Harry felt a cold cloth being placed over his forehead, and someone drapping a warm blanket over his chest. Then he heard a voice, a sweet melodious voice, from his long and almost forgotten past.

"Harry? Harry? It's time to wake up dear."

Harry's eyes fluttered open and he looked up. Above him, wearing the smile he always cherished.

Was Mrs. McFinn.

"M-Mrs.-Mrs. McFinn?" said Harry.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" said Mrs. McFinn her eyes brimming with tears.

"I'm fine now." said Harry, his voice choked. He sat up quickly and threw his arms around her neck.

"I still can't get over how big you are!" said Mrs. McFinn crying into Harry's messy locks.

"I'm sorry I didn't come and visit you." said Harry, tears falling down his face.

"It's okay honey, I understand." she whispered to him.

"Oh hey! Dr. Clark is back look!'" said Harry pulling his head back and smilng at her.

"I know dear, I was briefed before I came here by a very nice man." said Mrs. McFinn.

"That would be the chief." said Nightstrike with a smirk.

"I think Harry's had a long day, we'd better let him get some sleep." said Madam Pomfrey.

"He hasn't eaten yet though, Poppy." said Professor McGonagall.

"I'll just give him a nutritional potion, and then a sleeping potion." said Madam Pomfrey taking out two phials.

"But, I want to..." said Harry.

"We can talk in the morning sweetheart." said Mrs. McFinn. Harry stood up, finding out that they had placed him back in the bowl. "I want to talk to Dr. Clark for a bit." said Mrs. McFinn. She kissed the top of his head. "You get some sleep dear."

"Okay," said Harry witha smile. He and Ginny left with Madame Pomfrey.

"Hey...Holly." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

"Sam." said Mrs. McFinn with a smile. "Where were you?"

"I don't know, I really don't know." said Dr. Clark. "But, how have you been?"

"Holding up. Trying to deal with my mother, she's still trying to get me to remarry." said Holly with small laugh. "I tried to save your apartment, and your things, but..."

"It's okay, I dont' mind. I missed you, and Harry. Harry missed you something awful though." said Sam.

"I missed him too, you as well." said Holly. She looked around. "I still can't believe all this is real, and that Harry, my Harry..."

"I know, I have a hard time almost every other second, but I'm learning." said Dr. Clark.

Sirius cleared his throat loudly, Remus groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, this is Sirius Black and..." said Sam.

Holly took a step back quickly and raised her fist, ready to slap whoever came to close.

"No! No! I was innocent! I swear!" said Sirius quickly shielding his face.

"He's right Holly! He didn't do anything!" said Sam, "They arrested the wrong guy."

It took a while to convince her to lower her hand, but she finally believed them.

"Let us change the subject, shall we?" said Dumbledore with a wide smile.

"Yeah! Uh, Sam here told us that you didn't really like living with your mother and I thought you'd like to move in with us." said Sirius excited.

"And your two's wives would be happy about this?" said Holly with a smirk.

"Uh...we...aren't married..." said Remus scratching the back of his head.

"Mmm hmmm." said Holly crossing her arms.

"Seriously, we'll behave." said Sirius crossing his heart.

"We'll see." said Holly.

"You'll have your own suite and everything!" said Sirius eagerly.

"Suite?" said Holly.

"The house is huge." said Sam. "And you'll be close to Harry."

"We'll see, but I'm finding the idea more appealing by the minute." replied Holly.

The night went on as Harry slept in the hosptial wing, whle Mrs. McFinn, like Dr. Clark, Rudolph and Leroy before her, she was brought up to speed. However they avoided Harry's death defying acts.

The next morning they all settled back into their chairs, and Harry went back to the bowl, not before giving Remus the three foot long essay early.

"Harry I'm..." said Remus.

"I know, I'm sorry too." said Harry.

"I'll leave the telling off and grounding to Sirius from now on." said Remus with a smile.

"I'd leave it to Mrs. McFinn. She was real good about dealing with me when I was bad." said Harry with a smile.

"What did she do?" said Remus.

"Sent me to my room, no dessert or cookies for snacktime, and I had to have a long talking to when I could finally come out of there."

"And that stopped you from doing something bad again?" said Seamus with a raised brow.

"You never saw her eyes when she's angry at you." said Harry, then he did a full body shiver.

"You're asking for another time out, young man." said Mrs. McFinn with a giggle.

"Who'd like to read this time?" said Madam Bones.

"I think I will." said Remus.

"Good timing." muttered Ron.

"The Dementor." read Remus aloud.

"Knew it." said Ron.

"What's that?" asked Mrs. McFinn.

"One nasty piece of work." said Harry.

Tom woke Harry the next morning with his usual toothless grin and a cup of tea.

"He brings you your tea in bed?" asked Zacharias.

"He checks to make sure I made it to bed, one morning I got up early and ran about Diagon Alley for some excercise. He sort of freaked when he didn't find me asleep. So I went about two and a half weeks without my usual excersie." said Harry.

Harry got dressed and was just persuading a disgruntled Hedwig to get back into her cage

"She was enjoying the freedom as much as I was." said Harry with a smile.

when Ron banged his way into the room, pulling a sweatshirt over his head and looking irritable.

"Good morning, Sunshine." said George.

"The sooner we get on the train, the better," he said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy..."

