Harry Potter and the Dawn of a New Age

Chapter Four: Back to School

By fbline

"Hey, what do you figure the girls are talking about?" Neville asked.

"Oh, you know them. I bet I can tell you exactly," Ron responded. "Hermione will be talking about her O.W.L. results, Luna will be talking about the Cream Horned Snackpack, and Ginny's probably writing in her diary all about kissing Harry."

Harry laughed. He somehow thought that Ron's stereotypical assumptions were all very unlikely.

"I don't know, Ron. There's a lot more to those three than you give them credit for. Hey, how did you end up doing on your O.W.L.'s guys?"

Neville smirked.

"I did a lot better than I thought I would. Without Snape there, I was able to do really well on my Potions exam. My gran said I should have done better, but she still showed my results to all her friends in her poker club. How about you, Ron?"

Ron flushed slightly.

"I did ok, I guess. My hair should be safe. Eight O's isn't too bad. Mum was happy enough with it at least. Of course, some people got an S."

Neville's mouth dropped open in shock.

"An S? Wow! Who was that? It must have been Hermione."

Harry frowned at Ron.

"How did you find that out?"

Ron had the now familiar devilish grin on his face. Harry realized that it must be something that ran in the family.

"Hermione told me. They'll probably name an award after you now, you know. 'The Genius Midget Award'."

Harry threw a pillow at Ron who was laughing fit to bust.

"Shut it, you. Fine, I got an S, big deal. Hermione got fifteen O's, that's a bigger accomplishment than getting one S. Hey, what happened to that bottle of Ogden's that Seamus sent? I thought we were going to have a drink to celebrate?"

"I thought you had it," Ron said.

"I'd hardly be asking about it if I did. You don't have it do you, Neville?"

"Nope, not me."

Harry went through his pile of presents again in an effort to find the missing bottle. Nothing turned up.

"What happened to it?"

Meanwhile

"Ginny, are you sure you've done this before?" Hermione asked as she eyed the bottle suspiciously.

"Hey, I've lived with Fred and George my whole life; I've had harder stuff than this for breakfast. Come on, it'll put hair on your chest."

"I think I'll pass then, thanks."

Ginny smirked at her.

"Fine, be that way. Luna and I will just have fun and you can be the prude, as usual."

Hermione's face became stern.

"I am not a prude!"

"Shush! Do you want to tell the whole house? Fine, you aren't a prude. Luna, here's yours. I'll give myself two fingers worth, and Hermione can keep her bid for sainthood."

Hermione let out a growl and snatched up the bottle.

"I'll show you who's a saint!"

Taking a last deep breath to steady her nerves, Hermione then took a Hagrid sized gulp of the fiery liquid and quickly spit half of it back out as she coughed and choked. Ginny began to laugh uncontrollably, while Luna smacked her on the back in an effort to help her. After a few minutes, Hermione began breathing normally again, but her face was still as red as fire and great tears were falling down her cheeks.

"Good lord, people actually drink that stuff by choice?"

Luna smiled at her.

"You're supposed to sip it, not gulp it. Properly administered, it can cause a wonderful feeling of euphoria. It can also make people look better."

Ginny burst into laughter again and threw back her own glass.

"Phew, that hits the spot. Hey, what do you think the guys are talking about?"

Hermione managed a chuckle.

"What else? Girls."

Luna adopted her usual far off look and smiled serenely.

"Maybe Ronald would, but not Harry. He's too much of a gentleman."

Hermione and Ginny both laughed at this, but Luna didn't seem to take any notice of them. Ginny reached out and patted her on the knee.

"Poor Luna, you've got it bad, don't you?"

Luna turned her saucer like eyes onto her.

"What ever do you mean? I haven't been ill in my life."

Ginny shook her head.

"Never mind. I know exactly what you're going through. I had my own case of 'Harry-itis' back in the day."

"Harry-itis?"

"Yes, 'Harry-itis'. It's the uncontrollable urge to snog Harry senseless. The only cure is the passage of time I'm afraid. Of course, seeing him in his boxers can bring about a relapse."

Luna suddenly dropped her visage of serenity.

"When did you see Harry in his boxers?"

Ginny laughed.

"Bunches of times. I mean, the Burrow is practically his second home. It's no big deal. Hermione has probably seen him more than I have, not to mention Ron."

Luna looked down at the floor now. She took a larger gulp of her drink and let out a sigh. Ginny realized that Luna was uncomfortable and decided to change the subject.

"So, how about Dean showing up with Cho? How pathetic can you get?"

Hermione let out a terse "hmphh."

"Why would you bring her to Harry's birthday party, especially after the way things ended up with them last year?"

Ginny shook her head.

"No kidding. I can't believe I let him touch me."

Hermione gasped.

"Ginny! You didn't..."

