Hello everyone. This is a story I have been pondering for quite sometime, but was nervous about publishing due to it being my first Harry Potter Fanfiction. Obviously I am not JK Rowling, who has not published as much as about the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts as I would like her to. For the purpose of this story, WADA is set in the United States, not in Great Britain. Enjoy.
The Golden Trio approached the Gryffindor table, preparing for the start of term feast. The first of September marks a magical day for wizarding children around the world, as it is the start of fall term. As the three took their seats, the sorting of first years began. The Sorting Hat was placed upon its stool, and began to sing.
"Though I may be torn and old,
I've seen things worth so much gold.
I've sat on the heads of each great witch and wizard
And placed them in the house where their greatness flickered.
Brave and courageous Gryffindor, those who have lots of nerve
But sometimes they don't realize when its best to just observe.
Hufflepuffs are kind and clean
Impossible for them to be mean.
Ravenclaw full of smart and wit
They can solve any trick.
Sly and cunning Slytherin,
Don't let the dark reputation defer you
From this house of great ambition."
Overall, only nine students were sorted into Gryffindor this year, four girls and five boys. Slytherin had received the most first years, with thirteen. But that was not surprising considering the times. After the sorting was over, Dumbledore clicked his spoon lightly on his glass, and a hush of silence fell over the Great Hall.
"Very good evening to you all. To those of you who are returning, welcome back. To those of you joining us for the first time, I hope you have been settling nicely. I have a few start of term announcements I wish to announ…"
He stopped suddenly as a teacher many recognized had burst in and whispered something into his ear. Dumbledore spoke in a hushed voice briefly, then Snape strode quickly out of the Great Hall.
"Pardon the interruption. The gentleman you just saw was who you previously knew as your Potions Professor, but as of this year, Professor Snape is your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Potions will be taken over by Professor Slughorn," Dumbledore said, as Horace stood and the students clapped politely, "Now, as all of you returning students have already been informed, travelling to the Forbidden Forest without the company of our Gate Keeper, Hagrid, is strictly forbidden, unless you wish to die a most awful death. Finally, as it has just been made known to me, we will be having some new students join us at some point in the early morning from the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts in the United States. Your head of house will be making rounds to expand dormitories so that we can accommodate them, so please do try your best to make it easy for them. But enough from me, let the feast begin," he concluded with a snap, causing the plates to become full of heaping piles of food.
There was hushed murmuring as the feast carried out, Hermione and Ron were over speculating theories as to why there would be new students, Harry looked past Dumbledore and noticed that many usual faces, Snape, Flitwick, Hagrid and McGonagall included, were nowhere to be found at the staff table.
"I'm telling you, Ron. Something drastic must have happened at the school. The Wizarding Academy for the Dramatic Arts is one of the most isolated schools in the Wizarding World. It and the Euro-Glyph School of Extraordinary Languages are the only two schools that students can't study abroad at and that you can't find on a map," Hermione said, fiddling with her pudding spoon.
"I don't know, Hermione. I think it could be Dumbledore's way of exposing us to new schools, after the disaster that the Triwizard Tournament was fourth year."
"But Dumbledore said that he had only just been informed that the students were coming here from Professor Snape. Something bad must have happened, I'm sure of it," Hermione concluded.
The professors had still not made an appearance at the feast when Harry and Ron left the Great Hall. As they made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room, they discussed various theories as to why the student body of the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts when Harold Josephson, a second year, began speaking.
"You mean you haven't heard? The Death Eaters invaded WADA! They took it over, and the students and staff who lived were forced to evacuate. People say they wanted a new base far away from Dumbledore, because everyone knows You-Know-Who is afraid of Dumbledore," he rambled, pushing ahead of the two boys to catch up with his friends.
"Voldemort is trying to take his regime onto an international scale," Harry declared.
"He's already done that though Harry, there are very prominent pureblood American families who backed Voldemort's regime in the past, and I'm certain they're doing it again. Though it makes sense as to why they would pick that school as the base, I bet Dumbledore hasn't even been there before because of its isolation," she said.
It made sense to Harry. But why would Voldemort suddenly be fleeing the thought of Dumbledore, if he was as powerful as all the soon-to-be Death Eaters at Hogwarts made him out to be?
Hogwarts was busting at the seams with activity the following morning. The start of classes had been postponed until tomorrow, as the new students from America were arriving today.
"I wonder how many there will be," Ron pondered as he and Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"I heard there's going to be a sorting for them, they're supposedly going to be staying here for the whole year," Hermione said, sitting down next to Ron.
Breakfast was more delayed than usual, as the platters had not turned over to reveal their House Elf cooked deliciousness as they normally were this late in the morning.
"I just want to bloody eat," Ron complained.
Dumbledore soon entered from the side door, followed by none of the other professors as he often was at the start of meals.
"I apologize in the delay of your meal, but I think it is rather rude to eat when you are welcoming guests into your presence. As I am sure you have gathered knowledge, our friends to the west at the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts suffered the unimaginable last night, when Death Eaters invaded their school in the height hour of their welcome feast. Magical blood was spilt, some lived, some died. Serious injuries were inflicted, and some were able to walk away unscathed. Now, all I ask of you is to be welcoming towards our students, and not to pry. What they have faced and the things they have seen is something I wish upon none of you," Dumbledore concluded.
The was a brief pause, then the doors to the Great Hall opened. An older, limping gentleman led a band of about ninety students, whom lined up by the stool McGonagall had brought out. McGonagall stood with the Hat in her hand, and it belted out the same song it had the previous night. As they trickled in, Harry noticed that the older students displayed a larger number of injuries than the younger students. Some looked as though they had not changed their clothes. Their robes were singed, some limped and hobbled, others had obvious scratches and burns. Ravenclaw gained the most of the WADA students, and Slytherin the least, gaining only one.
There was an obvious divide between the Hogwarts and the Wizarding Academy students at first, but things started warming up. Harry and Ron found themselves talking with two boys, Leviticus and Adrian Batton from New Mexico. Hermione and Neville were facing backwards, talking with a boy at the Hufflepuff table, Phoebus Pote from Pennsylvania. Luna was talking to Clarissa McAndrews, also from Pennsylvania.
Even the staff members were mingling. The majority of the Hogwarts professors had followed in the students from the Wizarding Academy; Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick to name a few. There was the obvious weight of unanswered questions that hindered both sides from fully communicating, but overall things looked to be promising.
Hope you've enjoyed the introduction to this story. Chapter two to come soon. R&R!