Chapter Four
Meeting With Dumbledore

She stood before the great oak doors, gazing up at them in wonder. Din was still on her shoulder, like a pirate's parrot that never left it's spot. A teacher with hair pulled tightly back in a bun, and with the most sternest look Sarah had ever seen, opened the doors, and stood before them all, peering into the crowd. "Oh, there you are," she said, spotting Sarah easily in her casual blue robes. She stood out in the sea of black robes and pointy hats. "Why aren't you wearing you're school robes?"
"I uh- don't them yet," answered Sarah.
"Well then, come with me," she said. "The rest of you, go on to the Great Hall. The feast is waiting."
"Good luck, Sarah! Hope you make it into Gryffindor!" said Hermione.
"Yeah! Good luck!" said Harry and Ron. She waved good-bye to them as they left into the Great Hall, and stared at the teacher who was now directing her towards another direction. They entered the first classroom they came to, where Professor Dumbledore himself was waiting for her. She recognized him easily with his long silvery white beard and his half moon spectacles, a smile on his face as she came and stood before the two of them.
She had heard rumors of Dumbledore before, especially from her dad when he came home from work at the Ministry. Everything she heard bout him made her stop to wonder sometimes how great a wizard Dumbledore could actually be. But what truly perplexed her most was the rumor she heard that he was the only wizard You-Know-Who was afraid of.
"Hello, Sarah," he said. "It's nice to finally meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too, Professor Dumbledore."
"We're going to decide what house you'll be when you put on the sorting hat," explained the teacher. "We felt it might be awkward for you if you tried it on in front of the school with the first years, so you'll try it on here." The teacher handed her a hat that was old, and patched up, battered up in some places. "Please sit here," the teacher said placing a three legged stool in front of her. She looked down at the hat unsure, picked up Din and set her on a table, and sat on the stool. Then, placing the hat on her head gently, let it droop over her eye's, hoping it won't rip doing so.
Confused, she waited, wondering what was going to happen next, when a voice suddenly spoke into her ear, startling her. "Hullo there! Hogwarts, eh?" it said. "All the way from the Academy- you're mom went here too I see."
How'd it know that? Sarah thought.
"Well, I can read your mind of course! I see everything that you think. Yes, yes I remember your mom thought the same thing- you and your mother are startlingly alike."
So I've been told. thought Sarah unintentionally, but the hat ignored her and went on.
"I see a bit bravery here, yes. Ambition, hmmm. Well, what'll it be? Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin? Gotta make it quick! There's a lot of first years waiting to be sorted."
Gryffindor would be nice. thought Sarah.
"Gryffindor, huh? Why not Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff?" said the hat into her ear.
Well, I did like the sound of Gryffindor. The friends I met on the train said they were in that house....
"GRYFFINDOR!" said the hat, so that even Professor Dumbledore and the other teacher could hear. Nice talking to you! Or thinking to you! thought Sarah, awkwardly as she took off the hat.
"Knew it all along," said the teacher proudly. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Sarah Maxwell. I am the head of your house, Professor McGonagall."
"Well then, Minerva, I suppose you'll be wanting to get the sorting hat out to the great hall for the first years now. I've got to talk to Sarah about something important," said Professor Dumbledore. "I'll meet you out there when I'm done."
McGonagall nodded, took the hat and a three legged stool, and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Dumbledore looked at Sarah through his half moon glasses as soon as the door had closed.
"Is coming here not so bad anymore?" he asked her.
"I guess not," said Sarah. "I'm going to miss my friends though. And the Academy."
"And tee-peeing boy's dormitories?"
"Oh, I can do that any old time, professor!" said Sarah with a grin. "It's tee-peeing boys dormitories with my friends that I'll miss."
"You've made some new friends already on the train though. Gryffindor students weren't they?"
Sarah sat on top of one of the desks casually and nodded. "I don't know there last names, but I know there was Hermione, Ron and Harry, -"
"Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter," said Dumbledore nodding. Sarah stared at him dumb-struck. For a moment she thought her hearing had just disappeared because she thought he had said "Harry Potter".
"I'm sorry," she said, laughing shortly to herself, "I swear I thought you had said 'Harry Potter', because-"
"You didn't hear wrong, his name is Harry Potter," said Dumbledore.
And then Sarah found herself remembering that Malfoy had been calling him by his last name the entire time, and she hadn't even seen it, and hit herself for not realizing it before.
Then Dumbledore's expression became more serious. "Sarah, your first year here might be kind of awkward for you."
