard 2nd years and above go to Hogwarts via magical carriage. They supposedly pull themselves," Hermione said noticing Harry's excitement.
"Hogwarts: A History didn't say anything about it?" Harry asked.
Hermione shook her head. "The carriages were an addition made after the book was written," she said.
Harry supposed magical carriages made sense. He gave a thoughtful frown though. He was wondering how self-driving magical carriages were allowed but flying carpets weren't. Wouldn't both be considered muggle items?
He was about to voice his question and hopefully have a great conversation with Hermione and the others about it, when he rounded the corner. However, the sight before him threw all chances of such a conversation out the window. His dorm mates didn't seem to notice him coming to a dead stop.
Harry looked around and noticed the reactions of students were very mixed. Many seemed to not notice anything. Others seemed wary of something that could supposedly drive itself. A select few seemed to be seeing what Harry did. These carriages weren't self-driving. They were instead moved by strange and horrifying creatures.
The creatures resembled horses a slight bit, if they were mashed together with reptiles. They were black with skin barely stretched over their skeletons. They also had bat like wings. Their eyes were an eerie solid white.
"Ah. So, you can see them too," a voice said from behind Harry.
"Cedric? You can see them?" Harry asked in disbelief.
Cedric nodded to him. "I first saw them a couple years back. Needless to say, I was shocked to see them. I looked into them all I could. It was actually visiting Hagrid one time that gave me the answer. I don't take Care for Magical Creatures after all," he said.
"What are they? How come not everyone can see them?" Harry asked.
"They're called thestrals. Despite their looks, they're rather gentle so long as you don't threaten them," Cedric said.
"I'd hate to meet anyone who would dare threaten such creatures…" Harry said.
Cedric gave a small chuckle. "Agreed on that point. Only those who have witnessed death, can see them. I first saw them after I was with a muggleborn friend whose elderly aunt died of cancer. I was there for them as they said their goodbyes and she passed away. It was one of those times I wished healing potions worked on muggles. Considering healing potions use your own magic to heal you… They aren't much help for muggles," Cedric said.
"I'm sorry to hear that about your friend. Are they okay now?" Harry asked.
"They are. They've long since dealt with their feelings regarding their aunt's death. It is surprising that you can see them though. Unless… Do you remember your parents' deaths?" Cedric asked.
"No. I don't," Harry said as he shook his head.
"I've been more than nosy enough for the night. I won't pry further. You should probably catch up to your friends. Witnessing The Sorting for your first time after participating in it is really something," Cedric said just as Hermione looked back and called for Harry to join them.
"See you around, Cedric," Harry said with smile to older student.
"See you, Harry," Cedric replied with his own grin.
"What were you talking to Cedric about?" Hermione asked after Harry caught up to them.
Harry quickly thought what to say here. Hermione and the others couldn't see the thestrals. He'd rather not spoil their excited mood with such a revelation. Harry smiled as he answered, "He was telling me a little about how much fun it was to witness The Sorting instead of being in it."
"I'm excited for it too," Hermione said. She had a feeling Harry wasn't telling her everything, but decided he probably had a good reason for that. She really was excited for the Opening Feast anyways, so she put it to the back of her mind.
"I wonder how many first years we'll get," Hannah said excitedly.
"I wonder if Hufflepuff will be the biggest house for first years this year too," Susan said.
The group chatted happily as they enjoyed the carriage ride to Hogwarts. Harry was glad he didn't say anything about the thestrals. That would lead to questions about why he can see them. Harry would rather not think about that.
When he was briefly on the streets, before Jett found him, he had seen some terrible things. He saw what desperate people can and will do. The Street Knights prevented stuff like that from happening in the Rust District. Harry along with many others were thankful for this blessing. That was part of the reason why so many were loyal to the Street Knights. "Loyalty to those who deserve it." Keeping people from turning on each other in desperation definitely put you in the category of those who deserve it.
