Dark angel and your brother: yep, Harry will get another shot a Voldie
later on, after all he is our favorite hero. But we've got a ways to go
till then. A lot of hilarious situations and somber explanations are on
their way. Thanx for reviewing.just for that here's three more chapters.
;)
JR
Chapter Six
When they got to Hogwarts it was just after dark so Veronica walked beside the rest straight to the library to join the search. Candles burned low on each table as teachers searched through numerous books. Madame Pince and Professor McGonagall were in the restricted section. Snape and Sprout dug through the potions and herbs sector. Mrs. Weasley joined Professor Flitwick in a search through charms. Even the house elves Dobby and Carsy were reading, their large eyes reflected so much light they were almost light sources of their own.
Other house elves put books away and brought food to the exhausted researchers. Genevieve and Veronica went to the restricted sections while Rebecca and Remus started making a list of all the anti-apparation protected places in Europe as a list of potential targets. Harry picked up some random books, unsure what he was looking for but wanting to help.
"Well, well well, Mr. Potter. Nice of you to come help clean up your own mess," a menacing voice floated from the other side of the book shelf.
"What is that supposed to mean Professor Snape?" Harry tried to conceal the contempt in his voice. Veronica passing by answered the question.
"I think, Harry, that who ever this is," she pointed through the books to the dark form, "was referring to carelessness with a dangerously powerful talisman." Her words cut deeply, and Snape poured lemon juice into the wound with his laughter.
"Nice to meet someone willing to speak their mind when it comes to young Mr. Potter. We have not been properly introduced." Snape maneuvered around the books toward her and into Harry's line of sight. Unbelievably a smile, a real smile without malice, that reached his eyes, radiated on his face. "My name is Severus Snape. I'm the potions master here."
"I came here with Genevieve, my name is Veronica Veritas."
"As in the truth serum." Snape confirmed.
"Precisely. My great aunt developed it."
"Fascinating." And by the looks of it Snape was really fascinated. Soon Veronica abandoned her book from the restricted section to help Snape in the potion stacks.
"Ron, you'll never guess what just happened," Harry said as Ron emerged from the topography row holding three large volumes of Geographical Transportation by Mervyn Mapquest.
"I heard it all. Boy that was creepy." Ron shuddered, putting down his load. Harry looked from Ron's books to the restricted one Veronica had left on the table, 'Alternate Untraceable Transportation Techniques'. The picture on the page it was open to depicted the process of apparating along a beam of light gone awry. The light accidentally refracted in a prism and split the man attempting it into seven separate slices.
************************
Harry and Ron spent the next four days in the library working beside the teachers until they thought their brains would burst.
"You two look worn out," Sirius observed, though he was also exhausted, "Go take a break. It's a great day and you've got the quidditch pitch to yourselves."
"Really?" Excitement flooded Harry's face.
"You're no good to use here, bored out of your head staring at the same page for half an hour. Get." Sirius said only half kidding, Harry realized that it was probably true.
They raced to Gryffindor tower, Harry for his firebolt, and Ron for his Nimbus 2000. As there were so few people in the school they decided to ride the brooms down. It was a mistake from the beginning made worse when they encountered Snape and Veronica in her glistening light proof cloak coming up from the dungeons together.
"Mr. Weasely, Mr. Potter!" Snape yelled just as they'd reached the front door.
"Oh please Severus, let me." Veronica stepped forward and picked up each boy by the collar. "Not only was that dangerous and irresponsible but entirely stupid. Flying in-doors on a broomstick, even I thought you had better sense than that. Genevieve and the others may think you are the best things since chocolate covered strawberries, but personally I can't stand you. So don't let me catch you doing anything else like this or you'll regret it far more that losing a few stupid house points." She dropped them and glided back to Snape who beamed at her, then escorted her to the library.
"Great, now Snape can berate us by proxy." Harry fumed.
"You don't think that blood sucking beast would bite us do you?" Ron looked slightly nervous.
"No. Sirius said she doesn't drink human blood." Harry reassured himself as much as Ron by saying this out loud.
"Then don't worry about it. Hey, I bet I can find the snitch first." Ron taunted his friend on to happier thoughts.
"No way." Harry mounted his firebolt and easily beat Ron to the pitch.
Days, then weeks and finally months slipped by this way. The absence of news about Voldemort's intensions geometrically increased every ones stress levels. Between studying for their up coming classes and searching for a way to stop Voldemort Harry and Ron spent a lot of time in the library. But every available moment after that they were playing quidditch.
Harry was practicing a particularly difficult maneuver he'd read in one of his father's old Quidditch magazines. It involved an incredible burst of speed, suddenly forcing the broom to stall then flying in reverse, but Harry couldn't seem to manage it. Whenever the broom would stall it would fall out of the air, the only thing that kept Harry from death was Ron's ever increasing talent performing levitating charms.
"Aaarrg." Harry yelled in frustration floating to the earth yet again.
"What are you worried about Harry." Ron asked rhetorically. "You're already on the team. I on the other hand have to try out in two weeks and I still haven't decided to go for keeper or beater."
"Beater, definitely. That way you can hit bludgers toward Malfoy and not get in trouble for it."
"I like the sound of that!" Ron said with menacing excitement. He released one of the bludgers and took after it around the pitch, hitting it as hard as he could. Ron would admit later in private, that he was imagining all the different ways a bludger could dismember Draco Malfoy and that those images sustained him through much of the following school year.
*************************
Both doors to the castle burst open without a hand to push them. Genevieve stormed out frustrated and angry with Sirius and Remus right behind.
"It's a good excuse for why you are here Genevieve." Remus entreated. She ignored them both and kept stalking the grounds.
"I'll take care of this." Sirius said to silence Remus. He ran forward to make sure Genevieve could hear him before yelling. "Let's let the Challenge decide." Genevieve stopped dead in her tracks but didn't turn to face him. "I, Sirius Black issue Challenge to Genevieve Carrington. She whirled around with one word.
"Terms?"
"If I win you accept Dumbledore's offer to teach 12 students and the teachers. If you win, I'll never bring it up again."
"Nine students. And if I win you'll be Snape's apprentice for a month."
"What!" Sirius' mouth dried making his voice raspy.
"That way you are facing as much displeasure as I. It's only fair."
"Agreed."
Sirius drew the sword he had strapped in a leather sheath on his back and Genevieve pulled one from her bag. Instantly they were embroiled in fierce combat. Perry, thrust, shuffle. The deadly dance followed the rhythm of their clanging swords and rapid heartbeats. Genevieve added a verbal distraction layer to their conflict.
"What makes you think the ministry will even let me teach."
"They will once Dumbledore tells them to."
"Maybe not. Imagine what they would say if a centaur like Firenze were to say, 'I have a hankering to teach astrology how 'bout it'. He'd be laughed out of the building." Genevieve caught Sirius off balance as he laughed and nearly tripped him.
"I can't imagine Firenze using the word 'hankering'."
"You know what I mean!" She threw a forceful blow toward his neck which he blocked in the nick of time. "Why is it so important to you that I do this?"
"There is so much only you know that others could use to defend themselves." Sirius' reply was punctuated by his shortness of breath.
"Or use to create another Voldemort. I don't want that on my conscience, along with everything else."
"If your head were any bigger it wouldn't fit in the Entrance Hall."
"What!" It was Genevieve's turn to be distracted and Sirius took the opportunity to graze her arm with his sword.
"You heard me. In your mind everything is your fault. If only you'd been there or done one thing different. Did it ever occur to you that you might not have been able to save them, even if every one of your 'if onlys' came true? Spend less time blaming yourself for the past and focusing on the future and you might have a chance at making a real difference."
While he was yelling he locked his sword with hers and moved in so they were hip to hip. In one fluid motion shifting his weight he pushed her over his leg and let her slide off to the ground. Genevieve glared at him.
"Challenge met" he said, trying not to gloat.
"Don't think you can settle every argument with the Challenge." Genevieve dropped the anger in her voice which had been masking her fear. "Will you help me?"
"Of course, honey." Sirius pulled her close into a loving embrace.
*****************************
"Better hurry boys. The carriages are coming. You don't want to be late for the banquet!" Genevieve yelled up the boy's staircase from the Gryffindor common room. When Harry and Ron came down they found her discussing Shakespeare with Sir Nicholas and the Grey Lady. "Of course Romeo and Juliet should be reclassified as a comedy. If two kids under fourteen thinking they'd found true love isn't funny enough, it has plenty of crazy and contrived mishaps to warrant it."
"Are you coming, Genevieve?" Harry asked as he got to the portrait hole.
"Not unless I absolutely have to."
When Harry and Ron got to the great hall most of the students, with the obvious exception of the first years, were seated at their tables. A scream sounded from the Gryffindor table as a brown haired girl with tears in her eyes leaped from her seat and ran toward them.
"Harry! Ron! You're alive." She buried her head in Harry's chest wiping her tears on his robes.
"Of course we are Hermione, why wouldn't we be?"
It was difficult to hear what she said afterward because her voice reached pitches only audible to dogs, but from what Harry could make out it sounded suspiciously like,
"You were not on the t-t-traaaain and M-mmalf-foy said you were d-dead." She let go of Harry and attached herself to Ron's chest.
"We were fine. Just got here a bit early that's all but Dumbledore didn't want anyone to know where we were. Shh, it's ok." Ron said soothingly, leading her back to the table.
Harry found hundreds of eyes staring at them like they'd just seen someone rise from the dead, which he supposed was Malfoy's fault. Draco sitting with the Slytherins appeared amused with the spectacle Hermione was making and disappointed that the rumor he started had been proven false.
The first year students were marched into the room and the sorting hat placed on a three legged stool in front of them began singing.
If you want to know where you belong Listen carefully to my prophetic song For I see things inside your head Your talents, your hopes, dreams you have in bed Whether brave Gryffindor Or clever Ravenclaw so feisty, Good Hufflepuff or Slytherin's willing prodigy I will know and put you in the places Best befitting your disposition and graces.
The sorting was over before Harry realized Morgain wasn't at the table.
As Dumbledore stood to address the student body Harry realized how much older he looked. His brow was deeply creased and his skin was blotchier that he remembered.
"Another year commencing means a chance for new beginnings, new friendships and clean slates. I hope each of you will take the time to open your minds enough to learn not just what your professors have prepared in their lessons, but also what the people around you have to teach about life."
It wasn't like Dumbledore to wax poetic while addressing the entire student body. Dumbledore himself seemed to realize this and changed his tone immediately. In addition to the normal rules he had a special announcement.
"We are most fortunate to have among us an expert in magic history and wandless magic, Mrs. Genevieve Carrington. In addition to giving advanced lessons to your professors she has graciously agreed to teach one class of nine lucky students. This will count as a History of Magic credit. Any fourth year or above interested will have a chance to try on the sorting hat here tomorrow evening and it will select the students who have the necessary skill to handle this type of sophisticated magic."
Bristles of excitement swept through everyone as they walked to the dormitories.
"Anything to get out of Binns' boring class" was the sentiment held by all. As soon as they got to the common room Harry and Ron pulled Hermione aside and filled her in on everything that had happened over the summer.
*************************
The first class in the morning for Gryffindor sixth years was transfiguration with the Ravenclaws.
"We have a very fascinating subject that we will be working on for the remainder of the year. Apparating is a very difficult and dangerous art to learn, that not all of you will be able to achieve." The class had been looking forward to this for a long time and was caught in attention as she gave the overview. They didn't even groan in protest when she assigned homework.
Most of the student's excitement was turned toward that evening so when the dinner plates were cleared the Great Hall was still half full. McGonagall entered followed by Dumbledore carrying the sorting hat from the study behind the teachers table. Hopefuls filed past them one by one, each trying on the hat, which stayed eerily silent. No one knew what to expect and as the last of the students took their turn the hall remained deathly still with anticipation.
Dumbledore removed a quill and parchment from his cloak and then exchanged his own hat for the sorting hat. He scribbled on the parchment as all waited with bated breath.
"The sorting hat has indeed chosen an interesting combination of students." Dumbledore began. "When I call your names please step forward." He looked at his paper closely.
"Harry Potter."
Harry pushed through the group and over heard a Slytherin fifth year sneer, "No surprise there."
"Neville Longbottom."
The room was blanketing with whispers, "but he's the klutz", "him.but."
"Hermione Granger."
Hermione looked very pleased with herself indeed and somewhat vindicated after being left out of Dumbledore's special class last year.
"Ginny Weasley."
She blushed to the same color as her freckles when she stood by Harry up front.
"Roger Raven."
A dark haired Ravenclaw seventh year stepped forward.
"Crystal Cerr."
She was a shy Hufflepuff sixth year who had great difficulty getting to the front of the room through the crowd.
"Ronald Weasley."
Harry nearly yelped with excitement when his friends name was called, and they exchanged joyous high fives once Ron got to the front.
"Draco Malfoy."
A path between Draco at the back of the room and the teachers table materialized and he strutted down it without the slightest look of surprise. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances that Draco would ruin everything or worse spy for his father.
Dumbledore consulted his list then put the sorting hat on again, conversing with it to ensure he had the last name correct.
"Morgain." Harry was startled but eagerly searched every face in the room for hers. No one stepped forward.
"She wasn't on the train either." Hermione whispered to Harry.
"Thank you one and all, and good night." Dumbledore dismissed the rest and turn to those left at the front of the room. "You are all very fortunate to be included in this group. I will be writing to your parents and guardians to let them know what you'll be doing and get their permission. Your first class will be held Monday at 3:00 in the History of Magic classroom. And for those of you who think you are in for an easy course- think again and hang on." His blue eyes twinkled behind his half moon glasses before he left the room in a whirl of cloak.
"Someone should have told me this would be a mudblood and Gryffindor class." Draco drawled, his voice dripping with disgust. "Then I wouldn't have bothered. Only Potter and the Weasels have any sort of pureblood, and you are all muggle lovers." Harry was fed up with Draco's complaining and hoped by pushing the issue Draco would quit altogether.
"Why should you care Malfoy? Your family has pledged their allegiance to a half-blood hypocrite." Draco looked visibly shaken for a moment before he replaced it with his usual sneer. He stood toe to toe with Harry and whispered venomously.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Just what I said." Harry made no such attempts to keep his voice down. "Voldemort's father was a muggle, a wizard hating muggle to be precise. He grew up in a muggle orphanage, not even knowing he was a wizard until he got his letter." Harry enjoyed knowing something that was obviously news to Draco.
"You are lying." Malfoy retorted.
"Voldemort told me himself, twice actually." Harry added the last bit just to be smug, but the effect of it shattered the wall around Draco's eyes. He looked worried and betrayed and a few other emotions that Harry couldn't read. "I guess that makes you a muggle-lover." Draco couldn't handle it anymore, he spun on his heal and stormed out the door.
"I bet he is leaving to write his daddy a letter." Ron smirked, then imitated a child's voice. "Is Uncle You-Know-Who really half-muggle."
Roger and Crystal laughed but Harry was staring into the space where Draco had just been. He was trying to place the emotions he'd seen in those grey eyes, the ones even deeper than betrayal. They hid pain or unguarded innocence. How Draco reminded Harry of himself at the Dursley's locked in the cupboard under the stairs he wasn't sure, but it was there. Even as Ron was patting him on the back for putting Malfoy in his place Harry felt guilty because he never wanted anyone to feel that bad.
JR
Chapter Six
When they got to Hogwarts it was just after dark so Veronica walked beside the rest straight to the library to join the search. Candles burned low on each table as teachers searched through numerous books. Madame Pince and Professor McGonagall were in the restricted section. Snape and Sprout dug through the potions and herbs sector. Mrs. Weasley joined Professor Flitwick in a search through charms. Even the house elves Dobby and Carsy were reading, their large eyes reflected so much light they were almost light sources of their own.
Other house elves put books away and brought food to the exhausted researchers. Genevieve and Veronica went to the restricted sections while Rebecca and Remus started making a list of all the anti-apparation protected places in Europe as a list of potential targets. Harry picked up some random books, unsure what he was looking for but wanting to help.
"Well, well well, Mr. Potter. Nice of you to come help clean up your own mess," a menacing voice floated from the other side of the book shelf.
"What is that supposed to mean Professor Snape?" Harry tried to conceal the contempt in his voice. Veronica passing by answered the question.
"I think, Harry, that who ever this is," she pointed through the books to the dark form, "was referring to carelessness with a dangerously powerful talisman." Her words cut deeply, and Snape poured lemon juice into the wound with his laughter.
"Nice to meet someone willing to speak their mind when it comes to young Mr. Potter. We have not been properly introduced." Snape maneuvered around the books toward her and into Harry's line of sight. Unbelievably a smile, a real smile without malice, that reached his eyes, radiated on his face. "My name is Severus Snape. I'm the potions master here."
"I came here with Genevieve, my name is Veronica Veritas."
"As in the truth serum." Snape confirmed.
"Precisely. My great aunt developed it."
"Fascinating." And by the looks of it Snape was really fascinated. Soon Veronica abandoned her book from the restricted section to help Snape in the potion stacks.
"Ron, you'll never guess what just happened," Harry said as Ron emerged from the topography row holding three large volumes of Geographical Transportation by Mervyn Mapquest.
"I heard it all. Boy that was creepy." Ron shuddered, putting down his load. Harry looked from Ron's books to the restricted one Veronica had left on the table, 'Alternate Untraceable Transportation Techniques'. The picture on the page it was open to depicted the process of apparating along a beam of light gone awry. The light accidentally refracted in a prism and split the man attempting it into seven separate slices.
************************
Harry and Ron spent the next four days in the library working beside the teachers until they thought their brains would burst.
"You two look worn out," Sirius observed, though he was also exhausted, "Go take a break. It's a great day and you've got the quidditch pitch to yourselves."
"Really?" Excitement flooded Harry's face.
"You're no good to use here, bored out of your head staring at the same page for half an hour. Get." Sirius said only half kidding, Harry realized that it was probably true.
They raced to Gryffindor tower, Harry for his firebolt, and Ron for his Nimbus 2000. As there were so few people in the school they decided to ride the brooms down. It was a mistake from the beginning made worse when they encountered Snape and Veronica in her glistening light proof cloak coming up from the dungeons together.
"Mr. Weasely, Mr. Potter!" Snape yelled just as they'd reached the front door.
"Oh please Severus, let me." Veronica stepped forward and picked up each boy by the collar. "Not only was that dangerous and irresponsible but entirely stupid. Flying in-doors on a broomstick, even I thought you had better sense than that. Genevieve and the others may think you are the best things since chocolate covered strawberries, but personally I can't stand you. So don't let me catch you doing anything else like this or you'll regret it far more that losing a few stupid house points." She dropped them and glided back to Snape who beamed at her, then escorted her to the library.
"Great, now Snape can berate us by proxy." Harry fumed.
"You don't think that blood sucking beast would bite us do you?" Ron looked slightly nervous.
"No. Sirius said she doesn't drink human blood." Harry reassured himself as much as Ron by saying this out loud.
"Then don't worry about it. Hey, I bet I can find the snitch first." Ron taunted his friend on to happier thoughts.
"No way." Harry mounted his firebolt and easily beat Ron to the pitch.
Days, then weeks and finally months slipped by this way. The absence of news about Voldemort's intensions geometrically increased every ones stress levels. Between studying for their up coming classes and searching for a way to stop Voldemort Harry and Ron spent a lot of time in the library. But every available moment after that they were playing quidditch.
Harry was practicing a particularly difficult maneuver he'd read in one of his father's old Quidditch magazines. It involved an incredible burst of speed, suddenly forcing the broom to stall then flying in reverse, but Harry couldn't seem to manage it. Whenever the broom would stall it would fall out of the air, the only thing that kept Harry from death was Ron's ever increasing talent performing levitating charms.
"Aaarrg." Harry yelled in frustration floating to the earth yet again.
"What are you worried about Harry." Ron asked rhetorically. "You're already on the team. I on the other hand have to try out in two weeks and I still haven't decided to go for keeper or beater."
"Beater, definitely. That way you can hit bludgers toward Malfoy and not get in trouble for it."
"I like the sound of that!" Ron said with menacing excitement. He released one of the bludgers and took after it around the pitch, hitting it as hard as he could. Ron would admit later in private, that he was imagining all the different ways a bludger could dismember Draco Malfoy and that those images sustained him through much of the following school year.
*************************
Both doors to the castle burst open without a hand to push them. Genevieve stormed out frustrated and angry with Sirius and Remus right behind.
"It's a good excuse for why you are here Genevieve." Remus entreated. She ignored them both and kept stalking the grounds.
"I'll take care of this." Sirius said to silence Remus. He ran forward to make sure Genevieve could hear him before yelling. "Let's let the Challenge decide." Genevieve stopped dead in her tracks but didn't turn to face him. "I, Sirius Black issue Challenge to Genevieve Carrington. She whirled around with one word.
"Terms?"
"If I win you accept Dumbledore's offer to teach 12 students and the teachers. If you win, I'll never bring it up again."
"Nine students. And if I win you'll be Snape's apprentice for a month."
"What!" Sirius' mouth dried making his voice raspy.
"That way you are facing as much displeasure as I. It's only fair."
"Agreed."
Sirius drew the sword he had strapped in a leather sheath on his back and Genevieve pulled one from her bag. Instantly they were embroiled in fierce combat. Perry, thrust, shuffle. The deadly dance followed the rhythm of their clanging swords and rapid heartbeats. Genevieve added a verbal distraction layer to their conflict.
"What makes you think the ministry will even let me teach."
"They will once Dumbledore tells them to."
"Maybe not. Imagine what they would say if a centaur like Firenze were to say, 'I have a hankering to teach astrology how 'bout it'. He'd be laughed out of the building." Genevieve caught Sirius off balance as he laughed and nearly tripped him.
"I can't imagine Firenze using the word 'hankering'."
"You know what I mean!" She threw a forceful blow toward his neck which he blocked in the nick of time. "Why is it so important to you that I do this?"
"There is so much only you know that others could use to defend themselves." Sirius' reply was punctuated by his shortness of breath.
"Or use to create another Voldemort. I don't want that on my conscience, along with everything else."
"If your head were any bigger it wouldn't fit in the Entrance Hall."
"What!" It was Genevieve's turn to be distracted and Sirius took the opportunity to graze her arm with his sword.
"You heard me. In your mind everything is your fault. If only you'd been there or done one thing different. Did it ever occur to you that you might not have been able to save them, even if every one of your 'if onlys' came true? Spend less time blaming yourself for the past and focusing on the future and you might have a chance at making a real difference."
While he was yelling he locked his sword with hers and moved in so they were hip to hip. In one fluid motion shifting his weight he pushed her over his leg and let her slide off to the ground. Genevieve glared at him.
"Challenge met" he said, trying not to gloat.
"Don't think you can settle every argument with the Challenge." Genevieve dropped the anger in her voice which had been masking her fear. "Will you help me?"
"Of course, honey." Sirius pulled her close into a loving embrace.
*****************************
"Better hurry boys. The carriages are coming. You don't want to be late for the banquet!" Genevieve yelled up the boy's staircase from the Gryffindor common room. When Harry and Ron came down they found her discussing Shakespeare with Sir Nicholas and the Grey Lady. "Of course Romeo and Juliet should be reclassified as a comedy. If two kids under fourteen thinking they'd found true love isn't funny enough, it has plenty of crazy and contrived mishaps to warrant it."
"Are you coming, Genevieve?" Harry asked as he got to the portrait hole.
"Not unless I absolutely have to."
When Harry and Ron got to the great hall most of the students, with the obvious exception of the first years, were seated at their tables. A scream sounded from the Gryffindor table as a brown haired girl with tears in her eyes leaped from her seat and ran toward them.
"Harry! Ron! You're alive." She buried her head in Harry's chest wiping her tears on his robes.
"Of course we are Hermione, why wouldn't we be?"
It was difficult to hear what she said afterward because her voice reached pitches only audible to dogs, but from what Harry could make out it sounded suspiciously like,
"You were not on the t-t-traaaain and M-mmalf-foy said you were d-dead." She let go of Harry and attached herself to Ron's chest.
"We were fine. Just got here a bit early that's all but Dumbledore didn't want anyone to know where we were. Shh, it's ok." Ron said soothingly, leading her back to the table.
Harry found hundreds of eyes staring at them like they'd just seen someone rise from the dead, which he supposed was Malfoy's fault. Draco sitting with the Slytherins appeared amused with the spectacle Hermione was making and disappointed that the rumor he started had been proven false.
The first year students were marched into the room and the sorting hat placed on a three legged stool in front of them began singing.
If you want to know where you belong Listen carefully to my prophetic song For I see things inside your head Your talents, your hopes, dreams you have in bed Whether brave Gryffindor Or clever Ravenclaw so feisty, Good Hufflepuff or Slytherin's willing prodigy I will know and put you in the places Best befitting your disposition and graces.
The sorting was over before Harry realized Morgain wasn't at the table.
As Dumbledore stood to address the student body Harry realized how much older he looked. His brow was deeply creased and his skin was blotchier that he remembered.
"Another year commencing means a chance for new beginnings, new friendships and clean slates. I hope each of you will take the time to open your minds enough to learn not just what your professors have prepared in their lessons, but also what the people around you have to teach about life."
It wasn't like Dumbledore to wax poetic while addressing the entire student body. Dumbledore himself seemed to realize this and changed his tone immediately. In addition to the normal rules he had a special announcement.
"We are most fortunate to have among us an expert in magic history and wandless magic, Mrs. Genevieve Carrington. In addition to giving advanced lessons to your professors she has graciously agreed to teach one class of nine lucky students. This will count as a History of Magic credit. Any fourth year or above interested will have a chance to try on the sorting hat here tomorrow evening and it will select the students who have the necessary skill to handle this type of sophisticated magic."
Bristles of excitement swept through everyone as they walked to the dormitories.
"Anything to get out of Binns' boring class" was the sentiment held by all. As soon as they got to the common room Harry and Ron pulled Hermione aside and filled her in on everything that had happened over the summer.
*************************
The first class in the morning for Gryffindor sixth years was transfiguration with the Ravenclaws.
"We have a very fascinating subject that we will be working on for the remainder of the year. Apparating is a very difficult and dangerous art to learn, that not all of you will be able to achieve." The class had been looking forward to this for a long time and was caught in attention as she gave the overview. They didn't even groan in protest when she assigned homework.
Most of the student's excitement was turned toward that evening so when the dinner plates were cleared the Great Hall was still half full. McGonagall entered followed by Dumbledore carrying the sorting hat from the study behind the teachers table. Hopefuls filed past them one by one, each trying on the hat, which stayed eerily silent. No one knew what to expect and as the last of the students took their turn the hall remained deathly still with anticipation.
Dumbledore removed a quill and parchment from his cloak and then exchanged his own hat for the sorting hat. He scribbled on the parchment as all waited with bated breath.
"The sorting hat has indeed chosen an interesting combination of students." Dumbledore began. "When I call your names please step forward." He looked at his paper closely.
"Harry Potter."
Harry pushed through the group and over heard a Slytherin fifth year sneer, "No surprise there."
"Neville Longbottom."
The room was blanketing with whispers, "but he's the klutz", "him.but."
"Hermione Granger."
Hermione looked very pleased with herself indeed and somewhat vindicated after being left out of Dumbledore's special class last year.
"Ginny Weasley."
She blushed to the same color as her freckles when she stood by Harry up front.
"Roger Raven."
A dark haired Ravenclaw seventh year stepped forward.
"Crystal Cerr."
She was a shy Hufflepuff sixth year who had great difficulty getting to the front of the room through the crowd.
"Ronald Weasley."
Harry nearly yelped with excitement when his friends name was called, and they exchanged joyous high fives once Ron got to the front.
"Draco Malfoy."
A path between Draco at the back of the room and the teachers table materialized and he strutted down it without the slightest look of surprise. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances that Draco would ruin everything or worse spy for his father.
Dumbledore consulted his list then put the sorting hat on again, conversing with it to ensure he had the last name correct.
"Morgain." Harry was startled but eagerly searched every face in the room for hers. No one stepped forward.
"She wasn't on the train either." Hermione whispered to Harry.
"Thank you one and all, and good night." Dumbledore dismissed the rest and turn to those left at the front of the room. "You are all very fortunate to be included in this group. I will be writing to your parents and guardians to let them know what you'll be doing and get their permission. Your first class will be held Monday at 3:00 in the History of Magic classroom. And for those of you who think you are in for an easy course- think again and hang on." His blue eyes twinkled behind his half moon glasses before he left the room in a whirl of cloak.
"Someone should have told me this would be a mudblood and Gryffindor class." Draco drawled, his voice dripping with disgust. "Then I wouldn't have bothered. Only Potter and the Weasels have any sort of pureblood, and you are all muggle lovers." Harry was fed up with Draco's complaining and hoped by pushing the issue Draco would quit altogether.
"Why should you care Malfoy? Your family has pledged their allegiance to a half-blood hypocrite." Draco looked visibly shaken for a moment before he replaced it with his usual sneer. He stood toe to toe with Harry and whispered venomously.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Just what I said." Harry made no such attempts to keep his voice down. "Voldemort's father was a muggle, a wizard hating muggle to be precise. He grew up in a muggle orphanage, not even knowing he was a wizard until he got his letter." Harry enjoyed knowing something that was obviously news to Draco.
"You are lying." Malfoy retorted.
"Voldemort told me himself, twice actually." Harry added the last bit just to be smug, but the effect of it shattered the wall around Draco's eyes. He looked worried and betrayed and a few other emotions that Harry couldn't read. "I guess that makes you a muggle-lover." Draco couldn't handle it anymore, he spun on his heal and stormed out the door.
"I bet he is leaving to write his daddy a letter." Ron smirked, then imitated a child's voice. "Is Uncle You-Know-Who really half-muggle."
Roger and Crystal laughed but Harry was staring into the space where Draco had just been. He was trying to place the emotions he'd seen in those grey eyes, the ones even deeper than betrayal. They hid pain or unguarded innocence. How Draco reminded Harry of himself at the Dursley's locked in the cupboard under the stairs he wasn't sure, but it was there. Even as Ron was patting him on the back for putting Malfoy in his place Harry felt guilty because he never wanted anyone to feel that bad.