DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They are the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros, etc. No money was made from the creation of this story.
Chapter Four: The Hogwarts Transfers
"Where'd you go?" Ron asked Harry, as he, Ginny, and Hermione watched Harry hurry back to them. It was a bright sunny day in Diagon Alley and the four had set off to the various stores to purchase their needed school supplies. Harry smiled as he quickly walked up to his friends and took a spot next to Hermione.
"I'm sorry," Harry replied as he tried to catch his breath. "I left something back at the Apothecary and I went back and got it."
They had all just left the Apothecary, where Hermione needed to replenish her supplies for her Advanced Potions class. On their way out of the store, Harry had vanished amongst the crowd of people, and had only just returned to his friends.
The four continued to walk down the street, looking around at the various stores that were around them. The Alley was filled with people, the majority being Hogwarts students. They passed by Olivander's wand shop, where they found him helping several first years find their perfect wand. Harry loved Diagon Alley; many happy memories flashed through his mind as he and his friends made their way to Flourish & Blotts Bookstore.
"Well, since I'll be using your old books," Ginny smiled at Ron before turning towards the crowded store, "I'll head back to the Leaky Cauldron. I'll take your potions stuff with me, Hermione."
"Oh thanks," she replied as she handed Ginny a bag full of random ingredients. Ginny took the bag and smiled at the three as they walked towards the entrance of the store. She giggled to herself and yelled, "Now don't get lost!"
The three entered the store to find it completely filled to its maximum capacity. They managed to walk around a bunch of young kids they believed were first years, rushing out of the store. This eased the congestion slightly, but moving around was still a bit uncomfortable. The three managed to make their way to various sections of the store where they found the books that they needed. Harry took the crowded store as a good reason for him to stand close to Hermione.
"What are you doing?" she whispered to him with a mischievous smile, when he started to nudge his shoulder softly into hers.
"Oh, nothing, just trying to get through," he replied back with an even bigger smile.
Their attention was soon turned to a young woman approaching them. She had a pack of people, mainly Hogwarts students, behind her and had a very agitated look on her face.
"Excuse me, but can you help me out?" the girl asked politely as she stopped by Harry, Hermione, and Ron. The young girl was incredibly pretty. She had long, flowing, light brown hair that fell down to the middle of her back, deep green eyes, and she had this sort of incredible maturity about her. Hermione caught Harry staring at her, and she, in turn, nudged him in his side with her elbow.
"What could we help you with?" Hermione replied as she gave the girl a fake smile.
"Well, I'm new here. I just transferred from Beauxbaton and I…" her eyes were moving around as she talked, making eye contact with both Harry and Ron on several occasions, "this is embarrassing…I need help finding my books."
"What about your fan club?" Ron asked as he pointed over her shoulder to the large crowd that gathered behind her. She turned around and gave them an icy glare, but none of them had noticed.
"I don't know," she replied as she turned to face them again, her gaze settling on Harry. "They don't seem to be much help. I wish they would stop following me."
"I'm sure you do," Hermione muttered to herself as she noticed that the girl was looking straight at Harry.
Harry heard Hermione's sarcastic remark, and, in turn, carefully slipped his hand behind her and rubbed her back softly. She looked up at him from the corner of her eye, and he felt her giving him a deadly glare.
"I'll help you out, if you'd like," Ron said to her as he held out his hand. "Can I see your book list?" The girl gave him her list and he looked through it, frequently looking around towards the different sections of the store. "Well, you can come with me if you'd like…I can get them for you."
"I'd really appreciate that," she replied with a smile, which made Ron's heart to race with happiness.
Ron smiled at his friends as he headed in the general direction of the girl's books with the girl behind him with the relatively large group of people traveling in her wake.
"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry looked at her, her eyes evading his. He took her books from her arms and placed hers along with his onto a nearby table. He then turned and placed both his hands on her arms, incredibly worried at her sudden change. She gave him the impression that he wasn't standing by her, but instead over a thousand miles away.
"She's pretty isn't she," Hermione replied as she looked in the direction of Ron and the girl.
Harry immediately knew the reason behind Hermione's mood. She's jealous…she's jealous because of that girl. This in a sort of way flattered him, knowing that Hermione truly did care for him, but he knew that causing Hermione uneasiness was the last thing he'd ever wanted to do.
"She's okay, I guess" Harry said as he tried to move his head so he could look at her face. "Nothing all that special though."
"Nothing special?" Hermione retorted as she looked up at him with look of hurt and anger. "Then why were you staring?"
"I wasn't staring," Harry replied, his voice getting defensive. In all honesty, he was taken aback by the girl's beauty, but had trouble determining how to express the fact that he didn't stare at her in any sort of lustful way. He thought to himself, still looking into her eyes.
"Well…she is pretty," Hermione added as she looked down towards their feet, a sound of defeat in her voice.
"Yeah, she is," Harry replied, causing her to tense up, "but she is nothing when it comes to you."
