The Traverses' lessons on the eve of Harry's departure for Hogwarts were even heavier than usual, with the danger of Dementors and Sirius Black hanging over him.

"Be especially careful in Hogsmeade," Alduin said, "and never go anywhere alone. But even at Hogwarts...well, if he could escape Azkaban, how do we know he can't get into the school, even with Dementors around? Clearly, they weren't a very effective guard against him. So...no night wanderings, and always be on your guard. Do you remember the warding I taught you for your bed?"

"Yes, of course." Harry was getting just a tiny bit exasperated.

"Forgive me, Harry, it's just...I'm very worried."

"I've had the elves prepare a lot of chocolate for you," Alexandra added. "If you run out, we'll send you more. Eat a bit every time you come across a Dementor, remember that."

Really, all Harry wanted to do was say goodbye to Wynn properly.

He spent the whole breakfast talking to him and playing peek-a-boo with him, and now he hugged him tightly before he smiled at Alexandra. "I hope Edric is well too," he said.

„He was two days ago, when I last saw a healer," she replied, "so hopefully he'll continue so."

Alexandra gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then Alduin took his arm and they Apparated to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

As usual, Harry arrived first of his friends and took residence in his favourite compartment before welcoming everyone else and listening to Alduin's repetition of advice. Seamus came with a mother that was markedly more tense than usual, looking around as if she expected to spot Sirius Black in the shadows, and Hermione arrived with her new, huge, orange cat that looked like someone squished his face and that Hermione was apparently in love with. Apart from that, though everything was much the same as every year.

The train ride itself, however, was rather different.

As soon as they left the platform, Harry got all the third years he knew, plus that Luna girl he vaguely remembered from last year and whom he found talking to Hermione, gathered in the corridor. He gave them a brief rundown on Dementors. Some already knew this, of course, but none knew the Patronus charm.

"You're hardly gonna learn now," he said, "it took me two weeks of daily training to be at least a little decent at it-"

"-and Neville and me can still only do mist-" Ron added.

"-but still, I think everyone should at least know the basics, you know? So, this is what Mr. Kingsley told me..."

Horatio came across them practising during his prefect patrols. "Trying for Patronus in third year, huh?" he said. "Quite ambitious of you."

"Harry can actually do one," Ron said immediately.

Horatio raised his eyebrow. "I'm not too surprised," he muttered.

"Can you?" Harry was curious.

"When undisturbed. My great-grandfather taught me and Roger this summer. I could do one right now, but in the presence of an actual Dementor…I'm less sure." He shrugged. "There's no way to actually test it, of course."

"Kingsley had us do it in darkness and with scary sounds all around," Harry explained.

"As good a method as any, I guess. My great-grandfather cast an illusion of a Dementor."

Harry's eyes widened. "Really? Can you do that?"

Horatio did. The creature was repulsive, but at least now Harry knew what to expect.

"What is your Patronus form?" He asked Horatio when the illusion dissipated.

"A python," Horatio replied, then added: "And please spare me all the jokes about being Sorted wrong, I think Roger used all of them up."

Harry grinned. "Snakes are cool," he said, causing Ron to make a disgusted sound.

They spent an hour or two practising the charm, mostly without results, and then tried to distract themselves by eating and chatting. Hermione's cat prowled the train and cast everyone suspicious glances. He didn't seem aggressive, though, so Harry was glad he didn't have to worry about Hedwig and this Crookshanks fighting.

And then the train pulled to a stop, and before Harry had time to wonder if Dobby was pulling another trick, it got suspiciously cold.

"Dementor," he muttered, remembering the signs Alduin told him about.

They all pulled out their wands and waited.

When the creature that looked exactly like Horatio's illusion appeared thought the compartment door a little down the corridor, Harry closed his eyes and thought of Wynn.

It was harder than before, somehow difficult to get to the memories. It was as if there was a thick fog of despair clinging to him, and he had to wrestle with it whatever he wanted to do. It was shapeless, too, no particular memories resurfacing as Alduin warned him they could. It was all-present, but not strong enough to overshadow the thoughts of Wynn. They were fresh in his mind, and in the end Harry found them and his stag came up for him, going straight through the door and to the corridor and chasing the creature away. Opening his eyes, he saw that Neville's and Ron's mists helped a little, too. He grinned at them. "We did it!" He said.

