'Citrus, Patrick'

'GRYFFINDOR!'

'You were saying Harry?' Neville said from behind Harry.

'I was only joking' Harry said over his shoulder.

'Clarke, Nicola' a particularly short girl nodded goodbye to the girl she was talking quietly to and walked to the hat, smiling slightly at probably whatever was just whispered by the other girl.

'HUFFLEPUFF!'

'Davies, Stephanie' McGonagall read. The tiny girl that had been whispering to Nicola and looked like she was going to burst into laughter any moment practically ran to the hat.

'SLYTHERIN!'

She burst into a fit of laughter as she sat down.

'What's so funny?' Hermione wondered out loud

'Dennett, Jonathon' a tall ginger boy walked to the hat and put it over his head

'RAVENCLAW!' the boy threw off the hat and sprang off the stool, then he done a little dance as he walked over to the tables. Neville, Seamus, Dean and Harry all burst into a quiet fit of laughter.

'Eton, Melinda' a small dark haired girl walked to the hat, her messy, curly ponytail fell over her shoulder as the hat covered her eyes, there was a short pause

'GRYFFINDOR!'

The list went on, and on, and on. The majority seemed to be placed in Ravenclaw this year.

'Taylor, Kaylei' McGonagall read from the sheet watching the young girl leave the now much shorter line. She sat down and had the hat placed on her head like the others, she looked shaky and it gave her a slightly blurred outline.

'SLYTHERIN!' called the hat

'Weasley, Ginevra' Ginny cringed at the use of her full name and walked tall towards the hat at first grinning but close to the end she tripped slightly and lost her smile. She sat down on the stool and seemed in a hurry to pull the hat over her head, she gripped the hem as if hoping to pull the hat over her entire body and to hide away in it. Only her pink nose down and her flame red hair shone out from under the hat. Ron was visibly tense he stared, unblinkingly at Ginny's small form and waited for the hat to call out. This seemed to take longer than the others for Harry, Hermione and Ron as neither Harry nor Hermione dared to say anything in case Ron murdered them.

'GRYFFINDOR!' the hat screamed

'That was fast!' Dean exclaimed

'Fast?' Ron said 'that took an eternity!'

'Oh Ron, shut up!' Ginny said as she took a seat nearby

'Did you even hear what I said?' Ron said curiously.

'No.' she said 'The hat told me to tell you' Ron looked offended but he was much more light-hearted after Ginny's housing.

'Webster, Jenny' McGonagall called, as the line thinned, a young girl stepped forward and sat on the polished stool, a second passed as everyone settled down, the trio watched

'SLYTHERIN!' the hat yelled. A couple more children were housed, until the only person left at the front was the new second year who walked forward without being called as soon as the little boy before her had joint the Ravenclaw table. McGonagall just nodded at her to sit down and she placed the hat upon the girl's head.

'So what was her name? She didn't get read out' Hermione asked

'Dumbledore probably said it when we were talking earlier' Harry replied,

'That'll teach you the lesson then' Nearly-Headless Nick said scornfully to him.

'No, he didn't say it earlier' Ron said

'Maybe it won't teach me a lesson then' Harry replied just as scornfully back at Nearly-Headless Nick

'Well I never!' Nick said, shocked and drifted down the table to join a group of third years including the Weasley twins.

'Well he's going to get a lot more cheek down there' Ron said 'What's with that girl's clothes?' he added looking at the second-year girl still on the stool.

'Harry you shouldn't have been so rude!' Hermione scolded, ignoring Ron. Harry ignored her and watched the girl still sat on the stool.

'This is getting boring' Seamus said, a few seats away, moments later

'Yeah it's taking forever' Dean agreed.

'Maybe the hat just wants to build the tension' Ginny suggested sitting in front of Ron and staring at the girl on the stool, 'She must be getting so worried up there'

'She looks like she's shrunk into that jumper' Lavender laughed from a few seats behind Ron.

'Oh I hope she can't hear people laughing' Ginny whispered, Hermione nodded in agreement looking worried.

'I just want to know who she is' Harry said.

'Yeah it's not normal for them not to read out the name' Hermione said

'You've only been here a year Hermione' Ron said stupidly

'I read, Ronald' Hermione replied

'Like you need to remind me' Ron answered rolling his eyes. It wasn't long until everyone seemed to be in a conversation and had forgotten about the girl at the front except from Hermione and Ginny.

'GRYFFINDOR!' The hat screamed, Almost everyone in the hall seemed to jump at the hat's interruption in their conversations. Even the atmosphere in the hall seemed to jump as thousands of hearts leapt.

'Serves them right' said Ginny to Hermione who laughed. The girl had climbed off the stool and was now approaching the Gryffindor table; she saw Hermione and Ginny laughing at the end and took it as if they were laughing at her. However she sat at the very end of the table anyway and squashed herself as far away from anyone as possible. Hermione and Ginny realised they had been staring at her and they both broke into simultaneous smiles.

'Hi' Ginny said. The girl never replied.

'What's your name?' Hermione asked 'we missed it, sorry'

'They never said it' she said quietly and turned away to watch Dumbledore's speech.

Ginny and Hermione exchanged confused looks before doing the same.

We will start with Dumbledore's Speech (after eating):

'Welcome to Hogwarts and to all the old students welcome back! I would like to start by introducing my new peers. Our new defence the dark arts teacher this year is Professor Lupin, and as Professor Filphius has moved on from Hogwarts the post of Care of magical creatures will be taken by our very own Rubeus Hagrid, he will however also remain our Grounds Keeper. To all of you who do not know, or who have to be reminded' Dumbledore looked over at Fred and George who cheered, Ginny giggled into her sleeves. 'The forbidden forest is strictly forbidden to all students. And I must add that Doctor Filibuster's wet-start dry fireworks are banned from indoor areas now including common rooms and if found they will be confiscated. For the other banned items please see the list in Mr Filch's office.

Also this year I have the pleasure of announcing that many teachers have volunteered to run extra classes for subjects that are usually only available for the third years and above. These classes will be open to the all year groups which will hopefully help the younger years with lesson choices in your third year and give you all a boost in your studies. After two years constant attendance you may have the option to take an O.W.L examination in the subject which will mean extra qualifications for those of you who would like to get a head start in your working lives. Lists of lessons open for these sessions will soon be pinned up on the notice boards in the common rooms.

Now I am sure I can safely say that many of us, like me, are very tired. So off to bed. Toodlepip!'

Suddenly the hall erupted with sound, Ginny ran off to the prefects of Gryffindor to be shown the way to the Gryffindor common room and to find out the password. While Hermione followed Ron and Harry out of the hall,

'Well we all know what Hermione's going to be doing every lunch break until the end of the year.' Ron said looking at her behind them