Hermione looked up at him with a look of utter bewilderment and gratitude. Harry smiled at her and he softly rubbed her cheek with his hand. He let out a deep sigh, and Hermione noticed his face turning red. He was struggling with his words again, and she couldn't help smile and blush a bit more, wondering how Harry was going to piece together what he had in his mind.
He took a deep breath before saying, "Yeah…you blow her right out the water."
"That's the best you could come up with," Hermione giggled as she raised her eyebrows at him. Harry turned a bright red as he opened his mouth, trying to say something else. He started to stutter a few things, but she gently placed her hand over his mouth. She gave him a bright smile, the sadness in her eyes vanishing. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he smiled back, completely relieved. Harry knew that he needed to improve on his complementing abilities, but he always grew nervous when he wanted to say something nice. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind as he looked back into her eyes. He then leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead, taking in the scent of her perfume.
"Well if it isn't Potty and his Mudblood girlfriend," a snide voice became from behind Harry.
Harry turned expecting to find Draco Malfoy standing with his usual unpleasant smirk, only to find that this expression was far worse. The memories of the previous year had rushed back into his mind and he remembered how Malfoy's father was one of the Death Eaters that were arrested in Department of Mysteries. Harry couldn't help but feel satisfied at the fact that the Malfoy's prestigious family name was now terribly scarred.
"What do you want?" Hermione retorted as she glared at him. Malfoy gave her his snarled smirk as Crabbe and Goyle appeared behind him, both wearing their typical angry but clueless expressions. Hermione rolled her eyes and took a hold of Harry's arm with her hand. "Let's go Harry."
Harry gave Malfoy a big grin, before he turned and started to walk away. Malfoy's face grew burning red, his fists clenching tightly, and his knuckles turning white. "That's right! Hide behind your Mudblood girlfriend. You coward!"
"That's enough you filthy pig," a man with a stern voice shouted from the entrance of the shop, causing everyone to turn and face him. A tall bold man stood there wearing dark green robes with blonde waving hair. He had his arms on his waist and had an aura about him that made him shine like a famous celebrity. He took several long strides towards Malfoy and stared down at him. "I believe you owe this young lady an apology."
"I will not apologize to her," Malfoy growled back at the man as he avoided his gaze. He turned his attention towards Harry and Hermione again before looking back up at the man. "Do you have any idea who you are talking to?"
"I do not care if you are heir to the throne of England," the man answered fervently as he walked away from Malfoy and towards Hermione. "No man should dare insult such a delicate flower."
He gave Hermione a dashing smile, causing her blush slightly. Harry noticed her reaction and couldn't help a horrible sense of anger build inside him. He glared at the man, who had completely ignored him and continued to stare at Hermione.
He gave her small wink as he turned his attention back on Malfoy. "Now I demand that you give her an apology or I will be forced to take action."
"What is going here?" a store clerked roared as she walked up and stood in between Malfoy and the gallant man. No one answered. Growing frustrated with the silence, she turned and looked directly at the man who was now pacing back and forth. "Who are you?"
"My name is William Weinstein," he said to her with a professional voice. "I came to the aide of this beautiful young woman when I heard this filthy mongrel insult her."
Hermione blushed again when she heard his compliment; she hadn't noticed Harry's uneasy look. Harry stood speechless but felt that he needed to do something. He took a step forward to the clerk; his mind drew a complete blank as he opened his mouth.
The clerk turned to him, and he began softly, "It was just a small argument. It wasn't a big deal."
"I will not tolerate such behavior in my store, Mr. Potter," the clerk responded as her eyes moved from William to Malfoy. "Now, if you're done with all your shopping, please leave so others can get their books."
Harry walked back towards Hermione, she noticing his inability to make eye contact with her. He turned to find Malfoy's face filled with confusion and disgust as he and his cronies walked out of the bookstore. Harry's attention was then focused on William Weinstein as he made his way back towards them, his back straight and posture perfect. He carried himself incredibly well, which added to his shimmering aura.
He took Hermione by her hand and leaned down to kiss it. Hermione's face filled with surprise, but she did not retract her hand away from him. She looked up at Harry, wondering why was simply standing there if he was truly angry. William smiled at her, softly saying in his deep voice, "My name is William Weinstein, and may have the pleasure of knowing your name?"
"Hermione…Hermione Granger," she replied softly. She could feel Harry's anger beginning to swell. Harry…do something, you git. Just don't stand there.
"You must be the famous Harry Potter," William grinned as he released Hermione's hand and held it out in front of him. Harry took his hand and shook it hard, only to feel William's grip overpower his. "I thought that you of all people would have been glad to see me tarnish that boy, especially after the rude things he said to your girlfriend."
"She isn't my girlfriend!" Harry retorted so loudly that Hermione jumped. William only smiled back at the two with his arms up in front of him in a defensive manner.
"Sorry there," William replied. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot. Though, if you are not her boyfriend, maybe she will fancy me."
