Chapter 3: Return at school
King's Cross station was as crowded as usual. But today, an attentive person could have told that there were some particular people in the station: men and women wearing strange clothes, children carrying owls and toads. All of them walked toward platforms 9 and 10. And there, they disappeared. But what even an attentive person couldn't have known was that these people were witches and wizards, leading their children to the platform nine three quarter and the Hogwarts Express.
As Harry, Diane and Melody entered the station, they sighed in relief. They had woken late this morning and they had been afraid of missing the train. But they were finally on time and the train wouldn't go before half an hour. Harry caught sight of his friends, near the end of the train.
"How were the holidays, Ron?" Harry asked to his best friend.
"It was cool. And I have some news of Norbert."
"How is he?"
"Very well. And very big. I'm sure Hagrid will be very proud when I show him the photos."
"Who is Norbert?" Diane asked.
"It's a dragon. Hagrid won an egg, about 4 years ago, and he bred it for some weeks. Then, we had to send him away."
"Knowing Hagrid, I'm not really surprised." Melody said.
Ron looked at the two women with a mix of lack of understanding and mistrust in his eyes.
"Ron, let me introduce you." said Harry. "There are Diane McKinnon and Melody Lay. They were in Hogwarts some years ago. Diane was in Hufflepuff and Melody in Ravenclaw."
"And they are the most spectacular Chasers I've ever seen."
All of them turned round to see a tall and handsome man behind them. He has icy blue eyes and long silvery hair. He and Diane smiled at each other. But Melody ran into his arms and they kissed as if there would be no tomorrow.
"Since when are you in town?"
"I arrived yesterday, but I wanted to surprise you."
"You did! Children, this is Mordred Owen. Let me introduce you to Harry, Ron and Hermione."
"Nice to meet you. Better take our places now or we won't have any."
All of them walked straight to the last wagon. As they went into the last compartment, the train whistled to tell its travellers that the departure was imminent. Quickly, they put their trunks in a corner of the compartment and sat down.
As the train began moving, someone knocked on their door before it flew open.
"I was sure we would find you here."
In the corridor were standing three boys and two girls. Diane, Melody and Mordred jumped on their feet and, one second later, all of them were hugging one another. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Then Melody turned round to them.
"I think I'd better introduce you. There are Odin Prewett, Caroline Parker, Thomas Roberts, Elizabeth Collins and Lars McGonagall."
~~~~~
The train was speeding toward Hogwarts and noon found the travellers of the last compartment chatting happily about their lives.
"So, you'll help us with our homework?"
"If we can! Dumbledore thinks it's a good idea" Lars said. "And it's ages since I saw my aunt."
"Was it difficult to be in Gryffindor with her?" asked Ron.
"I guess that she didn't change!" Lars answered with a smile. "It wasn't really difficult, except when I made something wrong."
"Which means all the time with us." smiled Mordred.
"Even Professor Trelawney called us "Pandemonium". I think we really were violent poisons." Diane said.
"And who said we've changed?" Thomas Roberts asked.
The eight burst into laughter. At this moment, the woman with the trolley knocked at the door.
"Anything?"
Everybody stood up and bought something to eat. Some five minutes later, talks began again.
"So you're from the four Houses. But how can it be? I mean, I'm pretty sure that even when you were at school, there was a competition between the Houses. How did you become friends?"
"It's a long story, Hermione." Caroline said. "And in our third year, the competition between the Houses became far more than the traditional House Cup. Our fellow third-year students decided to create a new tournament, unknown of the teachers of course. Each of the four Houses had to choose a witch and a wizard to be their champions. The eight champions had to do four tasks, one for each House. The first task was Slytherin's. The champions had to break into Snape's office to take some forbidden stuff, and before the end of the first week. They all succeed so the Tournament continued. Ravenclaw's task was to learn by heart all our schoolbooks before Halloween. Dumbledore knew that the third-year students were up to something. He convoked the eight champions in his office during November. So, the Hufflepuff task was to lie to Dumbledore or, at least, not to tell him about the little competition between the House. This task was also a success, even if Dumbledore probably knew that they had lied. Then came Gryffindor task: on a full moon night of December, the eight champions had to go in the Forbidden Forest and stay there for a whole night."
The compartment had fallen silent when Caroline had begun her story.
"You were the eight champions." Harry said. It was a statement, not a question.
None of the eight answered, their eyes and their grins talking for them.
"Did Dumbledore know?"
"Dumbledore always knows all that happen in his school." Odin shrugged.
"We didn't spend the whole night outside this year." Melody said. "And I think that we've been lucky to survive it."
