It's back! You guys have no idea how hard it was not to repost earlier! What happens when the sorting ceremony begins the year; the adventure continues!
Chapter 2 - The 120 Students
Once the carriage had arrived at the school, the six of them had left their seats and started the winding pathway that led them up to Hogwarts. It still looked gloomy with the absence of their late headmaster, but the professors had done well to fix any damage that had been brought to the school at the end of last year's 'traumas,' as Luna had so willingly put it.
Once in the Great Hall, they said bye to Luna and sat at their appropriate tables. After all the other students had sat down, McGonagall lead the first years in and Hermione let out an audible gasp. There were only perhaps ten first years in total. Obviously parents had wanted their kids kept close during times of peril. Once McGonagall had gone through all of the procedure with the new comers, she took out a scroll and read, "Bell, Courtney." There was a silence as Courtney made her way up to the hat and cautiously put it on. "Ravenclaw!" It replied. There was a cheer as Courtney skipped off to the blue clad team.
"Boot, Jessica."
"Ravenclaw!" Jessica went off to find Terry, her presumed brother.
"Flinch-Fletchley, Deric."
"Hufflepuff!" Deric strode off happily to find the boy who Hermione assumed to be his brother, Justin.
After the other seven people had been sorted, Hermione exclaimed, "A lot of siblings huh?" Ginny nodded. After the talk had died down, McGonagall lightly tapped her silver spoon to her glass and the noise magically magnified and everyone looked at her. "I do have a lot to tell you before you can tuck into your feast, so I may as well start now. As there is erm, a small number of you this year," she began. Hermione looked around. Out of the usual 280 students that attended the school, only 120 or so were here. There were all of their year and virtually all the year below, most of the fifth years, a handful of fourth years, 7 or 8 third years, 5 second years (three Ravenclaws and two Hufflepuffs) and the 10 first years. "We will not be using the four tables as house tables; as of tomorrow, you may all sit in your friend groups on any table," McGonagall said in her usual severe tone and a murmur spread throughout the hall. Friend groups. It did not sound right coming from McGonagall's voice. After a minute, Professor McGonagall carried on, "That is the first thing I would like to say. The second thing is the announcement of the Head Boy and Girl this year. There is a slight alter to the usual events this year, with the erm - decrease in students - and there will be no fifth year prefects. And so, the Head Girl this year is," everyone held their breath. "Hermione Granger of Gryffindor house!" There was a cheer as everyone in Gryffindor and many others clapped in appreciation. "And the Head Boy this year is," McGonagall let out a breath of hesitation as Ron elbowed Harry and grinned, "Draco Malfoy of Slytherin house!" There was an outburst of applause from the Slytherin table, a polite applause from a few other people, and a sickening dread in the pit of Hermione's stomach, as she felt all the colour drain from her face until she was ghostly white. Harry, Ron and Ginny looked furious and sympathetic. "How the hell did Malfoy get Head Boy?" Ron burst in outrage.
"It's not right," Harry agreed, seemingly a little sulky. Ginny wrapped an arm around Hermione and smiled, "You'll be fine, tell us if he does anything and he will regret it." Hermione let out a short laugh. She fought the urge to scream and wavered on the possibility that she could hurl her empty goblet at the slimy git but unfortunately, that was not an option. She instead settled to clenching her fists so hard that she had five cuts in the shape of little crescents across each palm.
"The prefects, that is, Ginny Weasley, Colin Creevey, erm... not here," McGonagall said the last part in an undertone, "We are missing a few... Ronald Weasley, Padma Patil, Anthony Goldstein, Hannah Abbott, Ernie Macmillan and Pansy Parkinson, may I remind you all that you are to follow instructions given to you from the Head Boy and Girl. As many of the sixth year prefects have stayed at home this year, we will have an additional three seventh year prefects. Tracey Davis, Terry Boot and Zacharias Smith. If you do not wish to accept your duties, do tell me at the end of the feast. With all the major importance out of the way, let the feast begin!"
Almost instantaneously, the delicious smell and warmth of food reached them as all the golden bowls and platters were filled to the brim with everything from roast potatoes to chicken drumsticks. Jugs were filling with pumpkin juice by the second as everyone began helping themselves to food. Ron grabbed a drumstick and ripped away the flesh as Harry ladled peas and carrots onto his plate. Ginny covered her beef with gravy and Neville nearly knocked a jug of pumpkin juice over. "Hermione pass us the beans?" Harry asked. Hermione reached over her plate and passed Harry the bowl of green beans. He was sitting next to Ron, who was opposite Hermione, who was next to Ginny, who was next to Neville. Harry took the bowl and thanked her. Conversation grew as the main course slowly cleared and was replaced with dessert.