"It's her decision," Harry responded calmly, bottling his anger inside him. "Well, we need to continue shopping. Hermione, let's go."
"Can I accompany you?" he asked quickly before Harry and Hermione moved.
"It's okay," Hermione responded before Harry had a chance to open his mouth. "We're in a hurry. It was nice meeting you."
Hermione took Harry by the arm and pulled him towards the corner of the shop, leaving a very stunned William behind. She looked around and made sure that no one was near them before she pulled Harry into one of the empty aisles. She looked at him and found that his eyes were full of sadness. She took both of his hands and hers and softly asked, "Mind explaining what all that was about?"
"I…" Harry opened his mouth, but closed it again. He took several deep breaths as he tried to sort out what he wanted to say in his mind. He wanted to make sure Hermione understood what he wanted to say, but at the same time, not upsetting her. He opened his mouth again and was finally able to force out, "I don't like him very much."
"I've noticed," she replied, not breaking eye contact with him.
"I'm sorry Hermione." He took his hands away from hers and leaned against the bookshelf, crossing his arms as he looked up at the ceiling. He took another deep breath before looking back into her eyes. "I…well…I was jealous."
"Now was that really all that hard to say," she smiled as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her chin against his shoulder and looked up at him, watching his eyes soften. "I'm sorry too. I should of never put you in that position."
"It's not your fault that you're beautiful," he softly spoke as he noticed her eyes start to twinkle.
"Really?" she giggled, her face turning bright pink.
Harry had never complemented her like that before, and even though she has heard such compliments from other people, it meant so much more to her to hear it from Harry. Harry turned and wrapped his arms around her waist, and she, in turn, moved her arms around his neck.
His heart started to race again, the warm and comforting feelings that filled his body the night before had completely enveloped him again. The world around them darkened, the noise softened, making the two feel that they were alone. Harry began to lower his face to hers, the two closing their eyes. Hermione…
CRASH! The sudden sound of books falling onto the floor caused Harry and Hermione to turn. They peaked through the shelf of books to find the girl that they had met earlier leaning over her books with Ron by her side. The two looked let out a deep sigh of relief to know that no one had seen them. Hermione let out a soft groan, knowing that their moment was ruined. Harry smiled at her as the two released their hold on the other. The two took deep breaths, allowing their flushed faces to simmer down, and walked around the shelf to help the girl and Ron.
"Where've you two been?" Ron asked, holding a stack of books in his arms. "We've been looking all over the place."
"Sorry," Hermione answered as she picked up one of the books from the floor and placed it on top of the stack that Ron was holding was holding in his arms. "We were just browsing and we lost track of time."
"Your fan club left?" Harry asked as the four stood up, noticing that aside from the four, there wasn't another person in sight.
"Oh yes!" the girl smiled as she brushed the dust off her dark blue robes. "The store clerk got angry at them for taking up space and forced those that were done shopping to leave. Oh, I'm Nancy Mason, by the way."
"Hermione Granger," Hermione smiled as she shook her hand softly.
"I'm.…" Harry started but was stopped by her squeal.
"You're Harry Potter!"
"Well…yeah," Harry responded as he scratched the side of his head, peaking at Hermione from the corner of his eye. Hermione held her smile and started to read the titles of the books that Ron was holding.
"I've heard everything about you from Fleur Delacour," she said as the four moved towards the center of the store.
"Oh, you knew Fleur?" Harry asked as they made there way to table where Harry and Hermione had left their books. Harry smiled to see that they were still there, knowing that having to find them all over again would have been an incredible hassle.
"Yes, she's one of my closest friends," she replied as the four friends stood in line for the register.
It took almost an hour for the four to leave Flourish & Blotts, Harry answering all the questions that Nancy asked him. She asked the same usual questions that every curious person had asked upon meeting him. He talked to her about his parents' death, how You-Know-Who is after him, and recapped a few of the adventures that Ron, Hermione, and he had been on together.
When the four finally left the bookstore, they decided to head back to the Leaky Cauldron to take a break. They found an empty table near the back of the inn and quickly moved towards it before anyone else could claim it. Harry took his seat first at the small rectangular table. Hermione took the seat next to Harry while Ron and Nancy took the seats facing them.
"So tell us a little bit about yourself," Ron said as he turned and faced Nancy. Her face was flushed from the summer's heat and the unbearably agony of having to carry so many heavy books.
"Well…I'm going to be a seventh year," she replied as she looked back at Ron, her expression light and cheerful. "My family lives in London, but during the majority of the year, my parents work in France for the Ministry of Magic. They work in the Department of International Magical Cooperations."
"Oh, my dad works for the Ministry," Ron quickly said.
"I know of your dad," she smiled back at him. "He's Arthur Weasley, he works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, doesn't he?"
"Yes he does," Ron nodded with an unsure look on his face. "How do you know of him?"
"I've heard many good things about him from my parents. I find his job the most fun of them all. I would love to work in that department once I've graduated."
