Claimer: The Sorting Hat's song, Ravi Patil, Andrea Ray, Ally Trevor, Aquilus Warwick, Aíxa Dowrdraiodoir, Drimus Kour, and Karakachka Yudi are my property.
Disclaimer: Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.
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The silver-blonde girl named Fleur Delacour giggled and sat next to Harry.
"Bonjour to all of you!" she said cheerily, waving her long and delicate fingers in a gesture of acceptance.
"Fleur ... um ... What are you doing here? Going to Hogwarts, I mean?" inquired Harry, very confused.
"Zey 'ave taken me in as one of ze staff," replied Fleur.
"Not the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, right?" asked Hermione.
"No, I am 'elping ze Madame Pomfrey in ze 'Ospital Wing," Fleur said, smiling with her white and perfectly straight teeth in Harry's general direction. Everybody sighed in relief.
But then, who would be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?
Only time would tell, but Harry couldn't help hoping it would be Sirius.
*
A long train ride later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood before Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he waited for Professor McGonagall to open the large oak doors of the school, Harry looked around, hoping to spot the transfer students Hermione had mentioned. Ron, however, was quicker than him.
"Harry - look!" he said, pointing.
Harry looked, and so did Hermione. Three teenagers, two girls and a boy, were exiting one of the magical horseless carriages. They were dark, and looked very gloomy in their black Hogwarts robes.
"Durmstrang transfers," whispered Hermione. Somehow, a large number of students heard her, and almost half the crowd turned to stare at them. The transfers would have felt very unconfortable then, had not Professor McGonagall opened the doors that very instant. They entered, and the transfers, led by one of the Professors, disappeared in the general direction of Professor Dumbledore's office.
There was a quite unnatural pause of approximately ten minutes before Dumbledore entered the Great Hall, followed by McGonagall and the First Years. After everyone was seated, McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on its usual stool, and it began to sing.
"Hundreds of years before your time
In a land beside the sea
There lived four mages of great mind
Wise, powerful, and free.
"They founded here the School you see
And wove into its walls
White magic and enchantments, deep
Into its rooms and halls.
"Here long they lived, teaching the young
In the ways of wizard-art;
And soon they found a perfect way
To rank young mages apart.
"You may belong in Gryffindor,
Where bravery sets them apart;
You may belong in Hufflepuff,
Where dwell the kind of heart.
"You may belong in Ravenclaw:
There are at home the clever;
Or you may belong in Slytherin,
Where slyness dwells forever.
"So put me on your head, and I
Will look into your mind
And judge you closely by the traits
That in you I may find."
Applause rang throughout the Hall. The Hat bowed to each of the four tables, then remained still. Professor McGonagall stepped forward, a long piece of parchment in her hands, and started reading out names.
Harry yawned and leaned back in his chair. He wondered which Houses the transfers would be sorted into. He gazed at them for a while; they were standing uneasily, a little apart from the crowd of First Years. They looked like potential Slytherin material to Harry, except perhaps the tallest of the girls. She had twinkling black eyes and a certain friendly look about her. Harry kept staring, until the girl turned and smiled. He blushed and smiled back shyly, then turned back to the Sorting.
"Patil, Ravi" had just been sorted into Gryffindor. He ran over to join his sister Parvati at the Gryffindor table, amid loud cheers. After him came "Ray, Andrea", who belonged to Ravenclaw, "Trevor, Ally", who was sorted into Hufflepuff, and "Warwick, Aquilus", a Slytherin.
After that, a brief silence; then, Professor Dumbledore stepped forward.
"My dear alumni!" he said. "I welcome you all to this new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This year, due to the unlucky state of Headmasterlessness the Durmstrang Institute is in, we have received three transfers from there. They will now be Sorted."
McGonagall stepped forward again, and looked at the bottom of the parchment. Her eyes widened slightly, and she pushed her squareish glasses further up her nose, squinting at the parchment.
"Dowrdraiodoir, Aíxa," she read, very slowly. The shortest of the two girls walked to the stool and sat down. There was nothing remarkable about her. Her face was thin and pointy, and her straight, raven-dark hair fell unobtrusively in a long braid to her waist. The only things unusual about her were her eyes. They were dark and deep; "As if you could never reach the bottom of them," thought Harry vaguely, before the brim of the Sorting Hat fell over Dowrdraiodoir's dark eyes.
