All of the setting and many secondary characters are the works of J.K. Rowling, I am just having fun exploring the world she created.
This story is set just over five years after the TDH ends (excluding the prologue), so the students that were first years during the Battle of Hogwarts would be seventh years in the story. All of the main characters are OCs because nobody, especially me, can write Jo's characters better than Jo. There will, however, be many characters from the canon running around in the background and subplots. I did my best to make sure everything fits in with the canon. :)
"Remember our Sorting?" whispered Melanie, playfully jabbing a painted fingernail into Evan's arm.
"You won't let me forget," Evan grumbled in response, his eyes not leaving the front of the Great Hall, where Professor Flitwick stood on his tiptoes to place the tattered Sorting Hat on a stool. The excited grin on the Deputy Headmaster's face betrayed the excitement shared by everyone in the room: the start of a new school year.
Melanie giggled, remembering Evan's Sorting. He had been the first of the new batch of students to try on the hat, and, having been raised by a muggle, was so startled when the hat bellowed "RAVENCLAW!" that he toppled off the stool. The incident had caused Melanie's uptight cousin a considerable amount of embarrassment, so it was something that she enjoyed reminding him of frequently.
"Well, the hat took so long on you that I bet Professor McGonagall was wondering if the magic quill had made a mistake," Evan muttered to his cousin.
Melanie frowned and opened her mouth, but was unable to fire back an icy retort before the Sorting Hat finished its song and the hall erupted in cheers.
Her Sorting had, indeed, taken longer than normal. Just over four minutes, which had seemed like forever when the whole of the Hogwarts student body was staring up at her. The hat had taken a long time deliberating between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Or, at least, that's what she told Evan.
Both Melanie and Evan cheered when Aleria, Phoebe was sorted into Ravenclaw house.
"He fancies you."
"I don't care."
Jasmine looked up, peering at her friend curiously, ignoring her heaping plate of food for a moment. "Elena," she said slowly, her lyrical Welsh accent dancing through the words. "He likes you. Already. No work required." Her voice lowered. "And he's not bad looking either."
Elena shrugged, the few strands of dark hair that had escaped the knot atop her head swaying with the movement. "We start our advanced classes this year; I just don't think it's a good time to be pursuing a relationship." After speaking, she continued consuming her meal, fork and knife flashing in her hands with quick, deliberate movements.
Jasmine rolled her green eyes, made even brighter by the green tie around her neck. "I know you've always been a 'work before pleasure' type of girl, but really, you need to have some fun once in a while." Her eyes meandered three seats down the table toward the boy in question, Adam Bathurst, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. "And you have to admit, he looks like lots of fun."
"Why don't you 'have fun' with him then?" Elena said, barely affording her fellow sixth year a glance before returning her attention to the roast chicken on her plate.
"Because," Jasmine said with an exasperated air. "You need it way more than I do. Besides," she added, lowering her voice. "I have those ones." Jasmine jerked her head to the two boys seated to her right, one of whom was boasting loudly about how he had been mistaken for a professional Quidditch player by a Wimbourne Wasps scout over the holiday. The other kept trying to cut in with the story of how he had purchased by mail order the new Lightningbolt broom and how it would arrive any day now. Both could not keep themselves from sneaking glances at Jasmine when they thought she wasn't paying attention.
Elena couldn't help but laugh a bit at her friend's flippant attitude. Jasmine was beautiful, and she knew it. The common theory was that she had a bit of Veela blood in her, but Elena always suspected that even if her friend's face were covered in boils she would still be able to sweet talk anyone she pleased.
"Why are you stressing about classes this early in the year anyway? You're top of our year, practically a Ravenclaw. You'll wind up being better at alchemy than Nicholas Flamel and everyone knows it." Jasmine pointed her butter knife at Elena dramatically. "You need to relax or you'll drop dead of exhaustion by November."
Elena smiled and gently pushed her friend's butter knife down with her fork. "Don't worry about me."
"You're going to make yourself vomit," said Quentin, not without some amusement.
"But it's so good!" The words of Quentin's younger brother, Todd, were barely understandable through his mouthful of chocolate tart.
Quentin laughed, having already set down his silverware after thoroughly stuffing himself. Todd had been reacting to everything with the same exuberant delight since passing through the barrier to platform nine and three quarters. Well, since before that actually. Ever since one of the Hogwarts screech owls had come tapping on his window, Todd had been in an ever-present danger of making himself faint from excited hyperventilating.
"Don't be so hard on him," admonished Ellen, one of Quentin's friends. "You were the same, if not worse, your first year."