Harry and Hermione stared at the two with a questionable look. Harry turned and grinned at her, his expression hopeful. The two realized if something were to form between Ron and Nancy, the two would have an easier time in revealing their relationship to him. Harry turned to face Ron, and found him and Nancy laughing as their conversation about Muggles continued. He gave the two a small grin, his mind formulating a plan. And if they don't find each other, Hermione and I will just need to give them a little push in the right direction.
"You don't have a hint of a French accent," Harry commented as he looked at her.
"Oh, I was born and raised in London," she replied with a smile. "Je parle français tres bien, but I never seemed to develop an accent. I guess it's because my family constantly moves back and forth between London and France throughout the year."
"Why are you transferring to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked curiously. She felt Harry take her hand underneath the table and she smiled to herself as she felt him give her hand a gentle squeeze. "It must be hard leaving Beauxbaton."
"I've always wanted to attend Hogwarts," she answered as she looked at Hermione. "Though because of my parents' work, I had no choice but to attend Beauxbaton. I'll definitely miss it, but…Hogwarts is one of the best schools of witchcraft and wizardry, and it would be a dream to actually meet Albus Dumbledore."
"He's a really great headmaster," Ron spoke as he smiled at her. "He's really good friends with Harry, Hermione, and me."
"I wouldn't go as far as to say `really good' though," Hermione interrupted as she looked at Ron. It's cute…he's trying to show off to her.
The four continued to chat about the new school year and how exciting it would be. Harry smiled at Hermione as she talked about their classes with Nancy. The three had learned that Nancy was just like Hermione, a bookworm who desired nothing more than to obtain knowledge. Nancy talked about the advanced classes that she had taken at Beauxbaton and what things that they may expect in their upcoming classes, saying that Hogwarts follows a study schedule that resembles anything to that of Beauxbaton's.
Harry hid his laughter to see how quickly Hermione and Nancy got along. Her eyes no longer contained any form of resentment or hostility, but were now replaced with admiration and curiosity, as if she were talking to her older sister. The four laughed and had a wonderful time as the three started to talk to Nancy about the fun experiences they had shared together at Hogwarts and how much fun she will have. Harry and Hermione didn't once release their hands, the two sneaking at smile towards each other occasionally.
The four turned to see that Mr. Weasley had entered the inn. He made his way towards the table and gave them a grin as he stood before them. "How are you all doing?"
"We're doing just fine, dad," Ron replied, wondering why his father was staring at them.
"Harry," Mr. Weasley said as he turned towards him. "I was just informed by Dumbledore that you need to talk to Cornelius Fudge and explain what you know about the situation to him."
"What? When?" Harry replied, an extreme disgust in his voice. "Why do I need to talk to him for?"
"I'm sorry Harry," he sighed as he placed his hand on his shoulder. "The Ministry needs to know exactly what's going on, and both Fudge and Dumbledore requested that you should speak with him."
"When does he have to go?" Hermione asked, her hand clutching Harry's tighter.
"Well…since we will be going according to Fudge's schedule," he sighed heavily as he looked at Harry, "you and I will go see him on the morning of September 1st."
"You can't be serious?" Harry shouted as released Hermione's hand and stood from his chair. "I will miss the Hogwarts Express."
"That has already been settled. After our appointment, I will take you to Hogwarts with the flying car."
"You have a flying car?" Nancy whispered to Ron. Harry shot him a glare, causing Ron not to answer.
"I'm sorry Harry…but we don't have a choice in the matter," Mr. Weasley finished, quickly moving away from the table before Harry could make anymore arguments.
"Calm down Harry," Hermione said softly as she stood behind him.
Harry sat back down in his chair, grumbling to himself. Hermione took her seat next to him and again took his hand in hers underneath the table again. She squeezed his hand tenderly, wishing that she could calm him down.
"I hate it when they do this," Harry growled softly, staring at the table. "I never have a choice, do I?"
"Why, what's going?" Nancy asked softly as she felt the tension at the table grow. Hermione and Ron explained the situation to her to the best of their abilities, causing Nancy's eyes to widen with both fear and utter astonishment. "You mean, things like this happen all the time?"
"Unfortunately so," Ron replied as he looked at Harry. Harry raised his head and gave him a weak smile. Ron smiled back as he turned to look at Nancy again. "Bloody hell, we haven't had a single year without having something like this happen."
"You make it sound that you would enjoy an uneventful year," Nancy smiled as she let out a sigh of relief, watching the tension at the table loosen.
"We would gladly accept a nice and boring year," Hermione smiled as Ron and Harry let out a small laugh.
"I'll take your trunk now, Harry. Well…good luck and I'll see you at dinner," Ron said as he took Harry's trunk onto the train.
The remaining three days at Diagon Alley had passed faster than Harry had hoped, and he was now standing on platform nine and three-quarters, watching all the Hogwarts students embarking the Hogwarts Express. Ron had found Nancy, Hermione, and himself a nice compartment near the back of the train and was volunteered to load the luggage into their compartment.
