Author: Louise Mills

Email: dumblou@hotmail.com

Beta Reader: Andrea Taylor

Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts in his firth year and finds out more about his parents death, from someone he didn't realise was connected to him. Along the way Harry has fun and falls in love.

Rating: PG

Chapter Two – Welcome New Students and Old Alike

The students all piled into the Great Hall and sat down at their respective tables. They were waiting for the first years to arrive. They heard the large heavy doors of the great hall open, the whole of the student body turned around and watched the nervous first years walk into the hall.

Hermione looked towards the back of the group to see if she could see Guinevere or the other two students Guinevere had talked about. She couldn't see them anywhere, only the group of first year students.

"I wonder were Guinevere is?" Harry said, speaking aloud what the three of them were thinking.

"Maybe Dumbledore will tell us?" They all nodded in agreement with Hermione's question.

Professor McGonagall went to the side and picked up a stool and sorting hat, she placed them down in front of the top table. And the hat started to sing:

{Thanks JKR for the use of parts of her sorting song from HP1}

'Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat then me.

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart.

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal.

You might belong to Ravenclaw,

Where those of wit and learning.

You might belong in Slytherin,

Those cunning folks use any,

Means to get want they want.

So put me on!

Because I am the Thinking Cap!

Once the sorting hat had finished singing Professor McGonagall started to call out names, one by one the firsts year stepped up to the hat more nervous then they were before, they walked down the great hall along the house tables.

Meanwhile just outside the great hall,

Guinevere and her two friends Rebecca, who had dark hair and blue eyes, and  Rachel, who had mousy brown hair and hazel eyes, were whispering quietly to each other.

"Your telling me, you have already seen him? Which one is he?" Rebecca asked as she opened the door to the great hall by three inches and looked into the hall. Guinevere approached Rebecca and also looked though the door. "You remember what my father looked like don't you?" Rebecca nodded her head to Guinevere. Rebecca would never forget Guinevere's parents she wished every day until they died, that they had been her parents as well. Guinevere had known Rebecca since their parents took them to their first day at play school. 

"Well he looks a lot like my father just a lot younger." "Right!" Rebecca looked within the hall again and searched all the tables, she couldn't pin point, who Guinevere was talking about, because all the students in the hall had their heads turned away from them, who were watching the sorting of the first years.

Rebecca turned back towards Guinevere and Rachel, who she noticed were very silent and sitting down on the steps leading to the Gryffindor tower. Rebecca approached them and sat down, she had never been so nervous waiting, until called for, it was worst then when she was a first year. "Do you know what house his in?" "Do you really have to ask?" Guinevere said while looking towards Rebecca, it was oblivious she did. "Gryffindor." Guinevere informed her friends. "Really, great so I be able to see him then." Guinevere and Rachel both smiled and rolled their eyes at each other towards Rebecca excitement.

The three girls were still sitting in silence waiting to go into the hall then they heard footsteps climbing the stairs, their faces turned to ones of horror. "You don't think it could be Filch do you?" Rachel said rather loudly, Guinevere and Rebecca both hit her on the back of her head. "Well if it was he knows we're there now." Rebecca said softly under her breath. They heard the person coming up the stairs chuckle and they all decided in their heads it wasn't Filch, as Filch's laughs and chuckle's were colder, but this chuckle was warm and full of humour.

The person came into view and the three girls shrieked happily. "Oliver!" The three girls darted towards Oliver Wood, who had finished at Hogwarts the year before last, and greeted their old friend. Oliver first went over to Rachel and gave her a friendly hug her, and told her how much he had missed her bossy attitude. Next he went to Rebecca who he also hugged and commented her about how much she had changed, making out that she had changed for the worst, when he received a clip round the ear from Rebecca.

Oliver made his way over to Guinevere and they stood in silence in front of each other for a few minutes, glazing into each other's eyes. To the others it seemed like they were communicating on a higher level, that they didn't need words. "Hello Azabeth!" Oliver greeted Guinevere. "Oliver!" Guinevere replied, finally embraced each other, not wanting to let go. After long minutes just holding on to each other for dear life, Guinevere whisper into Oliver's ear. "Oliver you know you can't call me Azabeth any more, I'm Guinevere now!" They separated from each other and looked into each others eyes again.

"I know, but I told myself the first time I saw you again, you weren't the new Guinevere, but my Azabeth and in that moment we were like we use to be. I can tell you one thing thou, I don't like what they have done to your hair." Oliver said as he slowly combed his figures though her hair, he missed her long black locks. "I know I wasn't to happy about that either, I think the only thing I like is that they corrected my eye sight and I no longer need to wear glasses. At least they give me a half descend new name." Oliver chuckled and embraced her again. "God I've missed you, I'm grad they didn't change your personality."

The doors to the great hall opened and Professor McGonagall stepped out and closed the door behind her, and was greeted by the scene of Oliver and Guinevere embracing and she smiled. "When I see you two like that, I have to remind myself you have been apart for five years. Because I think the last time I saw you to together, was in a scene just like this." Upon hearing Professor McGonagall's presence, Oliver and Guinevere parted and smiled embarrassedly towards the professor.

