Harry Potter and Unexpected Beginnings

Chapter fourteen

Harry felt his shoulder being shaken, waking him from his sweet slumber. He felt Ginny stir awake next to him, and they looked up to see Hermione and Ron standing over them.

"Get up, you two," Ron told them, sitting across from them in the opposite seat. "We have great news."

"What?" Harry asked, rubbing his eyes and looking down to Ginny, watching her stretch.

"You'll never believe who wasn't at the Prefect meeting," Ron said, his face lighting up with excitement.

"Who?" Ginny asked, as she and Harry sat up on the seat. Harry wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest, as he leaned in the corner of the compartment.

"Malfoy!" Ron's voice was filled with glee. "He's not even on the train."

"He's not?" Ginny asked with a frown.

"Maybe he's dropped out of school," Ron exclaimed, picking up a handful of chocolate frogs and stuffing them in his mouth. "That would be the start of a perfect year, no more Malfoy."

"I doubt that's happened, Ron," Harry said, frowning at his friend. "Remember what your dad said, Malfoy's been staying with his godfather? He's probably just taken another way to school."

"I can hope, can't I?" Ron said bitterly.

"I wonder if his father's escape has him being watched by the Ministry," Hermione asked, smoothing the invisible wrinkles from her robes.

"It would make sense," Ginny added. "His father would try and make contact somehow with his wife and son."

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, seeing the distant look on her best friend's face. Harry looked up, seeing all three of them staring at him.

"I heard Mr. Weasley and...a member of the Order talking, the other night," he told them. "They said they had lost contact with their spy inside Malfoy Manor, and that there had been no sign of life for days."

"Do you think they found the spy?" Ginny asked.

"Wouldn't put it past Ferret-Face to have done away with him," Ron commented.

"I wonder if that's when Mrs. Malfoy came up missing," Harry said softly.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked around the chocolate frogs.

"Don't you remember your dad saying that Mrs. Malfoy had disappeared, and there was no sign of her in weeks?" Harry asked.

"Maybe Lucius Malfoy managed to contact her, and they are in hiding somewhere together," Ron said, with a shrug of his shoulders

"I can't believe that," Hermione commented. "The Order would have every possible avenue covered, the floo network, charms and spells on the house to detect any comings and goings, and the spy inside would have seen or heard anything, and reported it."

"What if they found out they were being watched?" Ginny asked. "They could have found another way out of the Manor, look at all the secret passages at Hogwart's. Surely, someone like Lucius Malfoy would have at least a dozen ways to get into his house, if he wanted to."

"I don't know about any of that," Ron said again. "I'm just hoping Draco Malfoy is too ashamed of his father, to show his face around school. I can't imagine someone like him, having a godfather, anyways. Who would want the job?"

"Another Death Eater, no doubt," Ginny said.

"Well, we'll find out soon enough, when we get back to school," Harry said, pulling Ginny against him tighter. "I just want to spend the rest of the trip with my girl, and not think about the Malfoys."

"Your girl?" Ron croaked, staring at the two.

"What's wrong with that?" Ginny asked. "We've been together practically the whole summer."

"Yeah, but I didn't know it was that serious," her brother told her.

"He's right you know," Harry said suddenly, looking at the red head in his arms. "We've talked about a lot of things, but I've never gotten around to asking you, if you wanted to be my girl."

"So what do you think we should do about it?" Ginny asked, a shy smile crossing her lips. Harry turned her around in his arms, holding her close, ignoring the disgusted look on Ron's face.

"I guess maybe I should ask you to be mine," he said with a tinkle in his eyes. "That is, if you want me to?"

"I guess there's worse things in life," she told him with a smile.

"You two are gross," Ron grumbled.

"Hey, Harry, did you bring that advanced spell book with you?" Hermione asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Yeah, why?"

"Wasn't there a spell in there, to ward off the killing curse?" Harry frowned. He had read so many spells, charms, hexes and curses; he couldn't remember all of them.

"I think there was mention of it, but I can't recall. Why do you ask?"

"If there was a way to avoid the killing curse's effects, why wouldn't it be public knowledge?"

"Maybe it doesn't really work," Ron said.

"Or maybe it's just too hard for the average wizard, like the Patronus Charm," Ginny added.

