'Hey Hermione!' Harry called, walking into the King's Cross station. He had just waved goodbye to Sirius and Remus, who gave him many instructions to be careful, all because Bellatrix had escaped Azkaban. The topic of the last week of holidays had only been Bellatrix's escape. Harry had been forbidden to go to Diagon Alley and he had been told so many do's and don'ts that he was close to screaming in frustration and was never more happy to escape Grimmauld Place.
On the first of September, Harry thankfully walked along the platform, after seeing off Sirius and Remus, and seeing Hermione called out to her. She was standing with her parents and hearing him shout; turned and beamed at him. Harry grinned back at her and greeted her parents and chatted for a few minutes before saying his goodbyes to the Grangers and got on to the train. They walked through a few compartments before they found an empty one and went in thankfully hoisting their trunks on the luggage rack and sank down on the seats.
'Did you see the papers Harry?' Hermione asked him at once in great excitement and some fear after they sat down waiting for Neville to join them. Harry nodded his head and smiled at Hermione's expression. 'I did and this last week, Sirius and Remus have been so worried, it has been crazy, really.' Harry finished with a sigh and a second later the door opened and Neville peeped in and seeing them, walked in.
Harry smiled at Neville and Hermione greeted him softly, but Neville only nodded his head at both, sitting down stiffly. Harry was inwardly shocked at the changes in Neville. He looked pale and had come down to half his size and he was holding himself as if he would break any moment. His face was taut and stressed. Harry wondered how this last week had gone for Neville. It was frustrating for him, but for Neville it must have been terrible. Hermione smiled sadly at Neville and Harry watched as Neville caught her eyes, flushed and turned away. Harry did not speak and neither did Hermione. A few minutes later, Neville spoke, as if unable to bear the silence.
'Gran almost did not send me this year.' He said, leaning back on the seat. The train began to move and Harry smiled sympathetically without saying anything, while Hermione simply nodded. Bellatrix's torture of the Longbottoms had been splashed all over the papers and she and Harry could understand just how the conversations would have been in the Longbottom household.
After a few minutes Harry spoke. 'Sirius and Remus too, were very reluctant to let me go. Bellatrix has escaped Azkaban and Sirius was paranoid about it. It was only after I told him that I would be in Hogwarts, the safest place in all of Wizarding Britain that he allowed me to come.'
'She is related to Sirius, he is naturally concerned Harry. Besides she is evil.' Hermione said with a trace of anger remembering all that she read about Bellatrix. 'I hope she is captured soon.' She finished softly and then fell silent, seeing Neville was very uncomfortable.
'I wonder who the defence against the dark arts teacher will be this year.' Harry asked both of them after a small silence.
'Have no idea. Poor Professor Lockhart. He was attacked and somehow lost his memories and now is in St. Mungo's. They are not sure when he will get his memories back, if at all.' Hermione looked angry for Lockhart. Harry grinned at her and watched her frown. 'Harry, why are you smiling? Surely you don't think Lockhart's position is funny?' she asked huffing a bit at him.
Harry of course thought Lockhart very much deserved it, having oblivated so many others to take their stories to make a name for himself, but he could hardly say so and he smiled at Hermione's indignation on behalf of the now memory less Lockhart. Harry shook his head, 'I don't mean it badly Hermione, but well, I really couldn't care much about it either. He was a bit of a fruitcake.'
Hermione looked affronted by Harry's casual dismissal and relapsed into a silence that told Harry he would need to break it first and with an apology. Neville had not said anything at all and Harry looked out of the window, wondering about his third year. Last time Sirius had escaped and Remus had been riding with them on this very train. Now, though it was very different. Bellatrix of all people had escaped and the whole Wizarding World was now looking for her. Harry also did not know who the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher was and he also did not know if dementors would guard the School. There had been a lot of articles about the safety of the people at large a few articles about the protection of students at Hogwarts. Perhaps, Harry thought, Dumbledore might still allow the dementors into the school, if the Ministry made a loud enough noise about it.
Harry took a deep breath; this year was already beginning in a way his last time did not and Harry did not know what to do; he was deep in thought when the door of their compartment opened and Draco peeped in. Seeing Harry, he smiled a bit and was about to walk in when he noticed Neville, who was looking away from him and straight out of the window.
Draco flushed and stepped back and then a few seconds later shuffled his feet and moved forward, straightening his shoulders, as if determined to face whatever Neville might throw at him. He stepped inside and raised his eyebrows asking Harry the question. Harry smiled at Draco and nodded to him and Hermione too called out to him, but Neville sat straight and stiff, without looking at him and not saying a word either.
"Hey! How have you been?' Harry asked him, with a smile.
Draco shrugged. 'Okay. What with Aunt Bellatrix's escape...?' Draco wound down seeing Neville turn deliberately to glare at Draco and then look away.
'Go on what happened?' Harry asked interested to see what Draco would tell him, and if Lucius would have warned Draco about his Aunt who was on the loose. Draco smiled a bit nervously and cleared his throat. "Father is very worried and so is Mother. We don't want her, and really everything's been a bit tense. I was glad to get on the train, you know.'
'It is not your fault Draco, don't beat yourself about it; she's your aunt on one side and Sirius's cousin on the other and he's foaming at the mouth too. We just have to be careful, so that if she's got any plans of coming to the school, we can be prepared, though I doubt it. Thirteen years in Azkaban; Merlin! She must be insane to say the least, with only the dementors for company.' Harry finished and then they were largely silent the rest of the time. Draco was sitting there almost defiantly, not moving until the announcements came for everyone to change into their robes and get ready to alight at Hogsmeade.