"A werewolf found us this night. A very big werewolf. We didn't stand a chance against it. But suddenly, a unicorn stepped between the beast and us. And on this unicorn was a girl, of about our ages. She spoke to the werewolf and it turned back without trying to attack us. Then, she led us back to the castle, straight to Dumbledore's office. They talked together in a foreign language before she went out. To our surprise, Dumbledore told us that no point would be taken from our Houses if each of us promised to help each other for our homework. We did it and that's how we became friends."
"Who was the girl on the unicorn?" Hermione asked.
"We don't know. Dumbledore refused to tell us that." Diane said.
"What's sure is she didn't study in Hogwarts, even if I'm sure that she was a witch." Mordred said. "We never saw her again."
The others nodded. At the same moment, the train began to slow down. All of them gathered their things before went out of the compartment. The Hogwarts Express finally stopped in Hogsmeade station. On the platform was standing Hagrid, waiting for the first years. Harry ran to his friend.
"Hi Hagrid! How are you?"
"I'm fine. See yeh at the feast."
As the students were heading to the horseless carriages, the eight new assistants took eight Firebolts out of their bags. Everyone near them gasped in envy.
"Dumbledore told us to go straight to him when we arrived, so."
Odin's last word was still echoing in Harry, Ron and Hermione ears when the eight kicked off the ground and flew at top speed toward the school. The three Gryffindor jumped into a carriage with Neville Longbottom, another Gryffindor.
"How was the holiday, Neville?"
"It was cool. I spent them in the south of France with my grand mother, studying the different plant we can find over there. And yours?"
"This year, we stayed at home." Hermione said.
"I spent nearly my whole holiday in Romania with my brother Charly and his dragons."
"And I spent mine learning a lot of defence against the Dark Arts with two of our new assistants."
"So it's true!" Neville nearly shouted. "I heard about it in the train."
"Yeah, it's true. Eight assistants, two for each House." Ron explained.
"And Harry, you really were."
"Attacked by a group of Death Eaters? Yes that's true as well. That makes me think that Malfoy had spare us his usual greetings this year."
"I didn't see him in the train." Neville said. "Crabbe and Goyle either."
"They missed the train! That's fantastic!" shouted Ron.
"I don't think so. They are probably already in the castle, waiting for us" Hermione said, as the carriage stopped in front of the doors.
The four friends jumped out of their vehicle and went in the castle. As they entered the Great Hall, Harry spotted Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, at the Slytherin's table, with some others. Muttering, Ron sat down at Gryffindor's table, back turned to the Slytherins, with Harry and Hermione in front of him.
Soon, the Hall was nearly full. Harry looked at the teachers' table and suddenly that there was another table at which were sitting Malfoy's parents, as well as other people Harry recognized as some of the Death Eaters he had seen with Lord Voldemort some months before. Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen and there were more empty places than usual at the staff's table.
Harry pointed it out to his friends and they kept silent as the last students entering the Hall. They sighed in relief when Dumbledore entered by the door reserved to the teachers and sat down in his usual chair. He was followed by Professor Snape, Hagrid, Cornelius Fudge, a man that Harry didn't know and.
Harry jumped on his feet but Sirius Black's hand waved to tell him to stay where he was. Harry sat down but kept his eyes on his godfather.
"He would like to see you tomorrow morning, as it's Saturday and you won't have any lessons." Lars said as he sat down next to him.
Caroline Parker, the other Gryffindor's assistant, sat in front of him. Harry looked at the other tables: Diane was sitting at Hufflepuff's table with Thomas Roberts, Melody and Odin Prewett were at Ravenclaw's, while Mordred Owen and Elizabeth Collins were talking to the Slytherin sitting next to them. The Hall doors opened and Professor McGonagall came in, followed by the first-year students.
Harry couldn't follow the Sorting. Too many things was happening at the same time: he had been attacked during the holiday and saved by a witch who had taught him how to defend himself against the Death Eaters, who were now sitting only feet away from him. His godfather had been cleared of the old charges that hung over him and was now in Hogwarts, and in his true form not as a dog.
Dumbledore got on his feet and the Hall fell silent.
"Welcome to our new students and welcome back to the older students. Now, let the feast begin."
The dishes filled up magically with food and everyone cheered before pilling their plates. Oblivious of his worries, Harry began eating and chatting with the new Gryffindors.
After that everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of food disappeared and Dumbledore got up on his feet once more.
"Now that everybody is full, I have some usual things to say. First-years should notice that the forest is out-of-bounds to any students and that no magic is allowed in the corridor between the classes. Hogsmeade is also forbidden to all students bellow the third year. I would like to introduce you to Cornelius Fudge, our Minister of Magic. He will spend most of the terms here, with us. Next to him are Sirius Black and Mundungus Fletcher. Both of them will be your teachers of Defence Against the Dark Arts. I have also to tell you that there will be two new courses this year. The first will only begin next week and the other one the first week of November, as your future teachers have something to finish before coming here. And I will not spoil the surprise by telling you what they will teach to you." Dumbledore added as interrogative murmurs could be heard all across the Hall.
Harry noticed that all the teachers and guests seemed as surprised as the students.
"Now I think that you all already know that you will have homework assistants this year."
Almost all the students cheered up at these words. The eight stood up with big smiles on their faces and bowed to the students, who were capping happily. Then, the eight sat down back.
"They are ex-students from Hogwarts and they have accepted to come back this year to help those of their ex-Houses. If you need them during the day, you will find them most of the time in the library, in your common rooms, in my office or on the Quidditch pitch. Every day from 6 to 8 pm, each of them could take a group of ten students for particular help about a subject. Those who needs help will have to tell to one or another assistant or to a teacher, who'll tell them. Now, I suggest that all of you head to their dormitories and take a good night of sleep."
All the students jumped on their feet and began to go out of the Hall. Finally, Harry, Ron and Hermione, closely followed by Lars and Caroline, reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, which was hiding the entrance of Gryffindor's common room.
As they entered the room, they found out that most of the Gryffindor were waiting for the two Gryffindor assistants. Lars and Caroline were surrounded by the students and asked lots of questions about them and their lives, in and out Hogwarts.
Harry wanted a quick talk with Lars about what had said Sirius but he finally gave up and went upstairs, to his dormitory. He smiled when, reaching the door, he saw that it wore now a sign telling "five-years". Harry headed for his bed, put his pyjamas on and lay down on his bed, asleep before his head connected with his pillow.
~~~~~
Author's note:
Sorry for this long time between my last chapter and this time, but I was passing my exams.
Please read and review to tell me if there are mistakes in my story.
For those who are perhaps lost with the eight new assistants: Caroline Parker and Lars McGonagall are in Gryffindor. Diane McKinnon and Thomas Roberts are in Hufflepuff. Melody Lay and Odin Prewett are in Ravenclaw. Elizabeth Collins and Mordred Owen are in Slytherin.
King's Cross station was as crowded as usual. But today, an attentive person could have told that there were some particular people in the station: men and women wearing strange clothes, children carrying owls and toads. All of them walked toward platforms 9 and 10. And there, they disappeared. But what even an attentive person couldn't have known was that these people were witches and wizards, leading their children to the platform nine three quarter and the Hogwarts Express.
As Harry, Diane and Melody entered the station, they sighed in relief. They had woken late this morning and they had been afraid of missing the train. But they were finally on time and the train wouldn't go before half an hour. Harry caught sight of his friends, near the end of the train.
"How were the holidays, Ron?" Harry asked to his best friend.
"It was cool. And I have some news of Norbert."
"How is he?"
"Very well. And very big. I'm sure Hagrid will be very proud when I show him the photos."
"Who is Norbert?" Diane asked.
"It's a dragon. Hagrid won an egg, about 4 years ago, and he bred it for some weeks. Then, we had to send him away."
"Knowing Hagrid, I'm not really surprised." Melody said.
Ron looked at the two women with a mix of lack of understanding and mistrust in his eyes.
"Ron, let me introduce you." said Harry. "There are Diane McKinnon and Melody Lay. They were in Hogwarts some years ago. Diane was in Hufflepuff and Melody in Ravenclaw."
"And they are the most spectacular Chasers I've ever seen."
All of them turned round to see a tall and handsome man behind them. He has icy blue eyes and long silvery hair. He and Diane smiled at each other. But Melody ran into his arms and they kissed as if there would be no tomorrow.
"Since when are you in town?"
"I arrived yesterday, but I wanted to surprise you."
"You did! Children, this is Mordred Owen. Let me introduce you to Harry, Ron and Hermione."
"Nice to meet you. Better take our places now or we won't have any."
All of them walked straight to the last wagon. As they went into the last compartment, the train whistled to tell its travellers that the departure was imminent. Quickly, they put their trunks in a corner of the compartment and sat down.
As the train began moving, someone knocked on their door before it flew open.
"I was sure we would find you here."
In the corridor were standing three boys and two girls. Diane, Melody and Mordred jumped on their feet and, one second later, all of them were hugging one another. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Then Melody turned round to them.
"I think I'd better introduce you. There are Odin Prewett, Caroline Parker, Thomas Roberts, Elizabeth Collins and Lars McGonagall."
