I want to thank you all for your patience…and keep reviewing!! The new character you are introduced to in this chapter will figure in heavily once we get past this first night… hope this all doesn't suck!!

I own NOTHING!!!! Well not entirely true… the plot and now my very own shiny character…wait…shit….someone gave me the idea for her…damn…give it up to JKR

True to her word, Lilly came back a few hours later to help Mina get changed and head down to the welcoming feast. Mina felt a hundred times better after napping a few hours and was actually looking forward to the event. The welcoming feast had always been rather special to her. Not only did she get to see her friends again, she always treated the welcoming feast as her welcome back into the magical world after being away from it for so long during the summer break. True, she had regularly gotten the Daily Prophet delivered to her by owl post every morning when she was home, along with random letters from Harry and Ron… but she always had to be so careful that the neighbors didn't notice the 'owls nest' in the granger attic actually had different owls going in and out of it everyday. It was wonderful to be surrounded by the magic that was so natural to her again. And this welcoming feast was going to be and eventful one. For one, she knew that Dumbledore would make some sort of announcement about her being a new student. Secondly, it was her chance to see how 'welcome' she would be in this time that was not her own. Plus, being ever thirsty for knowledge, it was her chance to examine the differences in the culture and traditions between her time and the time she found herself living in.

Hogwarts was a living monument to traditions but Mina could also see the subtle differences in the students as she watched them entering the great hall. They seemed slightly more formal. None of the un-tucked shirts or loosened ties that were common in her time could be seen. Boys were holding the doors open for the girls and there was a quiet excitement in the air for the start of a new school year. None of the dramatic changes that had occurred in the Muggle world during the sixties and seventies seemed evident or obvious among the student body. But, there was something in their eyes, and she could tell by the occasional hair braided with tie-dyed ribbons or the subtle flash of woven jewelry and/or platform shoes underneath the formal school robes, that things would be very different come Hogsmead weekends, when dress was more relaxed.

The sight that greeted Mina, as she and Lilly walked into the great hall, was achingly familiar. All the students were seated at there house tables laughing and catching up about there time over summer break, while waiting for the first years to enter. Well not all. As Mina's eyes searched the room, they landed on a dark, greasy haired boy sitting by himself at the Slytherin table. Dear God, she had forgotten about Snape. How would she handle seeing him in class? In her time he had been a right bastard no doubt, but it did not change the fact they he had save her and her friend's lives more times than she could count. When it had been revealed in a saved pensive memory that Dumbledore had already been dieing from his earlier wounds, despite Snape's best efforts, and that Dumbledore had ordered Snape to kill him in order to save Draco and stay close to Voldemort, Hermione had made tentative attempts at befriending the man. She could not imagine what it had been like for him to have to kill the one man who had ever shown complete trust in him. Snape, of course, had sneered at her gestures, bellowing that he did not want her pity or need her pathetic attempts at kissing up to a professor. She had kept at it though and had even noticed a glimmer of a smile when she offered to let him borrow her Potions Weekly catalogue. Of course, he had followed that almost smile with the appropriate sneer and cutting remark on her lack of ability to understand the more technical articles. Snape had not survived the first wave of attacks during the final battle. When Voldemort and his army had arrived at Hogwarts to find its defenses strong and unhindered instead of broken and week, like Snape had reported, Voldemort had turned his wrath onto to Snape. He had savaged Snape's body, and then threw it crashing through a window. It had landed in the center of the Great Hall, announcing Voldemort arrival.

Mina looked at him sitting alone, scribbling in his notebook as a younger student passed by saying hello. Snape barked a rude comment at the unfortunate and went back to his scribbling. Still pleasant as ever she observed. Was she going to try and befriend him as well? One miracle at a time she thought. Just let me get through tonight in one piece and she would worry about facing her snarky professor, now fellow student, later. She had enough on her pate as it was.

Lilly was leading Mina towards the Gryffindor table looking for a place to sit. Mina grinned when she saw James waving franticly from down the table, with Sirius, Remus and Peter laughing at their love struck friends antics.

"Come on Lilly, have a heart." Said Mina grinning

Lilly rolled her eyes "If we must…" and they headed over to where the boys were sitting and joined them. The Boys, much to Lilly's chagrin, rearranged themselves so that Lilly was stuck sitting between James and Sirius. This meant that Mina was stuck across from them between Remus and Peter. Mina was tense. She knew she was trying to be friendly to Peter but it would be awhile before she would ever feel truly comfortable around him.

Remus noticed her tension "Are you Ok?"

Mina smiled weakly at him "I guess I am just nervous, new school and all. I hope I fit in ok in classes and such."

"No problem there coz" said Sirius leaning on the table casually "You are hanging out with the coolest group in the school, and with me to guide you, you are golden!"

"But it's his modesty we really admire" said Remus, rolling his eyes sarcastically, causing Mina to crack up and causing Lilly to do a spit take with her pumpkin juice all over James.

"Oh…um…sorry about that" said Lilly, handing him a couple of napkins and trying to wipe his face off.

"You are beautiful" James said to Lilly as she tried to wipe the pumpkin juice that was dripping off his chin.

Lilly jerked her hand away and stared at him "James, I just spit pumpkin juice all over you."

