AN.
WOW Finally it is finished.
I am very sorry for all you readers that it took so long for this chapter. I had a little block.
I do hope that you like it and well leave a comment.
Also I hope that you keep a look out for the next few chapters because I hope to get some more chapters out in a few days time.
So enjoy.
Chapter 15 the Hogwarts express
The final days of the summer had gone by so fast that Harry thought they never happened. It was already 3 weeks ago that he and the Weasley's went to diagon alley and here he was packing his trunk to go back to Hogwarts.
George had kept his word and had visited a few times, he had also promised that he would come and see the four of on their final year as students at Hogwarts.
Ginny walked in the room and asked him if he was ready.
Harry smiled at her and said, "Yeah almost just a few things left."
He waved his wand and the final things flew straight in his trunk. Ginny laughed at this and said to him. "Why did it take so long for you to pack if you are using magic?"
Harry looked at her and smiled, "I didn't use magic all the time," He said, "I was also thinking about the year ahead of us and what people might think of me as a teacher. I hope that they like it."
"Are you joking?" Asked Ginny, "Everybody will love it. I know for sure that a lot of 7th years won't like it that you won't be their teacher."
"Well the Slytherings won't like it." Harry said with a small smile.
"Well let's go and find out than shall we professor." Was Ginny's simple reply.
She took Harry's hand and they both went downstairs.
"Finally." Said Mrs. Weasley, "What kept you so long. We need to hurry if we want to get to the train."
"Sorry mom." Said Ginny, "But professor Potter got a little scared so I had to talk some sense into him."
"Great dear." Said Mrs. Weasley who had not heard a word Ginny had said, "Now please hurry up."
They took Harry's trunk and went to the garden where 2 cars from the ministry were waiting. Harry looked at Mr. Weasley with a look that made the older man step back. "This was not my idea Harry." Mr. Weasley started explaining. "The minister wanted this as a way of thanking you and apologizing for the lack of confidence the ministers before him have shown you. I told him you would not like it but he insisted that you were brought to you last train ride as a student."
"It is ok Mr. Weasley," Said Harry, "I should have known they would do something like this, but it always gets me by surprise."
The drivers got out and took all trucks and put them in the back, they than opened the doors for all of them and when the drivers were also back in the car they left for London.
"I hope we will be on time." Said Mrs. Weasley.
"Don't worry mam." Said the driver, "We will be there with time to spare."
The driver was right but that was more because of the magic that was used than the normal driving, but luckily Mrs. Weasley didn't noticed that the cars jumped to the front of the lines at the traficlights, so about 10.30 they arrived at king cross station and after they unloaded all the trunks and the drivers had left they entered the station and went straight to platform 9 3/4. At the barricade they saw George waiting for them.
"I am glad you made it." Said Harry as he took George in a big hug.
"I didn't want to miss this." George replied.
Shall we go to the platform.
George went trough and was soon followed by the rest of them.
There it stood more beautiful than ever before, at least in Harry's opinion, the Hogwarts express.
They put the trunks in the last compartment so the four would have some peace and quit during the trip.
When they got back to the rest they said their goodbyes and all were taken in a bone-crushing hug by Mrs. Weasley.
Harry walked over to George and again gave him a big hug. "You take care of yourself now ok and keep in touch you hear me." He said to George with a tone in his voice that it wasn't a request.
George smiled and nodded. "I will if you will." He said.
The two men laughed and hugged again.
At the moment that Harry wanted to board the train he heard a dog barking.
No, he thought, that can't be.
But it was. As Harry turned towards the sound he saw a big black dog running towards him.
Harry got off the train as fast as he could and kneeled down so that the dog would not get on his hind legs again like those years ago.
Sirius what are you doing here, he said in a low voice when the dog was beside him and he hugged him. The dog walked behind a small wall and Percy Weasley appeared. All of them were puzzled Percy an animagus??
"Don't worry Molly." Said Percy in the voice of Sirius. "Your wonderful son gave me a hair for the potion and is safe at his work. I just needed to be here to see them get on the train."
"It's alright Percy." She said, "I understand and I will talk to my son about this."
"Don't be to hard on him, it was my request and therefore my fault." Was all Sirius could say.
He walked to Harry and gave him a big hug. "You be safe now and I will see you when you get to the school, I still use your quarters so we can talk whenever you want." He said to Harry.
"I know it is not the same but know this Harry, I love you like your my own son and I am so proud of you."
"Thanks." Said Harry with tears in his eyes.
He hugged his godfather one more time and than the whistle of the train blew for the final warning and Harry got on the train. With his friends by his side and his family on the platform the train started moving. When he looked out of the window he saw the big black dog running along side the train and laughed at it.
He leaned out of the window and screamed at the dog, "I love you too. "
Harry saw that Sirius had heard him because the dog started jumping around like crazy. He went back inside and sat down, he was on his way again back to the first place he ever had called home.
Ginny who sat next to him took his hand an squeezed it a little.