Chapter 22: The Other Side of a SortingChapter TextHarry was eagerly anticipating the start of The Sorting Ceremony. There was a lot of talking going on around him. It seemed everyone was eagerly awaiting the important ceremony. The Great Hall hushed as the doors opened in Professor McGonagall walked inside and stopped half way up the center aisle.
"What is it you seek to tell us, Professor McGonagall?" Dumbledore asked in a ceremonial tone of voice.
"The First Years have arrived and are ready," Professor McGonagall replied.
Professor Dumbledore smiled as he said, "Well then… Bring them in here so we may all welcome them to the Hogwarts Family."
"As you wish, Headmaster," Professor McGonagall said with a curt nod before returning back through the doors.
"Is it always like this?" Harry asked an older student sitting next to him.
"It is. Sometimes Professor Dumbledore changes the wording a little, but it's pretty much always this way," the student replied.
The doors opened again and a line of first years came in following Professor McGonagall. They were all wide eyed and looking around in awe. Harry couldn't help but give a chuckle, as many others did. They were all remembering how they felt the same way when they first came to Hogwarts. It felt so long ago to Harry, but it was just one year since.
He took a better look at the first years. He easily caught sight of Ginny. Her flaming red hair and freckles caused her to stand out, as it usually did with all of her family. She looked nervous but also excited. There was a first year boy with mousy brown hair and an old muggle camera. He was eagerly taking pictures of the Great Hall and anything else it seemed. The last first year who stood out to Harry was a petite girl with straggly waist length dirty blonde hair and large silver eyes. She gave of this impression she could have arrived at Hogwarts purely by accident.
"First years..." Professor McGonagall started getting everyone's attention. "When I call your name please step forward," she said.
Just then the Sorting Hat spoke. "Now now Professor… We all know there is a certain order to things," it said.
Professor McGonagall gave a sigh and said, "If you insist…"
"I do…" the hat replied before breaking out in song.
[-] [-] [-]
"Fairly even split this year it seems," Hannah commented as she helped herself to seconds on pudding.
"It usually seems to play out that way. We were all sure it was intentional, until your year," a seventh year replied.
"That is curious…" Hermione said in thought. "It also seems their class is a little bigger than ours," she added.
"That bounce back we talked about last year," Ernie supplied with a nod as he helped himself to another roll.
Harry was thinking over the results as they were talking. The camera boy, Colin was his name, ended up in Gryffindor. Ginny also ended up there with her brothers, even if she seemed to have a slight frown for a moment after the hat was removed from her head. The interesting girl, who was named Luna Lovegood, seemed to have a debate with the hat and complained about not even getting a name as she joined a slightly worried looking Ravenclaw table as a few other students chuckled at her.
Harry could only guess the Ravenclaws weren't sure what to do with a girl having discussions with a talking hat. Harry thought it made sense she would do that. It wasn't often you came across a talking hat, even in the magical world.
"Perhaps it was because she voiced parts of her half of the discussion out loud, " Harry thought to himself.
"Oooo!" Hermione started.
"What?" Harry asked.
"I just realized Helga Hufflepuff's portrait will talk again tonight. I can ask her more questions!" Hermione said smiling.
Harry frowned. "Isn't tonight for the first years to ask questions?" he asked.
Hermione gave a pout. "I suppose you're right…"
Harry gave her a friendly smile. "Let them get to experience something that amazing tonight. You'll probably get more chances before we graduate. Besides… Isn't it more exciting to figure things out on your own?" he asked to cheer her up, even if her pout was, as always, cute.
Hermione smiled brightly to him. "You're right," she answered. Hermione then looked from side to side and leaned in towards Harry.
Harry was curious about this and responded by leaning in towards her.
