Disclaimer: You know the drill, don't own anything, never will…
Only Simon (u will see him again I promise!) and 'Lena's kid' which u will meet in this very chap!
A/N: Well, first of all, sorry for keeping u waiting for so long but I'm going to start posting chapters more frequently from now on, I promise! Okay, this is the last chap that we see things that are sort of out-of-view for a while so hang on tight! And also, something u should know: this chapter might both surprise and disappoint some of you but before you judge PLEASE give me a shot to prove to you that she isn't a Marry Sue!!! She really isn't! If u don't know what Marry Sue is you can always go to my fanfic "Marry Sue, gotta love em!" and read about it but for those who do know, she isn't! So read, enjoy and please review!!!
Love y'all
--Tinc
CHAPTER SIX
TWO FIGURES IN THE DARK
When the train finally stopped they all got up and walked through the crowded hallway to the exit.
It wasn't raining anymore when Harry stepped outside but everything around was foggy and he could hardly see the horse-less carriages waiting to take the students up the hill to Hogwarts. However he did see Hagrid's huge figure taking the frightened first-years to the annual boat trip. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville, who they met in the entrance, (Ron tripped on Neville's robes, which were not closed properly) sat together in a carriage and slowly headed to the castle.
"How's it going Neville?" Asked Ron in a friendly voice.
"Okay. I think…" he said trying with no success to tie up his robes and clean them from the dirt Ron got on them when he fell.
They got off the train and made their way into the familiar Entrance Hall. When they walked into the Great Hall Harry saw all the familiar faces again, including Malfoy's vicious smirk greeting him as he passed by the Slytherin table; there was no sign of the smile he was wearing that day in Diagon Ally. On their way through the Great Hall Harry saw Bill making his way to an empty chair beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher while all the teachers around greeted him warmly. 'You could tell he was Head-boy' Harry thought in a smile, seeing how happy the teachers were to see him.
"Hi Harry," greeted them Dean as the four approached the Gryffindor table. "Ron, Neville… Hermione?" He said in a weird smile starring at her.
"What?" She asked and stared back. "What!?" She repeated when there was no answer.
Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down beside Dean and Seamus while Neville sat opposite to them beside Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost.
"Oh um, nothing… hi, how are you?" he asked still giving her a weird look. Ron narrowed his eyes. Harry turned to look at Seamus and saw he was also looking at Hermione differently. When Dean saw the look Harry gave him and Seamus he whispered "What? Like you didn't notice?"
"Notice what?" Asked Harry puzzled, he had no idea what Dean and Seamus wanted from Hermione.
Seeing Hermione was watching Dean turned his head away.
Harry turned to look at the high table: Hagrid's empty chair… he was still with the first years, the Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout… Harry's eyes kept passing by the Hogwarts' headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. His silver beard shining in the lightened hall. He was sitting in silenced thought and gazing at the sky-like ceiling.
By Dumbledore was sitting Harry's least favorite teacher, Professor Snape, quiet and very grumpy looking.
"But I don't see a new face!" Hermione who was also looking at the high table said. "You don't think they really canceled the subject, do you?"
"Maybe he's running late… anyway, did you see Snape? He looks so moody…"
"Moody!" Ron called from beside them. "Maybe the real Moody will be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts this year!"
"That would explain Snape's face," Harry smirked still looking at him. "But I don't know. It wasn't the real Moody but he was only suppose to teach us for a year anyway…"
"Yeah but he wasn't there as he was suppose to…"
"But I think it had something to do with the Triwizard Tournament… Maybe, it could be anybody."
"He does look kind of, worse than usual doesn't he?" Hermione said quietly gazing at Snape as well.
"Yeah…" Harry said looking at Dumbledore again; he was now talking to McG-- "McGonagall?" Harry stared at her weakly. "What the hell happened to her?!"
Ron and Hermione turned to see McGonagall like they've never seen her before. She was as pale as a ghost, and only hardly nodded at Dumbledore's words.
"What happened to her?!"
"She looks horrible, I've never seen her this shaken." Harry said. "Not even after… after Crouch." He whispered. Just then McGonagall got up and went through the doors of the Great Hall to meet the 1st years.
