Harry's Bond Part 3
Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling and various publishers. I make no claim to ownership.
A/N: Thanks to my betas Vettesr and Keronshara, and those kind enough to review.
Chapter Five: Hogwarts Express
Jean and Dan gasped as they took in the breathtaking sight of the manor.
"Dan, this is amazing!" Jean enthused. "Look at the size of this place. The grounds alone are better than any I've ever seen. Harry, this is incredible! I never imagined we would see such grandeur. Thank you for inviting us."
Dan could only gape open mouthed at the sight. Surely Harry couldn't own all this! Dazedly, he could only nod in agreement with his wife.
"Cody will show you to your room, Mum, Dad. Emily will have the room next to yours," Hermione told them. "Lunch will be in an hour. That'll give you time to get settled, then after lunch, we'll show you the rest of the Manor."
After a nice lunch in which Jean and Dan enthused about the delicious soup and salad, Harry took Dan to show him the games room. Harry had never played Ping Pong before but caught on quickly when Dan showed him how it was played. Then they moved on to the traditional British game of Darts. Dan asked if there was a golf course and Harry thought there might be one somewhere on the extensive property.
Hermione took Jean and Emily out to the gardens. Jean and Emily were deeply impressed with the variety of flowers and shrubs that were planted. Presently, Harry and Dan joined them for a walk in the woods that surrounded the manor. Birds and animals would come right up to them, unafraid. The wards had protected them for so long, that they had lost all fear of humans. A fox trotted along side Emily and she reached down and stroked the bushy fur. She squealed in delight and the fox continued on its way. Harry and Hermione were also amazed at this until Hermione figured it out. "They have no natural predators here and probably haven't had for centuries. The wards have probably calmed them as well."
After the walking tour, the group met in the lounge to begin the tour of the manor. Since the manor was quite large, the tour lasted until dinner. Cody popped in to announce that dinner would be ready when they were.
………
The days passed peacefully, Harry and Hermione demonstrating their flying skills and after discovering a small lake on the property, went swimming on one of the hot days. As usual, Harry couldn't keep his eye's off his wife in her skimpy bikini. Emily wished that Neville was there to enjoy her swimming costume.
"I'll invite Neville and the gang over for a party, Emily," Harry said, picking up on Emily's wistful looks.
The party was planned for the following weekend and Neville was delighted to accept the invitation. The Weasley's and Luna also accepted the invitation, so the Potter elves prepared a sumptuous feast.
Ron, Ginny and Luna arrived just after Neville, followed by the twins with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
"Wow," was the general consensus when they were ushered through the wards.
Hermione toured the group through the manor with much ooh's and ahh's heard from Molly and Arthur.
Harry and the Grangers settled in the games room. A spirited game of cards occupied them until the tour was over.
Ron suggested a game of Quidditch when he saw the pitch. "It's brilliant Harry. A regulation size pitch, with stands to watch the game."
A pickup game was quickly organised amid much laughter. Harry, Hermione and Luna played against Ron, Ginny and Neville. Emily, her parents and Molly and Arthur watched from the stands. While Harry and Hermione had top of the line brooms, Ron and Ginny had a bit more experience. Before Cody called them to dinner, the score stood even at 70 apiece. Dobby helped with the dinner as everyone settled down for an excellent meal.
After dinner, the Weasley's flooed back home and Neville stayed to talk for awhile. Emily sat close to Neville and hung on every word. Jean smiled and noted that her youngest seemed to have a crush on the Longbottom boy.
After Neville left, the Grangers and the Potters enjoyed a game of cards before bedtime.
The next weeks passed with everyone enjoying themselves. Jean and Dan eventually went back home and to work. Emily stayed and worked on homework, along with Harry and Hermione. Days were spent hiking the trails and swimming in the lake until the school term started.
Neville would floo over some days and Emily was always a close companion when he visited. They managed to sneak away for a bit of quality time together most days. Neville found himself attracted to the pretty second year and Emily clearly was smitten with Neville.