"There's something I want to try tonight. I'm hoping it can be just for this once at least. Maybe more nights if we agree on it," Hermione whispered to Harry while blushing. She was really doing something very bold, but she couldn't stand being apart from Harry for so long over summer. She felt they needed to make up for it. It didn't matter that she said she managed the calling during the summer. There was a difference between managing something and not being bothered by it. It had very much gotten to her, even if it wasn't wholly unpleasant of an experience. The calling had given her some very interesting Harry filled dreams.
Harry gave a nod. "I'm guessing this has to do with that ," he started. Hermione nodded. "Okay. You can tell me once we're ready for the night," he said to her.
Hermione felt very relieved by his answer. It was embarrassing enough just talking to him about it. She didn't want others overhearing her. She didn't want to even imagine the rumors it would spread. She still felt excited about it though. Excited in more than one way too. "I'm pretty sure my parents would disown me if they knew… I'm still going through with it, " she thought to assure herself.
For better or worse, Hermione still felt she needed to get in with Harry early. She needed to make him better understand her intentions to be by his side. She knew he would have at least two wives. She wanted to make sure she was one of them. That was way far off in her future, and maybe she partly felt this way, because this was the first time she ever had a guy she really liked.
Whatever the case, she was ready to go all the way if needed to get her place. She just hoped it wasn't too soon they were betrothed or whatever was needed in Harry's situation. She really hoped they could first be, dare she say it, boyfriend and girlfriend. Though, part of her felt being betrothed at a young age, like Pansy was to Draco, could be romantic. It gave this feeling you two were destined for each other or something similar.
Harry didn't notice as Hermione blushed even deeper and stared at him with love struck eyes. Most didn't notice this. Hannah however did. She gave a giddy grin at Hermione and only kept from giggling because Susan asked her a question at that moment.
"What are you looking forward to this year?" Susan asked.
"Huh?" Hannah asked while blinking.
Susan sighed and repeated her question, "What are you looking forward to this year?"
"Ohh… Hard to say. I don't think it will be too much different from last year. It isn't until next year we select electives. But I will tell you what I'm not looking forward to," Hannah started as she gave a giggle. "Lockhart's class." Susan giggled to that.
Hannah started speaking again. "I get the feeling he'll be an even more useless professor than Quirrell was, and he had You-Know-Who stuck to the back of his head."
Susan giggled a little too much in response. She was actually a little ashamed of herself. Susan felt it things were different; she might have actually started crushing on Lockhart like some many other girls already were during his intro speech. However, after the whole thing at Flourish and Blotts', she wasn't so keen on him. He gave off this vibe that his favorite part about being the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor was the chance it would give to bring himself more fame and credibility. She wouldn't be surprised if he already had at least two books lined up detailing his time DADA Professor.
Hermione huffed loudly and gave a frown. "I agree with you there. After that whole thing… I read the books when I could for his class. They're more about him than what he did. There was one where he wrote on and on about how his favorite color is Lilac… How does that in anyway help in dealing with yetis?"
Hannah giggled to that.
Hermione wasn't done yet though. "Then… In his Voyages with Vampires. He talks about how he wants to start his own line of hair care products! He didn't even say how he supposedly made it so the vampire could only eat lettuce after their encounter. It just talks about how the village celebrated his victory. It has some vague action in it, but that action seems more like… Something out of a show on the telly. And not even a good one!"
Hermione seethed a moment more before calming down. She then blushed to herself, but luckily everyone figured she was just still angry. She returned to her dessert and acted like she hadn't just gone off on their new professor's books.
Harry was chuckling to her comparison and so were the others familiar with the muggle world. The magicals were a mix of impressed and confused. It was Ernie Macmillan who finally voiced what the other magicals were wondering. "What's a telly?" he asked.
The other magicals seemed focused on their own plates, but were eagerly listening just in case someone answered him.
"I'll tell you when we get to our room," Justin said with a grin. He loved it when he had an excuse to be the one sharing information for once. Too often was he the one being told about something. It was nice being able to return the favor.
"Thanks, Mate," Ernie said with his own grin.