"No! Of course we didn't. He didn't get any further than second base. God, that was bad enough. It was like he was tuning a radio. I've decided that the physical part of a relationship is overrated. What I want now is someone who will treat me with respect. I want someone who is sweet and kind. I want someone who would never hurt me."

Hermione took a small sip from her glass and shook her head.

"I did notice that you and Neville seemed rather tight tonight. He'd be good for you, I think. You'd be good for him, too. He needs someone he can care about that would care about him."

"Why didn't you go with Ron to the Yule Ball, Hermione?"

Both Ginny and Hermione turned to look at Luna now. She still had a very uncharacteristically serious look on her face.

"What?"

"The Yule Ball in your fourth year. Why didn't you do with Ron?"

Hermione could hardly believe that Luna was asking her about this out of the blue. She wondered if it was the whiskey talking or if she had been wondering about this for a while and finally decided to ask.

"I didn't go with Ron because Viktor asked me first."

Luna continued to unblinkingly stare at her.

"Did you want him to ask you?"

"Who?"

"Ronald."

"I...well...I don't know. I kind of thought he would, but he didn't."

"Would you have said yes?"

"I guess so."

"What if Harry had asked you?"

"He wouldn't have. He wanted to go with Cho."

"But what if he had?"

"He wouldn't have, I just said that..."

"WHAT IF HE HAD?"

An eerie silence fell upon the room. Neither of the other girls had ever heard Luna yell before. It was a very strange sound to hear. Hermione realized that she was expecting a definitive answer from her.

"I guess I would have said yes, Luna. But it's only because we're friends. I did hope one of them would ask me, but they didn't. I was hurt, so when Viktor asked me, I said yes. Luna, you have to believe me, Harry and I are just friends, ok?"

Luna's face brightened and she adopted her usual airy-fairy look again.

"Ok. Nighty-night!"

And, without another word, Luna pulled the covers up to her chin and went to sleep. It was a few minutes before either Hermione or Ginny could speak. When they heard Luna's breathing slowly and were fairly certain she really was asleep, Hermione turned her still widened eyes to Ginny.

"What the hell was that about?"

Ginny shook her head.

"I don't know. I will say this, no more booze for her."

The next day began rather late for the six of them. The boys noticed that the girls seemed to be dragging a little, but then were all told to mind their own business. Harry decided that some fresh air might do them all some good.

"How about we all go swimming?"

Ron nodded.

"Yeah, that's a great idea. You and Neville can borrow Fred and George's trunks."

Ginny also seemed to think the idea was a good one. Harry could swear that he saw her give Neville a little smile.

"Ok. Hermione can borrow my spare suit, and we'll borrow Penelope's for Luna. I'll see if mum can set us up with drinks and a couple towels and blankets. We'll meet back here in the living room in twenty minutes. Ron, don't forget the sunblocker charm. You know the Weasley curse."

Ron sighed.

"I know, I know, we don't tan, we burn. Come on guys."

So, after they had all changed into their bathing attire and Ginny had managed to get a picnic basket full of leftover goodies from the night before and a towel and blanket for everyone, the group all met up again to head down to the swimming hole.

The swimming hole was a smallish pond on the Weasley property where the family would cool off on hot summer days. Even though they were in the wizarding world, the idea of central air-conditioning wasn't widely understood. Once the group had arrived, the blankets were all thrown down and the six of them sat down in the shade to relax.

Ron's trunks were fairly normal, apart from the fact that they were a violent orange color with the word Chudley on one leg, and the word Cannons on the other. He also wore a matching shirt, making him easily visible form a great distance. Harry and Neville's suits, on the other hand, were obviously charmed. Having brought them from Fred and George, they dreaded the thought of what had been done. The only thing Ron knew was that you had to be careful that they didn't vanish, which didn't help settle Harry or Neville's nerves at all. They were also wearing shirts. Neville's was a plain white undershirt, while Harry's was an old one that was slightly too tight for him, although, if you had asked the ladies present, they would have told you it was just right.

The girls were also wearing baggy clothing over their suits, and they all sat together on the cool grass in the shade watching the clouds drift by in the sky. After about a half hour, Ron turned his head to look over at the three girls.

"Hey, are you girls going to lose the laundry, or what?"

Hermione turned to look at him and frowned.

"What?"

Ginny tapped her on the arm and she turned to look at her.

"He's asking if we are going to take off our shirts and shorts."

Hermione turned her head back to Ron.

"What about you three? You've got on as much as we do."

Neville's face reddened.

"I think I'd rather keep my shirt on, thanks."

Ginny sat up and looked at him.

"Come on, Neville. We're all friends here. Besides, you can't swim with a shirt on."

Neville still looked very apprehensive.

"I...I don't think so."

Ron now sat up and turned to Neville.

"Come on, mate. It's not like you're going starkers."

Neville continued to look unconvinced. He was now peering down at his chest and stomach. Ron patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, Neville. Nobody is going to stare at you. Besides, the girls here have bigger chests to look at. Well, except maybe Ginny."

