𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐬 | 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨 𝐞𝐫𝐚

Chapter 13. The Train Ride Home ☾

A/N Only Plot mine

Harry was released from the hospital wing. Dumbledore had come to try to talk to Harry, but the boy had all but ignored him. Harry wanted nothing to do with the man who was trying to manipulate the boy. Draco and Hermione were waiting for him in the common room.

"Of all the things you could have done, you put your hand on his face?" Draco asked dumbstruck. "Must I repeat myself? You're a wizard, Harry! Use magic!"

"I did. Magic is more than flimsy wand waving, you know." Harry reminded him as he sat down on the couch.

"What happened with getting the stone from the Mirror of Erised?" Hermione asked. Harry shrugged.

"Why? Voldemort couldn't get it. Quirrell was dead. What's the point in trying to get the stone out?" Harry reasoned. Hermione made to look like she was going to argue, but then rethought the action. She considered what Harry said and nodded in understanding.

"I guess you're right." Hermione conceded. Draco looked down at his watch.

"Hey, we should get to the feast." Draco suggested. Hermione and Harry looked down at their own watches and gasped. They jumped up and followed Draco down to the feast.

Once they were there, they saw the hall decorated in bright red and gold. Everyone was mumbling about how Dumbledore had just rigged the game so that Gryffindor won.

"But...But that's cheating! We're no better than the Slytherins, then." Hermione complained. Draco shot her a glare. "Oops, sorry." She apologized. Draco shrugged.

"I don't know why this bothers you so much. It didn't seem to last time." Draco reminded her. She sighed.

"I was too excited about winning the house cup to think about it. I considered it over the summer, but at that time who was I to question a professor?" Hermione explained. Harry smiled and slung his arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"Our little Hermione is growing up. She's questioning authority and everything!" Harry joked. Draco laughed and Hermione glared at her friend.

"So, what happened over the summer? That way, I can be prepared." Draco offered. Harry and Hermione nodded.

"Your insane elf stopped all communication between Ron, Hermione, and me." Harry started.

"He still needs to do that, Harry. For the timeline to remain unaffected." Hermione butted in. Harry nodded and turned thoughtful for a moment.

"Hey, you know, Dobby said he had heard great things about me." Harry teased. Draco's eyes went wide.

"Did he say who told him?" Draco asked, nervously. Harry smirked.

"He might have said a little dragon told him." Harry joked. Hermione punched the boy in his arm. "Hey."

"I'm going to have that elf kill himself." Draco mumbled.

"Draco!" Hermione scolded.

"What? He has to do whatever I tell him to." Draco explained.

"Actually, that's not exactly true. He just will punish himself if he breaks your command." Harry reminded the blond.

"Yes, well he still shouldn't have told you." Draco whined. Harry smirked.

"What did you tell him about me?" Harry asked goadingly.

"Shut up, Potter." Draco retorted. Harry had to hold in a giggle.

Soon, they found themselves on the train home. They claimed a cabin to themselves and dropped into their seats. Draco lazily played with his wand while Harry looked through his beloved photo album. Hermione, as always, had her nose in a book.

"You still haven't told me what all happened second year." Draco reminded him. Harry and Hermione looked up at him.

"Your dad gives Ginny a horcrux. Your house elf tries to maim me. I have to face not only young Voldemort, but a basilisk as well. All this while maintaining my grades and trying not to die." Harry stated matter-of-factly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You left out the part where you and Ron take a flying car to school, almost getting yourselves caught by muggles." Hermione jabbed. Harry sighed.

"Well, if you really want to get into it, we also go to a Death Day party, find out I'm a parseltounge..." Harry paused. "Thanks for that, by the way, Malfoy. Anyway, to wrap it all up, Lockhart wipes his own memory."

"So that's where he went." Draco realized. "Serves him right, the vain idiot."

At that moment, Ron opened the door to the cabin and sat himself down across from Harry, which happened to be right next to Draco. He sneered at the blond but then focused his attention on Harry.

"Hiya, Harry. Busy end of the year, wasn't it?" Ron asked conversationally. Harry shrugged and went back to his photo album, pointedly telling Ron he did not want to have this conversation. "Did you really come face-to-face with You-Know-Who?" Ron continued, imploringly.

"I don't really like to talk about it." Harry replied, not looking up from a picture of his mum and who he assumed to be Professor Snape as a little boy.

"Whatchya got there?" Ron asked, seemingly trying to do anything to get Harry's attention.

"I'm just looking at a picture of my mum and her friend who put this album together for me." Harry explained as he looked up. "I never got to see pictures of my parents before, so I take every opportunity I have to pour over them now."

"Oh," Ron responded in confusion. He did not understand it. Who could be so obsessed with a picture that did not even move? "What are your plans for the summer?" Ron redirected. Harry sighed.

"Just keep busy. I probably will have a bunch of work to do, and I probably won't be able to get most of my homework done at the beginning of the summer." Harry replied nonchalantly. Draco eyed his friend suspiciously. He figured that this might be due to his uncle's "frustration".

"Well, I'll send you a letter so you won't get too bored." Ron promised, completely ignoring what Harry had just said.

"Oh, yippee." Harry intoned, not excited at all for the coming onslaught of letters from the Weasley household.

"Well, we're almost home. Better get back to my cabin before the twins start searching for me." Ron explained as he got up from his spot on the bench. Harry rolled his eyes and nodded in affirmation, telling Ron he had heard and understood what he said.

Once Ron left, Draco turned to Harry.

"Harry, you'll let me know if you are in any kind of danger, right?" Draco asked, concerned. Harry nodded.

"Of course," Harry replied half-heartedly. Like he was going to worry his friend over something so small as his uncle's beatings. He was not in any real danger over the summer. He could handle himself.

"Good," Draco said. However, he decided that if he did not hear from Harry by a certain time, he would go to Harry's house and check on him.

At this point, Hermione looked up from her book.

"Did you say something, Harry?" She wondered obliviously. Harry looked at her incredulously.

"We just had an entire conversation with Ron and you didn't notice it?" Harry asked her. She blushed.

"Sorry, I was just really enthralled by this book. You should read it sometime." Hermione held up a potions book as she talked. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Sure, in all my spare time this summer, I'll read a potions book." Harry drawled. Draco smirked and looked out his window.

Yes, he thought, this certainly is going to be an interesting summer.

Chapter End
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