Harry and Draco were the only ones ready at a reasonable hour the next morning. While they were sat enjoying a bacon sandwich and a lovely cup of tea (courtesy of Kreacher, who had practically trembled with delight when Draco had groaned in appreciation at the first bite of his sandwich), the rest of the house was in chaos. Beyond the kitchen door, they could barely hear the furious wailing of Mrs Black over the noise the rest of the household was making; shouting and running up and down the stairs and the corridor, with deafening bangs making the door shake, and at one point a high pitched squealing sound that made them both wince. The kitchen was another world, and practically tranquil, compared to the rest of the house. They took their cue to start making a move, however, when Moody clunked his way through the kitchen.
"Bloody Podmore - late again! Unacceptable… have to tell Albus," he grumbled to himself, "Time to get a move on you two," he added with a growl, his magical eye swirling around madly, but still taking the time to linger suspiciously on Draco's face as he stomped past. Draco rolled his eyes the second he was free of the other's scrutiny, and they both hauled themselves to their feet, and braced to face the din of the hallway.
"You'd think I'd done something to the man," Draco complained, tucking his chair under the table, "Who's Podmore? Don't think I've met him," Draco wondered, though Harry didn't quite believe the light and breezy quality to his voice.
"Last time, he never made it because he was arrested after trying to break into the Department of Mysteries under the influence of an imperious curse," Harry said, leading the way out of the kitchen, "Are you okay?" Draco just shrugged, wincing as their ears were suddenly assaulted by the bedlam of the rest of the house.
"Nervous I guess - got a lot riding on all this, haven't we" he nudged Harry onwards, past the screeching portrait, and towards the front door, "a lot could go wrong - plus, I don't relish the idea of going back to school," confident they were being thoroughly drowned out by the surrounding noise, they didn't bother to whisper.
"What are we going to do about classes?" Draco's eyebrows drew together in a question, "Well, our abilities are going to be well beyond that of a fifth year, aren't they? Are we gonna' tone it down or something?"
Draco scoffed, "Absolutely not - you can do what you like, but I for one intend to dominate academically. I'm not giving up the opportunity to do better than Granger in school, it'll drive her mad,"
Harry could only grin and nod, but he was distracted by a great black dog bounding down the hallway and skidding to a halt in front of him.
"OH, ABSOLUTELY NOT SIRIUS!!" Mrs Weasley shouted, as she tried to wrangle her children into something resembling obedience. Harry's heart sank, realising what Sirius intended to do.
Draco looked positively horrified, "Are you joking? You're a wanted man by both the ministry, and the Dark Lord, but you're willing to risk capture to walk Harry to the train? Are you mad? How irresponsible!!" he cried, throwing his arms up in disbelief, and a rumble sounded deep in Sirius's chest, "Oh, growl all you like," Draco snapped, "You know I'm right!"
"He's right Sirius," Harry agreed quietly, his voice barely audible above the din, "You can't come with us, it's not safe," Sirius's ears flattened to his skull with a whine, "It's not safe," Sirius turned his back on Harry, and he trotted to the dining room, transforming as he went.
"Such a child," Draco muttered, but Harry couldn't let them leave on terms such as these; anything could happen before they saw one another again. And so, he followed his godfather.
"You're less like your father than I thought," Sirius said coolly, straightening his robes, "He'd have found the risk exciting,"
"I am not my father," Harry snapped, "And considering I barely knew him, it's no surprise I'm nothing like him - I'm sorry that's such a disappointment to you," Sirius looked taken aback by his bitter tone, "Now can you drag your head out of your arse for just one minute, to say goodbye to me properly?" Sirius hesitated.
"Harry?" Mrs Weasley popped her head around the corner, "We're leaving now, come on," Sirius seemed to struggle under the pressure pf their time limit to find something to say.
Harry shook his head with a sigh, "I'll see you at Christmas, I guess,"
"Wait!" Sirius's fingers were suddenly around his wrist and pulling him into a tight hug, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he muttered urgently, "I'm sorry, you're right, you're right," Harry returned the embrace, but didn't feel any better for it, "I'll see you at a Christmas, yeah? You and the Malfoy boy - and I'll invite the Weasleys too -,"
"HARRY!!"
Sirius held him tighter, " - and we'll make it one big party, yes? You'll see, now off you go, have a good term. I love you,"
"Love you too," Harry muttered, allowing Sirius to turn him bodily and usher him out of the room. Harry glanced back only briefly as he entered the hallway. Draco's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing. Beside him stood a hunched over little old lady, with violet streaks in her permed hair, and a wide brimmed hat pulled low over her face - Harry knew immediately it was Tonks.
"Wotcher Harry," she said with a wink.
"Oh, thank goodness Harry," said Molly, "Come on now, you and Draco are with me and Tonks," she ushered them out of the front door, and into the open air, "Oh, I do wish Arthur had been able to borrow cars from the ministry," she complained, hurrying ahead of them and beckoning for them to keep up, as she lead them out onto the bustling streets of muggle London, "not that Fudge will lend him so much as a broken quill nowadays," a muggle, not looking where he was going, would have bashed straight into Harry, had it not been for Draco quickly pulling him out of the way.
"Watch where you're going!" Draco snapped at the man, who of course took no notice, "What did Black say? You look upset," Draco muttered now that they were closer - Mrs Weasley glanced over at them curiously, but continued to forge the way ahead of them, while Tonks shadowed them close behind.
"He said I was nothing like my father," Draco hissed through his teeth, "Which wasn't phrased as some innocuous passing comment, if you know what I mean,"
"That man is a child - I'm liking him less and less,"
"He and Kreacher are a bit alike I think - both mentally damaged in different ways. I don't remember him being like this before he was trapped in that house,"
"It's no excuse," Draco said sharply, "He shouldn't be comparing you to your father – it's weird, like he thinks you're just a new mini-James Potter. What an awful thing to put on a child," Molly was definitely looking at them strangely now - like she was having some major revelation, her eyes flicking between them rapidly and eyeing their proximity, "Lupin would have been a much better godfather, I stand by it,"
Harry could only shrug, knocking into Draco slightly as he side-stepped a woman pushing a pram containing a screaming toddler; he winced in sympathy, he remembered those days, "I made him invite you for Christmas, by the way. I hope you don't mind?"