"Yes" he said dreamily "but it came from that beautiful mouth of yours, and you used you beautiful hand to wipe my face. It is the closest to a real kiss I have ever gotten from you."

They all just started at him

"James…you have issues" Sirius said

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Once the first years were sorted and settled down at there respective tables, Dumbledore stood up and addressed the Hall.

"Welcome my friends to another year at Hogwarts. Before we begin our superb feast I due have a few announcements I would like to share with you. I would like to welcome all of our new first years. I am sure you will all be a wonderful addition to Hogwarts. I would also like to introduce another new student, my ward, Miss Mina Black."

He gestured for her to stand. She did for a second then sat back down, blushing, while the boys grinned at her. She could hear the whispers going around the hall. Ward? Black?

"She is a transfer student and will be a seventh year Gryffindor. I am sure you will all make her feel as welcome as you would any other new student. I have a less pleasant message for you all now. Due to extra security measures being taken, there is to be absolutely no leaving the grounds without express permission and a teacher's escort. We are trying to arrange extra help in that department to allow at least one Hogsmead visit this year. Until then, I must insist otherwise."

There was a general grumble from the students. The boys looked crushed…no Hogsmead? This was their final year!

"Now, now children. In light of this, I have decided to arrange a few extra 'in-door' events to help lighten your spirits." Dumbledore said, grinning widely "First, I am re-instituting the Halloween Masquerade Ball. Teachers are willing to assist any student who needs help transfiguring a costume. I have also decided that since we have such a talented group of students this year, that directly before Christmas break we shall hold a talent show. I shall be putting up notices later on and you are encouraged to sign up with your head of house once the notices are up."

All the students were talking excitedly to one another…and Sirius was grinning ear to ear.

"And finally, I have decided that instead of a closing feast, we are going to institute a muggle tradition, I believe called a Spring Fling. It is a sort of casual Ball, muggle clothing only."

Lilly and many of the other girls lit up and started whispering among themselves. Most of the Slytherin table looked appalled that they were being forced in to a muggle tradition.

'Now I hope this will brighten up the year for all of you…bring on the feast" and with a wave of his hand the tables were filled with there usual glorious fare of food. Just as everyone was about to tuck in, there was a loud explosion at one end of the Ravenclaw table, causing everyone to jump and several ravenclaws to run from the table. One curly brown haired girl was left sitting at the table, glasses askew, holding what appeared to be and electric knife, looking at it puzzled. She was covered in pumpkin juice and what remained of the food. She looked around and then grinned sheepishly at the head table.

"Sorry Sir. I was just experimenting with…"

"Not a problem my dear Miss Weaver" said Dumbledore with a grin. "However I do think it would be best for you to work on these experiments at a later time." And with a wave of his hand the table was back to normal and the food was replaced.

"Thank you Sir" said Miss Weaver. And she started putting random bits and bobs back into her bag.

"That girl is a menace" grumbled Sirius

"Who is she?" Mina asked

"Niobe Weaver" said Lilly as she glared at Sirius "She is a very nice 7th year Ravenclaw. We have a few classes with her."

Sirius rolled his eyes "We will be luck to survive."

James, for once, kept his mouth shut after seeing the look on Lilly face, though he silently agree with Sirius

"Come on guys, she is not that bad" said Remus

"But I always get blow up by her experiments" whined Peter

"You blow up enough things yourself Peter" Lilly snapped

"Yah, but at least we do it on purpose!" said Sirius hotly

"What kind of experiment?" Mina asked quickly, hoping to divert the argument

James jumped in "She is always trying to mix muggle technology with magic, hence all the explosions. Her great, great uncle was supposed to be a famous muggle inventor…Tassel or something"

"Tesla… she is descended from Tesla?!" said Mina in shock

"Yes she is" said Remus, thankful that for once someone at the table understood the significance. "She wants to follow in his footsteps. She is trying to find ways to run muggle inventions on magic."

"That is fascinating!" said Mina excitedly "She must be using some kind of charm to harness it. Maybe a transfiguration of elec…"

"Oh no" groaned Sirius "Not another one…"

"Relax Sirius, I am not going to blow anything up anytime soon. I just think her idea could be very useful in the future." Said Mina

"I prefer the here and now, thank you very much…and making my own explosion!" said Sirius

"Your loss then, she is really quite pretty." Said Lilly in a huff

"How can you tell under all the debris?" said Sirius with a smirk

""Honestly!" Lilly huffed

When everyone was finished and was getting up to start heading to the dorms, Mina stood up "Well I better go get my schedule from Professor McGonagall since I couldn't yesterday. See you later?" she said speaking to all of them but looking at Remus.

"Of course" said Remus, looking her in the eyes.

"Yah, see you in the common room." Said Lilly, who rushed off trying to get away from James who kept offering her his arm.

"Yes, see you all later" said Mina and she went up to the head table while the rest headed to the doors.

Sirius was keeping an eye on Remus and saw that he kept on looking back at Mina as she was talking to the teachers. "Come on old boy" said Sirius as he patted Remus on the back "You will see her soon enough"

"I know, and I am scared of what will happen" Remus said to himself under his breath

Again, Sirius caught it, and combined with all the other little aside moments he had witnessed today…he was final getting worried as to what was really going on with Miss Mina Black.