There was a barely audible collective sigh of disappointment from the other magicals. They wanted to learn what this telly thing was, but weren't about to ask. Harry and the others in-the-know chuckled quietly in return. A couple whispered to their own friends they would explain after dinner.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry and Hermione were in their room after the opening feast getting ready for bed. "You know. Being on this side of the sorting, it doesn't seem as… big of a deal," Harry said. He wasn't sure if that best explained his thoughts on the matter though.
Hermione nodded in understanding. "I think that's because it isn't as big of a deal if you aren't the one going through it. It is just another part of the opening feast. I wouldn't be surprised if some even wished it would go faster. That way they could finally eat after the long train ride," she said from behind her changing area.
"So, what was it you wanted to mention in private?" Harry asked as he stepped out from his changing area.
Hermione blushed and paused for a second with her pajama pants half way up. She was thankful Harry couldn't see her blush. She then finished dressing for the night and stepped out as well. She came over and looked to Harry sternly and said, "I was thinking we should try something different tonight."
"What?" Harry asked curiously.
"I think we should… well… sleep in the same bed tonight. I'm curious how that will affect it," she said.
Harry seemed completely calm on the outside. Inside his head, he was a storm of thoughts. They had slept together before, but still in their own beds. This seemed a huge difference from that. He was of two minds on the matter. One side of him was screaming how this wasn't right and they were too young. The other side of him really wanted to try this for many different reasons and not just to test the whole calling thing. It also said why care what was considered right or wrong by others considering how different his life was.
"Are… You sure?" Harry asked. His voice only wavered a little as he looked over Hermione in her pajamas.
Hermione stepped closer so he wouldn't doubt her sincerity. "Yes. I am," she said looking him right in the eyes and only blushing a little bit. She fully trusted Harry not to do anything she wouldn't find agreeable, but there was still a part of her that almost hoped something like that would happen. She was still serious about the whole calling thing. Their previous attempts had shown the connection seemed stronger when they were closer together. You couldn't really get closer than sharing the same bed, unless that bed was a twin size. The beds at Hogwarts were full sized though. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not in her opinion.
Harry swallowed. He couldn't really say no to this. The part of him that wanted this was taking over and it seemed Hermione was very determined. She could be dissuaded even at her most stubborn, but it took a lot of work and usually wasn't worth the effort. Harry took in a steeling breath and nodded. "Alright. We can try… Which bed?" he asked.
Hermione blushed at that, but Harry didn't notice because his mind was too busy with thoughts of his own. This really shouldn't matter, but she was wondering if maybe it would. "Mine…" she finally said quietly. She looked to him and added, "We can try yours another time if you want."
Harry swallowed and the two nervously climbed into Hermione's bed. He was hoping maybe the long day of traveling would help him fall asleep quickly. He wasn't sure if he would sleep otherwise. Luckily, Hogwarts always gave them at least one free day before classes started. If they arrived on a Friday, they got a whole weekend.
The two second years were in bed together, but both were extra rigid. Despite her eagerness for this, Hermione was too scared to move and tried to lay as still and perfectly straight as possible. Harry was much the same way. Both were also very silent. It was like they feared breathing to loud would cause something to happen.
Hermione was disappointed in herself for two very different reasons. The first and more logical reason was how she felt it was wrong for her to act this way. She trusted Harry fully. Being this rigid and unable to relax while in bed next to him, seemed like it was saying the opposite.
The other and sillier reason, but to her just as important somehow, was she should be using every advantage she had to getting Harry's attention as a girl and this was the perfect chance. She was physically maturing the earliest in their year, which kind of made sense given she was the oldest. She was more in league with the girls in third year than her classmates in second year. Lavender was the second oldest girl in their year, but her birthday wasn't until December.
Lying in bed with Harry should be a chance to experiment with the calling and get closer to him. There was also that side of her hoping something would happen while they shared a bed, because that would indeed get Harry's attention to her as a girl. With the way she was acting, such an event was less likely to occur.