"Better than staying on my own at Hogwarts - do I have to get him a Christmas present?" Harry chuckled and shook his head, "Do I have to get you a Christmas present?"
"To fucking right," Harry said with a smile.
When they arrived onto Platform nine and three quarters, they found they were the last ones there, and had only five minutes to spare before the train was due to depart. There was a mad scramble to grab their luggage from Moody, who was disguised with a porters cap pulled low over his face. Draco waved Harry away, and lifted his trunk up onto the train for him. Remus clapped him on the shoulder with a smile, and pulled him tightly to his chest.
"Keep your head down, stay safe," Remus said into his hair, eventually stepping back to allow Mrs Weasley to say goodbye to him as well. There was only one minute left now. She gazed up into his eyes, and wrung her hands together for a moment, before gripping his hands tightly in hers.
"Be good - don't get into trouble,"
"Harry, we need to go," Draco called.
"And Harry, I love you. We all love you" her eyes looked pointedly over his shoulder at Draco, "No matter what, I love you, Harry Potter," Harry wasn't an idiot, he knew what those looks implied, but what could he say? Denying it only opened up more questions about why they were so close so suddenly, and he could hardly admit to it when it simply wasn't true.
"Harry! The train!" The whistle sounded, and Mrs Weasley quickly kissed his cheek, before pushing him towards Draco. Harry took Draco's proffered hand and allowed himself to be pulled onto the train just before it started to move. Harry turned to wave back at Mrs Weasley until the train rounded a bend, and she disappeared out of view.
"What took you both so long?" said Hermione, breathless and trying to manoeuvre her trunk in the corridor, "Mad-Eye was going spare!" she flashed a grateful smile to Ginny, who had turned to help her to orientate her trunk so that it would be easier to move.
"Snuffles," Draco said with disdain, but Harry wasn't sure if the disdain was for the man himself, or his doggy nickname, "wanted to come with us - and then threw his toys out of the pram when we said no," Hermione shook her head in disapproval.
"That's just so irresponsible! What if he was recognised?"
"Apparently, its the danger that makes it exciting," Harry said lowly, finally turning away from the open window to the group waiting behind him - Fred and George had already disappeared down the train, leaving Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Draco, "I suppose you guys have got to go to the Prefect's carriage?"
"Yeah, sorry mate," Ron said, looking guilty - despite many assurances that he shouldn't feel guilty for being made Prefect instead of Harry, Ron still hadn't quite let it go.
"Off you lot go then," Ginny wafted them away, "Me and Harry will try and find a carriage for us,"
"We shouldn't be too long," said Hermione anxiously, "Only a couple of hours," Harry waved away her concern, while Draco scoffed as he dragged his trunk behind him, and shouted over his shoulder.
"I'll be much faster than that - I am not listening to them drone on about our duties for hours, Granger!" Ron and Hermione followed him, Ron waving sadly, while Hermione looked torn between scowling after Draco in disapproval, and sending Harry reassuring looks.
"Come on then," Ginny said cheerfully, "Before everywhere gets full up and we end up sitting in awkward silence with some terrified first years," Harry turned to follow obediently.
"Scared because Fudge keeps telling everyone I'm unpredictable and dangerous?" He guessed.
"Exactly, you've got it!" She said brightly, turning an intense stare at a group of second years who were watching them, and whispering amongst themselves - pinned under her unnerving gaze, they fell silent until Harry and Ginny had passed. Harry was unsurprised when this experience was replicated at pretty much every other compartment as well.
At the end of the train, they found Neville struggling alone with his trunk, while he gripped Trevor firmly in his free hand.
"Hi Nev!" Harry said brightly, speeding up slightly. Though he and Neville had still been friendly after Hogwarts, most of their interactions had existed in letter form, and so seeing his young face, still with a hint of baby fat in his cheeks, was not quite as jarring as seeing some others, "Do you need help?"
"Oh, hiya Harry, Ginny," Neville panted, "No, I'm okay, just struggling to find anywhere to sit - all of the carriages are full!" he complained.
"This one isn't," said Ginny, peering into the carriage at the very end, "It's only got Luna in it - she's alright, come on," Ginny didn't wait for either of them to answer before pulling the carriage door open and leaning in, "Alright Luna, do you mind if we sit with you?"
Luna, who had been hidden behind her upside down copy of the Quibbler, slowly lowered her reading material so she could peer over the top of it at each one of them in turn, stopping on Harry. She gave a single nod, still staring. Neville shot Harry a mildly alarmed look, but followed them into the carriage anyway, his gaze lingering on where Luna's wand tucked behind her ear.
"Did you have a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked brightly, sitting herself next to the other girl, who was still staring at Harry.
"Oh yes, it was really quite lovely. You know, you're Harry Potter," Harry could only assume that his memory of his school years had faded more significantly than he'd thought, because he didn't remember Luna being quite this strange and off-putting. She must have mellowed with age, and Harry had simply forgotten.
"All my life," Harry agreed, seating himself opposite her, and ignoring her staring to gesture to Neville, "And this is Neville," her eyes fixed on Neville now, who seemed to shrink at her intense gaze, "How was your summer, Nev?" Luna disappeared behind the Quibbler, and now no longer subjected to her scrutinizing gaze, Neville was suddenly excited.
