Hey, everyone. I know it has been forever, this is probably the longest time I've gone without posting, and I am so sorry! I started school almost exactly a month ago, and that has kept me crazy busy. I also joined a couple of clubs, have had family stuff going on, and joined a production team for a community theater production of Moana, and the schedule for that has been crazy weird. So I had to start a lot of things and acclimate to a lot of things (acclimate is such a good word. Comment below if you agree!) so Fanfiction has fallen to the wayside, unfortunately. I have no clue when the next chapter will be, I'm also reading several good books and they have a grip on my attention, so there is a lot going on in my life right now. I'll try and post when I can, and I certainly will not let a month go by without posting!

Important: I added the Sorting Hat's 5th-year song in here. It is pretty much the same, but I did add a verse of my own that is different and important, so please don't skip the poem! Now, onto the chapter!

The rest of the train ride back to Hogwarts, Elizabeth spent with Neville. They talked all about their summers, the parts they hadn't exchanged in their letters back and forth. (Hedwig had been more than happy to be of service. Harry had little need to send letters after he got to Grimmauld Place, and didn't mind Elizabeth borrowing her.)

Though he already knew, Neville was thrilled to hear Elizabeth making up with her mum, and her adding Minerva's last name to hers. It had been so hard for Neville to see Elizabeth in the sobbing, saddened, state she had been in when he found her after the fight. He had liked her then, as well, and seeing the girl he had a crush on in pieces wasn't something he ever wanted to see again.

Soon, the conversation turned to the Order of the Phoenix. Elizabeth had been surprised to hear that Neville already knew what it was.

"My parents were in it, back when You-Know-Who was around the first time. My grandmother told me a lot about it this summer. She told me a lot about them, actually." Neville said, looking out the compartment window.

"Did she not tell you about them before?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

Neville shrugged. "Sometimes she would. I can tell she's not ashamed or anything. She always talks about them with pride. But I think it's hard for her to talk about. She didn't do it much when I was younger." he explained.

Elizabeth took his hand in hers sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Neville. But, You-Know-Who isn't going to win. The Order is going to make sure of that. We can get your parents justice." she said, looking him in the eye. She could feel butterflies in her stomach as she did so.

Neville smiled. "I know. And I want to join the Order when I'm of age. My grandmother would like it." he said. "I'd like it, too." he added like an afterthought.

The topic drifted away from such heavy things, and towards Neville's birthday from one of his uncles: a plant that squirted bright green liquid when touched. Neville accidentally touched it with his elbow, and it burst the liquid all over them.

There was silence. Elizabeth looked around the compartment, observing all the nooks and crannies the goo had managed to get into. She could already tell it was in her hair and on her clothes, and she could feel it on her hands. It was cold and smelled like pungent lettuce. Then, she looked over at Neville. It only took one look before she dissolved into laughter.

Neville looked panicked. "I'm sorry! It was an accident!" He apologized profusely.

"It, it's not that!" Elizabeth said between giggles. "You, there's just, it's everywhere!" she laughed.

Neville smiled, then started chuckling, then laughing. "It's so cold!" he exclaimed.

After they had recovered, the two set to trying to clean up the compartment. Neville had gotten the worst of the goo blast, so Elizabeth made him clean himself before trying to fix anything. She herself used hand magic for the compartment.

"Bubbles spread and sponges gleam, make this compartment squeaky clean!" she chanted. In seconds, bubbles appeared and set to work. Soon enough, everything, including Elizabeth and Neville, was clean. Well, almost everything.

"You've got a little bit of goo left in your hair." Neville said, looking at Elizabeth.

"I do? Have I got it now?" Elizabeth asked, running a hand through her hair. Neville shook his head.

"Would you mind?" Elizabeth asked.

Neville blushed a little but moved closer. He moved his hand to her hair and plucked a piece of goo free from it. Then, he moved his hand over her hair a little to settle it back down to normal. They looked closely at each other. This was the closest they'd ever been before, and they both knew it.

But they weren't there yet. Elizabeth felt a ball of nerves in her stomach, and Neville's thoughts were racing in his mind at top speed. They separated and smiled at each other. They seemed to settle on a silent agreement that it was okay to wait for a little bit before taking another step forward. They didn't want to move ahead too fast. It wasn't in either of their natures.

The train stopped quickly after that, meaning they had arrived at Hogwarts. Elizabeth and Neville departed together and found an empty carriage. Elizabeth smiled at the thestral standing to pull it, and ran her hand along it's head, giving it a nice petting. To her surprise, Neville tentatively began to pet it, too. That was when Luna came up with Ginny.

"Oh, you can see them too, Neville?" Luna asked dreamily. Julia and Ginny looked in the same direction that Luna did, though they couldn't see them.

"Yeah, I can. Since I was eight, actually." he explained.