"Yeah, I've made friends with Harry Potter and didn't even realize it. The wheels are turning in my head, but I think the hamster is dead," said Sarah. Dumbledore shook his head with a chuckle. "What d'you mean then?"
"If time were something I could possess I would explain right now. But I'm expected at the feast to welcome the new first years, and to introduce you to the school. I'm sure Harry and his friends will explain to you later, however. All I want to know is, has anything happened this summer that seemed a little unusual back at your home?"
"Not that I know of," said Sarah, giving him a thoughtful look. Dumbledore sighed. "Well, me and my friends did find something," said Sarah, her stomach giving a nervous lurch. "There was this cave and we saw..." she paused, not sure of herself.
"Yes?"
She hesitated and then continued. "I think we found a death eater's hideout," said Sarah. "And there were these men. We heard them say that- someone, probably you-know-who-would be pleased." She looked at him, expecting to be inquired about why she had been in the cave in the first place, but he didn't.
"I will ask you, as I have ask others before. Do please call someone by their proper name. It does get confusing," said Dumbledore. "Go on."
She remembered finding her cousin's two headed coin with the hole in it, but didn't want to mention it. Her cousin was like her brother, and she didn't want to rat on him for anything, even if it was as important as this. "That's about it," said Sarah, faltering and then- "Why do you think they would serve- ah- Him-if he's dead. He can't come back- can He?"
"As I said before, this will be an awkward year for you," said Dumbledore. "Harry will explain, I promise. And when I have the time, I will explain more if there is something you don't understand."
"Explain what?" said Sarah, forgetting for a moment the conversation they just had. "You keep on saying that this will be a strange year. Can you at least give me a hint?"
Dumbledore gave her a searching glance, and then nodded as if to himself. "I can tell you that there is a lot more about Harry Potter than what the rumors have always said, and you'll find that all out later."
Sarah, though not satisfied, nodded. "Is that all then?"
"That's all I wanted to know, thank you, Sarah," said Dumbledore, and smiled. "Alright then, I suppose you want to get to that feast." Sarah nodded, and with that, they left the classroom, and she followed him towards the Great Hall, Din prancing at her feet.
There were four very long tables packed with students and another where all the teachers sat. First years were still being sorted, it looked like, as one took off the hat and set it on the three legged stool McGonagall had taken from the classroom. Sarah noticed that the whole hall was lit up with candles hung in midair, and the ceiling was enchanted with what looked like the sky outside. She never dreamed that she would be going to a school like this.
She saw McGonagall pick up the hat and the stool and carry it away. Now Dumbledore started to make his way up to the staff table, and Sarah followed. There was a silence as everyone watched her, walking up behind Dumbledore, her hands fidgeting nervously in her pockets. Trying hard not to notice that her stomach was burning with uneasiness, as well as hunger, she looked down at Din still trotting beside her feet. All eye's seemed to be focused on her.
Sarah stood next to Dumbledore, facing the whole school which stared back at her.
"Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts," he said to the hall. "I have a couple of notices to announce before introducing our new student. First year students may note that they are not allowed to enter the forbidden forest, and are not allowed to be out of their dormitory's after dark. If any student ever does get caught breaking a rule, points will be taken away from your house. The house with the most points at the end of the year wins the House championship.
"Second, Quidditch games will be back to normal this year, and all of the houses will be having some try outs to fill in opening spots for their teams," he paused as the tables started to applaud, and Sarah could see a few people cheering happily at this news. When the applause died down, he continued.
"Third, the spot for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be filled by none other than the real Professor Moody," he paused as a scattered applause broke out for the teacher behind her, who was eyeing the school with a large magical eye rolling unnaturally around in it's socket, while the other one remained normal, peering out into the crowd.
"One more thing. Those of you who were here last year understood how hectic it was. We are entering dark times again, I'm afraid. I don't wish to frighten the first years new to everything that is happening, only to prepare them for a confusing and chaotic year. Remember that the bonds of friendship and trust are important in this fight against these times...."
Sarah was more confused than before. What could've happened last year that would mean entering dark times? And dark times? Again? Those days were over. You-know-who couldn't be back. Could he? Dumbledore interupted her thoughts ask he stopped talking abrubtly and looked down at her.
"Now finally, I'll introduce the new student whom everyone is curious to know about," he said, speaking loudly but clearly to the students. "Sarah Maxwell has come here all the way from the U.S., and will be finishing her fifth, sixth and seventh years here at Hogwarts. I expect you all to welcome her this year. Oh yes- and the house she was chosen to be in," added Dumbledore thoughtfully. "She is to be in Gryffindor."