Harry was being very careful, but he was still keenly aware of Hermione. He could feel the warmth from her even at this distance. He liked it. Maybe too much… It also seemed his nose was somehow picking up her scent.
Maybe it was some kind of memory thing because of how often they had been close to each other. His mind must be sensing Hermione was really close by and that was bringing back to his senses her wonderful scent. He could also picture how very pretty she was in her pajamas she wore, even if he couldn't make her out in the dark next to him.
It would be a couple of hours before either of them drifted off to sleep that night. Neither of them would say a word to the other.
[-] [-] [-]
"I've heard about you. Your dad runs that magazine, doesn't he? What was it called... The Quibly? Or something just as dumb," a first year Ravenclaw girl said with a harsh giggle.
"The Quibbler. It isn't dumb. Most people just aren't prepared to understand the things we cover," Luna defended.
"People aren't prepared to understand?" a different girl asked with a scoff. "I certainly hope I'm never prepared to understand that drivel," she said.
"You've read it?" a third girl asked.
"A couple of times. I thought maybe the fact it wasn't mainstream meant it might have some extra value. It does… If you want a good laugh at absurdity. It talked about some insane theory about tooth decay or something," the second girl said.
The other girls, minus Luna, laughed out loud to that.
"The Rotfang Conspiracy isn't a laughing matter. It is about a secret subset of Aurors who are planning to undermine the Ministry of Magic to control it with Dark Magic and gum disease," Luna corrected with a frown.
"Are you serious? Gum disease? Where do you even come up with something like that?" the first girl said laughing at Luna.
"It's obvious… No one thinks Gum disease can kill you, so no one would think there were ways to use such a condition as a means of attack on someone," Luna said matter-of-factly.
The other first year Ravenclaw girls, including the two who hadn't even said anything, stared at her in a mix of awe and disbelief. They weren't sure what was worse. How insane her theory was, or the fact she was able to even come up with such an idea about attacking someone with gum disease. For some reason, they didn't even entertain the idea it was her dad that came up with the theory and Luna was just repeated what he had said to her about it many times.
"Do you all see how dumb it is now?" the girl who claimed to have read The Quibbler asked through a laugh. "The rest of it is usually about made up animals that don't exist and how to search for them. Pure rubbish," she finished.
"Most people said that about at least half of the creatures Newt Scamander wrote about in his books when he first started. Now, he's seen as the leading authority in Magizoology and his books are well respected," Luna countered with a frown. She hated the way people were so closed minded. If you never believed in incredible things, then you would only ever experience average things at best.
"Newt Scamander doesn't just make things up. He has plenty of experience, knowledge, and evidence for his claims. He's actually done incredible things and plenty of research. He doesn't just… write fake articles in some random basement somewhere," one of the girls said while giving Luna a disgusted look. She shouldn't dare compare her dad's paper to Newt's books.
With a few more rounds of laughter at the Quibbler and Luna, the other first year Ravenclaw girls went to bed. Luna went to bed as well, but she was far from falling asleep. She was kind of disappointed in Hogwarts so far. It had started out well enough, the sorting hat was such a gentleman and great conversationalist. She was still bummed they were interrupted and she didn't get his name.
After that, things seemed to get worse. Luna wanted a fresh start when boarded the train. She thought Hogwarts would be that. She knew what the less informed masses said about The Quibbler, but she didn't think it would follow her here as well. She loved her dad and she loved his paper, but she did at times hate it.
After… After her mother died, her dad and The Quibbler weren't the same. Luna partly hated The Quibbler at times because of this. It swallowed all of her dad's time and focus. She usually only saw him at supper where he went on about his most recent articles and then when he wished her good night. She wouldn't mind his decision so much, but she would admit the quality of The Quibbler had diminished a good amount without her mother.
