Chapter Three: Return to Hogwarts
Over 30,000 students and 100 new teachers walked into an extravagant hall and none failed to be amazed. About 500 of the students separated from the group and took their seats at their hose table. The prefects and head boy and girl sat down at a separate table, despite their houses. Albus Dumbledore stood at the front of the room, looking down proudly at the students. Finally he said, "My dear teachers and students, as you can see, we have quite a few students to sort. There are also 7 schools that choose not to be sorted into Hogwarts houses the traditional way. If they would wait on the side while the rest are sorted, we will allow you to, well, you'll find out. Shall we begin the sorting?"
During Dumbledore's speech a few thousand students had moved off to the side and were now talking quietly while the other schools were sorted. A tall boy with black hair got up from a Hogwarts table and walked over to them.
"Please follow me." he said before turning and walking out the door.
In the hall the boy smiled for the first time that evening and said, "Hello, sorry about all the formality back in there. I'm Harry and judging by all your expressions you're confused. Since your schools have decided not to be sorted into Hogwarts houses, you will be allowed to choose what house to be in. Your teachers have all told what house you're best suited for, so if you're meant to be in Hufflepuff and you go to Slytherin or Griffindor, we'll have to move you to Hufflepuff. Please make your decision now and I'll send you all in by twos. No discussing what house you're going to, it can change someone's decision. Even if you're not in the same house as your friends you will still see them. Oh, right, another thing. Some of you may not want to live in the dormitory of the house you choose so I can set up a room for you. I can also make some for whole schools that are going to be in different houses but want to stay together. If you choose either of those options, tell me after or during the feast. Thanks! Good luck here!"
Having finished his 'speech', Harry sent the students back into the Great Hall in pairs, just as he had promised, before walking back in himself. The sorting ceremony had just ended and Dumbledore was finishing up explaining why people who hadn't been sorted into their houses were sitting at their table. Harry looked to the Griffindor table and his eyes widened so slightly that only Dumbledore could have noticed, if he had been watching.
Every seat was occupied. He had made 10,000 seats per table and still every seat at the Griffindor table was occupied. There were even a few people standing next to the table. Harry, still unnoticed, glared at the table for a second until thirty more chairs appeared and the table itself grew to accommodate the chairs. He carefully snuck behind a group that had noticed and gone to sit down, acting as though he had been there the whole time.
Looking around, Harry found himself in a mixed group of third years and seventh years. Apparently a seventh year boy's little sister was a third year.
"You're too young to be sitting with me. Some Slytherin is going to see you sitting here and beat you up." the seventh year insisted.
"I am not too young. You're just having a brother-syndrome, by tomorrow you'll be pushing me at the Slytherins." the third year replied, unperturbed by her brother's insistance."
"Kate, if-."
"Excuse me, I don't think the Slytherins are going to do anything." a young elvish fourth-year interrupted, "If they do, they'll get in trouble and have quite a few curses put on them by the Griffindors. Look how many Griffindors there are compared to the Slytherins. They only have, what, barely five thousand. Anyways, they won't be after third years, they'll go after first years."
"Fine. I give up, I'm outnumbered. Is anyone around here from Hogwarts originally? I've been wondering about the quidditch system. I'm a beater."
"I am." Harry spoke up, "I'm on the quidditch team too. Each house has a team and a reserve team. The main team for Griffindor needs three chasers and two beaters unless they move the reserve chasers and beaters to the main team."
"Thanks. I'm Jeff, that's my sister Kate, and my brother Sam should be around here somewhere. Oh, and that's Kate's friend Sari." Jeff said the last pointing to the fourth year elf. "We're from the U.S."
"I'm Harry. I'm from here obviously. Who's your favorite team?"
"Hmm, probably the Scottish Snidgets."
"I like the Egyptian Ridgebacks. Or used to at least, I think they broke up because a few players quit or killed someone or something like that."
"The keeper killed the seeker. I used to like them too. Anyways, my whole family has supported the Snidgets since before I was born. It's almost a family tradition now."
"The Snidgets aren't back, it's just that their chasers stink. If they got better chasers they might even make it to the world cup."
"That's what I thought too. Oh well, saying they need new chasers won't make it happen."
"Too true. The food should be here soon. Don't have any chicken, I heard someone decided it was too dull around here." Harry warned.
That minute the food appeared and turned out to be as delicious as ever. The house elves had even made foreign foods that most people had never even heard of, much less seen or eaten. Somehow Harry's warning had been passed down the table and all the Griffindors were virtuously avoiding the chicken. Dinner was almost over when someone at the Slytherin table screamed.