"Dowrdraiodoir, Aíxa" remained seated a long time. Students all around the Great Hall started looking at their watches, and some, like Ron, groaned impatiently, thinking of their empty stomachs.
"SLYTHERIN!" shouted the Hat, at long last. Dowrdraiodoir snatche the Hat off her head, left it on the stool, and walked off to the Slytherin table, amidst thundering cheers and cat-calls.
"Kour, Drimus," called Professor McGonagall. The Durmstrang boy stepped forward. He was also dark-eyed, although his hair was brown. He was tall and powerfully built; a wave of giggles broke out among the female audience as he sat down and put the Sorting Hat on.
"GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted, almost immediately.
"Yudi, Karakachka," said McGonagall. The third transfer stepped forward, and a hush fell over the students. Karakachka Yudi was tall, slim, and delicately built. Her hair, in soft, dark ringlets, fell loosely down her back; it reached past her waist. Her face was delicate and heart-shaped; her eyes, rimmed by long, black eyelashes, were bright blue. Drimus Kour bowed slightly to her and handed her the Hat, before heading to the Gryffindor table. Karakachka Yudi placed the Sorting Hat on her head with her long, delicate hands.
"RAVENCLAW!" it shouted after a few minutes. Karakachka took the Hat off elegantly and walked to the Ravenclaw table, smiling perfectly.
"And now," said Dumbledore, standing up again, "before we eat, I shall be glad to present Madam Pomfrey's new assistant, come directly from France - I believe most of you know her - Fleur Delacour!"
There was a loud applause as Madam Pomfrey's new assistant stood up. Ron grinned stupidly.
"I think we'll be spending a lot of time in the Hospital Wing this year, won't we, Harry?" Harry grinned back.
"And I would also like to introduce you," continued Dumbledore, after the applause had died down a little, "to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who is right this instant coming through the door ... "
There was an instant of complete silence as hundreds of pairs of eyes turned towards the door of the Great Hall, where a smiling woman was standing.
-----------
A.N.: Another cliffhanger! Ha ha ha! I love them.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last two chapters, especially Keith Fraser, because I admire his fanfiction :). Lots of thanks to John Williams, Vivaldi, Bach, Beethoven, Pachelbel, and Trio Nocturna, for making such great inspiring music (even if most of them are dead)!
Disclaimer: Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.
-----------
The silver-blonde girl named Fleur Delacour giggled and sat next to Harry.
"Bonjour to all of you!" she said cheerily, waving her long and delicate fingers in a gesture of acceptance.
"Fleur ... um ... What are you doing here? Going to Hogwarts, I mean?" inquired Harry, very confused.
"Zey 'ave taken me in as one of ze staff," replied Fleur.
"Not the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, right?" asked Hermione.
"No, I am 'elping ze Madame Pomfrey in ze 'Ospital Wing," Fleur said, smiling with her white and perfectly straight teeth in Harry's general direction. Everybody sighed in relief.
But then, who would be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?
Only time would tell, but Harry couldn't help hoping it would be Sirius.
*
A long train ride later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood before Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he waited for Professor McGonagall to open the large oak doors of the school, Harry looked around, hoping to spot the transfer students Hermione had mentioned. Ron, however, was quicker than him.
"Harry - look!" he said, pointing.
Harry looked, and so did Hermione. Three teenagers, two girls and a boy, were exiting one of the magical horseless carriages. They were dark, and looked very gloomy in their black Hogwarts robes.
"Durmstrang transfers," whispered Hermione. Somehow, a large number of students heard her, and almost half the crowd turned to stare at them. The transfers would have felt very unconfortable then, had not Professor McGonagall opened the doors that very instant. They entered, and the transfers, led by one of the Professors, disappeared in the general direction of Professor Dumbledore's office.
There was a quite unnatural pause of approximately ten minutes before Dumbledore entered the Great Hall, followed by McGonagall and the First Years. After everyone was seated, McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on its usual stool, and it began to sing.
"Hundreds of years before your time
In a land beside the sea
There lived four mages of great mind
Wise, powerful, and free.
"They founded here the School you see
And wove into its walls
White magic and enchantments, deep
Into its rooms and halls.
"Here long they lived, teaching the young
In the ways of wizard-art;
And soon they found a perfect way
To rank young mages apart.
"You may belong in Gryffindor,
Where bravery sets them apart;
You may belong in Hufflepuff,
Where dwell the kind of heart.