"He knows you love him Harry." She said. "That is why he came. I think Percy will be in trouble with mom because he let Sirius use his hair for the potion."
"No he won't." Said Ron, "Didn't you see the look in her eyes? It was pride. She is proud that her son would do that for a friend. The fear you could see at first was because she only hopes that Sirius won't get Percy in trouble, I don't think Sirius will do that because he was so glad to get out for a while even if it was only to see us of to school."
"Yeah, I guess you are right." Said Harry, "I will send Percy a letter to thank him when we are at school"
At that moment the door went open and the four looked at the door to see who entered.
"Look here everybody the great savior himself is on the train. Why bother to finish your education Potter or is saving the wizarding world not good enough to get a job."
In the doorway stood a smirking Draco Malfoy now with 2 new bodyguards because his former bullies were dead or in Azkaban.
"I see they let even the vermin back in." Said Ginny.
"You show some respect Weasley." said Malfoy, "or do you think Potter will save you all the time."
"Shut it Malfoy." Came Harry's angry reply, "If you hadn't noticed Tom Riddle the half blood you so loved as a master is dead. So leave us alone."
"Still as cocky as ever I hear," Said Malfoy, "but keep in mind Potter I as a pure blood will always be better than you with a mud-blood mother and all. That you defeated the dark lord means nothing, you could only have defeated him if you in a way cheated but I think that is clear as day."
"Malfoy I will tell you this now and you are wise to remember it. You had your say and I will leave it at that. Tell your mother that her sacrifice is more or less useless because her son won't ever change. Also when we are at school you will show more respect to all other students if you know what is good for you and don't want to spend all year in detention. Now get out." With that Harry slammed the door shut in front of Malfoy's face.
"Wow what was McGonnagal thinking letting him return, he should be rotting in Azkaban." Said Ron.
"Don't say that Ron. "Said Hermione, "You don't know the reasons why he did what he did, but Harry what did you mean by saying that his mother's sacrifice was useless?"
"Well I told you what happened in the forbidden forest right." Began Harry his story.
"Well when Voldemort had killed me and I woke up again he send Malfoy's mother to check if I was really dead. She saw I was alive but instead of telling Voldemort I was alive she asked me if Malfoy was alive and well in the castle. I made clear he was and she than told Voldemort I was dead."
"What!! She lied to him???" Was the reaction of Hermione, "But why?"
"Simple," Harry continued, "She wanted to save Draco, as Draco was pushed to do things he didn't want to do by his father and Voldemort, his mother wanted his life to be completely different. That is why she lied to Voldemort on the hope I could kill him and she would be able to save her son."
"How do you know all this?" Asked Ron
"Simple Ron." Said Ginny, "He is a teacher and he should know all that stuff to be able to agree if a student may or may not return to school or not."
"So why did you let him return?" Asked Ron. "We could have had a Malfoy free year."
"I let him return so he can see the changes in the magical world that has been going on." Harry said. "It doesn't matter anymore that you are muggle-born or not. When he sees what is going on I do hope he will see his faults and change. I do know that he tries to hold up the Malfoy name and statue but deep in his heart he never felt that the beliefs of his father were the right ones. He believed more in what his mother thought him about equal right for everybody. Why do you think he never ever did anything about the blow Hermione gave him in our third year? He knew he deserved that blow and that when he would tell his mother would be very very disappointed in him and his mother is his world. You would not expect it from somebody like Malfoy but he can feel love and he does really love his mother."
"Okay too much info Harry." Said Ron. "You could only have told us that you had a good feeling about this."
The four laughed about this comment.
"Okay let's change." Said Hermione, "We are getting close to Hogwarts."
They changed into their robes and looked out of the window to see if they could see the castle already. When the train stopped and they left the train they heard the voice they wanted to hear.
First years this way. First years over here.
They walked over to their friend and when he saw the four he smiled.
"Hagrid!" Harry said and hugged the half giant.
Hagrid blinked at the welcome and took all four in his arms.
"How are you four?"Hagrid asked. They told them fine and than Hagrid said. "I need to get the first years to the school Harry I will see you in a bit okay"
Harry waved goodbye and they got in a carriage, that started moving the moment they closed the door.
"Harry did you see those horselike things in front of the carriage?" Asked a spooked Ron.
"Yeah I did Ron why?" Asked Harry
"I never had seen them before, so I was wondering if I was seeing things." Ron said.
"O Ron," Said Hermione, "those were the Thestrals Hagrid showed us in our fourth year. You know the things that flew us to London."
"Wha wha what? I sat on the back of one of those???" Said a shocked Ron.
"Yes you did." Came the cool reply of Ginny. "So can we please get out now I am starving."
With that the four left, Ron still in shock and he kept looking back to the thestrals.
They sat with each other on the Griffindor table and Ron looked at Harry.
"Harry, don't you need to sit at the teachers table?" He whispered.
Harry shook his head.
"No," He said, "I wanted to eat with you guys. So let's hear Minerva's speech."