There was tidal wave of applause, especially from one table, which had to be Gryffindor because Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting there, waving and cheering the most. One table however, hadn't even said a word, and was most likely to be Slytherin, seeing as Malfoy and his body guard-like friends sat there scowling at her. She walked quickly across the hall and came to sit next to Harry, students still congratulating her. Din hopped up on her lap, mewing hungrily.
"With that I say, bon appetite!" said Dumbledore, and the empty plates were suddenly filled with food.
"I felt like Jell-O up there," said Sarah a she poured some milk into her empty saucer and placed it on the floor for Din. The kitten leapt off her lap happily and went for the saucer. Sarah let out a deep breath of relief, and started on her own plate of food.
"Well, thank god you're in Gryffindor," said Ron.
"Did Dumbledore tell you about anything?" asked Harry. Sarah, almost choking, swallowed her food, and looked sideways at Harry with a half frown and half grin on her face.
"You know, he didn't say a lot, but there was something that did catch my attention," she said. Harry stopped eating, his fork posed in midair before his mouth. "All that time on the train," she said shaking her head as she returned to her own plate, "and I had no idea, Harry Potter," she said his name with a half laugh.
Harry stared at her, looking a little relieved. "But I thought you knew that," he said.
"Well, apparently I didn't," she said. "But there's some more that I don't know about."
"And?" Harry said, waiting for her to continue as she drank her glass of pumpkin juice. She set down the goblet, and looked at it with wide eyes.
"Is that pumpkin juice?" she said, savoring the taste in her mouth. She looked at Harry, but saw he wasn't interested in the juice. "Oh," she said, "oh- Dumbledor said that you would explain... something. I dunno. Let's just get on with dinner, alright?"
"She reads my mind," Ron said to Harry as he stuffed his mouth with mashed potatoes.
They changed the subject, and Quidditch was brought up again. Her favorite thing to hear about Harry's matches were the way he caught the golden snitches, and how the comentator made the funniest remarks. The two beaters on his team, Fred and George, were Ron's older twin brothers. They joined in in the conversation, telling them about their own games. They were extremely excited to hear that Sarah was a Chaser on her old team, but then grew disappointed to hear that her worst position was Keeper.
Stuffed and tired, Sarah ambled out of the Great Hall with Harry, Ron and Hermione and a huge crowd of Gryffindors. They walked up to a portrait of a large woman, who asked the student at the head of the crowd for the password. "Nutter Butter," he said and the portrait swung open to reveal a circular common room, with comfortable looking chairs and a fire cackling merrily in the fire place.
Sarah followed Hermione up the stairs to the fifth year girls dormitory, found a bed near the window with her luggage sitting next to it, and collapsed onto it. Din hopped upon the bed, and Sarah lay next to her, not bothering to change her clothes.
"How'd you like the feast?" asked Parvati Patil, who climbed into the bed next to her.
"It was the best one I've ever had," Sarah said. "That pumpkin juice was something new. Too bad there wasn't any fried chicken..."
"That's not what a Beauxbatons student would've said," said Hermione lightly.
Sarah blinked at her. "Well, what do you expect, their delicacies are snails," she replied. "I expect 'zat 'zis pumpkin juice, or watever you call it, would not please even mice!" she imitated in a fake French accent. Hermione laughed quietly at this as she got into bed.
"What was the food like where you were?" Lavender Brown asked as she too got into bed in night robes of pink.
"The bread was good enough to pass as Bludgers. Jell-O could literally bounce off the walls, and we couldn't tell if they were serving cheese or milk," she yawned wearily.
"Ew- really?" Parvati looked sideways at Sarah with a revolted look.
"No," Sarah laughed, "that was Muggle school food. Ours was ok, I just think this food was better."
"Were there cute guys at your school?" Lavender asked with mischievous smile.
"You could say that," Sarah grinned up at the canvas on her four poster. She could see one guy's face clearly at the mention of cute guys at the Academy. He was someone she had a crash on since her first year, who spiked his short brown hair up in hair gel, and wonderful brown eye's, that she almost melted when she imagined them.
"Hope you have a good first day tomorrow, Sarah," said Hermione, as she turned out the light's.
"G'night," muttered Sarah, as she started to make up a dream about bringing Mike and Kelly Anne, and her crush to Hogwarts for winter vacation, and slowly fell off into sleep.