Author's Note: This is just a fun idea I'm trying, but don't hope for much, I'm horribly inconsistent.
Hermione Granger excitedly sped over to the Gryffindor table and sat down after her sorting was complete. Two redheaded twins were seated nearby, happily announcing to everyone in earshot that they had a little brother and a little sister both starting at Hogwarts this year that were definitely going to be joining them in Gryffindor. Hermione sat up in her chair at hearing about a girl her age and quickly introduced herself and asked the boys to point her out.
"She'll be sorted soon, but at least she won't be dead last like Ron. We're Weasleys, Fred and George, and alphabetical order is our enemy." Said one of the twins, while the other was scanning the remaining gaggle of first years. He nudged his cohort.
"George, I don't see any redheads waiting to be sorted." The second twin, George, apparently, took his eyes off Hermione and looked over at the unsorted students.
"Where are they? They were on the train right?" Asked the twin who must be Fred, if the other is George. George shrugged. "Percy'd know." He then spoke to the student sitting next to him, gestured to another red-haired student sitting further down the table, and asked him to convey a message. One after another, students relayed the message down the line until it reached Percy, who immediately gave his own scan to the first-years waiting in the wings for their turn. He didn't send a reply, but stood up and strode over to Deputy Headmistress McGonagall while the hat was taking it's time sorting a student by the name of Potter, Harry. Another piercing scan of the first years ensued, and people were starting to catch on that something was amiss. McGonagall walked over to the end of the staff table, where a scowling dark haired professor was seated. After a brief exchange, he stood up and spun around to exit the hall through a nearby door, somehow managing to make his cloak billow without any wind in the hall.
Hermione, who had watched this sequence play out from the beginning, hesitantly spoke up to the twins. "Uh, sorry, I was just hoping to meet a girl my age, I didn't mean to cause trouble."
Fred look was now somewhat serious. "It's no trouble. Surprised that Percy didn't seem to know where they were. Prefects are supposed to patrol the train." It wasn't much longer until the sorting came to a close, and McGonagall hadn't even bothered to call out the names of the missing Weasleys, as it was apparent there was no students left in the hall to sort. She took her seat beside the Headmaster, who rose and began to speak.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts, and before we can feast, I'm afraid I must get some necessary announcements out of the way, because a feast is far more enjoyable with conversation topics. For staff introductions, we have quite a few additions to our roster for the coming term. Remus Lupin will be our new Charms Professor as Professor Flitwick has requested a year-long sabbatical, Gilderoy Lockhart will be instructing Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Professor Quirrel will be our new history of magic professor after Professor Binns was unfortunately resurrected, a development that greatly displeased him. Now, for Care of Magical Creatures we have Professor Dolores Umbridge, replacing Professor Grubbly-Plank who has retired to enjoy time with-"
Dumbledore abruptly cut off his introductions and turned and stared back at the staff table and it became clear that Dolores Umbridge, the professor he'd just introduced, must have caught his attention somehow. She rose and began to deliver what was clearly going to be a very long and boring speech that could be summed up by Hermione Granger in a single sentence.
However, Umbridge didn't get even a sentence into her long-winded diatribe before several things happened in quick succession. The doors of the Great Hall crashed upon and a peg-legged, one-eyed, battle scarred man strode into the feast, thunder crashing behind him. The bolt of thunder just happened to mask the sound of a Ford Anglia crashing into the Whomping Willow. At the exact same moment, Harry Potter clapped his hand to his forehead as though suddenly struck with pain, before glaring towards the door the stranger had just entered from. Hermione noticed this and her eyes narrowed as she quickly ran through possibilities in her head. A lightning bolt scar was unusual, and if it hurt at the same moment that thunder crashed, could he have an actual connection to the elements themselves? The history books all said the nursery at Godric's Hallow was blown open, could it have been a bolt of lightning that saved the boy-who-lived?
Her thoughts were interrupted as Dumbledore took the advantage all the disruptions caused and quickly continued, not allowing himself to be interrupted by the pink professor again. "And I wish to welcome retired auror, Alastor Moody, as our new Transfiguration professor." The headmaster said as he gestured towards the peg-legged man thumping his way towards the staff table. "Professor McGonagall will be taking a step back from teaching, but will remain on as Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House."
"Now with staff introductions out of the way, I would like to warn everyone not to visit the third floor corridor on the right hand side unless they wish to die a very painful death, furthermore, due to the breakout of Sirius Black from Azkaban Prison, Dementors are stationed around the outskirts of the grounds and an encounter with them would result in a similar fate. Finally, for this school year a special event will be taking place, The Triwizard Tournament. Unfortunately, this does mean Quidditch matches will have to be suspended, as construction work is already underway at the Quidditch Pitch to modify it into an arena suitable for the first task. Further details are available on the notice boards of the common rooms, but I must implore everyone to not enter into the tournament lightly. Once a champion is selected, there is no backing out. The competing schools, Beauxbatons & Durmstrang, will be arriving closer to Halloween in order to be present for the Champion selection on the evening of the Halloween feast."
Nymphadora Tonks, who was hot and in Seventh Year, was on her way to the Head Girl's spa room to enjoy a bath before bed. She shook her head while speaking her thoughts aloud, assuming she was alone in the corridor. "That feast seemed like more excitement than I've had in seven years all rolled into one."
"Six." Said a voice that seemed to literally drift from nowhere. She turned and saw a first year in Ravenclaw robes following her.
"Six what?" Tonks asked.
"It's six years all rolled into one, the seventh one doesn't count."
Tonks looked somewhat miffed at this, and seemed about to ask the girl what the hell the difference was between six years and seven years but seemed to decide against snapping at a first year. She settled on a gentler approach.
"Who are you and what are you talking about?" She demanded, wincing at herself a little. That wasn't exactly as gentle as she'd wished.
"I'm Luna Lovegood. We have a bit of a confluence on our hands, or a conjunction perhaps? Might be a conflation." Luna bit her lip. "Things are coming together, it's why I'm here a year early, and why you got stuck behind. We're being drawn together earlier than we should have been. It's also why most of the first years are going to be acting a little too mature for their age."
To Nymphadora, that explained absolutely nothing. Before she could figure out what question she could ask, the little first year carried on talking.
"Seven is the sum, basically, and now we've all been added together. One plus two plus three plus four plus five plus six is seven."
"That's not how muggle math works." Tonks replied, getting more and more fed up with this conversation.
"It is how Arithmancy works." Luna answered back.
"And you want me to believe a first year is an Arithmetician?"
"Chaotician, actually, and chaos is coming. Six years worth."
Tonks shook her head once more and gave up trying. She was glad this was her final year, the Ravenclaw students had always been frustrating to talk to, but now even the first years were acting like complete enigmas.