Luna sniffed quietly in her bed with the curtains drawn shut. She missed her mother. Her mother was actually a very well-respected Spell Researcher and Spell Crafter. Her mom also provided some very good articles in the paper. She would examine the flora whenever they went on their trips in search of magical creatures and write about her discoveries in the paper.
Her mom had actually discovered a good number of equivalent ingredients for potion making. She also periodically added to the Magical Master Ingredient Identification Index. It was a project she started with others that cataloged the different names used for ingredients around the magical world. Sadly, with her mother gone, the M.M.I.I.I wasn't getting the attention it needed.
Luna looked up as she lay in her bed. She gave a strange look as an odd speck of light came into view and hoovered above her. There were a couple of others that soon joined it. Luna used to try and ignore or get away from Wrackspurts. They liked to make your brain go all fuzzy and get you confused. Or that's what she thought when her dad explained them to her.
Recently, she noticed there seemed to be more to them. It took her some time, but she realized they weren't purposefully making your brain fuzzy or confusing you. That was just a side effect people suffered if they didn't know how to listen to them.
"What are you here to tell me?" Luna asked quietly to the tiny lights.
The lights whirled a little faster and blinked a couple of times in response.
Luna let out a sigh and smiled to them. She didn't quite get it, but she knew they were telling her things would turn out really well for her, even if they were really tough at first. She needed to learn how to better understand Wrackspurts. She was new to this whole listening to them thing and it wasn't easy, even for her.
"Thanks," she said to them with a small smile.
The lights seemed to almost bow, if that was possible, as a way to say, 'You're welcome'. They then circled Luna one more time shining brighter for her and zoomed away.
[-] [-] [-]
Ginny was humming to herself as she wrote in her diary. She was a bit bummed she wasn't in Hufflepuff with Harry. Tom from the diary told her it was probably impossible for a Weasley to go anywhere but Gryffindor. She gave a little giggle to that.
Tom really was charming and funny with his sense of humor. He also made a good point when he said there wasn't anything saying she couldn't be friends or more with someone who wasn't in Gryffindor during her school years. She would keep that in mind and hopefully find a way to get to know Harry. She only hoped Harry wasn't to focused on just Hufflepuffs, and she wouldn't be blushing too much and acting far too shy. All guys liked shy girls, but only to a point. That's what Teen Witch Weekly said in an article from a while back.
"You're Ginny Weasley, right?" a voice asked.
"Hmmm?" Ginny responded as she blinked a couple of times.
"I was asking if I had your name right," a girl with dark brown, almost black, hair asked.
"Sorry about that… I was caught up in writing in my diary. Yes. I am Ginny Weasley. You're… Samantha, right?" she asked.
The girl smiled and nodded. "Yep. That's me! What's it like having so many brothers?" she asked.
"Ugh. I don't mind them usually, but I do have to try extra hard not to be annoyed by them at times. Ron loves pointing out I'm the youngest, even if we usually got along well enough. The twins are okay and don't usually target me with their pranks. Bill's my favorite and Charlie's pretty cool too, but he's always way too fascinated by dragons. It's a surprise he doesn't constantly run face first into things. What with the way he's always thinking about one of the many dragons he watches over," Ginny answered.
Samantha and her other roommates giggled to that. Apart from not being in the same house as Harry, Ginny couldn't really complain about her start of the school year. She was excited about it, especially because Tom promised he would soon be strong enough to show her many of Hogwarts' greatest secrets. He told her the ambient magic of the school could act as a sort of power conduit for the diary and memories stored inside it.
"Does your mom? You know. Expect you to be all extra proper as a witch because of your brothers?" A different girl asked. Ginny thought her name was Bianca.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yeah. She does. I make a point of acting as opposite of the well-behaved girl she wants me to be as possible, just to show her. I guess I don't mind dresses and all of that stuff, but it just gets in the way when you aren't at some dance or whatever. Soooo that means all of that is almost always in the way," she said with a smile as the other girls laughed.
