The First Train Ride
Harry looked behind him to the car where he could hear his uncle and cousin laughing their heads off. His aunt looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. She had seemed slightly different, this time around. Maybe-just maybe-he could get through to her this time.
Harry turned back around and looked over at the wall between platforms nine and ten. He realized that it was strange that Dumbledore had sent Hagrid, and then Hagrid conveniently forgot to mention how Harry could get on the platform. Well, at least he knew this time. Harry ran through the wall onto platform 9 ¾ .
As soon as he got through, he nearly ran into none other than Draco. So, this was why Dumbledore didn't tell him about the entrance. Instead of meeting Draco first, he had met the Weasleys, a light family he could easily control. Oh, how differently things would have gone if he had only known the way to get to the train!
"Hey Scarhead!" Draco teased as they gave each other a high-five.
"How are you, Ferret?" Harry replied.
"I'm good, you?" Draco asked. Before Harry could reply, Lucius and Narcissa walked up behind their son, glowering. Harry's answer died on his lips. Draco looked at Harry concerned, and then looked where Harry was looking. His smile vanished as he began to cower.
"Draco, care to introduce us?" Lucius asked snidely. Draco quivered as he turned around to Harry.
"Harry, these are my parents, Lord and Lady Malfoy. Mother, Father, this is Harry Potter." Draco introduced. Lucius used the end of his cane to swipe Harry's fringe away from his scar as he spoke.
"Ah, the boy-who-lived. What a surprise to see our Draco here already knows you." Lucius noted, as Harry grimaced at the cane touching his scar.
"We met at Madame Malkins. He's the one I've been owling." Draco explained quickly. His mother looked Harry up and down and sniffed disdainfully. Harry looked down at his cousin's castoffs and almost wished to do the same. However, he had an image to project. He would not let the Malfoy's get to him.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Malfoy, Lady Malfoy." Harry greeted with a slight bow. Draco's brows disappeared behind his hairline as he looked at the black-haired boy. He never knew Potter could be so polite, even when someone treated him like crap.
"So, Harry, you ready for your first day at Hogwarts?" Draco asked, smiling glibly as Harry caught what he was trying to do.
"Yes, I am! I can't wait to finally use my magic! My aunt and uncle aren't big fans, you see." Harry explained to the Malfoys. Maybe they would pass along the information to Severus. He looked over at the older pair. They probably would not. Well, worth the try.
Before Lucius was able to scoff, Harry caught a glimpse at the next group coming through the barrier-a large group of red heads, one with dirt on his nose. Harry couldn't believe it: Ron was there. He completely forgot about the traitor! The sneak! That lowlife! Harry was about to come up with a few other creative names for the creep when Draco caught his arm and turned him ninety degrees. There, beside all the Weasleys, was Hermione.
Hermione, did she remember? Was she another one who went back in time?
"Harry?" Hermione called as she walked over to where he and Draco stood.
"Mione?" Harry asked in response. Hermione shook her head and Harry ran and embraced her. "Hermione, I'm so glad you are here!"
"I'm glad you're here, too!" She exclaimed, then looked over at the Malfoys. She quirked an eyebrow. "You remember? Time and Fate?" She whispered in his ear. He nodded discreetly. Hermione turned to Draco. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. You are?"
"Draco, Draco Malfoy." Draco responded, forcing himself to focus on his first name rather than his last. After the previous timeline, he realized that his last name was not as special as he wanted it to be. It didn't make him better than anyone else like he thought before. Instead, it was him, who he was, that made the difference.
"Well, Draco, it's a pleasure to meet you." Hermione smiled. Draco went for a handshake, but Hermione grabbed him up in a hug. "Time and Fate?" She whispered in his ear, much like she had with Harry.
"Time and Fate and best friends." Draco added, reminding her of the ultimatem they had been given. Hermione drew back and smiled as she nodded her head.
The train whistle blew. Harry, Hermione, and Draco said goodbye to the Malfoys and ran off. They boarded the train and quickly found an empty compartment.
"You guys made it!" Hermione almost squealed as she hugged Harry again.
"You did, too! I can't believe we were allowed to keep all our memories from last time!" Harry replied as he squeezed Hermione one more time.
"Well, pretty useless to go back in time if we made the same mistakes and assumptions again." Draco figured, looking at his fingers with disinterest.
"Oh, Draco! We need to fill you in! There's so much we need to do this year, and…" Hermione started. Harry held up his hand to stop her.
"I already told him the basics." Harry interrupted. Hermione grinned in satisfaction.
"Seriously? Fluffy?" Was all Draco could say. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Hagrid. He's also hiding an acromantula colony in the Forbidden Forest and has a giant for a half-brother." Hermione explained. Harry shivered.
"Grawp, oh boy! I forgot about him!" Harry moaned.
"Whose big idea was it to allow this man to be in charge of anyone, let alone students?" Draco questioned. Harry looked him right in the eye.
"Dumbledore." Harry answered succinctly. Hermione gave Harry a weary look.
"Harry, I don't think we should trust Dumbledore anymore." She advised.
"Why ever not, Hermione?" Harry asked sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.
"Well, obviously, he's the one who kept putting you in these awful situations in the first place! I mean, who has Hagrid pick up a muggle raised student? Who tells Hagrid anything classified? No one in their right mind would!" Hermione explained. Harry smiled.
"There's something else, Mione. He-he doesn't expect me to make it at the end of the war." Harry murmured sadly. Hermione looked at him expectantly. "Hermione, I…I'm a horcrux."
"What!?" Hermione yelped. She looked around and made to set up a silencing charm when Draco stopped her.
"Watch it, Granger. You still have a trace on your wand. The Ministry of Magic will be on you like a hawk on its prey if you aren't careful." Draco reminded her. Hermione pouted for a moment before she smiled knowingly.
"Not if we take off our trackers." She answered glibly.
"That would be great! Then, we could do magic over the summer! We could protect ourselves!" Harry exclaimed excitedly. Hermione's smile broadened as she saw how happy this news made Harry. However, it faded quickly.
"Oh, Harry, I don't think we can take yours off. I know you had some struggles with the Ministry and this would be one less thing to worry about, but we need the trace on your wand for fifth year. How would we explain why your wand didn't have one after the query came out concerning the dementors?" Hermione asked as Harry scowled.
"Dementors? Fifth year?" Draco questioned, confused. Hermione took to explaining.
"The summer after fourth year, Umbridge sends out a pair of dementors to attack Harry and his cousin. They almost succeeded in giving him the kiss before he used his patronus to escape. It's what lead to his trial and the ministry involvement in the school." Hermione said.
"Why can't I take it off and pretend to be surprised that it's off?" Harry asked pathetically. Hermione quirked an eyebrow.
"Do you want more trouble that year? You already are up against Umbridge with her accusing you of lying. Do you want that to be true? Do you want to lie to the ministry?" Hermione asked.
"I guess I understand why we have to keep mine on, but I don't like it." Harry muttered.
"Duly noted." Hermione responded as she looked over at Draco. "Well, Draco, what about it? Are we going to take our tracers off?" She questioned. Draco nodded vigorously as he handed her his wand.
"You don't have to ask me twice." Draco responded.
"Well, then, I think we found our first research project." Hermione decided. Draco smirked and Harry rolled his eyes but smiled at his best friend. It was agreed. The first thing they would do after they got to Hogwarts was research how to get the tracers off Hermione and Draco's wands.
They all fell back into a companionable silence. Draco swished his wand a few times and sighed as they watched the English countryside drift by through the window.
Suddenly, Ron came bursting through the sliding door.
"Are any of you Harry Potter?" He queried rudely, eyes roving their faces looking for the lightning bolt scar.
"That would be me." Harry sighed. Had Ron been so desperate to be his friend? Was this really what had happened last time when he came over and asked to see Harry's scar?
"Hiya, Harry, I'm Ron Wealey. Can I see your scar?" Ron asked as he sat down next to Hermione and sneered at Draco.
"I actually don't like showing it off." Harry murmured as he moved his fringe over the infamous mark.
"Well, that's okay. I can see it later." Ron decided. Harry sighed. Had Ron always been this presumptuous.
"I guess…" Harry sighed. Ron looked over at Draco again and sneered once more. Ron looked back at Harry, as if trying to decide.
"Well, Harry, I'm going to go back to Neville. I'll see you in Gryffindor." Ron supposed as he got up and walked out of the carriage.
"Was I really that pompous?" Draco asked as Harry turned back to sit down. Harry and Hermione looked at each other.
"Yes," They replied together. Draco rolled his eyes.
"I love how he assumes we'll be in Gryffindor." Harry chuckled and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Why wouldn't you be?" Draco snorted. Harry chewed his lip, as if trying to make a decision.
"Well, the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin." Harry explained apologetically.
"What? The Gryffindor Golden Boy was supposed to be in Slytherin?" Draco exclaimed. "Why did you end up in Gryffindor?"
"Well, I had already met you, and people told me that only dark wizards went to Slytherin, so I kept asking the hat to put me anywhere besides Slytherin." Harry told Draco.
"Maybe we should see what people would think by putting you guys in Slytherin." Draco suggested. Hermione shook her head.
"No offense, Draco, but if you want to get out from under your father's shadow, I think you need to be elsewhere." Hermione rebutted. Draco looked stunned. "Just something to think about. You don't have to, but just saying."
Draco fell into contemplation. They remained silently for the rest of the ride.