"If it was easy, it wouldn't have been in The Advanced Book of Dark Arts and Forbidden Curses," Harry told them. "Some of those spells were really complicated."

"Why are you so concerned about the killing curse?" Ron asked the girl next to him.

"I'm just thinking of ways Harry can protect himself, when he confronts You-Know-Who," Hermione said. "You know he's going to try and use the curse on Harry, so it's only logical to learn all we can about the curse, and find ways to protect against it."

"Just like you, Hermione," Ron grumbled, reaching for another box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean. "Even when there's no homework to be done, you find something to study."

"And what's wrong with that, Ronald Weasley?" Hermione asked, bitterly. "My studying has saved your arse a number of times."

"I didn't mean anything by it," Ron told her, his face suddenly filled with shock.

"Then why did you mention it?"

"I was just joking, honest. I didn't mean to upset you."

"There's a lot more to me, then books and lessons, you know?" Hermione stood up and walked out the door, closing it behind her. Ron looked at the empty space where she had just been, then looked back to Harry and Ginny.

"Now what do I do?" he asked them.

"If it were me, and it was my girl, I'd go after her," Harry told him. Ron stood up and rushed to the door, pulling it open behind him.

"Do you think they will ever get all their problems under control?" Ginny asked.

"I think the arguing is what makes them attracted to each other," Harry said with a smile.

Nightfall brought with it the thunder and lighting of a typical Scotland summer's night. The drizzling rain beat against the windowpanes, as the train pulled into Hogsmeade station. Harry and Ginny had already changed into their uniforms and robes, when Ron and Hermione joined them. They were talking again, Harry noted, but there was still a tense undertone in their words. Ron spent a great deal of the time flattering Hermione, helping her round up Crookshanks, who had snuck out of the compartment shortly after they boarded the train, and had yet to return. He helped her gather up her books she had brought out to study, and even pulled her trunk down and helped her repack her belongings. Harry and Ginny smiled at each other, knowing he was in the preverbal doghouse, and was trying to rectify the situation.

The train huffed and puffed, as the students disembarked, looking around the dark night for friends from the previous year. Harry looked to the end of the platform, seeing the lumbering frame of Hagrid, holding the large lantern, calling to the first years. Harry smiled, waving a friendly greeting to the large man, as he, Ginny, Ron and Hermione found an empty coach to take them to the castle. They had just climbed in, when the door opened again, revealing the far off, mystical expression of Luna Lovegood and the eager smile of Neville Longbottom.

"Hey guys," Neville said. "Can we join you?" Harry was happy to see the two, having gone through so much last year, he was afraid they would have chosen not to return to school.

"Come on in," Hermione said, scooting closer to Ron to give them room. Ron smiled brightly, as she pushed up tightly against his side, blushing brightly when her hand settled on his knee briefly.

"How was your summer?" Luna asked, her eyes revealing the almost trance like gleam.

"Very good," Harry said, smiling at Ginny, who blushed softly. "How was yours?"

"All right," she said, sitting next to Ginny as Neville sat across from her. "My father and I went to Australia to find the Clabbert. My father's magazine was doing a feature on them, and he wanted to investigate their natural habitat."

"What's the Clabbert?" Ron asked, glancing around the small carriage as it began bouncing toward the school.

"The Clabbert," Hermione began, in her usual bookish tone. "Is an arboreal creature, which resembles a cross between a monkey and a frog. It has smooth mottled green skin, short horns and a wide grinning mouth. It has long arms with webbed hands and feet that allow it to move easily through the trees. It also has a large pustule on its forehead, which flashes red when it senses the approach of danger and Muggles."

"Gross," Ron complained with a sour look on his face.

"They are also highly intelligent, and clairvoyant," Luna added, receiving a disapproving look from Hermione, who silently rolled her eyes. "It is said the Clabbert can predict the future."

"That's rubbish," Hermione said, folding her hands across her chest. "The Clabbert is not clairvoyant and can not predict anything more than an immediate threat of danger."

"You should have read The Quibbler, this past August," Luna said, her tone filled with her usual mysterious tone. "You would have known the truth about the Clabbert." Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by Harry, who saw the impending argument about to erupt.

