Greetings everyone! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day and that you have all finished your final exams and that you have amazing Holidays! I apologize profusely for my lack of updates for the past MONTH but I will explain later. On with the story!

Chapter 21: Welcome Back and Big Surprises…

"Hello everyone, welcome back to Hogwarts!" said Professor McGonagall.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny hurried up the stairs to meet their Transfigurations teacher. Draco and Anna Sophia walked up the stairs slowly, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Hagrid had stayed behind to care for the Thestrals.

"Hello professor, it's great to see you!" said Hermione enthusiastically.

Harry, Ron and Ginny looked at each other and suppressed their laughter. Hermione looked happy enough to burst. They knew being back at Hogwarts would bring out the scholar in her once again and they knew she would never waste the opportunity to do some apple polishing. They suppressed another giggle.

"It is great to see you… all of you," she added, her severe eyes resting on Anna Sophia and Draco's faces. "I am sure you must all be starving. You will go to the Great Hall first for a spot of dinner and afterwards we'll… talk… about some things," she explained vaguely, turning on her heel to walk away.

"Professor, won't you be joining us?" asked Harry immediately, looking a bit confused.

"No. The professors and I have some things to discuss and, well, you will have plenty to talk about as well. Do go on!" she goaded, walking away.

"What was that all about?" asked Harry, turning to Anna Sophia.

"I don't know," she answered immediately, looking at the old teacher as her form disappeared behind one of the corners. "But we should do as she says. I am hungry!"

"I am right behind you!" said Ron, smiling happily as he followed the small woman. "I really did miss this, Hogwarts!"

"I think you missed the food, Ronald, no Hogwarts!" said Hermione scathingly, turning her nose upward.

Ron shrugged and turned bright pink. Draco shook his head and smirked.

"Simpleton…" he muttered under his breath as he too followed the group into the Great Hall.

As soon as the doors opened, they were greeted by one large table. The four House Tables has been removed and in their place stood hundreds of book shelves and other magnificent objects Harry vaguely remembered seeing in fake Moody's office. He had the distinctive feeling that not only Hogwarts was not in session, but it had become headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. He had no time to run this theory by Hermione or Ginny as he noticed something strange about the table.

"Nine chairs?" asked Ginny, voicing his question before he could. "Who else is joining us?"

Harry turned to look at Anna Sophia again. This time she not only seemed to not know the answer, but she looked genuinely confused. She looked around the place, trying to spot whoever would join them and found that they were still all alone.

"Well… whoever it is will join is soon. Now, let's eat!" insisted Ron sitting down on the nearest chair and grabbing a fork and a knife, getting ready for the appearance of food on his golden plate.

"Idiot," muttered Draco again sitting down at the other end of the table, as far from Ron as he could.

Hermione glanced uneasily at the two boys, pondering over where she should seat. Anna Sophia simplified matters by pushing her hard to Draco's end of the table. For the briefest moment, Hermione saw a look of gratitude form on Draco's face as he looked at Anna Sophia but it disappeared all too soon. Harry on the chair located to Ron's left side and Ginny followed suit. Anna Sophia sat to the empty chair to his right and glanced at the three empty chairs.

"Oh… a round table that seats nine people? Don't you all know that is the kind of table used by the legendary susi?" asked a soft female voice.

Harry burst out laughing, happy for recognizing the voice and even happier at the prospect of spending some time with her. It was Luna Lovegood; and next to her stood a taller, leaner Neville Longbottom. They were closely followed by the slightly duck footed Viktor Krum.

"Luna! Neville!" said Harry happily, standing up from his chair and walking towards them. "Krum! What are you doing here?"

Viktor shifted his weight nervously from foot to foot, looking somberly at the expression on each other members of the group's faces. Hermione looked shocked; her cheeks turned a bright pink. Ron seemed like he was half embarrassed to see Viktor and half delighted. He was always a big fan of his. Draco was trying his hardest to seem distant, but he too was a big fan of his. Ginny was too busy talking animatedly to Luna to even notice and Anna Sophia just looked as confused as before. It was fairly obvious that she had never seen Viktor before in her life.

"Uh, Anna Sophia, this is Viktor Krum," said Harry quickly, wanting to get done with any introductions. "And this is Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom!"

Anna Sophia looked at Neville first, her expression blank. Then she turned her attention to Luna, who seemed to be studying her just as intently.

"Do you battle susi?" she asked immediately, searching in her bag for her copy of the Quibbler. "You sort of look like a warrior…"

"If I battle what now?" managed to ask Anna Sophia.

Harry burst out laughing again. He really couldn't help it! It made him so happy to have Luna and Neville with them he couldn't be bothered with anything else. Seeing Viktor was good too, they had been kind to one another during the Triwizard Tournament in 4th year.

"Susi!" explained Luna, her voice still as dreamy as ever. "It's a brand new breed of werewolves! I thought everybody knew that!" she said, rolling her eyes.

