Harry lay back and closed his eyes as the Hogwarts express raced along the
railroad tracks. "I'm almost there," he thought, "almost there." It had
been a long hard summer, full of sadness and fear. Once back at the
Dursleys Cedric's death had haunted his dreams and every night he woke up
in a cold sweat. There had been no sign of Voldemort although he had seen
Professor McGonagall, in her cat form, outside his house almost everyday.
As if the guilt and doubt hadn't been bad enough the Dursley's were
especially cruel to him, forcing Harry to work outside in the hot sun all
day. Sirius Black was still in hiding, though Harry had received a few
vague letters from him. Overall he had not had much contact with the
wizarding world, except for the occasional letter from Ron and Hermione,
who also knew nothing about Dumbledore's plans for Voldemort.
"Harry, Harry, the food lady's here" said Ron as he shook Harry awake. "Oh right," replied Harry as he rubbed his eyes. He Ron and Hermione ordered their food and then began to discuss the upcoming year. " I hope we win the house cup and the Quidditch cup this year" said Ron bright eyed. "Me too," replied Harry, "and that I don't get killed by Voldemort." There was an awkward silence. "You won't Harry," said Hermione in a comforting voice, "you've beaten him before, and now that he has a body he can be killed just as easily as we can. Besides, I'm sure Dumbledore has been preparing for an attack and has added extra security measures to the school. Dumbledore won't let you die Harry and you know it." "Well I hope we have a good year, despite all this danger" said Ron. "So do I" answered Harry.
The three friends talked about their summers for the rest of the train ride, deciding to avoid the depressing subject of Voldemort. When they arrived they rode the carriages up to the school and then sat down in the Great Hall to watch the sorting ceremony. A few moments later the nervous first years walked in, gawking all about. Yet one of them was taller then them, a girl with silky blonde hair down to the middle of her back. It wasn't until she turned around that Harry saw who and what she really was.
Once the rest of the first years had gone the tall girl stepped up to the stool and faced the crowd. Everyone gasped. She had piercing blue eyes and the fairest skin anyone has every seen, but it wasn't her features that shocked the crowd, it was her ears. They were pointy. The girl seemed rather scared and nervous. Over the roar of the murmurs someone could be heard asking, "what is she?" and Malfoy yelling, "freak." At that moment Dumbledore stood up and raised his hands for silence. "She is an Elf" he began, "from a distant land and has come to learn about our ways. She will be entering into 5th year and even though she appears different I expect you all to treat her with the same respect and dignity you do everyone else. There is to be no discrimination," he concluded looking directly at Malfoy.
* * *
Auria sat at the front of the room looking out into the groups of students. She had never been in the presence of so many humans and it made her very nervous. When Dumbledore had finished speaking Professor McGonagall came over and placed the sorting hat on her head. For a moment it was silent, and then it began to speak. "Ah, you are one of them" it said in its mocking voice, "we've never had one of you here before, and you are not even a normal one of them, no, no, that's for sure. Now let us see, where to put you? I could end up being wrong in this, the final choice is up to you of course, but I believe that you belong in.GRYFFINDOR!"
Professor McGonagall removed the hat from her head and pointed to the Gryffindor table. Auria gracefully walked over to it and sat down beside Harry. Then the sorting ceremony was over and Dumbledore gave his beginning year speech. "Welcome back to Hogwarts. Due to recent events no student is to be outside the school at night, nor enter the forbidden forest or else they will be expelled immediately." However after that Auria heard nothing but was in shock that she would not be able to walk in the woods. She was an elf, she had to.
Dumbledore finished his speech and the food appeared on the plates. Auria took a little and tasted it. "This is going to be a long year" she thought, "it does not exactly match the quality of Elvish food." "So, I we'll be sharing a dorm room" said the girl across from her. Auria looked up and smiled shyly. "Do you speak English?" asked the girl. "Yes" replied Auria softly. "But we call this tongue Westron."
Harry noticed that she has a beautiful musical voice with and spoke with a soft accent.
"I'm Hermione Granger" said the girl and stuck out her hand. Auria stared at it strangely for a moment and then held it. Hermione, to the surprise of the Elf shook it.