Then, something weird happened: for a spilt second Harry was positive he heard a call that sounded just like the sorting hat yelling "GRYFFINDOR!" from the back room. The one Harry was led into when he was chosen as fourth champion for the Triwizard Tournament in the previous year.
"Did you just hear that?" He whispered in Hermione's ear.
"Hear what?"
"I thought I just heard the sorting hat call Gryffindor, I think it came from the back room…"
"But why would they… You don't suppose they were sorting someone they didn't want us to see do you?"
"Dunno, they might. Ron,"
"What?"
"Did you just hear something?"
"Like what?"
"Like the sorting hat," Harry whispered.
"Why the sorting hat? And why are we whispering?"
"Harry think he just heard the sorting hat call Gryffindor from the back room." Hermione said.
"Do you think they were sorting someone they didn't want us to see?" Ron asked excitedly. "Maybe a werewolf or somebody like Lupin!"
"But eventually we'll need to see them if they're gonna go to school here, why keep it a secret?"
Ron shrugged, just as McGonagall walked back into the Great Hall, leading the 1st years inside, the Great Hall was suddenly quiet and enthusiastic. Before they even got to the center of the Hall however, Nearly-Headless-Nick, flew through wall of the back room (Neville jumped, he didn't see he was gone until then). He whispered something in Dumbledore's hear who nodded and then nodded very significantly to McGonagall, making the very last bit of color leave her face.
"Wait here." She said quietly to the fist years. "The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." She then announced to the school and went to the high table. Dumbledore was on his feet, waiting for McGonagall to arrive at his side. All the teachers around looked at the headmaster in concern, all except for one. Snape was sitting there with his head bowed deep in thought as if he didn't even notice that Dumbledore and McGonagall are now making their way to the back room. Dumbledore opened the door and let McGonagall step inside first while he stayed by the entrance waiting.
"Severus?" Harry saw Dumbledore mouthing quietly towards the Professor. At last, Snape got up and walked to the back of the high table, waiting till Dumbledore went in and then slumming the door loudly behind him. The Great Hall remained death silent for another slit second before whispers went flying across the Great Hall as if a huge bee-swarm just flew in.
"Guess you did hear something." Hermione whispered blankly.
About five minutes later the three walked back into the Great Hall, silencing the students. McGonagall was carrying the three-legged stool and the old sorting hat in her hands. Snape and Dumbledore sat down and McGonagall made her way to the very center of the Great hall where she placed the stool and the sorting hat on it and then returned to her seat.
The Great Hall was now silenced in excitement, for the sorting hat was about to sing.
Another moment of silence and it opened its "mouth" and began:
More than a thousand years ago,
Though no one know the exact date,
Four geniuses came from all around
To change young wizards' fate
So in order to fulfill their dream,
For better adduction,
They then built Hogwarts school to help each kid
Find his or her direction.
They made four houses, one for each,
So they could decide whom they wanted to teach.
The brave and bold to Gryffindor,
In Slytherin ambitions to thecore,
For Ravenclaws learning's never tough,
And sweet hard-workers go to Hufflepuff.
But when they got old and too tired to pick,
They decided they needed a helper to seek,
Then Godric pulled me right off his head,
And they gave me some brains so I could choose instead,
So put me on and let me see,
In which of the four houses you should be.
The Great Hall roared with enthusiastic cheers but very surprisingly the Sorting Hat, which suddenly opened its mouth again and turned its "head" to the staff table, cut them.
But wait!
The cheers stopped immediately.
"But it never forgets a line!" Fred whispered down the Gryffindor table in amazement.
Something was weird in the way the Sorting Hat spoke now, there seemed to be a note of warning in its voice.
Know that a Destiny is not avoided,
For its owner it will forever lurk,
And let me tell you this old friend,
This isn't gonna work.
The whole school stared at the Hat dumbstruck.
"Do you think it could have something to do…" Hermione whispered but her voice faded away from shock. The sorting hat seemed to be pointed directly at the high table.
Dumbledore stared at the hat back but he didn't seem surprised at all, instead he nodded towards it. Finally, The Hat bowed deeply to the staff table and then to each house before resting motionlessly on the stool. As if snapped out of a dream Professor McGonagall hurried to open the long parchment roll in her hand and said. "When I call out your name, sit on the stool and put the hat on, it will then announce to which house you should go."
"Altamira, Derrick!"