Anna Sophia remained silent, but the strangest smile had formed on her lips.

"Maybe if we all sit down food will finally appear!" said Ron suddenly, making them all realize that they were still standing and that the table was set.

Ron was right. As soon as the last person to sit down, Krum, had taken their place at the table, it filled up beautifully with generous amounts of food. They all dug in on to their favorite meals silently.

"What is he doing here?" Neville whispered to Ginny's ear, pointing at Draco.

"I heard that, Longbottom!" said Draco darkly.

"He needed help, Neville," explained Ginny sweetly. "Apparently, you-know-who killed his parents and he is currently being hunted down. He never did succeed in killing Dumbledore so we figured; he would have wanted us to help a fellow student so here he is!"

"Lucky me!" muttered Draco shaking his head.

Hermione was silent as she ate her meal. She hadn't forgotten the "talk" she and Draco had had the night before. Shyly, she reached down and brushed his knee with her hand. Draco's cheeks immediately turned bright pink as his steely eyes rested on Hermione's face. No matter how much he hated the lot, he really liked kissing that girl. He only hoped he'd get the chance to do so again… soon…

"Who are you, exactly?" asked Anna Sophia.

"Viktor Krum," he said firmly, his black eyes surveying her beautiful face with interest. "I was the Seeker for the Bulgarian Quidditch Team!" he said sounding proud.

"Oh," she said dismissively, turning her attention back to her chicken.

"You did not know this?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"No. Don't take this the wrong way, but, I don't know the members of the England Quidditch Team, let alone the Bulgarian team!" she explained, her laughter once again filling the Great Hall.

"Do you not take pride on your National Team?" he asked.

"I wouldn't say it that way," she said sheepishly, blushing embarrassed. "I am just not a good flyer, its all. It's quite embarrassing at that, so I don't really care for Quidditch!"

Viktor laughed and shook his head.

"It's not that hard to fly on a broom…"

In the meantime, Harry surveyed the situation, his mission still firmly etched on his mind. He had to find the horcruxes. The diary, the ring, the locket, the snake, the cup, something from Ravenclaw probably and Voldemort himself never left his mind for long. What kept bothering him was how would he face his destiny when everything seemed to be against him? And what were all these people doing with him when he was supposed to face this alone?

As the meal came to an end, conversations began to die down. What were they supposed to do now? And when would Harry be able to speak with Dumbledore's painting? The remains of food cleared off their plates.

"I hope you have all eaten well," said Professor McGonagall walking into the Great Hall. She seemed somewhat distracted. "Gryffindor Tower has been prepared for you. Miss Granger, guide the group if you please. Mr. Potter… comes with me," she said hurriedly.

Harry's green eyes opened wide and his heart began to beat faster with anticipation. He stood up from his chair and took a good look at the rest of the group before hurrying down to Professor McGonagall's side.

"The password is Astralis, Miss Granger. Run along now!"

Hermione looked at Harry. He looked excited and scared. She gave him a supportive smile before walking away towards Gryffindor Tower. Anna Sophia looked shocked at having been excluded, but followed Hermione all the same. Draco seemed uncomfortable at the prospect of sleeping in Gryffindor. Ron walked past Harry and gave his shoulder a friendly pat before joining Luna and Neville in conversation. Viktor Krum seemed lost in his own world and only Ginny remained at the table, looking at Harry intently. She had that look of determination again, the one that let him know that no matter what he chose she would back him up.

"I'll see you soon," he muttered, unable to come up with anything else to say, and followed McGonagall out of the Great Hall.

"Professor…" whispered Harry breathlessly.

He couldn't quite believe his eyes. He was actually back in Dumbledore's office. His painting smiled at him kindly. His eyes still had that mischievous twinge he had grown to know and love. Harry felt his own eyes began to water. He immediately rubbed them, not wanting to falter in front of Dumbledore.

"I am glad to see you are doing well, Harry…" said the Professor in his low, misty voice. "I was told you wanted to see me…"

"I did. I am trying to remember everything you taught me and I am trying to take on my task but it is becoming increasingly difficult…"

"Well… I never said it would be easy. And I don't think you ever expected that. But I do believe it must be harder still seeing that you have some… friends… that are rather reluctant to let you quest alone," said Dumbledore with a small wink.

"Exactly! I tried to tell them that this is something I need to do on my own, but they insisted. And then Ginny… then Draco… and now this girl… it's all spinning out of proportion and it seems far too many people are endangering themselves just because of me!"

Dumbledore remained silent for a few seconds, his face looking as though he was deep in thought.

"Well… you need to understand; just like you made the ultimate choice to follow your prophecy and do what is expected of you, your friends had to make some choices of their own. They could have either hid until everything was over or do exactly what they have been doing since that first day they met you. Follow you. Help you. Give you the strength you will undoubtedly need when the time arises. Harry…" Dumbledore took a deep breath, "Do you remember what I told you? What makes you different from Lord Voldemort?"

Harry shrugged.

