Back to Hogwarts

The last weeks before school Harry spent at the Granger's household were mostly uneventful. The Granger's house was spacious and comfortable. It was clean but not the obsessive clean that Aunt Petunia liked to keep at the Dursley's house. The last before school started, both Harry and Hermione got letters from Hogwarts.

Dear Mr. Potter (Miss Granger in Hermione's case.)

I am deeply sorry that this letter was not sent earlier, but due to complications , we at Hogwarts had difficulty sending out all the letters this year.

Deputy Headmistress

Minerva McGonagall

" I bet You-Know-Who has something to do with the complications." Ron said, " Well what do they say?"

Hermione , who was already reading her letter, let out a whoop of joy.

" I'm a Perfect!!" Hermione cried , jumping up and down.

" And you thought you weren't going to be one?" Harry asked.

" Well when it didn't say in the letter with our school supplies.... What does yours say Harry?" Hermione asked, pinning her Perfect badge on to her t-shirt.

" It says....I'm the new Quidditch captain for the Gryffindor house!" Harry said, surprised.

Ron laughed, " Why are you so surprised? Your one of the best Quidditch players in Hogwarts. You think you can get me a position on the team?"

" I'll try." Harry laughed. At that very moment, a huge black owl carrying a bulky package came soaring in through the open window.

" Not again!" Hermione groaned.

" What's wrong?" Ron asked.

" That bird belongs to Krum. He think gifts will make me fall madly in love with him."

" Oh? You two broke up?" Harry asked.

" We weren't going out!" Hermione growled, " But yes we did, Krum turned out to be Mr. Grabby-Hands."

" If I ever get my hands on that guy..." Ron growled. Hermione quickly wrote an apply and tied to the owl's leg, next to the package.

" I never want to hear from Mr. Krum again! Come here again and I'll try some of the new hexes we're learning on you!" Hermione called after the owl as it flew away.

Harry could tell by the look on his face, Ron's upcoming school year just got a little bit better.

***


Packing to go to King's Cross was a lot less hectic at the Granger's house then at the Burrow, mostly because there were less children. Before you could the say 'Quidditch' , their trunks were in the boot and Harry , Ron and Hermione were in the back , with Mr. and Mrs. Granger in the front. When they got to King's Cross, Hermione hugged her parents and said good bye. When they got the barrier, they leaned casually against it and fell through.

" Ron! There you are! I was so worried you'd be late! " Mrs. Weasley said coming over to them.

" Aw mum! You worry too much." Ron said.

" With You-Know-Who back, it's hard not to worry!" Mrs. Weasley fumed. Harry felt guilty when Mrs. Weasley said this. If he hadn't said that Wormtail should be in prison instead of killed Voldermort would not be back in power.

" Come on, let's go and get into a compartment." Hermione said. They said goodbye to Mrs. Weasley, who gave them some sandwiches, and boarded the Hogwarts Express. Soon the train left the station.

Ron and Harry were talking about Quidditch, and Hermione was reading one of her school books, when there was a knock at the door.

" That can't be the lunch tray all ready." Hermione said , looking at her watch. Alanna's head popped in the door. Her hair wasn't in a pony-tail anymore, and was looking quiet messy.

" Hey guys, can I come in here with you three? Fred and George have a bunch rubber spiders that move around like their alive, and I wanted to get as far away from those possible." Alanna shuddered slightly.

" I don't see a problem with that." Harry said.

Alanna plunked herself down in a seat across the lane from Harry, Ron and Hermione. She was already in her school robes and a silver necklace and pendant hung from her neck.

" That's odd, I didn't see that on you at Gringotts." Harry said, pointing the silver charm on Alanna's necklace, a panther.

" It was under my shirt. I don't like showing it off unless I can use magic, keeps it from getting stolen." Alanna said.

" Oh that makes sense."

Soon Harry and Ron were talking about Quidditch and Hermione and Alanna were discussing different types of magical creatures, both dangerous and friendly.

" Well, well Potter looks like your circle of the pathetic is complete." came a high, snobby voice.

Harry looked to see that Draco Malfoy was in the compartment doorway with , as always, Crabbe and Goyle.

" First Potter , who has money, but no family. Weasley with family, but no money and Ganger who's a mud blood and now Alanna Whyte, who has no family, no money and doesn't know if she's a mud blood or not!" Malfoy laughed.

" Shut up Malfoy." Alanna growled.

" At least her guardian cares about her! The only reason your family put clothes on your back is because it's make them look poor if they didn't. You could die tomorrow, and I'm certain your family wouldn't give a damn." Harry said. Malfoy went red in the face and quickly left the compartment.

" Well served Harry!" Alanna grinned, " That little shit faced rat."

" What did he mean by that, Alanna?" asked Hermione.


" The woman I live with, Lynn Whyte, is not a blood relative. She hasn't told me how she came to being my guardian, but she has always taken good care of me. I always thought my parents were royalty from another country that was in war or something. When I found out I was a witch, and learned that I was born near the end of You-Know-Who's rein of terror , I figured my parents feared they would be the next targets and put me into hiding., but I have no proof of this. Lynn tries so hard to earn money for my school supplies but her job isn't all that great paying....." Alanna sighed and lowered her head said.

