Disclaimer : I seem to keep forgetting this part. Everything related to Harry Potter all belong to J.K. Rowling, and I am in no why, profiting from this sucky story. I doubt I could anyways ^_^;;
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Chapter 5: Hogwarts and Letters
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Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at the piece of parchment that now lay on Ron's bed. All three of them stood speechless for a few moments, until Hermione spoke up.
" H-Harry? You don't…know who wrote this do you…?" Harry shook his head and picked the note back up.
" 'The war is coming, don't let us down. You can't afford to make a mistake.' It sounds like a threat to me." Ron said as he read it over Harry's shoulder. " Maybe you should send it to Si—"
" No! If I tell Sirius, he'll just worry! It's probably just some one's idea of a joke…" Harry said, though he didn't sound to confident that it was a joke.
" Harry!" Hermione shrieked. " You HAVE to tell some one! What if you're being watched? What if it's You-Know-Who?" She asked in a panicked tone. Harry shook his head.
" I doubt Voldemort would give me a warning if he was watching me." He said, not noticing Ron wince at the name of the Dark Lord.
" What if it was him at the potions shop? Or Flourish and Blotts?!" Hermione argued.
" No, it wasn't. My scar would have hurt if it was. Besides, even if it was, why didn't he just kill me on site? There where plenty of people there." Harry said, looking at the note. " He could have gotten away with it." No one said anything. The truth was, none of them knew what to say.
" Let's just…forget about this. It's probably nothing." Harry said, looking at the note in sick worry. " If it happens again, I'll tell Sirius and Dumbledore." He added quickly after spotting the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces. They both nodded reluctantly. Harry sighed and folded the letter up and put it in one of the top most drawers in his trunk. Everyone stood still for a few minutes until Harry picked up his bags.
" Let's get unpacking so we can play some Quidditch." He said, dumping his bags out on the camp bed where he slept. Ron followed in Harry's example, and after a minute, Hermione left to unpack all of her things. The both of them packed in silence, neither not really knowing what to say. Ron's snort of disgust was what broke the silence.
" I should just throw these away." He said, holding up his dress robes from last year. " I hate maroon anyway." Harry looked at the supply list and shook his head.
" I'm afraid you'll just have to keep them. It says that we need dress robes again this year." Harry said, ignoring the sound of disapproval that Ron made.
" I'm not wearing this thing again this year. I'll just go starkers." Ron said, throwing the robes back in his trunk. Harry couldn't help but smile.
" Well, at least their not bright pink." Harry said with a grin.
" Maroon's not far off." Ron replied. " Why couldn't she have gotten me blue ones, like Fred and George?" He asked. Harry shrugged. As if right on cue, Fred and George walked into Ron's room, both with huge grins plastered to their faces. Before Harry or Ron could ask what they were so happy about, they both began talking.
" We're getting Weasleys Wizard Wheezes." They both echoed, their grins growing wider.
" What? How do you know?" Ron and Harry asked together.
" The man at the joke shop said he would help us. He says he has a friend who is going out of business, and that would give his store to us." Fred said.
" We plan on turning that into Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. It's right in Hogsmeade, so we'll be close to Hogwarts." George said. " It'll be great! You guys get discounts too!" He added with a grin.
" And free samples of the new stuff we come out with!" Fred added, smiling from ear to ear.
" That's great!" Harry said with a grin.
" But does Mum know?" Ron asked, putting the books he was holding in his trunk. The twins nodded.
" Yeah, we talked to her. She says that as long as we keep our grades up, and concentrate on our schoolwork, that her and Dad'll help us as much as they can to get it started." George said. Ron gaped.
" I can't believe Mum agreed!" He said loudly and wide-eyed at the twins.
" We were surprised too." The twins said together. " Anyways, we wanted to know if you guys wanted to play some Quidditch before dinner."
" Sure, we were planning to after we got done with packing." Harry said with a nod.
" We'll help!" George said, picking up one of Ron's bags and dumping it out on the bed. With the twins' help, it didn't take very long to get the rest of the school things packed away. After that, as said, the twins, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Bill, and Charlie all played some Quiddtch. Each one taking turns on Harry's beloved Firebolt. When the sun started to set, they all headed back to the Burrow, tired, dirty, and rather hungry. As they walked in the back door, they heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking in rather urgent voices.
