So I began this after I read Half Blood Prince, and the movie made me want to get back into it.

So, that means Deathly Hallows never happened. It's not like I have anything against the book or anything, it's just.. this story wouldn't make a bit of sense if I included it. So remember. It's the year after 6th year. The Trio should be in 7th year, but they opted out.

This fic is kinda complicated, so you have to pay attention. It's a little on the dark side, but that's okay. There is romance in ths fic so no need to turn back. Tell me what you liked, tell me what you didn't. I want to know your opinions.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and the characters and settings associated with it... But don't I wish I did... Enjoy!

A hundred bodies fill this room.

& all their faces overdone...

Pain is foreign?

Foreign to us?

He was only there because McGonagall asked him. She wanted him to come back one last time, just to say goodbye. Goodbye...to Hogwarts. At least, that's what she had said.

Harry Potter looked around him, at the walls that had once protected him. He looked towards the stairs and could almost see his past eleven-year-old self racing to make it on time to potions. Harry could even faintly hear the booming dominant voice of his deceased Head Master explaining the rules of Hogwarts.

Chills began to run down Harry's spine as emotion took over his senses. Harry's best friend Ronald Weasley was too caught up in his own reminiscing to notice any change in Harry's stature. However, his other more receptive friend Hermione Granger did.

"It will all be alright Harry... We're here with you...For you." Harry nodded to acknowledge her kind words. "You are not alone, remember that." Hermione was always the most optimistic out of the three. Her positive attitude was usually valuable in times of strife, but right now, her encouraging words hardly even seemed to give hope to Hermione herself. She look as if she was trying to be hopeful, yet still very uncertain, very doubtful.

How would everything be alright? Dumbledore was gone. Yet still, Harry noticed for the first time that students were still currently at Hogwarts. Not as many as there had been in past years of course, but still a respectable amount. They were there, even though it wasn't safe. As that thought passed Harry's mind, one student walked by that caught his eye.

A girl, probably a fourth year walked by, her attention fixed on something in front of her. Like she was concentrating on moving her feet. Like a baby learning to walk. Suddenly, she noticed the Golden Trio as the other children had been stopping and pointing.

This girl had long jet-black hair and matching eyes. The were piercing a hole right into Harry, yet he couldn't look away. Her eyes seemed to have been seducing him, like big black holes. Harry felt like he recognized her from somewhere. But where?

She brought her hand up to brush her hair back off of her face and Harry noticed her shining long blood-red nails. She was smiling seductively, drawing Harry into her. Ron must have been looking at her also because suddenly, he spoke, breaking Harry out of his temporary trance.

"You think shes's a Veela?" Harry snuck a glance at Ron and unexpectedly saw that he was looking at the girl with interest and longing. Ron seemed transfixed, like he was distant or under a spell.

"Nah. Aren't they all light and flutterey?" Harry had been thinking the same thing, but he knew she had this sort of air to her not known in a Veela. Something darker.

"Just because you find her attractive, does not mean she's a Veela. You don't need to use that as an excuse ever time you see a pretty girl." Hermione spoke quietly, glowing red. She wasn't angry, but Harry could see she was upset. "It's not like I don't notice you drooling," She mumbled.

"Hermione..." Ron, who immediately broke out of the trance by Hermione's voice, sported glowing red ears. Obviously he had no idea what he did to make Hermione mad. Harry wanted to disapparate away so he wouldn't have to see them fight. He was having a hard enough time already...

Hermione decided to change the subject to rid the tension. "So many students here, with no Dumbledore. There is not enough protection for all of them at the same time."

Ron, happy in the subject change, started a polite conversation with Hermione, like he was talking to a stranger on the bus. "Yea. My dad said that, but ..."

Harry slowed his walking and fell behind Ron and Hermione. He didn't want to be in the midst of their tangled feelings. This was a typical day with the new Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Awkward silences, jealousy, tension: Harry had to admit he was sick of it. Ron and Hermione had been dancing around each other for the past 6 years. They would not admit feelings for one another, yet they never let the other out of their sight. Harry certainly did not understand Ron and Hermione's behavior. They were so close, best friends. Why couldn't they tell that they liked one another? Harry observed their behavior from behind. When they walked, occasionally they would brush hands. Each time it happened, both would blush ferociously and retract their hand back as if it touched a burning cauldron.

Harry sighed deeply. Not even close. They knew everything about each other. Recognized each other's habits, likes and dislikes. It was so obvious to Harry...why not to each other? Harry supposed that was how they liked it. Flirting and such, still being best friends, but never getting too close.

To be honest, Harry was quite comfortable with the way it was between them too. Never too close. They weren't a couple, so they never left Harry out. Besides, there were more important things going on in the world than their relationship.

He supposed it was a bit selfish to feel the way he did. Harry had been able to have a love with Ginny, why could they not have one with each other?

