THE NEXT DOOR
The School for Orphans
Chapter 10
Hermione and Harry landed their brooms beside the Potters outside Kings Cross Station. It only took a moment for them to realize the atmosphere was…different.
"Everyone looks so," Hermione paused, "gloomy."
Lily nodded her head and herded J.P. in front of James. "Even the Muggles are at war," she said solemnly, "though they have no idea who they should be fighting."
"So, they fight against themselves," James said bitterly.
"This way," Lily said. James ushered the three teenagers in front of him, and Lily lead them through the crowd.
"The Muggles are at war," Hermione whispered so only Harry could hear her.
"Because we're still at war," Harry added.
"And another thing," Hermione said, struggling to keep up with Harry who was hustling to keep up with Lily's pace. "Where are our trunks?"
"Already being sorted through on the docks," James answered. "J.P., keep up with your mother."
"Sorted through?" Harry asked.
"For safety precautions," J.P. said with a roll of his eyes. "Last year, Mildredine Gnotte confiscated my best Quidditch socks because she said they were bewitched."
"They could have been," Lily said over her shoulder. "Now, move along or we'll never make the train."
"They sort through our trunks?" Hermione whispered to Harry in disbelief.
He shrugged. "Must be heightened security measures."
Hermione nodded. "There's something else," she said in a hushed voice, "what's with J.P. saying Fred and George would help him nick food from the kitchens?"
"What do you mean?" Harry asked as they dodged Muggles and trolleys.
"We're in sixth year," Hermione stated plainly. "Fred and George aren't at Hogwarts anymore."
Harry frowned and nodded. "Hadn't thought of that."
Hermione slid her fingers around Harry's forearm. "We should be prepared for a lot of different things."
"Yeah…" Harry's voice trailed off. He saw the wall that lead to Platform 9 3/4, but he was surprised to see two large, gruff-looking wizards flanking the hidden entrance.
"What are they doing there?" Hermione asked.
Lily stopped walking and motioned the children forward. "Let them check you quickly, and we'll be off."
"Check us?" Harry mumbled, but J.P. had already stepped up between the two wizards. The grown men pulled out their wands, and Hermione gasped. Harry pulled out his wand in defense.
"Put that away," James said, shoving down Harry's wand arm. "Don't make them think you're hiding something."
"W-what?" Harry stammered.
"Won't the Muggles…see us, and see their wands?" Hermione asked incredulously.
Lily looked momentarily panicked. "James, the Disillusionment Charm hasn't worn off, has it?"
"Of course not," he said.
Hermione nodded her understanding and stepped up between the two wizards just as J.P. disappeared through the wall.
"Can we...can we go through together?" Hermione asked the two wizards. They shrugged, passed their wands over Harry and nodded for them to walk through the wall.
Hermione grabbed Harry's hand. "Just in case," she said, and they stepped onto Platform 9 3/4.
* * * *
Hermione and Harry rushed through the wall and stepped out onto a very different platform 9 3/4. Feeble sunlight filtered through scattered clouds and cast grey light down onto the Hogwarts Express.
"It's black," Hermione said in shock. She and Harry had stumbled forward onto the platform and now stood, gaping at the now black Hogwarts Express.
"Why do you suppose…" Harry mumbled.
Grown wizards and witches stood guard around the train. Other armed wizards and witches herded children onto the train, took off the Disillusionment Charms, sorted through trunks, checked all animals before allowing them to board, checked adults names' off the list before allowing them to join their children, and there were even a few wizards flying in circles above the train.
"Oh my goodness," Hermione said. She squeezed Harry's hand.
The security on the platform was tight and the atmosphere was tense. J.P. walked back to get his brother and Hermione.
"Are you two coming?" he asked impatiently. "Mum is going to have a stroke if she catches you standing around. Mr. Shacklebolt said our trunks have been cleared."
"Kingsley?" Harry asked.
J.P. raised an eyebrow at his brother and smirked. "On a first name basis, now?" He leaned in conspiratorially. "Don't let him hear you say that. He'll rearrange your feet onto the top of your head. Come on. Ron's already boarded."
Hermione didn't dare drop Harry's hand. It was the only pleasant sensation in a world that had somehow gone terribly wrong. She felt a minor twinge of guilt at the idea of how Harry had a family in this world, yet if his parents had died, this world would cease to exist.