" Author…are you sure? Can't it just be a mistake?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her voice shaking lightly. Mr. Weasley sighed.
" No Molly, their sure. There's no way it could be a mistake. I mean, how many of them do you see walking around?" He asked. A creak told them that Mr. Weasley had sat down at the table.
" It…it could still be a mistake," Mrs. Weasley said hopefully. " Maybe…maybe there are more, maybe they just hid." Mr. Weasley sighed.
" No Molly, you know as well as I, that there is only one left. There wasn't a mistake. That's why we have to be on guard. With everything happening, it's only a matter of time…" He trailed.
" What's going on?" Bill and Charlie asked together, walking into the kitchen with everyone else. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked up. Mrs. Weasley smiled and shook her head.
" Oh, it's nothing dears. Just Ministry business." She said. Everyone stood silent for a moment until a light beeping sound rang through the kitchen. " Oh for goodness sake! Dinner!" Mrs. Wesley said suddenly, rushing over to the stove quickly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all exchanged worried looks. But, they didn't have time to keep them for more than just a few seconds. Mrs. Weasley walked in, carrying a large turkey with a look of triumph.
" Not a second to soon." She said, placing it on the table with loving care. " You lot better wash your hands before you even think about sitting down at the table." Mrs. Weasley said, pointing her wand at them. After washing their hands, and putting up the Firebolt, Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined the others at the kitchen table. Everyone was talking about various things, which included Quidditch, work, jokes, and even, at one point, one hundred uses for dungbombs. Harry couldn't remember when he had had so much fun. The dinner had done what game of Quidditch couldn't. It had taken his mind off of the letter he had found in his trunk.
When dinner was over, everyone settled in the living room and had some hot chocolate. Everyone headed to bed a few hours later. When Harry got back into Ron's room, his stomach turned to lead as he remembered the letter he had found. Ron didn't seem to remember, he was too full and to tired to notice anything. After changing, Harry, Ron, and the twins lay down. But sleep didn't find Harry that night. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his mind off the letter. Who was it from? What did they want? Where were they now? Was it the person in Flourish and Blotts? Or at the potions shop? What did they want with him? Where they with Voldemort? And the biggest question Harry had, where they watching him now?
How long Harry lay there before sleep finally came, he didn't know, but it seemed like he only just closed his eyes when Mrs. Weasley came in Ron's room to get them up.
" Harry, dear, time to get up." She said quietly, patting his shoulder. Harry yawned and looked at the fuzzy outline that was Mrs. Weasley and nodded. He sat up and put his glasses on while Ron complained about it being to early under a long yawn.
" Fred, George, you too, come on." Mrs. Weasley said, patting both the twins on their shoulders. Fred yawned and put his head under the pillow while George stretched and rolled off his camp bed. " Come on, we'll be leaving for King's Cross Station in a while." She said, and with a final pat on Fred's shoulder, walked out.
" It's to bloody early t-t-to get u-up." Ron said through a yawn. He got up and tossed Harry's socks at him while looking for his shoes. Harry looked at the sock in his hand for a minute with a blank expression.
" I'm free! I'm free!" Harry said in a high-pitched, squeaky voice, dancing while he got up. Ron and the twins looked at him for a second before all laughing at his house-elf impersonation. The laugh seemed to wake the others and Harry up greatly. Before they knew it, they all were dressed and down stairs at the kitchen table. Hermione and Ginny walked into the kitchen a few minutes later. After about two servings of eggs and bacon, they were all being ushered out of the house and to the new car that Mr. Weasley had gotten from the Ministry. They loaded everything up into the trunk, and then piled in. Mrs. Weasley looked at everyone in the back seat and smiled.
" They do put a lot of room in these things, don't they?" She said, looking at the twins, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Pig, and Crookshanks, who all fit in the back seat with some room left over. Mr. Weasley nodded, not wanting to tell Mrs. Weasley about the few 'adjustments' he had made on this one too. The ride was rather quiet, and seemed to only take a few minutes, but that might have had something to do with the fact that Harry had fallen asleep.
Before long, everyone had their trunks on their trolleys and were making their way through King's Cross. When the reached the entrance to platform nine and three-quarters, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley broke them up into groups. The twins went first, then Hermione and Ginny, and Harry and Mr. Weasley, and finally Mrs. Weasley and Ron. Harry walked away from the entrance just as Ron and Mrs. Weasley walked through. Harry looked at the scarlet train that was Hogwarts Express and he couldn't help but feel happy, and somewhat sad too. He was happy that he would soon be at Hogwarts; it had always been like a home to him. It was more of home to him that Privet Drive had been. But he was sad too. He loved being at the
Burrow, and around the Weasleys. They where like a family to him. After Harry, Ron, and Hermione unloaded their trunks, they went back to the platform to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
" Harry, could you come over here for minute?" Mr. Weasley asked as Harry got off the train. Mrs. Weasley looked at her husband while Harry walked over to him. " Just over here." He said as he pulled Harry behind a pillar. No sooner than they had gotten behind it, did Mr. Weasley turn to Harry. He looked as serious as the day he had told Harry about Sirius.
" Harry, promise me that you will try and stay out of trouble this year, ok?" Harry nodded.
" Of course Mr. Weasley." He said in a reassuring tone. Mr. Weasley gave him a stern look.
" Harry, listen. I really mean it. You need to stay out of trouble this year. Don't leave Hogwarts grounds unless it's a Hogsmeade weekend, even then, I don't really want you leaving. But there will teachers and plenty of people. Don't go roaming around. Be weary of who you talk to." He said, looking at Harry sternly.
" I won't, I promise." He said, but Mr. Weasley didn't look convinced.
" There are things that we can't control. Things that don't follow our laws, and that fear nothing. Things that don't even fear Dumbledore, Harry." He said in a more urgent tone.
" I understand Mr. Weasley. I'll be careful, I promise." Harry said sincerely. A whistle sounded that told Harry that the Hogwarts Express was about to leave. Mr. Weasley nodded and he and Harry walked back to the train. Before he got on, Mrs. Weasley threw her arms around Harry and kissed his cheek.
" You be careful now." Mrs. Weasley said. Harry nodded in a reassuring way before getting on the train.
" Remember what I told you Harry!" Mr. Weasley shouted as Harry, Ron, and Hermione leaned out the windows and waved goodbye.
" I will Mr. Weasley! Thanks for everything!" Harry shouted just before Mr. and Mrs. Weasley Disapperated. The three of them sat back down after closing the windows.
" Wow, it's kind of hard to believe that holidays are already over." Hermione said while she gazed out the window.
" Yeah, it went by pretty fast." Ron said while he pulled out his dress robes and tossed them over Pigwedigeon's cage. Pig just hooted happily, not seeming to cared about the dress robes that covered his cage. Ron sighed and shook his head. Harry was about to speak up, when a very familiar, drawling voice floated through the air.
" Can you believe it? Father says that it was just a matter of time; he said that it would happen one day. And would you look, only a few days later it does. Can you imagine? I've heard that the last is very powerful. Maybe now we'll get to see it. I've heard that their kind was very powerful when it came to the Dark Arts…" Ron closed the compartment door.
" I wonder what Malfoy was talking about…" He trailed with a thoughtful look.
" It sounds an awful lot like what your parents were talking about last night." Hermione said. " I wonder what it is…do you think it has something to do with You-Know-Who?"
" I don't know. Whatever it is, it's bugging your dad as much as Sirius did." Harry said, looking at Ron who just shrugged a response. Before Hermione could speak up, their compartment door swung open.
" Hullo Neville." Harry said, looking at the round-faced forgetful boy that was Neville Longbottom. Neville looked at them, on the verge of tears.
" Have any of you guys seen Trevor? He ran off, and Malfoy said that he'd curse him next time he saw him, and then throw him off the train!" Neville said as his voice broke. All three of them just shook their heads.
" No, we haven't seen Trevor anywhere. But we'll look out for him, don't worry." Hermione said in a comforting tone while she patted his back.
" Yeah, don't worry, if Malfoy even thinks about doing anything to Trevor, we'll fix him really good." Ron said, trying to be helpful. Neville smiled a little and sniffled.
" Thanks guys, well, I'd better go find Trevor." He said in a slightly more cheerful tone. He walked out and closed the compartment door behind him.
