In the Great Hall, chattering and laughter appeared everywhere. Children hugged and waved and smiled, greeting each and every one of their friends back to another thrilling year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The candles above gleamed with delight in midair; illuminating bright lights everywhere and casting a warm, friendly glow. Three familiar heads stood close together at the Gryffindor table, watching others with amusement as everyone silenced themselves and watched the timid, petrified first years queue to the front of the Great Hall, waited to be Sorted into their Houses.
Harry was scanning through all the teachers in the front, and caught the brown, massive eyes of the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid. He raised a hand and smiled at Harry gratefully. Hagrid looked more tired and exhausted than anyone else behind the staff table.
Like every year, Professor McGonagall, her hair grayer than ever, positioned a stool in front of the Hall and placed a very frayed, patched, and worn out hat on the middle of it, with a brim on the top, as a mouth.
McGonagall was silent while putting the Sorting Hat down, her thin lips pursed together, took out a scroll and starting calling out the first year's names. Harry found it eerie that the hat did not break into a song, like it usually would, before it would begin to Sort.
"Ander, Jane." McGonagall said sternly. A girl with a blonde stream of hair coming down and a mouse- like face, step by step she made it towards the stool and plopped herself onto it. One by one, each first year was called to sit on the stool and be Sorted into their Houses. It took a while for the hat to contemplate and divide them into Houses, but for others, it would take only seconds.
Once in a while, the rusty hat would shout "GRYFFINDOR!", and cheers and applause would congratulate the first year to the Gryffindor House. Harry, Ron and Hermione would clap along rapidly with the others, and every few seconds the three best friends would give each other a meaningful look.
When all of the petite first years were all done being Sorted, McGonagall paced to the staff table and cleared her throat. All whispers and conversations stopped almost instantaneously. Her beady eyes were scanning through the Great Hall at all the students.
"Another year at Hogwarts! Begin the feast!" And with the flick of McGonagall's wand, food appeared on everyone's golden plates, and pumpkin juice filled in everyone's golden goblets. Ron, almost instantly, acted to this great advantage and dug in to as much as he could. With a chicken leg in one hand, and a ham sandwich in the other, plus chewing obnoxiously, Hermione gave a look of revolt.
"Ron, it's great that it's another year at Hogwarts, but it doesn't mean that you have to chew like there's no tomorrow," Hermione interjected looking disgusted.
Ron returned a look of nuisance. "Sorry, love. It's just that…the food..." Hermione heaved a great sigh and returned back to her mashed potatoes.
After dessert, by another slash of McGonagall's wand, the food cleared away and all the students turned their attention back to her.
"Welcome, welcome, to another fantastic year at Hogwarts! If you are an old student, welcome back! If you are a new student, welcome to Hogwarts! I'm sure Hogwarts will bring you enjoyment and amusement to everyone, with a term filled with magical education. Of course many things have changed since the last year, with many lost loved ones—"She glanced a look at Harry. "—and with many with thick worries about their families, I am glad to reckon that Hogwarts is still in progress. With a big accomplishment from many of the students here, the dark lord has been vanquished—"A blast of vague whispers and unsteady movement echoed through the hall. "— and we are now safe at Hogwarts… The rules apply for everyone. Do not linger outside of the corridors after nine o'clock. No magic during anytime besides classes. No students can enter the Forbidden Forest. The Hogsmeade trips are posted in your house common rooms for only third years to seventh years. For Quidditch tryouts, please talk to your house's Quidditch captain. I wish you all a happy term; good luck to all.
A big round of applause appeared through the hall and the students started to depart. Ron and Hermione stayed close together, with Harry lurking around behind them. Wondering where Ginny was, he gave one last farewell to Hagrid, and sidled to the Gryffindor common room to get a good night's sleep.
Everyone in front of the massive picture of the Fat Lady was looking for the password to the common room. All the young ones scrambling about here and there; others were frantically trying to discover the password. With Ron's arm over Hermione's shoulder, Hermione took it away immediately and bellowed out, "I know the password! Head Girl coming through!"
Sticking out her chest to show everyone her gleaming Head Girl's badge, she squeezed through everyone and shrieked through all the rough commotion, "The password is 'Mischief Managed'!" Harry gave a look of being taken aback. All the memories with the Marauder's Map flashed back to him reminiscently.
Once saying the password, the Fat Lady swung open instantly and all the Gryffindors filed themselves inside. While the three best friends got inside with all the ruckus and turmoil, they settled themselves in the most comfortable armchairs of the room, next to the flickering and warm fire. An awkward silence flashed through the three while Hermione leaned her gentle head on Ron's broad shoulder.
Ron was the first one to break the heavy silence. "So…our eighth year…we're back."
"Last year we went hunting for Horcruxes. It's our seventh year, Ron," Hermione pointed out hesitantly.
A head full of red, flaming hair appeared into sight and Harry unsurprisingly, straightened up at once, and a wide, inevitable grin appeared on his face. Ginny strolled towards Harry a set herself onto Harry's lap. He wrapped his arms around Ginny's slim waist.
"I wonder what this year has in store for us," Harry added, quite intrigued.
"We have to promise each other, no matter what happens to us, dating or not, we have to stick together and stay friends," Hermione said. "Nothing is the same without all you guys."
Everyone looked at one and another, and nodded mutely. "Things have changed for us. A lot. But we still have to move on with life and stick together," Ginny said.
With one last look at each other, Ron pecked Hermione on her rosy cheek for a good night, Harry squeezed Ginny's warm hand as a farewell, and the four went up to their dormitories for a restful night of sleep.