Luna smiled a little. "How lovely. They're quite misunderstood creatures. I believe that's because most can't see them for what they truly are."

Elizabeth nodded, agreeing. Thestrals were truly peaceful, kind, creatures. It was a pity other witches and wizards didn't see that.

The five got in the cart, and when Harry, Hermione, and Ron arrived, they all welcomed in them eagerly. Harry, however, looked a little put out at the thestrals. As it turned out, he had never seen them before. Cedric Diggory had been the soul he'd seen die and truly understand. Elizabeth winced. Harry had been moving on so well, she was afraid seeing them would set him backward.

Harry sat across from her in the carriage, and they exchanged a look. Alright? She silently asked. He subtly shrugged. Could be better.

She sent him a reassuring look as the carriage went along the trail to Hogwarts. Hermione and Ron quietly talked about Prefect duties they now had. Julia overheard their conversation and started asking them a few questions since she was hoping to be one next year.

Along with the rest of the student body, they all entered the Great Hall for the welcoming feast. The school was as beautiful as ever. Candles floated in the moonlit sky above them, and Elizabeth didn't even care that it was created by magic. Actually, that had been crafted by her mother. She had such a passion for Astronomy. Elizabeth could still recite every star in the sky because of her. Being well versed in the stars made her think of her mother, and how she'd be proud of her for still knowing. Augustus hadn't liked learning about them at all, so it had become a special thing between Elizabeth and her mother to share.

Still slightly reminiscing about her special memories with her mother, Elizabeth only snapped out of it when she noticed the Sorting Hat was out to sort another set of first years. She smiled as the hat began to sing.

In times of old, when I was new,

And Hogwarts barely started,

The founders of our noble school

Thought never to be parted.

United by a common goal,

They had the selfsame yearning

To make the world's best magic school

And pass along their learning.

"Together we will build and teach"

The four good friends decided.

And never did they dream that they

Might some day be divided.

For were there such friends anywhere

As Slytherin and Gryffindor?

Unless it was the second pair

Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,

So how could it have gone so wrong?

How could such friendships fail?

Why, I was there, so I can tell

The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those

Whose ancestry's purest."

Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose

Intelligence is surest"

Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those

With brave deeds to their name."

Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot

And treat them just the same."

These differences caused little strife

When first they came to light.

For each of the four founders had

A house in which they might

Take only those they wanted, so,

For instance, Slytherin

Took only pure-blood wizards

Of great cunning just like him.

And only those of sharpest mind

Were taught by Ravenclaw

While the bravest and the boldest

Went to daring Gryffindor.

Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest

and taught them all she knew,

Thus, the Houses and their founders

Maintained friendships firm and true.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony

for several happy years,

but then discord crept among us

feeding on our faults and fears.

The Houses that, like pillars four

had once held up our school

now turned upon each other and

divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school

Must meet an early end.

What with dueling and with fighting

And the clash of friend on friend.

It all came to a boil in a heated duel

Gryffindor was set to die by Slytherin's magic

But indeed his daughter was the one to fall

Through a trick, she survived, in a state most static

In the morning of the aftermath,

Old Slytherin departed

And though the fighting then died out

He left us quite downhearted.

And never since the founders four

were whittled down to three

have the Houses been united

as they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here

And you all know the score:

I sort you into Houses

Because that is what I'm for.

But this year I'll go further,

Listen closely to my song:

Though condemned I am to split you

Still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfill my duty

And must quarter every year

Still I wonder whether sorting

May not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,

The warning history shows,

For our Hogwarts is in danger

From external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her

Or we'll crumble from within

I have told you, I have warned you…

Let the Sorting now begin.

Elizabeth silently listened to the song, feeling more and more self-conscious as it went on. She knew this story better than everyone else, and the Sorting Hat knew it. And it had the nerve to put her part in its song. Couldn't it understand how uncomfortable that made her? Acting as if it was nothing but just part of a story?

Her mind was also swimming with the warning it had given. Clearly, the Sorting Hat believed in the dangers in their world now. Well, that did make sense since it did live in Dumbledore's office after all. It would have to have heard what was going on. And the fact that it had tried to warn everyone would hopefully show there was true danger to think about. She hoped it would change people's minds.

Dumbledore stood, and began his usual speech. Until he was interrupted by a very pink, and frankly a toad-like woman who introduced herself as Dolores Umbridge. Apparently, she was going to be teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts this year. And, she'd been involved with Harry's trial. She had been very against him, which certainly did not bode well for the year.

Towards the end of the feast, a note magically appeared on Elizabeth's near-empty plate. She discreetly opened it and began to read.

Elizabeth,

Please meet me in our quarters after the feast. There are a few things I need to discuss with you. Please do not mention this to anyone else.

With love,

Minerva McGonagall

Elizabeth folded the letter and envelope carefully and put them in her robe pocket. Then she looked over to where Minerva was at the professor's table and subtly nodded.