~~~~~
The train was speeding toward Hogwarts and noon found the travellers of the last compartment chatting happily about their lives.
"So, you'll help us with our homework?"
"If we can! Dumbledore thinks it's a good idea" Lars said. "And it's ages since I saw my aunt."
"Was it difficult to be in Gryffindor with her?" asked Ron.
"I guess that she didn't change!" Lars answered with a smile. "It wasn't really difficult, except when I made something wrong."
"Which means all the time with us." smiled Mordred.
"Even Professor Trelawney called us "Pandemonium". I think we really were violent poisons." Diane said.
"And who said we've changed?" Thomas Roberts asked.
The eight burst into laughter. At this moment, the woman with the trolley knocked at the door.
"Anything?"
Everybody stood up and bought something to eat. Some five minutes later, talks began again.
"So you're from the four Houses. But how can it be? I mean, I'm pretty sure that even when you were at school, there was a competition between the Houses. How did you become friends?"
"It's a long story, Hermione." Caroline said. "And in our third year, the competition between the Houses became far more than the traditional House Cup. Our fellow third-year students decided to create a new tournament, unknown of the teachers of course. Each of the four Houses had to choose a witch and a wizard to be their champions. The eight champions had to do four tasks, one for each House. The first task was Slytherin's. The champions had to break into Snape's office to take some forbidden stuff, and before the end of the first week. They all succeed so the Tournament continued. Ravenclaw's task was to learn by heart all our schoolbooks before Halloween. Dumbledore knew that the third-year students were up to something. He convoked the eight champions in his office during November. So, the Hufflepuff task was to lie to Dumbledore or, at least, not to tell him about the little competition between the House. This task was also a success, even if Dumbledore probably knew that they had lied. Then came Gryffindor task: on a full moon night of December, the eight champions had to go in the Forbidden Forest and stay there for a whole night."
The compartment had fallen silent when Caroline had begun her story.
"You were the eight champions." Harry said. It was a statement, not a question.
None of the eight answered, their eyes and their grins talking for them.
"Did Dumbledore know?"
"Dumbledore always knows all that happen in his school." Odin shrugged.
"We didn't spend the whole night outside this year." Melody said. "And I think that we've been lucky to survive it."
"A werewolf found us this night. A very big werewolf. We didn't stand a chance against it. But suddenly, a unicorn stepped between the beast and us. And on this unicorn was a girl, of about our ages. She spoke to the werewolf and it turned back without trying to attack us. Then, she led us back to the castle, straight to Dumbledore's office. They talked together in a foreign language before she went out. To our surprise, Dumbledore told us that no point would be taken from our Houses if each of us promised to help each other for our homework. We did it and that's how we became friends."
"Who was the girl on the unicorn?" Hermione asked.
"We don't know. Dumbledore refused to tell us that." Diane said.
"What's sure is she didn't study in Hogwarts, even if I'm sure that she was a witch." Mordred said. "We never saw her again."
The others nodded. At the same moment, the train began to slow down. All of them gathered their things before went out of the compartment. The Hogwarts Express finally stopped in Hogsmeade station. On the platform was standing Hagrid, waiting for the first years. Harry ran to his friend.
"Hi Hagrid! How are you?"
"I'm fine. See yeh at the feast."
As the students were heading to the horseless carriages, the eight new assistants took eight Firebolts out of their bags. Everyone near them gasped in envy.
"Dumbledore told us to go straight to him when we arrived, so."
Odin's last word was still echoing in Harry, Ron and Hermione ears when the eight kicked off the ground and flew at top speed toward the school. The three Gryffindor jumped into a carriage with Neville Longbottom, another Gryffindor.
"How was the holiday, Neville?"
"It was cool. I spent them in the south of France with my grand mother, studying the different plant we can find over there. And yours?"
"This year, we stayed at home." Hermione said.
"I spent nearly my whole holiday in Romania with my brother Charly and his dragons."
"And I spent mine learning a lot of defence against the Dark Arts with two of our new assistants."
"So it's true!" Neville nearly shouted. "I heard about it in the train."
"Yeah, it's true. Eight assistants, two for each House." Ron explained.
"And Harry, you really were."
"Attacked by a group of Death Eaters? Yes that's true as well. That makes me think that Malfoy had spare us his usual greetings this year."
"I didn't see him in the train." Neville said. "Crabbe and Goyle either."
"They missed the train! That's fantastic!" shouted Ron.
"I don't think so. They are probably already in the castle, waiting for us" Hermione said, as the carriage stopped in front of the doors.