Draco had had a strange holiday; in fact a strange few months. He was looking at everything and everyone, with a different eye, ever since he came to know that Lucius was responsible for the Diary. While he never said anything outwardly his time with his parents had been different from his point of view, because he saw them and their motives differently. He knew they loved him; he loved them too, but it was somehow different, because he was not agreeing with them on everything. Only he was not doing it openly. He was, he realized this holidays, seeing everything through Harry's eyes. Wondering, if Harry would agree and if so, then it was somehow okay with him; and if he knew Harry would not like it, he too, found reasons to disagree.
The last week had not been tense only for the Longbottoms, but also for the Malfoys, though they would of course never show it. When the news of Bellatrix's escape reached Lucius Malfoy, he was displeased at first. The Malfoys knew about the escape through the papers and Lucius had almost fainted with shock. He contacted the Ministry and spoke to the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge and had had it confirmed. He told the Minister that he very much hoped that the death eater would be captured soon and closed the floo connection.
He had turned to Narcissa and they had walked into their study and spent some time there. Draco had been watching all this and he sat in one corner unobtrusively, observing all that was going on. Lucius had come out looking better and Narcissa had a resigned air about her. They had come to a decision and they had chosen a side. Not that they had much choice, the dark mark on Lucius's left forearm would not allow him to do anything else.
He had called Draco and told him about his Aunt Bellatrix's escape and warned him to be careful. And for the first time, Lucius also told Draco to stay away from Harry, because things were different now. Draco had heard him silently, nodding in all the right places and knowing full well, he would not obey this command of his father at all. Only he would need to be careful. Draco was amazed at his own rebellious attitude and suddenly felt very happy, even though he did not know why. He decided to slowly talk to Pansy, Blaise and whoever would listen to him in Slytherins House and start them thinking.
He knew it was only a matter of time, before Bellatrix would come to Malfoy Manor and he also decided if he came to know it, he would tell Harry about it. He had spent his week after Bellatrix's escape doing a lot of thinking.
Now, seeing the way Neville treated him on the train and how Harry supported him, Draco; Draco felt that he was doing the right thing. He would speak to Harry, Neville and Hermione and take it from there. Having decided that Draco had felt very relieved and light. He sat there quietly his head held high and when the announcements came he nodded to Harry and Hermione and looked at Neville, who was still not looking at him, and walked out.
The train journey had been tense and silent mainly because of Draco who stubbornly refused to leave, but there had been no dementors this year. No fainting for Harry and no listening to his parents' voices. Though, Harry was not sure he would hear his parents' voices this time. He had seen too much and he was sure, Harry thought with a frown, that he would see his children reaching out to him. Harry turned his head sharply towards the window to conceal a sudden spurt of pain.
It was almost three years and he was still weeping inside; Harry talked sternly if rather sadly to himself, telling him to stop this emotional outburst about what had already happened and which was not likely to change ever.
When Hogsmeade station came, the three silent third years alighted and walked out into the crisp breeze that was flowing around them. It was still dusk and steadily beginning to get dark and Harry looked around him breathing in deeply and taking in the scenery around him. The little station was surrounded by mountains that seemed to go on forever and nestled in their midst was the fully magical village of Hogsmeade. Hogsmeade was a very small village of a few streets, an owl post office, the main market place where The Three Broomsticks, The Hog's Head, Madam Puddifoot's and other small shops were lined up on one side of a long street, which then branched off to join a small pathway cum lane that lead to Hogwarts.
The students except the first years got into the horseless carriages, and Harry saw the threstals which he was sure Luna could see as well, and they went up to the castle. Harry's heart filled up with love as he saw the castle gates and the stately Hogwarts, her towers floating high up proudly in the air, and with the Forbidden Forest looming darkly on one side. Harry once again felt he had come home and leaned back in his carriage, very happy and extremely content. There were no dementors at the gates and Harry hoped he could get through this year without much fuss.
They trooped inside and entered the Great Hall. Harry glanced at the Head Table almost automatically and saw Snape's eyes on him. Seeing Harry, Snape glared at Harry who grinned at him and raised his hand in a small wave. Snape scowled and turned to speak to Dumbledore who was watching this exchange with much amusement in his eyes. He looked at Harry and smiled, and his smile slightly widened when Harry grinned at him and inclined his head in a greeting.
Soon, Harry was sitting with his friends was eating hungrily, enjoying the vast feast laid on the table before him. Hermione seemed to have forgotten about Lockhart and was back to smiling and talking with him. Harry looked at everyone in the Great Hall and idly listened to the conversation around him, which was unsurprisingly about Bellatrix.
'I hope the insane death eater does not come anywhere near us.' Said Seamus stuffing roast potatoes into his mouth.
All the others nodded fervently and Dean who had been told about the insane death eater was also nodded his head. 'How could she escape anyway? I thought this Azkaban thing was guarded by what's that Seamus? Yeah, dementors and no one can get past them?'
'Yeah, but you see Bellatrix was almost as feared as You-know-Who and she was terrible in the first war. Who knows what kind of dark magic she did to escape?' Ron chimed in. he was looking well, Harry noticed with a pang and so was Ginny.