The entire train was a party. Harry couldn't help but get swept away in the excitement, even though he knew this metal coffin was set to deliver him back to the Dursleys in just a few hours.

It would be easy to sulk the ride away, tempting even to wallow in self-pity, but Harry didn't want to waste his final day in the magical world for months by shutting down.

He planned to greedily enjoy every moment of fun with his friends while he could.

Marcus Flint was already well into planning next year's team strategies, with not-so-subtle hints that everyone had better keep up their training over the summer.

Harry didn't have the heart to tell him that he wouldn't be able to do more than float around his room on his toy broom.

Still, he paid careful attention to the new plays Marcus was brainstorming off the top of his head. He'd copy them into his Quidditch Playbook notebook later, do he could visualize himself flying each play as he fell asleep every night. That would have to do.

Cass was ribbing Adrian hard about coming for his chaser spot next year. Adrian wasn't hearing any of it.

"You wish, Warrington. Try it, and I'll hex you so hard, maybe the St. Mungo's Long-Term Patient Care team will have an opening you could try out for."

Harry and Draco laughed until their sides hurt.

Cass raised an eyebrow. "You both laugh now, but I know you both want Seeker, next year. You'll be at each other's throats too, during tryouts."

Harry frowned at that, feeling uneasy. He wanted on the team, sure, but not enough to lose Draco over it. And Draco had had his heart set on Seeker since before Harry had ever even heard of Quidditch.

Draco stuck his tongue out at Cass. "Well, whichever one of us doesn't make Seeker is gonna steal a Chaser spot. You'll both look pretty cheering us on from the sidelines, I'm sure."

"Fat chance, Malfoy! We all know Potter's gonna make Seeker. We'll make you a custom banner to wave during games so you feel part of the team."

"You're going to eat those words, Pucey!" Draco said with a smirk.

"Okay, okay, enough," Marcus said with a chuckle. "I appreciate the competition, but I'm worried enough about having to make the final cuts next year without you all reminding me how much you want it. Let me have a summer of peace before my hair turns grey during tryouts!"

"I could bribe you, if that'd help," Draco said cheekily.

The entire team groaned at that, including Harry.

"I've no doubt you would, if you thought that would work on me," Marcus said, rolling his eyes. "You're such a spoiled little brat."

"But I'm a spoiled little brat who's an excellent flier," Draco replied with a bright smile.

At that Marcus caught Draco in a headlock and ruffled his hair until it was a staticy mess.

Draco squawked in protest, but couldn't break free of the hold.

"It's a good thing you aren't trying for Beater, Malfoy," Adrian laughed. "You've got no muscles at all."

"Malfoys are too dignified for brawn," Draco drawled, as he patted down his hair and robes.

"Whatever lets you sleep at night, kid."

Harry smiled at Draco's antics, but didn't add any taunts of his own. He would either be good enough for the team, or he wouldn't. Bravado wouldn't change that.

Cass and Adrian ditched the team once Marcus had run out of strategizing steam to get some payback on the Weasley twins, although Harry secretly suspected they were just making sure Fred was still recovering alright, and the beaters wandered off to hang out with Avery.

Draco wanted to track down their year mates for the rest of the train ride, but Harry stalled him long enough to congratulate Higgs one last time and to thank him sincerely for a wonderful first year.

Higgs waved off Harry's praise and pulled him into a gruff bear hug.

"Just because I won't be at Hogwarts next year doesn't mean I'll be a stranger, Potter. If you need anything at all, from quidditch advice to class notes to a character witness in front of the Wizengamot, I'm only an owl away, you hear me?"

Harry blushed until his ears nearly caught fire. "What if I'm just bored and want to waste your time?" he teased.

Terence laughed. "You have my permission to pester me. That doesn't extend to you, though, Malfoy! If I give you free reign you'll never shut up."

"Ha ha," Draco deadpanned. "You're no fun to talk to anyway. Come on Harry! I want to say goodbye to everyone one last time before we hit King's Cross."

Harry hurried after Draco, jostling his way down the crowded train corridor as students flitted from compartment to compartment to gather their things and say their final farewells.

Harry felt like a soppy, sentimental fool by the time the express pulled into King's Cross. He was almost glad to be getting a break from the overwhelming warm fuzzy feelings that hung in the air.

Almost.

The ride went by too quickly, and soon they were pulling into King's Cross.

Harry reached into his bag and clutched at the letter Professor Snape had sent with him to give to his aunt and uncle 'in a public place'.

Harry hadn't read it, but with instructions like that, Professor Snape must think it was going to make them mad.

It was probably a reminder that Harry was under the Wizarding World's protection.

It was probably going to royally piss them off.

Harry wished that Professor Snape felt well enough to deliver the message in person, but he was still a bit shaky, and tired easy.

Madam Pomphrey hadn't even let him finish teaching all of his classes. He'd sat at his desk and supervised as various prefects carried the load.

It had actually been kinda funny watching him twitch whenever a prefect explained something in a way that was functionally correct, but not precisely accurate.

Well, it was allowed to be funny, but only because Madam Pomphrey had promised that Professor Snape would make a full recovery.

Harry wished he knew the details of what had happened, but the adults had been rather cagey on the details. He supposed it was none of his business.

He'd suppressed his curiosity before; it was dangerous to ask too many questions at the Dursley's, so he supposed he'd have to do the same again until he was old enough to be filled in.

He was sure that Professor Snape would tell him everything one day, when he was more grown up.

Harry was proud to say that he'd accomplished his main goal this past year. He'd made Professor Snape proud.

He'd proved himself in Potions, and had come in near the top of his class in all his other subjects, too.

Harry had proven that he was more than just his name and his stupid scar. He deserved to have friends like Draco and Neville. He deserved to be looked after by adults like Professor Snape and the Malfoys.

He deserved to have fun, and to accomplish the things he worked hard at, and to stand out, when he'd earned the recognition by his own merits.

He deserved to take advantage of his stupid fame, too, when he was using it to help people that he cared about.

Yes, Harry had learned a lot about himself this year.

He just hoped he didn't forget it all over the summer, while his was trapped at Privet Drive.

The train pulled into King's Cross far too soon.

Harry took a deep, fortifying breathe. He could do this. He'd dealt with the Dursleys all his life, even without Professor Snape's protections in place.

He'd be fine.

All of the Slytherin first years were huddled together near the back of the train.

They had decided in advance to leave the train as a unified group, a symbolic gesture for all of the parents on the platform to see. Harry knew it wasn't all about him, but he was grateful for the support anyways, especially when he caught sight of the Dursleys glaring daggers from the edge of the crowd.

Draco must have noticed his flinch, because his timing was too perfect as he slung his arm protectively around Harry's shoulders and laughed loudly at something Harry didn't even say.

Harry jostled against his friend, afraid to let the Dursleys think he and Draco were 'freakishly' close, but didn't shake him off completely.

He expected Draco to peel away from him to go find his parents, but Draco didn't leave his side.

With rising anxiety, Harry hesitated, not wanting to subject Draco to the Dursley's meanness, but also not wanting to make them angry by dawdling.

"Are those your relatives?" The deep voice of Mr. Malfoy made Harry jump. He hadn't noticed Draco's parents sneaking up on them.

Harry followed Mr. Malfoy's gaze to where the Dursleys were sneering at and shying away from anything and everything magical in equal measure and winced, but nodded.

"I'd like to meet them," Mrs. Malfoy said pleasantly. There was an iron edge hidden deep behind her words.

Harry frowned.

Mrs. Malfoy was never the one to initiate a conversation with strangers.

What was she up to?

Harry had a terrible knot forming in the pit of his stomach as he led his family to meet his blood relatives.

It was so unfair that Harry couldn't just stay with the Malfoys forever. He was pretty sure that they wouldn't even mind.

Professor Snape had told him there were magical reasons for his placement, though, when he had handed Harry his letter. Harry didn't understand it, but he trusted that the professor would not send him somewhere unsafe if it wasn't necessary.

He still had the protective spells Professor Snape had placed on his room, after all. Complex protection charms faded over time if they weren't done properly, but Professor Snape was both wicked smart and brilliantly strong. Harry knew that they'd hold up until long after he'd become an adult.

