The Mystery

Chapter Two

The Train to Hogwarts

The next week was a blur with Ron and Hermione doing very sappy things since every chance Fred and George got they powdered them with their Love Dust, then disappeared for three hours after the stuff wore off because both Ron and Hermione were very testy after their love sessions. Harry felt a little better around them because they don't argue as much, instead they just hang all over each other, which sharply reminded Harry of his failed attempt with Cho Chang. Finally August 1^st arrived and burdened with their trunks, Hedwig, Pigwidgeon, and Crookshanks they headed for platform 9 ¾. Where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Professor Lupin, Mad-Eye, Tonks, and Percy, whom after the incident with Lord Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic apologized to his parents and moved back home, but kept his job, saw them off.

Ginny, Fred, and George boarded the train and disappeared to find their friends, Ron and Hermione had to leave to meet with the prefects and Harry was left to find a compartmentto himself again. Not far down the aisle he found one only accompanied by Neville Longbottom. Harry was reminded about last year and the adventures they had gotten through. Neville had his toad Trevor and the plant he had last year, which took up the seat next to him.

"Hiya Harry," Neville said happily. "Have you heard from Luna Lovegood? I have she moved." Harry found this information surprising but then wondered why. She had said at the end of last year that her dad and her were going to Sweden to find a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, what if they hadn't found one yet and just decided to go to their Wizarding School instead of Hogwarts this year. "Anyway, my gran says that the Lovegood's are nice people and all but that they're weird. Then I told my gran that Luna was not weird." This montage into Neville's feelings was somewhat unsettling to Harry and so he placed Hedwig on the other seat opened her cage and left. Rambling up and down the aisles until he caught sight of Ron or Hermione, Harry started thinking about other students.

He had never heard of someone transferring from one school to another but supposed it happened because that's what happens in Muggle schools. Of course Hogwarts hasn't had a transfer unless you count the first years but then that's your first year at Hogwarts and so it would not count. Absently thinking about other wizarding schools Harry bumped into Cho Chang as she came out of a compartment.

"Oh, sorry," Harry began and then looked at Cho, she had changed since last year. There were no tears in her eyes, plus there wasn't a shadow of hurt behind her eyes either, apparently she had fully recovered from Cedric's death. "Harry, it's nice to see you again. How are you and Hermione?" Cho meant this as a couple question and Harry knew he couldn't encourage this.

"Oh, Hermione and Ron are fine, together," Harry said emphasizing the words 'and' and 'together' so that Cho would know that there was no 'Him and Hermione.' Cho raised her eyebrows slightly and smiled.

"That's wonderful, I hope you are okay too. Michael and I are still together," Cho said almost apologetically. Harry smiled and nodded. "Harry I still want to be your friend okay." Harry's smile brightened a little more and Cho smiled back.

"Of course, Cho, I'll always be your friend." Harry laughed a little thinking about Ron and Hermione and then thought of something else. "Um, Cho do you think the ban that Professor Umbridge put on me with the Quidditch team is still in effect?" Cho's eyes got really wide and she gasped.

"I had forgotten about that, I hope it doesn't because Griffyndor needs all the help it can get." Harry smiled and nodded in agreement. "Besides is Fred and George are back doesn't that mean that things should be back to normal? I mean I know Professor Trelawney is defiantly back." Harry thought about that for a moment and then decided that this year would probably be better than last.

"Well, I better go and get ready," Harry said pointing at his blue jeans and tee shirt. Cho smiled and nodded then looked as if she had forgotten why she had left her compartment at all.

"Oh, ok then. See you later. Oh Harry, did you get your letter about how many O.W.L.'s you got last year?" Comprehension dawned and Harry realized that he had not heard nor had not even worried about it all summer. He quickly shook his head no and left Cho staring after him as he went back to the compartment that Neville had. He opened the door and found Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Fred. Hermione seeing Harry's look of concern stands up dropping Ron's hand she had been holding.

"Harry what is it?" Hermione asks pushing Ron against the window making room for Harry to sit down.

