Chap. 2

Harry spent the next few weeks with the Weasleys. He had his first ever birthday party and played quidditch to his heart's content with them. Harry was almost sorry to go to school.

The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione piled into 2 muggle taxis with their luggage and went to King's Cross Station.

"Well, have a nice time, and behave yourselves. We'll probably see you there anyhow," Mrs. Weasley said. She gave them each a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Mr. Weasley bayed them goodbye as well. They boarded the train and found a compartment with only a few people.

"So. I wonder what these foreign people'll be like," Ron said.

"It'll be interesting to meet some new people in our grade," Hermione said.

"Hopefully we'll get a good keeper from overseas," Harry commented.

"Do you think, if you're captain, I mean, you could get me on the team?" Ron asked.

"I'll look into it," Harry agreed.

They bought some candies from the sweets cart and looked for chocolate frog cards. Hermione went into another room and changed into her robes while Ron and Harry did. They all had their prefect badges pinned on with pride. Sooner than they'd of thought they were there.

Harry, Ron and Hermioen got into one of the carts that took them from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts. They immediately noticed the foreigners. Hard American accents shouted over the crowd and groups of like speakers huddled together, whispering.

"If all the foreigners and 1st years would follow me," Hagrid shouted. The unsorted students separated from the others and took the boats over to Hogwarts.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed into one of the carts and were sped over to Hogwarts.

The first huge changed noticed was the Great Hall. All of the student tables were a lot longer. There was also an extra table filled with adult witches and wizards of all different races. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. The foreign students filed in in a long line.

"This is going to take forever," Ron muttered.

The sorting hat sang it's little diddy and Professor McGonagall stood up.

"I will first be calling the British first years. You will try on the hat and it will tell you where to go. I will go alphabetically down the list. If you aren't sure when you're supposed to go, I will be calling off country names. Now, Asher, Claire," Professor McGonagall called out. A very short, deep brown haired girl went up to the stool.

"Hmmm, Ravenclaw!" the hat shouted. Claire ran towards the Ravenclaw table, which was cheering.

Blaire Ryan went Slytherin, as did Burreck, Christine. The list continued on, ending with Zilpse, Geoffrey going to Hufflepuff.

"Now, Americans please come forward, I will go alphabetically. Andrews, Nathan," a dyed blonde boy with freckles came forward.

"Ravenclaw!"

"Arnold, David," was a boy with black curly hair and glasses. He went to ravenclaw as well.

Brady, Colin went to Hufflepuff. Curer, Tyler became the first American Slyterin. Childer, Kelly went to Gryffindor. Harry and Ron zoned out, coming in once in a while when they heard Gryffindor.

"Wallick, Andrew."

"Hufflepuff!"

"Warner, Lyndsey."

"Ravenclaw!"

"Lastly, Zeiger, Brian."

"Slytherin!"

"Now, France. Boy - no - Boise, Michelle," Professor McGonagall tripped over the name. A blonde haired girl with glasses came forward.

"Hufflepuff!"

Chalupe, Cristian went to Slytherin, as did Etienne Giraud. Michal, Chloe became the first Ravenclaw. Goulet, Elise went to Hufflepuff after Gauthier, Madeline.

"Ah-pette, Dorian," Professor McGonagall called.

"Hmm, Gryffindor!"

The girl took off the hat and gracefully walked to the cheering table.

"Fred Weasley." Fred stuck out his hand to greet the new Gryffindor.

"Dorian Ah-pette. Enchante," Dorian said as she shook his hand.

"What year are you?" George asked.

"Fifth, you?"

"Seventh. George Weasley, by the way."

"Did you go to Beauxbatons?" Hermione asked interesedly.

"Until now," Dorian answered.

"Hermione Granger."

"Dorian Hapette, nice badge."

"Well, thank you."

"Dur Rien. Oh, here's Venessé. I don't like her. Not one bit," Dorian's attention shifted to the sorting. A girl with chocolate brown hair cascading down her back was sitting on the stool.

"Slytherin!"

"No surprise. At least she's not here! Jolie, Je suis soulagé?"

"Il y a un bit," a tall girl with light brown hair dusting her shoulders said with a thick French accent.

"Everyone, this is Jolie LaVeau. Jolie, identification aiment présenter Fred et George Weasley et Hermione Granger. Qui êtes-vous?"

"Huh?" Ron asked.

"Oh, sorry. Who are you?" Dorian translated.

"Ron Weasley."

"Enchante. You?" she nodded to Harry.

"Harry Potter."

"Enchante," Dorian did a slight double take to his scar.

"Excuse me," Hermione interrupted, "but what does enchante mean?"

"Pleased to meet you," Dorian glanced over to the sorting. "Oh, Caluesse is up!"

Soleim, Caluesse was a girl with blonde hair, a few inches form her waist. Dorian crossed her fingers.

"Gryffindor!"

The girl came towards them and sat down across from Dorian, next to Hermione.

"Enfin! Je suis soulagé!" Dorian said to the other girl quickly.

"J'aussi! Qui sont vos amis?" Caluesse replied.

"Je voudrais présenter Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Fred, George, and Ron Weasley."

"Enchante," Caluesse said. The Brits nodded.

"Everyone, this is my friend Caluesse Soleim. She went to Beauxbatons," Dorian said. Caluesse smiled and nodded to them.

"Up until now, at least," she said with a thick French accent, a lot like Jolie's.

"Greece," Professor McGonagall called out. "Althant, Nerissa."

"Gryffindor!"

"Apostrophe, Damian."

"Slytherin!"

"So, why are you here?" Harry asked.

"My parents work for Dumbledore's Sovereign Lecentia and I did not want to come to an entirely new country by myself, so I asked Dorian to come with me," Caluesse explained. She pointed to to a man with thinning light brown hair and mustache and a lady with white blonde hair like Caluesse's.

"My mom didn't really care," Dorian said simply.

"What about your dad?"

"Who knows, I've never spoken to him."

"Oh," Ron said.

"Yeah, but it doesn't bother me."

"Germany," Professor McGonagall called again. "Andors, Richard."

"Slytherin!"

"What time is it, anyway?" Hermione asked.

"About 8:30," Fred answered.

"Hmmm. Lots of people to go, too. Good thing they put out the feast while we watch," Hermione said.

Heiser, Emma and Miller, Lorelei went to Slytherin. The Germans ended with Tragart, Wolfe going to Ravenclaw.

"Les sortings prennent-ils toujours tellement longtemps?" Caluesse asked, swirling her cider.

"Je ne sais pas. Do sortings always take so long?" Dorian translated again.

"No, usually only 15 minutes or so," Ron answered.

"Je vois. Je suis désolé pour l'inconvience." Caluesse said.

"What?"

"I see. Sorry for the inconvience."

"Oh."

Russia, Luxembourg, Japan, Roland and Sweden students were all sorted into houses.

"And finally, India," Professor McGonagall said. A crowd of only 8 or 10 students remained. "Almay, Vijay."

"Gryffindor!"

"Izza, Fatima."

"Ravenclaw!"

"Jamil, Abdul."

"Slytherin!"

"Karim, Omar."

"Ravenclaw!"

"Matel, Pootan."

"Gryffindor."

"May I sit here?" a timid, accented voice asked.

"Oh, yeah. Hermione Granger."

"Pootan Matel, pleased to meet you," a middle-eastern girl sat down next to Hermione.

The last of the foreign students was Pother, Leala and she went to Gryffindor.

A commanding cough quieted the crowd. All eyes turned to Professor Dumbledore.

"I would like to welcome you all, British and not, to Hogwarts. I'm sure just by looking out over the crowd that this will be a year like no other. We no longer live in a peaceful world, as you can see everyday in the news. I have a few people I'd like to introduce. Firstly, please meet our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Sadir Moshand," Professor Dumbledore nodded towards a middle-eastern man in mauve robes with a large turban.

"I don't trust that turban," Ron muttered. Harry and Hermione nodded.

"I'd also like to introduce Fluer de Lecour. Mademoiselle Delacour will be teaching languages, which will probably come in use this year, no doubt."

"Huh? The girl who couldn't speak English at all last year is teaching languages?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Fluer's here?" Dorian exclaimed. Jolie was smiling and waving to Fluer.

"You know her?" Harry asked.

"Fluer, of course. We attended Beauxbatons together. I am a year under her. Our parents know each other," Jolie explained.

"And lastly, the large group of adults, they are the Sovereign Lecentia. Now, I trust you all have eaten your fill. Prefects, lead your houses to their dormitories, please." Ron, Harry and Hermione proudly led the new students to the Fat Lady.

"OK, the password is Pigs Ponce," Hermione said loudly. The painting swung open to reveal Gryffindor common room.

"Boys dormitories are up the staircase on the right, girls on the left. Your things should be there," Harry explained. They headed up the staircase, just behind Caluesse and Dorian who were gabbing in French.

"Que pensez-vous à Harry Potter?" Caluesse asked Dorian.

"Je ne sais pas. Il a semblé plus mignon dans les magasins," Dorian answered. Caluesse nodded.

"Ron était mignon, tri de," Caluesse said.

"Je ne pense pas ainsi, mais si est ce que vous pensez," Dorian said sarcastically. They both giggled.

"What are you saying?" Hermione asked irritably.

"Ah, rien," Dorian and Caluesse said with a wave of their hands.

"See you tomorrow," Hermione said to Harry and Ron as she went into the 5th year girls' dormitory behind Caluesse. "You know, they're talking about you two," she whispered, nodding at the two French girls.

"How do you know?" Ron asked.

"Both of your names came up. If I new French, I could tell you what they were saying. Don't worry, it didn't sound bad," she said, smiling.

"If you can, find out what they said. Night," Ron said.

"See you tomorrow," Harry agreed nodding.

"What do you think they said?" Ron asked.

"Who knows?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged.

"It'd be nice to know."

Harry and Ron found their things arranged neatly.

"So, where are you from?" Harry asked a new boy.

"Orlando, Florida. Miles Jackson, you?" he answered.

"Harry Potter."

"Ron Weasley, you play quidditch?"

"A bit," Miles answered. "Quadpot's more the rage back home, though."

"Quadpot?" Seamus Finnigan asked from across the room.

"American quidditch. You try to get an exploding quaffle into a cauldron before it blows up on you,"Harry explained. Miles nodded.

"I thought Brits didn't play quadpot."

"We don't, but I read about it in Quidditch Through the Ages," Harry said.

"Oh. So, are the classes hard?"

"Depends on your definition of hard. Hermione Granger, the girl we were sitting with who has the bushy hair, would tell you they're simple, but I say they're hard," Ron said.

"Hermione?" Miles asked.

"Yeah, you'll meet her soon enough. She's the one who always has the answer in all of our classes," Ron said.

"Oh."

"Night."

*

"So, what's Harry Potter's story?" Kelly Childer asked Hermione after they'd all changed into their pajamas and put on their facemasks.

"Not much to tell, actually. What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, come on. He's internationally famous. Who's he dating?" Jessica Spring added.

"No one. He likes - well, shouldn't tell you that - but we don't exactly date much here. Nowhere much to go," Hermione said uncomfortably.

"Of course, last year there was a rumor that Harry was going with Hermione," Lavender Brown said wickedly.

"A Rita Skiter rumor, none the less," Hermione, said in her own defense.

"Forgive me, Dorian, but you don't talk in a French accent. Um, why?" Olivia Mahms asked.

"I'm 75% French, 12.5% Irish, and 12.5% Italian. My mom's 100% French and my dad's 50% Italian, 25% English, and 25% French. I have an Italian complexion, Irish hair, and a French attitude," Dorian explained, laughing at herself.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"The French philosophy is let people who want worry lines think about politics and money, but the rest of us will sing, dance, and be merry. Walk with attitude and talk with more," Caluesse explained.



"It is?" asked Marie Ristio, a French speaking girl from Switzerland.

