Chapter 18

Improvising

It was a joy to be back at King's Cross Station. This time, Harry saw several familiar faces, something that was still a new sensation to him. He tried to keep close to his parents and Miles but was scanning the crowd for Ron and Hermione all the same. 

Miles on the other hand wasn't even trying to stay close to Lily and James. He was constantly disappearing into the crowd and returning with a sullen look on his face. 

"You'll find your friends eventually Miles," James grinned. 

"I know but I don't want to search the whole train for them like last time."

"Alright," James conceded. "Go on then, we'll make sure we say goodbye."

Miles wasted no time getting lost in the crowd once more, and Harry shook his head fondly at his brother's antics. Things were still a little tense between them, but for their own sake and their parents, they attempted to remain on good terms. After all, they didn't see one another all too often at school, so they were going to treasure whatever time they could get.

At last, Harry spotted the Weasleys, all sporting flaming red hair. He grinned as he made his way to them, Lily and James following suit. Molly wasted no time in enveloping him in a hug, and the look of surprise on her face was unmistakable as she realized there was no need to fuss over him. She turned to Lily and James, and Harry thought she was going to comment until she closed her mouth, seemingly thinking better of it. 

The adults moved over to the side, and Harry caught snippets of his father and Mr. Weasley talking about the Ministry. Why was it that wizards always talked about the Ministry? Surely there was only so much they could talk about before the conversation ran dry. 

He turned to Ron. "So, how was your summer?"

"Alright I suppose, nothing special."

Harry nodded. "Likewise."

In truth, he wasn't sure why they were going about asking one another about their breaks when both knew full well they'd spent the majority of it with one another. They would alternate, with Ron coming over to Potter Manor and Harry going over to the Burrow. He personally preferred the latter, as it was always a pleasure to see all the Weasleys. 

He greeted Fred and George, who naturally proved to still be up to their usual antics. Ron's siblings Bill and Charlie were there as well, and Harry caught up with them. Percy, pompous as ever, made a great show of shaking Harry's hand, unaware of Fred and George doing impersonations behind him. 

It was the last Weasley sibling that caught his attention. Ginny was hiding behind Bill and Charlie, seemingly trying to pretend she wasn't there. 

"Alright Gin?" he greeted her, peering around Bill and Charlie, who seemed to be unaware of Ginny's presence behind her.

She sighed and stepped out from behind her brothers. "Hello, Harry." 

"What were you doing back there?"

She shrugged. "I thought we'd end up talking on the train."

He nodded. "That's fair." 

They all exchanged a few more words as the parents came over and started greeting one another's children. Mr. Weasley brought him off to the side.

"Any word from the Ministry Harry? About what happened last year?"  

Harry didn't what to say, because in all truth the Ministry had made no attempt to contact him. He didn't see why they had to though. Dumbledore was firmly adamant about his being Headmaster of Hogwarts, and it was common knowledge among the students that he was constantly reminding the Ministry of that fact. 

He decided with a, "No sir." 

"Oh, well, what about Dumbledore?" Mr. Weasley was clearly trying to hide the shock and worry in his voice but to no avail. 

"No, not from him either." 

Mr. Weasley ran a hand through his hair at this statement. "That's... not good." 

"It's over now though, I suppose it should be okay," Harry tried reassuring him.

"You don't understand Harry, you could be in grave danger this year, and the rest to come. If Voldemort can infiltrate Hogwarts once, he can do it again if proper measures aren't being taken to stop him."

Ron, who'd heard their conversation, stepped in. "Dad, Quirrel's gone."

Harry looked at Mr. Weasley, and the dark look in the man's eyes told it all. He turned to Ron. "That doesn't mean he can't find someone else."

★

Harry stood with Ron as he watched Miles follow their parents through the barrier. He took a running start, Ron beside him, and gasped as he was thrown to the floor by the impact of hitting the solid barrier. Disoriented, he picked himself up, helping Ron as a crowd gathered around them.

"What are you kids doing?!" 

"This is a train station, not a playground!"

"Are you alright?"

Harry nodded, trying to push through the crowd. At last, they made it through, and stood to the side of the station, staring at the barrier. 

"We can't get through," he said, voicing both of their thoughts.

"We've got to be able to get through!" Ron worried. "How else will we get to Hogwarts?"

"Maybe we can wait for our parents to come back," Harry reasoned.

Ron furrowed his brow. "I reckon they'd have tried to come through as soon as they found out we didn't follow. Perhaps it's closed on their side too."

"We could send an owl?" 

"Mate, we're in a train station flooded with Muggles. Hedwig went with Miles. We don't have an owl to send."

Harry ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. "There's gotta be a way. Whether we fly or-"

Ron perked up. "Hold that thought." Then he bolted off through the train station, and Harry, bewildered, chased after him.

They stopped at the Weasley's car. Harry took one look at it and knew. "No."

"Yes."

"Are you mad?!"

"Yes." 

The Weasley's Ford Anglia looked just like a regular car from the outside. However, Harry knew that the inside had been magically expanded to fit more than twice the people it would have originally been able to. Mr. Weasley also installed a switch that could make the car invisible. Its crowning achievement, however, was the ability to fly. 

Ron opened the driver's side door and entered the vehicle. Reluctantly, Harry entered the passenger's side. "How will your parents react?"

"Mum's gonna kill me for sure. Dad... I don't know what he'll be more worried about, me or the car." He said it so casually Harry forgot for a moment the seriousness of what they were about to do.

"And you're sure you can drive this thing?"

"No, but we won't be driving, we'll be flying. Nothing but clouds, birds, and those bloody Muggle aeroplanes to get in our way." 

Harry shook his head. "Just do it before I change my mind." 

Ron wasted no time in putting the car into gear, rolling it out into the middle of the lot, and before Harry knew it, they were up in the air. 

The journey was quite nice. They laughed and joked as Ron handled the car, though he didn't have to do much. It seemed as though the car was driving itself. They had a close call with the Hogwarts Express, in which Harry was left dangling from an open car door, but after that was resolved, it went smoothly. 

That was until they reached Hogwarts. The car had begun to wobble, not ready or used to a long journey like this. Just as they reached the grounds, the car fell, and Ron turned the steering wheel with all his might to keep it from crashing into the castle. Unfortunately, that resulted in them crashing into the Whomping Willow instead.

"Quick, get out!" Harry yelled, leaping out of the car and dragging Ron with him. 

They got out just in time, as a branch pounded on the roof of the car, and more continued to batter the poor vehicle.

"Harry, my wand! I forgot my wand!" Ron made to go back to the car, but Harry held him back.

"Are you mad?!"

"Mum's going to kill me!"

"Better her than the tree!"

They continued to scuffle until at last Ron stopped fighting. "It'll be broken for sure..."

"Maybe it'll have survived?"

They hesitantly crept closer to the tree as the car's engine started. "Reverse!" Harry yelled, and the car did just that.

The trunk opened, and their trunks as well as Hedwig's cage were tossed out unceremoniously. The side door opened and Ron's wand was also ejected. Then the car drove away on its own, towards the Forbidden Forest. 

"Come back!" Ron yelled, chasing after the car and waving his arms.

Harry picked up Ron's wand, and as the other boy made his way back to him, regretfully handed it over. "You were right mate."

It had snapped, the tip only staying on by a few splinters. "This is going to be a rough year," Ron said dejectedly as he made his way to the castle, lugging his trunk. "Come on then."