" One of these days Malfoy is going to bark up the wrong tree, and then he'll really get what's coming to him." Ron said with a wistful smile. " I can just see it now…maybe the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be like old Mad-Eye Moody…"
" And maybe this time he'll leave Malfoy as a ferret." Harry added thoughtfully.
" That reminds me! I was going to show you guys, but I forgot about it until just now." Said Hermione as she began rummaging through her trunk. She pulled out a large book and smiled. " I thought you guys might find a use for this."
" With a book like that? Are you kidding?" Ron asked, looking at the sheer size of the book. Harry looked at it and started laughing.
" Oh Ron, I think you'll like this." He said with a grin. Ron gave Harry a puzzled look as Hermione held the large book. Ron started laughing and took the book from Hermione.
" 1001 Tricks For Your Pet Ferret. That's bloody brilliant!" Ron said with a laugh while he flipped through the pages of the large book. " Oh, I think we'll find a use for this, don't you Harry?" Harry laughed and nodded. Hermione just smiled.
" It serves him right. I can't stand his kind." She said while she pulled out another book 'Standard Book Of Spells, Grade 5' and immersed herself in reading it. Harry and Ron spent the next fifteen minutes flipping through '1001 Trick For Your Pet Ferret' and laughing as they imagined Malfoy doing half of them. When the witch with the food cart came by, Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes, a box of Chocolate Frogs, and some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. Just as he was handing them out, their compartment door swung open and Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle all walked in.
" Well, look at who it is." Malfoy sneered while Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly.
" Malfoy, glad you could drop in." Ron said, giving Harry a wink. Harry just smiled in return while Hermione laughed behind her book. Malfoy's face fell.
" What are you laughing about Mudblood?" He spat. Hermione just silently continued to laugh behind her book. Ron stood up and walked in front of Malfoy.
" Ok, sit! Sit! Come on, sit!" He said in a baby voice. Malfoy raised an eyebrow.
" What on earth are you doing??" He asked, totally bewildered. Harry picked up '1001 Tricks For Your Pet Ferret' and looked at the page it was opened to.
" I don't think you're doing it right Ron, look." He said, holding the book out to Ron. " It says that you have to speak slowly as it might not understand at first. So you have to do a baby voice and speak slowly all at the same time so it will understand." He said, Ron nodded. Malfoy was totally bewildered. Seeing his look, Harry held up the book so that the cover was facing him. A venomous look crossed Malfoy's face.
" We got it in Diagon Alley." Ron said with a smile.
" So you have to be a good little boy and do what it says." Harry said very slowly in a baby voice. Malfoy sneered, but couldn't seem to find anything to say, so he just walked out, motioning for Crabbe and Goyle to follow. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all started laughing. And they continued to laugh until they were on the verge of tears. The rest of the ride to Hogwarts didn't seem to last much longer after that, but it may have had something to do with the fact that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and everyone that stopped by their compartment where to busy laughing and reminiscing about " Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret, that was now learning to sit too" as Ron put it. When the train came to a stop, the three of them filed out of the scarlet steam engine with all the other students and onto the platform.
" Hello Hagrid!" Harry shouted, seeing the large man that was the gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Not to mention a good friend. He looked at Harry and smiled through his wild tangle of a beard.
" All righ' you three?" Hagird called back, waving a gigantic hand. " See yeh at the feast!" He called as Harry, Ron, and Hermione all started off toward the horseless carriages that would take them to Hogwarts. The thee of them shared a carriage with Neville and Seamus Finnigan, another boy who was a fifth year Gryffindor with them. Harry gazed out the window as they pasted the large gates flanked with statues of winged boars. Looking out the window, the lights from Hogwarts were just visible glowing softly. The carriages rocked and swayed up the cobblestone drive way that lead to the great castle. They finally reached Hogwarts after about a five-minute ride.
As Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the entrance hall, the first person they came on contact with was the Deputy Headmistress and head of the Gryffindor house, Professor McGonagall. She was a strict witch and wasn't someone who you would cross. She seemed to have no problem with getting students to respect her. She looked at the students and nodded as they walked past and filed into the Great Hall. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherin table, and continued on pasted the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables until they came to the Gryffindor house table that sat on the far side of the Great Hall. Harry took his seat beside Fred and George, who were laughing loudly with their friend Lee Jordan and discussing Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Nearly Headless Nick smiled at Harry.