"At least it's what we think," Dorian said. Caluesse gave her a secret handshake high five.

"Mmmm," Olivia muttered.

"Shove it," Dorian shot.

"So, what are you guys' parents? Mine are both magic," Lavendar said snootily.

"So are mine, Miss High and Mighty," Dorian said.

"I'm a muggle born," Hermione said timidly.

"Me too. When I go home I'll babble on and on about magic and school and spells and stuff and they just stare at me!" Jessica agreed. She gave Hermione a braced smile. Hermione nodded and smiled back.

"My dad's a wizard and my mom's a muggle. They divorced when I was, like, six because my mom didn't like the fact that she had to go out and work all day and my dad could sit on his butt all day and they could accomplish the same thing. She left my dad for a go-getter with Armani suits and a beach house in the Keys," Kelly said jokingly.

"Really?" Caluesse asked.

"Yeah!"

"Oh. My parents are both magic."

"So, this conversation's talked itself out," Dorian said hastily as Olivia and Parvati got onto the subject of what their parents did, "anybody got dirt on old classmates?"

"Moi!" Caluesse shouted at once. She started speaking in very quick French.

"Caluesse, ANGLAIS!" Dorian shouted.

"Oh, sorry. Yeah, see, There was this girl, Venessé, she was in Maison du Malhonnête. They're the dishonest, caniving people. It is like your Slytherin. She was my friend when we were younger. We lived near each other. But then we both came to Beuxbatons and she changed. She met her other friends, especially Cristian," Caluesse said. Dorian nodded.

"Cristian?" Lavendar asked.

"Cristian Chalupe. He's a sixth year Slytherin. He was in Malhonnête as well," Dorian explained. "I know what you're thinking Lavendar. Yes, he's cute. But he's wicked. Wicked being cruel."

"Wicked is plenty fine with me," Parvati said.

"Fine, whatever you think."

"Maison du Malhonnête, what else is there?" Hermione asked.

"Maison du Malhonnête, Maison du Donner, Maison du Sage, Maison du Valliant, and Masion du Rêveur," Dorian listed off.

"But there's five. We only have four," Hermione complained.

"Who says we have to follow your rules?" Caluesse asked.

"But-."

"Look, Monsieur Débutant came up for the idea of Beuxbatons in 1381. He had five children, François, Sylvie, Solange, Luc, and Aurelie. Each house was founded and based on one of his children, if you didn't figure that out yet. Sylvie was donner, or giving. Solange was sage or wise, Luc valliant or brave, Aurelie rêveur or ambitious, and François malhonnête or dishonest. Each house has many pantings, writings, and even the private things of their commanditaire or sponsor. Like you have your house cup we have Le Championnat des Keepsakes de L'Héritage Serrage.," Caluesse explained. She received many blank faces. "The Championship of Capturing Heritage Keepsakes."

"Oh."

"What happens?" Kelly asked eagerly.

"Each house tries to steal other house's Keepsakes de L'Héritage and get points for it. François came up with it, to encourage sneakiness and being evil. Of course Malhonnête always wins, but the professors let them cheat. Of course, we all do, but whatever," Dorian said.

"Sounds fun," Olivia commented.

"Hmph," Hermione and Pootan said together. Dorian rolled her eyes.

"Elles sont (extremely boring)," she muttered. Caluesse chuckled and nodded.

Pootan said something in her home langauge that didn't sound very nice. She whispered the translation in Hermione's ear. She nodded vigorously.

"Fine then," Caluesse blew out her light and drew her curtains except the one facing Dorian. Dorian in turn did the same and moved her candle inside their little fort. Whispering could be heard, though no one that wasn't extremely fluent in French could understand it.

"Well, night," Olivia said as she blew out her candle. Lavendar and Parvati did the same thing that Dorian and Caluesse did, but everyone understood exactly what they were saying. The advantage was to the multi- lingual, as everyone there understood English.

"Night ya'll," Jessica said. The 5th year girl's dormitory quickly went black, apart from a few dimmed candles and lingering whispers.

*