Behind The Mirror

Chapter 2

Harry leant against the faded blue seat, his face illuminated by the light coming from the flaming torch above him. He was looking out of the window, at the looming shapes that were probably trees hiding in the velvet blackness. Beside him Ron was engrossed in eating a chocolate frog having abandoned the card that came with it (Dumbledore again). Hermione was eagerly looking through one of their various spell books and every so often nodding to herself or letting out little sound of appreciation. Harry thought longingly of his four-poster bed in his dormitory with its scarlet hangings. He was tired from the long train journey and the early start he’d had to had. He turned to look at Hermione and instead caught sight of one of
his least favourite people.
Draco Malfoy was hovering outside their compartment, his henchmen Goyle and Crabbe behind him. Malfoy, seeing Harry look up, smiled coldly, and appearing to have made up his mind, swept into the compartment. He sat and sprawled himself lazily in the space next to Hermione. Hermione looked up in disgust and snapped her book shut. Her face still harbouring a nasty look, she gathered her robes closer to her, as if not wanting the silver-haired boy next to her to infect them.
“Potter, how nice to see you. Not you though, weasel.” He sneered at Ron.
“You’re choice of company still hasn’t improved, Potter. Still, the Mudblood’s got her attractions, if that’s what gets you going…”
Harry shot an icy look at Malfoy and Ron, who had dusted himself of all the chocolate that had escaped his mouth, looked ready to launch himself at the boy. Malfoy grinned wickedly and put his arm around Hermione and pulled her closer. Harry stood up, shot his arm out, and pulled her out of Malfoy’s arms and onto the seat that he had just vacated. Harry tried to look as intimidating as possible, pulling himself up to his full height (which wasn’t very tall) and glared at Malfoy.
“What do you want Malfoy?” his voice dangerously controlled.
“Just come to check up on you, see if the Weasleys could afford to send Ron here for another year…. See if you’re bushy-haired friend here has managed to excel herself in the ugly department yet again...”
In the corner Ron was running a finger up and down his wand, his eyes narrowed at Malfoy. Hermione was biting her lip, as if to hold back the stream of insults that would surely flow if she opened her mouth.
“Well, as much as I would love to stay,” Malfoy drawled, “I’m worried that if I spend too much time in here I might accidentally inhale some of the same air as you three…”
Crabbe and Goyle sniggered at this, their massive shoulders shaking with laughter.
“Be seeing you, Potter…” and at that Malfoy hopped off the seat and walked through the door, Crabbe and Goyle closely following him.
Ron jumped up and slammed the compartment door after them, as if imagining that Malfoy’s head had got stuck to the doorframe.
“Ooh, I hate him!! Dirty pig, thinking he’s better than everyone else, him and his Death Eater father…” Hermione’s face had turned bright pink. Ron also looked unusually bright faced.
“Yeah, I tell you, if I knew the Unforgivable Curse I’d…”
Harry stopped him there.
“Alright, there’s no point getting upset about it is there? Malfoy’ll get what’s coming to him. Fred and George were telling me about this trick that might just be getting a test run on the Slytherin common room…”
But Harry was forced to stop in mid sentence as the train pulled up to Hogsmeade station. Outside Harry could see a lantern floating above the heads of children that had already swarmed out of the train. Hagrid, he thought to himself. If he strained his ears he could almost hear his booming voice…
“Firs’ years! Over ‘ere all you firs’ years…”
“Come on Harry, I’m starving! The quicker we get there, the quicker the feast will start!” Ron already had his trunk down and was in the process of dragging it out the door. Hermione was doing the same, tutting at Ron for his lack of self-control. Harry began pulling his trunk down, careful not to drop it on Hedwig’s cage that was sitting on the floor.
Outside horseless carriages were waiting to take them up to Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Hermione selected a rather dusty looking carriage and got in. With a jolt, it set off up the winding path to school.
“Wonder who’ll be in Gryffindor this year?” Harry wondered, remembering his own first year at Hogwarts.
“Not another Creevey brother, hopefully,” said Ron; referring to the two Gryffindor boys who had taken to trailing Harry everywhere he went.
“ Who knows?” Said Harry, smiling wryly.
Their carriage gave another jolt, and the motion stopped. Harry stuck his head out the side; Hogwarts stood grandly above them, looking every inch a school that should coach young witches and wizards in magic. Harry smiled to himself. “I’m home,” he thought.


Thank you very much to those people who’ve reviewed my story so far, you’ve been very kind. Also, to Avada Accio, sorry about the hair thing but I was probably thinking about Daniel Radcliffe while writing it and wasn’t paying attention. Just to correct my mistake, Harry’s hair is black, not brown. To TiPster, I know Hermione’s a bit bossy, but I figure that she’s probably nervous about the O.W.L’s and makes up for it by being bossy, like my friend Keely does. Also, I think she genuinely likes arguing with Ron