"Well, you did!" said Percy. "You spilled tea everywhere!"

"It was on accident! You knocked into me!" said Ron angrily.

"I've got something to tell you," Harry began, but they were interrupted by Fred and George, who had looked in to congratulate Ron on infuriating Percy again.

"It was beautiful." said Fred wiping a tear from his eye. "The shouting."

"and the phlegm flying from Percy's mouth as he talked." George

"Actually that was disgusting." said Fred.

They headed down to breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow

"That's a normal look these days." said Sirius, "You should see Remus' look in the morning."

Remus looked slowly over to him while Harry sniggered.

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!" shouted Sirius.

and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione and Ginny about a love potion she'd made as a young girl. All three of them were rather giggly.

"Girls ears only." said Hermione and Ginny, getting giggly again.

"So much for a heads up." said Harry with a smirk.

"You've had enough love potion to deal with." said Ginny.

"When was this?" asked Sirius.

"Last night, somebody had switched around a nutritional potion and a love potion." said Madam Pomfrey.

"How did that go?" asked Seamus with a smirk.

"Well, Miss Vane will not be joining us for the rest of the week, that is for sure." said McGonagall crossing her arms.

"What were you saying?" Ron asked Harry as they sat down.

"Later," Harry muttered as Percy stormed in.

"Why didn't you want to talk in front of me?" asked Percy indignantly.

His brothers and sister looked at him. "You really want us to answer that?" said Charlie.

Harry had no chance to speak to Ron or Hermione in the chaos of leaving; they were too busy heaving all their trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Hedwig and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.

"Kitty no like it in the nasty basket does it?" said George in a cutsey voice.

"It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."

"Not the best idea. Some people have rats, toads and even owls. Cats and things that are either smaller than it or with feathers don't mix." said Charlie.

"You won't," snapped Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"

He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.

"Yikes, if Crookshanks latches onto you there, he could hurt you." said Charlie.

Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.

"They're here, he said. "Harry, come on."

Mr. Weasley marched Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.

"For wanting to blend in, you guys need to work on your muggle transportation resources." said Harry shaking his head.

"In you get, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.

"Didn't want you to come running up and spiriting him away." said Mr. Weasley with an embarrased smile.

"I was on my way to Hogwarts at that point, I wasn't there."

Harry got into the back of the car and was shortly joined by Hermione, Ron, and, to Ron's disgust, Percy.

"Hate sitting next to him, he gets nausea in moving vehicles." said Ron muttering to Hermione.

The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful compared with Harry's trip on the Knight Bus.

"A rollercoaster is less eventful compared to the Knight Bus." said Dr. Clark shaking his head.

"I don't think I want to know." said Mrs. McFinn clutching Harry's arm.

The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary. though Harry noticed that they could slide through gaps that Uncle Vernon's new company car certainly couldn't have managed.

"They complained about us flying a car, when they drive right through two semi-trucks with inches to spare." said Ron shaking his head.

They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley,

"That was nice." said Mrs. McFinn with a smile.

"He's a pretty popular man around the Ministry." said Kingsley with a smile.

and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.

"Still can't believe that that bus driver never even noticed that he was skipped." said Hermione.

Mr. Weasley kept close to Harry's elbow all the way into the station.

"Good job, Arthur." said Moody.

"Right then," he said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."

"You aren't very subtle." said Tonks with a giggle.

"That's why I didn't get a job at the Auror's office." said Mr. Weasley.

"You'd be a great person to work with." said Kingsley.

Mr. Weasley strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing Harry's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity 125 that had just arrived at platform nine.

"Couldn't pull the wool over your eyes, could I?" said Mr. Weasley with a kindly smile.

With a meaningful look at Harry, he leaned casually against the barrier. Harry imitated him.

"Just going with the flow." said Harry with a smile.

In a moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three-quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train.

Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Harry. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run.

"Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Ginny caught Harry's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.

"Bet you couldn't miss something else either." muttered Charlie.

Bill elbowed his brother hard in the side.

Once the remaining Weasleys and Hermione had joined them, Harry and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig and Crookshanks in the luggage rack,

"Crookshanks didn't really like being shoved on the train." said Hermione.

then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, and finally Harry. He was embarrassed, but really quite pleased, when she gave him an extra hug.

"You always did like hugs." said Mrs. McFinn giving Harry's head a quick kiss.

"Do take care, won't you Harry?" she said as she straightened up, her eyes oddly bright.

"I was afraid I wouldn't see him again." said Mrs. Weasley as she dabbed her eyes.

Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron...no, they're not corned beef... Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are dear..."

"That year she screwed up our sandwiches." said Fred.

"It was a simple exchange of tuna and swiss with peanut butter and jelly." said George.

"Bit of a shock though," said Fred.

"When you first bite into it and you expect something sweet." said George.

"Harry," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "come over here for a moment."

He jerked his head towards a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum had to hold us back, we wanted to eavesdrop." said Fred.

"There's something I've got to tell you before you leave -" said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice.

"It's all right, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, "I already know."

"You know? How could you know?"

"I - er - I heard you and Mrs. Wesley talking last night. I couldn't help hearing," Harry added quickly. "Sorry -"

"For calling yourself arrogant, you sure like to apologize quickly." said Charlie.

Mrs. McFinn leaned away from Harry. "You call yourself, arrogant?"