A chubby boy stepped up and sat on the stool.
"RAVENCLAW!" Yelled the Hat. The boy got up and went as quickly as he could to the cheering Ravenclaw table.
"Aurora, Lolianda!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Bowles, Timothy!"
"GRYFFINDOR!" Fred and George got up on their feet and cheered 1st student to join the Gryffindor house.
"Champlain, Rozanda!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Goodard, Gloria!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The Hufflepuffs cheered extremely loud as the first student who was sorted into their house joined the Hufflepuff table they seemed to be in high spirits after all.
"McDogell Relinda!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Brown Rosebud!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Rosebud!" Lavender called to the first year student who ran to her and hugged her. "I'm so glad you're a Gryffindor!" She said and gave Rosebud a kiss.
"Everybody, this is my baby-sister Rosebud."
"Baby sister?!" Asked Rosebud and gave Lavender a look.
"Hi Rosebud." Said Parvati and smiled.
"That's right! You're a Gryffindor too! I forgot… because of Padma." She said quietly as the sorting went on.
McGonagall kept on calling 1st years to come and be picked to their house; she was less pale and frightened looking by now.
Finally, the sorting was over and Dumbledore stood up to say a word before the food was served.
"Welcome back all! We are about to start a new year at Hogwarts, but now we eat, and then some announcements." The empty plaits filled with great smelling food. To the sound of "wow!" from the first year students and Ron almost choking on his food Harry filled his plate. He was trying to think about the person they sorted before the ceremony but couldn't because annoying fourth year student, Colin Creevey (with footnotes from his little brother Dennis) told him in excitement about his vacation in Rome.
As he was gazing with a bored look around the room, only half hearing what Colin was saying he saw Professor Snape slip from his chair and walk swiftly over to the back room again after muttering something in McGonagall's ear. Puzzled as he was he couldn't say a thing to Ron as Colin was still talking.
"Hey Harry!" Said George, finally saving him from the Creevey brothers. "You suppose we're still up for the Quidditch Cup after so long?"
"We better be!" Said Angelina with a spark in her eyes. "We won't have another chance."
"Don't worry Angelina, I'm sure we could pull it off." Harry said cheerfully. "Only we need to find a Keeper."
When everybody was finished with their food, including the desert, Dumbledore got up and waited for silence. When the room was quiet at last (Fred and Lee Jordan got into a big argument about the upcoming Quidditch season.) Dumbledore opened: "Greetings! And Welcome! I have some announcements I would like to make; First of all, I am sorry to announce that Professor Moody will not be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts this year. We do have a wonderful substitute however, but I'm afraid the professor will be away for a while so until then Defense against the Dark Arts will turn into another hour, depends on the day and the house."
"So we will be learning Defense against the Dark Arts after all, only not just yet." Hermione exclaimed. "I wonder if he'll mention the books." She said eagerly.
"Also," Dumbledore went on, he didn't mention the books. "As most of you are aware of, two houses learn certain subjects together —Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, or Ravenclaw and Slytherin and we have decided it is time for a refreshing change so the groups will be Gryffindor and Ravenclaw or Slytherin and Hufflepuff from now on." Mixed reactions came to that, mainly from the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs, neither seemed pleased.
"All of the 3rd year students who are attending Arithmancy, from today on you will be learning in room 104 on the 4th floor instead of in the 1st floor." Dumbledore waited a moment in silence, then his face turned very serious and his blue eyes twitched. "And now, I am afraid I need to bore you all with a short speech of mine—I do not want to panic anyone but I believe all of you are old and mature enough to know and except the fact that dark times are ahead." Dumbledore's brilliant blue eyes, which Harry suspected to be magical like Mad-Eye Moody's toured the room, face by face. They passed through Harry's eyes as well, and when they did Harry felt shaky. Dumbledore passed on, then coughed and went on. "Especially after the horrible loss we have experienced last year," He said and Harry was sure he was looking directly at Cho Chang as he said it, Harry's secret crush. This was the first time since the previous year that Harry had dared to lay his eyes on her. The look of her made Harry's heart ache; dry tears were on her face, she was pale and looked thinner then Harry had remembered her, when Dumbledore's eyes lay upon her she looked even more miserable. The first year students looked puzzled and seeing that, or so Harry supposed Dumbledore explained. "In, the previous year," He sighed "the school had lost one of its finest students, the new comers, probably didn't have the chance to meet this young man, but some of you might have heard his name, Cedric Diggory." The two words echoed greatly in the Hall and Harry shivered to the sound of them. All through the summer he tried not to think of what happened, now, the horrible memory of Cedric on the ground came back to his head, and Dumbledore's voice made him very nervous even though he spoke quietly and calmly. "He was a brave young man who was killed by the Lord Voldemort." There was a wave of shaking and mumbling around the room when he said the word "Voldemort" but Dumbledore ignored it. "He was not afraid to choose the right way over the easy, and we shell all hope to have more people as brave and noble as he was amongst us.