"Yeah," Neville agreed, "but it's going down the corridor. I don't think the others got that far in their casting. Let's follow it."

Harry rather reluctantly did, and they chased the creature out of their carriage. "I really can't do the whole train," he said, feeling completely exhausted. "The prefects will have to handle it. Let's have some of that chocolate."

-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-

Once at Hogwarts and sitting in the Great Hall, Harry stared at the long line of first years that filed into the room.

There were at least twice as many as in his year, and incomparably more than in the year bellow him.

Post-war children, he realized. Of course.

He knew that there were quite a lot of Ancient families children starting this year, but he never realized it would also mean so many more other children, ones he's never seen in his life. But it made sense. Ancient families were hardly the only ones who noticed the war has ended.

Of those first years Harry knew, the first to be Sorted was Harriet Bulstrode, who went to Gryffindor like she wanted and immediately slid into place next to Ginny, who hugged her in welcome.

She was followed by Benjy Fawley, a boy Harry knew was from one of the Ancient families, but didn't remember ever speaking to. He was Neville's cousin, though, and so Neville waved at him awkwardly as the boy joined the Gryffindor table. "I only really saw him a few times before last year," Neville explained to Harry. "He's from my mum's side of the family, and well...I don't see them often."

Astoria was next, and there, it took a little longer, but in the end the Hat put her into Slytherin, where she sat next to Daphne with a beaming smile.

After that, a long line of people Harry didn't know followed, and he zoned out a little, still feeling tired from the train, and he only woke up when it was Pansy's brother turn. He followed his sister to her house, and then Harry almost missed Abdulaziz: the Hat hardly managed to touch the boy's head before he was sent to Ravenclaw with a triumphant smile.

His friend Richard Slughorn followed him there shortly afterwards, and the line was closed by two Weasley cousins, who came to Gryffindor and tried to claim a place next to Ron, who didn't seem to excited to see them. "I don't like my cousins much," he muttered. "Pretentious jerks."

Harry wondered. He'd never met any of the other members of the Weasley family, but Alduin mentioned some of Ron's uncles or aunts some time ago and he said they were fine. But of course, given how big the family was, it might have been a completely different branch of it.

The Sorting was over, but before Harry had time to as much as greet Harriet properly, Dumbledore stood up to make a speech. Given the special circumstances of the year, Harry listened with rapt attention, curious to see what Dumbledore was going to say. He was a little disappointed, though. The headmaster gave a grave warning about Dementors, true, but Harry was surprised he didn't offer any classes on the Patronus charm. Sure, it was difficult, but surely at least NEWT-level students could have mostly handled it? But maybe such classes would be offered privately to them, or in Defence, so that younger students didn't get needlessly frustrated with the inability to sign up.

"On a happier note," Dumbledore continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Harry looked at the teacher curiously as he clapped. Would it, perhaps, be a decent one this time? He certainly managed to look strange, as the two before had: this time, it was because he was wearing shabby robes, even shabbier than what Ron used to have before his father got that job at the new institute. It made Harry wonder.

"Look at Snape!" Ron muttered.

Harry did, and stared. Everyone knew that Snape wanted the Defence job for himself, of course, but...the look he had now was beyond the usual dislike with which he had looked at the other Defence teachers. It crossed into pure loathing.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore went on, "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. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by Professor Grubbly-Plank. Please give her a warm welcome."

There was a bit more enthusiasm in the applause this time, since people generally expected the Defence teachers to be weird, and Lupin certainly looked a bit underwhelming. So I'll have a new teacher for Creatures, Harry mused. I wonder if it will make the class more or less cool than it used to be…

"No mention of Hogsmeade," Parvati noticed. "I wonder when the first trip is going to be."

"I think Kiara said it was usually sometime in October," Harry tried to remember.

"October? Eh...that's so far!" Lavender complained.

"Well, there's only about four every year or something, so I guess they try to space it out, you know?" Harry suggested.

"Didn't Kiara say one of them was basically right before Christmas?" Ron asked. "That's not exactly clever spacing out, right before we leave school for two weeks."

