The Ones Who Lived

V - Back to School

19th of August – 18th of December 1998

Chronology

2nd of May 1998 : Battle of Hogwart

Harry didn't have time to be bored during his last few weeks of holidays. He had to answer to two or three dozen interview offers from journalists all over the world who seemed to believe that he had overcome his shyness after Lee's podcast. He also had to regularly write to Ginny. For the entirety of August, he had been regretting his moment of weakness at King's Cross Station where his girlfriend had managed to get him to promise to send her two owls a week. He had been very naïve to think that the gift of the owl had been purely out of kindness. And to end off, he spent a part of his afternoons with Teddy.

A few days before the start of the school year, he went to Diagon Alley to buy himself his schoolbooks. He also had to buy all kinds of school supplies as he definitely didn't want to go back to Privet Drive to fetch his quills, parchments and cauldron. He almost regretted not to have done it, though, when he realised the amount of emotion that was created in the shopkeepers by the fact of selling ink and paper to the Boy Who Lived.

On his side, Ron was dealing with a completely hysteric Hermione who was freaking out at the thought of passing her NEWTs soon. He was going for dinner at the Grangers' every single day. Harry wondered whether it was really to encourage his girlfriend in her last spurt, like he was telling his mother, or to lift his spirits after a day of supporting his depressed brother. But whatever the reason for it was, it often happened that he only came back at dawn.

On the first of September at five to eleven, Harry, accompanied by Mrs Weasley, arrived at King's Cross platform. He only just had time to let Molly hug him before jumping into the train that was already starting.

He had hardly any trouble to find an empty compartment: the Hogwarts Express carried almost only First Years, as most of the other students had returned to Hogwarts a month earlier. He therefore sat down comfortably and prepared himself for several hours of solitude. But after ten minutes, Dean joined him.

"Wow, we have the train almost just to ourselves," shouted the Gryffindor. "I don't think there are more than fifty people! Isn't Ron with you?"

"He's not coming this year," explained Harry. "He's helping George in his joke shop. Oh, and I was wondering," he started, hit by a sudden idea, "why didn't you go to Mr Brocklehurst's school, last year?"

"When I first heard about it, I had left home since long," Dean replied. "I had received a call-up from the ministry soon after learning that I wasn't allowed in Hogwarts anymore. I understood there was a danger and I decided to hide without waiting that they came to fetch me."

They spent their trip talking about the events of the past year. Dean, who had stayed in contact with Luna, told Harry that she had been at Hogwarts for the last month and really liked Mr Brocklehurst. When they finally arrived, they descended from the train and followed the platform all the way to the carriages, sensing the interested looks of other students behind them and hearing their whispers when they recognised Harry. Dean shuddered when they passed the thestrals.

"I know that they helped us," he confided to Harry, "but I just can't stop myself from finding them hideous."

They left their carriage in front of the school's large gates. While they were passing through the entrance hall, Harry felt a strong grip pull him aside. His first movement was to resist and take his wand out, but he quickly recognised his aggressor and let himself be pulled away. In the next second, he was kissing Ginny eagerly behind a pillar. Too early to his taste, she pulled away from his hug: