Nicholas met Harry's gaze unflinchingly. "I didn't say starting a war. I said waging it. It's already begun, if you can say the last one truly ended. You have outright said that the first shots have already been fired in this war. That would have happened with or without you here. Whether this is the start of a second war by the same dark lord, or a continuation of the first, you are going to be the first one fighting back."
That had shut Harry up quickly as he considered Nicholas words. Nicholas was obviously still pissed off at Dumbledore at the mere idea that he might lie and have something like the philosopher's stone destroyed.
When Nicholas saw that Harry had no rejoinder for that comment he had clapped his hands together. "Now we have a lot of things to get done and only a few days to do them in. I haven't been so excited to get involved in events in centuries!"
Perenelle gave a long suffering, though obviously teasing sigh at her husband's exuberance. "He means that he thinks he's going to get to mess with people's heads even if it's only by proxy. Probably piss off a bunch of people in the process. Nearly 5 millenia and he still enjoys practical jokes Sometimes… he's the ultimate child."
"Like I said, it'll be fun." Nicholas responded, not even being able to deny the charges.
~End Flashback~
Harry sighed a bit and then stood up. He patted his pockets, making sure that his trunk was shrunk and there. With one last breath and a carefully blank face, he strode forward through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. He winced as he strode through the barrier for just a moment, before being relieved he hadn't walked into a solid wall. It wasn't a major hesitation but Harry had still remembered running full tilt toward the wall only to end up in a pile on of trunks and upset Hedwig because Dobby had blocked it off in a misguided effort to save him.
However his brief flicker of concern was for naught, he stepped through without incident. In front of him was the Hogwart's Express. Exactly as he had remembered it. It was still more than half an hour before it was to leave, so Harry was relatively earlier and the area was uncrowded. No one seemed to be paying him any attention whatsoever, so he made his way to the train and climbed aboard without incident.
Harry walked through the carriages until he was near the back of the train. He found a compartment and slid into the seat. He flicked his fingers and set up a very minor discouraging ward at the door. Harry had no interest in meeting dopplegangers of people he knew. The ward wasn't powerful at all, and wouldn't stop anyone with a real interest in the compartment, but it would quell most impulses, that were basic curiosity. It was the part of this whole thing Harry was uncertain about. Harry wasn't sure how he would be able to manage if he was in close quarters with people he knew much less anyone he was friends with.
For a few minutes he looked out the train window onto the platform, only to realize that he was inevitably going to see people there he knew. With nothing else to do to occupy that time, he pulled out a book given to him by Nicholas. The book was a rather ancient one on obscure runes and warding.
Harry had asked Nicholas and Perenelle if they had any books on spells or combat. Harry had hoped that they might have a vast treasure of ancient spell books that he might avail himself of. Unfortunately Nicholas had told him that they really didn't have much that was likely to be of any help to Harry. Neither of them were masters of spell casting or magical combat. Most of the spell books they had were merely practical books that held no secret knowledge, merely common knowledge.
They did share some of their books with him, though Harry believed the entire library really could be divided into two halves, potions and alchemy in one half, and rituals, runes and warding on the other. They each gave him a selection of books they thought would be helpful to him in those topic areas.
Harry was deliberately immersed in the book but was aware as the train got more and more full and people passed by his compartment. He was aware that several looked in out of curiosity, but none of their curiosity was strong enough to overpower the minor ward, or the natural disinclination in entering a compartment o a stranger. It wasn't long before the whistle of the train sounded and the train began to move. Harry was relatively relieved that no one had come into join him. His relief was short lived as within ten minutes of the train's departure several robed bodies stopped outside of his compartment.
Harry glanced up and saw a distinctive head of blonde hair and almost groaned aloud. After a moment, the door to his compartment was opened. Harry looked up to see Draco Malfoy standing there staring at him. He was flanked by both Crabbe and Goyle. Harry remembered with a shudder being the one who had polyjuiced himself to look like Goyle during his second year, but quickly shook off the memory. After several moments of silence, and reminding himself that he was playing the role of Ares Flamel, and never would have met Draco before, Harry raised an eyebrow and asked, "Yes?" He wondered if Lucius Malfoy had found out that 'Ares Flamel' was entering the school and sent his son to establish a relationship. It's the sort of thing that Lucius would have done.
Draco didn't say anything to Harry, instead he turned to his two bodyguards, "Go back to our compartment. Don't let anyone else take it. Don't bother anyone between here and there. I have someone I want to talk to for a little while."
The last comment caused a raised eyebrow from Harry, but Crabbe and Goyle both nodded before turning and shuffling their large frames away. Once they were moving away, Draco turned back to Harry with narrowed eyes. After several seconds, Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand.
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