At this, Ginny sprung up from the ground and chased Ron to the pond. After throwing their excess clothes off they dove into the water, Ginny calling Ron everything but his name. Neville laughed to himself and stood up. After taking off his own shirt, he ran to the water's edge and dove in, aiding Ginny in her attempt to potentially drown her brother for his rude comment about her.

Back on the grass, Harry, Hermione, and Luna laughed at the scene before them. After a few more minutes, Hermione turned to see Harry staring off into the distance. She liked to watch him when he was like this. It was the one chance you had at seeing the real Harry, the one who wasn't putting up a brave face to the rest of the world.

"Harry, are you ok?"

Harry came out of his trance to look at the concerned look on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about...stuff, you know."

Hermione gave him a comforting little smile. She still felt ashamed of herself for going off on him for getting an S. She realized now that she had been stupid.

"Do you need help with your shirt, Harry?"

Both of them now looked behind them. Luna was sitting there with her usual serene smile on her face.

"Uh, no thanks, Luna. I guess I should go help Ron before Ginny scalps him."

Hermione also got up and kicked off her flip flops.

"We'll all go. Are you ready, Luna?"

"Yes, I believe I am."

Harry being the first up was the first to take his shirt off. Hermione was at least a little sly about watching him by keeping her head down and letting her peripheral vision take it in. Luna, on the other hand, openly stared and gave a little wolf whistle when he had thrown the shirt to the ground. This caused Harry to blush and cover his chest with his arms.

"Hey now, cut that out. Let's see what the two of you have under the hood."

Hermione rolled her eyes and took off her shirt. Harry immediately realized why it was Ginny's spare one; it would have been a little tight on her, which made it even tighter on Hermione. When she dropped her shorts and stepped out of them, Harry discovered he was having a hard time breathing. A third of his brain was telling him that he shouldn't be looking at his best friend bending over in a tight swim suit, a third told him that there was something wrong about looking at Hermione this way, and the other third was wondering if her skin could really be anywhere near as soft as it looked. It was a great effort for Harry not to watch her walk down to the pond, but his troubles weren't over yet.

Turning back to look at Luna, he was faced yet again with a girl in the process of taking clothes off. The suit that Luna had borrowed from Penelope had the opposite problem as Hermione's, it was too big. Harry didn't know which was worse. Luna was indeed a waif, but she still possessed all the attributes that constitute the female gender. The neck line which on Penelope wasn't that low cut was much more so on Luna, hinting at a small but firm chest. She wasn't Marilyn anymore, but she was nothing to be kicked out of bed, either.

"Last one in is a splay footed hornswoggeler!"

It took a moment for Harry to realize what Luna had said, but he was soon laughing and chasing after her towards the water. It turned out that she was a lot faster than he had expected and he ended up being the last in. He made a mental note to ask her later on what exactly a splay footed hornswoggeler looked like.

A couple hours later, the gang gathered up their towels and clothes and headed back to the house. As they all chatted happily to one another, Harry couldn't help but think about how close the six of them had gotten closer due to the battle they all fought together at the Department of Mysteries and that it was his fault that it had happened.

Once back at the house, the other five all headed upstairs to change into dry clothes. Harry lingered a while before going up. He knew that thinking back to last year wouldn't change the here and now, and he didn't want to drag his friends down with him. Heading upstairs, he tried to block out all thoughts from his mind, concentrating on making his mind a clean slate.

Closing the door behind him, Harry couldn't seem to block out all his thoughts and fears. Soon he'd be going back to school, back to where he would have to be The-Boy-Who-Lived again. He'd have to see Malfoy again. He'd have to see Snape again. How could he possibly go through another year of it all? Just as he was putting his thumbs under his waistband to remove his trunks, the door opened and Mrs. Weasley entered with a pile of clothing in her arms.

"Here we are, Ginny. I put light starch on the collars, so they should hold up well enough. How are you doing on...knickers?"

Mrs. Weasley allowed the clothes she was holding to Ginny's bad as she stared open mouthed at Harry, and he at her. Now that he had been shocked back into reality, he could plainly see that he had wandered into the wrong bedroom. He immediately took his thumbs out from his trunks and tried to tell Mrs. Weasley that he hadn't meant to be in here by himself, but a sudden movement to his right caused him to turn his head. The sight before him now only made his situation worse.

"Mum, quit staring. It's no big deal."

Harry would have to disagree with Ginny on this one. It seemed to him to be a very big deal that could get even bigger if he wasn't careful. The fact that Ginny was standing there in only a modest pair of pink cotton panties and using her arm to cover her breasts wasn't helping either. He was struck at that moment by the contrast that her vivid red hair made against her pearly white skin. He could have studied this closer, but the sputtering sounds of Mrs. Weasley caused him to return his focus to her.