The four friends jumped out of their vehicle and went in the castle. As they entered the Great Hall, Harry spotted Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, at the Slytherin's table, with some others. Muttering, Ron sat down at Gryffindor's table, back turned to the Slytherins, with Harry and Hermione in front of him.
Soon, the Hall was nearly full. Harry looked at the teachers' table and suddenly that there was another table at which were sitting Malfoy's parents, as well as other people Harry recognized as some of the Death Eaters he had seen with Lord Voldemort some months before. Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen and there were more empty places than usual at the staff's table.
Harry pointed it out to his friends and they kept silent as the last students entering the Hall. They sighed in relief when Dumbledore entered by the door reserved to the teachers and sat down in his usual chair. He was followed by Professor Snape, Hagrid, Cornelius Fudge, a man that Harry didn't know and.
Harry jumped on his feet but Sirius Black's hand waved to tell him to stay where he was. Harry sat down but kept his eyes on his godfather.
"He would like to see you tomorrow morning, as it's Saturday and you won't have any lessons." Lars said as he sat down next to him.
Caroline Parker, the other Gryffindor's assistant, sat in front of him. Harry looked at the other tables: Diane was sitting at Hufflepuff's table with Thomas Roberts, Melody and Odin Prewett were at Ravenclaw's, while Mordred Owen and Elizabeth Collins were talking to the Slytherin sitting next to them. The Hall doors opened and Professor McGonagall came in, followed by the first-year students.
Harry couldn't follow the Sorting. Too many things was happening at the same time: he had been attacked during the holiday and saved by a witch who had taught him how to defend himself against the Death Eaters, who were now sitting only feet away from him. His godfather had been cleared of the old charges that hung over him and was now in Hogwarts, and in his true form not as a dog.
Dumbledore got on his feet and the Hall fell silent.
"Welcome to our new students and welcome back to the older students. Now, let the feast begin."
The dishes filled up magically with food and everyone cheered before pilling their plates. Oblivious of his worries, Harry began eating and chatting with the new Gryffindors.
After that everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of food disappeared and Dumbledore got up on his feet once more.
"Now that everybody is full, I have some usual things to say. First-years should notice that the forest is out-of-bounds to any students and that no magic is allowed in the corridor between the classes. Hogsmeade is also forbidden to all students bellow the third year. I would like to introduce you to Cornelius Fudge, our Minister of Magic. He will spend most of the terms here, with us. Next to him are Sirius Black and Mundungus Fletcher. Both of them will be your teachers of Defence Against the Dark Arts. I have also to tell you that there will be two new courses this year. The first will only begin next week and the other one the first week of November, as your future teachers have something to finish before coming here. And I will not spoil the surprise by telling you what they will teach to you." Dumbledore added as interrogative murmurs could be heard all across the Hall.
Harry noticed that all the teachers and guests seemed as surprised as the students.
"Now I think that you all already know that you will have homework assistants this year."
Almost all the students cheered up at these words. The eight stood up with big smiles on their faces and bowed to the students, who were capping happily. Then, the eight sat down back.
"They are ex-students from Hogwarts and they have accepted to come back this year to help those of their ex-Houses. If you need them during the day, you will find them most of the time in the library, in your common rooms, in my office or on the Quidditch pitch. Every day from 6 to 8 pm, each of them could take a group of ten students for particular help about a subject. Those who needs help will have to tell to one or another assistant or to a teacher, who'll tell them. Now, I suggest that all of you head to their dormitories and take a good night of sleep."
All the students jumped on their feet and began to go out of the Hall. Finally, Harry, Ron and Hermione, closely followed by Lars and Caroline, reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, which was hiding the entrance of Gryffindor's common room.
As they entered the room, they found out that most of the Gryffindor were waiting for the two Gryffindor assistants. Lars and Caroline were surrounded by the students and asked lots of questions about them and their lives, in and out Hogwarts.
Harry wanted a quick talk with Lars about what had said Sirius but he finally gave up and went upstairs, to his dormitory. He smiled when, reaching the door, he saw that it wore now a sign telling "five-years". Harry headed for his bed, put his pyjamas on and lay down on his bed, asleep before his head connected with his pillow.
~~~~~
Author's note:
Sorry for this long time between my last chapter and this time, but I was passing my exams.
Please read and review to tell me if there are mistakes in my story.
For those who are perhaps lost with the eight new assistants: Caroline Parker and Lars McGonagall are in Gryffindor. Diane McKinnon and Thomas Roberts are in Hufflepuff. Melody Lay and Odin Prewett are in Ravenclaw. Elizabeth Collins and Mordred Owen are in Slytherin.