"I have said this last year in the Closing Feast and I will say it again: The only way for us to make it through these dark times is if we work together! For only if we stick together do we stand a chance to bit these times and to overcome this obstacle."
He waited a long moment before he opened again.
"On a much happier note:" He said, his face lightning up a bit. "This year will be about Hogwarts' one-thousand and five-hundredth birthday! It is a very long tradition that we celebrate this every fifty years so know that it is an honor that you are attending the school in this time for not all students get to be here just when fifty years pass. We will have a special cele, on which you would be informed during the year but I just thought you would want to know.
"The Forbidden Forest, as you all hear from the name, is strictly forbidden to all students. All third year and up are aloud to go to the wizarding town Hogsmeade on the visiting days, also, something new: Due to the new project tacking place this year, permitted seventh year students are aloud to go to Hogsmeade at any time, if they ask first of course. It is also my pleasure to inform that the Inter House Quidditch Cup is back on so all interested please contact your House Team's Caption or ask Madam Hooch for details. That is all! Now, it is already late, much later than I intended it to be so hurry along now, bedtime!"
As people got up Dumbledore added "All first year students, please follow your house Prefects up to your Common Rooms, all Gryffindor first year students, please follow Sir Nicolas de Mimsy-Porpington, the Gryffindor ghost," Hermione looked very unpleased by that, she was eager to start her job as a Prefect. "We need all fifth year students from Gryffindor to stay in the Great Hall for a moment." To that all fifth-year students and all Gryffindor students turned to look at Dumbledore. Calls were heard in the air.
"Why only Gryffindor students?!" Harry heard Malfoy's angry voice over from the Slytherin table.
"Why only fifth years?!" People from his table were calling. Dumbledore didn't answer. "To your Common rooms then?" Dumbledore said with raising an eyebrow. Looking offended, all students left the Great Hall except for the puzzled fifth year Gryffindor students who gathered around by the staff table. About a minute later Dumbledore and McGonagall were the only professors left in the room. Then Harry watched as Snape made his way from the back room to the entrance Hall going as fast as he could without running and leaving the two Professors and the Gryffindor 5th years alone. There was total silence when Professor McGonagall finally spoke.
"We have a new student your age joining the school, she was sorted earlier and was chosen to be a Gryffindor—"
"You were right!" Ron said, much louder then he meant to.
"As I said before I was rudely interrupted," Said McGonagall and gave Ron a look that made his ears turn red "Her name is Elizabeth Moon, some of you might remember her, for she attended the school in your 1st year here but then transferred to Beauxbatons shortly after."
"I ask you to treat her with respect and dignity, is that clear? She will need to catch up a bit on the school material so please try to help her if she needs a bit of a bust. Miss Moon?" The Professor then called. All heads turned to the back door of the Great Hall as a tall figure stepped into light. Elizabeth Moon had very long, dark, thick though smooth hair down to her waist, her ears were a little big and were showing as she pushed her hair behind them. She had bluish-green eyes and an embarrassed smile on her face. "Hi." She mumbled quietly. The people around her nodded and greeted back.
"Welcome Miss Moon," McGonagall said. "Welcome to the Gryffindor house, as you know you will sleep, eat and participate classes with the house. I am the head of the Gryffindor house, if you have any problems or questions you can always come to me or to your fellow Gryffindor students." Elizabeth nodded.
"Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore turned to Hermione "could I count on you to show Miss Moon around the castle?"
"Of course Professor." Said Hermione quickly.
