*Author's Note* Sorry that I'm falling back on posting!! I'll try to keep up! You guys have been great for reviewing, so keep it up! There's actually something important in this chapter! But more about that in the author's note at the end. Oh, and let me explain. My computer is super weird. I can't post anything in bold or italic, so I put the things I want to emphasis in CAPS. OK, enjoy!!

*Disclaimer* All the HP characters belong to JK Rowling. You know the drill...

CHAPTER 4: INTRODUCTIONS

Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Abby walked into the Entrance Hall. It seemed to be particularly busy that night. Maybe because Peeves the Poltergeist was in their, throwing whatever he could at anyone he could. He seemed to be in a VERY bad mood. The four ran low into the Great Hall, and just in time. Hermione had narrowly avoided being hit with a History of Magic textbook from who knows where. Once they got into the Great Hall and got over the initial shock of being attacked by school supplies, Abby said goodbye and walked over to her Ravenclaw friends.
"So, Ron," Harry said innocently, though not hiding his smile, "you never introduced us to your 'friend'" Now it was Harry's turn to tease Ron about a girl.
"Oh, where WERE my manners?" Ron said, blushing, "Well, that girl was Abby Morris. She's a Ravenclaw fifth year. Ask Hermione, they have Ancient Runes together."
Harry turned to ask Hermione about Abby, but she was lost in her own world, stargazing at the Enchanted Ceiling.
"Morris, Morris. You know, that name sounds familiar." Harry said, searching his thoughts.
"That's because she had an older brother in Gryffindor. Mark graduated with Percy. And she has a younger brother who should be coming next year." Ron said, taking a seat at the Gryffindor table. Harry and Hermione followed suit. The three then got wrapped up in greeting old friends and glaring at old enemies.
Soon, a hush fell over the fall. Professor McGonagall led a group of nervous first years into the Great Hall and lined them up on a platform along the Head Table. She placed a four-legged stool in front of them and put the Sorting Hat on top of it. The ragged, patched Sorting Hat burst into song. It was telling the first years about all the different houses. At the end of the song, the Great Hall burst into applause. Harry saw that some first years were relieved, while others were worried. Harry remembered his experience with the Sorting Hat, and, judging by the glazed look on Ron and Hermione's faces, they too were remembering their sorting. The three had never really talked about their experience, which was good for Harry: he didn't want to admit he was almost put in Slytherin.
Professor McGonagall was talking to the first years. Ron couldn't make out what he was saying, but he knew she must be giving them the instructions for being sorted. She unrolled her parchment and called off the first name: "Abed, David." A tall, brown haired and extremely nervous boy sat down, and pulled on the hat. Ron understood why he was so nervous: he wouldn't have fancied going first either. The Hat took a moment's pause and then called out "HUFFLEPUFF!" The table on the far left cheered for their first new member.
And so the sorting continued. There seemed to be an awful lot of Ravenclaws, and quite a few Hufflepuffs, but maybe that was just Hermione's imagination. It took them until "Carlin, Patricia" to get a new Gryffindor. When they did, the table went wild, trying to impress and welcome the new girl. Patricia sat down not too far from Hermione. Hermione felt that it was her duty as a prefect to greet the new girl, so she waved and smiled at the blushing girl.
The Slytherins had to wait until "Donell, Matthew" for a new member. The table cheered, but Matthew looked quite embarrassed. He sat down next to Goyle, but looked like he really didn't want to be there. Hermione wondered which house the boy had REALLY wanted to be in.
The rest of the Sorting was uneventful, except for a new Gryffindor, "Parkinson, Rose." Hermione gasped when this girl joined their table. Pansy Parkinson was shooting her daggers from across the room and the girl looked close to tears. Rose was undoubtedly related to Pansy. 'How strange that one family member is in Gryffindor and the other is in Slytherin of all houses!' Hermione thought. She hoped that Rose would be nicer than Pansy.
By the end of the Sorting, the Gryffindor table was crowded and hungry. They had acquired twelve new house members, oddly enough spilt evenly between boys and girls: Patricia Carlin, Nadia Edward, Jennifer Fulton, Mary-Anne Masiac, Rose Parkinson, Julia Yefter, Roger Danden, Peter Gallagher, Kevin Nolton, Michael Sethen, and Dillan Quint. Hermione had made an effort to wave to each of them and made a mental note to introduce herself later. As much as she usually enjoyed Dumbeldore's pre-meal speech, she was HUNGRY!!
Dumbeldore stood up and smiled "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry! Now I see that some of you are staring hungrily at your plates already, so let's leave the introductions until after the meal, shall we?" With that, he sat down and the food appeared on the table.
Everyone in the Hall helped themselves to the delicious feast. Harry finally had a chance to point out something. "Check out our new Defense teacher." he said, nodding towards the Head Table. Their was only one unknown person at the table, so they all assumed she was the new professor. They had never had a female Defense teacher. She had long chestnut brown hair. Hermione saw that it went past her shoulders, but she couldn't see how long it was. The teacher had sparkling blue eyes and rosy cheeks. She must have seen Harry, Ron, and Hermione looking at her, because she turned and waved to them.
All three went back to their plates, embarrassed at being caught. "Well, she looks nice." Hermione said. Ron nodded, but Hermione figured he was thinking more along the lines of attractive nice, as opposed to fair, intelligent, friendly nice that Hermione was thinking.
"Hey! C'mon guys," Hermione said to the very quiet first years. "You can talk. Don't be afraid, we won't bite!"
It didn't exactly have the desired effect. The first years became embarrassed at being talked to.
"So Rose," Hermione said, taking another stab at conversation. "Are you related to Pansy?" Rose nodded glumly.
"Oh, how?" Hermione said, curiously. Rose seemed very sad. Her gray eyes seemed to be dropping and her pale complexion seemed scared-pale, instead of her normal porcelain-doll pale.
"Pansy's my older sister." Rose said quietly.
"Oh that's nice." Hermione said, trying to cheer up Rose. "I'm an only child, but I have tons of cousins." Rose just nodded and turned back to her meal. Hermione shrugged in defeat and joined Lavender and Parvati in a discussion about the new teacher. Ron and Harry were talking to Fred, George, and Lee about Quidditch(what else?).
When everyone had finished dessert(which included an excellent chocolate raspberry cheesecake) and the plates had been cleared away, Professor Dumbeldore stood up. His beard and hair shone brilliantly in the candlelight and (as Harry happily noticed) his eyes had that familiar twinkle in them.
"So! We begin another year! It makes my old heart swell with joy to see so many eager faces. Well, the eager faces of first years. Now some of the other students..." Dumbeldore shrugged and paused to allow laughter at his joke. "Now, onto business. I have a few start of term announcements. No magic should be practiced in corridors. And, as Mr. Filch, our caretaker, pointed out, that includes magical pranks and jokes." he said, with a glance at the Weasley twins. "The Forbidden Forest is, indeed, forbidden, hence the name. As I'm sure you all know, the village of Hogsmeade if off limits to first and second years. Also, I should add that restrictions have been place on the Hogsmeade trips..." Dumbeldore was interrupted by a chorus of groans. "Oh yes, right on cue." he said amusedly. "Anyway, they are simply restrictions to protect you against the threat of Lord Voldermort." Several people flinched and one person called out "Don't say his name!" Professor Dumbeldore looked down his long, crooked nose at the member of the Hufflepuff table, then looked back to the Hall. "For over twenty years, I have been persuading people to say his name. By not saying his name, you are only encouraging Voldermort. You are showing him that you are afraid, and that he has achieved his goal. DON'T give him that satisfaction. While you are in my school, you shall have to hear his name. I would encourage all of you to say Voldermort instead of 'You-Know-How' or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,' but I know my efforts while be futile. Still, you must learn to deal with it." Dumbeldore paused to let his speech sink in, then continued in a lighter tone. "Anyway, we will discuss the precautions around Halloween, when we have our first Hogsmeade weekend" Ron and Hermione heard Harry groan. They knew he didn't want to wait until October to go out with Cho. "Also, I should tell you that a new curfew has been imposed. All students must be inside the castle by 10, and inside their Common Rooms by 10:30." He was once again interrupted by groans and grumbling.
"Honestly!! I have never had a more interrupted speech! This will take all night if you don't settle down. Thought, on the plus side, I know you are awake." Dumbeldore said in an amused voice. "Also, I have the pleasure of announcing a new club! The Alternative Magic Club will be run by Professor Flitwick, so I shall give the floor to him." As Dumbeldore sat down, tiny Professor Flitwick stood on his chair and addressed the student body.
"Wand magic, though the easiest and most common form of magic, is not the only form. When danger strikes, wand magic is sometimes impractical. Suppose someone attacks you by surprise when you don't have your wand? Alternative magic comes in handy here. The most practical form of magic is, by far, wandless magic. However, since it is very draining and difficult, we will only be teaching it to a few select students. They must undergo an examination and a registration exam. Wandless courses will be open only to students fourth year and above who meet the requirements. All other courses will be open to the entire student body. We will be holding classes on Magic in Music, Art, and Food. Each class is separate, and will be taught by a different Professor. Now, I see some of you rolling your eyes. You're probably thinking 'Why would I give up my time to basically take another class. Well, we've thought of this! Each class will earn extra credit for a class that ties in with the topic. If you would like to apply for the wandless magic class, please arrange a meeting with the Headmaster. A notice will soon be posted explaining what each club entails, who teaches it, and other details, including how to sign up. I would also like to point out that each of these forms of magic is difficult. We ask that if you sign up, you do not drop out later. There will only be one grade level for each class, so first years and seventh years WILL be in the same class. But don't let that scare you! We encourage you to sign up, as these skills will come in handy in life."
