Chapter 4: Return to Hogwarts
Harry spent the rest of the Christmas break with the Potters. Aubrianna relented about questioning him and being skeptical about his story and instead they had several late night talks. Harry told her about what it was like in his world where Voldemort had just arisen nearly two years ago, and about Ron Weasley and his new relationship with Hermione Granger. She told him about her family memories with him and stories of school and what it was like with Voldemort being in power for her whole life. Harry liked listening to the family memories and knowing that they actually existed, even if he had no memory of them personally.
The night before they were to return to Hogwarts,
Aubrianna entered Harry's room with a look of frightened concern.
"What's the matter?" asked Harry, who was packing his trunk with robes, cauldrons, and books. He sat down beside her on his bed. She looked like she was about to cry.
"I just heard Mum and Dad talking," she said plainly, in a voice that suggested that was the reason she was upset.
"And?" asked Harry.
"And? Don't you - oh yeah, you wouldn't know - well sometimes Mum and Dad talk about what's happening in the Wizarding World - you know, with Voldemort and everything; all of the stuff they don't want us to know. I always eavesdrop because I'm always curious and it is always horrible. I just heard them saying that down the road, the McCurvys, those muggles, were killed by Death Eaters and the Dark Mark was hovering over their house."
Harry realized that that this attack was a thing that happened often, so he couldn't understand why Aubrianna was so upset if she's seen it many times. So he asked her why she was reacting this way.
"Oh, Harry," she said, falling backward to lie onher back. "I always forget how little you know." Harry didn't bother to point out that she should have remembered. "It's always bad hearing about it."
"What about Hogwarts," asked Harry, the thought suddenly occurring , "What happened to
Hogwarts?"
She hesitated before speaking. "No muggle-borns allowed. They don't even know about the Wizarding World
anymore and even half-bloods are looked down upon."
Hermione doesn't know she is a witch?, thought Harry. That means I don't have a relationship anymore and she doesn't even know me . . .
"What about Dumbledore? Is he still Headmaster?"
"No, he died before I was born." Oh no, thought Harry. Dumbledore was gone?
"Do you know Ron Weasley?" asked Harry, praying for the answer `yes.'
"Nope, I never heard of him. Is he one of your friends?"
"Yes, and he's pure-blood, so he should be at Hogwarts."
"Well, if he's in your year then it's completely plausible for me not to know him since I'm only in Fourth year," said Aubrianna, sitting up on the bed.
"I guess." Harry returned to packing with a heavy heart. Aubrianna left to finish her own packing. He wanted to see Hermione badly and could not stand the fact that she didn't know she was a witch or that she didn't know him. And Ron - were he and Ron friends?
When Harry finished packing, he slid into his comfortable bed and turned off the lamp on the nightstand. He couldn't help worrying over what Hogwarts was like now and what had happened to Hermione and Ron. The door opened and his mother stood standing in the threshold.
"Goodnight, Harry," she said. "You have a big day tomorrow so I want you to get a good night's rest."
"Do you know the name `Weasley'?" asked out Harry before she closed the door.
"Yes, I do. Why?"
"Do you know them?"
"Harry, Arthur and Molly Weasley died more than twenty years ago." Harry's jaw dropped.
"No . . . no . . . how - how did they die?"
"Voldemort," said Lily, sighing. "They were in the Order of the Phoenix, like your father and I am now."
"Did - did they have any children?"
"Oh, yes, two. Bill and Charlie. I remember them. Don't know what happened to them, though . . .well, goodnight Harry." She closed the door, leaving Harry to stay awake all night, turning over what she had just told him repeatedly in his head . . .
~*~
"Wake up, Harry, we have to leave soon to go to Platform Nine and Three Quarters!" Harry awoke to James Potter's voice. He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night and the thought of falling back onto his pillow and forgetting everything was tempting . . . but before he could do exactly that, Aubrianna walked in, in her pajamas, and handed him a wand.
"You left it in the Family room before Christmas," she said. "I know you don't remember."
"Oh, thanks," he said, examining the wand. It was nothing like the one he had before. When he had gotten his wand, he remembered Mr. Ollivander saying that the wand chose the wizard. But since Voldemort had chosen Neville to kill sixteen years ago instead of him, he wasn't destined for anything special. He was just a normal, average kid. Everything that he always wanted.
Aubrianna left and Harry slowly got up and got dressed. He wondered if he was going to stay in this world forever - and
he didn't know if he wanted to or not.
It was raining heavily when they finally reached Platform Nine and Three Quarters. James got two trolleys and put
Aubrianna's and Harry's trunks on each of them. The four of them hurried through the gate onto the
platform.
"Goodbye, Harry, have a nice term!" said Lily, kissing him on the cheek and giving him a rib-cracking hug. She turned to Aubrianna and did the same.
"Keep in contact," said James after hugging Aubrianna, clapping his son on the shoulder. Harry and Aubrianna were one of the last ones to board the train, and even after they did they hung out of the window waving until they could no longer see their parents.
"You know," said Harry, sitting back down on the seat, "I really like having parents."
"I don't know what I'd do without them," informed Aubrianna. "Well, I'm going to go find my friends, see you later." She started walking out of the compartment.
"WAIT!" Harry grabbed her arm. "Who am I friends with? My friends, Hermione and Ron, aren't in Hogwarts!"
"Oh, yeah. You're friends with Seamus Finnigan and Parvati Patil. Those two are your main friends and I don't know who else."
"Alright, thanks Bri, for believing me and everything else."
"No problem." She walked out of the compartment swiftly. Harry took his wand out of his pocket and began to
experiment with it, to see if he could do magic like he could with his other wand. He found it very successful.
After a while, the compartment door slid open again and Seamus Finnigan walked in. Harry figured since he was
half-blood like himself and that they were looked down upon then they had a lot in common and could relate to each
other, therefore becoming friends. Harry couldn't help but miss Ron and Hermione terribly, though.
"Hey Harry! How was your break?" asked Seamus, sitting down next to Harry.
"Okay," said Harry. "Yours?"
"All right. Have you seen Parvati yet?"
"Nope."
"Oh, okay. Well we wanted to talk to you about what
happened before we left," said Seamus slowly.
"What happened?" asked Harry, perking his head up, suddenly intrigued.
"You remember," Seamus said uncertainly. "when you saw Parvati and me . . . er . . ." he appeared very uncomfortable.
"When I saw you what?"
"Oh Harry, don't play dumb!" he snapped. "When you saw us kissing in the common room! We wanted to talk to you because we didn't want anything to come between our friendship and we wanted to tell you that just because we are together doesn't mean anything is going to change." Harry was reminded very forcibly of the night that Hermione and him told Ron the very same thing.
"Okay," said Harry, the fact that Seamus and Parvati being together not really bothering him. He figured that it was different with Ron, since Ron actually liked Hermione, unlike him having feelings for Parvati . . . he tried to imagine Ron and Hermione being together and then giving him the "it will still be the same" speech even though all three of them would perfectly know well that it wouldn't; yet he couldn't. He knew that he felt something extremely strong for Hermione that he never felt with anyone else - and if Ron was to be with her? He didn't know what he would do. Harry suddenly felt very ashamed of himself for being blind to Ron's feelings.
"You're okay with it?" asked Seamus uncertainly.
"Yeah."
"But I thought . . . I thought you fancied Parvati. She told me you told her that." Seamus averted Harry's eyes. So, thought Harry, I did fancy Parvati.
Harry quickly made up something. "Oh, yeah, well I did tell her that but since I saw you two kissing I decided to back off and let you have her. You know - the best friend code." Something that Ron should do, Harry thought bitterly.
"Thanks." Seamus smiled gratefully at Harry just as Parvati entered the compartment. She grinned at both of them and took a seat next to Seamus. "I overheard you two talking and I'm glad that nothing is going to be a problem." Harry nodded, yet he sort of felt that this was what it was like to be in Ron's position somewhat . . .
For the rest of the train ride the three of them talked about their Christmas Breaks and what they received as presents, Quidditch, and random other things. It was dusk when the train finally pulled into the Hogsmeade station. Harry felt oddly alone when he walked out of the compartment without Hermione and Ron at his side.
As soon as he was on the platform Harry gasped. A cold sensation came over him and he felt as if all of the happiness had been drained and was left with despair. He looked over at the carriages carrying students to the castle and saw that several Dementors were surrounding the platform. He spotted Aubrianna near a gang of students, so he pushed through the crowd to reach her.
"Bri!" he shouted. She stopped walking and turned around, her long hair following.
"What?"
"Why - why are there - Dementors at Hogwarts?" Harry remembered when he was in his Third Year and there were Dementors at Hogwarts because of Sirius - he prayed that there wasn't a supposed mass murdered killer at Hogwarts now, of all times.
"Oh, Harry, use your brain!" snapped Aubrianna. "They sided with Voldemort and now they control Hogwarts."
"What!"
"What did you think they were here for?" she said and climbed onto the carriage pulled by Thestrals that he could no longer see.
"I don't know . . . I don't know . . ." muttered Harry, running his hand through his hair and closing his eyes. He didn't want to go back to Hogwarts because he was afraid of what he'd find there. Everything is so different, he thought. I just want everything to be back to normal. . .