"I...I didn't mean to come in...I mean be in here. I had a lot on my mind and got the wrong room by mistake. I didn't intend to..."

Mrs. Weasley's face was now matching her own fiery locks. Harry had never seen her this flustered before, not even with Fred and George.

"No, Harry, don't worry about it...I mean...I know you wouldn't do anything...that is I...I have to put the kettle on."

Mrs. Weasley then spun around on her heel and sped out into the hall and down the stairs. Harry merely looked down at the floor in front of him. What the hell just happened? He couldn't know for sure, but he had the idea that this was what it must have felt like to be caught by one's actual mother in an awkward situation. He'd have to ask Ron about it. Wait, Ron! Thank god it hadn't been him that had walked in. He shuddered to think what would have...

"Hey, Ginny, what's up with mum? She looks like she's seen a...boggart."

Harry greatly wished he could have learned to Apparate early. He would have given all the galleons to his name to transport himself to anywhere else at that precise moment. How would Ron react to seeing him like this with his sister? He knew that Ron had been keen on the two of them getting together, but this may be a little too much. Harry even briefly considered yelling "Surprise!" Ron's look of shock only lasted a few short seconds. He then looked to the left and right of Harry before staring directly at him. His look was beyond anger now. It was a look of hurt and betrayal.

"Harry, I believe we had a deal. Sorry to interrupt the three of you, but I want you outside...now."

Ron then turned and went out much like his mother had before him. Harry was now officially overwhelmed. Why did these things keep happening to him? How often could he make Ron mad? And what had he meant by the "three of them?" Another sudden movement to his left caused him to turn that way. Yet again, he felt himself wish that he could dissolve into the air and reappear in another country somewhere.

"Harry, you've got to go after him. I'll be down in a second. I just need to get, uh, dressed."

Hermione was in much the same condition that Ginny was in. He would have ordinarily loved to stay behind and study her own black silk panties and note how the only thing keeping him from seeing her breasts were her small soft hands, but, at the present time, he knew she was right. Ron would only get madder by the minute until he was defused.

As Harry now tore from he room in pursuit of Ron, the girls left in the room all let out collective sigh. It wasn't long before the trademarked Weasley grin appeared on Ginny's face.

"Damn! Trust mum to spoil it. Another second and we'd all have had a free show."

Hermione gasped.

"Ginny! This is Harry you're talking about! He's practically a member of your family."

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Emphasis on the 'practically', Hermione. He isn't related to any of us, right? Besides, he could have had a free show as well. It's just lucky he didn't look directly behind him."

The girls than both turned to Luna, who was standing there as naked as the day she was born. Hermione gave an exasperated huff and ran out to catch up with Harry and Ron, knowing Harry would need all the help he could get to make Ron understand. Luna merely smiled her dreamy little smile and watched her go.

"What's wrong with her?"

Ginny pulled on a shirt and made her own way to the door.

"Don't worry about her, Luna. It is a good thing Harry didn't see you, though. I don't think he needed to know for sure that you're a natural blonde."

Meanwhile

Ron was waiting for Harry in the front yard. He knew Harry would try and talk to him, try to convince him for the millionth time that there was nothing going on between them, but the time for talking was over. They'd been playing him for a fool long enough. He and Harry had a deal, and now was the time for him to pay up. When he was done with him, Harry would be spending the first term of school at St. Mungo's. He didn't need his wand, he wanted to feel his fists hitting him, wanted to make Harry feel the pain he felt now. He could have handled Harry with his sister, but Harry with the both of them was unforgivable. He obviously couldn't trust any of them again, but it was Harry who he was most upset with. As he saw him coming out the door, he charged at him with all the force he had pent up over the past year. The tackle took Harry by surprise and knocked the wind out of him. Ron then pinned his arms down to the ground and stared at him, anger causing him to have the strength of three men.

"How could you, Harry? How could you keep lying to me? I thought we were friends! I thought we were brothers!"

Harry struggled to resume normal breathing, as having the full weight of Ron on his chest was not helping. He tasted the all too familiar taste of blood at the corner of his mouth. It reminded him of the numerous times he had lain injured on the ground after a Quidditch match. Ron stood over him those times as well, but he'd never been the cause before.

"Ron, listen to me, you've for the wrong end of the stick here. I had a lot on my mind coming back from swimming, and I went into the wrong room. You know how I am when my mind if all wound up. I didn't know they were in there, I swear to god."

"You just keep lying, don't you? How long has this been going on? How long? Is this why Hermione came back early last Christmas? How did you trick Ginny into it?"

"Nobody is tricking anybody into anything, Ron. Get off Harry and help him up. You're acting like a total idiot."