"It was great! Look what I got for my birthday!!" He produced a small, grey cactus, "Mimbulus mimbletonia! It's really rare - they don't even have one in the greenhouses at Hogwarts! I can't wait to show Professor Sprout," he said enthusiastically, "It's got loads of amazing, useful properties," he continued, "And it's got it's own defence mechanism," oh… oh no, "Here, take Trevor," Harry barely managed to catch the toad as it was shoved into his arms, while Neville produced a quill - nope. Not again. Harry scrambled with the hand not clutching Trevor, to pull his wand free from his pocket. Ginny was watching him with growing alarm, her eyes flicking between Neville and Harry, as it dawned on her that something unpleasant was about to happen. Harry had just raised his wand when Neville poked the plant with his sharp quill.
"Protego!" The spell was cast just in time, repelling the sudden explosion of stinksap from the plant, sticking it to carriage window but saving the occupants from being drenched in it - Harry suppressed a gag at the smell.
"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry! How did you know that would happen, Harry?" Neville said, sounding amazed - most likely by Harry's herbology knowledge, rather than his quick reflexes.
"Read it somewhere," Harry answered vaguely, "Scorgify," the stinksap disappeared, but its stench lingered, and Harry stood to open a window. Luna had barely reacted.
"Oh wow!" said a new voice at the door - fiddling with the window latch, Harry peered over his shoulder, and found Cho Chang at the compartment door. Oh… oh no, this was possibly worse than the stinksap; he'd forgotten all about Cho Chang and their brief dalliance. He felt a thrill of anxiety shoot through him - what was he meant to do?!
"Oh uh, hi Cho," he said blankly, but Cho didn't seem to hear his tone. The window open, and the compartment airing out nicely, Harry landed back in his seat opposite Luna with an umph.
"That was amazing Harry!" she cried, "That shield charm was so fast!" she smiled at him, her cheeks flushing.
"Uh, thanks I guess," fifteen-year-old him would have been so happy with this turn of events, but current Harry was despairing.
"Sorry Chang, can I get past you?" Cho was shaken out of her reverie by Draco trying to shuffle past her, dragging his trunk behind him. She stepped to one side, eyes still on Harry, and went to apologise, before seeing who it was, and her face fell.
"Oh, Malfoy," she said blankly. Neville also stiffened, looking at Malfoy darkly, while Ginny brightened.
"Draco!" she cried, "You escaped the Prefects!"
He scowled, "Granger started asking questions - the twins gave me one of their prototypes over the summer. Everyone was practically kicking me out of the carriage when blood started pouring out of my nose," he said smugly, hauling his trunk up into the racks above; looking closer, Harry could see a faint red smear on his pale skin under his nose, and a spot of blood on his collar that he'd missed when he'd cleaned himself up, "Wasn't about to sit there for the next hour, no thank you," Harry budged along, closer to the window, so that Draco could sit down between him, and an increasingly confused and uncomfortable Neville, "What the hell is that smell anyway?" he said, looking vaguely disgusted.
"Neville got a Mimbulus mimbletonia for his birthday," Harry nodded at the plant that Neville was now clinging to for dear life; Draco was immediately interested.
"Those are super rare, aren't they?" he said, extremely politely.
"Uh yeah," Neville answered hesitantly.
"I read that the sap it produces used to be used as a key ingredient in cosmetic potions, about a hundred years ago, before it fell out of favour," Neville was very carefully drawn into a conversation with Draco. It was only then that Harry noticed that Cho was still stood in the doorway.
"Ah sorry Cho, are you okay?" She was looking slowly from Draco, to Harry, to Neville, to Draco again. She nodded.
"Uh, yeah - I just wanted to say hi," she said slowly, before finally snapping out of it, and offering Harry a kind of confused, awkward smile, "Hi Harry," oh no, this was going to be terrible. How did you make it clear you weren't interested in someone without hurting their feelings? And without digging into your sexuality crisis of the last twelve months or so, or the fact that Harry was mentally twenty years her senior? He suppressed a shudder.
"Hello Cho," he answered politely, but offering no opening for any further conversation. When the silence between them finally became awkward, and Cho's smile took on a strained edge, she finally said:
"Uh well, bye then," and she disappeared back along the train. Ginny let out a low whistle, watching her leave.
"Well that was awkward," she said, sounding unreasonably cheerful about it. Harry could only groan and slump in his seat.
"How do you tell a girl you don't like her without hurting their feelings Ginny?" Draco was very nearly drawn out of his conversation with Neville by his whined complaint.
"Not sure you can," Ginny admitted, "Could always go the Romeo and Juliet route? You'd earn me a few extra galleons too," Harry scowled at her and the meaningful look she gave Draco, who Harry now realised was in the middle of an extremely sincere apology to Neville.
"…I don't expect forgiveness," he was saying, "but I hope I can earn it one day," Neville looked like he might faint, his knuckles pale where they tightly gripped the pot of his new plant.
"Oh, uh, thanks, I think, Malfoy," Neville stuttered eventually, looking frantically to Harry, as if this might all be one big joke. Harry only smiled and shrugged, tapping his wand twice on Draco's collar to vanish the remaining blood.
Draco glanced around at the tap, "You had some mess on your collar still," Harry explained, and then gestured to Draco's nose and lip, "and you've still got some here as well," Draco conjured tissues with the flick of his wand.
"Did I just see Cho walking from this direction?" Hermione had pushed her way into the compartment and was looking around with interest. Ginny shuffled up closer to Luna, so that Hermione and Ron could both sit down.
"Yup," said Ginny with a pop, "She was very impressed with Harry's wand work," she said slyly.
"Don't be crude Ginny," Hermione said reproachfully, but still interested, "What did she want?"
"To say 'hi'," Harry said duly, sinking further in his seat. Hermione looked faintly puzzled at his reaction, but didn't comment. Instead she turned to Draco with a scowl.
