Harry had mixed feelings about returning to Hogwarts. One way he wanted to return and see his friends again, make new friends and finally be able to really learn about magic without blocks on him. The other way he didn't want to leave his father and the portrait of his parents. He also didn't want to be where Dumbledore would have control over him but he could hardly change schools now. It would arouse suspicion and the major advantage he had because of his heritage and the connected political power was in Britain. He had already used his metamorph powers to change his new look back to what he looked before the blood adoption, well a healthier version at least. He would change his looks over the school year little by little to his true looks to throw of any suspicion there might be.
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Discover moreMobile app developmentComics fanfiction storiesAnimeMovies fanfiction storiesCartoonsAs soon as Sirius was cleared of the charges against him, he would be able to protect Harry, until then he would try to stay clear of Dumbledore. Sirius spotted Harry's way of thoughts and could really understand him. He didn't want Harry to go, but he knew it was necessary.
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"Hey, don't worry Harry. We will see each other at the weekends for your training and if you give me the dates for your Hogsmeade weekends when they are published, I will come to visit so we can just hang out for some time."
"Yes, it's just, I have always wanted a family and I just got you back, I don't really want to leave you." Harry admitted.
Discover moreAnime fanfiction storiesBooksCartoons fanfiction storiesFan fiction communityWriter collaboration platform"I know. I will write you I promise. What I also wanted to ask is there a country you always wanted to see for holidays?" Sirius asked.
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"I never really thought about it, why?"
"I want to make plans for the Christmas and summer holidays. And I think we could travel somewhere you always wanted to go to. I know some very nice places outside Britain I also want to show you."
"That would be great Pa. I think I would like a beach with some historical attractions nearby. So we could combine lazing at the beach with some sightseeing."
"Sounds good. Perhaps Southern France or Greece. I will look into the possibilities. Well, you better pack your trunk, so we don't have to be stressed out tomorrow. I prefer sleeping until nine, eating breakfast and then we will have Dobby and Kreacher apparate us to Kings Cross station. Then you will have enough time to find a compartment for you and your friends, what do you think of this plan?"
"Sounds good Pa. I like the idea of sleeping as long as possible."
Discover moreDownload Sci-Fi BooksExplore Sci-Fi MoviesDiscover Fantasy BooksDiscover Picture BooksFan fiction mobileThe next morning things at Number 12 Grimmauld place were really relaxed. Harry's new trunk Sirius had insisted to buy for him, stood packed in the entrance hall. Hedwig was safely in her cage next to the trunk. In case Harry had forgotten something, Dobby or Kreacher could take it to Hogwarts for him. Sirius and Harry enjoyed a healthy breakfast with cereals, milk, fresh fruits, bread, different toppings and eggs. They talked and laughed about ideas to give Snape a hard time for ridiculing Harry and Sirius made Harry promise to show him the memories of Snape's dumbstruck face, when he found out, that Harry had memorized the potions of the third year syllabus as well as those of the fourth year just as a precaution.
Discover moreFan fiction booksRead Graphic NovelsBook Movie TicketsExplore Top AudiobooksWatch Classic CartoonsThey decided to slightly change their plans and walk to Kings Cross, as it wasn't that far away from Grimmauld Place. Kreacher and Dobby would apparate with Harry's school things and wait for them.
It was a nice day and they thoroughly enjoyed their walk. Sirius entertained Harry with some pranks the marauders had played at school and how some of the gray hairs Professor McGonagall had were their fault. Harry laughed. He thought he had added a few ones too with his talent to find trouble. Soon they reached the station where Kreacher and Dobby had loaded a trolley with Harry's things and kept out of sight of the muggles.
"Thank you for bringing my things here Dobby and Kreacher. I really appreciate this."
"It was no problem Master Harry." Dobby said.
"Yes Master Harry. It is the job of a good house elf to make his Master's life comfortable." Kreacher added.
"You are both good elves." Harry said. "I will see you soon, when I come back for my training. Until then you two."
The two elves bowed and disapparated. Sirius took the trolley and pushed it towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten. They passed the wall and saw the Hogwarts Express waiting for the students to go for Hogwarts. Sirius helped Harry put his things into an empty compartment and then the two exited the train. Sirius started to point out several families he knew.