Hermione now stood with her hands on her hips staring at Ron with a stern look that would have suited McGonagall. Ron did as he was told and got off Harry, but not before grinding his knee into his ribs. He then helped Harry up by grabbing a fistful of his shirt. Once he was up, Harry wobbled a bit on his feet before Luna came forward and steadied him. Harry hadn't even noticed that she had been there. He and Ron's eyes were still locked onto one another. Harry's expression was one of pain, while Ron's was still of anger and hurt.

"I want both of you out of here. I don't care what you tell mum, but you've got to go. I hate you both!" Ron yelled.

Hermione strode up to him and stood toe to toe with him. Ron was nearly a full foot taller, but what Hermione lacked for in size, she made up for in determination.

"Shut up, Ron. Nobody is going anywhere, not until you listen to the truth of the matter. Harry isn't lying to you. Ginny, Luna, and I were all changing when Harry came in. He didn't even look at us. We could hear him mumbling to himself, so we all knew that he was wrapped up in his thoughts again. If your mum hadn't come in, he would have never known we were there. You should have seen how embarrassed he was when he saw Ginny and I. It was a mistake, Ron. Harry wouldn't do that on purpose."

Ron's face still glowed red.

"Ok, so maybe it was a mistake, but I didn't hear him say he was sorry about it. I bet he enjoyed seeing you with no shirt on."

"Oh, you mean like you did?"

Ron's anger seemed to drain away from him as if someone had pulled a plug on him. It was true; he hadn't even bothered to knock when he had gone in the room. Had he hoped to catch a glimpse himself? At least Harry might have gone in by mistake; he had meant to go in.

"Ok, I'm sorry. Really, I am."

Hermione stood her ground. She wasn't done with Ron yet.

"You're sorry? Sorry about what? About thinking the worst of your supposed best friend? About thinking that I'm the type of girl that would have the kind of relationship that you're accusing us of having? Ron, this has got to stop, now! I know you like me, and I like you, too, but I'm not looking for anything more than I have right now. We've all got too much going on for a serious relationship. You have to stop thinking that every time Harry and I are off somewhere that we're snogging, or something. It's a question of trust, Ron. Do you trust us? If you don't, we can't all be friends anymore. So, do you?"

Ron's face was now stony. Harry could tell that he really was thinking about the things that Hermione was telling him. It was a testament to how serious the situation was that Ron didn't blush and stammer when she had told him she knew that he liked her. After a very long moment, Ron looked back over to Harry and extended his hand.

"I do trust you, Harry. I'm sorry. I won't be like that anymore. I promise."

Harry took his best friends hand and shook it. His grip was firm, and he knew that Ron meant what he said. His eyes then returned to Hermione.

"I trust you too, Hermione. I'm really sorry to have thought of you in that way. I won't do it ever again. I'm just...you know...not good at these types of things."

Hermione dropped her stern look and gave Ron a compassionate smile.

"It's ok, Ron. We all have the right to get carried away from time to time, but we still have to trust one another, ok? There are plenty of outside factors working against us without fighting amongst ourselves."

Ron smiled.

"You've got that right. I should go apologize to Ginny as well. Is she still in her room?"

Hermione looked away from Ron as a small grin appeared on her face. Luna, however, spoke up from her spot next to Harry.

"She mentioned something about checking on Neville. I don't think he had finished getting dressed yet. Ginny thought he might need some help."

Ron's smile evaporated into a look of stunned anger.

"What? And you left them alone? Excuse me."

Ron then ran back into the house and up the stairs two at a time. Harry laughed as he used the back of his hand to dab at the cut on his lip.

"Well, it seems that things are back to normal again. Thanks, Hermione. I really am sorry about coming in the room. I didn't mean to..."

Hermione placed her hand on Harry's arm and squeezed it gently, causing them both to smile at one another.

"We know, Harry. It's ok. You didn't see anything too risqué. Mind you, you would have is you'd have turned around. I'd better go up and make sure Ron doesn't hex Neville into next week."

Hermione then made her way back into the house, leaving Harry and Luna outside together. Harry then realized that Luna was still holding onto him. He knew that he should tell her that he was fine to stand on his own now, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to do it. The feel of her next to him seemed to be having a calming effect on him. It was a few minutes before he realized that Hermione's last comments had been a bit vague.

"Luna, what would I have seen if I had turned around?"

Luna gave him her usual serene smile and continued to hold him around his waist.

"Oh, that. I wasn't wearing anything at all at the time."

Harry choked on air and looked at Luna wide eyed. This caused her to giggle. Harry thought that she sounded like a little girl when she did that.

"You mean you were...naked?"

"Yes, Harry. I was naked."

"Did Ron see you?"

"No, Mrs. Weasley did, and that's when I moved behind the dresser. I knew that you'd be embarrassed, so I thought it might be better if it was just Hermione and Ginny there, since you've known them longer."

"Well, yeah, that's true, but what about you? I would have seen you naked, which would have been embarrassing for you, too."