"I am now." said Harry. "Ron has to sometimes tell me to get a flipping grip." said Harry with a smirk.

"That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out," said Mr. Weasley looking anxious..

"No - honestly it's OK. This way, you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on."

"He always tries to find the loophole in the rules." said Mrs. McFinn. "I told him he couldn't have a cookie before dinner. What does he do? He takes two cookies." she gave him a quick squeeze.

"And I wouldn't get paddled just once, I'd get it twice." said Harry leaning into her heavily.

"I'm getting less Harry time over here." said Sirius pouting slighly.

"Harry, you must be scared - "

Seamus scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"I'm not," said Harry sincerely. "Really," he added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving.

"Can you blame me?" said Mr. Weasley with a nevous laugh.

"Not at all." said Dumbledore. "I myself didn't want to burden him with the knowledge, I would have rather him sleep peacefully at night."

"I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, Sirius Black can't be worse than Lord Voldemort, can he?"

"He's got a point." said Remus.

"I'm aiming for better than Voldemort thank you." muttered Sirius.

"Better in what way?" asked Dr. Clark.

"You'd more likely invite me over." said Sirius.

"As long as you don't go on the carpet." said Harry with mischevious grin.

"That's it. Payback time." said Sirius, he pulled Harry out and then he and his godson could be seen wrestling about on the floor.

"Take it back!" said Sirius pulling Harry's arm back playfully.

"No!" said Harry with a laugh.

"Don't hurt him!" said Madam Pomfrey.

"Hope you aren't talking about him!" said Harry, using his leg and flipping Sirius over.

Harry quickly turned and placed both hands on Sirius' shoulders, pinning him to the floor. "I win."

Sirius grunted, " I just let you win, cause you are still weak."

"Bull." said Harry with a smirk.

"Come on Harry, quit picking on the old guy." said Remus with a smirk.

"I'll get you too." said Sirius with a scowl.

Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name, but overlooked it.

"Harry, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared, but -"

"Don't do stupid stuff." said Mr. Weasley.

"Can't promise that, I can't sleep at night without doing something stupid at least once a day." said Harry with a bright smile.

"Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, who was now shepherding the rest onto the train. "Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!"

"He's coming Molly!" said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to Harry and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice, "Listen, I want you to give me your word -"

"Here comes the promise that I'll have to keep." said Harry shaking his head.

" - that I'll be a good boy and stay in the castle?" said Harry gloomily.

"It's for your own good." said Moody.

"Not entirely," said Mr. Weasley, who looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him.

"I should have said yes to that." said Mr. Weasley looking slightly embarrassed.

"Harry, swear to me you won't go looking for Black."

Harry stared, "What!"

"I'm nuts, but not psychotic!" said Harry with a laugh.

There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut.

"Promise me, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, talking more quickly still, "that whatever happens -"

"Why would I go looking for someone I know wants to kill me?" said Harry blankly.

"Good question." said Dr. Clark.

"Swear to me that whatever you might hear -"

"Arthur, quickly!" cried Mrs. Weasley.

Steam was billowing from the train it had started to move. Harry ran to the compartment door and Ron threw it open and stood back to let him on. They leaned out of the window and waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.

"I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione as the train picked up speed.

"Talking in private on the Hogwarts Express doesn't happen all that often." said Tonks.

"Go away, Ginny," said Ron.

"Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.

"Sorry Ginny." said Ron humbly.

"It's okay, brothers are supposed to be brutes." she said with a smile.

"Not all brothers." said Percy.

"Yeah, some can be real prats." said George.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train.

"Those are the more comfortable ones anyway." said Sirius. "Your dad favored the last one in the train."

Remus smiled. And that's why I chose to sit there.

This had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window.

"What time did you get there?" whispered Harry.

"I was there at five o'clock in the morning." said Remus. "Couldn't sleep very well."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione checked on the threshold.

"Didn't want to accidentally sit in a teachers compartment." said Hermione.

The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart.

"I just wanted to take the bus, for nostalgia." said Remus with a smile.

"And the off chance you'd see Harry." said Sirius.

"That was a big part of it." said Remus.

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places.

"Couldn't afford new ones." said Remus.

"Couldn't your cousin from the eyeglass shop help you?" asked Harry.

"I had already borrowed enough from her, I didn't want to take anymore of her money." said Remus.

He looked ill and exhausted.

"Was just finishing up recuperating from the previous full moon." said Remus.

"What does that have to do with it?" asked Mrs. McFinn.

"We never told her." whispered Sirius.

"Uh, I'm a...a..." said Remus.

"He's a werewolf." said Dr. Clark with an excited voice.

"They're real?" said Mrs. McFinn gripping Harry slightly.

"They are, and don't worry, dear lady, he's absolutely harmless." said Dr. Nicodemus. "We gave him an innoculation that makes him as harmless as a baby goat."

"I think the expression is 'baby lamb'." said Nightstrike.

"Not a big fan of lambs, but my sister has a goat farm, cutest little bleaters you ever did see. My grandchildren absolutely love them." said Dr. Nicodemus.

"I still can't believe that you're a grandpa, everytime you show us your kids, I still can't believe it." said Lionus.

Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray.

Remus looked forward and stared at Harry. "I've got gray in my hair?"