"So, Neville," Harry said, quickly. "How was your summer? Do anything fun?"

"My grandmother and I went to the South American rainforest, and found some really fascinating plants," he said with an unusual amount of excitement. "We found the asphodel plant, and monkshood."

"Sounds like you had a wonderful holiday," Ginny said smiling. They all knew how much Neville loved plants, and seeing him excited was a rare and unusual occurrence.

"It was," he replied. "I was able to get several new specimens, I'm anxious to show Professor Sprout."

"How was your summer, Harry?" Luna asked, glancing up over her glasses. Harry smiled, glancing sideways to Ginny again.

"I had a marvelous summer," he told her, grasping the red head's hand in his. "We spent the entire summer just sort of being lazy and doing nothing much." Luna stared at the young couple for a moment, an odd expression on her face, then lowered her eyes and stared at her hands.

"I don't know about all of you," Neville said, "but I'm glad to be back at school. Things are really kind of weird, with news of Lord Vol...Vol...you know. My gram was pretty upset when she found out about what happened at the Ministry. She said I was acting just like my parents." Harry saw the proud expression cross his young friend's face. He supposed it was the first time in the boy's life, that he had ever been accused of being as brave as his Auror parents.

"I don't think I've ever thanked all of you, for what you did last year," Harry said, squeezing Ginny's hand. "I know when the time comes, it has to be me against Voldemort, but it's good to know I have such great friends to help until then."

"We'll never be far away," Ginny promised, kissing Harry's cheek.

"You should know by now mate," Ron began. "You'll never get away from us. We're your shadows."

"And with the D.A., you'll have even more support when the time comes," Hermione promised.

"Thanks, all of you," Harry said again.

The rest of the trip to the school was uneventful, and nearly silent, with only the soft rustling of the wind to keep them from drifting too far into their own thoughts. Once the carriages stopped in front of the large stone steps of the main entrance, the excitement of being back to school filtered into them, and they jumped to the rain soaked grass. They gathered their trunks, animals and pulled their cloaks around them tighter, hurrying up the steps to the large doors. Once inside, the trunks were put aside, Pig's and Hedwig's cages sat on top along with Crookshanks, as the six of them hurried into the great hall.

The ceiling was magically transformed to resemble the outside sky, and Harry looked up to see the lightening streak above his head. The large house tables were lined with golden plates and goblets, with the promise of a large feast to come. Ron's stomach growled loudly next to him, and Harry smiled while Ron blushed. They hurried to their table, saying good-bye to Luna and sat down; Harry and Ginny on one side, Ron and Hermione and Neville on the other. The massive head table stood empty, the chairs where the many teachers sat remained unfilled. The sounds of the weather outside crackled through the excited chatter of the students, bringing a momentary halt to the endless conversations.

"I wish they'd hurry up," Ron grumbled, his hand on his stomach. "I'm starving."

"I wonder who our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is going to be this year?" Neville asked, watching as the other four exchanged looks.

"I'm sure it will be someone very interesting," Hermione told him, nudging Ron who was tapping his fork restlessly on the plate in front of him.

The students continued to fill the great hall, noise and laughter bouncing off the stonewalls. Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, the Creevy brothers; Colin and Dennis, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown soon joined the rest of the Gryffindors, and greetings were exchanged. Harry smiled and waved as each joined them. He was amazed at how many had returned to school, and delighted that the mood was very happy and joyous.

It wasn't long before the doors behind the teacher's table opened, and Professors of all shapes and sizes began to filter through. Snape was among the first, much to Neville's displeasure. Professor Flitwick was there, so was Madame Hooch, Madame Pomfrey, Professor Sprout (who Neville smiled at brightly when she glanced his way), Sibyll Trelawney, and Professor Vector. Hagrid's seat remained empty, as they all knew he was crossing the lake with the first years, as was Professor McGonagall who was waiting to greet the first years, and Professor Dumbledore. Harry smiled, as Tonks walked past the group of teachers to her seat, her hair a lavender mass of curls, pulled on top of her head, her robes were bright orange and her finger nails could be seen across the room, with their blood red paint.

"Who is that?" Lavender asked, leaning closer to Ginny.