"Not really. I don't have a problem with nudity. We are all creatures of God, so there's nothing to be ashamed of. Actually, I always sleep as nature intended."

Harry looked at her with a look of confusion on his face.

"What, you mean lying down?"

Luna busted out into giggles again. Harry couldn't help but laugh along with her.

"You're so funny, Harry. We should get back inside, unless you'd like to stay out here for a while."

Harry couldn't help but notice that Luna's grip on him had tightened slightly. Her calming influence on him was still very pleasant, but he also noticed that he felt a bit nervous about being alone with her like this. He decided that it might be best if they did get back inside.

"Uh, well, I think it's about time for dinner. We should go wash up."

Luna's serene smile faltered for a moment but then reappeared again.

"Sure, Harry. Whatever you want."

And then the two of them went back inside, Luna still maintaining her hold on Harry, and Harry wondering how he could feel both calm and anxious at the same time.

The rest of the summer holiday went as smooth as it did quickly. Neville and Luna were frequent visitors, and the six of them continued to become more comfortable with one another. Ron continued to keep an eye on Neville and Ginny, much to the amusement of Harry and Hermione. Ron also kept his word to them and no longer let the green eyed monster of jealousy come between them. Luna continued to have her calming influence on Harry, and he continued to have a confusing jumble of emotions for her. He often thought that she may be looking to advance their relationship to another level, but since she so often did and said such odd things, he couldn't be sure. Also, to the great consternation of the males of the group, the three females of the group had also become closer with one another. They were often seen stealing glances at one of them and smiling and giggling to one another. As all three boys were rather self conscious, they took these glances to mean that they were being made fun of and usually caused them to become cross with them. Unfortunately for them, this only caused the girls to giggle more.

By the time it was the day to head back to school, the six of them had gotten as close as six people could be. Harry came to realize as they made their way to Kings Cross station that he would really miss spending so much time with all of them...especially Luna. Yes, he would still see her everyday, but since she was in Ravenclaw, he wouldn't be able to see her nearly as much as he had over the summer. He was glad then that they were at least all able to sit together on the Hogwarts Express. Harry noticed that Hermione had been craning her head around at the station and on the train and wondered what was wrong.

"Hermione, why do you keep looking around like that? Who are you looking for?"

Hermione stopped looking about and gave a sigh of defeat.

"I've been looking to see if I could spot an unfamiliar adult face."

Ron's brows furrowed.

"What for?"

"Well, we'll need a new Defense teacher, won't we? I wonder if they're getting to the school some other way."

Ginny smiled.

"Maybe he's right here with us. Harry, are you making the DA official now?"

Harry laughed.

"Nope, it's not me. They usually do bring the new people in on the train, don't they? Oh well, I guess we'll find out at the feast."

Ron nodded and looked into the hall to see if the snack trolley was getting close yet.

"That's true. I think the welcoming feast is my favorite time of the year. Well, maybe second to the end of term feast. I've had my mouth set on a treacle tart for a month."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Trust you to have food on your mind. Don't you ever think of anything else?"

Ron head the tell tale squeak of wheels from the trolley and got up to go to the door.

"Nope. Anybody else want anything? I've got some pocket money for a change. I hope she's got the new series of chocolate frogs with her. Oh bloody hell; it's the three stooges themselves."

The other occupants in the compartment all looked over to Ron to see what he meant. Outside their compartment staring in at them all were none other than Draco and his two thugs. All of them drew their wands, except for two of them. Draco's eyes never left Harry's, and his never left Draco's. Everyone else merely stood in readiness, waiting for an order from their leaders. After a few minutes, the voice of the old lady with the snack trolley penetrated the walls of silence that had been formed around them all.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?"

Another moment went by before anyone moved. Eventually it was Malfoy that tore his gaze away form Harry and beckoned for his two cronies to follow him. The people in the compartment all slowly relaxed and put their wands away. Remembering what it was that had caused him to get up in the first place, Ron dug into his pocket and made his purchases from the trolley.

The rest of the journey went along fine, with only the other members of the DA coming by to talk with them. Once they had arrived at Hogwarts, the six of them all squashed themselves into a thestral driven carriage and made their way up to the gates of the castle. As Harry watched the lights becoming larger and brighter, he said a silent prayer that no lives would be lost this year, even as a tiny voice in his head told him that he may have been asking too much. As the six of them made their way into the great hall, Luna grabbed Harry's arm to stop him.

"Harry, I have to leave you now."

Harry's brows furrowed.

"Why?"

Luna smiled at him in her usual serene way.

"I'm a Ravenclaw, remember? I have to sit at my own table, and then I'll have to go with my house up to the dormitories so I can get in. I won't be able to see you anymore today, so I thought I'd say good night to you now. Good night, Harry."