"It was nice meeting you. I'll see you at Hogwarts," Nancy smiled at him before she turned and boarded the train, following closely behind Ron.
Harry took in a deep breath as he turned his attention towards Hermione. She looked at him and gave him a soft smile. Crookshanks was walking around them, occasionally rubbing his back against Harry's leg and purring softly. When Nancy and Ron were out of their sight, Hermione moved towards him and gave him a tight hug, burying her face into his shoulder. Harry wrapped his arms tightly around her, kissing her forehead.
"I wish you could come with us," Hermione said quietly as she looked up into his eyes.
"Me too…" he replied as his eyes moved from her to the train and back to her again. "But I'll be there by dinner, so everything should be okay."
Hermione nodded as she gave him another tight embrace and kissed him on the cheek. She leaned down and picked up Crookshanks, stroking her back unconsciously as she continued to look into Harry's eyes. Harry took a step forward and too started to pet Crookshanks, his other hand settling on Hermione's cheek. She felt goose bumps cover her body as Harry started to rub her cheek softly with his hand.
The whistle blew and the two knew that the train was about to leave. Harry leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. She quickly turned and ran up the stairs and onto the train. The stairs that once stood in front of all the entrances were soon rising into the air and disappearing before him. Harry looked up at Hermione through the glass and scenes from old black and white romance movies appeared in his head.
She gave him big smile as the train released streams of steam, great quantities of smoke puffing out of the front stack. The train started to move forward, and Harry couldn't help but stare at it as it left the station. Within minutes, it was gone, taking all the anticipating students back to Hogwarts for another wonderful year. Not me though…no…I have to go talk to one of the thickest men in all of the magical world.
Harry raised his arms in the air and stretched his back. He rested his arms on the back of his head as he turned and walked towards the barrier that led him back into King's Cross Train Station. He found Mr. Weasley smiling at him, but Harry couldn't muster a smile. He placed his arms down to his sides and followed Mr. Weasley out of the station. Harry's mind pondered how they would go to the Ministry. They had all taken company cars to get to Kings Cross, but upon leaving them, the cars had magically vanished.
"Here we are," Mr. Weasley announced as he stopped in front of what was miraculously the Ford Anglia, parked in the parking lot of the train station.
Harry didn't bother asking earlier but the last he remembered of the flying car was that it was wandering around the Forbidden Forest right outside of Hogwarts. Harry simply stared at the car, and Mr. Weasley gave him a smile and put his hand on his shoulder. "We recovered it earlier during the summer."
"Where'd you find it?" Harry asked with a look of utter confusion.
"We found it right on the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest," he replied as he took Harry to the passenger side and opened the door for him. Harry got in and noticed that the interior of the car had been completely redone in black leather. Mr. Weasley closed the door and entered the car from the driver's side before continuing, "The poor thing was a bloody mess. All the windows were broken and its body was completely demolished."
"Who repaired it?" Harry asked as he moved his hands across the dashboard, feeling the texture.
"Oh, one of my colleagues from the Ministry," he answered, a smile still on his face. He turned on the car, set it in gear, and drove away from the train station. "He loves tinkering with muggle inventions more than anyone else I know. Took him about a month to fix her up, and she's running better than ever."
Harry took a deep breath as he and Mr. Weasley rode the elevator inside the Ministry of Magic, pacing quietly as he waited for the elevator to stop. When it did, the doors opened to expose a long and narrow corridor. The two stepped out of the elevator and proceeded down the corridor, walking passed a torch every few feet. They final stopped in front of two large doors, with a gold plate above reading Minister of Magic.
"All right Harry," Mr. Weasley smiled as he patted him on the shoulder. "He only wants to talk to you, so I'll just wait out here."
Harry nodded and pushed one of the doors open. He entered and was taken aback by the size of the room. It was double the size of Professor Dumbledore's office and contained almost three times the amount of books. The ceiling of the office was enchanted to show a bright blue sky covered with many puffy clouds. Harry took a closer look and noticed how some of the clouds would quickly take on the shape of an animal before returning to their puffy state. Aside from books, the walls were covered with portraits of those Harry guessed to be the previous Ministers of Magic.
Harry looked forward and saw a large table near the back of the room on top of what looked like a raised platform. He carefully walked up the steps to find Cornelius Fudge sitting at the large desk scribbling on a large pile of documents. He looked up at Harry for a few seconds before returning his attention to the parchments on his desk. Harry stood there speechless, unsure of what Fudge had in store for him.
"Please sit down, Harry," Fudge said in a calm voice, yet Harry could tell that he was trying to retain his frustration.
Harry took several steps forward and took a seat in a large chair, curiously looking at the documents that Fudge was examining. Harry heard a series of whispers, all of which seemed to be filled with anger, from outside the front doors. He turned as the doors opened to see Percy Weasley storming in. Percy closed the door behind him and walked over to the table and took a seat next to Harry. Harry looked at him, but Percy didn't acknowledge him. Harry rested against his chair again, putting to his hands together, patiently waiting for someone to break the silence.
"All right, Harry," Fudge spoke out as he placed his quill down and moved his papers aside. He looked at Harry with an odd look.
Harry couldn't read Fudge's eyes, they seemed to be filled with annoyance, curiosity, and several other indescribable emotions. Fudged placed his hands on the table and took a deep breath. "I've been informed by Dumbledore that you have been the target of a series of attacks."
Percy immediately started scribbling as Fudge spoke his words. Harry nodded at him before opening his mouth, "Yes sir. I've been attacked twice during the summer."
Harry continued to relay the events that took place, making sure to emphasize how his assailant used the Flamora weapons incredibly well and if it weren't for the intervention of another Flamora wielder, he wouldn't be sitting in front of Fudge today. Fudge asked several questions about the Flamora wielders and upon hearing the names of Reins and Keung, Fudges eyes went wide.
"It can't be a coincidence," Fudge muttered to himself. Harry leaned forward against the table, trying to listen to what Fudge had to say.
"What?" Harry replied, his eyes fixed on Fudge. "What is it about those two?"
"If you are describing the people that I think you are," Fudge answered, his fingers rubbing his chin, "then you may be in more serious trouble than you think."
"How so?" Harry questioned as he leaned back against his seat.
"Keung Chang was tried for the murder of a fellow Hogwarts classmate about eight years ago," Fudge started. Harry's eyes went wide and he carefully listened to what Fudge had to say. "There wasn't enough evidence to put him in Azkaban and Dumbledore didn't expel him from the school. Magnolia Reins was the Hogwarts student that reported the murder to the authorities. She left Hogwarts upon hearing that Keung was acquitted of all his charges, and when Keung found out that she had left the school, he did the same."
"Is this Keung," Harry interrupted, "related to the Cho Chang that is currently going to Hogwarts?"
"Why yes, he is her older brother," Fudge replied, his eyebrows rising. "I must inform Dumbledore. Keung is a very dangerous man and should not be trusted. He may have saved your life in front of the Leaky Cauldron, but it doesn't mean he won't take it the next time you bump into him."
Harry nodded and Fudge rose from his seat. Percy did the same and Harry quickly caught on and too stood from his chair. Harry was surprised to see Fudge extend a hand to him. Harry took it and Fudge gave him a hard handshake.
Upon releasing his hand, Fudge began, "Trouble always seems to find you, Mr. Potter. You be sure to keep an eye out for things. You may go now. I will inform the all those in the Ministry and we'll have the Aurors keep an eye out for both Magnolia Reins and Keung Chang."
"We're almost there," Mr. Weasley softly spoke as he shook Harry's arm.
Harry woke to find it incredible dark, but was relieved to see the silhouette of Hogwarts in front of him. It was truly a magical sight, with the moon directly above and the candlelights flickering from all the windows. Harry and Mr. Weasley didn't speak much after leaving the Ministry of Magic. Mr. Weasley understood that what Fudge discussed with Harry was his business and Harry would tell him when felt the time was right.
The car flew around to the front of the castle and landed gracefully on the grassy lawn. Harry smiled at Mr. Weasley, completely amazed at how well he flew the car. Harry's previous encounters with the vehicle have never been so peaceful and carefree. Harry exited the car and walked around to Mr. Weasley.
"Thank you for the ride," Harry smiled as he placed his hand on top of the car. "I'm sorry…about the way I acted earlier."
"Oh Harry," Mr. Weasley replied. "I would of done the same thing if I were in your shoes. Take care now, tell Ron and Hermione I said hi."
"I will," Harry nodded. He started to walk towards the front entrance of Hogwarts when he heard Mr. Weasley call out to him. He hurriedly returned to the car with a curious look.
"Do you know who that girl that Ron is with?" He asked as he raised his eyebrows at him.
"Her name is Nancy Mason. She's a seventh year transfer student from Beauxbaton," Harry replied as he crossed his arms, shivering slightly from the cold. "We met her in Flourish & Blotts when we were getting our books."
"Oh, I see," Mr. Weasley grinned as he looked back at Harry. "Keep an eye on him. I know how you two enjoy getting into trouble."
Harry smiled back and took a step back as Mr. Weasley put the flying car in gear. Harry waved as he watched the car lift of the ground and disappear into the night sky. He turned and made his way into the castle, traveling up the stairs towards the Great Hall. He walked in to find that the Great Hall was empty for the exception for Hermione, Ron, and Nancy, whom were talking to Dobby, the house elf.
"Harry Potter has returned to Hogwarts!" Dobby cheered as he ran away from the table and towards Harry.
Harry smiled at him as he sank on to one knee. Dobby was wearing a pair of different colored socks, an old Gryffindor tie, red tattered pants, and three of the hats that Hermione had knitted the previous year. He leapt into Harry's arms and gave him a big hug. Harry hugged him, patting him on the back as he watched the three rush over to him. "Can Dobby get Harry Potter sir anything?"