Draco looked heavenward, "Granger, don't look at me like that - I don't even want to be a Prefect," Hermione looked scandalised, "I've got enough to be going on with as it is! The only reason I've not handed the badge back, is on the off chance Dumbledore gives it to someone who uses it to cause problems for me," now Hermione looked confused, "My popularity in Slytherin is very changeable right now,"
As if to prove his point, their compartment door slid open again, to reveal Pansy Parkinson. Her eyes found Draco immediately, and it seemed to be with a great deal of difficulty that she resisted sneering at everyone else in the carriage.
"Draco, what are you doing down here? We're all sat further up," she said sharply. Draco rolled his eyes.
"We spoke about this Pansy - I'm not going to sit with you guys. It's only going to be uncomfortable for everyone involved when Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott all refuse to even look at me!" He threw his hands up to accentuate his point.
Pansy scowled, "No, but you can sit with me and Blaise! And Greengrass and Millie haven't got a problem with you," she added, and the sneer she'd been suppressing had finally emerged, "it'd be better than sitting with this lot - who even is that?" She nodded towards Luna, who had lowered her magazine to listen.
"I'm Luna Lovegood," she said in her dreamy way, "I'm a distant cousin of Draco's - he's more than welcome to sit with us," and she disappeared back behind her paper.
"Not to poo-poo your contribution, Lovegood, but other than Granger, we're essentially all distant cousins," Draco said shrewdly, "I appreciate your concern Pans, but no thank you. I'll sit with you at dinner," Pansy scowled, "and try being nicer next time please!" Draco cried after her as she stormed away.
"Why aren't Crabbe and Goyle talking to you - thought you guys were all buddy buddy?" said Ron around a chocolate frog.
"Their fathers are Death Eaters," Draco reminded him, very obviously trying not to be patronising, but Ron frowned in displeasure at his tone anyway, "and even if they weren't, I'm disowned remember? That means something to people like them,"
"Us Lovegood's have always been very supportive of the disowned," said Luna, lying her magazine flat in her lap, "after all, Merlin himself was disowned," she said wisely.
"I'm not certain that's true, Luna" Harry said dubiously.
"That's definitely not true," said Hermione tartly, "did you read about it in that?" she nodded at the magazine in Luna's lap, "Because everyone knows the Quibbler's full of rubbish," Luna went immediately cold.
"My father is the editor," Hermione flushed pink.
"I oh, uh, well I uh," Luna disappeared behind her paper again, and did not reappear for the rest of the journey.
Draco held Harry back slightly when they others were getting off the train, his fingers holding Harry's wrist tightly and waiting until the last person was several steps ahead of them, the cage that contained Ron's tiny owl tucked under his arm.
"When are we going to the room? With the locket?" He murmured low in Harry's ear as they shuffled forwards but still maintained their distance from the others.
"After class tomorrow? I need to see Snape first though, about this," he went to tug at the bandages around his neck, but with Draco holding onto his wrist, and Hedwig's cage tucked under his other arm, he realised he had no free hands, "about my neck - and hopefully I'll avoid detention with Umbridge on my first day," he added, his heart sinking at the thought of having to experience that awful woman once again.
"Try to avoid ending up in detention all the time, if you can," Draco implored, "we've got other shit to be getting on with," he reminded him. Harry flashed a mischievous smile over his shoulder, tugging his wrist free from the grip Draco's fingers still had on him, and instead grabbing Draco by the hand to pull him along.
"Come on, let's catch up," they exited the train with a little jump, and looked around to try and find their group, but everyone seemed to have disappeared into the chaos of Hogsmeade Station. Harry tried to push his way through the crowds, but seeing that he was mostly failing at moving them forward, Draco swapped their positions and started elbowing people out of the way (receiving more than one squawk of outrage, from both the people he was elbowing, and Pig as he was jostled in his cage) so they could clear the platform.
"First years! This way please! All first years to me please!" Harry glanced over at Professor Grubbly-Plank where she was stood by the boats, first years congregating around her and looking about anxiously as the larger students pushed past them.
"Where's Hagrid then? I always did wonder," Draco said close to his ear, to avoid shouting.
"Trying to persuade the giants away from Voldemort - didn't really work I don't think,"
"Hopefully it won't matter," Draco said firmly, as the carriages finally came into view, the schools thestrals waiting patiently to pull their charges to the gates of Hogwarts. They came to a stop in front of an empty one, and released one another's hand.
"They're kind of beautiful, aren't they?" Draco said, grey eyes focussed on the black, skeletal, winged horses, "in a creepy terrifying kind of way," Harry nodded in agreement, shuffling forwards, and holding out a hand to the thestral attached to the carriage they had cornered off for themselves. It turned its head to sniff his hand with interest, before allowing Harry to gently rub its nose, it's eyes falling shut in pleasure. Hedwig gave a reproachful hoot at her proximity to the beast.
"Harry!" he looked up at his name to see Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny all headed their way, "we lost you - did you see? That Grubbly-Plank woman is back," she said quietly, her voice anxious, "Where's Hagrid? Do you think he's alright? Do you - what are you doing?"
"Are you petting the air?" Ron asked, confused, looking between Harry's hand and the, to his eye, apparently empty space in front of him.
"They're called thestrals," Neville said quietly. Ron looked none the wiser, but Hermione's mouth formed a silent 'o' of realisation.
"What's a thestral?" said Ginny, looking confused as well.
"They're a type of winged horse," Hermione was inching closer to where Harry was stood, her eyes flashing with interest, "They can only be seen by those who have seen death," she paused to look at Harry sadly. Harry only shrugged.
"Do you want to touch it?" there was a beat before Hermione nodded gingerly. He paused to set Hedwig's cage on the ground, and took Hermione's hand in his, and encouraged her closer, guiding her fingers until she was scratching the nose of the thestral in front of her.
"This is amazing," she whispered, "Oh, I wish I could see it,"
"No you don't," Harry reminded her gently, and she looked at him for a moment in confusion, before she realised what she had said.
"Oh, oh no, you're right - sorry, no, I'm happy not seeing them," she agreed, letting out a little huff of amusement when unseen lips mouthed at her finger tips.