Harry looked down, redfaced, "Just a little...on the top. But hey! I got you beat easily!" he said tugging his own locks.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." whispered Hermione at once.

"What the?" asked Sirius. "How do you know?"

"I used my eyes." said Hermione.

"How'd you know that?"

"It's on his case," she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string.

"Aww! You still have the case that Lily gave you." said Sirius with a smile.

"Couldn't bear to throw it away." said Remus.

The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.

"Wonder what he teaches?" said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile.

"That's obvious," whispered Hermione. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"To be perfectly honest, Miss Granger, there was two." said McGonagall with a slight smile. "Care of Magical Creatures, and Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, both of whom had lasted only one year. There were rumors that the job was jinxed.

"That rumor can be confirmed." said Dumbledore quietly.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he?

Remus smiled over to Ron.

"I'll take that back right now." said Ron with a sheepish grin.

Anyway..." he turned to Harry, "what were you going to tell us?"

Harry explained all about Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's argument and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. When he'd finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth.

"Sort of sad that they freak out more than I do." said Harry with a smirk.

She finally lowered them to say, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry...you'll have to be really, really careful. don't go looking for trouble, Harry..."

"I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds me."

"I'd love a nice quiet year." said Harry. "That'll never happen." said Harry with a smirk.

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily.

"How thick do you have to be to leave your house, at night, with a murderer on the loose?" said Snape.

"We get it Severus, it wasn't the best idea." said Flitwick shaking his head.

They were taking the news worse than Harry had expected. Both Ron and Hermione seemed to be much more frightened of Black than he was.

"No surprise there." said George.

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."

"Well, Peter Pettigrew is going to get that now." said Madam Bones.

"If we don't get him first." said Lionus with a smirk.

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too..."

"They caught me, but I wasn't there for long." said Sirius.

"I'd love to know what happened." said Snape with a low growl.

"What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly.

A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. They looked all around the compartment.

"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," said Ron, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack.

"Harry wouldn't have been able to reach it." said Ron.

"I thought you were going to knock off the short jokes." said Harry.

"Never promised that." said Ron with a smirk.

A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly.

"Someone's been naughty!" chanted Fred and George.

"Is that a Sneakoscope?" said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look.

"Yeah...mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

"That means it was working." said Mr. Weasley with smile.

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said Hermione shrewdly.

"No!

"Yes." said Charlie and Bill.

Well...I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys...but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"You could have waited till Snitch was back." said Bill. "He would have taken your stuff to him."

"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up."

He nodded toward Professor Lupin.

"Thanks for thinking of me." said Remus with a smile, he reached over and ruffled Harry's hair.

Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks, which deadened the sound, then closed the lid of the trunk on it.

Ron then screamed. "Ahhh! I touched his old socks!"

"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, sitting back down. "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."

"Way to remind him he can't go." said Sirius.

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain -"

"What about Godric Hollow?" asked Sirius. "I've never seen any Muggles there."

"There is one living on the outskirts of town." said Dumbledore. "She's been there for many years, and knows all about us. She helps the people who live there with their Muggle disguises."

"Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way. "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"

"Amen!" said Charlie happily.

"What's that?" said Hermione.

"It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything...Pepper Imps - they make you smoke at the mouth -

"What? Really?" said McFinn.

"Sirius tricked me into eating one of those. They aren't bad, but it was a bit frightening." said Dr. Clark.

and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream,

"Ooh, those sound good right now." said Ron.

Harry sent a wink over to Ginny who giggled.

and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next -"

"Now if only they could write." said Professor Sprout.

"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion,

"Which one?" asked Ron. "There's two."

"It was the Three Broomsticks, there is still some slashes in the wall left over by some of their swords." said Dumbledore.

and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain -"

Sirius snorted slightly.

"-and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.

"That's nothing new." said Hermione crossing her arms.

Hermione looked around at Harry.

"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"

"'Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."

"Didn't you want to go honey?" said Mrs. McFinn.

"Couldn't go, no one signed my permission form." said Harry.

"Where is it, I'll sign it." she said with a smile.

"I already did, he was able to go the next year." said Sirius.

"And he found a way down there that year anyway." said Remus.

"What d'you mean?" said Ron.

"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."

Ron looked horrified.

"You're not allowed to come? But - no way - McGonagall or someone will give you permission -"

"No, I will not." said McGonagall stiffly.

Harry gave a hollow laugh. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, was very strict.

"- or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle -"

"Ron!" said Hermione sharply. "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose -"

"Exactly." said Mrs. Weasley. "Not that you were going to hurt him Sirius, but..."

"I understand." said Sirius with a small smile.

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask of permission," said Harry bitterly.

"Good guess." said Professor McGonagall.

"But if we're with him," said Ron spiritedly to Hermione. "Black wouldn't dare -"

"Two thirteen year olds aren't going to stop someone from trying to kill him." said Sirius.

"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," snapped Hermione. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"

She was fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks's basket as she spoke.

"Don't you remember what happened at the pet store?" said Tonks. "Crookshanks is going to attack Ron!"

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.

"Get out of it!"

"Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.

"You really had the nerve to sound angry?" said Dr. Clark in surprise.

"It was my cat!" said Hermione.

"It was his pet! His pet he had had for over three years!" said Bill.