"Get over here, Boy!" Uncle Vernon snapped. "We're leaving."

Harry jolted from his thoughts, and looked nervously over his shoulder to where the Malfoys stood.

They seemed entirely unphased by the Dursleys' rudeness, but Harry could see the tension beneath their masks.

Uncle Vernon was glaring at the Malfoys as if they'd attack without warning, but Aunt Petunia seemed to be staring at Mrs. Malfoy's jewellery.

Harry didn't know much about fashion, wizarding or muggle, but he knew that the Malfoys preferred to display their wealth in an understated, elegant manner. Aunt Petunia, who was constantly scouting the neighbourhood for wealth she could suck up to, had noticed that the Malfoys were stinking rich and had an aristocratic bearing about them.

Old money, Aunt Petunia liked to say.

Harry had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at how torn she was. It was hard to hate magic but love money and status in equal measures where the Malfoys were concerned.

"You must be the Dursleys," Mr. Malfoy said, in his special voice that made people feel belittled without being able to pinpoint why or openly complain about it.

"Right," Harry said, remembering the etiquette Mrs. Malfoy was always insisting that Draco show. "Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, this is Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, this is Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. Oh, and that's my cousin Dudley."

"That explains a lot," Draco murmured, but smiled winningly at the muggle family when they glanced his way.

Harry fidgeted awkwardly as neither side let the tension diffuse. "I should get home," he finally said. "It was a long train ride."

Vernon scoffed and rolled his eyes, but grabbed Harry's forearm to drag him out to the car. Harry winced at the strength of his grip, but did his best to hide his pain. Petunia looked ready to run away at full speed.

Dudley picked his nose.

"We'll see you out," Mr. Malfoy said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder and slowly prying him back from his uncle with a warning stare.

Harry tucked his ears between his shoulders and attempted to sink into the floor.

He followed his uncle in subdued silence sneaking glances at the Malfoys as he went. They seemed content to observe Harry and the Dursleys without intervening.

Harry couldn't decide if he was disappointed or relieved that they weren't making a scene.

When they arrived at the Dursley's car, Harry gave Draco one last, quick farewell, barely daring to look him in the eye, before climbing into the back seat.

Uncle Vernon had already thrown his trunk unceremoniously into the boot.

This was it; this was his life for the next few months.

Alone and miserable.

Harry berated himself for being so melancholy.

Professor Snape's protections were still in place. He'd be fine.

A little time in the muggle world would just make everything feel more magical when he returned in the fall.

The car pulled away from the station with a finality that made Harry feel sick. He couldn't bring himself to turn around in his seat to see if Draco stayed to wave goodbye.

He didn't begrudge Draco his perfect life, but he didn't want to see him carry on with it before Harry was even out of sight.

That would be too painful.

The ride to Privet Drive lasted forever, each second punctuated by Dudley poking at him or whining loudly to his parents about something imaginary that Harry had done.

Harry stared out the window and tuned out Uncle Vernon's loud, angry lecture. It wasn't a good sign that he was already so mad.

Harry hadn't even… the letter!

Harry had forgotten to give them Snape's letter while they were safe in public.

Merlin's balls.

Harry shrank down into his seat.

He couldn't give it to them now. There was nowhere to hide and no way to run.

This was ridiculous; he was miserable already and the Dursleys hadn't even done anything yet!

He needed to stop moping. He knew enough about bad moods to know they were a self-fulfilling prophesy. Trying to be happy didn't always make you happy, but trying to be miserable always made you miserable.

When they got to Privet Drive, the first thing Uncle Vernon did was lock Harry's trunk in his old cupboard under the stairs. He tried to shove Mercurius in their too, but the ornery owl bit him through the bars of his cage hard enough to make him bleed.

Harry quickly grabbed the cage. "I'll keep him out of the way in my room, I promise. You won't even know he's there."

Vernon grunted what Harry chose to interpret as consent, prompting Harry to run to his room as quickly as he could with the cumbersome cage jostling in his arms.

Mercurius squawked indignantly as the treatment.