"Oh that's okay, Dobby," He replied as he let go of the house elf. He stood up and smiled the three. Dobby waved at them as the four walked out of the Great Hall.
"You're late, Mr. Potter," Hermione said to him with a cheerful voice. Harry could tell that she was worried about his tardiness.
"I'm sorry," Harry replied as he looked at the three. "I don't know what happened, the time just flew by, I guess."
"Nah, don't worry about it," Ron replied as he grinned at him. "The feast just ended about a half an hour ago, so we weren't waiting up too long."
"Though if you kept us waiting for another ten minutes or so," Hermione giggled, her mood lightening incredibly, "we may of just left you out in the cold."
"Don't be like that Hermione," Harry grinned at her as she gave him a friendly nudge. Harry's attention was then turned to a giggling Nancy, her cheeks flushed from her laughter. "So, what house are you in, Nancy?"
Oh, you'll never guess," Ron replied with a smile as they started to ascend a set of stairs.
"Nancy was sorted into Gryffindor!" Hermione announced.
Harry smiled at Nancy who turned a brighter pink. When they reached the top of the stairs, they walked towards the Gryffindor corridor, the three relaying the course of the evening to Harry. They talked about the Sorting Hat's new and even drearier song, the Christmas Ball, and most importantly the introduction of new teachers.
"Who's our new Defense against the Dark Arts Professor?" Harry asked as they came in view of the Fat Lady's portrait.
"We haven't seen him yet. Professor Dumbledore said that his name was Marcus Spencer, but he won't arrive at Hogwarts until tomorrow morning," Hermione replied as they stopped in front of the portrait. She cleared her throat and spoke in a loud and crisp voice, "Rectatis Ignoramus."
The Fat Lady bowed her head and opened the door, showing them the interior of the Gryffindor common room. The four walked in and found the common room was empty, but the fire was still blazing. Harry walked over to the fire and sat down on the floor in front of it to take in its warmth. Hermione sat down on Harry's left, while Ron and Nancy took a seat on Harry's right.
"What time is it?" Harry asked as he raised his arms into the air and stretched, releasing a small yawn that made Hermione smile at him.
"It should be around ten o'clock by now," Nancy replied as she looked over her shoulder and about trying to find the clock inside the Gryffindor common room. "This is a really excellent room."
"It's home," Ron smiled to her as he rolled back and laid on the ground, staring up at the ceiling. He stretched his arms in front of him, before crossing them against his chest.
"I hope I will fit in here," Nancy said softly as she wrapped her arms around her knees, her voice filled with a sense of both anticipation and fear.
"Oh, you'll love it here," Hermione smiled at her. "Gryffindor is one of the best houses in the school and has some of the friendliest students…by far."
Her mind had wandered towards the Slytherins and she shuddered slightly. Harry noticed this and wished he could wrap his arm around her to comfort her, but was forced to sit there and only look at her with his pleading eyes. Ron then sat up and placed a hand on Nancy's shoulder.
"Don't worry. It'll be great. And if you ever need anything, just come ask one of us and we'll help you out."
Harry and Hermione gave her a reassuring nod, which in turn, allowed her to take a deep breath and relax. Ron turned to Harry with a peculiar look on his face.
"Though you know what's really weird. That new guy, William Weinstein."
"What?" Harry replied, a bit louder than he had mean to. Quieting his voice, "What do you mean, Ron?"
"He's another transfer student," Nancy answered for Ron as she looked at Harry. "He's also a seventh year and he came from a school in the United States. He said that his parents started recently working for the Ministry of Magic, so they came to London."
"How do you know all this?" Harry asked.
"Blimey, the guy wouldn't leave us alone," Ron interrupted, causing Harry's gaze to go to him. "He was sitting with us on the train and even got sorted into Gryffindor."
"Really…" Harry muttered as he turned to face the fire, yet looked at Hermione at the corner of eye. Harry truly didn't like William, and if the thought were possible, he would of rather spend a day with Draco Malfoy than a day with William Weinstein.
Hermione noticed Harry's uneasiness, and she moved closer to him and started rubbing his back. "Harry, you okay?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah, just a little dizzy," Harry lied as he looked into the fire. "I was in the flying car for ages."
"Oh, that can happen," Ron sighed as he too looked into the fire. He then turned to Hermione with a smile. "Though he does really fancy you Hermione."
Harry turned to her, she able to read an uncertainty in his eyes. She looked over at Ron before responding, "He was horrible. I wish he would just leave me alone. He was trying to show off by talking about how wonderful school was in America and how he was a star Quidditch player. All he did was bother me."
Harry's expression had completely lightened as he turned and looked at the fire. The thought of Hermione being disgusted by William's approaches made his body loosen. His mind then started to roam around the idea of Quidditch. He made a mental note to be sure to talk with Professor McGonagall to see if he would be allowed to play this year. His mind soon blanked and went back to the thought of William.
"He's really in Gryffindor?"
