Hogwarts was gray and drizzly. The train had not arrived yet, when the conducter, a smiling young wizard opened the door opened the door with a smile. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George, all stumbled out, looking rather green.
"Never again," muttered Ginny who was green, both from being tickled, and from the jolty buse ride. They reached the dining hall before everyone else, the magical ceiling, a dull grey.
Everyone took seats at the Gryffindor table, talking quietly. But Fred and George had other ambitions. "We're going to the Slytherin table to put Filibuster Wet-Start Fireworks in all the Slytherin's goblets," said Fred with a grin. "When they fill up the goblets with pumpkin juice..." George trailed off, and both of them snuck away, chortling to each other. Hermione looked slightly worried, but everyone else was grinning.
"I wonder if they're going to have a Yule Ball this year," said Ginny out of the blue. "I mean, I'm in fourth year now and..." she blushed. "It would be nice to go with someone besides Neville.' Ron rolled his eyes. Neither he no Harry had enjoyed the Yule Ball very much the previous year. However to everyone's great surprise Hermione spoke up.
"I hope they do," she said. "It was very nice last year."
"Well yeah," muttered Ron, "that's because she was with Vicky." Harry glanced at Hermione to see if she'd heard that, but she had stood up, and looked attentive, as if straining to hear something.
"I think," she said, "I think the Hogwarts Express is here."
"Good," Ron said, pulling Hermione down by the sleeve of her robes. "I want to eat."
Sure enough, soon hundreds of students began pouring into the Great Hall. Harry watched as Colin and Dennis Creevey took places at the Gryffindor table, only a few seats down from Harry. His eyes followed a group of Hufflepuffs whom Harry had Herbology with. He watched the Slytherins take seats at their table, casting dirty looks around them, unaware of what lay in their goblets. Harry blushed furiously as he watched a certain Ravenclaw girl talking to her friends. Harry frowned--everything seemed so normal, as if Voldemort had never returned. Harry wondered what was going on, what Voldemort was playing at?
"Harry," Hermione hissed in his ear. "Look, Snape's not at the head table." Harry did a double take. Professor Snape had loathed Harry, and made his first four years at Hogwarts as miserable as possible. All the other teachers were up front--Harry saw Professor McGonagoll, and Hagrid, and of course, Dumbledore swathed in robes of blue--he noticed two new faces, one a very young witch, the other a man in bright green glasses--he was speaking animatedly to Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, on his left; the latter was shrinking away.
Ron peered around Hermione to Harry. "Snape's not here, Snape's not here!" he said ecstatically. "Party in Gryffindor tower!" Harry forced a smile. In any other circumstances Harry might've thrown a party right then and there. However, Harry remembered Snape leaving last year...on business, with, Harry suspected, Voldemort.
The first years, looking scared and nervous, all filed in. Harry was looking forward to the Sorting--due to unfortunate circumstances he'd only seen it twice before. Unfortunately before he could even sit down, Harry felt a hand upon his shoulder. It was Professor McGonagoll, head of Gryffindor house. "Harry," she said, and Harry's mind raced trying to think of what he'd done.
"Harry, I'd like a word with you in my office." Did he do anything he shouldn't have on the Knight Bus? No...unless the Tummy Truffles....but that was Fred and George not him! Maybe in Diagon Alley? He was only there one day. Perhaps the it had to do with the Dursleys--yes, Petunia probably reported Sirius to the Muggle police. Not that they could do anything, but still, if Black was found, and the Ministry got hold of him...Harry bit his lip. Yes, Sirius was in a Muggle jail right now, awaiting the Ministry...and a dementor. Why, Harry though, why had he ever let Sirius go and scare Petunia and Dudley? With his own wand too! He was so stupid... They entered McGonagoll's office.
"Harry," she said sitting down (she didn't look angry? Was this a good sign?). "I understand you've been staying with Miss Granger and her family for most of the vacation."
"Yes," said Harry apprehensively.
"Were you informed why?"
"Yeah. Vol--I mean You Know Who."
"I'm glad that's straightened out. I hope you know about Didibus Rexby?"