Harry offered him treats apologetically before remembering that they were now locked away with the rest of his wizarding things. Maybe he'd left a few in his desk drawer.

Harry supposed that he was grateful that he wasn't the thing being locked under the stairs this year, but the loss of his school stuff still stung.

He took his time getting Mercurius settled, before grabbing Professor Snape's letter and tiptoeing back out into the hall. He nearly collided with Uncle Vernon, who was lumbering around looking for a fight.

Harry shoved the letter into his uncle's hands and scampered back to his room as quickly as he could.

Seconds passed by painfully slowly as he waited for Vernon to react. It was deathly silent for a long time, before Harry heard angry stomping headed down the stairs.

There was a cacophony of banging and shouting, and more stomping.

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when there was a knock on his bedroom door

Hesitantly, Harry opened it.

Uncle Vernon stood there, red faced and shaking with rage, but he didn't try to slap Harry. Instead, he shoved Harry's trunk over the threshold of his room.

"I don't want any funny business from you, you hear Boy? I don't care what your greasy freak of a kidnapper threatens, if you go flinging ma... nonsense about my home, I will tan your hide so hard you'll never want to sit down again. Don't test me."

Harry stared at his trunk in shock as Vernon stomped away. Ever so slowly, a grin spread across his face.

Professor Snape was his hero! He didn't know what the letter had said, but somehow he'd convinced the Dursleys to return Harry's stuff without even being here!

Harry hoped he turned out as cool as his favourite professor, one day.

Grabbing some spare parchment, Harry scribbled out a quick thank-you note and assurances that he was alright to Professor Snape and sent it off with Mercurius, after heartily bribing the bird with extra treats to behave.

He even had a bounce in his step as he got ready for bed, and slept soundly through the night.

The next morning, Harry woke early, as always. It was weird that he didn't have anyone to go running with, but he wasn't about to let that stop him.

He got dressed quickly and slipped out of the house.

It was early enough that he didn't need to worry about a spontaneous round of Harry Hunting, so he went out of his way to pick streets he didn't know very well to explore.

He had worked up quite a sweat, and an even bigger appetite, by the time he got back to the Dursleys.

There was a big, fancy limousine parked out front of the house.

That was odd.

As stealthily as he could, Harry crept in through the back door and listened for voices that might give him a clue on what was going on.

A gentle female laugh drifted in from the kitchen.

Harry swore he knew that laugh.

Bolstering all of his courage, Harry chanced a peek into the kitchen, and nearly fell over.

Mrs. Malfoy and Aunt Pentunia were sitting together and having tea.

Mrs. Malfoy was dressed as a muggle, a very rich muggle, granted, but a muggle nonetheless. Actually, she reminded Harry a lot of a blonder Princess Diana.

No wonder Aunt Petunia had gotten out the fine china, despite knowing that Mrs. Malfoy was magical.

The entire neighbourhood hood would be abuzz with talk of Petunia Dursley's rich friend for weeks, and Aunt Petunia knew it.

"There you are!" Draco called out loudly from behind him, making Harry jump. "I went to go surprise you in your room, but you weren't there!"

"I went for a run," Harry admitted with a nervous glance at his aunt. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Draco didn't tell you?" Mrs. Malfoy asked.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Draco said stubbornly.

"You wanted what to be a surprise?" Harry asked.

Mrs. Malfoy smirked as she smoothed out one of Aunt Petunia's tacky doilies. "I took the liberty of signing you boys up for community karate lessons."

Harry couldn't help it; he laughed out loud and swept Draco up into a giant-sized hug.

"Surprise!" Draco wheezed.

Harry had been so wrong. This was about to be the best summer ever!

A/N:

Thanks so much for reading and leaving comments, everyone! I really appreciate it!

This is the end of Book 1. I have Book 2 started over on AO3 and will start cross-posting it here shortly, but might switch things up a bit and cross-post a different story first. We shall see.

I am a featured author on a fellow fanfic author's discord server if you are interested in getting to know me better there! /cult-of-chaos

Love you all 3

Athena

(Book 2 will be called Harry Potter and the Language of Snakes)