" Hello there." He said with a smile. Nick was dressed in his usual style clothes and rather large ruff to keep his head steady on his practically severed neck.
" Hello Nick." Harry, Ron, and Hermione echoed together. He smiled at them.
" Ah, another year." Nick said happily, looking around at the students. " It's just not the same during the summer holidays. I'd take the boisterous students over Peeves any day." He said. Harry could understand this, Peeves the poltergeist wasn't the nicest person, and he probably didn't make better company during the summer holidays than he did during the school year. Ron let out a groan from beside Harry.
" Hurry up! I'm so hungry I could eat an entire heard of hippogriffs!" Ron exclaimed loudly. Now that he mentioned it, Harry did feel very hungry. The Cauldron Cakes and Chocolate Frogs seemed ages ago, and his stomach didn't seem to want to wait much longer. No sooner than Harry had concluded this, the doors to the Great Hall swung open and Professor McGonagall marched in with a group of terrified looking first years who were looking around the Great Hall in amazement. A few pointed up at the enchanted ceiling which showed what the skies outside looked like. When the first years got the front, Professor McGonagall walked to the side of the staff table and picked up a three-legged stool, an old hat, and a roll of parchment. She set the stool and hat down in front of the staff table and stood beside it. For a while, there was a long silence. Then a rip near the brim of the hat opened up like the mouth and the hat began to sing.
" Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep you bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can top them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on, and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid to toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their find;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a thinking cap!"
Once the hat had finished it's song, everyone cheered loudly and whistled. The hall feel silent as Professor McGonagall began to speak to the first years.
" When I call your name, you will put the hat on your head and sit on the stool." Professor McGonagall explained to the first years. " When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table." She said, unrolling the parchment. But Harry wasn't listening to McGonagall. He was to busy staring at the enchanted ceiling, lost in thought about nothing really. He was just…thinking. He was thinking about his past years, and all the things that had happened, and wondering if this year, he would finally get to have a normal year. He was wondering where Sirius was at that very moment, and if he was having a good time, and if he was ok. Idle thoughts of nothing in particular ran through his mind, for how long, he didn't know. He was pulled out of his lazy thoughts by the voice of the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.
" Welcome to new year at Hogwarts!" He said, holding his arms our wide, as if nothing in the world pleased him more than to see all the students there. " I have but two words I'd like to say before we start our feast, and they are: Tuck in!"
" Hear, hear!!" Harry and Ron shouted loudly as they bagged their forks on the table. No sooner than the words had left their mouths, then did all the golden plates and goblets fill themselves with food and pumpkin juice. Harry didn't waste any time in filling his plate up as much food as it was possible.
" Aaah, 'ats mu'h be'er!" Ron said through a mouthful of potatoes. Harry nodded and bit off a rather large
chunk of chicken off of his chicken leg.
" 'Er-my-knee, cou'd you pass de pu'ing?" Ron asked Hermione while spraying the table with bits of potato. Hermione made a face of disgust and shook her head while she handed him the Yorkshire pudding. After everyone had eaten their fill, which for some was longer than others, Dumbledore stood up and smiled warmly at the students.
" I have a few announcements to make now that everyone has had their fill of food and drink." He said, the talking and laughing died off the instant he had began talking. " This year, the Quidditch matches will proceed as usual. And I have also been asked to remind students that yo-yos, magic tops, and such things should be kept out of the corridors and classes. As always, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students, first years or otherwise. Magic is not be used in the corridors or between classes. All these rules are posted in Mr. Filch's office." Dumbledore paused and smiled. He looked back at the staff table nodded and cleared his throat.
" As we all know, Professor Moody will not be teaching Defense Against the Darks Arts this year, so may I introduce this years Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who is making return, Professor Remus Lupin!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione gapped as they watched Lupin wave at the students while cheers erupted from all the house tables, with the exception of the Slytherin table of course. Harry wondered why he hadn't noticed Lupin sitting at the staff table earlier. Dumbledore smiled and clapped as well. Harry nudged Ron and Hermione and pointed to Snape who was looking at Lupin as if he were something nasty on the bottom of his shoe. It was the look of complete loathing that Harry knew only to well.