"Er who?"
"He's a wizard who was, um, killed by--,"
"Oh. Yes."
"Well, then. Yes. Best you enjoy the feast now. Yes--come down, I'll escort you."
All that trouble just for a recap of the summer? Harry returned to the dining hall, just in time to see Fred and George's filibuster fireworks going off in the Slytherins goblets. Malfoy was frozen in shock. So perhaps missing the Sorting ceremony and the jolting Knight Bus ride weren't the greatest way for the beginning of the year, thought Harry to himself, but this definitely makes up for it.
The next morning when Harry and Ron entered the Great Hall, the ceiling above them was a dusky grey, mirroring Harry's feelings exactly. He wasn't in the best mood; for one thing the elves had cooked porridge, Harry's least favorite food. For another he had to listen to the Weasley twins complaining for nearly the entire time.
"A detention, can you believe it?"
"Can't these people take a joke?"
"And fifty points lost. All because we wanted to have some fun."
"They're Wet Start No Heat Fireworks, after all. They couldn't hurt anyone."
Obviously the twins had gotten in trouble for their prank on the Slytherins.
"You lost fifty points? So now Gryffindor has negative fifty points!" Ginny said with a smile. "Everyone's going to hate you for it!" she said with delight. She had obviously not forgotten the Tummy Truffles.
But Fred and George were ignoring her. They were looking, instead at someone entering the Hall as if she were a beacon of light.
"Prefect!" called George as he ran up to a rather abashed looking Hermione. "Great Prefect can you save us?" he asked.
"Excuse me?" Hermione said, casting a bemused look at Ron. From behind her Fred gave her a big hug.
"Wasn't that a nice hug Hermione?" asked Fred.
"Er--,"
"We ought to get points for it shouldn't we?" George said coyly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't think I'm allowed to do that," she said seriously, taking a seat next to Ron.
Fred shrugged. "We tried didn't we?" He beckoned to George and they left the Great Hall, obviously looking for another prefect to hug.
Hermione poured brown sugar on her porridge talking rapidly. "Isn't it great? I can give and take points away, and I have a badge and everything. And I get to use the good bathrooms."
Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm not a prefect and I've gotten to use the prefect bathrooms."
"Well that's just because you always break the rules," snapped Hermione. "Anyway, can you pass the milk jug Ron?"
Ron grinned, passing her the jug, "Can you give me ten points for that?"
The fact that the first class of the day was Diviniation, did not improve Harry's mood in the slightest. Personally, he didn't enjoying starting off the year by being told of his long and painful death.
Sure enough, as Harry entered the smoky, heavily perfumed Divination classroom, he felt a bony, bejeweled hand on his shoulder.
"My dear," Harry looked up. There was Professor Trelawney looking as mystical and absurd as ever. "I do hope that the dark events do not cloud your Inner Eye. In times like these it is best to have a clear perception of the future lest some tragic accident fall upon you."
Harry nodded at Professor Trelawney, and then took a seat next to Ron, rolling his eyes. "You hear that Ron, my Inner Eye's clouded. Good to know, that is." he muttered.
Ron snorted. "Be careful, Harry. You may not live to see you're next Divination class."
"I swear," Harry said, picking at the armchair he was sitting in, "if that old bat tries to tell me about how I'm going to die one more time I'm dropping this class just like Hermione."
But Harry and Ron were interrupted by a loud squeal. "Ooh, ooh Professor Trelawney!" Harry turned around to see Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil staring up at Professor Trelawney with blind adoration written across their faces. "Is it true?" breathed Parvati. "The Hufflepuffs are saying that you predicted Cedric Diggory's death when he was in his third year."
"Did you really see him dying, Professor?" asked Lavender, her eyes wide.
Professor Trelawney frowned a bit. "Oh--er--yes," she said in a very unmystical tone. "Yes, I saw him dying while crystal gazing many years ago. I warned him many times when he--er--Kenith did you say?--was in my class; if only he had heeded them," Professor Trelawney sent a very meaningful look at Harry who stared right back at her.
