Backwards Compatible
Return to Hogwarts
By Ruskbyte
"Hello, Hermione," Harry greeted, his expression was as calm and collected as his voice. "It's good to see you again."
Hermione looked incredulously at her friend. His words of greeting had been exactly the same as they had been one month ago on his birthday, when he had arrived at number twelve Grimmauld Place. Even the inflection, or lack there of, was precisely the same, so much so that she would almost have thought she was hearing a recording. In fact, everything about Harry seemed identical to how he had appear when last Hermione had seen him before having to return home to her parents.
She had hoped, after seeing the state he was in at his birthday, that spending time with the Weasleys and various members of the Order of the Phoenix staying at headquarters would help Harry deal with what he was going through. Ginny and Tonks had promised to owl her as often as possible, giving updates on their progress in trying to make Harry "lighten up" and "live a little", a task they had taken upon themselves over the course of the party and having observed Harry's disappointingly reaction to their long planned surprise party.
The most they had been able to get out of him was a rather bland, "I've never had a birthday party before. Thank you very much," when they sprung the surprise and multiple instances of, "It's very nice. Thank you very much," whenever he opened one of his presents. It didn't matter if it was a box of Strudel (owled by Luna) or a set of books detailing how to duel and fight like an Auror (from Dumbledore). He would greet everyone in the exact same manner and thank them in the exact same manner (his thank you notes to Luna and Neville for their presents was identically to his verbal thanks) and succeeded in alarming even Dumbledore with his lacklustre expressions.
Molly Weasley was convinced the "dear boy" was in the process of starving to death and made her typically concerted effort to stuff as much food as she could down Harry's throat. As such, whenever she saw that Harry's hands were empty, she would hand him a plate with another slice of birthday cake. Harry, much to the amusement (and some concern) of everyone that noticed, would give Molly his now standard expression of thanks and then hold the plate (cake untouched) for a period of about a minute before discretely setting it aside. Hermione had actually seen Molly, apparently oblivious, hand Harry the same plate and slice of cake no less than three times in the course of ten minutes.
Actually, now that she thought about it, Hermione could not remember seeing Harry eat any of the servings that had been handed to him, not even the first one.
"Don't worry about it," Ginny whispered to her once Harry had moved away, pushing his trunk towards the train. "He says that to anyone he hasn't seen for more than a day."
"So he hasn't gotten better?" she asked in return as they followed after Harry and Ron.
Ginny shook her head, "Even the twins couldn't get a reaction out of him, and believe me; they used every trick in their arsenal - including a few that I think they made up on the spot. Nothing works."
Finding an empty compartment and storing their trunks inside, Hermione, Ron and Ginny left to report to the Prefects carriage at the front of the train. While they were all a bit nervous about leaving Harry alone, they were reassured by the sight of Neville Longbottom and his formidable grandmother arriving on the platform outside. Stopping briefly to exchange hellos and direct him to where Harry was waiting, the three prefects continued on their way.
This time round Hermione found the meeting rather boring, as it was nothing more than a rehash of everything they had heard the previous year. Ordinarily she would have paid greater attention regardless, but found herself preoccupied with worrying about Harry. The only fact of interest that she bothered to make note of was that Cho Chang, Harry's girlfriend the previous year, had been selected for the position of Head girl.
Eventually, after what seemed like a far longer period of time that it actually was, the meeting drew to a close and the three Gryffindor prefects were able to leave. They hurried back to the compartment they had left Harry in. Neville had, much to their relief, found his way to the room and settled in to keep Harry company. At some point Luna Lovegood had joined them and was at the moment reading through the latest edition of the Quibbler, which she was holding upside down for some incomprehensible reason.
"Um... nice necklace, Luna," Hermione found herself saying when the quirky Ravenclaw witch peered over the top of her magazine and greeted the newcomers enthusiastically.
Luna grinned broadly and fingered the item in question, "Yes, it is, isn't it?"