"It's seems that way," Ron replied as he scratched his head.
Harry turned to Hermione and gave her a quick smile and wink, which eased her unsettling nerves. She wished with all her heart she could give him a tight hug. After a few minutes of listening to the fire crackling, her mind wondered about Harry's absence.
"Oh, how did things go at the Ministry?" Hermione asked as she looked at him.
Harry took a deep breath and told the three about the things that took place in Fudge's office. He felt Ron grow uneasy when he mentioned Percy's name, but continued on before Ron made a comment about his older brother. He explained Fudge's reactions when he mentioned the Flamora wielders and told them the story behind Keung's past. The three listened intently and didn't say anything until he was finished.
"That doesn't make sense though," Hermione said with an objective tone as she thought about Fudge's accusation about Keung. "Why would someone who would want to save you and then tell you to stay live, to only want to kill you later?
"I don't know," Harry responded with a shrug. "Though just because Fudge thinks he's bad, doesn't mean that he is bad person. I mean he plastered the entire Magical World with rubbish saying Dumbledore was horrible."
"I read a few of those articles," Nancy said with a disgusted look on her face. "I didn't believe a word of it. My parents said that Fudge was too much of a coward and didn't want to acknowledge the idea that You-Know-Who could be alive."
"That's exactly right," Hermione continued as she looked in the fire. "We need to do some research about this."
"Yes," Nancy spoke, building off of Hermione's idea. "We should read up as much as we can about the Flamora weapons and look over past Daily Prophet clippings about the girl that Keung murdered."
Hermione looked up at Nancy with sheer amazement. "That was the exact same thing I was thinking."
"Oh no," Ron groaned as he took a hold Harry's sleeve, placing his forehead against his shoulder. "It's enough with just one Hermione, but now we've got two."
Harry, Hermione, and Nancy laughed softly as they watched Ron. Though within seconds, Ron had lifted his head and was also laughing. Their laughs soon turned into yawns and they knew that it was time to settle in. Ron and Nancy got up first and walked off to the stairway that led up to the dormitories.
"I'll be up in a second, you go ahead," Harry spoke softly when he noticed that Ron was waiting for him. Ron nodded to him and followed Nancy up the stairs.
Harry got up and stretched his back. He looked down at Hermione and she gave him a smile as she raised her arms up to him. Harry leaned down and picked her up, pulling her into a tight embrace.
He whispered into her ear, "I missed you."
"I missed you too," she replied as she looked up at him. She sighed as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm really sorry about the whole William thing. I do wish he would leave me alone."
"Don't worry, Hermione," Harry replied as he kissed the side of her head. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you out."
"Never leave me like that again, okay," she said sternly as she looked into his eyes.
"Never again," Harry smiled back as he started to rub the side of her face gently with his hand.
He leaned down and closed his eyes. Hermione did the same and lifted herself onto her tiptoes, longing so badly for this moment, their lips fractions of an inch apart.
"Harry Potter sir, should be in bed?" a squeaky voice came from below them, causing Hermione to yelp and jump.
Their lips missed as their heads collided, causing both of them to release one another to rub their now throbbing foreheads. Harry looked down at Dobby with an angry look, his right hand massaging the pain on his forehead. Dobby's face went pale as he backed away.
"Dobby is sorry. Dobby is very sorry."
Dobby quickly moved over to the stone chimney and started pounding his head fiercely against the wall, releasing small cries of pain with each hit. Harry realized this and grabbed Dobby to prevent him from causing more harm to himself. He placed Dobby onto an armchair, staring directly into his large round eyes. Harry knelt down in front of the chair, not releasing his hold on the shaking house-elf. Hermione settled next to Harry, her hand still rubbing her forehead.
"Didn't I tell you to stop punishing yourself?" Harry asked sternly as he continued to hold the squirmy house elf.
"Yes, Harry Potter sir did," Dobby squeaked, his face covered in tears. "But Dobby caused Harry Potter sir and his girlie pain."
"Listen Dobby," Harry spoke, his voice calmer and friendlier. "Do not tell anyone what you saw tonight."
"Promise us, please," Hermione added, her hands now on Harry's shoulders. Dobby looked at the two and nodded quickly.
"Now, I will only release you if you will no longer hurt yourself," Harry included. Dobby nodded again, and Harry carefully released him. Dobby sat in the chair and continued to look at the two, unsure of what to do.
Harry stood up and looked at Hermione. She smiled back at him as she yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. Harry smiled at her and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek. He looked back down at Dobby, who continued to stare at the both of them.
Harry made his way up the stairs with Hermione behind him. The two stopped when they reached the door that would lead to the girls' dormitories. Harry gave Hermione a bright smile and she blew him a quick kiss before she opened the large brown door and disappeared behind it. Harry let out a soft sigh as he began to ascend the staircase, his hand moving up to rub his forehead.
"This is getting real depressing," he muttered to himself as he walked into the sixth year boys' room, his stomach starting to growl.