All of a sudden, Nearly Headless Nick glided through the platter of profiteroles. "Hello," he smiled at the five of them. "Hey Nick," Ron grinned through a mouthful of cheesecake. "Now Ron, you ought to speak with your mouth empty. Even as a ghost it's still polite," Nick scolded. Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione helped herself to some treacle tart, her favourite. And then, CRASH! A platter of cupcakes had flown into the air and landed with a clang near the Ravenclaw table, and cupcakes fell everywhere. A few fourth years screamed and scooted along their bench out of the cupcakes' way. "PEEVES!" yelled Professor McGonagall as Peeves shot towards the door. Nick and a handful of ghosts left after him to track him down and McGonagall ordered Filch to clean up the mess. A third year Ravenclaw with cake in her hair turned to the older student next to her, who used his wand to take out the cake particles and icing in her rain drenched dusty blonde hair. "What was that all about?" asked Hermione.
"Probably, Peeves annoyed that the ghosts weren't allowing him to join the feast. As always," Ron said dully. Hermione silently thanked Peeves; it was good to have a little distraction from the outside world.
After the commotion was sorted and dessert cleared, the headmistress stood and again required the rooms attention. "Because of the current lack of students, there will be changes happening this year and hopefully for this year only. Or at least until..." McGonagall faded. A chill swept around the hall enough to make even the candles flicker. Everyone knew what she was going to say. McGonagall sighed, "Until this current situation is over. The changes are as follows: Quidditch will be postponed this year," there was an uproar of anger and frustrated cries, "but as I have already considered!" McGonagall raised her voice, "As this will upset the seventh years, there will be two Quidditch teams, consisting of sixth and seventh years only of mixed houses. There will be an end of year match to determine the victor." There were voices of interested talk spread around the room. "Secondly," McGonagall said, "Quidditch tryouts will not be until after the Halloween holidays and will not have set dates. It will be up to you to make your teams and prepare them for the game. Thirdly, as always, the forbidden forest is out of bounds. Fourthly, I'd like to remind you all that no magician permitted in the corridors. And finally, I just want to tell you all that I'd like it if this year could run as smoothly as any other year." There was a mutter of submission and then a loud knock at the door behind the staff table. Hargrid got up and walked over to it, having a brief conversation with the intruder. Then, he walked over and said something to McGonagall, nodding. "And now, before I dismiss you to your dorms, a warm welcome for your defence against the dark arts teacher, Professor Lupin!" McGonagall smiled. An outburst so loud it shook the windows slightly as every student from fifth year and above, minus some Slytherins, applauded when Remus Lupin opened the door behind the staff table and walked over to his long absent seat. He smiled and waved at his 'fans' and pulled up a plate of chicken, apologising for being late. There were loud voices as the people in fifth year and above explained to the lower years how amazing Lupin was, and the inevitable fact that he was a werewolf. McGonagall smiled at the satisfied expression her students wore and said, "Everyone except the first years, prefects and head boy and girl may leave to your dorms."
The prefects, Draco and Hermione all walked up to the staff table. "Ron, the Gryffindor password is Fortitudo. Padma, the Ravenclaws will also have a password as well as the riddle. It's Sapientia. Ernie, the Hufflepuff's portrait of the barrels will need a password as well as the tapping sequence. The password is Aequitate. And Pansy, the password for Slytherin is Callidus." The prefects nodded and led their first years to their separate house dorms. That left McGonagall with Hermione and Draco, who were standing a good meter apart. Hermione looked exceedingly uncomfortable, whilst Draco kept giving her venomous glares. McGonagall looked from one to the other and shook her head saying, "I know you two have, erm - history - but this will be a lot easier if you try to overlook those differences and become civil to each other." Both heads laughed sarcastically. McGonagall sighed and said, "Very well. You may know where your dormitory is, it's on the third floor, down the corridor from my office and right. Between my office and the library. You are looking for a frame showing a waterfall. The password is Spero."
"What kind of password's that?" Draco scoffed.
"It means hope in Latin," Hermione snapped, "haven't you been paying attention? All the previous passwords are Latin words too! Thank you professor," Hermione ended with a smile, turning to go. "Your bags are all already up there in the sitting area," McGonagall smiled back. Draco rolled his eyes and turned to go, muttering, "Gryffindors," as he went. Hermione frowned and followed him out, both walking up to their dorms, Hermione a good 6 meters behind.
A/N yes they really are all Latin passwords. I've tried to be as realistic with this book as possible so new words or spells will most likely be in Latin. I'm going to repost on Friday, it's too hard to only post once a week. See you next Friday then!