Drifting

Chapter 19: Return to Hogwarts

"Sometimes we get second chances,

And sometimes we never make it past the first,

It really makes you wonder,

Why some things happen when they do,

It really makes me wonder why it wasn't me instead of you,

And when you say,

It doesn't matter,

Well it does,

And all it takes,

Is a mistake to eat your words-"

Michelle Branch, Second Chances

~*~

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

In response to your question on if the D.A. will be continued, I am not sure. I don't think I'll be able to keep up with everything if I continue the club. I suppose I could quit the Quidditch team. I'll need to ask Hermione about this. She's the one who really planned everything out last year. It was her idea for all this in the first place. If anyone is going to be thanked for this, it needs to be Hermione.

You asked if you could have forgiveness. In all honesty, sir, I feel as if you've betrayed my trust. You kept something so important from me for years. It makes me wonder if you're hiding something else? Nevertheless, I forgive you. I make mistakes all the time so it's nothing new. Also, I will take you up on your offer. If I ever have a problem that is serious enough, I will come to you.

Thank you very much for lifting my Quidditch ban.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter

~*~

The sun was shining through his window. It had been for two hours. Yet, Ron Weasley slept on, oblivious to the world around him as usual. He would have continued to sleep except his furious little sister stormed into his room and very effectively roused him from his sleep.

"Ron! Get up this instant!" Ginny shrieked next to him.

Ron, in his half-conscious mind, thought she sounded exactly like his mum. He groaned and slid his head under his pillow, thinking Ginny would go away. He was wrong.

"Get up, you lazy arse! I plan on being on time to the station this year and you are not going to hold me up!"

"Go away, Gin," Ron mumbled.

Ginny screamed in frustration. It was on mornings like these she really hated her brother. It was time for drastic measures.

"You'll get to see Hermione," she said.

"I don't want to see Har- wait, Hermione?" Ron muttered as he jumped up. "Hermione! Get out, Gin, I have to get ready!"

Ginny smiled as she walked out the door. She silently thanked Hermione for being Ron's girlfriend. If it hadn't been for Hermione, Ron would have not gotten up and Ginny would have been late.

She sat down at the kitchen table as Mrs. Weasley placed a plate of food in front of her. Five minutes later, Ron came bounding down the stairs.

"Breakfast, mum! We can't be late!"

Molly turned around from her cooking. She stared at Ron after realizing he was the one that had just said those words.

"Ron, dear, are you sure you're not ill?"

Ron rolled his eyes and plopped down in the seat next to Ginny.

"I can't be late. Hermione's going to be there!"

Molly shook her head with a slight smile on her face. She remembered what young love was like. She was sixteen herself when she had fallen in love with Arthur.

"Don't you want to see Harry as well?"

Ron looked up. "Yeah," he said absentmindedly. "Harry too."

As Molly placed her son's breakfast in front of him, she shot a questioning look at her only daughter. If she expected an answer from Ginny, she was sorely mistaken. Ginny sat with her eyes slowly filling with tears. Ron took no notice.

"Just because you don't like Draco doesn't mean you can't be friends with Harry!"

Ron didn't say anything. He continued to eat without looking up.

"He's still sad you rejected his offer to take you for a drive. He asked you five times for Merlin's sake!"

Ron didn't move.

"I thought you and Harry were best friends?" Ginny cried, throwing her chair back from the table as she stood.

"Were is the key word. I'm not going to be friends with a person who's in with Malfoy," Ron half-yelled, rising as well. "As a matter of fact, I hate anyone that has anything to do with Malfoy!"

"Ronald Weasley! How dare you speak ill of your sister!" Molly yelled.

In response Ron threw his now empty plate against the wall, watching with satisfaction when it shattered against the wall. Then he ran up the stairs and slammed the door to his room with a loud bang.

~*~

Harry put his school things in the trunk of his car and hopped in the driver's seat. Aunt Petunia was already waiting for him in the seat next to him. The plan was that Harry, who wanted one last drive in his car before school commenced, would drive to the station and then Petunia would take the car back. Petunia's excuse for coming was that someone had to see him to the station and take the car back. Inwardly it was something else.

Petunia knew that this year she'd miss the boy. His presence in her life reminded her of what she left behind and in a way, through Harry, she felt closer to her old life. Without Harry around, Petunia felt as if she was losing her connection to the wizarding world.

Quietly she turned her head and studied her nephew. She noticed immediately that his hair was nearly under control now. She figured that the fact it was longer had something to do with it. It hung about halfway down his ear. As Harry reached up and tucked a few strands behind his ear, Petunia got a clear view of his eyes.

She felt a sharp pain in her heart as she looked into his eyes. Now that he didn't wear his glasses Petunia could see his eyes more clearly. They were still the brilliant green they always had been. Petunia sucked in a deep breath as the pain receded from her heart. Those eyes reminded her painfully of her dead sister.