"Oh no! It's Malfoy! He ate the chicken." Harry said happily.
A giant human-chicken turned towards the noise then tried to attack. It ran so quickly towards Harry, however, that it tripped over its newly shaped feet and straight into the ground where pudding had strategically been spilled. This only made the chicken angrier as it leaped up (which in itself was quite entertaining) and pecked at Harry who was almost in tears from laughing. After a few seconds of this Dumbledore took Malfoy down to Madam Pomphrey, then returning to a room of chaos. There were human- chickens everywhere.
"Oh dear, I believe Poppy will be busy for a while." Dumbledore said to himself then to the hall, "Would all chickens please follow me?!"
In the Griffindor dormitory the boys were just climbing into bed when Sam (who had been found engaged in an argument about quidditch with some fifth year gnomes) grinned suddenly and asked, "Hey! Harry! How'd you manage the chicken thing?"
"Oh, you figured out it was me? Too bad I could only help with part of it. I got a few friends that are out of Hogwarts to come back and try my new jinx. Did you like it?"
"No," Sam said, "I loved it! Can you teach me?"
Harry grinned and answered, "Of course!"
Soon everyone lay down and acted like they were asleep until Harry was the only person truly awake. It had been a tiring day, but very enjoyable. His 'pictures' had proved to be a success and even the teachers had complimented him on the decorating job and 'a wonderful new invention' as McGonagall had put it. Quidditch season would start in two weeks and the captains (if the last captain had been a seventh year and moved on) would be posted by tomorrow. Harry had even seen Malfoy shown as what he really was- a mean chicken. With a content smile Harry closed his eyes and went to sleep thinking one thought. It was good to be back at Hogwarts.
pheonix friend- thanks for reviewing!! ( I'm going to be putting in as many chapters as I can think of without ruining the story or dragging on forever. I'm going to try and keep Harry calm but I hope that by chapter 8 something might happen with dear Voldie. Oops, said too much! Hope I answered your question.
Well, I don't think I did as well as I could've on that chapter and I took FOREVER to update. Sorry. Well, I'm as busy as usual with swimming and will be busy most of the weekend but if I have any spare time I'll spend it on this. Thanks for reading!
Over 30,000 students and 100 new teachers walked into an extravagant hall and none failed to be amazed. About 500 of the students separated from the group and took their seats at their hose table. The prefects and head boy and girl sat down at a separate table, despite their houses. Albus Dumbledore stood at the front of the room, looking down proudly at the students. Finally he said, "My dear teachers and students, as you can see, we have quite a few students to sort. There are also 7 schools that choose not to be sorted into Hogwarts houses the traditional way. If they would wait on the side while the rest are sorted, we will allow you to, well, you'll find out. Shall we begin the sorting?"
During Dumbledore's speech a few thousand students had moved off to the side and were now talking quietly while the other schools were sorted. A tall boy with black hair got up from a Hogwarts table and walked over to them.
"Please follow me." he said before turning and walking out the door.
In the hall the boy smiled for the first time that evening and said, "Hello, sorry about all the formality back in there. I'm Harry and judging by all your expressions you're confused. Since your schools have decided not to be sorted into Hogwarts houses, you will be allowed to choose what house to be in. Your teachers have all told what house you're best suited for, so if you're meant to be in Hufflepuff and you go to Slytherin or Griffindor, we'll have to move you to Hufflepuff. Please make your decision now and I'll send you all in by twos. No discussing what house you're going to, it can change someone's decision. Even if you're not in the same house as your friends you will still see them. Oh, right, another thing. Some of you may not want to live in the dormitory of the house you choose so I can set up a room for you. I can also make some for whole schools that are going to be in different houses but want to stay together. If you choose either of those options, tell me after or during the feast. Thanks! Good luck here!"
Having finished his 'speech', Harry sent the students back into the Great Hall in pairs, just as he had promised, before walking back in himself. The sorting ceremony had just ended and Dumbledore was finishing up explaining why people who hadn't been sorted into their houses were sitting at their table. Harry looked to the Griffindor table and his eyes widened so slightly that only Dumbledore could have noticed, if he had been watching.
Every seat was occupied. He had made 10,000 seats per table and still every seat at the Griffindor table was occupied. There were even a few people standing next to the table. Harry, still unnoticed, glared at the table for a second until thirty more chairs appeared and the table itself grew to accommodate the chairs. He carefully snuck behind a group that had noticed and gone to sit down, acting as though he had been there the whole time.