Ron looked at Hermione as if she were utterly insane, but for once actually managed to keep his foot out of his mouth by asking with fake curiosity, "What is it made of though? Those aren't butterbeer caps."
"They're from coke bottles," Hermione muttered to him.
"Yes," confirmed Luna, nodding her head so vigorously that her wand, which was tucked behind her ear, shot a few sparks. "It's a Muggle drink father and I discovered over the holidays. I don't know why we don't get it in Hogsmeade - it's simply delicious."
The conversation remained on various Muggle and wizarding sweets, as well as the merits each had over the other, until the door to the compartment swung open without any warning.
"Aw, no," groaned Ron, the first to recognise their visitor.
"Well, well, well," drawled Draco Malfoy, crossing his arms across his chest and sneering at them as he stood in the doorway to their compartment, "look who we have here."
Neville looked at him with narrowed eyes, "What d'you want, Malfoy?"
Malfoy practically spat on the floor, "Nothing from you, Longbottom."
He took a step into the compartment, revealing the looming figures of Crabbe and Goyle behind him. He uncrossed his arms and ran a hand through his hair. His grey eyes glittered maliciously as he sneered disdainfully down at Harry. Apparently Malfoy had grown since they had last seen him, making him only a couple of inches shorter than Ron and a handful taller than Harry.
"Potter."
Harry's eyes swivelled to the Slytherin boy, the rest of his body remaining perfectly immobile. Hermione felt a flood of relief and small amount of apprehension when she saw his reaction. For the first time since his arrival at Grimmauld Place, there was more than blank indifference in Harry's eyes. There was intent. A purpose that had not been there a moment before.
Without so much as a flicker of expression, aside from the way his eyes focused and remained fixed on Malfoy, Harry rose to his feet and turned to face him. Hermione, as well as everyone else present in the compartment, also stood and stepped up to flank Harry during the forthcoming confrontation. If they knew anything about Malfoy, it was that he would not risk a fight when outnumbered and facing such a united front. Unless he chose his words very carefully, it was likely that quite a good number of curses and hexes would be flung his way before they reached Hogwarts.
"Malfoy," Harry responded blandly. Though there was a hint of something in his eyes, Harry's face and voice remained as politely blank and toneless as they had for the past few weeks.
"Still mingling with paupers and Mudbloods, eh, Potter?" Malfoy asked, his eyes briefly flicking away from Harry to glance over Hermione and the others standing in the compartment. His eyes returned to Harry and he sneered, "I'm surprised they're still willing to risk being in your presence. How much are you paying them to keep you company? You have to be paying them; after all, it wouldn't be worth their while to court death like this if you weren't."
Harry did not acknowledge the taunt, aside from tilting his head the slightest fraction to one side. He seemed to be considering Malfoy, weighing the other boy up and calculating his net worth. After several moments, in which Malfoy visibly began to grow a bit annoyed at the lack of prompt reply, Harry straightened his head and said, "I have been instructed to advise you to not cause any trouble during the course of this school year. Failure to comply will result in my being required to kill you."
Pretty much everyone stared at Harry and blinked in consternation.
He did not appear to notice their reactions.
Malfoy in particular seemed rather surprised by Harry's word, blinking several times before shaking his head. He glared at Harry and leaned in close to hissed, "Don't presume to think you can threaten me, Potter!"
"It was not a threat."
"Sounded like one," Malfoy countered. He paused, seeming to consider something, before looking to where Hermione was standing by Harry's side. He glanced between Harry and her several times, a calculating expression on his face, before deliberately running his gaze up and down her figure in a very suggestive manner. He smirked, "Better be careful, Potter. Threatening a Malfoy carries a high price and, even if she is a Mudblood, I think my friends and I would enjoy taking the payment out of Granger here."
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!" roared Ron, lunging forward at Malfoy. He was only just held back by Neville and Luna, who took firm grips around his waist and shoulders respectively. Even restrained like this, he struggled to free himself, shouting curses at Malfoy all the while.
Hermione, who by rights should have been more insulted by the insinuation than Ron, was just moving to draw her wand and show just how expensive such a suggestion might be when Malfoy took a step forward. The Slytherin elbowed Harry out of his way and reached out with one hand to grab Hermione by her upper arm as he pressed in close to her.
"What's the matter, Weasley?" he asked, looking over Hermione's shoulder at Ron. "Don't tell me you and your family have suddenly had such a windfall that you can afford not to pass the Mudblood around for a few extra Knuts each month? Or perhaps you prefer to keep it a family business, and pimp out the Weaselette instead?"
"MOTHERFUCKER!!"
Unable to turn around because of Malfoy's grip on her, Hermione could not see Ron's reaction, but she could certainly hear what he had to say about the subject. In fact, she was rather surprised that Neville and Luna still had enough of a grip on him to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy and beating him bloody. The only one of her friends that she could see was Harry, who was standing in place and watching the proceedings with the same damned detachment that he had exhibited since arriving at Grimmauld Place.
"Let me go," she said in as calm a voice as she could muster, trying to sound threatening.
"Why should I do that, Granger?" retorted Malfoy as Crabbe and Goyle gave voice to rumbling laughter. He smirked wickedly and leaned in even closer to her. He raised his other hand, clearly intending to grope her breasts, "Potter dared to threaten me, so now I'm obligated to exact payment for that threat... and you're it."
Harry acted so calmly, so deliberately, that nobody even realized he was no longer simply watching until his hand clamped down on Malfoy's wrist just before the Slytherin boy's hand could come into contact with Hermione's chest. Malfoy turned to sneer at him, doubtless about to order Harry to let him go. Harry, without blinking or changing his facial expression, deftly --and without any apparent effort-- twisted his hand in a practiced motion. Malfoy gasped in mixed shock and pain, releasing his hold on Hermione's arm with his other hand as a loud crack sounded in the compartment.
"I have been instructed," Harry calmly stated, as though he had not just broken Malfoy's wrist, "to advise you that keeping your hands to yourself will greatly extend your current life expectancy. Failure to comply will result in my being required to kill you."
This statement was delivered with such perfect lack of inflection that nobody present doubted that Harry would immediately and without hesitation do exactly as he threatened. Malfoy, cradling his broken wrist against his chest and looking paler than usual, stared at him with wide eyes as Harry remained utterly still and continued to regard him with a dispassionate curiosity that was incredibly unnerving. Swallowing hard, his cheeks beginning to tinge red, he glanced at Crabbe and Goyle and jerked his head in Harry's direction.
The brutish boys began to move and Hermione quickly drew her wand, preparing to hex them both into oblivion before they had a chance to reach Harry. Her efforts proved unnecessary, however, as Harry responded before she could even bring her wand to bear. His eyes did not leave Malfoy's, but his right arm disappeared in a blur of motion, which was followed a moment later by two loud cracks that sounded almost simultaneously. The movements had been too fast to follow, but the result was obvious as Crabbe and Goyle staggered back and fell out of the compartment. Their noses were bent crookedly and beginning to stream with blood. Malfoy looked at Harry, the slight blush of anger in his cheeks disappearing as he blanched.
Harry tilted his head again and said, "I will not repeat myself. And next time I will not be as gentle."
Hermione looked to where Crabbe and Goyle, slumped on the corridor floor outside the compartment, were cradling their broken noses and trying to staunch the blood flow. She then glanced at Malfoy, who was clutching his broken wrist to his chest as he tried not to wilt under Harry's fixed and unblinking gaze. A silent giggle almost escaped as Hermione wondered about Harry's definition of being gentle.
"If you value your life, I suggest you leave. Now."
This time, Harry's voice had a definite inflection to it. One of undisguised threat.