A slight blush spread across Quentin's freckled cheeks, and he grinned sheepishly. Ellen was right, as she usually was. As a first year, Quentin had been the only one in his class to be well and truly excited to be sorted into Hufflepuff house. Not that Ellen and the others had been necessarily displeased, but there weren't too many children born to wizarding families who got excited to be sorted into Hufflepuff. But, then again, Quentin and Todd didn't come from a wizarding family.
Todd shot his older brother a look of smug superiority while reaching for another chocolate tart before Ellen caught his hand.
"Your brother's right though, you are going to make yourself vomit," she said.
"Ready, aim, fire!"
Robert felt something cool and gooey land on the back of his neck. He turned around to see Alexandra Perkins launching another gob of chocolate pudding at his face. Before he could even duck, the gob vanished, along with the cold goo sliding down his back and the rest of the uneaten food.
"Merlin's beard!" exclaimed Harriet, Alexandra's twin sister.
"You'll have to work on your timing, Lexie," chuckled Robert, not in the least bit fazed.
Alexandra, or Lexie, as she allowed her close friends to call her, stuck out her tongue. "I knew I should have done it," muttered Harriet.
Robert was spared responding to the childish gesture as the Hall fell silent. The students turned their attention to the High Table at the front of the Hall, where Hogwarts' Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, had risen.
"Before you all retire to your dormitories, I must announce some start-of-term notices.
"First years, be aware that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students. Some of our older students might wish to keep that in mind as well."
The Headmistress shot a stern look in the direction of Alexandra and Harriet Perkins, who shot identical grins back. The two had a bit of a reputation for causing their teachers grief, and it was not uncommon for the pair to be compared to the Weasley twins, who had been in the very same house less than a decade ago. The girls had made it into a one-sided rivalry, and seeing as how the Weasley twins flew out of the school on broomsticks after setting off crate-fulls of Filibuster Fireworks mid way through their sixth year, Robert was a tad concerned about how the girls planned to top that.
"It is also my duty to remind you that use of magic in the corridors is not permitted. Quidditch tryouts are to be held in two weeks' time, and are open to second years and above. Until further notice, all students will be forbidden from using the marble staircase in the entrance hall—ˮ
Professor McGonagall was forced to stop at that point by the many students shouting protests, Robert included. The marble staircase was one of the main routes many students took to classes and dormitories; by circumnavigating it, getting to classes on time would be much more difficult.
The Headmistress silenced the noise with a particularly stern look. "—due to the last of the reconstruction efforts that have been taking place since the events of just over five years ago."
The mood of the Hall immediately sobered, as everyone remembered the duel that had taken place in that very hall.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, eyes soft for a moment with memories that the younger students could only guess at, before continuing. "Lastly, as some of you may have noticed, we have a few changes in staff this year. At the end of last term, we bid our fond farewells to our much celebrated head of Hufflepuff House and Herbology, Professor Pomona Sprout, as well as our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and Head of Gryffindor House, Professor Ulysses Barcus, both of whom have decided to embark upon a much deserved retirement."
Out of the corner of his eye, Robert saw Alexandra and Harriet bumped fists. Robert grinned, remembering the role he and the twins had had in the retirement of Barcus. The man was ancient, and it hadn't been uncommon for him to fall asleep in the middle of a lecture. And, well…it wasn't too good an idea to fall asleep in the same room as the Perkins twins. Robert often acted as their lookout and sometimes their alibi; but he was content with the back seat role he played in the majority of their pranks. It meant all the fun and none of the work.
"And so it is my pleasure to introduce Professors Hannah Abbot and Neville Longbottom." The Headmistress inclined her head and the two newest additions to the High Table stood up. Professor Abbot was a pretty woman with a sweet face and long blond hair while Professor Longbottom was a handsome if sheepish looking young man who wore a sweater vest and bow tie under his robes and had two long scars on his face. "Professor Abbot will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and will be the new Head of Hufflepuff House. Professor Longbottom will be teaching Herbology and will be Gryffindor's Head of House," finished Professor McGonagall.
The applause that followed was thunderous. The seventh years, who had been first years during the Battle of Hogwarts, immediately stood up in a standing ovation. The rest of the students followed suit, including Robert. The Headmistress looked slightly awed at first, but quickly recovered herself with a not-oft-seen smile, and joined in the applause.
Professor Abbot and Professor Longbottom glanced at each other before looking back over the crowd of cheering students, both of them slack jawed and disbelieving. It was only when a seventh year shouted "Dumbledore's Army!" and the cheering grew louder that the two veterans broke into grins.
Even after the students quieted, their cheers continued to echo above them into the starry sky.