"He didn't have to be mean to Crookshanks." said Hermione stiffly.

"If another creature was going to eat my pet, I'd be mean to it." said Charlie.

Ron was about to answer back when Professor Lupin stirred. They watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.

"Poor baby's sleepy right after the full moon." said Sirius in a baby voice.

"You must be a younger werewolf. Pretty soon, you'll be alert and active right away." said Nightstrike.

"You look younger than I do." said Remus.

"I'm fifty-three." said Nightstrike with a smirk. "I'm older than I look."

"As am I." said Lionus. "We take a special elixer that keeps us young and active, and no, it's not Elixer of Life, being immortal would take all the fun out of life."

The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks had now settled in an empty seat, his squashed face turned towards Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket.

At one o'clock the plump witch with the food cart arrived at the compartment door.

D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly, nodding towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food."

"That was very good of you Ron." said Mrs. Weasley with a fond smile.

Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously.

"Er - Professor?" she said. "Excuse me - Professor?"

He didn't move.

"Don't worry, dear," said the witch, as she handed a large stack of cauldron cakes. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."

"I suppose he is asleep?" said Ron quietly, as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean - he hasn't died, has he?"

"That's nice." said Remus with a laugh.

"That would be freaky." said Harry, who did a full body shiver. "In a train compartment with a dead guy, who was just alive five seconds ago. Yeech!"

"No, no, he's breathing," whispered Hermione, taking the cauldron cake Harry passed her.

He might not be very good company, but Professor Lupin's presence in their compartment had its uses.

"Great, I'm being used in my sleep." said Remus with a laugh.

Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps outside in the corridor again, and their three least favorite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

"And to think, you beat out You-Know-Who." said Ron with a laugh.

Draco Malfoy and Harry had been enemies ever since they had met on their very first journey to Hogwarts. Malfoy, who had a pale, pointed, sneering face, was in Slytherin house;

Harry mouthed an apology over to Draco, who was scowling at the floor.

he played Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, the same position that Harry played on the Gryffindor team. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to exist to do Malfoy's bidding.

Draco's face changed from anger, to guilt.

They were both wide and muscly; Crabbe was taller, with a pudding-bowl haircut and a very thick neck; Goyle had short, bristly hair and long, gorilla arms.

"Well, look who it is," said Malfoy in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel."

"Well, the 'Potty' insult isn't very original." said Sirius witha snarl.

"Neither is 'Weasel'." said Charlie.

Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly.

"Fits their personalities." said Fred with laugh.

"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," said Malfoy. "Did your mother die of shock?"

"Sorry." said Draco.

"Gotta admit though." said Ginny in a whisper to her older twin brothers. "she did faint."

Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks's basket to the floor. Professor Lupin gave a snort.

"Did you wake up?" said Ron.

"Nope, went right back to sleep." said Remus.

"Who's that?" said Malfoy, taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin.

"Nice, he has a fear of grownups." said Moody with crooked smile.

"I did too, for a little while." said Harry.

"It took a while for you to warm up to us, sweetheart." said Mrs. McFinn kissing Harry's head again.

"New teacher," said Harry, who got to his feet, too, in case he needed to hold Ron back.

"He sometimes has a worse temper than I do." said Harry with a laugh.

"And that's saying something." said Ron.

"What were you saying, Malfoy?"

Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose.

"Resourceful little..." said Snape with a sneer over to Harry.

"C'mon," he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared.

Harry and Ron sat down again, Ron massaging his knuckles.

"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," he said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and -"

Ron made a violent gesture in midair.

"Ron must have been going through puberty." mumbled Dr. Clark to Remus.

"Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, "be careful..."

But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep.

"You couldn't wake him up with a million firecrackers under his pillow, a few days after the full moon." said Sirius.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.

"What?" said Charlie. "Why would the train slow down?"

"Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.

"So why're we stopping?"

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

"This wasn't the best idea that I had agreed to." said Dumbledore darkly.

Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks.

"Nearly got sent out of compartment." said Harry.

Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice from behind Harry.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

Harry felt his way back to his seat.

"D'you think we've broken down?"

"Dunno..."

"Before you ask, that was me asking if the train had broken down." said Harry.

There was a squeaking sound, and Harry saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

"Sort of hard to do on a bridge." said Hermione with a slight smile.

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Harry's legs.

"Who was in pain?" said Madam Pomfrey.

"I think the both of us." said Harry.

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry -"

"Hullo, Neville," said Harry, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak.

"There you go." said Ron with a smile. "Shows how strong he is."

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea! Sit down -"

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.

"That had to be painful." said Ernie.

"It was, I think there's still a scar." said Neville shifting in his seat.

"Be thankful no one can see it." said Harry with a laugh.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. Harry felt her pass him, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron -"

"Come in and sit down -"

"Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"

"Didn't want her to accidentally sit on me and then the lights turn on. Ron would have killed me." said Harry with a blush. "And Ginny and I would have died of embarrasment before he would have gotten the chance."

"Ouch!" said Neville.

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

"Hoarse voice, huh? Has to be Remus." said Sirius with a laugh.

Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Harry could hear movements in his corner.

None of them spoke.

"If you're frightened and an adult tells you to shut up, you shut up." said Harry with a smile.

There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames.

"One of his favorite, dramatic spells." said Sirius.