Jean and Dan were a bit worried that Emily seemed to have a crush on the Longbottom boy. They just hoped it was a passing thing. They had already lost one daughter to an early marriage; they didn't want to lose the other anytime soon.
………
The annual trip to Diagon Alley for their school supplies found a few surprises. Pasted in public places were posters of an escaped convict. Sirius Black had broken out of Azkaban and was considered a dangerous criminal. A reward for his capture was posted along with his picture. Harry also noticed several serious looking Aurors stationed at strategic places in the Alley. Talk was that Mr. Black was looking for revenge on the person who struck down his master, `He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. Harry shuddered at this, knowing that Sirius would be looking for him.
"Hermione, perhaps we should get our shopping done as quickly as possible. We don't want to encounter Sirius Black. Emily, I think you should stick close to us for protection."
"Harry, we should be able to defend ourselves…"
"It's not us I'm worried about, love, Emily could get hurt."
They quickly finished shopping and flooed back to Potter Manor.
………
Morning the first of September, dawned cold and foggy. The Potter's and Emily portkeyed to Platform 9 and 3/4 of King's Cross Station. Dan and Jean were there to see them off before returning to work.
There seemed to be more people than usual on the platform and Harry and Hermione had to remind themselves that this was probably because of Sirius Black. Most of those extra people would probably turn out to be Aurors.
"Luna!" Emily called, spotting her friend in the crowd. "Over here!"
"Hi Emily, did you have a nice time after we left?" Luna asked, as she hugged her best friend. "Have you seen Ginny yet?"
"Not yet, Ginny says that they always come at the last minute."
"Hi Harry, Hermione," Luna greeted. "Oh, there's Neville."
Emily turned a bit pink and ran to greet him. "Hi Neville," she said shyly.
"Hello Emily," he returned. "Have the Weasley's arrived yet?"
"No, but Luna's here, come on, it's getting close to train time. Let's get a good seat."
Hugging her parents goodbye, Emily made her way to the train with Luna and Neville.
"Looks like Emily has claimed Neville," Hermione giggled.
"Poor Neville, he doesn't stand a chance," Dan remarked.
"Poor Neville?" Jean glared at her husband. "And why would you think `poor'? I think Neville and Emily are cute together."
"I'm only saying that once our youngest sets here her mind to something, she always gets what she wants. Neville is as good as caught, he just doesn't realise it yet."
"Uh oh, looks like the competition has arrived," Jean said. "Ginny has spotted Neville and is running to catch up."
"Ginny? She has her eye on Neville too?" Dan asked.
"Of course, didn't you notice the looks she was giving him at Potter Manor when they were over for the day?"
Harry and Hermione grinned at this. They had noticed the rivalry building between the two and firmly decided to stay out of the way.
"Hi guys," Ron greeted. "Come on, let's find an empty compartment. I didn't get much of a chance to hear about your holidays."
Giving the Granger's a hug and kiss and a promise to be careful, Hermione and Harry trailed Ron to the train. Finding their usual compartment at the end of the train empty, the trio settled down for the ride. Presently, Luna joined them, having decided that Ginny and Emily wanted to talk to Neville, rather than her. She'd have plenty of time to gab with Emily, once they were at school. Besides, Ron was here and she'd taken a bit of a fancy to him.
………
As the Hogwarts Express worked it's way north, the weather deteriorated. The fog turned into a steady rain and finally the lights came on in the compartment.
Harry and Hermione were cuddled close, keeping each other warm. Ron was talking to Luna when the lights flickered. The train seemed to be slowing and Harry looked out the window. Despite the gloom outside, Harry could see dark shadows moving.
Suddenly, the train lurched to a stop, throwing several people to the floor that were in the corridor. Neville, Emily and Ginny quickly entered Harry and Hermione's compartment with worried expressions on their faces.