"A great opportunity to buy gifts, though," Parvati pointed out.

-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-hp-

"Remus Lupin?" Alduin said incredulously, staring at Harry's letter during Friday's breakfast. "He hired Remus Lupin this year?"

"What's wrong with that?" Alexandra asked.

"Oh, nothing," Alduin said with enough sarcasm to curd milk, "only Lupin was a close friend of Black while at Hogwarts."

Alexandra actually dropped her fork. "What?"

"Yes...he was never suspected of treachery, as far as I know, and he was likely loyal to James, but still...having Lupin teach there the one year Black is at large? The old man is definitely insane."

"Well, he must have decided on the appointment before Black's escape," Alexandra pointed out. "I mean, the school supply list arrived..."

"A day after his escape, actually," Alduin interjected. "It's not...impossible."

"Are you seriously suspecting Dumbledore of trying to help Sirius Black get at Harry?" Alexandra asked him, staring just a little.

Alduin shook his head. "No, not at all. At the same time, I absolutely do not believe this is a coincidence. Lupin is actually a competent wizard, or used to be at school at least. If he was available for the job, why hasn't Dumbledore asked him ages ago and kept hiring losers like Lockhart instead?"

"Perhaps Lupin only became available for this year?" Alexandra suggested.

"Except that Harry writes the new teacher dresses in robes even shabbier than the Weasleys used to have," Alduin argued. "Doesn't exactly sound like he was tucked away in a comfy job till now, does it? So why hasn't Dumbledore helped out one of his golden Gryffindors sooner?"

"Could he have suspected him of some association with Black's crimes?" Alexandra wondered.

"I suppose...but then why offer him the job now?" Alduin paled. "It's like Quirrel once again, isn't it? This is some kind of trap or bait or...Dumbledore is risking students in his games once again."

"You don't know that," Alexandra tried to calm him.

Alduin frowned at her. "You will insist Riddle murdered most of the Malfoy family on the scant evidence you have, and still doubt this?"

She sighed. "No, sorry. You're right. It does make sense. It's not certain, but...possible. And there's definitely some connection to Black's escape, even though we might not be completely sure what kind."

"I have to warn Harry," Alduin said decisively.

"Don't overdo it," Alexandra cautioned. "We don't know it's quite as bad as another Quirrel, and now that Harry knows his way around a wand and is so angry about Black, implying so could have unfortunate consequences."

Alduin hesitated, then gave a deep sigh. "You're right. That's going to be one hard letter to write."

"I trust you to handle it. Daddy can handle it, right, Wynn?" Alexandra added, turning to their son.

"Want bwoom," Wynn said unhelpfully, and Alduin groaned.

"I'm never going to forgive Kingsley for that gift," he said. "But anyway, warning Harry isn't enough. I also need to find out what's going on."

Alexandra inclined her head in agreement, then asked: "How?"

"I don't know, but I can't just let this be." Alduin shook his head. "At least that damned law has finally passed, so have a little more time – very little, mind you." He considered. "I think I should go see Dumbledore again."

"Do you think he'll tell you his reasons?"

Alduin snorted. "Not really, but maybe he'll let a hint or two drop...you never know with him. And I should talk to him about the Horcruxes anyway, it's been a while."

"I thought you were waiting until Theo gets back to us with his ideas about how to eliminate that Horcrux from the cup?"

"I was," Alduin conceded. "But still, Dumbledore said he was looking for the locket, so it'd be good to have an update on that. I can't, of course, quite tell him we have the cup, since he'd probably want to destroy it immediately, but I can at least tell him that my method of getting at it will work."

"Hopefully, he won't guess the real state of affairs."

"Well, if the worst happened, I'd just refuse to give him the cup and hide it somewhere, but yes, I'd prefer to avoid that." He hesitated. "You might be right, maybe I should wait...it's just that I feel restless, with these news about Black. I feel like we're pressed for time. We haven't done anything on this front for a while, and we're still a few Horcruxes short, to the point that we have no idea what or where they are. Brainstorming with Dumbledore could help. I could call the transcendentals, too, but he does appear to have a better grasp of Riddle than most others..."

Alexandra shrugged. "Then go see him, and let's hope for the best."