"I can love," he said simply.

"Yes! Harry… when the time comes, who will be alone? Who will be supported?"

Harry remained silent, pondering over his words. He knew Dumbledore was right. He remembered previous conversations in which he tried to explain how his ability to love made him stronger than Voldemort. Still… some times it was difficult to see how that could help him in the long run. Voldemort could now touch him, which was his biggest strength back in First Year. Voldemort was never alone no matter how much he hated sharing the spotlight.

"I know I will be supported, but I still don't see the difference…"

"You will see it," said Dumbledore firmly.

"What about Draco? Did I do the right thing by taking him in?"

"You know the answer to that".

"And Anna Sophia… did you really trust her?"

"I did, and I do".

"Why?"

"I have my reasons, Harry. And before you think of asking me if it is the same trust I bestowed upon Severus Snape just let me tell you… everything is the way it should be".

"But how can that be?" Harry asked, trembling with anger.

"I believe those are enough questions for today. You must be tired after all these mixed emotions. We will talk again. Just, not today…"

"Nice," breathed Anna Sophia looking around the Gryffindor Common Room. She dropped her long cape on a nearby chair and stuck out her hand. Immediately, one of the cushions flew to her outstretched hand. "Fluffier than those at Hufflepuff!"

"You were a Hufflepuff?" asked Ron in amazement.

"What is so strange about that? Was Cedric not a Hufflepuff too?" asked Viktor Krum seriously, looking at Ron.

"Well, yeah, but…"

"But I look too different. Even by Cedric standard!" finished Anna Sophia, smiling. "Yes, I was. And I am very proud of that. We might not be the brave Gryffindors or even the cunning Ravenclaws but we have our charm. Our biggest strength relies on our perseverance!"

"That's cute," said Draco, rolling his eyes. "Where am I going to sleep?" he asked Hermione.

"Uh, well… I believe in the boys' dormitory?" she said softly, her cheeks still blushing bright.

"You guess right," said Ron firmly, "That's this way!" he said guiding Draco up the stairs.

"I'll go put my stuff away," said Neville awkwardly, following Ron and Draco.

"Come, Luna. I'll show you were you 'll be sleeping!" said Ginny, helping Luna with her bag.

Anna Sophia was now sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace. Her dark eyes had a faraway look and she was not moving. Her legs were crossed and her hands were lying on top of her knees in a yoga-like position. Hermione stared at her briefly before turning to Viktor.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, finally letting out the question that had been troubling her all day.

"I do not know," he told her sincerely. "Your professor… McGonagall sent me an owl and asked for me to come here as soon as it was possible. I arrived just this morning. But I was not expecting to see you".

Hermione felt herself blush and once again looked at Anna Sophia. She was still sitting on the same position and her eyes looked glassy now, as they had been opened wide for awhile without blinking.

"The feeling is mutual then…"

"You seem uncomfortable… I thought you would be ok with my presence?"

"I am not uncomfortable…"

"We said we would be friends," he reminded her sweetly, taking her hand in his and kissing it softly.

Hermione flinched involuntarily and removed her hand from his. She was about to reply when, out of the corner of her eye she noticed Anna Sophia was beginning to stir. Slightly embarrassed, she smiled hurriedly at Viktor and rushed up the stairs and to her dormitory. Viktor stared after her and then turned his attention to Anna Sophia that had just gotten up from her spot in front of the fireplace. Her cheeks were bright red from the heat.

"What were you doing?" he asked, completely unembarrassed.

"Meditating, it helps clear up the mind and makes you less vulnerable to Legilimency!" she explained, smoothing the fabric of her flimsy shirt over her tight stomach and looking up. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything," she said, not sounding sorry at all.

"It's all right," he said politely, sitting down on the couch, his eyes now staring blankly at the roaring fire. "There was nothing to interrupt".

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!

Real Author's Notes:

I hope you realize how difficult it is to write transition chapters! Things are going to change drastically after this and there are a lot of surprises in store!

As for my absence… I was taking my final exams and I had some problems in my work place due to absences by some of the lawyers. My boss was even more unpleasant than usual and… well you can imagine. My deepest apologies and it WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN! )

Thank you midnight-vortex for the message you sent me this weekend! Thank you Nibs for reviewing and asking where the heck I was! By the way, about Harry's Apparition test… when I sat down to write this I wondered if things like standardized tests and stuff like that would continue to exist at this point. In my eyes, they seem to superfluous that I just… hehehe… forgot that they needed to pass the test. So yes, Harry and Ron are basically breaking the law. LOL Oops! I should fix that soon!

Also, big thanks to:

LuciousLadyLucius

Blah (LMAO good nickname!)

Nanoluvr

Rgfanatic

Ohmygawsh

Reader101

Capegirl317

Chocolatalvr16

Aznqudditchchick

Giselle

HarryPotterLiver4ever

Thanks for reviewing! Please review this one and let me know what you think!

Merry Christmas!

Love,

K.