They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

"Stay where you are." he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.

But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

"Something tells me that it isn't someone selling girl scout cookies." said Lionus.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water...

Mrs. McFinn whimpered slightly. "What in the world is that?"

"That's a dementor." said Hermione, her face pale.

But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.

And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

Dumbledore's hands clenched tightly. "When I get ahold of Fudge, I'll kill him." he said.

"Why?" asked Dr. Clark.

"That thing is trying to drain that compartment of any joy that was their, and then...if it had stuck around..." said Lionus. "That is why we destroy each one we come across, there is no control of those things, they can't determine who their prey is."

"There isn't many creatures that can do that." said Percy.

"There aren't many creatures that the Ministry of Magic use." said Lionus sternly.

An intense cold swept over them all. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very heart...

Mrs. McFinn threw her arms around Harry's neck and pulled him tighter against her. Sirius tucked the blanket around him and held onto one of his hands.

Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder...

Most of the people in the Great Hall turned and looked horrified at Harry.

And then, from far away, he heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. He wanted to help whoever it was, he tried to move his arms, but couldn't...a thick white fog was swirling around him, inside him -

Suddenly, small white balls popped out of book and spun quickly about the room.

"What are those?" asked Mrs. McFinn, looking at one of the balls that floated gently infront of her.

"Scattered Shots, haven't seen those in a while." said Dr. Clark.

They entered each person's body and then light enveleoped them all.

They found themselves, shrunk to almost the size of a small child's toy and hovering over the scene that laid below them. A slightly younger Remus Lupin was pushing the Dementor back with a large blast of white light and Harry was lying on the floor, hunched in a fetal posistion.

Once Remus had slammed the door he leaned down and turned Harry over.

"Harry! Harry! Are you alright?" he said, looking anxious.

Though his voice was quiet almost like a whisper, they could hear it quite clear.

"Uncle Moony? Uncle Paddy? Grandpa? Where are you? Mum? Dad? I'm scared, where are you?"

Suddenly the balls left and they were back inside the Great Hall.

"Dang, that was a short one." said Fred.

"I don't remember saying that." said Harry.

"No, I don't think you would, dear boy." said Dumbledore with a tear running down his nose.

"So you do remember us...sort of." said Sirius with a sad smile and giving his godson's hand a small squeeze.

"Harry! Harry! Are you all right?"

Someone was slapping his face.

"Now that I remember." said Harry rubbing his cheek.

"W-what?"

Harry opened his eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking - the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have slid out of his seat onto the floor.

"That was scary, you doing that." said Ron. "Thought you were having a fit."

Ron and Hermione were kneeling next to him, and above them he could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching. Harry felt very sick; when he put up his hand to push his glasses back on, he felt cold sweat on his face.

"I'm fine now." said Harry reassuringly to the men in the bowl.

Ron and Hermione heaved him back onto his seat.

"He was sort of all floppy and limp." said Ron.

"Ron! Just say he was feeling weak!" said Hermione.

"Well, he was all floppy..." said Ron uncertainly.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.

"Yeah," said Harry, looking quickly toward the door. The hooded creature had vanished. "What happened? Where's that - that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed," said Ron, more nervously still.

"Thought you were hearing homicidal voices again." said Ron with a shrug.

Harry looked around the bright compartment. Ginny and Neville looked back at him, both very pale.

"We didn't hear what you said, we were more shaken up with that thing that came in and then you falling to the floor." said Ginny.

"But I heard screaming -"

A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.

"You think chocolate can cure anything." said Sirius shaking his head.

"Chocolate really did help in that instance." said Harry.

"Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece.

"He looked like he needed it more than anyone else." said Remus.

"Eat it. It'll help."

Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it.

"I didn't want to throw it back up." said Harry.

"What was that thing?" he asked Lupin.

"A Dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban."

"The foulest things on the planet." said Lionus.

Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."

"Not to mention send an owl to Dumbledore." said Harry with a smirk.

"It was McGonagall that I sent the owl to actually." said Remus with smirk.

He strolled past Harry and disappeared into the corridor.

"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" said Hermione, watching Harry anxiously.

"I don't get it ... what happened?" said Harry, wiping more sweat off his face.

"You saw a dementor, you fainted, simple as that." said Dean with a wary smile.

"Well - that thing - the Dementor - stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) - and you - you -"

"I thought you were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching -"

"Saw that happen to Great Uncle Gideon, after that he never woke up." said Ron shaking slightly.

"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the Dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away..."

"Well didn't you just act so cool." said Sirius with a smirk.

"It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."

"Letting a dementor on a train full of children..." snarled Dr. Nicodemus.

Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.

"But didn't any of you - fall off your seats?" said Harry awkwardly.

"No," said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though..."

Harry didn't understand. He felt weak and shivery, as though he were recovering from a bad bout of flu;

"Have you ever had the flu?" asked Remus.

"No, but Officer..." said Harry then he looked at Mrs. McFinn.

"He was a big baby." said Mrs. McFinn with a fond smile, though tears filled her eyes.

he also felt the beginnings of shame. Why had he gone to pieces like that, when no one else had?

"They didn't have the past you had, Harry." said Dumbledore sadly.

Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

"Waste of good chocolate." said Remus with sniff.

Harry took a bite and to his great surprise felt warmth spread suddenly to the tips of his fingers and toes.

"See! Chocolate has it's uses!" said Remus.

"Yeah, but he was ready to throw it back up." said Sirius.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin. "Are you all right, Harry?"

Harry didn't ask how Professor Lupin knew his name.

"I figured it was the damn scar." said Harry.

Mrs. McFinn tapped his mouth, "Watch your language dear."

"Yes, ma'am." said Harry automatically.

"Oh thank god you're here! He's been a hellion!" said Fred in a dramatic voice.

"Truly!" said George.

"Fine," he muttered, embarrassed.

They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat.

"Didn't want to lose him this year." said Neville.

It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.

"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

"Wasn't it raining?" said Dr. Clark. "Don't you postpone that for another night?"

"The boats are quite safe, and so is the lake, thanks to Octavius." said Dumbledore.

"Octavius?" asked Mrs. McFinn.

"The Giant Squid." said.

"You are never swimming in that lake." said Mrs. McFinn quickly.

"Too late." said Harry with a dry chuckle.

"All right, you three?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, Harry could only assume, by an invisible horse,

"Boy was I wrong." said Harry shaking his head.

because when they climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession.

The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. Harry felt better since the chocolate, but still weak.

"I should have given you your own chocolate bar." mused Remus.

Ron and Hermione kept looking at him sideways, as though frightened he might collapse again.

"Can you blame us?" said Hermione quietly.

As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Harry saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf him again;

Harry brought the blanket up closer to himself.

he leaned back into the lumpy seat and closed his eyes until they had passed the gates.

"That scared us, we thought you were having another fit." said Ron.

The carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle; Hermione was leaning out of the tiny window, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Hermione and Ron got out.

As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in his ear.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottorn telling the truth? You actually fainted?"

"Give me one guess." said Charlie sending a scowl over to Draco.

Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.

"I did notice something though, his pants had changed." said Harry quietly. "He didn't have that green streak up the side."

Sirius snorted.

"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, whose jaw was clenched.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly. "Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"

"Kid..." said Nightstrike. "Even one of our Captains is afraid of Dementors, don't be pushing your luck."

"Sorry." said Draco quickly.

"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.

Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare,

"I noticed that, he was quite lucky I was more worried about Harry than anything else." said Remus with a smile.

which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no - er - Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.

"I'd've taken points away from the little vermin." said Sirius.

"If the least little jab had affected me, I wouldn't have been friends with you very long." said Remus with a laugh.

Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the three of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

"I always loved how you described things, it's like looking at a painting." said Mrs. McFinn kissing the top of Harry's head again.

"Is it just me, or does he lean into her when she kisses him?" asked Sirius in a whisper.

"She was the only mother figure he had, and he was a big momma's boy." said Dr. Clark with a smile.

The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Harry followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudytonight, when a voice called, "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!"

"That's got to be a record, not even two minutes into the castle and you're already in trouble." said Sirius. "At least James and I waited until the feast started to set off a few fireworks."

"They weren't in trouble." said McGonagall.

Harry and Hermione turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles. Harry fought his way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: Professor McGonagall had a way of making him feel he must have done something wrong.

"It's a gift." said McGonagall with slight smile.

"There's no need to look so worried - I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, Weasley."

Ron stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry and Hermione away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.

"This isn't good, if she isn't letting Ron in on it." said Fred.

Once they were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned Harry and Hermione to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train, Potter."

"Tattletale." said Sirius.

"Did you see how pale he looked? I was afraid he wasn't going to even last the train ride, much less the trip up to the castle without being carried up." said Remus.

Before Harry could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.

Harry felt himself going red in the face. It was bad enough that he'd passed out, or whatever he had done, without everyone making all this fuss.

"You're worth making a fuss over." said Sirius.

"It's embarrassing." said Harry mumbling.

"I'm fine," he said, "I don't need anything -"

"Oh, it's you, is it?" said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring this and bending down to stare closely at him. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?"

Madam Pomfrey blushed as the students and a few guests began to laugh. "Well? What am I supposed to think?"

"It was a Dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall.

They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly.

"Setting Dementors around a school," she muttered, pushing back Harry's hair and feeling his forehead. "He won't be the last one who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate -"

"I'm not delicate!" said Harry crossly.

"Of course you're not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking his pulse.

"And so it begins." said George with a laugh.

"I'll bet, that if she could get away with it, she'd keep him in the Hospital Wing." said Fred.

"He'd avoid injury that way." said Madam Pomfrey.

"What does he need?" said Professor McGonagall crisply. "Bed rest? Should he perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"

"I'm fine!" said Harry, jumping up. The thought of what Draco Malfoy would say if he had to go to the hospital wing was torture.

"And you collasping Merlin knows where is any better?" said Madam Pomfrey with her eyebrows raised.

"Well, he should have some chocolate, at the very least," said Madam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into Harry's eyes.

"I've already had some," said Harry. "Professor Lupin gave me some. He gave it to all of us."

"Finally a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that has some brain cells." said Madam Pomfrey with a smirk.

"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"

"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter?" Professor McGonagall said sharply.

"Yes," said Harry.

"Not buying it." said George.

"Everytime you say you're fine, you aren't." Fred.

Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together."

Harry went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, who left for the hospital wing, muttering to herself.

"Not before taking one last look at me." said Harry.

