54 Encounter on the Train

After a quarter of an hour they arrived at the station and made their way to the platform. They had attracted stares amongst the Muggles - even Muggle clothes can be conspicuous, especially when they are hand-tailored and worth thousands of pounds - but once they reached the platform the whispering started up in earnest.

'Look over there! That's Sirius Black,' said one dumpy witch, pointing Sirius out to her neighbour.

'I heard he was high up with You-Know-Who!' opined one portly wizard.

'He's one of the richest wizards in Britain, you know. His grandfather bribed the Ministry to get him out of Azkaban,' said a stern-looking woman with a vulture on her hat.

It did not take long at all before Harry drew their attention as well.

'Do you reckon that's his son?' asked a rather plain witch with two boys.

'Watch out for that boy, Seamus. The apple doesn't roll far from the tree,' an Irishwoman admonished her son.

'You see those boys? They're cousins. Each half-Black and half-Malfoy. It couldn't be much worse if they were spawned by You-Know-Who himself,' said a pompous boy with red hair.

Cassiopeia's response was not calculated to reassure anyone of her family's basic sanity. She drew her wand and sent up angry sparks.

'I am Cassiopeia Virgo Black, authoress of Ten Thousand Ways to Torture One's Enemies Legally,' she shouted at the top of her considerable lungs. 'If anyone dares make another foul comment about any of my nephews, I shall give a public demonstration here and now, beginning with chapter twenty-seven: Kneecapping Curses.'

Her threat, if impolitic, was nonetheless effective. The crowd fell quiet, though they continued to stare at the Blacks and Malfoys. Sirius quietly herded the boys past the gawkers to the spot where Mopsy was waiting with their trunks, and they began the long process of making their good-byes. Narcissa was wiping her eyes with her lace handkerchief.

'Just remember,' Sirius told Harry and Draco. 'You're in school to have fun. Enjoy yourselves. You'll learn more that way anyway.'

'And if anyone gives you trouble,' Narcissa added, 'just remember that either of you could buy or sell their entire families twenty times over.'

Hugs were shared, tears were shed—even Sirius sniffled a bit—and the boys boarded the train and made their way to an empty compartment in the back. They had just stowed their trunks when Draco realised that he had forgotten his owl on the platform. The blond boy rushed off and left Harry alone in the compartment.

Suddenly a tall boy Harry didn't know appeared in the doorway. He had flaming red hair and freckles, and a smudge of dirt on his long nose.

Harry sighed. Just what I need, he thought. One of the Weasley litter.

'May I help you?' he asked the boy haughtily.

The Weasley shrugged nervously, and Harry felt momentarily sorry for him.

'I was wondering if I could join you,' the boy muttered. 'Everywhere else is full.'

'Get out of the way,' a familiar voice snarled. 'That's my compartment you're blocking.'

The Weasley boy turned crimson and moved to the side as Draco barged in. His owl cage hit the red-haired boy in the face, pushing him into the wall. The blond boy sauntered into the compartment and sat down.

'That was close,' he said cheerfully, completely ignoring the boy he had just slammed. 'I can't imagine what I should do if I left Castor behind.'

'Who the hell do you think you are, ramming into me like that?' the Weasley boy growled at Draco.

'I'm Draco Malfoy,' the blond boy replied, as though that explained everything.

The Weasley sniggered. 'That figures. I've heard of your family.' He turned to Harry. 'His father was a big supporter of You-Know-Who. You might want to watch out for this one. He seems like a chip off the old block.' He extended his hand. 'I'm Ron Weasley.'

Harry took the Weasley's hand and shook it firmly. 'I'm very pleased to meet you,' he said, smiling broadly. 'I'm Draco's cousin, Aries Black.'

Ron jerked his hand back as though Harry had bitten it. His eyes were very wide.

'Y-your dad's Sirius Black,' he stammered.

'That's right,' Harry said proudly.

'He murdered thirteen people with a single curse!' Ron exclaimed.

Harry only smiled beatifically. 'He's taught me everything I know.'

Ron turned pale. 'Well, I see this compartment's full. I'll find somewhere else to sit, I think.'

Draco laughed uproariously as Ron scarpered off.

'That was brilliant, Aries,' he said.

'What an idiot,' Harry grumbled.

'What did you expect?' Draco retorted. 'He's a Weasley.'

'But they're all idiots!' Harry shot back. 'Didn't you hear the people whispering on the platform?'

Draco shrugged. 'They're just envious of us, that's all.'

'Perhaps it would have been better for Aunt Cassie to tutor us all through school,' Harry moaned.

Draco raised an eyebrow. 'Watch the whinging. Besides, do you really want to miss out on the opportunity to play pranks on an entire school?'

'That reminds me!' Harry exclaimed, promptly cheered by the thought of the fun they could have. 'Dad told me about something he and his friends made: It's a map of Hogwarts, only it also shows everyone in it.'

'That would be wicked,' Draco said. 'We could move about the corridors at all hours without ever getting caught.'

'The only problem is that Filch confiscated it,' Harry said. 'Dad suspects it's probably still in his office.'

'What does it look like?'

'Just a bit of old parchment,' Harry explained. 'But you activate it by saying, 'I solemnly swear I'm up to no good.'

'Music to my ears, Fred,' an unfamiliar voice said. Harry and Draco turned their heads to see two identical boys standing in the compartment door. They had the same flaming red hair as Ron Weasley.

.....

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