"Those are the Diggorys. Amos Diggory is head of a department at the Ministry. I think his son is called Cedric. He was a toddler when I was imprisoned. Those are the Greengrasses, they are leading a well-known crystal manufacture. Their crystals are some of the best at warding. Those are the McReggis they have produced many skilled healers. The Lovegoods, Xeno is editor of the Quibbler, a bit weird but the only one who prints things that the prophet doesn't want to print or wanted in the past.
"You know Madam Bones, those are the Boots, I think they have a lawyer facility. The Hellingtons, a muggle family who is producing music instruments of high quality, I didn't know they had a son who was a wizard, hm, the boy looks like he is a first year student. The Kempells, famous for their magical farms in Ireland."
Harry tried to remember the faces of the students and what their families did for a living. It was really interesting to get to know what possibilities there were in the wizarding world. Sirius pointed out the niece of Rufus Scrimgeour, the current head auror, some famous actor with his son and many more. Then finally Harry saw one of his friends arrive. It was Hermione with her parents.
"Hey Hermione." Harry greeted.
"Harry." She returned the greeting happily. "Hello Mr. de Jarjais." She added to greet Sirius.
"Hello Hermione, nice to see you again." Sirius greeted the girl. "I suppose these are your parents."
"Yes they are, mom, dad, please meet Orion de Jarjais, my friend Harry's new guardian. Mr. de Jarjais, these are my parents Dan and Emma Granger." Hermione introduced them.
"I'm pleased to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Granger." Sirius shook both of their hands.
Harry could hear a sneer behind him. Turning around he saw the Malfoys. Draco was accompanied by his father and Lucius was sneering at the display of equality that Sirius displayed towards the Grangers.
"And I thought the Weasleys had no proper wizarding pride. I didn't know there were others who would be that dirtied." He snidely remarked.
"I would be careful with the choice of my words Lord Malfoy. It would be unbecoming to insult the Lord of three pureblood houses that reach farther back than the Malfoys ever could." Sirius replied calmly.
"Three?" Lucius sneered.
"Of course, I have two other Lordships next to the Comte de Jarjais title. But I won't tell you. That would be too easy. But I advise you to be a bit more tactful. You could be confused with a death eater and we all know that you pledged to have been controlled by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Your current behavior could be misinterpreted Lord Malfoy."
This left Lucius Malfoy speechless. He couldn't argue with that as everybody knew of his story to avoid Azkaban. While Minister Fudge was easily bought with money, others were more difficult and everything depended on his good name. Further as this Comte de Jarjais was the current hero for saving the Potter boy, he was near untouchable. Lucius knew better than aggravate a man like this in public.
"Let's go Draco, we will look for better company." He said, turning away from the group.
"Yes father." Draco answered sneering at them.
Harry silently laughed. It was good to see the Malfoys being put down a bit. Hermione was also grinning about the small dent into the Malfoy's perfect world.
Then the two saw the laughing Weasley twins coming through the barrier. They saw them and came over to greet.
"Hello Everybody." Fred said.
"How absolutely..." George continued.
"...wonderful..." Fred
"...meeting you..." George
"...at this fine..." Fred
"...1st September morning..." George
"...finest Lords and Ladies." both twins ended with a bow.
Harry, Sirius and Hermione laughed. This was so typical for the twins.
"Let me guess, Percy was a prat and you are still on a high from playing a prank on him." Harry brought out.
"How could you..." Fred
"...assume that we..." George
"...would put our..." Fred
"...bighead boy of..." George
"...a brother who no doubt..." Fred
"...is the biggest prat there is..." George
"...through this kind of treatment." Fred
"I fear you really..." George
"...know us too well." They ended.
"Not really hard when you and Ron have only been annoyed with Percy's behavior when we met you three days ago at the Leaky Cauldron." Sirius said grinning equally to Harry.
"Yes, I have to admit that is obviously a very good hint brother of mine." Fred said.
"We really have to work on our subtlety, I agree dearest brother." George agreed.
"Of course you are right, we bewitched dear Percy's head boy badge he so proudly presented." Fred started explaining.
"That it now shows what a bighead boy he really is. He still hasn't noticed." George finished proudly.
Now the next part of the Weasleys came through the barrier, Percy, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. They greeted everybody and when Percy started to bloat again, the twins quickly ended his tirade with some witty words.
Lastly Ron and Mr. Weasley came through the barrier and Ron came over to talk to his friends, but soon he and Hermione followed Harry to the compartment he had found for them. There was now one other occupant, they didn't know, but obviously he was a new teacher because he was way too old to be a student. They didn't mind at all, for it would be really funny to see the pompous fool try anything with a new teacher around. Harry's eyes fell upon the label of the man's trunk.
