Ch. 1 Where did he go?

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and the Weaslys reached King's Cross Station 3 minutes before eleven - just in time. Harry told Mr. and Mrs. Weasly good-bye and thanks for everything. He was embarrassed but pleased when Mrs. Weasly gave him an extra hug before helping him to get his trunk onto the Hogwarts Express. They all waved good-bye and then Harry realized that Ron and Hermione had left him. He set off looking for them, knowing they couldn't have gone far. As the train left the station, Harry realized that he was going home. As Harry walked, he realized that he was so relived that he was on this train. He didn't even care about the sniggers around him, directed at him. They were laughing because he told everyone that Voldemort was back. Harry was relived to be on the train only because a few days ago he had been at his hearing. All he was doing was repelling dementors from himself and his cousin, Dudley! That was one of Harry's specialties. He was good at producing a patronus.

Harry found Ron and Hermione putting their trunks into an empty compartment. As he walked in, they shuffled out. Ron was looking at his feet, and Hermione was looking as if she wanted to say something, but was afraid to. She now looked like she was going to explode if she didn't speak. Ron glanced at his watch twice before Hermione spoke.

"Oh, Harry. We're so sorry, but we have to go. We have to go to a prefect meeting, but I'm sure it won't take the whole time, and we will hurry back," said Hermione who looked very sorry indeed.

"Yeah, mate. It's not like I want to go or anything," Ron said.

"Yeah, I –" snapped Harry.

"Hey, Harry! Oh, hi Hermione, Ron . . . "

Harry, who had spun around so quickly that he had fallen over, gingerly picked himself up off the ground. He was determinedly not looking behind him, in case Cho was one of those giggling girls who were now starting to shriek with laughter.

"Oh, hi Neville," he said. He looked around and saw that his other two friends had left to go to their meeting. He and Neville went inside where it was much more quiet. Neville dumped his trunk inside the compartment and sat down on one of the empty seats. They talked about quiddich for a while, but mostly looked out of the window until Harry offered a game of wizarding chess. Neville, who was not very good, accepted.

Harry's queen was squashing Neville's pawn when the compartment door slid open. Afraid that it was Malfoy about to cast a spell on him when he wasn't expecting it, he looked up. He was staring into a 6-year female student who said that she had a note for Harry. He looked at her robe and saw that she was in Ravenclaw before taking in the words that she had just said. Startled, he grabbed it out of her hand and she skipped away humming. Harry skimmed the note. His heart jumped. The note read:

Dear Mr. Harry Potter,

We are pleased to hear that you are doing well.

"Who said that I am doing well?!" exclaimed Harry. "I'm not really."

I have asked Sally to deliver this note to you, because I wish to see you at a certain time. At half past six, I would like to see you at the very front of this train today. You will find a small door on the right side of the conductor. This leads onto a small 'balcony.' Yours truly,

Cormilus Fudge

Minister of Magic

Neville, who had been reading the note over Harry's shoulder gasped.

"This sounds serious, Harry. What are you going to do?"

"Go, of course. It doesn't look like I have any other choice. But why on the balcony?"

There were still discussing this long after the little witch with the tea tray came by. Finally, Ron and Hermione came in, both looking exhausted and hungry. But when Harry showed them the note, they woke up at once. Hermione exclaimed over it during the next few hours, while Ron crammed chocolate frogs into his mouth. At last, Harry said he better get going. He slid his robes on, thinking that it would leave a better impression on Fudge at the moment, and then set off. The journey seemed to take Harry forever, and he looked down at his watch to see how long he really had been walking. But his watch was blank, as it had been ever since the second task of the triwizard tournament. Harry nervously took the last two steps into the conductors cabin. The old man nodded at him and he traveled through the door. He was alone and was wondering where Fudge was, if this was perhaps a trick, when a voice behind him broke the silence.

"Ah, here all ready. Not nearly as late as the time when we last met, I see. Good, good."

Harry bit his lip, not saying what he really wanted to. Then he let out a small scream, which he managed to turn into a cough, when he saw who was accompanying the minister. Wormtail. He was a death eater, the one who helped Voldemort return to his body, so why was he here? For a fleeting moment, he thought that Fudge had become a death eater or was under the Imperio Curse, before realizing that this was impossible. He didn't believe Harry, and he probably thought that Wormtail was innocent. Harry didn't know what to do. If he angered Wormtail, then he could press his finger to the dark mark on his left arm, and Voldemort would come. That would be terrible because Harry was in front of a train full of unsuspecting wizards and witches in training, some who had never managed a single spell, as this was there first year. He must protect the others.

"Ah, Potter. I see you have met my little friend, Wormtail. He seems to know you. but, I have been wishing to talk to you over the past fortnight," said Fudge interrupting his thoughts.

Harry turned towards him. "Why, so you can put some more false things in The Daily Prophet? If you really needed to talk, then you could have reached me by owl."

"Yes, Snape is quite right. You really do have no brains. What if the owl was intercepted? You need to think, my boy, think!" Harry hated Fudge more now then he ever had before in his entire life. "So, take a seat, we will be here for a while. I have a lot to say." With those words he conjured two leather armchairs and sat himself down into one of them. Harry lowered himself down into the other. "Now, as you know you had a hearing. But I want to talk about something different, Harry. Did you know that? Yes . . ."

Harry lost track of what Fudge was saying. Other then Fudge, it was oddly quiet out here. Something was wrong, he was sure of it. He glanced around. Where was Wormtail? As Harry looked around, he realized that he was not there anymore. And this was highly suspicious.