Following Tonks down the empty corridors of the first floor, Harry couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive. Although they hadn't fought with each other over the holidays, they hadn't exactly been on the best of terms after Tonks had impersonated him at Malfoy's trial, and Harry wondered if that's what this was about.

"There's some people I want you to talk to," Tonks said as they slowed to a stop in the deserted corridor. "It's important."

"Who are they?" Harry asked in suspicion, wondering if Sirius was trying to set him up with a shrink.

Tonks hesitated before replying, knowing that Harry wasn't going to like the answer. "Some Aurors."

"Why do they want to talk to me?"

Looking at her properly, Harry noticed just how tired she looked, seeing the dark circles under her eyes that she hadn't bothered to transfigure. Even her hair didn't seem as bright. She sighed to herself for a moment, looking defeated as she slowly opened the door they stood near. "Just talk to them, will you?"

Knowing he had little choice, Harry glanced inside the classroom at the few Aurors that stood waiting for them patiently, only entering when he noticed Kingsley waiting also.

"Harry," Kingsley greeted him with a nod. "How was the train ride?"

"It was fine," he replied shortly, wishing that they would get to the point quickly.

"Right," Kingsley nodded in satisfaction. "I'll get straight to the point, Harry. These are my co-workers, Auror Clarke and Auror Campbell," he said, indicating to each of the Aurors beside him. "And this is Auror Proctor, he was in charge of your investigations and Malfoy's."

Shaking each of their hands politely, Harry frowned as he shook hands with Proctor, recognising him, but not entirely sure of where. "Did we meet…at St Mungos?"

"Yes, we did," he replied with the hint of a smile.

Slipping his hands into the pockets of his robes Harry nodded in recognition, recalling the meeting they had together about Malfoy. He didn't quite remember much from the first two days of his return, perhaps the lingering effects of Snape's potion, but it felt strange having an almost complete stranger helping him fill in the blanks.

"Harry," Kingsley said again, gaining his attention. "The reason we're here is to talk about security, and your protection."

Harry sighed to himself, having known that this meeting could not have been good. "My protection?"

"Yes," Kingsley replied, his tone serious and foreboding. "Malfoy is a threat to you, one that we're taking very seriously."

"C'mon, Kingsley," Harry implored. "I've dealt with Malfoy for years, he's not going to be a problem."

"Is that what you were thinking when he nearly drowned you?" Auror Clarke spoke up, not having the decency to look ashamed when Harry glared at him.

Harry didn't say anything, glancing at Tonks beside him, who was clearly not going to give him any support.

"The point is," Kingsley interrupted before the Auror could continue. "It doesn't matter if you're not worried, we are not willing to take risks on your safety."

"We've already spoken to Malfoy about this," Proctor assured him. "He understands the boundaries that have been set down."

"And what are they?"

"Malfoy has been forbidden to make any contact with you, any violation of that will see him in a lot of trouble."

"Won't he be in my classes?"

"Yes," Kingsley confirmed. "And the same rule will apply there. The teachers will be ensuring that you are seated on opposite sides of the class room, and you will never be paired with each other in group work."

"Fine," Harry nodded, relieved that it didn't seem too bad.

"What are your intentions regarding Quidditch?" Auror Campbell asked.

"I'm not stepping down as Captain," Harry replied defensively.

"That poses a problem, Harry. If Gryffindor and Slytherin were to play against each other, there is limited opportunity to protect you from him, and wizarding law states that he has the right to carry a wand at all times."

"Kingsley," Harry turned to him, his annoyance growing. "He's not going to pull anything while we're playing Quidditch."

"How can you be so sure?" Campbell asked him lowly.

"Because I know him," Harry replied equally lowly, turning back to the Auror. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remain in control of his temper. The last thing he needed right now was an angry outburst.

"We can talk about Quidditch if the issue does come up," Proctor intervened. "There's one last thing we need to talk about."

"Look," Harry appealed to Kingsley. "Malfoy's not stupid enough to pull something at school. Not again."

"Harry," Kingsley said, his tone was final. "Malfoy is just the start of your problems." He looked at Proctor imploringly, indicating that he should continue.

