CHAPTER 3:
Ron gave him another not so very friendly look. Hermione elbowed Ron and the look miraculously disappeared. The two lovers untangled themselves. Ginny still held on to Harry's arm and stuck close to him.
'How are you Harry?' she said a sweet seductive irresistible type of voice.
'I received your letter' said Harry 'That should be an answer'. He winked.
'Ehem!' said Hermione worried that Ron would ask to see the letter 'We better get on the train'
They boarded the Hogwarts Express. Most of it was filled but they managed to find a compartment at the back. They all sat down and waited for the train to start.
'Guys, I had a nightmare' finally Harry said.
'Not a Voldemort nightmare!' exclaimed Ron. He had managed to say Voldemort's name in the fifth year, when he battled him along with Harry and Hermione.
'I'm afraid so' said Harry. Ginny hugged him close 'you poor dear'.
He narrated the entire dream scene by scene word by word. He finished just as the Hogwarts Express started off on its scenic journey. Hermione and Ginny gasped.
'So, he's after you again' said Hermione in a small voice. She still suffered some trauma from the previous year when she had been kidnapped and held hostage against Harry.
'We have to find out who is this ally at Hogwarts!' said Ginny suddenly becoming very protective of her Harry. Yes my Harry she said to herself.
'Moony already went to Hogwarts by Floo, he said that he would tell Dumbledore everything' said Harry.
'Harry, you will have to be extra careful this year'' said Ron. He knew his best friend was in grave danger. The year before, though they had escaped from Voldemort, they had not been able to damage him in the slightest. The dark lord would only be more powerful by now. His concern further stretched to his sister, as by being Harry's girlfriend, she was the obvious target for Voldemort's next attack. 'You too Ginny' he added.
'Don't worry Ron' said Harry. 'You know that I will protect Ginny, give my life for her if necessary'. Ginny squeezed his had 'And I would do the same'
'I know Harry, it's just that last year we thought we were safe at Hogwarts and then…' he trailed off they all remembered what had happened. The death eaters had used the passageway from Honeydukes, guided by Wormtail to invade Hogwarts. Unable to capture Harry, due to the massive number of protection spells around him. They instead targeted Hermione, knowing that Harry would come for her. They had been right.
'It's Draco Malfoy' said Hermione. 'You remember how strangely he had acted last year?'
Harry shifted uneasily in his seat. 'Um, there is something that you all should know, Draco Malfoy, no longer supports the dark lord. Once his father was killed, he found out that his mother was under a permanent imperious curse, delivered by a necklace her husband made her wear. He helped the order of the phoenix, Ron and me greatly.'
Ron nodded his accent.
Ginny and Hermione looked shocked.
'This is the same Draco Malfoy we are talking about? Blond hair, Slytherin muggle-born hater etc' asked Hermione.
'The very same' said Ron.
'How could he change his life's beliefs in a single day or moment' commented Ginny still not believing what the two were telling them.
'I never said he changed his beliefs' said Harry 'Just that he hated and no-longer supports the dark lord'
'So, I'm still Mud blood, right' said Hermione sarcastically.
The three admonished her together.
'Sorry, sorry' she apologized.
The snack trolley arrived, and the four managed to empty most of it between themselves. The Weasleys had greatly improved their financial situation due to Mr. Weasleys raise and the twins (Fred and George) Hogsmeade joke shop. They had become so rich over the past year that they conducted hostile take over of Zonko's.
'But you can expect Malfoy to be much nicer' said Harry 'He knows that those against the dark lord, even in secret must stick together'
'We better change into our robes' said Ginny taking note of the time.
The others scrambled to comply; they knew that they were almost at Hogwarts. Harry had no such problem and when questioned explained his arrival by Floo powder. He was quite happy to be able to talk about Sirius's new found wealth earlier Ron would have got get upset and felt hurt.
The train arrived while Ron was still trying to adjust his robes. Fortunately with Harry's help he was able to sort out the problem. The four emerged from the Hogwarts Express. As usual they spotted Hagrid (The half-giant Care of Magical Creatures Teacher) leading the first years. They waved to him and he waved back.
