The Term Begins
The chatter within the Great Hall was a dull roar as always, and today the main subject was the marked change in four students, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger. The four were considered by the majority to be, well many couldn't comprehend the words to describe it since beautiful seemed to fall woefully short. It was only to a few within the numbers that the four were terrifying, the soft shimmer almost burning to the eyes making them wish to never look upon them again.
The four of them were however, unaffected by the whispered comments as they talked amongst themselves, and they remained so until Dean Thomas leaned towards Ginny with a smile.
"Ginny, I know things were left with a little trouble between us, but I'd love to give it another try if you are."
Ginny smiled sadly at Dean
"Sorry Dean, I'm with Harry now, and it wouldn't work between us in the long run."
That one statement added a whole new subject to the list.
The Sorting Hat was carried out along with a line of nervous first years following the stern faced Professor McGonagall and placed upon the three legged stool where the seam at the brim opened and it broke in to song.
Times may be dark my friends
But the winds of time doth blow
Four pillars of the Earth Mother stand tall and proud
As peace and unity flow within these halls
Worry not your hearts
With the war beyond our walls
Unity between houses has been my song since three years prior
And it will be as such once more.
To separate you I must
But these boundaries should hold no heed
In all but friendly rivalry
The Hufflepuffs
Loyal and true are you
Like The Beautiful Helga herself
Those of sure hearts and loyal spirits doth rest here
The Ravenclaws
Smartest of the lot
Don't let your minds reside only in the books for life is an important lesson
Held within no tome
The Slytherins
A sly and scheming group
Don't let the teachings of old taint your hearts
Power does not always hold true
The Gryffindors
A brave group if they ever did stand
Don't let courage blind you to reason
Or your fall will be sure
It is with a heavy heart that I separate another lot
When I call for unity with you all.
There was light applause and the sorting began, the houses cheered as a new first year joined their ranks and within the space of a few minutes, the sorting was complete. After a sumptuous feast Dumbledore rose from his seat and smiled.
"I know many of you are afraid of the darkness that nips at our ankles seeking to make us fall, but we are stronger than them. Due to an unfortunate incident involving a herd of angry centaurs, Ms Umbridge has been forced to leave her seat as Defence against the Dark Arts Professor. We have an American Auror on loan from the American Ministry who will take the seat along with providing extra security. Professor Hannigan is a very experienced Auror and should excel where your last professor failed."
A bald man with pale skin stood up to a smattering of polite applause.
"Now ladies and gentlemen, I bid you a pleasant nights rest and a prosperous and productive year of learning. Your beds must be awaiting you all as surely as you are awaiting them."
With a loud scraping of the benches, they all stand up and begin to leave, Hermione marshalled the first years as Harry, Ginny and Ron walk calmly at the rear.
"Dumbledore has organised some new "sleeping" quarters for us all to arouse as little suspicion from our lack of sleeping Harry, the head boy's room has been allocated to us and converted in to a study of sorts."
Ron chuckled slightly.
"So two guys and two girls in the same room won't cause suspicion?"
Harry laughed along with his friend, a deep and musical tone that had many young witches near by weakened in the knees
"I think it will be less then why we never sleep any more, they expect it with me, but you have to be hit over the head with a Bludger to wake up on most days except on Christmas, then you are the Bludger."
Ginny laughed slightly.
"He hasn't changed since he was little then."
Harry dropped down in to a seat and removed his shoes and socks, letting the floor become covered in grass, he set his bare feet on to it and smiled.
"We need to make allies outside of wizards, the centaurs and merpeople would be our best bets for protecting Hogwarts. We'll try them and then think beyond, they however, will be our beachhead, our foothold."
Hermione nodded as she too set her bare feet on to the dewy grass with a smile of contentment suffusing her ethereal glow. Ron looked out the window at the twilit sky and mumbled
"…Dragons…We could bring in some dragons."
Ginny laughed softly as she squeezed in to the seat with Harry.
"We'd be Hagrid's favourites if we get a few dragons here."
Harry chuckled slightly but shook his head.
"What will we do about the centaurs and merpeople for now?"
Ron grinned as he leaned forward and explained his idea.
At three o clock that morning, when the moon hung high in the deep azure sky and the stars twinkled benignly in the heavens, four figures slowly walked across the empty field towards the edge of the forbidden forest. Ron spoke first.
"Are we all sure of what to do?"
Ginny laughed softly as she casts her glowing eyes at the moon.
"We haven't forgotten it Ron, we butter them up and treat them as our equals basically, and then tell them that, if we do not join under one banner that all shall fall to the cancer of our earth that is Tom Riddle."
Harry chuckled as the four pass in to The Forbidden Forest and stop as a tall black haired centaur stood in front of them.
"I welcome the, brethren of the Mother, I am called Linken, and I bare you a message; "We centaurs knew that you would descend from the bosom of The Mother and walk among us mortals and bring us all together in one calling, the centaurs will fight with you.".
Harry chuckled as they all walked back toward Hogwarts, Ron grinning in his new knowing way.
"That was damn easy."
Ginny just smiled as Hermione said
"I never thought the centaurs would willingly ally themselves with us like that. They never even allied with Merlin when he fought Morgana."
"We aren't exactly wizards and witches anymore though are we?"
Albus chuckled as he watched the four glowing figures walk back from the Forbidden Forest, from what he knew, those shadowed forests would hold no danger to the teens. He turns and started his descent.
Harry smiled benignly at the old man stood near the top of the stair way.
"Albus, we have news for you. We have a herd of powerful allies, strong in archery and in reading the heavens above."
Albus' jaw dropped at the words of the young man.
"You don't mean the Centaurs. Not even Merlin could call them to arms."
Ginny just chuckled as she brushed away a lock of her hair.
"As I said earlier to Hermione, We are hardly witches and wizards anymore."