"Professor Dumbledore is just introducing you now, I will just be on the other side of the door and when it's time for you to enter I will come back out." "Okay Professor" All four of them said. "Why did you say okay, Oliver, haven't you finished at Hogwarts?" Rachel question Wood. "Yes but I'm back to help out some of the teachers, this will help me get some experience, because I've decided I would like it be a teacher one day."

"Oh" All three girls said together looking at Oliver.

Back in the great Hall, 

The sorting of the first years had just finished and all the students were waiting eagerly for the plates in front of them to pile with food, so that the banquet could begin. They noticed Professor Dumbledore had started to rise up to greet the students back to Hogwarts.

"Before we start the banquet I would like to make some announcements, firstly again I would like to inform you that no students, except for a selected few will not be allowed to go within the Forbidden Forest." The minute professor Dumbledore said, the forest is forbidden except for a few students, everyone started gasping and saying 'who? And is he mad?'

Dumbledore quieten the hall once again by holding up his hands up in the air, "Secondly I would like you to help me in, welcoming four old students back to us, three who well be continuing their studies, after falling ill some time back making it impossible for them to complete their schooling with the rest of their year. And one who is coming back as a teacher's assistant. Firstly I would like you to put your hands together for our new Teacher's Assistant, Oliver Wood."

Everyone turned towards the doors and watched as Professor McGonagall opened the door and spoke to someone on the other side, and Oliver Wood joined them seconds later. Professor McGonagall and Oliver walked down between two tables, heads up high, as students applauded Oliver. Once they got to the top table Oliver took a seat next to Professor McGonagall.

"First years or any other students, if you are having any trouble in your classes or having personal problems at all, Mr Wood is here to help. As we know sometimes you find it hard to talk to some of the professors. Finally the three students who are coming back to Hogwarts will be entering into the firth year, even thou they are old enough not to be at Hogwarts. Please I can't stress this enough, please don't ask them anything about how they got ill, as some of their friends who also fell ill did not make a recovery, and it's hard for them to look back. And note they will all be going into the house they were in before, which will be Gryffindor. So let me now introduce you to three lovely young lady's by the names of Rebecca Kensington, Rachel Mockham, and Guinevere Williams." Dumbledore raised his hands towards the door that opened and the three mention girls walked towards the top table.

Dumbledore smiled warmly at the three girls, "Would you like to join your tables please!" The three girls nodded their head. Guinevere turned round from Dumbledore and glanced at the Gryffindor table, and noticed Hermione beckoning them over, to join them at their part of the table. Guinevere quickly grabbed Rebecca and Rachel arms, as they were about to sit down at the table nearest to the teacher's.

Rebecca and Rachel looked up to Guinevere confused as to why she would stop them from sitting down to fill their stomachs. They stood up and displayed their confusion. "Guin what's your problem?" Rachel voiced, and Guinevere rolled her eyes she knew they were hungry so was she, but they hadn't let her explain, before biting her head off.

"Oh well Rachel I was about to ask you if you both wanted to join me and my new friends, further down the table. You know Rebecca, the one's I met on the train!" Guinevere stressed the last part of the sentence knowing that they both would like to sit next to the Harry Potter. Rebecca and Rachel's face's immediately lit up, following Guinevere towards her new friends.

They sat down next to Hermione, Harry and Ron was sitting opposite them, Guinevere turned towards Hermione. "Thanks for letting us sit here, let me introduce you probably to my friends. Rachel, Rebecca, this is Hermione, Harry and Ron." Guinevere said as she pointed out who was who, when she said their names. Rebecca, Rachel, Hermione, Harry and Ron then all said at the same time, "Nice to met you!" which made the people round them laugh.

An hour later all the food was gone, and everyone seemed to be getting sleepy. They watched as Dumbledore stood up waved his hands and the scrapes of food that were left vanished.

"Well I would like to say good night and welcome new students and welcome back old ones. Prefects please guide your houses back to your dormitories." Dumbledore said dismissing the students.

Oliver quickly descended down from the top table towards his friends, which one by one greeted him. "Oliver why didn't you tell us you had a job here?" Fred spoke, offended because he classed Oliver as one of his best friends. "Because I wanted it to be a surprise. Guinevere can I speak to you quickly." Oliver didn't wait for anyone else to speak before speaking again.

 "How about this, I'll come up to the common room in about 15 minutes? But right now I have something important to talk about to Guinevere." They all nodded their heads and left the Great Hall except for Rebecca and Rachel.

"Guys I like to speak to her alone!" "No we're not leaving her!" "Please I'll make sure she gets back okay!" Rebecca nodded and started to walk away, but turned round just before they went though the doors. "Make sure she does. Oh and Oliver we will find out what you two talked about, because Azabeth doesn't know how to keep a secret." Guinevere turned shapely round to Rebecca and hissed, "Looks like you don't as well, remember Guinevere not Azabeth!" Rebecca raised her hand and smacked it across her forehead, and humble "I always do that."

End of Chapter… Please review chapter three coming soon.