The Chambers doing

Chapter 12 - Lessons Begin at the Castle

In the carriage up to Hogwarts, Harry asked the twins, "Can you keep what happened on the train a secret please? I don't want to be seen as fragile."

"Sure."

"We can understand..."

"...Why you don't want people to know..."

"...Namely Malfoy?"

"Him, and some other Slytherins." Harry confirmed - after the train journey he was getting used to the twins' double speech and had worked out not to follow who was speaking - it would just hurt his head.

"Your secret is safe with us."

They got out of the carriage, and had just entered the entrance hall, when Professor McGonagall asked Harry to head to her office immediately.

Pulling Ginny with him, he headed towards his Head-of-House's office.

"She didn't ask to see me Harry, I should get to the Great Hall." Ginny commented.

Harry leaned down to whisper in her ear, his breath blowing a few strands of her hair lightly. "No Ginny, remember Dumbledore doesn't think our bond has completed yet, so we want to keep him ignorant a while longer. To do that we need to stay in contact."

"That makes sense, I'd completely forgotten! But you're going to explain to Professor McGonagall."

"Of course love." Harry commented with a soft chuckle.

After waiting for a few minutes, the Transfiguration teacher arrived with Hermione in tow. 'So much for avoiding Ron and Hermione completely' Harry thought. Hermione just gave them a confused look as Professor McGonagall ushered them into her office, closing the door behind them then taking her seat.

"Miss Weasley, I don't remember inviting you to this meeting."

"That's OK Professor, I asked her to join me." Harry spoke up.

"Oh, what made you think you could do such a thing Mr Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked sternly.

"There's a very good reason Professor, and Professor Dumbledore knows of it, but we'll tell you another time. It's a long story." This only served to intrigue Hermione even more.

"Fair enough, but it better be a good explanation, although as I'm only talking about you for now its your own look out. Anyway Mr Potter, Professor Lupin owled ahead to say you were taken ill on the train."

"I'm fine, and I would appreciate it if that was kept a secret."

"Understood - I can see where you particularly might not appreciate having something like that getting around. Only those in this room, those who were present, Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey will know." At this moment, the resident matron herself bustled in, and started breaking up a chunk of chocolate, all the while muttering about how unsafe it was to have dementors near the school.

"Um, Madam Pomfrey?" Harry spoke up, hesitantly. It was well known that the matron didn't like being interrupted when working on a patient. "I'm fine. Professor Lupin gave me some chocolate on the train."

"Finally a Defence teacher who knows Defence." She exclaimed in relief. "Alright, you're cleared to go now. Goodness knows its not worth my while trying to get you up to the Hospital Wing for the night."

"Okay, Mr Potter, Miss Weasley, you may head to the feast. I need to speak to Miss Granger about her timetable." Professor McGonagall said.

Harry and Ginny arrived at the feast just as Professor Flitwick removed the Sorting Hat from the hall. Clearly he had carried out the sorting where the Deputy Headmistress was unable to. Hermione strangely arrived moments later, despite the fact that as they closed the door to the office when leaving it looked to be that a long conversation would be starting. Finding Fred and George, they took two spare seats next to the twin pranksters and settled in to eat. Fred and George had clearly saved them two spaces, and together they had filled the space around them with friends from fifth year, and some of Ginny's from second year to prevent Ron and Hermione sitting near them, understanding that Harry didn't want to deal with them just yet. Unfortunately, this included Colin Creevey, who wanted to talk to Harry a lot. This made Ginny slightly annoyed, however unfairly, that her second-year friends were sitting around them, as she could see the discomfort on Harry's face at the conversations throughout the feast, and she had wanted to talk to her husband herself anyway.