'Professor R.J. Lupin' it read. His head began spinning. Moony, a new teacher at Hogwarts? That was fantastic. He could subtly let him know that his father was innocent and he could get his uncle back. But he couldn't be rash about this. He would ask his Pa how they should proceed. But with Moony at Hogwarts it would be easier for them because they didn't have to find him first. Harry, Ron and Hermione left the train again to say goodbye to their families.
Hermione's parents hugged her and wished her the best for the new year. Ron was reminded to work hard and that he, Harry and Hermione were to behave and not seek any trouble this year. Sirius looked at Harry proudly.
"I'm sure you know how to behave, I don't have to tell you this. Have fun, don't give your teachers too hard a time, prove that you are worthy of the title you hold."
"I will Uncle Orion. I will miss you."
"Me too. I will see you at the Christmas holidays. And don't worry, I will write at least once a week." Sirius winked and Harry hugged him.
"Thank you." He said.
"Get onto the train, we don't want you to jump on the last minute." He said, ruffling Harry's hair. Harry nodded and walked to the train, Ron and Hermione following him.
Everything was fine for some hours. Harry laughed with Ron and Hermione, exchanging more stories about their holidays. It was interesting what Hermione had seen in France and Ron in Egypt. Thanks to sleeping Moony Malfoy didn't dare to try anything fishy.
It was when the train began getting slower and slower. Hermione checked her watch, finding that they couldn't have reached Hogsmeade yet. Then the train stopped completely with a jolt and several trunks were thrown out of their racks. The sounds of the rain and wind outside had become louder and now many students were seen poking their heads out of their compartments. Then suddenly the light went out. The whole train was plunged in total darkness.
A lot of stumbling in the dark and some others entering their compartment, turning out as Neville and Ginny who wanted to find out what was going on.
The ruckus the five were making was enough to wake Moony finally.
"Quiet." Moony said.
All of them kept their quiet and listened to the sounds around. There was a soft crackling noise and a shivering light filled the compartment. Moony appeared to be holding a hand of flames. They illuminated his gray and tired face but his eyes looked aware and weary.
"Stay where you are." He told them.
He stood up, still holding the flames in front of him, but before he could reach the door, it slid slowly open. A cloaked figure was standing in the door, illuminated by the flames in Moony's hand. Harry's eyes darted over the figure. The reality was much worse than all of his father's descriptions. A hand was protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy looking and scabbed, like something dead had decayed in water. A dementor of Azkaban. Sensing Harry's gaze the hand was withdrawn back into the cloak.
And then it drew a long, slow rattling breath as though it was sucking more than air from his surroundings. Harry quickly felt the effects. A sickeningly cold swept over them all. He thanked every good spirit for his occlumency lessons with his Pa as they gave him a few precious moments to collect himself before the dementor could gain his full effect on him. Harry felt how hopelessness and despair began to grab him. But he put up his little mental defenses and tried to concentrate on a happy memory. He pulled his wand and yelled 'expecto patronum' and got a small cloud of silvery mist that hovered between him and the dementor.
He got to look around in the compartment and saw Ginny shaking madly, Hermione and Ron were looking really pale and Neville was of even worse. Harry began hearing voices, a woman screaming in the distance. He couldn't really identify anything, but he felt his weak attempt for a patronus waiver. He tried to concentrate as Sirius had told him. Thinking of his Pa made the mist become a little stronger.
Harry was drained, in cold sweat and his hand was shaking madly. It took all he had to even keep this little defense up. If the effects were this bad when he had a weak patronus, he didn't want to think what would happen to him, if it vanished. The negative thoughts weakened his patronus immediately. Then he heard a godsend voice.
"Nobody here is hiding Sirius Black under his cloak, leave." Moony said.
The dementor didn't budge. Moony decided to act instead to talk to a being unable to see reason if it was sucking the happiness out of unfortunate victims.
'Expecto Patronum.' Moony said and his patronus did the trick to make the dementor leave them.
Harry was swaying on his feet, feeling extremely exhausted. He felt strong arms directing him gently to his seat. He gratefully sat down, looking in Moony's face. His whole body felt the cold sweat that covered him.
"That was really impressive Harry. I didn't know you even knew about the patronus charm." Moony said.
"Uncle Orion began teaching me the charm after Madam Bones told us, that the Minister insisted on stationing these monsters around Hogwarts to protect me. Idiot." He added muttering.
