The sky was clear. Too clear, for the people residing in the place were not used to such a clear sky. Some legends even said that a clear sky is usually a sign of trouble and a seriously bad omen. But they were after all, legends, and there were seldom who believed in them! Sadly, Aurora Sinistra was one of them.
She doubted whether Sibyll would be feeling the same sense of foreboding trouble she was feeling right now. Sibyll Trelawney was a legacy of a proclaimed Seer but it was common knowledge she wasn't one.
She skirted her witch's hat and locked the window. Then she slowly made her way to the Great Hall for it was the first day of term and the Sorting would follow soon. She felt another tremble within herself and stopped abruptly.
She closed her eyes.
It is just a sign of some minimal danger. Don't think so hard. It will be a great day and nothing catastrophically major would happen, at least not in Hogwarts, having enchantments so powerful no one can even apparate here. They are safe.
But a small part in the back of her mind knew something horrible was about to happen.
She approached the Great Hall and watched as Hagrid huddled the students in and then made his way to the teachers' table.
Minerva McGonagall approached the students with a parchment. She always wondered why did she still do it, since she had became Headmistress three years ago? Minerva just said she considered it a ritual.
She started the procedure of saying names and each student got sorted by the Sorting Hat. The occasional cheers of the four houses were deafening as usual.
"Jonathan, Rancy"
Then suddenly a very weird girl stepped forward. Sinistra looked closely and saw that she had fang-like teeth as she grinned. No, she must have thought that. Kids didn't have fang like teeth.
Then suddenly Hogwarts shook as the ground began to rumble. Then many things happened at once.
McGonagall quickly marched back and shouted to the old students to herd in the first years and take them into the grounds. Prefects and Heads quickly started running to their house tables and shouted loudly. Hagrid stood up and started screaming. But Sinistra couldn't move as she saw what that little girl was doing.
The little girl started changing form as a large sphere seemed to bubble around her. She grew taller and her appendages changed to long, sharp talons. She looked at the disarray and laughed loudly.
The ground stopped shaking. Everybody froze and looked at the huge monster which stood in front of the Sorting Hat, in the middle of the Hall. Someone sent a spell which burst the protective bubble.
But instead of evaporating the bubble liquefied and fell all over the monster and turned into a raging fire. The fire had no effect on the monster but spread heat and fear over everyone else. The fire started showing vicious shapes of being.
Fiendfyre, thought Sinistra.
She laughed manically as spells seemed to get dissolved in the cursed fire. With a swift movement of her hands she sliced a part on the ground.
The ground opened and a terrible black liquid emerged which did not burn. She circled and started an incantation.
"Rise, the soul so black, full to the brim with evil and hate, rise from the dead! For you had no soul thus you truly died did not! Rise, the Lord of Darkness, RISE! For the daughter of magic commands you! Rise for revenge, Riddle!"
And to gasps of horror and pains, the liquid starting conforming to a humanoid shape. It flickered for a moment and the face of the most brilliant yet hated wizard of the generation showed through.
It was pandemonium as all hell broke loose and swiftly the monster and the reformed disappeared leaving behind a fire still, but aptly sending the witnesses to a supreme frenzy!
Sinistra closed her eyes.
It just had to be He-Who-Must-Not-Named!
She sighed.
After a few hours, the Great Hall was silent once again. The extremely talented wizards and witches had put out the fire, ordered the students to silence and sent them to their Houses. The only ones present in the Hall were the teachers and McGonagall.
They started having an animated discussion, fear present in their very voices. They were all shocked, surprised and scared. McGonagall raised her hand wanting silence. After a few moments, silence fell upon the Hall again.
McGonagall was pale and her voice was a bit shaky. But she knew she was supposed to lead Hogwarts and she can't be weak.
"Flitwick, at once tell the Ministry what happened. Professor Sprout and Slughorn do a thorough search of the grounds for anything suspicious. Hagrid contact the magical creatures in the forest and check if they are still with us. Vector, Sinistra, Vlacker and Pinus, go around the castle, you know what to do."
Flitwick asked, "What we just saw… It is not possible is it?"
"You-Know-Who is back, professor. And this time he has friends. It's time to assemble our allies too."
Sinistra was the one to speak amidst the awkward silence, "Does that mean our greatest ally will be coming back to Hogwarts?"
Minerva had a smile. She knew he was the one who would prove vital once again. She knew his name was enough to inspire people. By his presence, they would be able to fend off the terrible threat once again.
"Yes, Aurora, he is coming back. I assure you."
All the teachers sighed. They were after that long morning once relieved. If he was coming back, it was a good sign. A war-winning sign, some would say.
Sinistra saw that it was dim outside. A cloud was overcast over the sky, shading them from the Sun. A dark big cloud. Sinistra had an inkling who it was personifying.
The acclaimed wizard of Hogwarts was coming home.
Harry Potter was coming home.