Looking around, Harry found himself in a mixed group of third years and seventh years. Apparently a seventh year boy's little sister was a third year.
"You're too young to be sitting with me. Some Slytherin is going to see you sitting here and beat you up." the seventh year insisted.
"I am not too young. You're just having a brother-syndrome, by tomorrow you'll be pushing me at the Slytherins." the third year replied, unperturbed by her brother's insistance."
"Kate, if-."
"Excuse me, I don't think the Slytherins are going to do anything." a young elvish fourth-year interrupted, "If they do, they'll get in trouble and have quite a few curses put on them by the Griffindors. Look how many Griffindors there are compared to the Slytherins. They only have, what, barely five thousand. Anyways, they won't be after third years, they'll go after first years."
"Fine. I give up, I'm outnumbered. Is anyone around here from Hogwarts originally? I've been wondering about the quidditch system. I'm a beater."
"I am." Harry spoke up, "I'm on the quidditch team too. Each house has a team and a reserve team. The main team for Griffindor needs three chasers and two beaters unless they move the reserve chasers and beaters to the main team."
"Thanks. I'm Jeff, that's my sister Kate, and my brother Sam should be around here somewhere. Oh, and that's Kate's friend Sari." Jeff said the last pointing to the fourth year elf. "We're from the U.S."
"I'm Harry. I'm from here obviously. Who's your favorite team?"
"Hmm, probably the Scottish Snidgets."
"I like the Egyptian Ridgebacks. Or used to at least, I think they broke up because a few players quit or killed someone or something like that."
"The keeper killed the seeker. I used to like them too. Anyways, my whole family has supported the Snidgets since before I was born. It's almost a family tradition now."
"The Snidgets aren't back, it's just that their chasers stink. If they got better chasers they might even make it to the world cup."
"That's what I thought too. Oh well, saying they need new chasers won't make it happen."
"Too true. The food should be here soon. Don't have any chicken, I heard someone decided it was too dull around here." Harry warned.
That minute the food appeared and turned out to be as delicious as ever. The house elves had even made foreign foods that most people had never even heard of, much less seen or eaten. Somehow Harry's warning had been passed down the table and all the Griffindors were virtuously avoiding the chicken. Dinner was almost over when someone at the Slytherin table screamed.
"Oh no! It's Malfoy! He ate the chicken." Harry said happily.
A giant human-chicken turned towards the noise then tried to attack. It ran so quickly towards Harry, however, that it tripped over its newly shaped feet and straight into the ground where pudding had strategically been spilled. This only made the chicken angrier as it leaped up (which in itself was quite entertaining) and pecked at Harry who was almost in tears from laughing. After a few seconds of this Dumbledore took Malfoy down to Madam Pomphrey, then returning to a room of chaos. There were human- chickens everywhere.
"Oh dear, I believe Poppy will be busy for a while." Dumbledore said to himself then to the hall, "Would all chickens please follow me?!"
In the Griffindor dormitory the boys were just climbing into bed when Sam (who had been found engaged in an argument about quidditch with some fifth year gnomes) grinned suddenly and asked, "Hey! Harry! How'd you manage the chicken thing?"
"Oh, you figured out it was me? Too bad I could only help with part of it. I got a few friends that are out of Hogwarts to come back and try my new jinx. Did you like it?"
"No," Sam said, "I loved it! Can you teach me?"
Harry grinned and answered, "Of course!"
Soon everyone lay down and acted like they were asleep until Harry was the only person truly awake. It had been a tiring day, but very enjoyable. His 'pictures' had proved to be a success and even the teachers had complimented him on the decorating job and 'a wonderful new invention' as McGonagall had put it. Quidditch season would start in two weeks and the captains (if the last captain had been a seventh year and moved on) would be posted by tomorrow. Harry had even seen Malfoy shown as what he really was- a mean chicken. With a content smile Harry closed his eyes and went to sleep thinking one thought. It was good to be back at Hogwarts.
pheonix friend- thanks for reviewing!! ( I'm going to be putting in as many chapters as I can think of without ruining the story or dragging on forever. I'm going to try and keep Harry calm but I hope that by chapter 8 something might happen with dear Voldie. Oops, said too much! Hope I answered your question.
Well, I don't think I did as well as I could've on that chapter and I took FOREVER to update. Sorry. Well, I'm as busy as usual with swimming and will be busy most of the weekend but if I have any spare time I'll spend it on this. Thanks for reading!