Petunia supposed she could have gone on with her musings for hours had Harry not interrupted.

"Aunt Petunia," he started, making sure he had her attention. "During the year when Dudley and I are off at school, are you alone during the day?"

A look of curiosity crossed Petunia's face. She had no idea why Harry would be asking her this.

"Yes, I am alone. Why do you ask?"

Harry drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, giving the impression he was slightly nervous about what he was going to ask.

"I was just wondering if I could maybe send you a letter once in a while - like an owl."

Harry braced himself for the yells that normally followed the mention of anything that had to do with magic. However, this time they didn't come. Harry's shoulders sagged slightly in relief.

"Why?"

Petunia felt odd asking her own questions in response to a yes or no question. Harry's fingers continued to drum nervously on the steering wheel.

"I'm going to miss you this year and I just thought it would be good to have someone to talk to."

Petunia smiled at Harry.

"Of course you may. Just try to send it when Vernon's not home."

Harry returned the smile.

____________

They pulled into the station with half an hour to spare. Petunia helped Harry drag his things through the barrier and stood with him as he scanned through the small number of students already there.

"Aunt Petunia, could you watch my stuff for a minute? I need to go ask Hermione something."

Petunia nodded and Harry started off towards Hermione.

"Hey, Hermione!" he yelled.

Hermione spun around, looking for the source of the noise. When she spotted Harry she stepped away from her bags and hugged him.

"Hey yourself," she said.

Harry returned the hug. He hadn't seen Hermione for nearly a month, not since driver's ed. had ended.

"Do you want me to save you guys a compartment while you go to the prefects' meeting?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked up at him without breaking the hug.

"If it wouldn't cause you too much trouble. Thanks."

She placed a quick kiss on his cheek. Just then, Ron came over. Neither of the two had noticed he had arrived.

"Step away from her, Potter," he spat.

Harry released Hermione and turned to face Ron.

"Chill, Ron. Can't a brother hug his sister?"

Ron shoved Harry away from Hermione. Harry, not expecting the attack, lost his footing and tripped over Hermione's trunk. He hit the ground painfully hard on his back.

"Now you listen to me, Potter. I don't want you anywhere near my girlfriend. What you two were doing looked like a lot more than just a sibling hug-"

"Ron, please! It's not anything like that-" Hermione cut in.

"Stay out of it!" Ron shouted.

Hermione was so shocked she didn't move. Her voice seemed frozen in her throat. Harry didn't dare to get up off the ground. He saw Ginny making a run for him from behind Ron but he gave a small shake of his head, his silent way of telling her to stay put. Ginny stopped and clutched Hermione's arm.

"Never go near her again, you hear? You're nothing more than a filthy little orphan and I don't want you anywhere near Hermione."

With that Ron spun on his heel and walked briskly back to where his mother was standing with their trunks.

Ginny rushed to Harry the instant she was sure Ron wasn't coming back. She knelt down next to him.

"Are you all right? He didn't hurt you, did he? I swear I'll kill him. I don't know what his problem is! He-"

Harry leaned towards her and kissed her softly, effectively shutting Ginny up.

"I'm fine. My back is just a little sore but I'm fine, really."

Harry sat up fully and laid his head on Ginny's shoulder. He tilted his mouth up to her ear. Hermione, who was watching the scene, thought he was about to start nibbling at her ear. As she watched more closely, she realized he was telling her something.

"Ron's under the Imperius Curse. I saw it in his eyes. Tell Hermione when you get a chance, I can't risk going near her. I need to owl Dumbledore. Stay as far away from him as possible."

Hermione watched Ginny's eyes grow wide. Whatever he told her it must have been bad.

"Ron," Ginny whispered slowly. "I have to go tell mum!"

She made to get up but Harry pulled her down again.

"You can't. No one can know. Whoever is controlling Ron doesn't know we're on to him yet. We have to play his game until we can get word from Dumbledore."

Ginny nodded and stood up. She held out a hand to Harry and he took it to help pull himself up. Harry bent down and picked up Hermione's fallen trunk. With a slight nod to Hermione and Ginny, he left. Ginny watched as he took his trunk and Hedwig's cage and found a compartment in the train. More students had started arriving and were claiming compartments.

Hermione moved over to Ginny.

"What did Harry tell you?" she said lowly, so Ron wouldn't overhear if he came near them.

Ginny's hand flew to her mouth and she bit her nail. It had become a sort of nervous habit for her.

"Ron's under the Imperius. Harry says we can't do anything until he gets word back from Dumbledore."

Hermione gasped. "No wonder he was acting so harsh! Why would anyone put the Imperius on Ron?"

Ginny watched Harry step out of the train with Hedwig on his arm. The snowy white owl took off in the air and both girls saw the letter she was carrying.