Everyone applauded as Professor Flitwick sat down. People began talking about the Alternative Magic Club instantly, but the all quieted down when Professor Dumbeldore began to speak again.
"Ah! It is so good to see so many of you are interested in this club. We have set the wheels in motion for this club, not it's up to you to do the rest! I personally encourage you to join some form, as it's always handy to know another form of magic, just in case. But on to more important business(No offense meant, Proffesor Flitwick). I am supposed to tell you something else, but...what was it?" Dumbeldore stopped and stroked his beard, searching his brain for exactly what he was supposed to tell them. "Ah yes! Now I remember! I hope you will excuse this old man for his forgetfulness. I am pleased to introduce Proffesor Guenever Martinez, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!"
Professor Martinez stood up and waved as the students applauded. The girls at the Gryffindor table clapped extra hard: they were all for Women's Lib and were proud to have another female teacher.
"And now, it is time to turn in for the night. I want you all in bed so you can be bright-eyed and bushy tailed for your first day tomorrow! Prefects, please come up and get the passwords for your houses. Everyone else, to bed!" Professor Dumbeldore said, as people became to file out. Hermione walked up with the other Gryffindor prefects to get the Fat Lady's password. Harry and Ron streamed out with Seamus, Dean, and Neville. All around them, everyone seemed to be talking about the Alternative Magic Club.
"So, what'd ya reckon?" Ron asked, as the guys jogged up the stone staircase, "Is it worth taking?"
"Maybe, but I dunno what subject I'd take." Harry said, mulling the idea over in his head.
"It depends on who the teacher is." Seamus said pointedly.
"If Snape's the teacher, I'm OUT!" Dean said, which was exactly what the others were thinking.
"Well, if it's Potions extra credit, I'll take it. I need all the help I can get! Plus, maybe I'd be better at other magic than wand magic." Neville said.
"Hey guys," Fred said, walking down the corridor and catching up with them, along with George and Lee. "So, you in? We're gonna take cooking."
"Aw, shut up Ron" George said, knocking his brother on the shoulder. Ron had been laughing at the idea of Fred, George, and Lee in aprons. "We could branch out of Canary Creams and Ton-Tongue Toffees."
"Plus there's the extra credit. Maybe I could get some for Transfiguration. McGonagall doesn't seem to like me much." Lee said.
"Geez Lee, you're just figuring that out now!?" George said. Lee elbowed him and knocked him into the wall.
"Oh, c'mon guys. Break it up and make my job easy." Hermione said, catching up with the guys.
"Oh, Hermione, please don't ruin it for us! It's our last year! Our last chance to make mischief! We wanna go out with a bang!" Fred said.
"Look, just don't be too obvious with what you're pulling. Don't let me know about it and have to stop you." Hermione said. The eight guys stopped dead in their tracks and looked at her with a mixture of shock and admiration.
"Hermione! Are you saying you'll let us get away with stuff?" George asked.
"You mean, you're gonna play favorites?" Lee asked.
"Seriously, we can still pull pranks without you hating us?" Fred asked.
"Of course! Just don't put it like that. C'mon, walk and I'll explain. It's nearly ten thirty and I don't wanna break curfew the first night. I mean, I AM a Prefect." Hermione said.
"Okay, so now you gotta explain." Dean said, as the walked up yet another staircase and hopped over a trick stair.
"Well, I know that whatever I say won't stop you guys. So I'm just asking you not to let me here your plans and try not to be at the scene of the crime. I don't wanna have to rat out my friends. Besides, you guys are two years older, and probably won't listen. So I'll take care of the younger kids and let the older Prefects handle the older kids."
"Hermione, I'm shocked. You think we wouldn't respect you?" Fred asked, sounding genuinely hurt.
"Well, not really. I mean, you don't set much store by what the teachers say, adn their older than you. So why would you listen to me?" she asked.
"Well, actually I don't really know why, but we WILL listen to you. Honest." George said. "Oh, and guys, if we cut behind this tapestry, it's a shorter walk." Fred and Lee pulled back a tapestry of a fox hunt to reveal a long, narrow passage.
"So, do you guys have the entire layout of the school memorized?" Dean asked, starting down the passageway. "Cause I've never be down this passage before.
"Yeah, basically." George said offhandedly.
"You could say we have a mental map." Fred said, with a sly look at Harry and Ron. He was, of course, referring to the Marauder's Map. It was then that Harry realized that he didn't HAVE the map anymore: Professor Dumbeldore still had it from when they took it off 'Mad-Eye Moody.'
"OW!" Neville said. "You guys shoulda told me the passage bent! I can't see anything!"