"Can we stop petting the invisible horse and get on the carriage now?" Ron said, looking vaguely nervous at the sight of Harry and Hermione both petting the air, "Or we're going to be the last ones to sit down," reluctantly, Harry and Hermione pulled themselves away from the thestrals, and joined the others in the carriage, "Thanks for grabbing Pig," he added gruffly, taking the small owl who had remained clutched under Draco's arm at a precarious angle.
"I wonder where Hagrid is," Hermione said anxiously, as the carriage began to move away, "Do you think he's left the school?"
"Nah, course' he hasn't," Ron said firmly, though Harry could hear the undercurrent of worry "Hogwarts is his home after all - maybe he's just on holiday?" Ron's eyes flicked meaningfully to Neville for a moment, "Or busy,"
"Yeah, I'm sure he's fine Mione', maybe he's seeing family," Harry added - Neville was looking increasingly confused by their poorly coded conversation, and so with Hermione reassured, the topic was dropped.
"So, Malfoy," Neville started, his voice squeaking a little, as if he was quietly terrified of addressing the other directly, "you've been disowned? That must be tough," Draco shrugged.
"Technically I emancipated myself - but that's not going to particularly matter to most people. I've made my peace with it. I might be a dick but I'd rather not be the servant of a murderous lunatic if I can help it," Neville nodded rapidly, another small squeak escaping him
"I can't imagine many of the purebloods in Slytherin are impressed,"
"Well, as far as their parents are concerned, no, they're not - but you'd be surprised by how many of them don't really care. Pansy doesn't care at all. She's got many faults," Draco said dryly, "but she's a loyal friend. Just need to work on her people skills," after the war had ended, Harry had had a few interactions with Parkinson professionally, and had been surprised himself that she had grown up into a not-totally-terrible human being; it turned out she was strangely funny, if outrageously rude. He hoped that she would have the opportunity to grow in this life as well.
When their rickety carriage finally came to a stop on the stone steps leading up to Hogwarts, they scrambled out and up them, adjusting their robes as this did so. Draco waved goodbye once they entered the hall, heading towards the Slytherin table and calling over his shoulder, "See you later, losers," Harry could only roll his eyes, and traipse after the others to find somewhere to sit. Ginny peeled off as well to sit with other forth years, while the four of them found a spot somewhere along the middle.
"He's not on the faculty table either," Hermione whispered, eyes scanning up and down the table anxiously, before stopping on a new face (a new face to her, at least), and narrowing, "Do you think that's the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor?" Harry followed her gaze, and glared balefully at the familiar toad like woman ahead of him, her head inclined to Dumbledore, saying something in his ear. A familiar pink head band pulled her light brown curls out of her face, and a horrendously fluffy pink cardigan made the other Professor's look positively pallid in comparison. It was with a conscious effort that Harry unclenched his jaw.
"Must be," said Ron, "She's the only new face - I wonder what she's like,"
"Terrible, if our track record is anything to go by," Harry said with a resigned sigh.
"Lupin was good," Neville pointed out.
"Yes, but Quirrell had Voldemort -," Neville gasped and nearly choked on his pumpkin juice, prompting Ron to hit him firmly in-between his shoulder blades, " -sticking out the back of his head, Lockhart was a total fraud who tried to wipe our memories, and Moody, wasn't actually Moody, and spent an entire year trying to kill me. So, based off of that, I'm calling it now - she's going to be terrible,"
"Surely she can't be worse than last year," Ron reasoned, "Since Moody was actually a Death Eater in disguise - how could she possibly top that?"
Harry chuckled darkly, "You'd be surprise," he turned to peer over his shoulder at the Slytherin table, to try and meet Draco's eyes. He found him, not between Crabbe and Goyle as usual, but instead with Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson, their heads leant together in a furious discussion. He gave up; there was no chance he was getting his attention.
"My Gran said she was appointed by the Ministry," said Neville, in a hushed (and slightly hoarse as a result of his near choking) whisper, so only they could hear him, "Apparently, Dumbledore had no other choice - no one else wanted the job, so Fudge leapt at the opportunity," Harry was only half listening, watching Draco with interest instead, "Apparently, she's been given a new role at Hogwarts as well - High Inquisitor," Harry's neck cracked loudly and painfully, as he whipped his head round to give Neville his full attention, "Gran says its just an excuse for the Ministry to interfere at Hogwarts - trying to force Dumbledore out, and any one loyal to him," this was early, wasn't it? He tried to wrack his brains - yes this was early, Umbridge hadn't been made High Inquisitor until at least a week into term, he was sure.
"What does that mean? High Inquisitor?" asked Ron, frowning in confusion.
"It means she's going to be interfering," Harry said darkly, "In everything - what we're allowed to learn, and who's allowed to teach us, and everything in between,"
"Gran said she's a massive bigot as well," Neville added, "hates anything she classifies as a half breed - like werewolves, and centaurs, and mermaids,"
Hermione scoffed, "What a stupid woman - centaurs aren't a half breed! They're their own species! How ridiculous - that's like saying narwhale is half whale, half unicorn!" Ron and Neville both looked confused now.
"What's a narwhale?" Ron asked for both of them; Hermione waved away the question, but Harry helpfully took the time to pull parchment from his pocket, and draw a crude picture for them.
"Never mind that, how could Dumbledore let something like this happen?!" Harry hushed her, noticing the eyes that were starting to turn in their direction, "It's bad enough they've got control of the papers," she continued in a harsh whisper, "But now they're controlling our education as well?"
Harry pushed his small drawing under Neville and Ron's noses, though if anything, they looked more confused, "And this is a real animal?" Neville said sceptically.
"Yes," not for the first time in his life, Harry bemoaned the wizarding education system, "I guess then, Hermione," she peered closely at him in response to his conspiratorial tone, "We're just going to have to rebel a little bit," there was a murmur of curiosity; McGonagall had arrived, a gaggle of first years following in her wake, their eyes wide and awe struck as they gazed about the hall. Hermione's eyes narrowed on him contemplatively, but she said nothing, sitting back to turn her attention to the procession, and then to the stool that McGonagall had placed the Sorting Hat on.
Harry listened to the hat's song with only half an ear - while faintly curious as to whether it was any different, there wasn't a chance in hell he'd actually be able to recognise any changes. This years song seemed to go on forever and ever, and while the hat may have memorised it, Harry certainly hadn't. No, instead, he was focussed on Umbridge, considering her, and considering his options.
Draco was right; he couldn't spend the whole year in detention again, they did have other things to be getting on with, but he wasn't prepared to lie down and just accept whatever she threw at him either. No… he needed to be sneaky about this. He couldn't be implicated in anything, or he might as well just stand in the middle of her class and proclaim the return of Voldemort and be done with it. No, sneaky was the way. And while there was no way he would manage to be above suspicion, he just needed there to be no proof. So using his wand was probably not the best idea, which would make magical methods difficult, but by no means impossible - he was a dab hand at minor piece of wandless magic. He certainly wouldn't be doing anything spectacular that way, but it didn't need to be spectacular, it just needed to be really fucking annoying.
"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" Ron said, sounding surprised as the hat brought its song to an end.
"Does the hat usually give advice?" Hermione asked anxiously, looking up and down the table, clearly hoping someone had an answer for her, but everyone was wrapped up in their own muttered conversations, and were paying her no mind.
"It's amusing to me," Harry said, loud enough for his voice to carry to the surrounding people but no further, and many of them fell quiet to listen in, "that a sentient hat can figure out that something is wrong, but the ministry can't," this statement triggered new mutters up and down Gryffindor table, though they petered out quickly in the face of McGonagall's look of disapproval. Finally, she began the sorting ceremony, and Harry clapped along politely with everyone else whenever someone was sorted into Gryffindor, but his focus was still on Umbridge, contemplating how he could make her life just that little bit less comfortable. He didn't look away until the last of the first years had had their turn under the sorting hat, McGonagall was carrying the hat and stool off to the side, and Dumbledore was getting to his feet. He held his arms out wide to the hall, a beaming smile on his face.
"To our newcomers, welcome! To our old hands, welcome back. There is a time for speeches, but this is not it - tuck in!"
Hermione rounded on him just as the tables gave a low groan under the weight of all the food that had suddenly materialised in front of them, "What do you mean," she said sharply, "that we're going to need to rebel a bit? We're meant to be keeping our heads down - not getting into trouble," Harry watched, feeling mildly impressed, as Ron stuffed the biggest roast potato he'd ever seen into his mouth with an appreciative groan.
"Nothing too dramatic," Harry grabbed a serving spoon, and started piling veg onto his own plate, "it doesn't need to be. We don't need to stand up in the middle of her class and start screaming about Voldemort," he glanced up at Ron's slight choking noise, and waited to make sure the other's airway was actually clear before continuing, "I mean little things, little things that make sure she knows that she's not welcome," if anything, Hermione looked more confused, but she didn't ask anything further, and instead started serving herself dinner.
Eventually, when the tables were significantly less full, Dumbledore stood once more, and the hall fell silent. Harry waited on the edge of his seat to hear if Neville was right, and if Umbridge had indeed been appointment as Hogwarts High Inquisitor already.
"…we have two new changes of staffing this year. We welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons, and we also welcome Professor Umbridge, who as well as being our new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, has also assumed the newly created role of Hogwarts High Inquisitor," Harry's heart sank, and he looked sharply over towards the Slytherin table, and found Draco looking back at him with a furrowed brow, "I hope you will join me in offering them both a warm welcome," there was a smattering of applause, before Dumbledore continued, "Now, the try-outs for the House Quidditch teams will take place on this -," Harry was not surprised when Dumbledore was interrupted, eyes fixed grimly on Umbridge's toady little face. Hermione looked practically scandalised at her interruption, frowning and shaking her head when Dumbledore seated himself.
"Thank you Professor Dumbledore, for that most gracious welcome," she smiled out at the hall, looking from one table to the next, a certain fixed blank quality behind her eyes, "It is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, and to see so many happy little faces amongst you looking back at me," Ron snorted quietly, and Hermione kicked him under the table, peering intently at Umbridge, "I am looking forward to getting to know you all, and I am sure we shall all be good friends! The education of all young witches and wizards has always been a priority to the Ministry, and for this reason, they have seen fit to appoint myself to the new role of Hogwarts' High Inquisitor," she continued to smile about sweetly at the room, "with this new position, it is the Ministry's ambition that the education at Hogwarts shall be maintained to the highest standard, so that Hogwarts' reputation as the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, is maintained," a murmur rose up around the room, that reluctantly abated at her 'hem hem'.
"With this goal in mind, the teaching at Hogwarts will be under scrutiny, and you may find me attending some of your classes with you, in order to gain a better understanding of the quality of teaching on offer here at Hogwarts," a quick glance at the faces of the faculty told Harry that they had not been made aware of this in advance - Snape looked as though he had swallowed a lemon, and McGonagall looked like she was trying to set Umbridge on fire with the power of her mind, "The rare gifts with which you were born, may come to nothing if they are not carefully nurtured and honed under expert instruction," it was no surprise to Harry, that at this announcement, she completely lost the attention of the room, students turning to one another and whispering rapidly amongst themselves. In the end, it took Dumbledore rising to his feet to silence the hall again, before Umbridge continued her long droning speech.
After that first controversial announcement, it became rapidly clear that nothing else she had to say was even remotely as interesting, and the collective attention of the school waned. Harry could see more than one student staring into space in a daze, their large meal clearly catching up to them. In fact, few people noticed when her speech actually ended, and it was only Dumbledore starting to clap that drew everyone's attention back in, but he had stopped before any kind of actual applause could gather momentum.
