Chapter Seven: Beginning of New School Year at Hogwarts

Harry, Hermione and Ron all sat at the staff table with other staff members, feeling a bit uneasy, as the students started to file in. When all the second through seventh years took a seat, Harry turned to look at McGonagall and she nodded slightly as she stood up and left to get the first years. Once McGonagall was out of the room, Harry stood up as he looked around at the students. Taking a deep breath, he said loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "Good evening! As all of you know, I am Harry Potter, one of the students that should have come last year with last year's seventh years, but left without a word at the end of my sixth year with my friends, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley." Harry looked down at Hermione and Ron, whom sat at either side of him, and they got up slightly and bowed a little before sitting back down. Harry looked back up at the students as he continued, "I am back this year to act as the headmaster of Hogwarts until a permanent headmaster can be found. I will continue with my explanation when Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindor head and your Transfiguration teacher, comes back in with the first years." Harry searched the room as he called, "Mr. Filch? Will you notify Professor McGonagall to let the first years in? It's time for the sorting to begin fir the first year students." Filch stepped out into the halls before McGonagall came in with first year students filing in after her. Harry smiled at Hermione and Ron, quietly asking, "Remember our first time walking through those doors? Those were the days."

McGonagall soon called the first year students up one by one, and they were all put into a house. It was matter of time before McGonagall called up the last student as she announced, "And, finally, Jason Ziering!"

A young blonde haired boy stepped up and sat on the stool as the Sorting Hat was placed on his head. The Sorting Hat soon said, "Hmm. Your personalities seem to be split. You are extremely smart child so you would belong well in Ravenclaw, but your fair personality says you belong in Hufflepuff. There's that desire for fame and popularity in your heart that says you belong in Slytherin, but your loyalty says otherwise and is calling out towards Gryffindor." I stared curiously at Ziering as he muttered something under his breath. For some reason, he reminded me a lot of myself and it wasn't long before the Sorting Hat cried out, "Gryffindor?" I sat up straight as I turned my eyes to him as the Sorting Hat said, "What if Gryffindor's not the right house for you? You can fit in better with Ravenclaw with your smartness, and with the desire to be popular, you can fit in better with the Slytherin students!" There was a moment of silence as the Sorting Hat finally said, "Fine. I see that your desire to be in that house overpowers everything else. GRYFFINDOR!"

Ziering ran to the Gryffindor table with a bright smile and I couldn't help noticing seeing part of myself in him when I was his age seven years ago. When he sat down with the Gryffindors, I smiles faintly as I got back up. When I cleared my throat, the Great Hall fell silent as I said, "To all the returning students, welcome back! To the first year students, welcome and I hope the following years here at Hogwarts are wonderful years for you!"

"Not like his years here!" Ron cried out.

Harry snapped loudly without thinking, "Ronald! Some of them went through most of the DA things, so hush! The DA went through harsh things with me! Don't let that slip from your mind!" Looking back up at the students, I laughed nervously as I told them, "Please ignore him! For a Weasley, he's not exactly the brightest of the Weasley children." Before Ron could protest, Harry quickly gave a small hand signal to Hermione and she quickly muttered under her breath and Ron grew silent as he tried to yell. Harry nodded slightly at Hermione gratefully as he continued to say to the children, "I will be acting as your headmaster here at Hogwarts until replacement for our previous headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore, can be found! This was a special request from the Gryffindor head, Professor McGonagall, so I hope you all will understand."

As Harry looked over to Gryffindor table and Slytherin table uncertainly, Hermione quietly said, "You should ask those Muggles to stand up. These kids have the rights to know who to take care of and make sure don't get into trouble, Harry."

Nodding slightly, he called, "All the so-called endowed, please stand up!" As Charlie and his friends, as well as those that were against him, stood up, Harry looked around at other students as he said, "These are students from a different school! An academy which specific Muggle students attend! Most of these students hold special powers, so please don't try to get on any one of these students' wrong sides! The ones that are with the Gryffindors currently are the good hearted ones from what's known by me and the staff, but I could be wrong in some areas, so please don't go just by my judgments. But if you do encounter any problems with either side, please feel free to come see either me or the staff. If you can't reach any of us, well," looking down at Hermione, he said, "please go to Hermione Granger to ask for assistance." Looking back up at the kids, he said, "Either wise, please try to treat these kids fairly for they are still Muggles and are not witches and wizards like the rest of us!" He nodded slightly at Charlie, who then had sat back down, followed by the rest, and Harry soon smiled brightly at the children, saying, "Now, no more keeping you kids from the first meal of the year. Let the feast begin, and a start of another great school year!"

Foods appeared across all the tables and soon, excited chatters filled the hall and Harry sat back down. As Hermione countered the spell on Ron, he looked grumpy as Hermione asked, "Harry, should we watch over the kids in the towers directly?"

Harry nodded slightly, replying, "If it means for extra safety precautions, yeah."

"Who's going to take which house? There's only three of us," Ron grumpily said.

Harry said, "Hermione, you take the Ravenclaw house. They're the smartest of the smartest, so you should have no problem dealing with them. Heck, you can blend in with them no problem." As Ron snickered, Harry continued, "I'll take Gryffindor. I'm the strongest in defense, so if the Slytherins or those kids that Bone doesn't seem to like tries to attack, I'll be able to defend the kids with ease."

Ron snapped, "You just want to be with my sister!"

"I may love her, Ronald, but this is more serious matter," Harry reminded him gravely. "I need to make sure no students get harmed. As for the Hufflepuff students, you'll be with them, Ron. Some of them are actually pretty good with defense as well, so shouldn't be much of a problem for you if Hufflepuff is to be targeted."

Hermione told Ron, "Harry's right, Ron. It's just more logical for Harry to be with the Gryffindors since he is the best in defense out of all three of us. It's just fair that he stays with the house that's most likely to be targeted."

"Not only that," Harry added as he looked towards the Gryffindor table, "I want to keep my eyes on that Ziering kid as well. Just to make sure he didn't meet up with Manfred Bloor and his little gang before Ziering came here."

McGonagall cleared her throat as she asked, "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger? Is it really wise for the three of you to talk like that in front of the entire school?"

Harry looked around at the kids, whom were clearly in their own little worlds with their friends, he simply said, "Nope. Most of these kids know us well enough to say this is how the three of us act all the time, so it's not going to be much trouble." Getting up, Harry said, "Now, if you'll excuse me for awhile, I have to get something." As Harry walked towards the doors of the Great Hall, he cried out, "Dobby! Kreacher!" The two house elves immediately appeared on his shoulders as he walked out the door.