"What a load of rubbish," Ron muttered in Harry's ear. "That Hufflepuff, Hannah Abbott told me that Diggory took Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies."
"Never again," muttered Ginny who was green, both from being tickled, and from the jolty buse ride. They reached the dining hall before everyone else, the magical ceiling, a dull grey.
Everyone took seats at the Gryffindor table, talking quietly. But Fred and George had other ambitions. "We're going to the Slytherin table to put Filibuster Wet-Start Fireworks in all the Slytherin's goblets," said Fred with a grin. "When they fill up the goblets with pumpkin juice..." George trailed off, and both of them snuck away, chortling to each other. Hermione looked slightly worried, but everyone else was grinning.
"I wonder if they're going to have a Yule Ball this year," said Ginny out of the blue. "I mean, I'm in fourth year now and..." she blushed. "It would be nice to go with someone besides Neville.' Ron rolled his eyes. Neither he no Harry had enjoyed the Yule Ball very much the previous year. However to everyone's great surprise Hermione spoke up.
"I hope they do," she said. "It was very nice last year."
"Well yeah," muttered Ron, "that's because she was with Vicky." Harry glanced at Hermione to see if she'd heard that, but she had stood up, and looked attentive, as if straining to hear something.
"I think," she said, "I think the Hogwarts Express is here."
"Good," Ron said, pulling Hermione down by the sleeve of her robes. "I want to eat."
Sure enough, soon hundreds of students began pouring into the Great Hall. Harry watched as Colin and Dennis Creevey took places at the Gryffindor table, only a few seats down from Harry. His eyes followed a group of Hufflepuffs whom Harry had Herbology with. He watched the Slytherins take seats at their table, casting dirty looks around them, unaware of what lay in their goblets. Harry blushed furiously as he watched a certain Ravenclaw girl talking to her friends. Harry frowned--everything seemed so normal, as if Voldemort had never returned. Harry wondered what was going on, what Voldemort was playing at?
"Harry," Hermione hissed in his ear. "Look, Snape's not at the head table." Harry did a double take. Professor Snape had loathed Harry, and made his first four years at Hogwarts as miserable as possible. All the other teachers were up front--Harry saw Professor McGonagoll, and Hagrid, and of course, Dumbledore swathed in robes of blue--he noticed two new faces, one a very young witch, the other a man in bright green glasses--he was speaking animatedly to Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, on his left; the latter was shrinking away.
Ron peered around Hermione to Harry. "Snape's not here, Snape's not here!" he said ecstatically. "Party in Gryffindor tower!" Harry forced a smile. In any other circumstances Harry might've thrown a party right then and there. However, Harry remembered Snape leaving last year...on business, with, Harry suspected, Voldemort.
The first years, looking scared and nervous, all filed in. Harry was looking forward to the Sorting--due to unfortunate circumstances he'd only seen it twice before. Unfortunately before he could even sit down, Harry felt a hand upon his shoulder. It was Professor McGonagoll, head of Gryffindor house. "Harry," she said, and Harry's mind raced trying to think of what he'd done.
"Harry, I'd like a word with you in my office." Did he do anything he shouldn't have on the Knight Bus? No...unless the Tummy Truffles....but that was Fred and George not him! Maybe in Diagon Alley? He was only there one day. Perhaps the it had to do with the Dursleys--yes, Petunia probably reported Sirius to the Muggle police. Not that they could do anything, but still, if Black was found, and the Ministry got hold of him...Harry bit his lip. Yes, Sirius was in a Muggle jail right now, awaiting the Ministry...and a dementor. Why, Harry though, why had he ever let Sirius go and scare Petunia and Dudley? With his own wand too! He was so stupid... They entered McGonagoll's office.
"Harry," she said sitting down (she didn't look angry? Was this a good sign?). "I understand you've been staying with Miss Granger and her family for most of the vacation."
"Yes," said Harry apprehensively.
"Were you informed why?"
"Yeah. Vol--I mean You Know Who."
"I'm glad that's straightened out. I hope you know about Didibus Rexby?"
"Er who?"
"He's a wizard who was, um, killed by--,"
"Oh. Yes."