He had to wait only a few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy about something, followed by Professor McGonagall, and the three of them made their way back down the marble staircase to the Great Hall.

"What did she want to talk to you about?" asked Lee.

It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall.

"Oh," said Hermione softly, "we've missed the Sorting!"

"Do you ever get to see a Sorting?" asked Sirius to Harry.

"Not till next year." said Harry.

New students at Hogwarts were sorted into Houses by trying on the Sorting Hat, which shouted out the House they were best suited to (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin). Professor McGonagall strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table, and Harry and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Gryffindor table. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Harry. Had the story of his collapsing in front of the Dementor traveled that fast?

"Draco helped it along." said Fred. "He shouted it when he came into the Hall."

"Got himself ten points deducted for shouting in the Hall too." said George.

He and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron, who had saved them seats.

"What was all that about?" he muttered to Harry.

Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and he broke off.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry, who only turned pink. "Well, you talk, we listen."

Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy.

"Thank you Harry." said Dumbledore with a bright smile.

He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Harry respected him.

Dumbledore looked at Harry, with a slight frown.

You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as Harry watched him beaming around at the students, he felt really calm for the first time since the Dementor had entered the train compartment.

Dumbledore reached over and patted Harry's head gently.

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious,

"That pun was intended." said Dumbledore with a chuckle.

I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

"And I was assured that there would be more than just our newest teacher on there to protect our students." said Dumbledore with frown.

He paused, and Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other.

"Gee, who could he be talking about?" asked Fred.

"It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.

Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from Harry, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively.

"I'd rather ask Snape for help." muttered Seamus.

Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

"You didn't look very happy, sir." said a third year Hufflepuff.

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause.

"Oh, come on!" said Sirius.

"Hey, in our defense, we didn't know what he was going to be like, or we would have clapping like mad." said Dean.

Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Harry among them.

"You were a hero!" said Ginny.

Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.

"I was starting to wish that I had taken your offer for a pay advance." said Remus witha smile over to Dumbledore.

"Look at Snape!" Ron hissed in Harry's ear.

Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry, who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. it was beyond anger: it was loathing. Harry knew that expression only too well; it was the look Snape wore every time he set eyes on Harry.

Sirius sent a scowl over to Snape and growled slightly.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs.

"Remember when that kelpie bit..." said Sirius.

Remus coughed and nodded towards the first years.

"Fine." said Sirius crossing his arms.

However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

"That's one full plate, Hagrid." said Tonks.

"I can handle it." said Hagrid with a large smile.

"And he does a marvelous job of it too." said Dumbledore. "I have noticed that since Hagrid has taken over the class that the average, test scores for the O.W.L's and the N.E.W.T's has gotten quite a bit higher. The examiners are quite pleased."

Hagrid blushed brightly.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular.

"We love Hagrid more than any other house, easily." said George proudly.

Harry leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.

"We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

"I'd rather have the biting book than the two years of defensive books that lie to you." said Harry.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.

"Oh, Hagrid." said Mrs. Weasley with a smile.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

"Amen!" said Ron.

"Ron! Lunch will be a while yet." said Hermione.

The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Harry, suddenly ravenous, helped himself to everything he could reach and began to eat.

"Good! You seem to have lost the weight I put on you all those years ago." said Mrs. McFinn with smile.

It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were eager for it to finish so that they could talk to Hagrid. They knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been Harry, Ron, and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid's name last year.

"And I 'ppreciate it." said Hagrid wiping a tear from his eyes.

At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and they got their chance.

"Didn't want to wait until the first class." said Harry.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as they reached the teachers' table.

"All down ter you three," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them. "Can' believe it...great man, Dumbledore...came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough...It's what I always wanted..."

"I simply thought that you were the best for the job." said Dumbledore. "I remember all the times that you gave Professor Kettleburn advice on how to deal with unicorns and thestrals. You are quite the authority." he added with a smile.

Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed them away.

"Oh come on Minerva, let them enjoy his new job with him." said Mr. Weasley with a laugh.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower, where a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress asked them, "Password?"

"Coming through, coming through!" Percy called from behind the crowd. "The new password's Fortuna Major!"

"You'd think that as Head Boy, he'd tell the Prefects and then they'd let everyone else know." said Ron shaking his head.

"Oh no," said Neville Longbottom sadly. He always had trouble remembering the passwords.

"Don't worry, I know someone else that had problem memorizing stuff, though I can't really call that a compliment or make you feel any better." said Sirius.

"Who was that?" asked Neville.

"Peter Pettigrew." said Remus.

Through the portrait hole and across the common room, the girls and boys divided toward their separate staircases. Harry climbed the spiral stair with no thought in his head except how glad he was to be back.

"Home sweet home." said Harry with a fond smile.

They reached their familiar, circular dormitory with its five four-poster beds, and Harry, looking around, felt he was home at last.

"Well that's it." said Remus putting the book down. "Who wants to read now?"

"I'll do it." said Hermione.

She walked over to where Remus was and gently took the book out of his hand. When she got back to the love seat she shared with Ron, she looked at the title and gave a slight laugh.

"Talon and Tea Leaves." said Hermione.

"If the reference to talons is what I think, we might learn the absolute truth to what happened." said Dumbledore looking at Draco sternly.

Draco took the opportunity to gaze intently down at the floor.