"I'm not sure, but I think they want Harry hurt," Ginny commented.

The girls watched Harry in silence. They wanted to continue their talk but Ron had come back over to them and put a comforting (or so he thought) hand on Hermione's arm.

"You'll never have to put up with the orphan again," he said, smirking. "I've got him under control."

Hermione gulped and nodded. She wanted more than anything to knock Ron's hand away but she knew she had to play along.

Harry was doing the exact same thing. He wanted to flash a smile of reassurance in the girls' direction but he knew he couldn't. Ron would catch him and he'd be done for. Instead he returned to his aunt and finished the last thing he needed to do before he could leave for Hogwarts.

"Thank you for a great summer," Harry said softly.

Before Petunia could utter a sound, Harry slipped his arms around her and hugged her tight. Petunia stiffened for a moment, not expecting the contact. Then she relaxed and hugged her nephew back. Ginny and Hermione, who were still watching the scene, felt tears springing to their eyes. They had both known the history between Harry and Petunia and they were glad to see it change. Harry needed a type of parental love, and they knew it. Now he had it, in the form of his mother's sister. In the girls' eyes, it was the best type of parental love he could have.

~*~

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny returned from the Prefects' meeting sometime later. They found Harry sleeping in the chair next to the window.

After a few minutes of silence, Ginny became bored and went off to visit her friends. Hermione watched her go with fear growing inside of her. She was alone with Ron, (since Harry couldn't do anything while he was sleeping), who was still under the Imperius Curse.

All she could think about was how to get out of the compartment. It never crossed her mind as she formulated her plan that the reason Ron was under the Imperius was to get to Harry. Hermione just wanted to get out.

"Ron," she said, and Ron nodded, showing she had his attention. "I'm going to the loo. I'll be back soon."

Ron nodded. Hermione jumped up and nearly ran out of the compartment. She didn't notice the gleam in Ron's eye.

As soon as Ron was sure Hermione was gone, he allowed a smile to cross his face.

"It's just you and me now, Potter."

He watched as Harry shifted uneasily in his sleep.

"That's right, boy, be afraid. Be scared of my Lord."

Punch him.

Ron obeyed the demand without hesitation. Quietly as possible, Ron leaned over. In a flash, he punched Harry in the jaw and pulled back. If you had blinked, you would have missed it.

Harry's head jerked up and his eyes opened. His mouth was open and he was in mid-scream.

Silence him.

Again, Ron obeyed. He put a hand over Harry's mouth and shoved his head back against the seat. He continued to listen to the orders running through his mind.

"The battle draws nearer, Potter. Pass it along to the old bat you call a headmaster."

Harry's eyes widened as he understood the message. He tried to push Ron's hand off his mouth to no avail. The only thing Harry could do was pray that someone came back soon.

Then, as if by a miracle, the mist in Ron's eyes started to clear. Ron shook his head and stared at Harry in disbelief. Harry stared back up at him, hoping it was the real Ron he was seeing this time.

"Harry, what am I doing here? The last thing I can remember is getting out of the car at the front of the station."

Harry sighed in relief. Or he tried to, at least. Ron's hand still covered his mouth. Harry gestured to the hand. Ron's eyes followed his gaze and when he saw the hand, took it off immediately.

"Harry, what happened?"

Harry stretched his legs a little shakily.

"I think you were under the Imperius, Ron. I don't know how, but you were."

Ron's face paled considerably. Harry could see each one of his freckles stand out sharply against the color of his skin.

"Did I hurt you? Did I hurt anyone?" Ron asked.

He surprised himself when he said that. He could remember back to earlier that morning when he was positive that he hated Harry and didn't care about him at all. Now that danger had nearly pulled them apart again, Ron realized in an instant what a prat he had been. He knew Harry was his best mate and always would be, not matter what came between them. As those thoughts passed through his head, he nearly missed what Harry said next.

Harry shook his head. "You didn't hurt anyone. The most you did to me was punch me in the jaw and shove me on the ground at the station."

If possible, Ron's face paled further.

"It doesn't still hurt, does it? Please don't tell me I punched you that hard!"

Harry rubbed his jaw. "It hurts like hell but you didn't do that much damage." He cracked a small smile. "I'm just glad they didn't have you try to kill yourself."

Ron sighed and dropped down in the seat next to Harry. He ran his hand through his hair. Harry noted that Ron wasn't going to let himself off easy on this. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Ron."

Ron didn't look up.

"Ron, look at me," Harry commanded.

This time Ron looked up with a little bit of reluctance.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Ron. You've just got to learn from them. I'm sure with a little bit of training and practice you'll be able to throw off the curse. We even got something good out of you being controlled, if you can think of it as good. They gave us a message through you. It said that the battle was drawing nearer. It means that they're going to attack soon. Now we can alert Dumbledore and the Order. You're not controlled anymore either. It's over, Ron. Just let it pass."