"What's going on Harry?" Neville enquired. "We can't be there yet."
"Dunno, Nev," Harry answered. "Seems to be something out there. I caught a glimpse of dark shapes, just before the train stopped."
Shouts echoed down the train as students tried to find out what was happening. A chill invaded the train and the lights finally died, plunging the train into darkness.
"Shut the door, Nev," Harry hissed. "Something bad is out there."
Luna clung to Ron in terror. "Ron," she gasped. "I-I feel something evil close by. It's d-draining all the h-happiness…" And with that, Luna collapsed, sobbing against Ron.
"Bloody hell!" Ron swore. "I can feel it too."
Harry had gone rigid, his eyes fixed on something only he and Hermione could see. Hermione was shaking so violently that Harry had a hard time concentrating on their bond. He could feel Hermione reacting to what he was hearing. Screams and a green light filled their minds. A foul presence drifted down the corridor and opened the compartment door with a scabberous hand. Emily screamed, along with Ginny. Hermione was near catatonic, her eyes rolling back. Harry was only barely managing to hold on to consciousness, screams echoing in his head. He could hardly feel the connection to Hermione. A golden glow surrounded Harry and Hermione, pushing the foul creature back. As the glow intensified, the creature moaned and attempted to retreat. Harry and Hermione recovered quickly, joining hands, pushed and their magic flared into a blinding white light. The creature screeched as black smoke curling up from within itself. A spark leapt from the golden aura, joining the white light and rushed outward, striking the black hooded creature. A horrid stench filled the compartment as the thing burst into flame and died, leaving a black ash on the corridor floor.
"What was that thing?" Emily asked, shaking. "I felt cold, as though I'd never be warm again."
At this point, a tall, thin, shabby looking man came into the compartment. He had light brown hair and his face was covered in scars, as if someone had scratched him badly. It was a sad looking face, but he managed a quick smile as he noticed that everyone seemed to be alright. Looking at the pile of black ash in the corridor, he spoke in a soft voice.
"That was a dementor; one of the foulest creatures on earth. They suck all the happiness out of people, even muggles are affected, although they can't see them. Now, how did this one die?"
"Um, that was us, sir," Hermione replied. "Harry and I were um… able to finally resist it and pushed our magic at it. It screamed and burst into flame and died."
Hermione didn't want to tell the stranger much more, and Harry silently agreed.
"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Professor R.J. Lupin. I will be your Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher."
Harry introduced the group, pointing to each. "Hermione Potter, Emily Granger, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley. My name is Harry Potter. Hermione is my wife," he said proudly.
"I'm happy to meet you. If you will excuse me, I've been checking the train and now need to see the conductor and get the train moving again." `So, Harry is married,' he thought. `Albus could have warned me.'
After Professor Lupin left, they discussed the new Defence teacher.
"Looks a bit shabby for a professor, don't you think?" Ron observed.
"Appearances can be deceiving Ron, Lockhart wasn't much of a teacher," Harry quickly defended. Something about the new professor intrigued him.
"Well, lets hope he's better than the last two. The job does seem to be jinxed," Hermione stated.
"Anyone would be better than the last two, that's certain," Neville rejoined.
The train started with a lurch and continued its journey. As darkness enfolded the train, Harry and Hermione curled up together, lost in thoughts. I wonder why a dementor boarded the train, love?
I think it was looking for someone, Harry.
Harry shuddered at the thought. Sirius Black, I hope, but it didn't seem to care once it saw us, Hermione. If we hadn't been able to repel it, I hate to think what might have happened.
Hermione also fought a shudder at the thought.
Soon the train arrived at the station and the students disembarked. Hagrid greeted them and ushered the first years to the boats. Harry, Hermione, Emily and Neville climbed into one carriage, which promptly left, carrying them back to the castle. Nobody spoke, and as the lights of the castle became visible, their spirits began to recover. A definite chill was in the air, however, as the weather seemed to have settled into a bleak downpour.
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