They proceeded to the carriages that would take them to Hogwarts.
'So, Ron did you ask Hermione?' Harry whispered, so that Hermione who was talking to Ginny about something wouldn't notice.
'I haven't got the courage yet, you remember what happened last time I tried' said Ron looking at his hands. Ron was going to ask Hermione the very night she was kidnapped.
'But, that was ages ago!' said Harry.
'What was?' interrupted Hermione; apparently she had finished her conversation with Ginny.
'Oh! Nothing, just something about Quidditch' quickly replied Harry.
This seemed to satisfy Hermione and she didn't pursue the matter. The carriages arrived just then and the student marched into the Entrance Hall. They were quite late it seemed for the Gryffindor table was almost full. The four smiled apologetically as they took the last seats, which were closest to the staff-table.
'Harry' said Ron 'Look, no new teachers'.
The rest sighed happily, so far their experiences with new teachers were less that pleasurable, much less in-fact.
'Look, Professor Lupin is back' said a very happy Neville, glad to see one of his favorite teachers.
'I suppose, I'll have to call him that' sighed Harry 'Moony is so much better though'. Ginny giggled.
'What's so funny?' asked Hermione staring at the giggly Ginny.
'Oh! Nothing, Sirius showed me some baby pictures of Harry, he felt I had a right to know who I was going out with. There is a very nice one in which baby Harry is trying to say 'Moony'. He looked so cute!' answered Ginny, pulling Harry's cheek at the end of her talk.
Harry was scandalized, as the Gryffindor's who had heared this burst out laughing. Sirius is going to have a lot to answer for Harry thought. He absent mindedly rubbed his cheek.
The doors of the side entrance flew open and a line of first years trooped in, behind Prof. McGonagall.
'Sh!' said Ron 'The sorting'
The sorting Hat cleared its throat and started singing in and exaggerated baritone.
In a time long past,
There lived four greats,
With one desire in their hearts,
To create an institution fine,
To teach magic to young children's minds.
Thus, the banded together,
And created this castle,
Dividing it into four,
Each would follow their dreams.
Gryffindor strong, the lion braved,
Chose students who followed his way,
Hupplepuff the beaver,
Wanted all the hard workers,
Ravenclaw was the wisest,
So she accepted the most intelligent,
Slytherin was the serpent tongue,
Cunning and devious filled his rungs,
The came a problem for all,
How to chose once they were gone,
So I was given the responsibility,
To chose the house of yon respectively,
So put me on and don't you fret,
I have not been proved wrong as yet!
The hall broke out into a resounding applause. One by one the first years approached the Hat and put it on.
'Aramis, Clark' called Prof McGonagall. A small pale boy walked up and put the hat.
'Ravenclaw' shouted the hat aloud. Clark ran to the Ravenclaw table which welcomed him with applause.
Thus went on with the sorting until none of the first years were left.
'Yes! Feast time' said a very hungry Ron.
But the feast did not appear. Instead Dumbledore got up form the staff table and spoke.
'We have a new transfer student; he will be joining us for the fifth year. I would request which ever house he is sorted into to help him get acclimatized to his new surroundings' he spoke softly. 'Fransoue, Louis'. The side door opened and someone walked in. The hall let out a collective gasp.
Louis was an extremely handsome lad. He had dark hair and orange eyes. His height was about 6 feet 4 inches and he had broad muscular shoulders. His clothes were the standard Hogwarts robe, but he wore them elegantly as if they were made for just him. But, what caught the attention of the entire school was his charm, he simply radiated of class and power.
He walked confidently up to the sorting hat and placed it slowly and gently on his head. He did not sit-down on the stool provided. The sorting hat, just kept on sorting. The hall was astonished and impatient; the hat had never taken this long!
The girls of every house were silently praying that he was sent their way. Finally after fifteen minutes, in which Louis didn't even twitch, the hat shouted…
Author Note: And I leave you all here! Please review. I am trying to improve my writing skills and hopefully this chapter was better, more detailed and fun than the previous two.
Once again please review!