"You'll sleep at the dormitory with Miss Granger and her friends all right?" said Dumbledore to Elizabeth quietly and winked at her. "And speaking of bed," He said a little louder. "It's time for it. Go on now." The Professors then turned and headed out to the entrance Hall followed by the Gryffindor students.
As Harry made his way out of the Great Hall along with the rest of the house he saw Bill meet up with Professor Dumbledore right on the top of the stairs and they disappeared around the hall. Hermione paved her way in the crowd, pulling Harry and Ron behind her to come and greet Elizabeth who was walking in the front currently talking to Parvati.
"Well," Parvati said. "What about you? Elizabeth Moon…"
"Well," Elizabeth said. "Since both my parents were Muggle-born they wanted to name me a rather Muggle name and my mom just liked the idea of a name that's longer than the last name, so it's Elizabeth Moon… But then it became Lizi so… hello." She cut herself, greeting the three after seeing Hermione was walking along by them with an eager look on her face.
"Hello, I'm Hermione." She smiled and shook Elizabeth's hand very enthusiastically.
"Hey." She said. "You're really gonna have to help me get through here, this place is almost as big as Beauxbatons and I've only been here for less than a week last time."
"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it in no time." Hermione grinned. Ron coughed loudly. "And these are my friends," She said giving Ron an irritated look.
"Ron Weasley." Ron smiled broadly at her pushing Hermione aside to shake Lizi's hand. "Welcome back!"
"Thanks." She grinned at him.
"And this," Hermione said, hurrying to break the conversation that hadn't even started between the two. "Is my other friend Harry."
"Hi Ha--" Her smile was whipped off her face when she spotted the scar on Harry's forehead but then she shook her sharply snapping herself out of it and smiling at him again. "Harry."
"Hi." Harry returned, relived that she didn't start asking any questions.
"So you're in our house ha?" Hermione said, much less enthusiastic now than before, cutting once more Ron's attempt to start a conversation. Hermione looked quite annoyed and Harry had a feeling it wasn't because they were climbing their 4th staircase by now. "Reckon you were in Slytherin the last time you were here… They just sorted you again? I mean, as far as I know the Hat doesn't usually change its mind…"
"Well, I don't know… they wanted to put me in Slytherin though I was sorted to Gryffindor this time… It was pretty weird… Guess the Headmaster decides sometimes for the hat doesn't he? But then I guess he changed his mind…"
Hermione nodded along but once they climbed into the portrait ("Plumper Butter") and Lizi climbed up the stairs with Parvati to the girls' dormitory Hermione whispered very meaningfully. "But he doesn't, he never would. I'm sure the thing the hat said right after its song had something to do with that…. Something's going on. See ya tomorrow." She then said quickly and left up to the girls' dormitory.
Harry and Ron climbed to their Dormitory closely followed by Seamus and Dean, Neville was already there and much more cheerful than he was the last time they've seen him.
Harry felt very sleepy as he put on his Pajamas (which were already there with the rest of his luggage). Once he got to bed however, Dumbledore's speech, especially the part about Cedric kept popping in his mind and he was positive that if he would just fall asleep he will have those old nightmares he was finally able to avoid after a world's worst July.
When he did fall asleep however Cedric or any of the things that happened the last year weren't there. All he dreamt of was of a greasy haired man a woman in her forties wearing a heavy black coat.
They were making their way down the marble stairs in Hogwarts quietly as they could but also very swiftly. Once they were outside the building they stopped to take a look at the huge castle which was hardly visible, as it was the crack of night.
"Well… let's go," The woman finally said softly after a long silent moment. The man heard her clearly but neither moved nor turned to look at her. She gave a sigh and whispered. "Oh Sev! We'll see it again!" Severus Snape gave her a weary look and a most weary and sorry crooked smile. It made him look very weird, as if it was the first time he had smiled in years.
"They're here already?" he asked
She nodded. Walking one by the other they made their way a few feet down the hill where they saw a horseless carriage waiting for them. They sat in the carriage and it went at once. The ride was very quiet yet a bit tense and uncomfortable. They both sat quietly in the dark.
"'Bell?" Snape finally said looking like he was really unwilling to say what he had to say but figured he had not choice.
"Yeah?"
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End of chap 6!!! Hope u all liked it! And I'll prove u she isn't, I promise! U'll see! And u know, if u're not too busy or anything… it won't kill u to review will it???
--Tincerbel