Luna then raised herself onto her tip toes and kissed Harry on the cheek. Having not expected it, he was temporarily frozen in place. The sound of laughter could be heard around him form some of the people who had seen the kiss, but Harry didn't notice it. For her part, Luna merely continued to smile her dreamy smile at him and took a seat at the Ravenclaw table. Harry couldn't help but smile at the glare that Cho now shot at her. True to form, it didn't seem to affect Luna at all. Harry then walked over to the Gryffindor table and took his own usual seat between Ron and Hermione. As the crowd finished sitting down, Dumbledore walked up to the podium and cleared his throat, causing everyone in the room to fall silent.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Before we begin the sorting, I have a few start of term notices to mention. The forbidden forest is off limits to all students. This is especially true this year, as many of the creatures of the forest that had been in the past neutral towards humans are now less than amicable towards us. Hogsmeade village visits are, as always, open to all students in third year and higher. And I would also ask all students to refrain from the use of magic in the corridors, as well as the use of any magical item intended to cause mayhem of any sort. I must confess though that I will greatly miss two students in particular this year who always seemed to make me laugh. I still well remember last year when they..."

A rather pronounced cough from Professor McGonagall caused Dumbledore to pause in his story.

"Ah, yes, perhaps now is not the right time. There is one more thing I should mention before we are all lulled into apathy by our delicious feast. As our returning students know, the post of Defense against the Dark Arts teacher has been left vacant after the departure of the previous instructor, Delores Umbridge."

There was another noise heard from Professor McGonagall, but this one sounded more like a derisive snort than anything else.

"And although it is always sad to see a professor leave us, her position needed filled. Finding a qualified person to fill that particular position in previous years has proven rather difficult. So, I was greatly relieved when a suitable applicant was found right here in the castle."

Ron groaned.

"Bloody hell, you don't think Snape finally got the job, do you?"

Harry shook his head.

"Let's hope not. Can you imagine anybody worse than Snape?"

Dumbledore continued with his speech.

"The applicant has recently completed a four year program to achieve his magical teaching certificate. From his many years of experience here at Hogwarts, I have great faith that he will do well. So, without further ado, may I introduce you to your new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Argus Filch."

When the imposter Moody had been announced as the new Defense teacher two years ago, there was a small amount of clapping, along with a good deal more of stares and whispers. This time, the only clapping to be heard was from Dumbledore and a few of the professors. The students all sat in stunned silence and stared as their newest professor walked out from his usual place on the shadows and took the chair next to Professor Snape, who appeared to chare the sentiment of the students. When Dumbledore was the only one left clapping, he turned back to face the students and continued.

"With Professor Filch taking on the new position, he will now no longer be able to be our head caretaker. That post will now be split into two. I am pleased to announce that both Dobby and Winky will now perform these duties, which they will, of course, be paid for."

Dumbledore turned his gaze upon Hermione, who blushed slightly and returned his smile. The sorting followed, but not many people were able to pay much attention to it. After all the first years had been sorted, Dumbledore once again stood at the podium and raised his hands to gather their attention.

"Now, enough blathering. Let the feast begin!"

Ron was so shocked that it was a good ten to twenty seconds before he reached for the platter of chicken legs in front of him.

"Filch as a professor? How the hell did this happen? How could he go from being a squib to being a wizard? It doesn't make sense!"

Harry was then reminded of something he had seen on Filch's desk back in second year.

"The Kwikspell course! I remember seeing something about it on Filch's desk one time. He must have been taking the course and completed it over the summer."

Hermione nodded.

"Well, it doesn't surprise me much."

Ron dropped a chicken leg and stared at her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Think about it, Ron. The only reason we even had a teacher for it last year is because the Ministry appointed one, and look how she turned out. I suspect that Dumbledore didn't have any applicants this year either and decided that he'd rather pick his own person for the post."

Ron and Neville both looked as if this explanation failed to comfort them in the least.

"It'll be a disaster. Filch will have us all scrubbing the castle with our tooth brushes," Ron said.

"Snape is bad enough, how am I supposed to pass Defense with Filch teaching it?" Neville moaned.

Hermione gave a little resigned sigh.

"Well, what's done is done. Look at it this way; he can't be any worse than what we had last year, right?"

Harry looked from Hermione's hopeful expression to the depressed ones of Ron and Neville. He then gave out with his own resigned sigh.

"Hermione's right, it's a done deal, so we'll just have to deal with it. I'm sure if Dumbledore gave him the job he must be ok. We should give him the benefit of the doubt until the first lesson with him. Ok?"

Ron shook his head and pulled forward a bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Ok, I'll give him a chance, at least until the first lesson. I just hope we all live through it."

The rest of the feast went well enough, and they were all pleasantly full and drowsy by the time it was all over with. Since Ginny and Colin were this year's prefects for Gryffindor, they were needed to herd the first years up to the tower, while the rest of them were able to make their more leisurely way back. True to form, Hermione and Ron were soon arguing over the appointment of Dobby and Winky as the new caretakers of the castle. Ron had made the mistake of laughing at the idea of them being paid, causing Hermione to spout out more of her S.P.E.W. ideals. Harry allowed himself to be separated from them in the crowd and was startled when something was pushed into his hand. He then spun around to see Luna smiling at him.