" Now, we have one more addition to the staff." Dumbledore began. The whole hall feel silent once more and all eyes where on Dumbledore. " It was brought to my attention, that capable though our gamekeeper Hagrid may be, the school grounds are simply to large for him to be everywhere at once. Therefore, I would like to introduce our new Assistant Gamekeeper, Sirius Weatherly!" Dumbledore said with a smile while all the students looked at him in shock, from the name more than anything. Whispers began floating around as students asked each other if Dumbledore had really said the name 'Sirius'. A young man stood up from beside Hagird at the staff table. He had dark hair and dark eyes that looked very kind, as he looked around at the students. There was a mild applause for the new teacher. As Harry looked at him, he couldn't help but see something very familiar about the man, and, it seemed, neither could Ron or Hermione.
" He looks awfully familiar doesn't he?" Hermione said to Ron and Harry while she looked at the young man.
" He certainly does." Ron commented. Harry didn't take his eyes off of him, wondering what was so familiar about him. The man's eyes stopped Harry, and much to Harry's amazement, he winked. Then it clicked.
" Looks like an escaped convict, if you ask me." Harry said with a smile and clapped louder. Ron and Hermione looked at Harry for a minute before finally understanding what he meant. They looked at the new teacher and apparently saw it to.
" I don't believe it!" Hermione shrieked. She sounded worried and excited at the same time. Ron just gapped as all three of them clapped louder. " Is he insane?!" Hermione continued, clapper still louder.
" Right then! Off to bed you go!" Dumbledore said with a warm smile. This was their chance. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all rushed up to the staff table where Lupin and 'Sirius Weatherly' where talking. They both looked at the trio as the approached. Both of them smiled.
" Hello Harry." Lupin said with a warm smile. He looked rather tired, but that might have had something do with the fact that the full moon had only been but a few nights before. Before Harry, Ron, or Hermione could say anything, Sirius smiled at them, a look of mischief was sparkling in his eyes.
" Hello Harry." He said his smile only grew larger. " Sorry, I would have told you, but I didn't want you to freak out. You remind me of my good old Mum, always worrying about something." Harry couldn't help but grin.
" It's amazing! I wouldn't have known it was you if Harry hadn't said something!" Hermione said with a shocked look. Sirius nodded.
" Yeah, it's amazing what a few little changes in clothes and a tan can do! Not to mention a few little temporary charms." He said with a thoughtful nod. " But I suspect you lot had better be off to bed. We don't want anyone getting…suspicious." The last word was said with a bit of venom as Sirius cast a looked of pure loathing to Snape, who was all too willing to give him an equal look. After bidding Sirius and Lupin good night, the three of them headed to the common room. They chanced upon Seamus, who had spilt his sweets on the floor after a run in with Neville, whom was also helping him pick up the sweets. Harry, Ron, and Hermione helped Seamus and Neville pick up all the sweets and went into the common room after saying the password ("Canis Major") and then to their dorms. Neville and Seamus both stayed in the common room to talk to Dean Thomas, which Harry and Ron didn't mind at all.
" You know, I suspect that all those years in Azkaban turned him into a nutter." Ron said as he shut the dorm room door. Harry laughed.
" Maybe, but—Oh, hello Hedwig, why aren't you in the Owlery?" He asked the snowy owl as she landed on his outstretched arm. She hooted and nibbled his ear affectionately.
" Harry, she has something on her leg." Ron said, pointing to a piece of parchment that was tied to Hedwig's leg. Harry gave the owl a curious look and took the letter off. As soon as he did, the owl hooted and then flew out the window, heading out to hunt for that night. Harry and Ron exchanged worried glances before Harry opened the letter that was written in the same sliver ink and began to read aloud with a shaking voice:
Dear Mr. Potter,
Hold your friends close, but hold your enemies closer. Trust your first instincts, but remember the first bit of advice I gave you. Some times, the people who you think are your friends can turn out to be the most dangerous. Keep a weary eye out young Harry. We are in the most unexpected of areas.
~ End Chapter 5
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Author's Note: Ok, there it is. Since I wasn't creative enough to come up with my own song for the Sorting Hat to sing, he just sung the same one he did in the first book. I really suck at poetry or making things go to a rhythm or rhyme. Oh well. Anyways, please R&R and tell me what you think. All flames, comments, and criticisms are welcome! ^_^;;