Ginny then gave a stretch and a yawn as she closed the diary and put it away. She had been feeling more tired lately. Tom suggested it probably wasn't anything to worry about and would be good in the end. She wouldn't have trouble getting into a sleeping pattern suitable for Hogwarts.
"I think I'm going to bed. I'll see you all tomorrow. We should go and explore the castle and learn its layout," Ginny said.
"That way we're extra ready for our first day of classes!" Samantha said cheerfully with a nod of agreement.
"Exactly!" Ginny replied as she got ready for sleep.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry was the first to wake up the next morning. He felt something really warm and pleasant pressed up against him. His mind finally cleared and he looked to his side. His eyes widened and he wanted to jolt up, but he couldn't. He was trapped like this.
It seemed Hermione decided Harry was the perfect body pillow during the night. She breathed softly in her sleep and was wrapped around Harry tightly. Harry would admit he liked being in this situation. It was really nice having Hermione wrapped around him like this. Harry decided to just lay there and not disturb her sleep.
He thought over the night the best he could. They hadn't shared dreams as far as he could tell, but Hermione's presence was far stronger in his dreams. He also felt her warmth and comfort the whole night as well, once he thought about it. He was glad certain things hadn't happened, though that might not last much longer with the way Hermione was squirming in her sleep.
Harry blushed and tried to summon up all of his will power. The last thing he needed was for Hermione to wake up noticing he had boner. He was pretty sure she would hate him for the rest of her life if that was the case. She would probably see it as some kind of betrayal.
It was a losing battle, but he tried to tough through it all. Hermione let out a soft sound that was deathly close to a moan. She then seemed to shift in her sleep and wedge Harry's arm further into her chest. She let out a long breath that tickled Harry's ear. Her wonderfully disheveled hair was flayed out on top of him as she lay there. He couldn't help but take in the scent of her hair.
Harry lost his battle in the end. He hoped maybe it would wear off before she woke up. Apart from waking up like this, it was easily one of the best night's sleep he ever had. He could only guess it was because of Hermione's presence while he slept, that he somehow felt.
Hermione eventually woke up. Harry didn't get his wish. Hermione blushed as she noticed Harry had a hardness in a certain region. She acted like she was still sleepy though and not fully awake as she took notice of it. She then acted like she had barely registered the world around her as she sat up in her bed.
The moment he had enough freedom of movement Harry tried to shift so it wasn't obvious he had an erection. He looked away and blushed. He really hoped Hermione hadn't noticed anything. She wasn't yelling at him, so that had to be a good sign.
Hermione felt both embarrassed and kind of happy that morning. She couldn't believe she ended up using Harry like a body pillow in her sleep. She was also surprised by what she noticed when she woke up, but that made her kind of happy. It was a good thing he reacted that way to her, right? It meant he saw her as a girl and not one of the guys or something.
"Sorry about that…" she said softly to Harry while looking away. She was glad he couldn't see her bright pink cheeks.
"No worries," Harry said. His voice was higher due to relief than he wanted it to be. He was pretty sure girls didn't like guys who had high voices.
They were silent for a moment before Hermione's brain fully kicked in. She got up and went to her desk to pull out her journal. Harry was glad she seemed focused on her journal and he quickly moved over to his side of the room.
"So. What was it like for you?" she asked.
Harry felt more relieved she was moving on and he guessed she hadn't noticed his morning reaction. "I don't think we were sharing dreams this time. Though… I'm not sure how to say it… I could feel you there next to me as a presence. You were also in my dreams," he said.
He hoped she didn't ask for details on that. It would be too embarrassing and she would probably feel betrayed and disgusted. In his dream, they were kissing and she was undressing for him.
Hermione blushed. She both wanted and didn't want to know details. She wondered if Harry dreamed of her in the same way she had dreamed of him. She feared pressing that topic though. It would be too distracting or disappointing. She really didn't want to admit how she dreamed about him, only to learn his dreams were of them studying endlessly or something boring and unromantic like that.
