𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 •°𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴

[22]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The weather could not have been more different on the journey back to King's Cross than it had been on their way to Hogwarts the previous September. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sara and Nico had managed to get a compartment to themselves.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Nico where talking loudly while Sara was thinking about
everything that happened. She felt as though Dumbledore's speech at the Leaving Feast had unblocked her, somehow. It was less painful to
discuss what had happened now. The kids broke off their conversation about what action Dumbledore might be taking, even now, to stop
Voldemort only when the lunch trolley arrived.

Nico got something to eat for him and Sara and then sat next to her.

"Here," he said, handing her some chocolate frongs and putting the rest of the sweets next to them.

"Thanks," she said, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"How are you holding on?" he carefully asked, knowing that since the night of the Third Task she was overthinking and that was bad for her.

"It's better now I think," she answered, taking a bite from a chocolate frog.

"Good," Nico smiled and put a piece of her hair behind her ear.

After a while, Hermione showed them how she found out Rita Skeeter was an animagus and the little jar where the big beetle was locked in.

"I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London," said Hermione. "I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar, you see, so she can't transform. And I've told her she's to keep her quill to herself for a whole year. See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people." Smiling serenely, Hermione placed the beetle back inside her schoolbag.

The door of the compartment slid open.

"Very clever, Granger," said Draco.

"Great," Sara and Nico muttered at the same time.

Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind him. All three of them looked more pleased with themselves, more arrogant and more
menacing, than Sara had ever seen them.

"So," said Draco slowly, advancing slightly into the compartment and looking slowly around at them, a smirk quivering on his lips. 'You caught some pathetic reporter, and Potter's Dumbledore's favorite boy again. Big deal.'

His smirk widened. Crabbe and Goyle leered.

"Trying not to think about it, are we?" said Draco softly, looking around at all five of them. "Trying to pretend it hasn't happened?"

"Get out," said Harry.

"You've picked the losing side, Potter! I
warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train, first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this!" He jerked his head at Ron and Hermione, forgetting that his real friends were even there. "Too late now, Potter! They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well — second — Diggory was the f —"

It was as though someone had exploded a box of fireworks within the compartment. Blinded by the blaze of the spells that had blasted from every direction, deafened by a series of bangs, Sara blinked and looked down at the floor.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were all lying unconscious in the doorway. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Nico were on their feet, all four of them having used a different hex. Nor were they the only ones to have done so.

"Thought we'd see what those three were up to," said Fred matter-of-factly, stepping onto Goyle and into the compartment. He had his wand out, and so did George, who was careful to tread on Draco as he followed Fred inside.

"Interesting effect," said George, looking down at Crabbe.

"Who used the Furnunculus Curse?"

"Me," said Harry.

Sara giggled and slapped Nico's hand.

"What was that for?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"Because you didn't think of telling me to join this little party and also," she laughed.

Ron, Harry, and George kicked, rolled, and pushed the unconscious Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle — each of whom looked distinctly the worse for the jumble of jinxes with which they had been hit — out into the corridor, then came back into the compartment and rolled the door shut.

"Exploding Snap, anyone?" said Fred, pulling out a pack of cards.

They all played it until they finally arrived at the King's Cross.

Sara and Nico got their trunks and out of the train.

Beyond the barriers, there were waiting the Weasleys and the Dursleys.

'Er—Mr. Dursley!' Molly Weasley exclaimed and Sara's uncle raised an eyebrow at her. 'The headmaster, my husband and I had decided that Sara should spend this summer holiday at us.'

'And the boy?' uncle Vernon growled, looking at Harry.

'No no, Harry has to stay at yours this summer I'm afraid, Dumbledore said just Sara.'

Sara could see the hurt in Harry's eyes as he heard the news. She blamed herself for the misery the Dursleys are going to put him over the summer but it was Dumbledore's order that the twins were split for the summer.

'And why?' Harry asked Mrs. Weasley.

'I'm sorry Harry, but Dumbledore didn't tell us his intentions, I'm afraid,' the woman answered, looking sad.

Sara pulled Harry into a hug that she thought lasted forever.

'I'm going to be okay, if Dumbledore considers that I should stay at the Dursleys..' Harry muttered against Sara's hair.

'Don't worry Harry, we are going to rescue you as soon as we got the chance,' Ron spoke, pulling Harry into a brotherly hug.

'Yes, but no flying cars this time!' Hermione laughed.

'We can't promise that,' Nico chuckled.

Sara sighed and watched as Harry was forced to leave with the Dursleys for yet another summer, while she had the chance to have fun.

THE END OF THE FIRST PART.