"She's weirder than Professor Trelawney," Seamus added, receiving an evil glare from Lavender and Parvati. Harry tried to turn a deaf ear to the argument that erupted between the three, the girls insisting that Professor Trelawney was a "sophisticated, well educated woman, with talents well beyond the imagination of a simpleton such as himself," while Seamus argued that she was a "royal nutter, with half a bushel short of a full brain." Ron looked like he was eager to join in the conversation, when he saw the look on Hermione's face, stopping any comment he may have had to contribute.

The door opened again, and Harry watched as Professor Dumbledore stepped to his chair. He seemed tired and somewhat older then he had a couple of days ago, making Harry wonder about his health. Dumbledore was a very old wizard, how old could only be suspected, but lately he had seemed to age before their eyes. Dumbledore looked about the table of teachers, smiling and chatting briefly with many, as he took his seat, looking out at the students. Harry looked across the great hall to where the old wizard's eyes had been drawn, seeing the pale blond image of Draco Malfoy sitting between Crabbe and Goyle. His eyes were cast down, his hands folded above his plate. He looked solemn, openly ignoring the conversation around him. Harry frowned at the image of Slytherin's prize student. He didn't seem his usual, snide, evil self. Harry imagined how difficult his life currently was, not knowing where or how his mother was, or what to think about his father.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, seeing the expression on his face.

"I was just thinking about Malfoy," he told her, watching as she turned her eyes to the table across the hall, looking at the image of the school's worse terror.

"He doesn't look good, does he?" she asked. Harry shook his head. "I almost feel sorry for him."

"Yeah, so do I. I can't help but wonder what's happening with his family. It must be awful not knowing where your mother is or what trouble your father's up to." Harry narrowed his eyes, thinking back on the premonition he had several weeks ago, concerning Lucius Malfoy.

"What is it?" Ginny asked again. Harry turned to her, not really seeing her but seeing the woman in his vision.

"I was thinking about Voldemort," he told her. "I wonder what he's up to. I know Malfoy and the other Death Eaters went back to him, but I can't help feeling he's about to do something."

"Is it your scar?" Ginny asked, looking at his forehead, where the lightening bolt scar was hiding beneath hair that needed trimming.

"No. It's more like a gut instinct."

"Relax Harry," Ron told him, having heard the conversation. "Our new Quiddich Captain can't be worrying about such trivial things as death and evil. It may distract you from your main goal of keeping your star Keeper happy." Harry smiled at his friend's attempt to make light the situation that always seemed to linger just over his shoulder.

"What exactly would you suggest I do, to keep my star Keeper happy?" Harry asked with a smile.

"You could start by handing over the chocolate frog in your pocket," Ron said with an eager grin.

"But that's my last one," Harry complained, already knowing he would give his best friend the treat he'd stuffed in his pocket, before leaving the train.

"Come on, mate. I'll trade you for it."

"You don't have anything I want."

"I have one thing you want," he said with an evil grin. Harry frowned, glancing at Hermione and Ginny, who were both watching them.

"What?" Harry watched the smile grow across his friend's freckled face.

"My sister," Ron answered, watching the blush creep up Ginny's face, as she narrowed her eyes on her brother. "Come on, I have to be responsible for her all year. For your frog, I'll trade you an entire year of my sister's life."

"Thanks a lot, Ron," Ginny grumbled, then turned in time to see Harry retrieve not just the chocolate frog from his pocket, but a small box of Bertie Botts. He handed both over to Ron with a smile.

"It's a deal," Harry said with a wink to the girl on his side. "But you have to promise, to let me have her during the holidays too."

"That will cost more," Ron said, stuffing the chocolate in his mouth, and opening the box. Ginny reached into her own pocket, pulling out two frogs and a small strawberry tart, handing them over to Ron whose smile brightened.

"Will that pay your extortion?" she asked, slipping her hand inside Harry's under the table. Ron snickered under his breath.

"Sure," he said, looking up under long lashes to his friend across from him. "But I think I'm getting the better end of the deal."

"I doubt that," Harry said, smiling back to Ginny, who blushed deeply, causing her brother to roll his eyes.

"Get a grip," he told them, stuffing both chocolate frogs into his mouth at once. Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"I have one. A firm one, on your sister." Harry's smile extended across his young, handsome features. This may just prove to be a good year, after all.