"This isn't going to be easy to hear, but realistically Malfoy probably wasn't the only student who witnessed what happened to you. Malfoy's just the unlucky one who got arrested."

His stomach twisting in knots, Harry felt his hands beginning to shake as he looked from Proctor to Kingsley, realisation dawning on him as Proctor continued. "It's hardly a secret that alleged Death Eaters have students that attend this school, and for us to presume that none of them are involved with You Know Who is just stupid."

"There were no other students there," Harry denied.

"You can't be sure of that, Harry," Tonks replied quietly. "You never saw their faces."

The room was silent for a few moments as Harry digested this news. His mind was spinning, trying to comprehend the possibility that other students had witness his captivity, and despite how much he wanted to deny it, he couldn't forget the roomful of Death Eaters that he seemed to encounter almost every day. He breathed out slowly as he tried to picture the few faces that he had seen, recalling only those of the Malfoys and Lestrange. Wishing that someone would contradict what Proctor told him Harry glanced at Tonks, disappointed when she avoided his gaze.

"We don't know exactly how much support Malfoy is going to receive from his class mates," said Kingsley. "But we can be certain that any support he gets isn't going to be good for you."

"Where are you going with this?"

"This is for your own safety, Harry," Kingsley assured him half heartedly. "Whenever you leave Gryffindor tower, you will be protected by an Auror at all times."

Harry's heart sank immediately at this news, but his face remained passive as his mind began reeling, confused by the conflicting thoughts that immediately engulfed him. "What do you mean when you say, protected?"

"An Auror will be with you at all times, making sure you don't get into any danger."

"You mean followed?" Harry asked quietly. "Someone's going to be following me?"

"This is for your own good."

"Are you serious?"

"You won't even notice us, Harry. No one will even know you're being guarded except you."

Folding his arms across his chest, Harry leant against the nearest desk and looked at the floor, unsure of what to say next. He swore under his breath as he thought of the Horcruxes he was looking for, the entire reason he had returned to Hogwarts. He could he possibly search for them undetected while he was being constantly tailed?

"Isn't that over kill?"

"As far as your safety is concerned, nothing is over kill."

"Well why aren't you following Malfoy?" Harry asked in frustration, finally looking up at them.

"We have been, and we'll be continuing to do so," Proctor assured him.

"Then why me? He's the Death Eater!"

Kingsley sighed to himself. "Like I said before, Harry, Malfoy is just the start of your problems."

"And it's not just the Slytherins," Campbell continued. "You could cop hell from all directions this year. You don't have to be in Slytherin to be in the league with You Know Who, Percy Weasley proved that."

"He's not a Death Eater," Harry snapped quickly, not completely sure why he was defending Percy.

"That's enough," Proctor said calmly, diffusing Harry's temper before he lost it. "Harry, you need this protection, and you know it. And whether you like it or not, as long as you are in this school you will be getting it."

Looking back at the ground Harry fell silent again, knowing he wasn't going to win. The room remained quiet for a few moments as Harry thought through what had been said, suddenly thinking about his friends. He wondered if anyone besides Malfoy had been there when Ginny was tortured, wondering who it was that the Aurors suspected. For a fleeting moment Harry couldn't help but feel utterly relieved about the Aurors that would be following him, knowing now that it wasn't just Malfoy that he would be facing. The moment passed however, his worry for the Horcruxes resurfacing.

"Harry, do you understand everything that we've told you?" Proctor asked gently.

Nodding after a few moments, Harry reluctantly look up again. "Yes," he replied solidly.

Proctor nodded his head in recognition. "In that case, I think it's best if Auror Tonks takes you back to the Great Hall before the sorting begins."

Relieved to be dismissed Harry stood up straight and followed Tonks out of the room, not bothering to thank any of the Aurors. Standing in the deserted corridor, Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind himself, utterly relieved to finally be out of that room. He followed Tonks on the short walk back to the Entrance Hall, the chatter of the arriving students growing louder with every step.

"It won't be so bad," Tonks promised him encouragingly.

