The Teacher's Son

Chapter 12

Harry and Ron waited their turn to pass through the barrier. In the back of his mind, Harry remembered the strange house elf's visit before the term, but he shook it away and ignored the feeling of nervousness building up in his gut.

"Ready, Harry?" Ron asked as they watched the last of his siblings run through the wall.

"Yeah, let's go." Harry couldn't suppress a smile. He was going home.

CRASH!

"Ow!" Ron yelled in pain as he and Harry hit the ground.

"What happened?" Harry asked, getting to his feet slowly and feeling the wall. It was solid.

"The barrier sealed itself!" Ron finally exclaimed.

"But how do we get through?" Harry was frantic now.

"We can't. It doesn't matter anyway." Ron glumly pointed to a clock nearby. "The train already left."

Harry sighed and sat down on his luggage cart. Hedwig hooted sadly at him.

"Harry, the car!" Ron said suddenly.

"Huh?" Was the Boy Who Lived's intelligent reply.

"The car! Mum and Dad can apparate home anyway, let's use the car!"

Harry began to smile. He could get back to his mum after all.

"Okay!" The two boys grabbed their luggage carts and ran out of the station.

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Hermione sat in the compartment, waiting.

Don't worry, they're just a little late, that's all. She told herself. They probably got stuck in the hall, there could be some crowds.

Even to herself the argument was weak.

"C'mon, Harry, Ron, where are you?" She whispered.

"No friends, Granger?" A sneering voice asked from the hallway.

"Shut up, Malfoy." She snapped back, trying to keep her voice firm.

The blond snickered as her voice cracked. "Is the little Mudblood crying? Potty and the Weasel don't like you anymore, then?"

That was the wrong move. Hermione had her wand out of her robes before he could react.

"Call me that again." She snarled.

"Get your wand away from my face." Malfoy countered, looking slightly pale.

"Leave me alone, Malfoy or I swear..." Hermione threatened, stepping a little closer.

She received an eye roll in return before Malfoy walked off.

Hermione bit her lip. What if he was right? Did Ron and Harry not want to be her friends anymore?

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"This sucks." Ron muttered as he drove the car through the clouds, following the pattern of the bright red steam engine they should have been on.

Sweat dripped down Harry's face as he nodded. "But we will get to school."

"On time?"

"Maybe..." Ron muttered.

A thought suddenly jumped into Harry's head. What would have happened if he had owled his mum? Could she have come to get them?

Probably. Why didn't he think of that sooner?

"Too late now." He murmured.

"What, mate?" Ron asked.

"Nothing, it's not important."

The redhead nodded and the two boys lapsed into silence again.

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McGonagall watched as the older students filed into the Great Hall. She waited to see a head of messy black hair, hair even she had been unable to tame, but no such luck.

She did, however, see a familiar bushy haired girl, walking by herself and swiping at her eyes when she thought no one was looking.

"Oh dear, what have those boys gotten into now?" Minerva murmured.

She located the rest of the Weasleys, and she saw the other second years, but no Harry or Ron.

"I'll have to speak with Dumbledore afterwards."

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"Hurry, we don't want to be late!" Ron hissed as he and Harry dropped their trunks off where the rest of their class's things were stored.

"We probably already are." Harry muttered. He just knew his mum was going to chew him out for this. If he'd just owled her when he got the chance, none of this would have happened.

They slunk towards the Great Hall and pressed up next to the doors.

"Oh, we've missed the Sorting." Ron muttered.

"Where's Snape?" Harry scanned the staff table.

"Maybe he got fired!" The redhead responded hopefully.

"Or maybe he's waiting to hear your reason for being late to the Start of Term Feast." Snape's greasy voice sounded from behind them. Harry cringed.

Now he was really going to get it.

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Minerva watched as the tiny first years took their seats at their new houses, one by one. As applause sounded for the last child, a young girl who had been sorted into Ravenclaw, the deputy headmistress looked over to the doors of the Great Hall.

She was just in time to see her son and Ron Weasley being escorted off by Snape.

Oh, that boy was certainly going to get it.

[A/N Dun Dun Dun! I always wondered what Hermione did during that ride....sorry it's so sad]