Ronald Weasley stood on platform nine and three-quarters looking around for his two best friends. The twins were already on the train, they'd rated escaping their mother's rains of kisses on the cheek a greater need than greeting Harry on the platform. As Ron wiped at his cheek, he almost had to agree. But he was too anxious to see his companions, so he'd suffered a parting mother. He'd only talked to Harry and Hermione via owl a few times over the summer, and it seemed like this summer had been the longest he'd gone without seeing either of them. Typically he'd see Harry once at the Burrow, and truth be told he was a little surprised Harry hadn't come to spend the other half of the summer with them. But no matter, they'd all be packing on to the train in short order, the trio once again. And this time, he had some great stories to tell them about his summer! This would make Egypt look like a Hogwarts class trip.

Ginny came up beside him. "Any sign of them?" Her long red hair was twisted, knotted, and laid against the back of her neck, a style common among the witch dragon-keepers who did that to help keep their hair from catching on fire from an unruly dragon. One of the witch dragon-trainers had shown Ginny how to do it.

"Not yet," Ron said. "They better bloody hurry or they'll miss the train."

Ginny stood on tip-toe (it barely brought her to shoulder-height next to her towering brother), and she cried and pointed, "Oh! There they are!"

"Where?" Ron looked around the crowd.

"Right there, silly. They're just saying bye to the Grangers."

Ron followed Ginny's finger and squinted. Then his eyes widened. It was Harry and Hermione, all right, but Ron didn't even recognize them at first. Hermione's hair was longer, past her shoulders, with sun-streaked gold highlights. Her skin was lightly tanned and her body… well, from a distance she actually looked like a girl, even in jeans.

Harry was beside her, and Ron could scarcely believe his eyes. It hardly looked like Harry at all. He was loads taller than when he'd left at end of term. His hair was shorter, though still out of control in the back. Harry, too, sported a tan, and in addition he… well, Ron wasn't one to ogle a bloke's body, but Harry could hardly be called 'scrawny' anymore.

Ron gaped as he watched Hermione's mother kiss and hug Hermione, then do the same to Harry, and while Hermione hugged her dad Harry stood back. Hermione's dad and Harry shook hands, then Ron's two best friends turned and moved to their trolleys.

"Hermione!" Ginny called out and waved. Hermione looked up, spotted Ginny, and waved. Ginny dashed off to meet them halfway and Ron finally snapped out of his stupor and followed at a much cooler brisk walk.

When he reached his friends Hermione and Ginny were hugging. Harry stood casually at the handle bar of his trolley, watching on with a patient smile and devil-may-care stance. Hell, he looked half the part of a ruddy movie star, what with his new tan, and new hair cut, and new frame. At least he still had the glasses. Ron would expect it was a Death Eater who'd downed polyjuice potion if he didn't have the glasses.

Ginny let go of Hermione, whirled to Harry, and she shrieked. "Harry! You're so tall!" She jumped up at him and threw her arms around his neck. Harry bent over in surprise and chuckled, and thank Merlin it was still the same old uncomfortable-bashful Harry chuckle. "Come on, not even close to as tall as Ron."

Ginny moved her arms away from his neck and pinched his arms. Harry pulled back and looked at her, baffled. "Shite, Harry!" Ginny giggled, "someone's been working out."

Harry freed himself from Ginny's grasp with an embarrassed grimace.

"Leave the man alone, Gin," Ron finally found his voice. Mostly because he didn't quite like watching his sister man-handle some boy, even if it was Harry.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said with a smile.

"Bloody hell, mate," Ron said as he shooed his sister away and stepped closer to his friends. "I hardly recognize you."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck a bit uncomfortably at all the attention. "Good to see you." Ginny had been right about the working out bit. When Harry lifted his arm to worry the nape of his neck in an oh-so-Harry gesture there was a shifting of bicep muscle before the shirt sleeve covered it up. Bloody hell indeed.

"Yeah, you too, and Hermione," Ron turned to address Hermione, and for a moment he was tongue-tied. Up close, she looked even more the girl than she had from a distance. Ron had so not been expecting that! She looked fit, tan, shapely… she even had a fair set of breasts. Or had she always and he just hadn't noticed before? Surely he'd have noticed something like that. Well, he certainly noticed now. Ron found himself having a bit of a time looking up from them, in fact. When he did, he blurted the first thing that came so elegantly to mind. "Hell, Hermione, you're hot!"