"Sure," he replied sourly, unable to look her in the eye.

"It won't, I promise. I'll be here too."

"You mean you'll be following me too?" Harry countered.

"No. I mean I'll be here, probably more than you'll want me, though."

They slowed to a stop at the end of the corridor, the entrance hall just around the corner as Tonks looked at him seriously. "You can do this."

Harry suppressed a smile, surprised at her words. "You know, I think you're the first person to tell me that."

Tonks merely nodded. "I want to make one thing clear to you. The moment you leave Gryffindor Tower, Aurors are going to be following you until the moment you return. You won't be able to see them, but they'll be there."

"I understand," Harry nodded.

"One more thing," Tonks continued, her tone growing more and more serious. "I don't care what the situation is. If you put yourself in danger, I won't hesitate to take you home."

"Alright, I get it," he replied imperatively. He shook his head to himself in wonder. "Since when did you get so serious?"

Tonks didn't reply for a moment, as though thinking twice before answering him. "Since I saw what they did to you."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Tonks looked around them before replying quietly, beginning to wish she hadn't said anything in the first place. "I was one of the Aurors that got you out of there."

"You what?" he asked in shock, feeling strangely betrayed as he stepped back from her.

She nodded in confirmation. "I saw everything they did to you, and so did Kingsley. Do you understand why we'll stop at nothing to prevent that happening again? Do you understand why I went to Malfoy's trial?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You had more important things to worry about. Like getting better," she replied solidly.

Harry didn't say anything for a long moment, looking away from her and looking in the direction of the Entrance Hall, the loud chatter of students was slowly beginning to die down. The sorting was sure to begin soon. He knew he shouldn't stay any longer, his self control had already been provoked too much. "I'd better go," he said shortly. "I'll talk to you later."

He left quickly, not hearing her farewell as he rounded the corner and soon joined the throng of students entering the Great Hall. Looking around briefly, he was relieved to see that Ron was waiting for him just inside the door.

"Where were you?"

"I was talking to Tonks," he replied quietly as they made their way over to the Gryffindor table. He could feel the many eyes of his fellow students following them as they walked, and he forced himself not to look at them, focusing on getting to his table.

"What did she want?"

"Hold on," Harry muttered as they sat down across from Hermione, watching Dean and Seamus approach them.

"Harry!" Dean greeted him enthusiastically, clapping him painfully on the shoulder.

"Good to see you didn't let Malfoy bring you down."

"Yeah," he replied awkwardly, glad when they turned their attention to Ron. Across the table Hermione smiled at him encouragingly while pretending to be listening intently to Lavender beside her. His spirits lifted as Ginny slipped onto the bench beside him, having been talking to her friends at the other end of the table.

"Merlin," she muttered to him. "It's nice that they're concerned, but I wish they'd go away."

"I agree," he replied before turning back to Dean who was asking about Quidditch try outs, thoroughly relieved when he and Seamus finally left them.

"So what did Tonks want?" Ron asked him again.

Hesitating before answering, Harry wondered whether he should wait to tell his friends until they were alone, but knew that Ron wasn't likely to let up. "I had to talk to some Aurors," he said under his breath. "About Malfoy."

"What did they say?"

"Just that he's not allowed to speak to me."

"You were with them for ages," Ron argued. "What else did they say?"

Harry didn't reply for a moment, glancing down at the table as he thought. He didn't want to voice the Aurors' concerns about the other Slytherins, but knew that his friends would rather find out sooner rather than later. He glanced up at Hermione and Ginny who were listening intently, wishing that they would look away. "They seem to think there were other Slytherins there as well."

"Slytherins where?" Ron asked without thinking.

"Where do you think?" Harry hissed, wishing that Ron would get the hint.

Ron didn't reply, realisation dawning on his face after a moment. "Blimey," he said in awe, glancing over at the Slytherin table. "Who do they think it was?"

"I didn't ask."

"Well what are they doing about it?" Hermione asked as she leant across the table, unable to hold herself back any longer.

Harry looked at her for a moment, knowing that she was not going to like what he said next. "Aurors are going to be following me."