"We can fix that." Seamus said. Nearly instantly, everyone pulled out their wands and muttered 'Lumos.' The passageway lit up.
"There, that's better." Lee said. "We don't need the light, cause we're so familiar with the passageway. Anyway, here's the end of it." Fred, George, and Lee leaned against the wall straight ahead while the others looked on in amazement. The wall opened like a door. Everyone stepped out and found themselves in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Wow! That WAS a shortcut!" Hermione said.
"Yeah, and to think we never knew about it!" Ron said.
"Password?" asked the Fat Lady.
"Oh, come on. You've known us for seven years, Marielle! You KNOW we're in Gryffindor." Fred said to the painting.
"Fred Weasley, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times! I HAVE to ask for the password. Professor Dumbeldore's orders. What if I made a mistake?" the Fat Lady answered. The fifth years watched in amazement. They had never seen the Fat Lady have a conversation with anyone except another painting.
"Alright, we'll give you the password. But you NEVER make mistakes." Lee said in a charming voice. Hermione giggled as the Fat Lady blushed.
"Higitus Figitus." Hermione said. The Fat Lady swung open.
"Hermione, you're a Prefect, so you must have some power, right?" Neville asked, as they climbed through the portrait hole.
"Yeah, I guess. Why Neville?" Hermione asked as she flopped down in a chair near the fire. The Common Room was cozy as usual. Many people were standing around rather awkwardly. Hermione realized that the first years didn't know where to sleep. Everyone else had taken a seat to hang out, but the first years seemed out of place.
"Ya know what. Hold that thought, Neville. I've gotta show the first years where to sleep." Hermione said, as she got up and walked towards the groups of first years.
"OK, here's the deal. Girls, head up the left staircase, boys, the right one. Go to the first landing. There'll be a sign saying "First Years." Everyone take one bed, there's exactly enough. Your stuff will already be up there. Oh, and guys," Hermione said. The first years stopped. They had been heading upstairs already. "Classes start at 8, breakfast is in the Great Hall. And cheer up! Hogwarts is lots of fun! If you get lost or need help, ask an older student to help you. We're all one big family here!"
Hermione headed back to her seat as the first years went upstairs.
"Nice pep talk there, Herm." Fred said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Hey, I had to do something! I can't stand them looking like they're on a death march! And Fred, if you're so cool, why are you hanging out with a bunch of fifth year that happen to include your brother?" Hermione answered coolly.
"Hey, I'm going! I just thought I could honor you with my presence." Fred said.
"Oh, that's the reason, is it?" Harry said, smiling.
"Alright, I'll leave!" Fred said mock huffily. "C'mon guys! We can tell when we are not wanted." Fred, George, and Lee stalked off looking like pouty models. They grabbed some chairs by Angela, Alicia, and Katie. Hermione wasn't sure if they wanted to flirt with the girls, or annoy them.
"So, what do you guys think of Professor Martinez?" Hermione asked. She was eager to hear everyone's opinion of the teacher.
"I think she looks cool!" Lavender said. Parvati and herself had just walked over.
"Yeah, she looks friendly." Parvati said. "Skooch over, Seamus. There's room for both of us on that sofa." Seamus moved over, Hermione noticed, with a grin on his face. It appeared that he didn't mind sharing the sofa with Parvati.
"I'm glad we have another female teacher." Hermione said. "Especially in a class like DADA. It's really seen as a masculine subject."
"Yeah, and if her lessons are boring, we have something else to occupy our attention!" Ron said, wiggling his eyebrows. The guys laughed as the girls tossed pillows at him. "Hey! I'm just stating the obvious!" Ron defended himself, but to no avail.
"Guys, I'm heading up to bed. I don't want to be late tomorrow." Hermione said, standing up.
"Yeah, I'm kinda tired too." Harry said, yawning. Everyone said good night and drifted off to bed.
As Hermione slipped into her navy blue pajamas, she thought of the new teacher. What would she be like? How would she treat them? Would the guys respect her? But as Hermione's head hit the pillow, she found she was far too tired to think about it. She was out in five minutes flat.

*A/N* SO?? What did you think?? When you're reading the slang, just think about how YOU speak. Most of us don't form our words, so why would they be any different?? This chapter was a lot about Hermione, but everyone will get their chapter. Oh, and I've been in a cheesecake mood lately, so that's why I put in about the cheesecake! Also, the new characters will be in TONS, and I'll do a lot about the new club. Please give me some ideas!! Please review and pass on the word!
O, I forgot to includ this in the last chapter's note! They sell Every Flavor Beans(at least in the US!). Some flavors are really good, like orange sherbert, but sardine is NASTY!! They sell them in Blockbusters and Claire's Accesories, but their like 5.50. Oh well! Try them! They're made by Jelly Belly. Thanx!