A/N: This story was started before Deathly Hallows came out. It is set in Harry's 7th year, assuming that the war ended over the summer. Please leave me some comments, I actually have about 20 chapters of this story written but sometimes suggestions make me go through and tweak things.
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Everyone in the Great Hall looked as Headmistress McGonagall stood and said "Students please welcome 2 new students to the 7th year class, from the Salem Academy in the States."
All faces turned as both doors opened to reveal 2 girls, one blonde and the other with dark brown hair, walking down the hall. They each wore simple black button up shirts with a black and white plaid skirts under black cloaks, basic uniforms.
"What's so significant about this Salem Academy?" Harry asked Hermione, who looked to be in awe of the two Americans.
The girls split, the brunette went to the right, the blonde to the left, and instead of walking down the main path in the middle of the Great Hall, and they went between the middle tables and the end tables.
Everyone jumped as thunder cracked on the blonde's side, where dark storm clouds appeared on the enchanted ceiling but, for some reason, the clouds abruptly ended at the center. The other side it was a clear night sky with a crescent moon; stars had moved to make one large pentagram star in the curve of the crescent.
When they both reached the head table, a lightning bolt streaked down to the blonde and hit her cloak just below her right shoulder, creating a storm cloud with a lightning bolt in silver thread. In exactly the same place a moon beam hit the brunette's cloak, forming the symbol that had been in the sky, a crescent moon with a pentagram star in the center. Then the clouds abruptly dissipated and the sky returned to normal.
The brunette girl with the crescent moon and a pentagram star spoke up, "Hello, I am Starri Night and this is my twin Storm..."
Her twin interrupted her, "I can introduce myself, I'm not 3." Starri rolled her eyes and moved a hand as if presenting her sister to the room. "As my sister was saying I am Stormi Night and I am the younger of us. We are identical twins although we might not look like it right now."
"You see my sister and I were born identical twins but we are metamorphmagi so…" Starri began as her hair lengthened and turned black.
"We can change our appearance at will," Stormi finished with a smirk.
"Thank you ladies, now I know some of you would like to know more about Salem Academy," McGonagall said, "and these two have agreed to answer some questions." Hands shot up in the air as the headmistress spoke. "Yes Miss. Granger," McGonagall pointed to Hermione.
"I have come across Salem Academy in some of the books, and it hasn't said much, except that they move much quicker then Hogwarts, so I was wondering if you could explain in a bit more detail?"
"Well Salem Academy has only 4 years so we learn things in roughly half the time that you do here," Starri leaned her arms back on the teachers' table as she spoke. "We also start school at 13 instead of 11 and graduate at 16."
"We take our O.W.L.s in out second year and are placed in classes according to how quickly we are learning," Stormi continued.
"We have 4 houses, like your Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, but we use elementals to name ours," Starri said, pointing her wand at the house tables as she named them.
"The way you are sorted into Fire, Water, Earth, or Air is by holding a crystal ball. Whichever color dominates the ball, red for Fire, blue for Water, green for Earth, and white for Air, tells you what house you are in," Stormi finished cheerfully.
"Well at least whichever is most prominent; many people have traits of more than one." Starri corrected her sister.
Stormi rolled her eyes, "We have the same classes and we play Quidditch, both of us are chasers." She finished just in time for her stomach to emit a large growl.
"Well then," McGonagall smiled, "girls if you would sit one at a time please; once you're sorted you can eat." As the Sorting Hat was placed on Starri's head it came to life and began the ritual that every student in the hall was familiar with.
Starri closed her eyes, her parents had both gone to Hogwarts and had told her the basics of what to expect. The voice was clear in her ears, "Smart little thing you are, it isn't often that I get to meet an older student. Hmm very interesting, you put on a good front child but you hold secrets. Yes, you hide your talents from everyone, even from your own sister with whom you share a mental bond. Where to put you? You are a difficult one, Slytherin or Gryffindor? Plenty of courage and smarts, the core of any true Gryffindor, but you hold a great deal of cunning and secrecy."
Excuse me sir, Starri thought to the voice, but thanks to my… talents as you call them, I have problems with dungeons. Too many painful memories.
"Well then we have our answer," it whispered. The hat then shouted loudly, "GRYFFINDOR."
Stormi took her sister's place on the stool. The hat lowered over her ears and the voice spoke. "Ah similar your sister, but then you are more shadowed. You also keep your secrets well, no one would know unless they were truly in your head. Nothing can be held back from me. You are slightly more suited for Slytherin but then again, you have plans for those in Gryffindor. This decision was made long before I came into your mind." The hat opened the fold that was its mouth, "GRYFFINDOR."
Both girls walked over to the Gryffindor table. Most of the students just stared up at them as they walked past but Harry nudged Ron over to make room. As the girls sat Harry met Stormi's eyes, that had been crimson colored when she had been looking for a seat, were now a dark sapphire blue.
Starri had managed to catch the eye of another, across the Great Hall. Draco Malfoy's eyes had not left her since she walked in. He watched as she sat with her sister next to Harry Potter.
"Hi," Starri said as she reached over to shake Harry's hand.
"Hello I'm Harry Potter and these are my friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger," he said pointing to each of them.
"Ah so this is the famous Harry Potter," said Stormi. Harry's forehead furrowed. "Don't worry; we don't plan on dissecting you. You don't need to look so upset just because we know who you are."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Stormi looked at her sister and whispered, "That boy over there with the blonde hair at the Slytherin table has been watching you since you walked in."
Starri looked over her shoulder to lock eyes with Malfoy, who only held her gaze for a moment before looking away.
"Who is that?" Starri asked Hermione who was sitting across from her.
"Draco Malfoy, one of the most confusing people on this earth," Hermione growled.
"Why?" Stormi and Starri asked at the same time.
"Well, up until last year he was just a foul little git who hated everyone but, then he was supposed to kill our old headmaster and he didn't do it. Then he sort of helped us in our last battle with Vold… with you-know-who over the summer. We still aren't friends but we don't fight anymore either." Hermione said as she shook her head.
"So what brings you two to Hogwarts after graduating from a place like Salem Academy?" Ron asked, quickly turning the subject away from the War.
"Well we were chosen to study for our B.A.T. here because we plan on being Aurrors" Stormi yawned.
"Yes we want to be plenty ready for the test so the Ministry suggested we come here," Starri added. "I think I'm going to fall asleep right here."
"After being awake for over 20 hours, and most of it on a damn plane, I think we have a right to be tired," Stormi said through another yawn.
The feast began and the conversations blossomed around them until the twins were almost ready to use their food for pillows. At that point Harry, Ron, and Hermione dragged them up to the common room where Stormi and Starri went straight to bed.
Later that night the three friends sat near the large fireplace in the nearly empty common room. "So what do you think of them" Ron asked, nodding towards the girls dormitory.
"They seem quite nice. I think they will make great study partners," beamed Hermione, "especially for Harry, since he was staring at Stormi the whole time."
Harry looked up from the fire and glared at Hermione "I was not staring at her the entire time Hermione; I just noticed her eyes change color that's all." Harry stood and stretched, "I'm going to bed see you two in the morning."