Ron hung his head.

"I bet you could have thrown off the curse," he muttered so quietly Harry barely heard.

"In all honestly I probably couldn't have. It's not like I've been practicing throwing it off during the past two years. The curse could have caught anyone. Even trained Aurors."

Harry knew Ron was hardly listening to him. He knew what was going through Ron's head. It was the same thing that had gone through his mind when he realized that the image of Sirius being tortured last June was a trap. The line, how could I have been so stupid.

"No one's going to think you did all this intentionally. Hermione, Ginny, and I are witnesses to the fact you were under the curse. I could see it in your eyes. Just let it go, Ron. You can't change what's already happened."

"I suppose you're right," Ron said. "I'll bet Dumbledore'll kill me when he finds out."

Harry shook his head. "Dumbledore's a very understanding man. He'll hear you out."

"I hope so, mate. I hope so."

~*~

The rest of the train ride passed pretty uneventfully. Harry left to find Ginny and tell her the curse was lifted and she had gone off to tell Hermione. Draco, Blaise, Neville, and Luna all stopped by to visit, though at separate times. Hedwig returned towards the end of the journey with a message from Dumbledore. He said that if the curse hadn't been lifted to take Ron's wand and lock him alone in the compartment by any means possible. He also wrote that he would like to see Harry after the feast.

The gang reached Hogwarts just before it started to rain. They took their places at the Gryffindor table with Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati joining them. They watched as the Sorting Hat was brought out and broke into song.

In the times of old,

At the beginnings of this school,

There was a statement made bold,

That in times of need and hardship,

This noble school would unite,

Stand up to the challenge,

And take on the fight.

Times like these have come and gone,

And the school has never failed,

Now as war looms near,

We must group together again,

And never fear,

Our students must not desert us,

As a famous founder once did.

We must learn to trust,

Be kind to all,

No matter if you think they should be left for the dust.

Many different people can combine,

To form the force that is needed,

As Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin once did,

They were brave, strong, caring,

And never went and hid,

Now we must unite as one,

And overcome the darkness,

That threatens our homes,

Our families:

It is written in the tomes,

That the age old battle,

Between the light and dark,

Will be coming to and end,

At the hands of one man,

Who will be able to lead our armies around the bend,

To victory,

Once and for all.

As Godric Gryffindor once said,

"Until the battles are over,

We cannot rest in bed"

Persevere my children,

And let my message ring clear,

Never let the fight take you down,

Without the last ounce of effort you can give.

But for now my children,

Sit back and relax,

Slip me on and I'll tell you,

Where you ought to be.

Gryffindor for the brave,

Hufflepuff for the kind of heart,

Ravenclaw for the wittiest,

Slytherin for the cunning and sly.

Don't be afraid children,

I don't bite.

The hall was oddly silent after the Sorting hat was done. No one had ever heard the Hat give such a song except for the teachers that had been here for the first war. The Sorting Hat picked up many things living in Dumbledore's office all year.

Slowly, only a few students at a time, the clapping began. Most were still stunned into silence. Draco and Blaise were casting worried looks at Harry, who had gone very pale during the song. Ginny had a death grip on his hand.

"Harry," Hermione said, concerned. "Is something the matter?"

Harry was too shocked to answer. Before Hermione could say anything more Dumbledore stood and the Great Hall fell silent.

"I have a few beginning of term announcements. First, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students. Second, our caretaker, Argus Filch, has added to his list of items banned from the school. This now includes all Weasley Wizard Wheezes. The list is posted on his door, if you would care to see precisely what is banned. Third, tryout times for house Quidditch teams will be posted by the team captains in their respective common rooms. Fourth, I would like to welcome the real Alastor Moody as the school's new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Moody stood and the Hall filled with applause. Even a few Slytherins stood up to applaud. He sat down when the applause began to quiet. Dumbledore rose again.

"I would also like to note that Lord Voldemort is back-" many shudders crossed the Hall at these words, "and that security around the castle will be tightened. Prefects will be spending more time patrolling the hallways and if the threat gets severe enough, Aurors will be stationed at all the entrances and exits to the castle. Lord Voldemort is not something to be taken lightly, not at all. You all heard what the Sorting Hat sang and I fully back those words. Now, let the feast begin."

The gasps of the first years were heard as food appeared magically on the tables. Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville all reached for the food in front of them at the same time, piling it high on their plates. The girls ate more slowly and not nearly as much. Only Harry had not touched his food yet.

"Eat numtn Hawy," Ron said around a mouthful of food.

This attracted the attention of the rest of the group who all turned to look at Harry. He was still slightly pale.

"Harry, I know it's not really my business," Lavender started, "but are you sure you're okay?"

Harry looked up at her with an odd look in his eyes.

"I thought I was, Lav, but I'm not so sure anymore."

~~**~~