He could have sworn Moony was grinning at this. He then turned to the others and helped them up as Ginny had nearly fallen onto the floor. The train began moving again.
"Who was the one who screamed?" Harry asked wondering about his experience with the dementor.
"Nobody screamed mate." Ron said confused.
They all nearly jumped, when something snapped in the direction of Moony. When they looked at him, they saw him breaking a huge bar of chocolate.
"Here eat this, it will help, I have to go see the driver. Excuse me." Moony said and left the compartment.
Harry remembering the things his father had told him about dementors, ate the chocolate. A bit of warmth spread through his body. He continued eating. He never again wanted to meet one of those things, but the idiotic Ministry just had to put a pack of them around a school. If his and his friends' reactions were any indication it was insanity on its greatest level possible. Azkaban must be truly horrible. To have to live in close proximity of this parasitic monsters. He shivered.
Ginny was in tears and Hermione hugged her to help her a bit. Harry was grateful for Hermione's actions. He was in no state to help anyone right now. He felt drained.
"What was that silver mist you produced Harry?" Neville asked.
"Patronus charm, but I haven't mastered it yet. The same thing Professor Lupin used to drive the dementor away. Just his was way stronger than mine. I really had problems to keep at least the little mist I produced up."
"Where did you learn it?" Hermione asked and Harry realized that he had spoken really quiet when he answered the same question to Moony.
"Uncle Orion taught me. I knew about the dementors from what Hagrid told us last year. And Madam Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement wanted to speak with Uncle Orion and me when we were at Diagon Alley shopping for my things that day. She told us, that the Minister insisted to place them around Hogwarts to supposedly keep me safe from Sirius Black. Moron." Harry added bitterly.
"How can you speak about the Minister of Magic that way Harry?" Hermione frowned.
"If a responsible adult would think about ways to protect the school, would they think of dementors, monsters that suck the happiness of their victims via the air? Would they put dangerous creatures class 5 around helpless children? And without anybody to really control them? Nobody at Hogwarts except the teachers is able to conjure a corporeal patronus. They are defense techniques taught to aurors. I only know about them because Uncle Orion can use the charm and I wanted to be at least able to protect myself a bit. The earliest you are normally taught about them is N.E.W.T. level defense. And they are not required to pass your exams. Many adult witches and wizards have problems producing a working one. If I hadn't learned as much as I already have, I think I would have passed out. I don't want to think what Malfoy would make out of that."
"Harry is right." Neville said. "It is completely insane what the Minister has thought up. Gran already is thinking of ways to show the Minister what a fool he is."
"Write her to contact Madam Bones and offer her help. She is on the warpath against the Minister because of this. To have the Lady of the noble and ancient house of Longbottom at her side would be a great help for her." Harry advised.
"Good to know. Those things are awful. The sooner they leave Hogwarts, the better, I already have problems enough mastering the spells. Gran constantly reminds me that I should prove myself worthy of the name Longbottom and my father's wand."
This got Harry's interest.
"Wait Neville, you use your father's wand?" He asked.
"Yes, Gran says it is the best way to honor my father." Neville became gloomy.
"What happened to your father?" Ron asked completely missing the tension in the air.
Neville began shaking.
"Seriously Ron, how can you be so tactless, it's obvious Neville doesn't want to speak about it and we won't force him to do so." Hermione berated Ron.
Harry was silent. He knew from what Sirius told him what happened to Neville's parents. To lose your sanity because some mad death eaters tried to find their damned Lord. He decided to just drop this topic until Neville was ready.
"Neville, I have learned one important thing from Olivander the wand maker. The wand chooses the wizard. Not the other way round. Your problems with casting spells could be that your wand and you are not compatible. I would ask Professor McGonagall to help you to test this out and if I am right, get a new wand at a weekend in Diagon Alley. You can't let yourself be restricted because you don't have the proper tools to succeed."
"Perhaps you are right." Neville admitted, glad about the change of topic.
Harry decided to talk to Neville later in private. If Dumbledore wanted a back-up plan he could have handicapped Neville like he had done with Harry. He also wanted Neville to know that he was aware of the fate of his parents and would be there if Neville wanted to talk about it.
"By the way I would advise you to eat the chocolate. It helps getting warm again, trust me I did it already." Harry said.
The stared at the chocolate in their hands and ate it. All of them experienced feeling a little better after this.
That's it for this week. See you next weekend.
And thanks to all those who left me reviews.