"Thank you Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating. Now, as I was saying, quidditch try-outs will be on…"
"I think you might be right, Harry," Hermione said darkly, "I think it might be time for a little bit of rebellion,"
Ron looked slightly awe struck, as if he were seeing Hermione in a new light, "Really?" he said in surprise, "What makes you say that? Did you actually understand any of the rubbish she was spouting,"
"There was a lot of important stuff hidden in that rubbish - it explains a lot," Hermione muttered, "The ministry is interfering at Hogwarts. Do you have some kind of plan in mind?" she addressed Harry now, looking hopeful, but quite frankly, Harry's planning capabilities were currently occupied full time by the four remaining Horcruxes.
"Nope," he said with a pop, "I figured we should just be as irritating as humanly possible," there was a loud scraping noise - Dumbledore had clearly dismissed the hall when they weren't listening.
"Oh Ron!" Hermione said suddenly, "We're meant to escort the first years to the common room!"
"Oh, uh, yeah," Ron stood, looking about himself as if the first years were going to flock to him instinctively like tiny ducklings, "Uh you lot! First years!!" More than one first year flinched at his booming cry, and Hermione gave him a reproachful look.
"Ron! Don't scare them!" she scolded, "Like this - first years! First years, this way!" her voice rang clearly and authoritatively across the table, and the aforementioned first years began to gravitate towards her eagerly, apparently glad that someone was taking them in hand.
"We'll see you at the common room, mate," Harry wasn't listening though, his eyes searching through the crowd for a platinum blonde head. He shuffled out with the rest of Gryffindor, nearly walking into a few younger members of the house, not looking where he was going in his eagerness to spot Draco amongst the masses. He was stopped in his tracks though by Snape calling his name.
"Potter," it was with reluctance that Harry called off his hunt for Draco, turning against the tide of the rest of the school's populace, to see Snape approaching him like he was going into battle.
"Yes, Professor?" Harry said reproachfully, sure that he had not earned the look of ire in Snape's eye.
"Come with me," when Harry didn't immediately jump to follow his billowing robes out of the hall, Snape stopped and peered disdainfully over his shoulder, "I must attend to your injury," he said through gritted teeth. By the subtle roll of Snape's eyes, he guessed his reticence was obvious. If Draco was amongst the Slytherin's making their way down to the dungeons, Harry didn't see him. Snape bypassed his classroom, and went straight to his office, a room Harry had hoped to never grace again.
"Sit," Snape said upon entering, conjuring two chairs in front of the hearth with a sharp stabbing motion of his wand. Harry did as he was told, not wanting to fall victim to the potion master's foul mood - he probably had Umbridge to blame for that.
Snape repeated the process from the week before, unbinding Harry's neck with a flick of his wand. He proceeded to peer closely at the wound, wand held aloft as he muttered an incantation under his breath. With every second that passed, his brow furrowed further, clearly dissatisfied with what he saw. Harry jumped when the potions professor suddenly pushed his seat back and stood, whipping past Harry to reach the cupboard in the corner of the room, where Harry knew Snape kept his own private collection of potion ingredients. He was just as abruptly in his seat again, a vial with a pipette stopper in one hand, and a fresh pot of the salve he had given Harry the week before in the other.
"As I expected, the wound needs further treatment, but I do not believe binding it constantly will be of a benefit to you. Instead, you must bind it nightly after you have bathed. Obviously," this he said, as if he believed it would not, in fact, be obvious to Harry, "I cannot to do this for you on a nightly basis, and so I will teach you how and, for your sake, I hope you listen and learn," he finished gravely; he held the bottle with the pipette aloft, "this is dittany extract, a significantly more potent version of essence of dittany - apply three drops directly to the wound, - do not apply it with your hands, we shall all know if you have," he said with an amused smirk, "tip your head back and to the side," Harry did as he was bid, grumbling in displeasure when Snape took his chin in hand, and was not gentle in rearranging him; he hissed in pain when the concoction collided with his skin, and felt the wound in his neck burn intensely all along its length, but only for a moment, "now the salve," this he was content to allow Harry to apply himself, conjuring a small mirror so that Harry could see - his throat looked a hint less red, he thought optimistically, "and now," Snape pointed his wand at Harry once more, and said, "Fascia," bandages wrapped themselves snuggly around Harry's neck, fitting tightly under his ears, "If you are unable to master the incantation, I suggest you take yourself to Madam Pomfrey for an education. I recommend you practice on an inanimate object in the first instance," his smile had a slightly nasty edge, "unless your intention is to strangle yourself into unconsciousness, of course,"
"Yes sir," Harry said through gritted teeth - he'd forgotten how genuinely unpleasant the man could be at times. He noticed with a jolt that Snape was maintaining unusually strong eye contact, a rush of adrenaline sparking in his belly, but he calmed himself with the knowledge that his occlumency shields were on top form today.
And then, as if reading his mind, though Harry knew he had not, Snape asked, "Who taught you occlumency?" luckily, Harry was saved the job of coming up with a lie when the other man added, "Was it Malfoy?" Harry clenched his jaw, his face the picture of reluctant defiance, which was enough for Snape to count his suspicions as confirmed, "They are very strong," he said softly, a considering look in his eye, "they will serve you well," he seemed reluctantly impressed, "I will see you again about this matter, in approximately a month Potter, for now, you are dismissed," he waved Harry away as if he were a fly buzzing about the potion master's head, and Harry was grateful to stand and make his way towards the door, "Mister Malfoy is waiting for you in the corridor, I believe," opening the door, Harry was surprised to find the potions master was correct; sat on the floor, knees bent and his head relaxed back against the cold, stone wall, was Draco, "Mister Malfoy," Harry jumped; Snape was suddenly directly behind him, "if you would be so kind as to escort Mister Potter back to the Gryffindor common room, as it is now after curfew."