"I kind of get what you're saying," she started. "It was kind of like that for me as well. The dreams were my own, but I felt you there next to me. I also felt… right… or something… It was the best sleep I ever had too," she admitted.
"Same here…" Harry said. He was wondering what she meant by feeling right. He looked her over again where she was sitting at her desk. Hermione looked amazing in the mornings after just waking up. It was hard to describe how this was the case, but it was. He had almost forgotten what it was like to see her every morning like this. He was missing that now and wondered how he survived the summer without seeing her more.
"Sooo…" he started as he looked away. "Do you want to keep trying this?" he asked. Harry prayed his hopefulness didn't come through in his question. Even with the whole morning thing and how rigid he was last night, he really liked sharing a bed with her. He wanted to experience it again.
Hermione blushed and seemed to focus on her journal. "I think we should. We at least need to see if using your bed makes a difference. We should see if things change over time as well," she said coming up with any logical and scientific reason she could for them to continue sleeping together in the same bed. It was most assuredly not because she wanted to be with Harry even more, especially after how the calling was over the summer.
"I think you're right," Harry answered. He would put up with the difficulty of falling asleep, if it meant they could continue like this.
"Then its agreed," Hermione said with a pleasant smile.
The two managed to meet the other's eyes fully for a brief moment before both blushed and turned away. Harry gave a stretch and cleared his throat. "We should probably get ready for the day… Breakfast, you know," he said.
"Yeah… You're right," Hermione said.
[-] [-] [-]
"It really is odd not having Tonks here with us," Hannah started as the four sat together in their living room area that evening. They spent the day catching up with other friends and getting familiar with the castle again. They also checked for any new quirks it developed over the summer. That was something Tonks told them they should do every year. She explained to them Hogwarts liked changing things up.
"I know what you mean. I keep looking over to where her room was," Susan said with a frown as she did once again. She expected to see their RA come out giving a comically large yawn with an equally unique hairstyle for the day.
"Did you all write her over the summer as well?" Hermione asked.
They all nodded.
"I only did a couple of times because I figured she would really need to focus on her Auror training. I was surprised she answered my letters at all. Her answers were short, but that's more than I expected. I always tried to give her words of encouragement in the letters," Harry said.
"We'll probably all get letters from her in the next few days," Susan said.
"Why?" Hannah asked.
"She'll soon find out if she made it through the first selection process. Before she can start at the Auror Academy, she has to pass a selection exam. They are given some classes and material that will be covered in the first rounds of testing. It's to see if they even have what it takes to learn how to be an Auror. It takes more than just scoring high on your N.E.W.T.s to even start the process," Susan said.
"Wow… I didn't know it was that tough. I didn't think it was easy, but that is tougher than I thought it would be," Hermione admitted. She thought getting into the Auror Academy was similar to getting into a university. That was usually based on your grades and a standardized test. Having actual classes just to have a round of tests just to see if you can start, was a lot more difficult and involved than that.
"I'm guessing you know this because of your aunt?" Harry asked.
Susan nodded. "She often complains about how they handle it all. She doesn't want to get rid of the current system, but she wants to change it. I've overheard her complaining about it a number of times with others," she said.
Susan then gave a slight giggle. "I've also noticed her complaining really takes off right around this time of the year," she said.
"I hope Tonks makes it," Hannah said in worry after a moment.
The others nodded in agreement. They wanted to say Tonks was perfectly able to make it, but they were just now second years at Hogwarts. They weren't really the best judges on how a seventh year really measured up compared to others. Tonks was super amazing to them, but they knew her as a seventh year when they were just starting to learn about magic. They still believed in her though.
"Whatever she says in her next letters, we should make a point of showing we're here for her and believe in her," Hermione said. They nodded again in agreement. Hufflepuffs stuck together no matter what. That included after leaving Hogwarts in their minds.