"Professor Trelawney is back..." Harry began and was interrupted by Fred.

"Yeah, well we knew as soon as Professor Dumbledore got back that she would be reinstated, beside George and I are able to come back remember?" Harry glared at Fred and he stopped talking.

"I meant to say Professor Trelawney's back and apparently no one has been informed of how many O.W.L.'s they received last year." Hermione squeaked remembering that she had not received anything about that and was worried. Ron looked relieved and Neville turned positively white. Ginny looked preoccupied with the door to the compartment. Harry ignored them all. "Oh and I talked to Cho, just a minute ago. I informed her that there is no Hermione and I but that you and Ron..."

"No, you didn't!!" Screamed Hermione looking livid. Harry was confused and Ron was looking at Hermione with concern. "I didn't want the whole school to know, Harry how could you? She'll tell Michael not to mention that sneak she hangs around with. Eventually the whole school will know." Hermione looked as if she had just seen someone die. Ron looked like he had just witnessed his relationship with Hermione die. Fred and Ginny were laughing and Neville was still sick about the O.W.L.'s.

Hedwig fluffed her wings and the compartment door slid open with Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway with Crabbe and Goyle right behind him. Harry felt sick; now for sure Hermione's life would be hell, and Ron's as well. Draco smirked and looked around the room. Neville finally came out of his daze and eyed Malfoy. Draco's expression turned acid and he left the compartment without saying anything. Harry slowly turned his head and looked at Neville, as did everyone else in the compartment. Neville grinned.

"At the start of summer I ran into Malfoy at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries..." Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew what Neville meant so eased up a little. "Anyway, Malfoy snapped something about my parents and I remembered that Patronus spell you taught us last year Harry and..."

"But Neville, you never mastered the Patronus," Hermione said without thinking. Neville looked a little hurt but continued on.

"And I had a happy thought just as Malfoy said something and I just called it up. You'll never guess what Malfoy's afraid of," Neville said smiling, Harry was thinking that the Patronus called and the form it took was specific to the person who called it. Like Harry's Patronus was a stag because his father's Animagus form was a stag. Hermione's was an otter because her powers came to her while visiting the otter exhibit at the zoo. So Harry was thinking what was significant about Longbottom. "Well since you can't guess, it's..." But Neville never finished because a loud bang sounded from the back of the train and everyone was thrown into the floor and upon other people.

"What's going on? Why have we stopped?" Hermione was asking trying to get herself off of Fred who was on top of Ginny. Harry disentangled himself and opened the compartment door, several students had fallen out of the compartments and looked confused. Suddenly Professor McGonagall's voice rang out through some kind of speaker system.

"Students, please return to your compartments. The train has had a malfunction and will take at least thirty minutes to fix so please remain in your compartments. The food trolley will be by shortly with some complementary sweets to satisfy you until the train can be fixed. Would the following students please make their way to the back of the train: Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, and Harry Potter. Thank you." The intercom went silent and everyone was looking at Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Harry knew why McGonagall wanted to see Ron, Hermione, and Draco was because they were prefects, but why him?

Ron shrugged and stood up grabbing Hermione's hand, "Well come on then, Harry, McGonagall wants to see us." Harry followed Ron and Hermione out of the compartment and could tell that several eyes from the windows were upon him as the made their way to the rear of the train. They met up with Malfoy and watched as Crabbe and Goyle tried to follow but wasn't able to get out of the compartment.

"McGonagall must have put a spell on the doors to only allow certain people to come out," Hermione stated and then dropped Ron's hand as Malfoy looked back at them. He sneered at them then lead the way all the while not saying anything; which Harry found more unusual than the train breaking down. Draco Malfoy had never passed Harry Potter in the last five years without making some kind of remark.

They finally made it to the baggage compartment, which was the last compartment on the train and found Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. Harry's stomach did a flip-flop and he wished he hadn't intruded upon Snape's memory last year, because Snape was really going to enjoy torturing Harry this year. McGonagall was whispering to Snape as they walked up, Snape eyed them suspiciously and sneered just as Malfoy had. Harry thought that they had looked so much alike that he was sure they should be related.

"Professors?" Everyone even Malfoy asked. Harry was looking around the compartment and didn't find anything amiss until the light changed when Snape moved. The compartment had been packed full with everyone's trunks and now Harry could see that at least two trunks were missing; his included.

"Apparently someone thought it funny to, um, open the door back here and throw four trunks out of it. The problem is we can't find the trunks anywhere from here to the station. I'm afraid all four of your trunks are the ones missing. See Mr. Potter and Mrs. Granger's trunks were stacked along the right-hand wall and Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy's were stacked along the left-hand wall. The person who did this was very selective because all of your trunks were in the very bottom row and so a lot of the trunks had to be rearranged."

"The point is," Professor Snape cut in. "Is there anyone that would have wanted you not to have your belongings with you this year?" Harry immediately thought of Dobby then remembered that Dobby had promised not to try and save Harry Potter again. Harry's mind then went to Draco but then why would Malfoy throw his own trunk out too? "Come on, think. Who would want to either steal your belonging or give them to a certain unspeakable person?" Snape said almost angrier than the people whose things were missing.

"So then the train didn't really break down, you are just looking for missing trunks and couldn't find them so you wanted to ask us about it." Hermione finally spoke up. Snape glared at her and nodded curtly. McGonagall looked worried. "Well I can't think of anyone that would want my personal belongings anymore than you would and certainly nothing in any of our trunks would be significant enough for Lord Vol... um, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to want them."

"Magic," Ron suddenly said.

"Of course magic, you dolt," Malfoy snapped. "How else would anyone have lifted four trunks and threw them out the door." Malfoy glared at Ron and Snape beamed. Ron ignored him, took out his wand and waved it around the compartment.

"Aprademente!" Ron shouted and the lights went out in the compartment. Hermione gasped and must have thought Harry's hand was Ron because she was now holding onto it.

"Good going Weasley, you've managed to knock out the lights as well as appear stupid." But Malfoy quieted down rather quickly because there were orange lights moving around the baggage. Suddenly trunks started moving and turning orange when the light came near it. The lines the orange lights were making stayed in place and after tracing their way to the door and stopped. With the glowing about the room Hermione realized she was holding Harry's hand and not Ron's and dropped it. McGonagall was ashen and Snape livid. Ron was quite happy with himself.

"Explain, please Mr. Weasley, what you just did." McGonagall said very quickly and Snape looked like he was going to explain but Ron shot out.

"You see while we were in Ireland this summer I found old Celtic book of spells that aren't used anymore and I've been practicing, theoretically of coarse. Well there was one spell I wanted to try as soon as I got to Hogwarts. Aprademente allows a wizard to look at the last spell cast in any given room, patch of forest and sometimes a road. The orange lights indicates the spell and what it moved and where the trunks that are missing disappeared." Ron stopped talking and was looking around confused. Hermione was beaming at Ron and Malfoy was irritated.

"Ok, Weasley, if that's what the spell does then where is my trunk?" Draco asked. Ron looked around again as if confirming and then smiled again. He walked over to the door and opened it. Outside had turned dark going into nightfall and the orange streak could be easily followed. McGonagall smiled and walked towards the door but Ron shut it before she got there.

"Professor before you go find the trunks I believe the names on the highlighted trunks are significant." Snape and McGonagall looked around at the many highlighted trunks and thought a moment.

"Severus, all the trunks have 6^th years names on them. Every single one of them."

"Not only that Professor but they all been looked through as well," Ron said pointing out that the orange light had indeed went through the keyhole of the trunks.

"Thank you Mr. Weasley, now Severus and I will try and find the trunks thanks to the orange light and you four may return to your compartments. I'm sure we will be on our way shortly and off to the start of term dinner," Professor McGonagall said and ushered the four of them out of the door and down the hall. Harry wasn't sure but he knew that they would also find the person responsible right along side their trunks.