The Last Sanguimagus

Sarah entered the Great Hall for breakfast. The circular table was nearly empty. Severus looked up at her from a length of parchment he was perusing and immediately stood up, stashing the document in a pocket of his robe. He strode past her, his long legs carrying him quickly out of the hall, but not before she had a chance to see the dark circles under his eyes and the look of fatigue.

She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to give any to his haggard appearance. Tonight was the Sorting Ceremony, and tomorrow the halls would be flooded with students. She approached the table and sat down slowly.

The only other professors at the table were Sybill and Pomona. Sybill looked completely miserable and was eyeing the congealed eggs on her plate with an expression of sublime suffering. Pomona was ignoring her completely and focused on an edition of Night Blooming Herbs and How to Encourage Them. No doubt she'd already been up early in the morning and had done work in the greenhouses before coming down for her second breakfast.

Sarah spooned porridge out carefully into a bowl. The lack of professors made her less self-conscious and she was privately relieved. The ceiling yet again reflected the beautiful late summer day outside.

Sybill made a pathetic sniffling noise and got up and left, muttering something about a burden under her breath. Sarah mentally shrugged and went back to her porridge, idly thinking about the upcoming day. Her classroom was as complete as she could make it, her office prepared, and her private rooms as well shielded as possible. All that was left was to speak to the Headmaster about arranging her meeting with the Potter boy.

Pomona closed her book with a snap and stood up to leave, giving Sarah a perfunctory nod. Sarah nodded in return and listened to the Herbology teacher's footsteps as they faded away. Alone now, she contemplated the leftover dishes and food on the table and remembered that tonight they would be setting up the House tables and she would be sitting with the rest of the professors at the head table. She grimaced at the thought of being the object of so much attention, but there was no way around it. She was a teacher now, and expected to fulfil certain obligations.

The porridge had grown cold, and her mercurial appetite fled, leaving her slightly nauseated at the thought of eating more. She began the labourious process of standing up. There was time enough for one last test of the amulet and perhaps a conference with the Headmaster before she would have to join the professors for the unofficial staff luncheon, at which any last minute announcements and crises would be resolved. Minerva had made it clear that she was expected to attend and made it even clearer not to be late. Sarah grimaced and walked out of the empty hall, back to her quarters.

***

Platform 9 ¾ was filled with the noise and bustle of returning students. Harry grinned as he watched nervous first years clinging to their parents. He was eager to get on the Hogwarts Express. The sooner he got to school, the better.

Ron and Ginny were saying their goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Hermione was hugging her parents. He was glad that the Weasleys had taken him to the platform instead of the Dursleys. Hedwig hooted excitedly in her cage.

Mrs. Weasley suddenly hugged him, her face beaming. "Oh, take care of yourself Harry," she said warmly. "We're hoping to see you during the holiday..." She let go and wiped her eyes.

"Er...great," said Harry, as the whistle to board the train sounded.

Mad-Eye Moody looked at Mr. Weasley. "Job's nearly done...we need to have that talk..." Mr. Weasley nodded.

"Come on, Harry," said Hermione, grabbing the handle to her cart and walking away briskly. "Ron's almost on board already. And you need to get a compartment before they all get taken--"

Harry remembered suddenly that, as prefects, Ron and Hermione were expected to meet at the front of the train and receive instructions. "I wonder which fifth years have been made prefect this year," he said as he lifted his trunk, which had been made regular size again by Mrs. Weasley. Hermione wasn't listening, though; she was too busy scanning the throng of students. He saw Ron inside the train, making his way forward.

"We'll see you soon," said Hermione, speeding off as Harry clumsily pulled his heavy luggage into the aisle.

Ginny looked at Harry. "Prefects," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Harry! Ginny!" said Neville enthusiastically.

"Oh, hi, Neville," said Harry, smiling. The anticipation of returning to Gryffindor Tower was beginning to build, and he felt more and more happy. Ginny muttered something as she attempted to pull her recalcitrant luggage.

"I've got a compartment already," Neville continued, and pointed towards an open door.

Harry nearly dropped Hedwig's cage as Ginny collided with him from behind, and only Neville's quick grab saved the snowy owl from a fall. She hooted irritably. "Thanks, Neville," murmured Harry. He followed him into the compartment. Luna Lovegood stared at Harry as he entered and stashed his trunk and turned to help Ginny. He noticed that Luna was wearing earrings that looked suspiciously like clusters of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and she was reading a new edition of the Quibbler.

"Look at my mimbulus mimbletonia!" said Neville proudly. "It grew all summer. Professor Sprout will be impressed! It's nearly ready to breed."

Harry looked at the large, ugly, cactus-like plant, and nearly shuddered at the thought of it doing anything, much less making more like itself.

"It looks--er--healthy enough," said Ginny, trying not to giggle.

"Hello Luna," said Harry. It felt nice to see her again. She had turned out to be a good ally in the Department of Mysteries, and he felt gratitude towards her and the DA. After all, people who believed him and trusted him were kind of scarce.

"Hello, Harry," said Luna dreamily. "Hello, Ginny."

"Hello." Ginny plopped down on the seat next to her. The train gave a last, shrill whistle, and began to move. Harry sat down as well. Ginny turned and leaned out the window, waving to her parents.

"See you!" Harry called out, waving as well. The train went round a bend and they faded from sight.

He sat down once again. His heart was filled with joy. At last he was returning to Hogwarts, his true home. Soon he'd be drinking pumpkin juice, watching the Sorting Ceremony, and then trooping off to sleep on his very own four-poster bed at the top of Gryffindor Tower...

The compartment began to fade, and he felt as if he was dreaming. There was something reaching out to him, he could sense the flash of a serpent, a high, shrill voice--

"Harry! Wake up!" laughed Ginny. "We've been on the train for, what, ten minutes, and you're asleep already!"

Harry blinked, alarmed. Voldemort. He was waking, he was going to come after him, he was going to destroy his life, his friends, everything--

"Harry?" asked Ginny uncertainly. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yes," he said, trying to stay calm. "Yes, I'm fine." As soon as I can talk to Dumbledore, I will be, he added privately.

***