"Well, then. Yes. Best you enjoy the feast now. Yes--come down, I'll escort you."
All that trouble just for a recap of the summer? Harry returned to the dining hall, just in time to see Fred and George's filibuster fireworks going off in the Slytherins goblets. Malfoy was frozen in shock. So perhaps missing the Sorting ceremony and the jolting Knight Bus ride weren't the greatest way for the beginning of the year, thought Harry to himself, but this definitely makes up for it.
The next morning when Harry and Ron entered the Great Hall, the ceiling above them was a dusky grey, mirroring Harry's feelings exactly. He wasn't in the best mood; for one thing the elves had cooked porridge, Harry's least favorite food. For another he had to listen to the Weasley twins complaining for nearly the entire time.
"A detention, can you believe it?"
"Can't these people take a joke?"
"And fifty points lost. All because we wanted to have some fun."
"They're Wet Start No Heat Fireworks, after all. They couldn't hurt anyone."
Obviously the twins had gotten in trouble for their prank on the Slytherins.
"You lost fifty points? So now Gryffindor has negative fifty points!" Ginny said with a smile. "Everyone's going to hate you for it!" she said with delight. She had obviously not forgotten the Tummy Truffles.
But Fred and George were ignoring her. They were looking, instead at someone entering the Hall as if she were a beacon of light.
"Prefect!" called George as he ran up to a rather abashed looking Hermione. "Great Prefect can you save us?" he asked.
"Excuse me?" Hermione said, casting a bemused look at Ron. From behind her Fred gave her a big hug.
"Wasn't that a nice hug Hermione?" asked Fred.
"Er--,"
"We ought to get points for it shouldn't we?" George said coyly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't think I'm allowed to do that," she said seriously, taking a seat next to Ron.
Fred shrugged. "We tried didn't we?" He beckoned to George and they left the Great Hall, obviously looking for another prefect to hug.
Hermione poured brown sugar on her porridge talking rapidly. "Isn't it great? I can give and take points away, and I have a badge and everything. And I get to use the good bathrooms."
Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm not a prefect and I've gotten to use the prefect bathrooms."
"Well that's just because you always break the rules," snapped Hermione. "Anyway, can you pass the milk jug Ron?"
Ron grinned, passing her the jug, "Can you give me ten points for that?"
The fact that the first class of the day was Diviniation, did not improve Harry's mood in the slightest. Personally, he didn't enjoying starting off the year by being told of his long and painful death.
Sure enough, as Harry entered the smoky, heavily perfumed Divination classroom, he felt a bony, bejeweled hand on his shoulder.
"My dear," Harry looked up. There was Professor Trelawney looking as mystical and absurd as ever. "I do hope that the dark events do not cloud your Inner Eye. In times like these it is best to have a clear perception of the future lest some tragic accident fall upon you."
Harry nodded at Professor Trelawney, and then took a seat next to Ron, rolling his eyes. "You hear that Ron, my Inner Eye's clouded. Good to know, that is." he muttered.
Ron snorted. "Be careful, Harry. You may not live to see you're next Divination class."
"I swear," Harry said, picking at the armchair he was sitting in, "if that old bat tries to tell me about how I'm going to die one more time I'm dropping this class just like Hermione."
But Harry and Ron were interrupted by a loud squeal. "Ooh, ooh Professor Trelawney!" Harry turned around to see Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil staring up at Professor Trelawney with blind adoration written across their faces. "Is it true?" breathed Parvati. "The Hufflepuffs are saying that you predicted Cedric Diggory's death when he was in his third year."
"Did you really see him dying, Professor?" asked Lavender, her eyes wide.
Professor Trelawney frowned a bit. "Oh--er--yes," she said in a very unmystical tone. "Yes, I saw him dying while crystal gazing many years ago. I warned him many times when he--er--Kenith did you say?--was in my class; if only he had heeded them," Professor Trelawney sent a very meaningful look at Harry who stared right back at her.
"What a load of rubbish," Ron muttered in Harry's ear. "That Hufflepuff, Hannah Abbott told me that Diggory took Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies."