"Dumbledore! Thank goodness you're here, where's Harry, is he going to be okay!" A ruffled, flustered looking Sirius had come running into the room, white in the face and his robe twisted backwards with the tag sticking out at the front. Dumbledore smiled with a twinkle in his dark eyes.
"Look for yourself Sirius." He stepped back and gestured with a graceful sweep of his arm to the hospital bed previously hidden behind curtains. "Though, might I add, you shouldn't have come here my friend. This castle, I am ashamed to say, can no longer protect you," Sirius appeared not to have heard this and if he had ignored it and walked briskly over to the bed and sighed happily. He ran a hand through his dark short crisp cut hair and grinned.
"Oh, thank Merlin, when I got that owl it gave me quite a shock. I'm so relieved," He touched a hand to Harry's cheek and smiled. "-He is going to be okay isn't he?"
"Of course he is, he is only suffering from a case of over exertion,"
"What on earth was Harry doing that was so strenuous he felt the need to violate school rules and than drop over unconscious," Sirius mused, mostly to himself.
"Lifting boxes I suppose," Dumbledore said wistfully raising a bushy eyebrow.
"I heard, but don't you think it's –," Sirius turned to face the headmaster and pose his question but found nothing but the clean infirmary walls. "He must be really bored seeing as how he finds all this time to act mysterious and sneak around, honestly," But he only thought about it for a while before turning back to Harry and after a few minutes he heard voices from out in the hall.
"Tell me again why you're pesky flea ridden hide is stalking me around the castle?" An icy voice bellowed.
"I don't trust you with Harry Severus, what exactly is in that flask!"
'Severus!?' Sirius thought, a mixed look of disgust and amazement apparent on his face as he recognized the voices speaking. 'Since when does he call him Severus,'
"It's to help him to – recover," the icy voice resumed.
"-What's that supposed to mean! If you dare – oof-" The two voices had reached the doorway "Sirius!" an excited Lupin exclaimed from his sudden position on the floor.
Snape had glided into the infirmary and stopped abruptly a glare frozen on his ridged face and behind him Lupin had promptly walked right into his back. Lupin now was sitting on hand and knee peering around Snape' knees with a bright smile on his lips. Sirius brightened considerably at the sight of Lupin and his eyes misted over momentarily.
"Sirius- indeed," Snape growled through his teeth snapping Sirius' attention to the crook nosed professor. "What are you doing here Black, out in the open? Anyone in this castle could report you. Hell, I have half a mind to myself,"
Lupin stood up from his position on the ground, oblivious to Snape' hostility and brushed himself off walking over to his friend patting him on the back. Snape grimaced and buried his face in his hands with an annoyed grunt.
"I thought you said you were going to come a bit later?" Lupin asked. "Clear up that business you had sooner than expected did you?" he winked knowingly, nudged Sirius and then smiled again.
Sirius raised an eyebrowlooked pointedly towards Harry and back. Snape groaned and moved his hands to his forehead and held his temples gently massaging them.
"I just gave him a potion, he gets this way sometimes," He waved his hand dismissively. "Now both of you dullards get out of my way or, if I were you, I wouldn't eat or drink anything for a few – decades,"
Distracted from his concern for Lupin, Sirius looked at Harry doubtfully but then stepped back to let Snape administer the potion. Snape swooped down and ladled the potion out of the vial He sprinkled a small amount of a dust-like substance from another container and the potion instantly became denser. He lifted Harry's pajama top and placed the potion on the boy's chest then rolled back his sleeves grimacing. Sirius grinned in amusement at Snape' obvious discomfort and looked towards Lupin so that they could team up and make some cutting remark. Lupin however had given up on the whole situation and was staring with a cocked head at an enchanted Viktor Krum figurine that had been confiscated and was marching across one of the shelves along the wall. Lupin was trying to imitate its trademark scowl.
"What - exactly is in that potion you gave Remus?" He asked Snape, turning just in time to see him finish rolling Harry's shirt back down. Snape smiled, or he smiled as close as he got to a smile which was somewhere between a smirk and a grimace.