Malfoy didn't even bother trying to retort. Instead he stumbled out of their compartment at close to a run. He almost tripped over Crabbe and Goyle, but was too flustered to notice. As the two bleeding Slytherins tried to pull themselves to their feet, Harry reached out and closed the compartment door. Turning back, looking completely unruffled as not in the slightest bit perturbed by what had just transpired, Harry returned to his seat and closed his eyes as if nothing had happened.
"Bloody hell," breathed Ron and Neville in unison.
"I second that," agreed Luna quietly.
Hermione could only nod in agreement.
Harry said nothing.
***
The remainder of the train ride was uneventful, in that none of their other visitors had any bones broken. However the sheer volume of students that passed through their compartment, once news of Malfoy's fate spread, precluded the possibility of relaxing in each other's company. Except for Harry, who scarcely acknowledged the presence of anyone that entered, aside from those members of the DA that stopped by. Those, at least, he addressed by name when greeting them.
Everyone was effusive in their praise, especially as Harry had managed to inflict such damage to Malfoy and his bodyguards without even drawing his wand. While resorting to physical violence was generally frowned upon, considered to be more the forte of Muggles than wizards, the general consensus was that such actions were a perfectly suited manner for Harry to respond to Malfoy's actions towards Hermione. Those who had actually witnessed the confrontation, however, found the entire episode more than a little disquieting.
The sun was just dipping towards the horizon when the Express pulled into the station at Hogsmeade. Having donned their robes the, Ministry Crew --as the other members of the DA were want to refer to the six students-- exited the train and crowded into one of the supposedly horseless carriages. Luna and Neville spent several moments staring at the Thestrals which drew the carriages, creatures could only be seen by people who had seen someone die. Harry, for his part, ignored them entirely and stepped into the carriage without pausing to look or comment.
The journey from the station up to the school was made in silence. Hermione, who found herself sitting across from Harry, found it to be an uncomfortable silence. The fact that Harry was staring at her the entire time might have had something to do with her discomfort. After squirming under his gaze for several minutes, she began to realize that Harry was not really staring at her. He was simply staring straight ahead and she happened to be in his line of sight. She got the impression that, although aware of her, he was not even registering her presence. It was very disconcerting, particularly as Harry did not blink the entire time.
"Harry? Are you okay?" she asked as the carriage came to a stop and they disembarked.
"I'm fine, Hermione," he replied. "Thanks for asking."
The press of the students crowding through the doors and into the Entrance Hall prevented her from questioning Harry any further, but Hermione determined to speak with him later in the common room. Moving with the masses the group were soon in the Great Hall, whereupon Luna left them to sit at the Ravenclaw table while they carried on to the Gryffindor table.
Settling in their seats, Hermione sitting next to Harry with Ron and Ginny opposite them, they quietly waited for McGonagall to bring in the new first-years for their Sorting. The only interruption came when Colin Creevey, as eager as ever, came up to them with his ever ready camera in hand.
"Hiya, Harry!"
"Hello, Colin. It's good to see you again."
After politely greeting the fifth-year boy Harry glanced at the camera he was holding, and stated flatly, "I have been instructed to advise you not to attempt to photograph me or otherwise capture my image on film. Failure to comply will result in my being required to destroy your camera."
Colin was in the process of swallowing his tongue when the doors to the Great Hall swung open and Professor McGonagall came striding in, closely followed by a mass of nervous eleven-year olds. The hall immediately settled down and the students watched as the Deputy Headmistress led the first-years up to the staff table.
McGonagall stepped forward and placed the Sorting Hat, as ragged and tattered looking as ever, on the three-legged stool where the Sorting was to take place. Everyone quietened down to hear the Hat's traditional start of term song. Those in their second-year and above remembered the previous year's warning and were curious to hear what the Hat might have to say this year.
That is when it happened.
All of a sudden, an apathetic Harry seemed the least of everyone's worries.
TBC...