Hermione blushed and looked away. Ron wanted to slap himself on the forehead. From the look on his face, Harry might volunteer to do the honors.

"So… how was Romania?" Hermione asked to change the subject.

Ron blinked, stammered, then remembered his adventure-filled holiday and how he was going to impress and regale his two best friends. "Oh, yeah, it was great! I've got loads to tell the both of you. Better tell you on the train, though, if we don't get a move on they're apt to leave without us."

Harry, Hermione, and Ron boarded the train and found an empty compartment near the back. They stowed their trunks and pet carriers while Ron prattled on about his time at the dragon lair. Students passed by the open compartment door, and the first indication that things weren't quite the same as last year was how few people stopped to call in a hello to Harry. As often as not, classmates seemed apt to duck from meeting his eyes and hurry by. Ron stood with his back to the door, oblivious, but Hermione looked once at Harry with a frown.

Harry sighed and turned to Ron, "Could you close the door, Ron?"

"Huh? Oh, sure," Ron turned and slid the door shut. Harry sat down on one bench of the compartment. Hermione moved to sit beside him. Ron sat opposite them and leaned in. "Harry, I completely understand now. About you and the dragons, I mean. Had a bit of a run-in with a Hungarian Horntail myself." Ron pulled up the sleeve of his left arm and turned slightly to show them. Hermione gasped. There was a burn mark on his upper arm, easily marring a good six inches of freckled skin. The train jarred under them as it started to get underway.

Hermione leaned forward and inspected the scarred-over wound.

"Yeah, real nasty beasts, those Horntails, eh, Harry? You know, I thought it was bad enough watching you tangle with that one last year, but really loads meaner up close and personal-like, they are. If I hadn't turned my head when I did, near as like this one would have gotten me on the face."

The compartment door slid open and Ginny poked her head in. Ron quickly lowered his shirt sleeve, but not before Ginny saw it. She got a devilish look in her eye and turned her gaze to Harry and Hermione, "Oh, is he having you on about that burn of his?"

"Go away, Ginny," Ron snapped.

"You mean that wasn't from a Hungarian Horntail?" Hermione asked.

Ginny came into the compartment, closed the door behind her, and sat beside her brother. "Oh, it is… but the way Ron tells it you'd think he was wrangling a sire-male over a mate-ready female."

"Shut up, Ginny," Ron spat and glowered darkly at his sister.

Ginny ignored her brother and said, "It's from a hatchling. We were warding over a batch of newborns and he wasn't looking and a hatchling Horntail burped."

Hermione sniggered but quickly covered her mouth with a quick look at Ron, amusement still in her eyes though she tried to hide it. Harry laughed. Ron gave his sister a sour look.

"Don't worry, Ron," Hermione said as she dropped her hand. "We won't tell anyone."

Ron gave a lop-sided smirk, "Thanks a bunch," and he shot a look at Ginny, "some people know how to be decent to a fellow."

"What I'd like to know," Ginny said, mindless of her brother's wounded pride, "is what happened with you two?"

Harry cocked his head in confusion and Hermione's brow furrowed.

"You're both… different. Hell, you're both buff!"

Hermione looked shy about it. "Not all that different, Harry and I just thought it might be a good idea to work up our strength a bit this summer. Never know when it might prove useful. We didn't have much to do once we finished all our homework, so we did a spot of exercising. Speaking of, are you finished with yourhomework, Ron?"

Ron conveniently ignored Hermione's question. "Blimey, Hermione, your house must be like a boot camp from the looks of you two."

Hermione looked bothered by the remark.

Harry frowned. "We both thought it would be a good idea." There was an ever-so-subtle edge to his voice. Not surprisingly, it went over Ron's head.

"Well, I doubt you'll get many complaints," Ginny said with a snicker and another look at Harry. Harry blinked at his friend's little sister, confused again.

Ron groaned, "Shove off, Ginny, I can't stomach any more of it. Go find some of your giggly friends and stop drooling!"

Ginny cast a sidelong glance at Hermione and stood, leaning over her brother, "Oh, like you haven't—"

"Get!" Ron yelled, his ears as red as his hair, and Ginny complied with an unruffled strut.

"A real spitfire, that one," Ron grumbled when she was gone. "OH! I almost forgot to ask, what was the deal with Hedwig showing up at the Burrow black?!"

The first half of the train ride was taken up with swapped stories of their summer holidays. Ron spared no detail, overlooked no recount of his time in Romania with the dragons. Even once they were back at the Burrow it seemed there'd been a small disaster involving the twins and a new experiment that actually ended up ridding the Weasleys of their attic ghoul… as well as their attic, and a rabid garden gnome that wreaked havoc for several weeks, chasing around anyone who went out into the yard. By comparison, Harry and Hermione's quiet summer full of homework, exercise, and a trip to grandma's was utterly dull. It was a flip from the usual, where Harry was beset by more action that he cared for and Ron complained of his average, boring life. All were the happier for the switch.

At the midpoint of the trip, the snack trolley came through the train corridor. Harry bought them all sweets and they whiled away a few miles with the countryside whipping past their window talking about the upcoming year and nibbling on candy and treats. Hermione had a good list of subjects she was looking forward to taking for several reasons, and proceeded to share them with her friends. Ron looked surreptitiously at Harry and made a 'shut up already' face and ticked his head at Hermione, who was still talking enthusiastically about advanced Arithmancy and fifth year History of Magic. Harry had actually been listening to Hermione, and paying attention, thank you very much, and when Ron gave him that look Harry was a bit peeved. He didn't think he scowled at Ron, but the startled blink and shrug of 'what gives?' before Ron was distracted by a hopping chocolate frog made Harry suspect that he unintentionally had. Neville popped in to say hi (he seemed painfully shy around Hermione), and Seamus stopped by sporting a new earring. Hermione informed him that McGonagall would make him take it out first thing. Fred and George swung in for a bit, teased Harry about beefing up for the benefit of the fine young girls of Hogwarts, flirted playfully with Hermione, then darted out again with furtive looks when a small explosion was heard a few compartments over.

As the afternoon wore toward evening, things got quiet. The flurry of reunions had ebbed and chatter in the corridor outside the compartment had decreased as everyone settled into the part of waiting to arrive at school. Harry and Hermione let their familiars out of their cages for a bit of a break… by unanimous decision, Pig was kept securely in his cage. Hedwig was rocking with the train's motion on the bench space next to Ron, dozing. Crookshanks was curled up in Harry's lap sleeping.

Hermione looked up from her much-beloved Hogwarts, A History and stretched her arms over her head and gave an enormous yawn. Harry smirked… he knew very well how late Hermione had been up last night. When he turned to glance at Hermione he caught Ron out of the corner of his eye. Ron was staring at Hermione's stomach… when she lifted her arms overhead her shirt rode up and exposed a strip of lightly muscled abdomen. Ron looked stupefied. Harry glowered and threw a chocolate frog box at him. Ron yipped and jumped then looked quickly out the window as though he hadn't been stealing a look.

Hermione brought her arms down and looked around, "What?"

"Nothing," Harry answered, then lifted Crookshanks out of his lap, to the cat's disgruntled meow, "sorry, Crookshanks, I gotta go to the loo."

Harry slipped out of the compartment and made his way to the end of the train where a loo was in the caboose. The boys' and girls' bathrooms were squished close together, and just as Harry was coming out of the boys' restroom someone was coming out of the girls' and they bumped into each other.

The girl squeaked and Harry, on reflex, reached up and grabbed her shoulders. "Sorry."

The girl proved to be Parvati Patil. She looked up at him and for a moment didn't seem to know who he was. Then she gasped when recognition finally assailed her. "Harry! You're alive!"

Harry dropped his hands and backed up at the odd outburst. "Last time I checked."

Parvati blinked at him then seemed to register her blunder. "Sorry… I'd heard over the summer… oh, never mind, it doesn't matter what I heard."

Harry studied Parvati in the whole of a second. She hadn't changed much over the summer, though it seemed she looked more tired, more subdued. He was hard-pressed to find the pushy girl he'd taken to the Yule Ball. She looked like she'd suffered the death of a classmate and that it had not left her unscathed. Harry returned to her remark with trepidation. "What did you hear?"

Parvati sighed and wrung her hands in front of her chest, dark skin and hair for the moment making her seem that much glummer. "Just… well, Lavender told Angelina who told me you'd been abducted by a band of Death Eaters right out of your aunt and uncle's home and… You Know Who killed you…"

"Right. Well, no." Harry moved past Parvati and headed back toward the compartment he shared with Hermione and Ron. Things were some semblance of sane with his two friends, at least.

Parvati ran after him and put her hand on his shoulder. Harry stopped and turned to her.

"I'm glad you're not dead," she said softly.

"Uh… thanks."

"Someone else said, someone who said you hadn'tbeen killed, that you wouldn't be coming back to Hogwarts…"

"Shouldn't be, you mean," a third voice joined theirs. Unmistakable. Harry and Parvati turned to the bleach blonde head poking out of the nearest compartment door. Draco Malfoy. Parvati scowled and stepped away as though the Slytherin was oozing puss. Harry wanted to groan. Bloody perfect.

Draco Malfoy was thinner, taller, and his features seemed even sharper than last year. He looked cast of iron, the edges still ungrounded, ugly, and near as like to cut you for coming too close. If possible, Draco looked perhaps even paler, his nearly-white hair longer and the most unkempt Harry had ever seen the prim and proper Slytherin allow himself to appear. He was rangy in an indulgent prince manner… and just as unsavory.

Draco leaned arrogantly out of his compartment and gave Harry a good up-and-down. "My my, Potter, someone thinks himself quite the stud. Doesn't change your being a complete freak, of course. Think if you make yourself pretty enough the Dark Lord will keep you for a boy toy rather just off and kill you?"

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you, Malfoy?"

Draco sneered. "You're pretty cheeky for a dead man."

Harry glanced at Parvati, "No, actually, we just established that I wasn't dead."

"Now that You Know Who's come back, you'll be the first on his list. Being the bleeding heart you are, I'd expect you to stay away from Hogwarts to save these weaklings. I mean, if you're his target, you'll just be bringing the Dark Lord to the school if you're there."

"You're awful," Parvati hissed.

Draco chuckled. "I'm just not worried myself. He'll only kill the mudbloods and mudblood-lovers, and I'm neither."

Parvati turned, disgusted, and pushed past both boys to stomp off down the train corridor, jet black hair swaying.

Draco looked after Parvati. "Don't think she has the stomach for this kind of thing, you know. None of them do. And here you go bringing it right into Hogwarts. Tisk, tisk, Potter."

"Shut your face, Malfoy."

Draco stood upright… and looked incensed when he wasn't as tall as Harry. "Or you'll what, Potter? Hex me?"

"No, I'll sic Hermione on you. How's your nose, by the way?"

Draco seethed, looked like he might spit, then slammed back into his train compartment. Harry glared at the closed door then started back to his own.

When he cracked open the door to the compartment that he shared with Hermione and Ron, he had to pause a moment at the scene found within. Ron had taken all the chocolate frog cards from all their boxes and was going through them, laying them out in piles. Hedwig was still swaying sleepily to the rhythm of the train on the bench down from Ron. Crookshanks had curled up underneath his and Hermione's bench, a purring ginger ball. Hermione was lying lengthwise on the seat, asleep.

Harry smiled faintly, despite himself, and moved into the compartment. He went to the bench and looked down at Hermione, then he fetched a blanket from the carriage rack overhead and spread it out over her. When he was finished, with an extra tug to bring it around her shoulders and a moment to brush an errant strand of hair away from her cheek, he moved over to the bench and squeezed down between Ron and Hedwig. Hedwig stirred, looked at him, and stepped up on to his thigh for some attention. Harry's hand came up and petted his owl.

Ron looked up from his frog cards, looked over at Hermione… and for a moment he looked constipated.

"All right there, Ron?" Harry asked in a hushed voice so as not to wake Hermione.

Ron shook his head, face contorted. He looked rather like he was sitting a test that he'd not studied for… which was most of them. He scratched at his nose, scowled, then said oddly, "Hey, Harry?"

"Yeah, Ron?"

Ron glanced over at him, his expression remarkably schooled for Ron. "Hermione didn't get any letters from Viktor this summer, did she?"

"Krum?" Harry puzzled over the question. Why in the world would Ron care if Krum had written Hermione? "No."

Ron nodded, gave a grunt, and turned back to his frog cards.