"I just wanted to give you this, Harry. It's something that I wrote while I was watching you during the feast. Don't read it until you're alone, ok? I'll see you tomorrow."

Harry had wondered if she would give him another kiss on the cheek, but instead she turned and blended into the throngs of people going to their respective dormitories. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that she hadn't.

Back in the Gryffindor common room, Harry caught up with everyone and thanked them for their gifts and cards. His thank you's had arrived via owl and everyone that had been able to make it agreed that his party had been a great success. After a few hours, they all began to yawn more and more frequently and began to climb up the steps to go to bed.

Once Harry had wished his dorm mates good night and drawn the curtains on his four poster, he removed the folded up parchment that Luna had handed him and began to read it.

Dear Harry,

What do you think of Filch being the new Defense teacher? Isn't that wonderful? He must be very proud. I look forward to seeing what his teaching style will be. Between you and me, I don't think that Professor Umbridge was a very good teacher at all. I'm going to miss writing you now that we are at school. I know I'll still be able to see you, but I really enjoyed reading your letters over the summer. You open up a lot more when you write. I guess I do too. There's something comforting about being able to hide behind the quill, isn't there? I really hope we can stay close this year, Harry. I think you know how much you mean to me, and I hope that I have some place in your heart as well. I'm going to miss all of us being together during those summer evenings. I'm afraid that my relationship with my fellow Ravenclaws hasn't changed any since the end of last year when they stole all my possessions. To be honest, Cho seems to be even more distant with me than she had been. I can't imagine why. Anyway, I was thinking about how much I'm going to miss seeing you so much, and a song popped into my head. It's from one of the discs you lent me. I think it sums up how I feel right now. I hope to see you soon, Harry. Until then, remember that I'm here if you ever need me.

Always,

Luna

P.S. Please have Ron thank his parents again for having me over this summer. It was the best time of my life.

Lonely

It was a torpid conversation

There were twisting of the facts

Now you've got the chip on your shoulder

You've got the monkey on your back

I've waited long enough to catch you in the act

My eloquence deserts me

As I'm laying here awake

It seems the more I have to give

The more I have to make

Do you feel lonely like I do?

Do you feel anything at all?

Do you feel lonely like I do?

Do you feel the space between us?

Do you fear the space between us?

I do

I do

It was a subtle implication

Supposed to thrill me to the core

You trade the caustic observation

For the burning metaphor

Isn't everything now as it was before?

Prone again as always

The limit is in the sky

You've got the duck blind connection

You've got the fourteen cent disguise

Can you see me with this wool over my eyes?

Do you feel lonely like I do?

Do you feel anything at all?

Do you feel lonely like I do?

Do you feel the space between us?

Do you fear the space between us?

I do

I do

I'm okay

I've seen it all

I'm sane and all

I've kept it all at bay

For the moment anyhow

I'm okay

It's strange the way we change into the things

We might become anyway

"Hey, Harry, what are you reading?" Ron asked when he peeked into Harry's bed. Startled by the interruption, Harry quickly tried to hide the letter that had caused him not to hear Ron calling his name for the last ten minutes.

"Huh? Oh, it's you. It's just a note from Luna."

"Another one? What's she writing now? Something about the Chuckle Hipped Snotrags?"

"No, nothing about the Crumple Horned Snorkacks."

"Oh, ok. Wait, I know, I bet she's asking to borrow another shirt to add to her shrine. First Ginny, and now Luna. What's your secret, mate?"

Harry put his letter away in his drawer and yawned.

"Clean living. Goodnight, Ron."

"Goodnight, Harry."

Harry closed his eyes, but they didn't remain so for long. His mind was occupied by too many thoughts to hope for sleep. What was going on with Luna? Was it just a crush, or was she expecting something more from him? Did he have anything to give to her? Could he possibly expect to be a part of a healthy relationship with the constant threat of Voldemort looming? Was sixteen old enough to be in a serious relationship? And what about Luna? She was only fifteen, and any sane person should know that fifteen was far too young to be in one, right? Harry cursed his aunt and uncle for keeping him ignorant of even the most rudimentary social customs. Could Luna now be considered his girlfriend? Did she want to be? What about Hermione? She was a girl, and she was a friend, so did that make her a girlfriend as well? Was he allowed to have two of them? Why couldn't he have turned around that day in Ginny's room?

As all these and many more thoughts raced through Harry's mind, another person was up and sitting on a window ledge over in Ravenclaw tower. The light from the moon gave her pale skin an otherworldly glow. She could not have told you how she knew that Harry was also awake, but she did know that while he was, she would be also.