"Following you? Where?" Hermione asked, immediately thinking of the Horcruxes.

"Everywhere," he replied lowly. "Everywhere, except Gryffindor tower."

"Oh, no," Hermione muttered to herself.

"Wait," Ginny said in confusion. "Why are you so upset? If the Aurors think that the Slytherins are in with Voldemort, then this is a good thing."

"Not really," Harry murmured to her. "It just makes things difficult."

"How?"

"Because," Ron said hastily, cutting Harry off as he leant around him to see his sister. "It means that you and Harry can't even find a broom cupboard to snog in, unless you're expecting company."

Ginny raised her eye brows before turning back to Harry, determined for an answer. "How does it make things difficult?"

"We should talk later," Harry replied dismissively as he saw Filch enter the Great Hall, carrying a low stool in one hand, and the care worn sorting hat in the other. The students fell silent as he put the stool down before the teachers table, carefully placing the patient Sorting Hat upon it. Glowering at the hall full of students, Filch moved off to the side of the hall where Mrs Norris waited for him, jumping straight back into his arms.

The silence in the Great Hall felt almost deafening, and Harry glanced up at the enchanted ceiling, seeing the cloudy night sky above them. He look back down and finally turned his gaze upon the Slytherin house table on the opposite side of the room, the green banners above their table fluttering slightly. Scanning along the students that sat there, Harry wondered which of them the Aurors suspected, horrified at the thought that some of them may have actually been present during his captivity.

The doors of the Great Hall opened with a loud creak, Professor Sprout leading the procession of nervous first year students between the house tables towards the Sorting Hat. Ignoring the first years, Harry continued scanning the Slytherin table, his heart giving a nervous jolt as he finally found the person he had been looking for.

He had been hoping that Malfoy would look as bad as himself, and was disappointed to see the familiar cunning smile on his face as he whispered to Pansy Parkinson, who sat beside him. He thought back to the articles printed in the Daily Prophet during his trial, recalling how awful Malfoy had looked in the published pictures, and for a moment Harry almost wished he had testified after all, if only to see in person that Malfoy suffered just as much as he did. But looking at him in person now, Harry was still glad that he hadn't gone, and briefly wondered if Malfoy had any idea that it hadn't really been him testifying. For the first time, Harry wished that he could have heard what it was that Tonks had told the Wizengamont, that he knew what Malfoy had heard.

Beneath the table Ginny put her hand around his clenched fist, forcing him to uncurl his fingers and hold hers. "Stop looking at him," she muttered. "He's not worth your worry."

He tore is gaze away from Malfoy and looked at her, smiling reassuringly as he squeezed her hand. He looked away from her concerned gaze and focused on the Sorting Hat, which seemed to scrutinize the first years in front of him, before launching into his song.

"I do not know just what to say to comfort you my friends.
The years are long and life is hard; so many meet poor ends.
In all my years that I have been set here upon this chair,
I never met such grievances as now are in the air.

We weep together for the dear, belated Dumbledore.
Professor here, and Headmaster for over years three-score.
His life touched each and everyone, here inside this hall,
And now he rests upon these grounds, below a phoenix call.

The horrors that surround us are the crux of problems here.
Now we must fight for what is ours. Must face our every fear.
Together we'll protect our community, our friends.
We must work together now. It's time to make amends.

Oh! Why must we fight amongst ourselves? For magic is a gift.
It's meant to join us all together, and not to cause a rift.
If not for ALL the founders then this school would never be.
And none of us'd be here today, most certainly not me.

I cannot help but feel that it's my fault that we're this way.
I divvy off you children 'fore you've even finished play.
At age eleven I must say where 'tis you ought to go.
Which place is best for you to learn? Where is it you will grow?

After that I watch and can no longer play a part.
I give you nothing more than what is here within my heart.
Some will grow up proud and strong, and others we will lose-
It's up to you to guide your path. Which way shall you choose?

Take heart though dearest students, guests, and teachers, one and all
This school is good, its power is strong, though many here are small.
Take a deep breath, put on a smile, and lift that gloomy chin.
Now on to much more cheerful things: The Sorting we begin!"