"It's just a migraine relief mixture, very simple really, but it included wolfsbane, so I – improvised,"
"Snape!" Sirius exclaimed, torn between amusement and standing up for his good friend.
"You don't hear him complaining about a headache do you?" Snape raised a menacing eyebrow.
They looked over at Lupin who had managed to capture the tiny Krum in his hands and had it lying on his back while he poked at it. Krum's scowl was darker than ever and his mouth moved rapidly in silent protest. Snape grinned satisfied with his work and left the room before Sirius could say any more. Lupin, seeing him leave tore off after him with a playful look of alarm on his face.
Sirius watched Lupin leave with a mopey pout on his face. 'Not even so much as a hello,' he sighed and coached himself that he couldn't blame Lupin for his altered – state and pushed away his flaring jealousy. He looked back at Harry and brushed a strand from his grandson's eyes feeling Harry's placid breathing against his palm. He smiled and than melted away in a shimmer to reveal a large black dog which jumped onto the chair by Harry's bed and curled up watching Harry intently before finally drifting off to sleep.
The Dark Lord was not in a good mood. He stood in a large dark room lit only by one candle flickering in and out, perched precariously upon a snake curling up a column that served as a table. The damp walls were slimy with mould and the whole room stunk of rot and blood. Voldemort blended well with the walls wearing his pitch cloak. His hideous face was just barely viewable it's pale scaly skin glinting in the firelight. He began to speak pronouncing each word with an ugly precise sting.
"Lucius- I have a puzzle for you, how many times does it take to teach a contaminated defilement such as yourself to follow a simple rule. See, I find it extremely puzzling that this uncleanly, unkempt putrefaction doesn't learn on its first try.
"Lucius, I will have you know you are very replaceable, you may think I need you and your incessant failure the way I put up with it. I do not. Your money will not save you in this situation Lucius; you want to know why I keep you around? Because I can, I have the power. I am sure you think of escaping yes? But you know you cannot, deep down in your filthy marrow. You know it gives me pleasure to see such a cocky, arrogant man as yourself crumble at my feet.
"If I were to kill you Lucius, do you know what I would do? You think your meager crucio curse is painful? I myself prefer the muggle techniques, slow and painful… and gruesome. Muggles at least proved to be good at one thing, destroying their own kind. You do not know you say? Well I will tell you; I would pull off your toe and fingernails one by one, snap your tendons, break each and every one your bones – twice, holding you on the cuff of death skinning you slowly alive, draining your blood painful drop by painful drop. And you know what I would do than Lucius? I would bring you back from the brink and do it over hundreds of times more.
"Yes Lucius, you see don't you? And that is only the beginning of what I can achieve and I would never tire, that is all that is keeping me from killing you Lucius. I have more pressing plans and more important people to slay, so many more people. If I were to start my torture with you it would take centuries too long and I don't have that kind of time to waste on maggoty carrion such as yourself. I tend to lose myself in my work, my art. Therefore, I wait, and once my more pressing – business – is out of the way I will deal with you. You had best stay in line, because I would hate to lose the chance to savor your death and have to kill you off so roughly as I might in a rage.
"Ah, I see that look in your eyes, but trust me Lucius, it would not be better for you to be killed in my rage, I have my ways and you would never escape the unending suffering you would than feel. You'd best be a good little boy and stay on my good side,"
He paused and contorted his face into a shadow of a smile.
"Let this be a reminder for you my dear Lucius, lest we forget."
Voldemort turned and walked from the room into the dimly lit hallway smiling with his thin snake-like features. Lucius' damp eyes at that moment rolled back in his head exposing the bloodshot underbelly. His body racked in another spasm from its spot of the dank stone ground. Slash marks stained his fair white skin, filling the rank dungeon with the coppery smell of blood and his wrists were bruised a dark black from hanging in rusty shackles.
The Dark Lord had been kind to his minion; if
he were ever defied again he would not be so soft.
Harry rolled mumbling in his sleep when Hermione stepped into the infirmary. She carried a stack of books and even more held under her elbow. She looked over top of the books at Harry before setting them down by the over-stuffed chair next to his cot. She sighed and settled down into the chair picking up one of the large leather-bound books off the top of the stack and opened to the first page.
Ron and Hermione had been informed of Harry's situation and had both immediately insisted that they be allowed to come to Hogwarts. Under the circumstances it was allowed and they came with their trunks and were staying In Gryffindor tower occasionally coming to sit with Harry in case he woke up. What had seemed a minor case of over-exhaustion had turned out to be something else because Harry had been out for two days now. Dumbledore was still insisting it was minor but the rest of the castle seemed unsure. Harry at least seemed peaceful enough in his sleep, looking just like he was having a nice short nap.
Hermione at the moment had her nose in one of the books that had been listed on this years shopping list for Hogwarts which she had already read two times. "You can never be too prepared," she had said to Ron when he had dropped open his jaw.
"You know dear, you don't have to be here every second," came a kind slightly annoyed voice. Madame Pomfrey had entered the room without Hermione noticing.
"No, I know, I just like being with Harry. I'd hate to think of him being alone when he woke up. I know he'd do the same for me," She said looking over her book and smiling. Madame Pomfrey tutted and smiled back.
"Not even the beginning of the school year and already you three are in trouble," she teased. "You're going to cause me a lot of trouble this year, I can tell!"
Hermione grinned and Madame Pomfrey left her to her reading, going into her office. Hermione sat reading in silence for a few hours, looking up periodically when Harry rolled over in his sleep. She was finally disturbed from her quiet when Snape came into the white walled room and strode over to the cot Harry lay on.
"Granger," he said in way of greeting.
Hermione nodded in acknowledgement and started to gather her things to leave.
"Don't bother, I won't be here long, I've just come to give Harry his potion."
The potion was to prevent Harry's muscles from seizing up from disuse and the aroma it gave off was supposed to give him energy. It wasn't a conventional potion; it was almost considered a wives tale remedy but Snape had insisted it was the best thing for him.
Snape pulled out the vial he had used every ten hours since Harry had come in and grimaced. Dumbledore had insisted that he was the best candidate to administer the potion when he had complained that Sirius – or anyone - would be a better choice. 'What on earth have I done to him to deserve this,' he thought to himself as he ladled out a portion and sprinkled the substance on. He looked down at Harry to see Hermione was looking up at him expectantly holding up Harry's shirt.
"Why are you here Granger, don't you have anything better to do with your time than sit around looking after this unconscious boy?" he snapped.
"I-I, no Professor, there's nothing I would rather do than see that Harry is alright." She faltered at the beginning but strongly stated her opinion to her elder.
"He's only here because he used up too much energy and than decided he was going to go lift heavy objects. So much for heroic Mr. Harry Potter," he smirked looking directly into Hermione's dark chocolate colored eyes.
"That's not true!" Hermione said raising her voice before catching herself and looking at the ground. "There's got o be more to it than that," she muttered quietly.
Snape made an amused noise and ladled the potion onto Harry's chest. He motioned for Hermione to rub it in with a flick of his chin and he remained standing and watched as she rubbed the cream in. She finished quickly scowling, feeling Snape's harsh gaze on her back and rolled down Harry's pajama top. Snape, finished his job, turned to leave.
"You know," Hermione said loudly to his back. Snape stopped and turned around an eyebrow arched quizzically. "I've always wondered why you were so jealous of Harry," Snape' mouth twitched into an amused snide smile.
"Jealous?" he cut Hermione off. "Do you realize who you are talking to? I am not and never will be jealous of this – this – student," he finished realizing what might happen If he admitted out loud his opinion of the boy.
"I think you are," Hermione said quietly but full of her need to express her opinion. "You hate him and his father so much because they have kind hearts and make friends easily," She stated quickly and strongly.
"YOU," he bellowed, his cheeks turning pink in anger making Hermione cringe back, "Need to learn respect for your professors. You have no idea what you're talking about! You should keep your big nose out of other people's business," He stormed out of the room leaving a shocked Hermione.
Tears appeared in her eyes for a reason Hermione couldn't define at the moment. She bit her lip wishing she hadn't said anything at all. What would this look like on her perfect record with her professors? She had actually spoken back to one of them! And of all people it had to be Snape. She didn't notice that behind her Harry was stirring and his eyelids were flickering open and closed, his eyelashes flicking against his cheek.
"I smell Snape," He said amidst a groggy half-yawn.
"Harry!" Hermione jumped at his exclamation and came to his side.
"You're crying," Harry's eyebrows knitted quizzically and he lifted an arm brushing away a tear clinging to Hermione's cheek.
"It's nothing," She grabbed Harry's hand holding it by the edge of the bed. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I feel fine," He lifted his head and looked around. "What am I doing in the infirmary? What are you doing here? What's going on?"
"I-" Hermione began.
"Harry, our patients awake, finally, welcome back." Madame Pomfrey, alerted to the shouting Snape had been doing, had come out of her office to check.
She lifted a hand containing her wand apparently to signal that Harry had indeed just woken up because moments later Lupin came rushing in, Snuffles, a step behind, dematerialized and appeared again in his human form. Sirius smiled warmly when he saw Harry's eyes open and slowed to a walk approaching his godson.
"Sirius? What are you doing here?" Harry sat up and Hermione handed him his glasses, which he perched immediately upon his nose. "What is going on here?"
"Don't you remember? To be honest we aren't entirely sure what happened to you,"
"Vaguely…" Harry muttered getting a faraway look. Everyone looked at him expectantly as Harry blinked in surprise.
"Alright, all of you out! This isn't a zoo, that's enough gawking. You know you aren't allowed to pester the patient!" Madame Pomfrey strode over leading Sirius protesting away from the bed.
"No, it's all right I feel fine," Harry said swinging his feet over the edge of the bed. Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened in horror and she rushed over pushing Harry's feet back onto the cot.
"Oh no you don't! Not until I get a good look at you. Now, all of you out, I'll send him out when he's feeling better,"
A chorus of excuses rang out but in the end Madame Pomfrey won and they were all hassled out of the room leaving Harry sitting alone.
"Oh no!" Harry said suddenly. "I did magic, I'm not ex-expelled am I?"
"Tut, tut, far from it my dear. Now lay back while I have a look at you,"
"I-"
Madame Pomfrey sent him a glare and he gulped lying back down amidst the white fluffy sheets.
Harry pulled his robes over his school clothes before throwing his pajama top rather roughly at Ron's sleeping form in the bed beside him. Ron made an annoyed hiccupping snore and rolled over in bed covering his head with the thick burgundy cover. Harry rolled his eyes and looked around for something harder to throw.
"Oy! Git! Wake up! We've got a lot of work to do," He shouted throwing his sneakoscope in its sock casing making a direct hit on Ron's head. Having no effect and a lack of things to throw Harry strode over to the bed and pushed Ron off onto the ground in a tangle of golden sheets. Ron made a sleepy grunting noise as his eyes jerked open and he rolled over tangling himself hopelessly and smacked his lips.
"Today's the big day," Harry said cheerfully while Ron yawned and tried to wrestle an arm out of his blankets to cover his yawn. "Can't wait to see Seamus and Neville and – well everyone!"
"Would you shut up, you have far to much enthusiasm for such an early hour," Ron mumbled rolling over and closing his eyes.
"Ron!" Harry grumbled. He lifted a corner of Ron's blankets and lifted them leaving Ron lying covered only in his boxers on the floor. Ron groaned in annoyance and stood up shakily and sat on his bed itching his tangled red hair.
"Alright, I'm up then, I'm up," he muttered. "Why on earth couldn't you go be all frilly with Hermione? I'm sure she wouldn't mind getting up at un-godly hours of the morning with you to get all excited about school."
"Actually Ron," Hermione said revealing herself to Ron from the doorway of the boy's dorm. "We've been there and done that and decided it would be splendid if you would come and be 'frilly' with us,"
Ron looked sleepily up at the doorframe and took a moment before he blushed to his ears in his state of undress. Hermione just rolled her eyes and pushed off the doorframe and left down the staircase.
"Hurry up Harry, we promised Professor McGonagall we'd go get the sorting hat from storage before the staircase changes," she called from the bottom of the steps in the common room.
"Right 'Mione," Harry grabbed Ron's shoulder and pushed him off into the washroom adjoined to their dorm and gave him instructions to get ready quickly and meet them downstairs.
A week had passed since Harry had awoken in the infirmary and Madame Pomfrey, finding nothing wrong with him, had let him out immediately. For a while they all puzzled over what had happened to Harry (in which Hermione went through a phase where she relentlessly pestered Harry about opening the box and than directly disobeying her orders not to use Hedwig) but eventually everyone decided since there was no long-term effects he had just tried to stretch his energy too far. Harry, Ron and Hermione had stayed in the huge school helping prepare for the new year.
Harry left the dormitory and went down the stairs quickly. The stairs were enchanted to skip all the floors but your destination, an incredibly useful charm as Harry's dorm was now on the fifth floor. The other floors could still be attained but you had to tell the staircase of your wishes before you climbed them to get to the correct floor. By default the stairs connect right to your level without having to do a thing.
Harry reached the bottom and found Hermione waiting patiently at the bottom. She smiled but being in a hurry she turned and left for the portrait hole with Harry following.
"The staircase is only connected to this storage room once a day, we have to be there before that," she stated as if she were revealing something new to Harry.
"I know Hermione, don't worry we have plenty of time."
"I'm just making sure. I'm so excited, the first day of classes. It feels funny being here before everyone else. Are you proud of yourself Harry, you've found another new and exciting way to arrive at school," she teased.
"What? Unconscious in a stretcher, I don't think I like that way very much,"
They continued on chatting amiably as they navigated the many twisty halls, avoiding the trick steps and doors that came second nature to them. Harry, knowing the school better than Hermione, thanks to a certain map, led the way down several hidden passageways hidden behind suits of armor and potted plants. Finally they reached the stairway that led to the storage room containing the Sorting Hat.
"Do you know why Dumbledore had the Sorting hat moved to this storage room?" Harry asked as they walked up the steps.
"He said that the hat needed more piece and quiet to think up its song. What with all the ruckus you've been causing in the school lately," Hermione said smiling.
Harry smiled back, admitting it made sense, and reached the door first of the two he brought his wand out, tapping the door handle once.
"Toasted toads,"
The door swung open with a loud creak to reveal a musty, dark looking room resembling that of an old muggle attic. Shelves stood off to the sides layered thickly in dust. Boxes and trunks littered throughout the room. They looked like they hadn't been opened for years. A single cracked light bulb hung from a string in the middle of the room. Harry stepped in and looked around.
"How are we supposed to find it in this mess?"
"You don't think Dumbledore would have packed it away do you? It must be out in the open somewhere,"
"I'm over here child," a muffled voice called. Harry jumped at first but than blushed remembering that the hat could speak and he went in the direction of the voice while Hermione went over to the light bulb and pulled the string trying to turn it on.
"Oh silly me, There's no electricity in the castle. I wonder what this light is doing here, that's strange. Lumos," at the last word her wand lit up and the room was suddenly dimly lit. Harry blinked away dots as he came to the corner and straddled a box reaching onto a table grabbing the hat from under a faded newspaper.
"Oh thank goodness you children are hear!" the hat gasped. "That paper fell on me sometime last June and I thought I was a goner. It was quite distracting. I'm afraid this years song may be a little bit strained,"
"That's nice," Harry said, distracted as he navigated his way out of the corner and through the twisty maze of boxes.
"Would you like to hear it?"
"No, that's quite alright," Harry replied.
Apparently though the hat didn't hear him because it started singing at the top of its voice. The sound was deafening in contrast to the silence that Harry had experienced on his way up and he quickly threw a hand over the hat's brim to silence it.
"Do you want to wake the whole school? I for one don't want to see Professor Snape grumpy so early in the morning!"
"So sorry," the hat said meekly, looking as ashamed as a hat can look. "I just don't get a lot of company up here, and well – you know, no one wants to spend a lot of time talking to inanimate objects. Well there was Millie, but they took her far, far away…"
Harry raised an eyebrow and hoped to Merlin that he wasn't going to have to sympathize with a hat about its social problems.
"Harry, come look at this,"
Harry looked up and found Hermione poking around through the boxes near the corner at the door. She pulled out something that from the back had a wooden frame and a white center. Hermione's expression looked shocked over the top of the painting and Harry went to her side to see what it was. What he saw made him drop the Sorting Hat. It fell landing on the dusty floor sending out waves of it flying through the air. The hat protested but the words seemed as if said from deep under water as Harry stood transfixed by the painting, for that was what it was. He pushed his glasses farther up his nose and blinked a few times.
In the frame was three boys each looking to be around the age of 17. They were clustered around together in a profile shot. The boy to the far left had rough short black hair and mischievous looking eyes. His irises were a very deep brown having the effect of almost blending with his pupils. The one next to him was slightly shorter and had light brown honey colored hair that haloed his face in a short, cropped cut. Brilliant pale yellow eyes gleamed out of the painting, the kind of eyes that you could never lie to but withheld secrets in their depths. Beside him was a tall, dark haired young man with a pair of glasses perched upon his flat-bridged nose. His black unruly hair stuck out in the most in-opportune places but it somehow managed to give him a charming handsome look. His deep blue-green eyes glistened with his smile with laugh creases at the edges. At the bottom of the frame was a gold tag embedded in the styled wood, which read, 'The Marauders'.
"That's- It's- my Dad and-and Sirius and Professor Lupin," Harry stuttered after a long period of silence. He sucked in a breath. "What's this doing here?"
"-I don't know…" Hermione said finally. A moment of silence ensued and Hermione, seeming out of place in the scenario, glanced at her watch, which she had painstakingly charmed to tell time within the Hogwarts grounds. "-Oh! Harry! We have to go! The staircase is going to change any minute now and we'll be trapped all day if we don't go! I'm sorry, we'll take it with us,"
"Alright," Harry said in a daze, still a bit miffed. He had never seen a picture of his father when he was young and the resemblance astounded him. It was like looking in a mirror. He only took his eyes away from the captivating gaze when Hermione moved, bending to pick up the sorting hat, and tilted the painting away from Harry's view.
The walk back down to the main hall was a silent one, Harry lost in thought and Hermione keeping quiet leaving him to them. Hermione led with Harry walking slowly behind lost in thought, this meant that the walk took much longer than it had when Harry had been leading them through all the secret passageways.
Eventually they made it to the great hall and they strode in. The splendor of the hall had the effect of snapping Harry out of his daze and he looked around, admiring the brilliance the floating candles added to the room. The past week they had been eating in the Gryffindor common room, the great hall only being used for more formal occasions. Harry smiled and waved to Ron who was standing over by Professor Flitwick helping him put up the rest of the candles.
They walked over and after greeting Ron helped in the setting up of the hall. Soon Harry had forgotten almost entirely about the painting that Hermione had brought up to Harry's dorm propping it against his trunk. The day wore by quickly with the teachers employing Harry, Hermione and Ron to rush here and there and retrieve or help various things or people. Snape had mysteriously disappeared claiming to be bed-ridden but Harry suspected he had done it to avoid the social situation of working together to prepare for the evening.
"All right everyone," Dumbledore's voice rang out from the head table. "You have all done an excellent job and I'm very pleased that we had a few extra pairs of hands to help us this year," he glanced toward the three teenagers who were making there way up closer to the table where the teachers were gathering.
"I am so glad to welcome you all back this year, and of course just a plain welcome to Mr. Black and Mrs. Rown," Mrs. Rown, a small shy looking elder elf blushed as eyes turned her way. Harry had met her several days ago; she was taking over the Ancient Runes class since the old teacher had retired last year.
"As we don't have much time, I would suggest you all find your seats, and Harry, Hermione and Ron? If you would like you may go meet your classmates." He smiled warmly and then nodded his head to show he was finished and he sat down in his chair.
The air immediately buzzed with talk as the teachers went to their seats. Snape had apparently managed to sneak in while Harry wasn't looking because he already sat in his chair beside Dumbledore and, being Snape and having nothing better to do, he was glaring moodily at Harry.
Harry however didn't notice because he, Hermione and Ron had turned and started towards the doors to go meet everyone at the carriages. On their way out the door they witnessed a rabble of house elves carrying a trunk up the steps and Harry and Ron had to forcibly restrain Hermione as she made to go rescue the poor things.
"It makes me so angry," Hermione pouted as they walked across the springy grass in the dimming light of the evening.
"We've been over this before Hermione, they like it this way," Harry said, exasperated and feeling a strange sense of Déjà vu.
"They only think that because that's all they know. Harry there's a whole other world out there,"
Harry went to say something but was cut off by Ron.
"Look, the carriages are arriving," He said excitedly pointing into the distance at what looked like dozens of black specs.
"Oh and look," Hermione said, forgetting her protest in the excitement, "It's the first years,"
Harry looked in the direction of the lake and saw even smaller specs of light.
"They haven't taken off yet," Harry said.
"Oh, hang on then, I think I can see Hagrid,"
Hermione dissolved in giggles as Harry rolled his eyes and after admiring the lake for a bit they turned their attention back to the rapidly approaching carriages.
"Did you know that those carriages were bewitched by Helga Hufflepuff herself when she was still alive? I think that's just marvelous, can you imagine, having something so useful stay around for as long as that,"
"Riveting," Ron said in a voice that seemed very much that he didn't think it riveting at all.
Hermione didn't notice though because the carriages had made it to the castle and were pulling up to unload one by one. The first one to pull up opened and Dean, Seamus and Neville stepped out, Neville looking a bit queasy from the ride.
"Harry!" Dean called out in a friendly tone as he walked up to the little group. "Good to see you,"
The next carriage contained Fred and George Weasley who were chatting amicably with Lee Jordan. Next to come were Lavender, Padma and Parvati, than an uncomfortable looking Ginny who had sat beside Colin and Dennis Creevey (who immediately started taking pictures when they saw Harry). Harry blushed furiously as Cho Chang stepped out of the carriage and smiled at him. What he thankfully didn't notice was that Malfoy and Crabbe also stepped out of the same carriage.
Soon after the rest of the students had arrived they formed groups and started walking up to the castle talking and catching up with all their schoolmates. They made there way to the Great Hall and sat down in their now familiar spots at the four tables. The chattering eased to silence as the doors opened and the first years came in lined up in nervous looking rows. Many of them gawked at their surroundings and whispered in amazement. Harry couldn't help feel proud that he had helped put up the decorations.
As he looked around he realized that the room was very sparse and gaping holes at each table showed there was a large lack of students. Hermione had told him about Dumbledore severing his ties to the ministry. Many students' parents had become concerned and had removed their children from the school in shock at what Dumbledore had announced. He had known this fact yet he hadn't thought this many people would go to such lengths to ignore the inevitable. He frowned but instead of dwelling on the subjects decided to immerse himself in the merriment and was soon chatting with Ron and Hermione again.
McGonagall placed the sorting hat on the stool and it sang its song, which, Harry decided, was just as good as any other year's song. He reasoned that the hat had outdone itself considering the unfortunate incident with the paper.
The first years settled down into their tables their aforementioned nervousness quelled to a dull roar. Harry smiled around at the full tables and realized to the full extent to which he missed the full school during the summer. 'Minus the Slytherins' he mentally noted to himself as his gaze swept over Draco Malfoy who was sitting with an uncharacteristically glazed over look 'I didn't miss them'. His musings were interrupted as Dumbledore stood up banging his knife against his glass.
"If I may have your attention – please. Yes that means you too Mr. Weasley," he said looking at Fred and George who had been busy whispering about the results of some of their pranks they had tested on the train-ride over.
"Yes, thank you. I'm pleased to welcome you all back to the school this year and I hope you all extend the warmest of welcomes to our new first years." This statement erupted a general murmur and a lot of blushing coming from the first years. Dumbledore held up a hand to silence them.
"I know you're all anxious to get to your food but this year there's a bit of a change in schedule and it seems our new prefects have not been chosen yet," This caused an excited talk to start as everyone speculated on who the new prefects would be. Dumbledore held up his hand again and started tapping his glass again commanding silence.
"So," Dumbledore spoke over the din, "Without further ado, Professor McGonagall would you do the honors," The tight faced woman stood and walked to the front of the high table pulling something gold and sparkling out of her pockets.
"Thank you, now, as you all no each year two prefects, male and female, are chosen from each house in year five for outstanding academic achievement or otherwise." At this George let out a loud snore and the room erupted in laughter. Thunder crossed McGonagall's face and she glared at the twins.
"Lisa Turpin and Terry Boot for Ravenclaw," she said eager to get the ceremony over with now. Applause broke out as the newest two prefects stood and made there way to the front where they received their badges.
"Tracey Davis and – Draco Malfoy for Slytherin," A shocked cry of alarm rang out and the complaints rang out over the applaud from the Slytherin table.
"Quiet down!" Snape yelled suddenly over the crowd and the complaints turned to angry whispers amongst the three unhappy tables. Everyone was turned expectantly at the Slytherin table where Tracey Davis had stood up and was motioning frantically to Malfoy who was still staring off into space. Blaise Zabini finally had to resort to shaking Malfoy out of his daze and than whispering in his ear. Malfoy's face looked shock than he got a smug look about him and looked directly to Harry smirking.
"Ahem," McGonagall caught their attention again and Draco and Tracey walked up the high table and got their badges.
"Hermione Granger-," A loud applause went up from the Gryffindor table the origin mostly from Ron and Harry who knew how much this meant to Hermione. Hermione smiled brightly and stood, "and Dean Thomas for Gryffindor," McGonagall finished. Another cheer went up and the two went to the front of the room and received their badges.
"And finally," McGonagall finished. "Hannah Abbott and Anthony Goldstein," More applause rang out as they also went and collected their badges. McGonagall hurriedly went back up to the table and resumed her seat as Dumbledore stood up.
"One more thing, as you all know you are not allowed in the Forbidden Forest without supervision for any reason and once again Filch has informed me that you should look over the list of banned items. Dig in."
With that the tables filled magically much to the surprise and amusement of the first years who gasped in amazement. Harry gave Hermione a quick hug and sincerely congratulated her on her new position.
"As if there was any doubt," Ron said rolling his eyes and filling his plate with Spaghetti. He flashed Hermione a smile to show his congratulations though despite his words.
"I can't believe they let that prick Malfoy be a prefect! He made our lives miserable enough before without him having privileges to take away house points!" Harry said suddenly as he glared across at Malfoy adorned with his sparkly new badge as he chatted with his fellow Slytherins.
"Well unfortunately he's top of the class," Hermione pointed out.
"Besides you 'Mione," Harry said smiling and Hermione blushed.
Draco's strange behavior hung in Harry's mind though as he piled food onto his plate. Draco never missed an opportunity to gloat, what was he so spaced out about? Harry's thoughts were interrupted as he spied Colin Creevey chatting excitably to one of the new Gryffindors and waving a pointed finger in Harry's direction. Harry looked down and covered the side of his face with his hand and hoped to god Colin wouldn't pull out his photo album.