" Who cares about all that!" Ron said, "Besides I have never heard anyone describe Malfoy so perfectly! Shit faced rat!"

" Ron! It's not polite to swear, neither is it for you Alanna." Hermione scolded. Alanna arched her eyebrow at Hermione, then spotted the Perfect badge on Hermione's robe.

" I should have know! A Perfect!" Alanna laughed.

Soon the plumb witch with the lunch tray came around. Harry bought some liquorice wands, Cauldron cakes and chocolate frogs for all of them.

" Now lets see whose card I got this time." Alanna said , picking up the Wizard card from one of her chocolate frog and taking her reading glasses from one of her robe's pockets. The glasses round framed and silver and blue.

Putting them on Alanna read the card. " Ohhh Zerius the Shift, I like these cards."

" What's a Shift?" Hermione asked.

" You'll be learning about them this year In Defence Against the Dark Arts this year." Alanna replied. Hermione got her DADA book out of her bag and began reading it. Alanna shrugged and began reading a muggle novel, Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Mysteries. The rest of the ride was uneventful soon they pulled up to Hogwarts station. Alanna waved goodbye and got into one the horseless carriages with Chad and Fred and George, on the promise that they wouldn't use any of their rubber spiders on her. They entered Hogwarts' massive Entrance Hall, to find Peeves throwing bags of flour everywhere.

" Peeves!!!" Professor McGonagall shouted.

" Since only ghosts are allowed to go to the Banquet , all the widdle kiddies should look like ghosts!" Peeves laughed, throwing two more bags of flour, one, which hit Professor McGonagall in the face and the other, bowled Neville Longbottom over, before disappearing with a huge razzberry.

" Well it's obvious what's pissing him off." Ron muttered, shaking the flour out his hair.

They entered the Great Hall, in all its splendour. Harry, Ron and Hermione took their seat , Alanna and Chad seating next to them.

" Hey Harry. Heard you're the Quidditch captain this year." Chad said, " Ready to beat the snot out of the Slytherins again this year?"

" You bet!" Harry grinned.

Soon the first years came into the Great Hall in their line, most of them looked terrified out of their minds.

" Poor little guys, I hated that part, especially the fact that they call the name in Alphabetical order." Alanna whispered softly.

" I know." Agreed Ron.

By now Professor McGonagall had brought out the Sorting Hat and placed it on its traditional stool.

New students here to sort.

Don't worry little your not in trial in a court.

Long ago , when Hogwarts was new.

Its founders gave me brains to sort you, for they could not last for ever, this they knew.

Gryffindor chose those who were brave.

They did not fear the grave.
Hufflepuff chose those who honest and kind.

They'll always help you in a bind.

Ravenclaw chose those who were smart.

To them , studying is an art.

Slytherin chose those who were ambitious , and let no one in their way.

Coming closer to their goal each day.

I am near the end of my song , just to end with a little quote.

For the Headmaster I leave this little note.

I would like assistance for later times.

Because the Sorting Hat is running out of rhymes!

Several students laughed at this, while other acted surprised.

" Is nothing at Hogwarts that doesn't have a mind of it's own?" Hermione laughed.

" I hope Professor Dumbledore is quick with his speech this year." Ron said, " I'm starved."

" Greetings new and old." Professor Dumbledore began, " I just want to remind you that The Forbidden Forest is off limits, for those you who need a reminder." Dumbledore smiled slightly at Fred and George, " there are many dangerous creatures in there, including some unknowns." Alanna seemed to squeak slightly, but Harry figured she found out about the giant spiders and thought those were the unknowns.

" Well you've heard the ramblings of a crazy old coot long enough, dig in." Professor Dumbledore said, with the feast magically appearing on the golden plates as it did every year.

Harry filled his plate full with everything within reach.

" Honestly Alanna, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were Irish." Fred joked as Alanna filled her plate with chips and mashed potatoes.

" So wmat, I lek potatoes." Alanna said, her mouth filled with mashed potatoes.

Just as Harry thought he couldn't eat another bite, desserts filled the plates, and Harry found himself still hungry.

" Mmmmmmmmmmm …God I love this school!" Chad cheered, happily spooning ice cream into his mouth.

Soon the feast was over, and the leftovers disappeared from the golden plates.

" For some reason, that feast tastes better every year." Ron said, patting his full belly.

" Password?" The Fat Lady asked when the Gryffindors got to the top of the staircase , which lead to their dorm.

" Willywog." Hermione said.

The Fat Lady swung open and let them in.

Harry trudged up to his room, changed into his pyjamas and crawled into bed. His last thoughts before going to bed were, Looks like another good year, I just nothing happens this year.

Authour's note: Sorry it took me so long to write this chapter, but with school ( ick! ) and all I didn't have much time. Yes I know the Sorting Hat's song was crappy, but I figure after hundreds of years of making up songs, anybody would run out of rhymes. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you enjoy future ones. Oh yeah, I don't Harry Potter, places, things or characters, I only own Alanna Whyte and Chad Masters.