The Great Hall broke into applause, the students cheering loudly as the first years looked on nervously. Harry applauded but didn't cheer, frowning on the inside at the message of unity that the Sorting Hat was trying to send. Professor Sprout opened the scroll within her hands and the cheering died down into silence under her stern stare.

"Adams, Nicole," she declared.

Tuning out from the sorting, Harry continued looking around the Great Hall, disappointed to see that none of the four house tables were full, but didn't feel surprised. How wondered how many students who returned had fought with their parents just as he did, glad that they too had won. He looked towards the teachers table, relieved to see Hagrid waving at him eagerly, having been obviously trying to catch his attention. He smiled dutifully and nodded at him, suppressing a laugh as Hagrid beamed widely, quite pleased now. Scanning along the remainder of teachers, Harry stopped at the three new faces, each of them sitting in the chairs of the teachers they were replacing.

He didn't give the teachers sitting in the Transfiguration and Potions chairs a second look, instead focusing on the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Catching his gaze, the woman smiled at him cheekily and winked, and he felt his heart sinking as he recognised the teacher as Tonks.

He should have known that someone else from the Order would be here to keep an eye on him, and he wondered if Tonks was here upon Sirius' request. He looked to his friends who had also recognised Tonks, confused looks on their faces.

Fortunately the sorting finished quickly, each house giving a final round of applause for their new housemates before Professor McGonagall stood before them, ready to give the opening speech. It seemed unreal seeing McGonagall standing in Dumbledore's place, as though he were going to arrive any moment and relieve her of her duties. Harry didn't listen, tuning out to the surroundings until McGonagall finally announced dinner, the table before them filling abundantly with delicious food.

"About time," Ron sighed, gratefully reaching for the plate of potato. "I thought she was gonna go through Filch's whole list of banned items."

"I thought she did," Ginny moaned from Harry's other side, equally as hungry as her brother.

"I can't believe Tonks is here," Harry said in disbelief, glancing at her on the teachers table again.

"Neither can I," Hermione added with a grim smile, turning back around in her seat. "You think maybe Sirius put her up to this?"

Ron swallowed his mouthful of food, his eyes watering in his haste. "I'll bet it was Mum."

"More likely both of them," Harry muttered darkly.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered in frustration. "This is no fun, she's gonna be our Head of House."

"Head of house?"

"Weren't you listening to McGonagall?" asked Ginny, a knowing smile on her face.

"No," Harry confessed sheepishly, ignoring the stern glare that Hermione sent him. He looked back up at the table again, watching as Tonks talked animatedly to Professor Flitwick beside her, sipping her wine. For a moment Harry wondered what else he hadn't been told, what other measures had been put in place that would only hinder his plans.

"Hiya, Harry."

Turning around in his seat, Harry wished he had mistaken the familiar voice for someone else. "Hi, Colin," Harry replied, apprehensively noting the camera he held in his hands.

"How was your summer?"

Harry felt completely dumbstruck, Colin's obvious naivety the only thing telling him that this wasn't a joke. "Er," he began. "It was fine."

"Mine was pretty boring too," Colin assured him. "There's nothing to do besides school work."

"Yeah," Harry agreed awkwardly.

"Well, I'd better go," he finished, having been on his way to the other end of the table. He half raised his camera as though he were going to take a picture of Harry, thinking twice at the last minute before lowering it again. "Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thanks," Harry muttered, utterly relieved when Colin left. He laughed under his breath as he turned back to his friends, each of them silent in shock.

"Well," Ginny said, recovering first. "That could have been awkward."

"It was awkward," Harry implied, strangely feeling the urge to smile.

"What a jerk," Ron spoke angrily, glaring at Colin's back.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed as quietly as she could.

"What? Was that supposed to be a joke?"

"He's Muggle born!"

"That makes a difference?"

"Yes," Hermione implied. "He probably didn't get the Daily Prophet during the holidays. He's got no idea what happened."

At these words, Ginny emitted an uncharacteristic giggle.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked in bemusement.