"You may belong in Ravenclaw:
There are at home the clever;
Or you may belong in Slytherin,
Where slyness dwells forever.
"So put me on your head, and I
Will look into your mind
And judge you closely by the traits
That in you I may find."
Applause rang throughout the Hall. The Hat bowed to each of the four tables, then remained still. Professor McGonagall stepped forward, a long piece of parchment in her hands, and started reading out names.
Harry yawned and leaned back in his chair. He wondered which Houses the transfers would be sorted into. He gazed at them for a while; they were standing uneasily, a little apart from the crowd of First Years. They looked like potential Slytherin material to Harry, except perhaps the tallest of the girls. She had twinkling black eyes and a certain friendly look about her. Harry kept staring, until the girl turned and smiled. He blushed and smiled back shyly, then turned back to the Sorting.
"Patil, Ravi" had just been sorted into Gryffindor. He ran over to join his sister Parvati at the Gryffindor table, amid loud cheers. After him came "Ray, Andrea", who belonged to Ravenclaw, "Trevor, Ally", who was sorted into Hufflepuff, and "Warwick, Aquilus", a Slytherin.
After that, a brief silence; then, Professor Dumbledore stepped forward.
"My dear alumni!" he said. "I welcome you all to this new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This year, due to the unlucky state of Headmasterlessness the Durmstrang Institute is in, we have received three transfers from there. They will now be Sorted."
McGonagall stepped forward again, and looked at the bottom of the parchment. Her eyes widened slightly, and she pushed her squareish glasses further up her nose, squinting at the parchment.
"Dowrdraiodoir, Aíxa," she read, very slowly. The shortest of the two girls walked to the stool and sat down. There was nothing remarkable about her. Her face was thin and pointy, and her straight, raven-dark hair fell unobtrusively in a long braid to her waist. The only things unusual about her were her eyes. They were dark and deep; "As if you could never reach the bottom of them," thought Harry vaguely, before the brim of the Sorting Hat fell over Dowrdraiodoir's dark eyes.
"Dowrdraiodoir, Aíxa" remained seated a long time. Students all around the Great Hall started looking at their watches, and some, like Ron, groaned impatiently, thinking of their empty stomachs.
"SLYTHERIN!" shouted the Hat, at long last. Dowrdraiodoir snatche the Hat off her head, left it on the stool, and walked off to the Slytherin table, amidst thundering cheers and cat-calls.
"Kour, Drimus," called Professor McGonagall. The Durmstrang boy stepped forward. He was also dark-eyed, although his hair was brown. He was tall and powerfully built; a wave of giggles broke out among the female audience as he sat down and put the Sorting Hat on.
"GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted, almost immediately.
"Yudi, Karakachka," said McGonagall. The third transfer stepped forward, and a hush fell over the students. Karakachka Yudi was tall, slim, and delicately built. Her hair, in soft, dark ringlets, fell loosely down her back; it reached past her waist. Her face was delicate and heart-shaped; her eyes, rimmed by long, black eyelashes, were bright blue. Drimus Kour bowed slightly to her and handed her the Hat, before heading to the Gryffindor table. Karakachka Yudi placed the Sorting Hat on her head with her long, delicate hands.
"RAVENCLAW!" it shouted after a few minutes. Karakachka took the Hat off elegantly and walked to the Ravenclaw table, smiling perfectly.
"And now," said Dumbledore, standing up again, "before we eat, I shall be glad to present Madam Pomfrey's new assistant, come directly from France - I believe most of you know her - Fleur Delacour!"
There was a loud applause as Madam Pomfrey's new assistant stood up. Ron grinned stupidly.
"I think we'll be spending a lot of time in the Hospital Wing this year, won't we, Harry?" Harry grinned back.
"And I would also like to introduce you," continued Dumbledore, after the applause had died down a little, "to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who is right this instant coming through the door ... "
There was an instant of complete silence as hundreds of pairs of eyes turned towards the door of the Great Hall, where a smiling woman was standing.
-----------
A.N.: Another cliffhanger! Ha ha ha! I love them.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last two chapters, especially Keith Fraser, because I admire his fanfiction :). Lots of thanks to John Williams, Vivaldi, Bach, Beethoven, Pachelbel, and Trio Nocturna, for making such great inspiring music (even if most of them are dead)!