J.P. deserted Harry and Hermione and joined his friends in a separate compartment. He mentioned something about only having a few `parent-free' moments to spend.
Harry heard Ron's voice and tugged Hermione along the corridor until they stood in the compartment doorway. Ron looked up at them and smiled wearily.
"Hey," Harry said, slightly relieved to see a familiar and friendly face. Ron nodded his greeting.
Ron's expression was one of discomfort before he said, "Sorry about your parents."
The alternate death of her parents had slipped her mind. But at the mention of it, Hermione's eyes filled with tears immediately. She swallowed and nodded.
"It's okay," she said quietly.
She and Harry dropped hands and sat down across from Ron. Hermione cleared her throat. "So…how was your summer?"
Ron blanched and then his expression darkened. He turned his eyes away from them and stared out the window. "You mean other than Percy's torture or Bill dying?" he asked sarcastically.
"Bill?" Hermione squeaked. She slapped a hand over her mouth and more tears filled her eyes.
"It's wasn't your fault, Hermione," Ginny said.
Hermione glanced at the compartment door. Ginny strode in and plopped down beside her brother. Bitterness shone in her eyes. "No one blames you."
"Why would they?" Harry asked quickly.
Ron exhaled loudly. "Because he was protecting her."
Hermione looked at Harry with a pained expression.
"Sorry about your parents," Ginny said, her voice much softer. "Mum told us this morning."
Hermione wiped at tears. "Thank you." It was odd feeling an ache that did not rightly belong to her.
"I-I'm sorry about Bill," Hermione said more to Ron than to Ginny. Ron glanced up at her and scowled. Then, his squared shoulders sagged and he sighed.
"I know," he mumbled. "I know. The stupid bastard just had to play hero."
"Ron," Ginny scolded, her eyes flaring with anger, "don't talk about Bill like that. He saved one of your best mates." Ron said nothing else, but Ginny slid closer to her brother on the bench when Neville walked into the compartment.
Hermione gasped, and Harry stared at Neville. He looked practically the same except for the long, deep scar running from his right ear, across the bridge of his nose, and on to the left ear.
"'Lo," he said glumly. He sat beside Ginny and nodded hello to Hermione and Harry.
Before Hermione could wrap her thoughts completely around Neville and his deeply scarred face, Dean stepped into the doorway.
Harry thought Dean looked taller and gaunter. His dark eyes were sunken deeper into the sockets. His lips were thin and frozen in an unhappy expression.
He walked in without speaking and dropped down onto the bench beside Harry. He slid back on the seat and crossed his arms over his chest. With a sullen tone, he said, "Welcome back, Gang. Just heard that the Patils' home was attacked last month. Padma and her parents were killed. Parvati's two compartments up and a sobbing mess. Suppose it's about time to call Hogwarts the School for Orphans." Dean leaned forward and stretched out his large, calloused hands. "What's that now? The Longbottoms, the Patils, the Boots, the Bones." He counted the families on his fingers. "I know I'm leaving out at least twenty," he said angrily. "Oh yeah, let's not forget mine!"
Ginny shook her head at Dean in an attempt to get him to stop his ranting.
"What?" Dean asked.
Neville cast his eyes toward Hermione. Then he released a breath full of sadness. Dean jerked his head toward Hermione.
"What happened?" he asked in concern. His angry expression vanished for one of worry. "No…not you, too." Hermione nodded sadly, and Harry patted her leg in an affectionate manner. Ginny's eyebrows rose behind the copper hair on her forehead before she closed her eyes and leaned her head back.
"I'm losing faith," she said with a slight tremor in her voice. "What if it never ends?"
"Everything ends," Neville said, rubbing his fingers across the serrated scar on his face.
Ginny swiped at her tears. "Does it?" she asked, rubbing tears between her forefinger and thumb. "These don't."
The compartment fell silent. Hermione glanced at Harry. He shook his head in response. The amount of changes brought about by a one-year-old's crying fit was unreal to him. In his wildest dreams, he could not have imagined such differences.
The sadness filling the train bordered on suffocation. Hermione slipped her hand into Harry's. Across the compartment, this discreet motion did not go unnoticed. Ron watched his two best mates in the window's reflection. Ginny watched through barely open eyes, and Neville watched with a strange expression on his face.
The Hogwarts Express began to move, and Hermione wondered what other surprises were waiting for them at Hogwarts, School for Orphans.
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