Smiling slyly, Ginny answered. "I just pictured the look on his face when someone tells him."

Harry smiled and laughed genuinely for the first time that day, he too picturing the look of horror that was sure to cross Colin's face. Slowly beginning to feel completely relaxed for the first time in weeks, Harry and his friends settled into a comfortable conversation, delighting in the Hogwarts food that he had so terribly missed, glad that the fellow Gryffindors they spoke with had the decency not to bring up anything related to his abduction. Harry soon put down his knife and fork, unable to eat any more, watching with a smile as Ron rolled his eyes at him, keenly helping himself to seconds.

His tiredness catching up on him again, Harry stifled a yawn behind his hand, relieved when McGonagall stood up at the teachers table, the empty plates around the hall disappearing before she soon dismissed them to bed.

There was the usual deafening scraping noise as the benches they sat upon slid back, the students standing up and preparing to leave. Hermione jumped out of her seat and scanned around the room for the Head Boy, hastily beginning to supervise the Prefects and their first years. Being in no hurry to leave, Harry, Ron and Ginny stayed seated for a few minutes, allowing the rest of the school to slowly press themselves out of the Hall.

Feeling Ginny slip her hand back into his and squeeze nervously, Harry realised that the news that other Slytherins may have been involved in his abduction seemed to be affecting her more than he realised. The three of them walked through the ground floor halls in near silence, waving occasionally as various other students and members of the DA greeted them enthusiastically, disappointed when informed that the DA would still not be running this year.

Harry knew their trip back to Gryffindor Tower was not likely to remain uneventful, and was unsurprised when they were met with loud jeering as they passed a particularly large group of Slytherins in the corridor. They ignored them all as they passed, knowing none of them would have the guts to make any sort of serious threats towards them.

Coming around the corner Harry had to stifle a gasp as he came almost face to face with Malfoy, whose blonde hair stood out in the fire lit corridors. Malfoy stared at him wide eyed for a moment, hastily turning his shocked look into a sneer. Stopping dead in his tracks Harry stared right back at Malfoy, his own face remaining passive however. He thought hard, remembering what had happened the day Malfoy had almost caught him after his escape. Time had not erased his memory of Malfoy as they had fought beside the river, still able to recall the burning agony in his lungs when Malfoy had pushed his face under the water, effectively subduing him. In that moment Harry would have loved nothing more than to draw his wand, a few choice curses coming to mind, but he forced himself to resist. The last thing he needed to do was provoke Malfoy into a fight on their first night back.

Breaking the stare between the two, Ron roughly pushed past Malfoy and glanced back at Harry and his sister, his stern look telling them to follow. Determined not to look away, Harry glared at his enemy until he looked away, shame clearly written across his face. Satisfied, he followed Ron, letting go of Ginny's hand and sliding his arm around her waist, holding her close as they walked. Nothing further was said until they reached Gryffindor Tower, Harry reluctantly kissing Ginny goodnight before he and Ron ascended the staircase to the boys dormitory, too tired to put it off any longer.
Waiting until Ron slipped into the small bathroom, Harry made sure he was alone before hastily removing his robes and changing into his pajamas, making sure to choose a pair with long sleeves. He spared the wounds on his body no second glance, only reminding himself he had to see Madam Pomfrey early the next morning, knowing it would only be too easy to slip past his dorm mates.

Neville quietly entered the dorm soon after, boding Ron and Harry goodnight as they both slipped into bed, Ron's boisterous snores filling the room within minutes. As Neville too changed into his pajamas and headed for bed, Harry took his glasses off and placed them on the table beside him, subtly taking his wand and casting a strong silencing charm around his four poster bed. Hogwarts alone was not going to stop his nightmares, and he knew that the comfort of Sirius awakening him was long over.

A/N....Full credit goes to my awesome Plot Bunny Advisor, Rachel, for writing the fantastic Sorting Hat song. I'm incredibly jealous of her poetry skills, so please leave us a review and tell us what you think about this chapter, and her Sorting Hat song.

Thanks again readers, keep an eye out for the next chapter.