"Yes, sir," Snape all but shoved Harry out of his office, and shut his door tight, "Come on," Draco beckoned to him, and together they walked side by side up and out of the dungeons.
"I tried to find you after the feast, but Snape nabbed me," Harry said apologetically. Draco only shrugged.
"I saw you looking - s'why I followed. Interesting feast," Draco said lowly, and Harry agreed with a tired hum, "I spoke to Millicent, apparently my father has been putting pressure on the minister that more needs to be done about Hogwarts. Millie didn't know particularly why, but I can imagine his motivations," he said shrewdly.
"You think he's trying to punish you?"
"Mm maybe, maybe not. I think he's trying to control me, in anyway he still can," he admitted, "family is extremely important to my father, and I imagine losing me was a blow for him. My mother still writes every few weeks or so," Harry made a noise of surprise, "I think she's still hopeful for a reconciliation - and I think the knowledge that that won't happen while the Dark Lord is still alive and kicking has shaken their faith in him. Obviously, I have no way to confirm any of this, but I know my parents well," Draco grabbed his arm to pull him to a stop just as they reached the grand staircase, nodding ahead of them to where Peeves was writing rude words on the walls and giggling to himself.
They stayed still and silent, until poltergeist had had enough fun. He gave a whoop of delight, and with a great leap into the air, he dove down through the stairs into the dungeons below. They waited a beat more, before continuing up the stairs to the portrait of The Fat Lady.
"I don't particularly have anything good to say about your father, if I'm honest, but I really liked your mother," Harry said fondly, "I hope you can see her again soon,"
Draco sighed, "Me too, Potter,"
"What happens if you apply dittany extract with your hands, by the way? It's what Snape just gave me for this," he pointed at his freshly bandaged throat.
"Really? That stuff doesn't come cheap - must be from his personal stores," Draco mused, before answering the question, "Ah, nothing too horrendous at first - if you use it a few times it'll erase all the folds, lines, and creases in your palm, including your finger prints," Draco peered at his own hand in consideration, "and then your nails start growing super fast" he admired his nails for a second, "and then your fingers start trying to almost heal together, so you start with webbing and then end up with almost like a mitten hand,"
"Do people not stop using it when they notice the webbing?" Harry said incredulously.
Draco chuckled, "I think you're over estimating the intelligence of the average witch or wizard there," finally, they came to a stop in front of the portrait of The Fat Lady, who eyed them both with a kind of deliberate aloof disinterest, "I hope someone had the good sense to tell you the password before Snape dragged you away," they hadn't, but strangely this was the only Gryffindor password that had stuck with him his entire life, engrained by the awful experience of getting sprayed with stinksap in front of his crush.
Hopefully it was still the same.
"Mimbulus mimbletonia!" The Fat Lady inclined her head graciously, and the portrait swung open, "Well," Harry said, feeling suddenly apprehensive about what awaited him after this nights sleep, "I'll see you in the morning I guess,"
"Night, Potter,"
"Night," Harry offered him a small wave, before disappearing into the portrait hole, the painting swinging shut behind him.
The common room was practically empty, apart from a few seventh years sat around the fireplace, drinking what smelt like mint tea. They watched him curiously, as he disappeared up the stairs that lead to the fifth years dormitory. He expected that they would all already be in bed, except perhaps for Ron, who would probably wait up for him. What he hadn't expected, was for Neville and Dean to be holding back Seamus and Ron, who were both doing their level best to throw themselves at the other, but as they were unable to, they had settled instead for screaming at the top of their lungs at one another.
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!" roared Seamus, desperately trying to free himself from Dean's grip.
"NO! IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT YOUR STUPID MOTHER IS A GULLIBLE OLD BINT!" Ron screamed back, not trying quite as hard as Seamus to break free from his captor, "IF SHE WANTS TO BELIEVE THE NONSENSE THE DAILY PROPHET PUBLISHES, THEN SHES A MORON!!"
"FUCK YOU WEASLEY!! YOU'RE THE MORON FOR BELIEVING THE WORD OF THAT PSYCHO!" Seamus wrenched an arm free to point accusingly at Harry's empty bed. Ah.
"Seamus, come on mate, calm down, please" Dean pleaded breathlessly.
"HARRY IS NOT A PSYCHO! AND IF IT WASN'T FOR HIM, WE'D ALL ALREADY BE DEAD!!" Harry took a deep calming breath, before pointing his wand at Ron and Seamus in turn, and saying:
"Silencio! Silencio!" Abruptly, the room was free of sound, except for the shuffling around of Seamus's feet as he tried to escape Dean's clutches. It took a second for the two boys to realise that they were no longer making any noise, and they looked around for the source of their enchantment, eyes finding Harry in the doorway. For a moment, they all just looked at each other.
"I don't know what's going on here," Harry started quietly, when Ron and Seamus finally fell still, "But I can guess. I am very tired, and would prefer if we could all just go to bed, and if I have to stun you both to achieve that, I will," Ron was silently outraged, pointing aggressively between Seamus, Harry, and himself, "yes Ron, thank you for defending me, I'm incredibly lucky to have such a loyal friend," Ron stopped gesturing, "However, your message that I'm not a lunatic, is somewhat diminished if you're busy screaming it like a crazy person," Ron looked disgruntled now, shrugging himself out of Neville's hold and taking a step back from Seamus, his arms crossed across his chest, "And Seamus," Seamus was still panting with fury, "believe what you want, but please don't call me names - I haven't done anything to you," Harry was unsurprised that Seamus didn't look particularly calmer, "I'm going to unsilence you now - and then I'd like to go to bed."
Both boys nodded, and he returned their voices with a flick of his wand. There was a moment of tense silence, when their eyes met again, but at the same time, they both turned, and started furiously pulling their pyjamas out of their trunks.
Harry rolled his eyes, and disappeared behind the curtains of his four poster bed. At least it wasn't him getting into screaming matches this time