"My name is Auria," answered the Elf.
"I'm Ron Weasley," "and I'm Harry Potter," the two of them said quickly in an attempt to get Auria's attention.
"I'm pleased to meet you all" she said politely. Both Ron and Harry blushed as Hermione rolled her eyes.
Behind them Malfoy was listening intensely to their conversation and already thinking of pranks to pull on the new girl.
"Harry, Harry, the food lady's here" said Ron as he shook Harry awake. "Oh right," replied Harry as he rubbed his eyes. He Ron and Hermione ordered their food and then began to discuss the upcoming year. " I hope we win the house cup and the Quidditch cup this year" said Ron bright eyed. "Me too," replied Harry, "and that I don't get killed by Voldemort." There was an awkward silence. "You won't Harry," said Hermione in a comforting voice, "you've beaten him before, and now that he has a body he can be killed just as easily as we can. Besides, I'm sure Dumbledore has been preparing for an attack and has added extra security measures to the school. Dumbledore won't let you die Harry and you know it." "Well I hope we have a good year, despite all this danger" said Ron. "So do I" answered Harry.
The three friends talked about their summers for the rest of the train ride, deciding to avoid the depressing subject of Voldemort. When they arrived they rode the carriages up to the school and then sat down in the Great Hall to watch the sorting ceremony. A few moments later the nervous first years walked in, gawking all about. Yet one of them was taller then them, a girl with silky blonde hair down to the middle of her back. It wasn't until she turned around that Harry saw who and what she really was.
Once the rest of the first years had gone the tall girl stepped up to the stool and faced the crowd. Everyone gasped. She had piercing blue eyes and the fairest skin anyone has every seen, but it wasn't her features that shocked the crowd, it was her ears. They were pointy. The girl seemed rather scared and nervous. Over the roar of the murmurs someone could be heard asking, "what is she?" and Malfoy yelling, "freak." At that moment Dumbledore stood up and raised his hands for silence. "She is an Elf" he began, "from a distant land and has come to learn about our ways. She will be entering into 5th year and even though she appears different I expect you all to treat her with the same respect and dignity you do everyone else. There is to be no discrimination," he concluded looking directly at Malfoy.
* * *
Auria sat at the front of the room looking out into the groups of students. She had never been in the presence of so many humans and it made her very nervous. When Dumbledore had finished speaking Professor McGonagall came over and placed the sorting hat on her head. For a moment it was silent, and then it began to speak. "Ah, you are one of them" it said in its mocking voice, "we've never had one of you here before, and you are not even a normal one of them, no, no, that's for sure. Now let us see, where to put you? I could end up being wrong in this, the final choice is up to you of course, but I believe that you belong in.GRYFFINDOR!"
Professor McGonagall removed the hat from her head and pointed to the Gryffindor table. Auria gracefully walked over to it and sat down beside Harry. Then the sorting ceremony was over and Dumbledore gave his beginning year speech. "Welcome back to Hogwarts. Due to recent events no student is to be outside the school at night, nor enter the forbidden forest or else they will be expelled immediately." However after that Auria heard nothing but was in shock that she would not be able to walk in the woods. She was an elf, she had to.
Dumbledore finished his speech and the food appeared on the plates. Auria took a little and tasted it. "This is going to be a long year" she thought, "it does not exactly match the quality of Elvish food." "So, I we'll be sharing a dorm room" said the girl across from her. Auria looked up and smiled shyly. "Do you speak English?" asked the girl. "Yes" replied Auria softly. "But we call this tongue Westron."
Harry noticed that she has a beautiful musical voice with and spoke with a soft accent.
"I'm Hermione Granger" said the girl and stuck out her hand. Auria stared at it strangely for a moment and then held it. Hermione, to the surprise of the Elf shook it.
"My name is Auria," answered the Elf.
"I'm Ron Weasley," "and I'm Harry Potter," the two of them said quickly in an attempt to get Auria's attention.
"I'm pleased to meet you all" she said politely. Both Ron and Harry blushed as Hermione rolled her eyes.
Behind them Malfoy was listening intensely to their conversation and already thinking of pranks to pull on the new girl.