While Harry took a break from sadness and tried to analyze his friends behavior, Professor McGonagall came towards them to greet the three and lead them to her newly appointed Headmistress Office. He had not noticed that the mysterious girl had disappeared, her attention brought back to her unknown destination.

Harry walked through the hallways in a blur. It was all so overwhelming. His school, so cold and uninviting. He did not even acknowledge the small years staring at him with fearful questioning looks in their eyes. Nor did he notice Ron gently take initiative and grap hold of Hermione's trembling hand when they entered the detached office. Harry's heart gave an aching wrench as he looked around.

As they all sat down in front of the desk with The Sorting hat placed on top, the first thing Harry thought of was how he did not want to be there. He would much rather be at the Burrow with Ginny, not at Professor Dumbledore's office. He missed him so, and didn't want to be anywhere that reminded him of his great leader.

"Well, I know this is a very difficult time for all three of you. I wouldn't have called you down here if I found it to be of unimportance." McGonagall sighed, as if bracing herself and continued. "Anyway, as you know, the term is here and the children were to be sorted into the houses." As she said that Hermione made a sound that sounded sort of like a huff. McGonagall was unusually kind towards this disrespectful interruption, "Ms. Granger, we had a discussion on this before. The children are safer here in the confinements of this school. And as you could relate Ms. Granger, " She then turned to Harry and Ron, for they had not heard the reasoning before. "especially the muggle-borns. They are not protected by magic unless they are here."

Hermione backed down a bit and let her continue. "Anyway, the Sorting Hat refuses to sort the children into their houses, it simply sings the same thing over and over again."

Harry finally looked up from his past preoccupation with his hands and spoke for the first time since entering the office,

"and what does it say, Professor?" McGonagall glanced at the hat uncertainly and told it to sing its song. The old dusty hat opened its flap and sang.

Grand I was when all was safe.

Hogwarts shrewdly guarded.

Now posthumous we stand, mournfully solemn

and of course broken hearted.

Fierce warnings I gave of deadly foes,

advice of uniting I spewed!

Ignored none the less, alone we are now,

having just bid our leaded adieu.

At last is this hat's final song,

regretful and yes, upsetting.

But there is nothing left that I can do,

The time is here now I've been dreading...

I leave this world unscathed and unharmed

Refuge was this noble school.

I was bestowed and now I'm suppressed.

No longer a forewarning tool.

I feel a great failure for you are in danger

Helpless, though mildly at fault.

If I had tried harder, made a different approach,

perhaps in this trouble you wouldn't be caught.

Good luck, my friends and do keep your faith.

Though chimerical is a great win.

Together we're not, but together we'll fall

Now that there is evil within.

Professor McGonagall, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all sat in silence for what felt like hours. The hat who had just finished its song shrunk down and slumped. The morose feeling was starting to spread around the already dreadful room.

Suddenly, the slumped hat burst into flames startling everyone in the room. The deep red flames grew instantly high above the desk, yet nothing else caught on fire. As Ron, Hermione, and McGonagall grabbed for their wands to put out the flame, Harry hesitated as he saw something the others did not. A glowing piece of paper stuck out of the burning hat's mouth.

"Wait! Stop, there's something there."

The facade of innocence is one most dangerous.

Even the most saccharine sparrow

can shield it's internal demon with a sweet song.

You see what you want to see,

When danger seems just unbearable.

"Yes, but what does it all mean?" Hermione sighed deeply and brought her hands up to message her temples. The group had all been half- heartedly discussing The Hat's final song, all except Harry. He sat there quietly analyzing everything in his head. Trying to find a missing piece of the invisible puzzle.

"'Now that there is evil within...saccharine sparrow...'" Hermione mumbled those words under her breathe as she stopped messaging her temples and began pacing Dumbledore's office. " Evil within ...a Traitor. But who?"

Ron decided to speak up from his previous state of staring intensively out the window "Do you think it's trying to warn us...of a traitor... in the Order?" He said it quietly, almost as if he was afraid the whole Order of the Phoenix would burst in and accuse him of mistrust.

"Maybe.." Hermione looked on the verge if tears, which Harry could completely understand. It was scary to think that the people you hold closest to you could turn.

"But who? Traitors among the Order of the Phoenix? They know secret plans and locations! First Snape, now this?" Harry could see Hermione was starting to panic. He would have gotten up to comfort her, but realization of such a huge blow was still settling on him.

Harry closed his eyes just to block out everything around him. Good thing Ron got up to wrap his arms around Hermione or she would have continued to ramble thinking aloud. All Harry needed at the moment was quiet so that he could pretend everything was alright... if only for a few moments...

Ya like?? Well, you have to keep going. It's only beginning.

Next, we see what Voldemort is up to. Reviewwwww!