Chapter 7

"First Years this way!" Professor McGonagall's voice echoed through the Entrance Hall. Harry looked around with satisfaction at the enormous hall and smiled cheerfully at Ron and Hermione. They made their way, along with the rest of the crowd of noisy pupils, towards the Great Hall which, as usual, looked magnificent. The staff table was an object of curiosity, eager faces peered towards it with excited expressions, each wondering who would be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Since Harry had started at Hogwarts the Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers had become progressively more interesting. In First Year, Professor Quirrell, a stuttering young man who had turned out to be secretly working for Lord Voldemort; in Second Year, Professor Lockhart, a famous author who had turned out to have conned various witches and wizards and became famous by claiming to have done the heroic things which they had done; in Third Year, Harry's favourite Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin, an old friend of Harry's parents whose secret was that he was a werewolf; the most recent was Mad-Eye Moody, a friend of Dumbledore's, or rather, Barty Crouch, a Death Eater using Polyjuice Potion to pretend to be Moody. None of these had lasted more than a year.

Harry scanned the staff table, Hagrid was not there. Harry knew he had been away all summer doing some secret work for Dumbledore, but he had just assumed that Hagrid would be back at Hogwarts by the start of term. It then occurred to him that perhaps Hagrid was delayed bringing the first years up to the castle. Harry noticed another absence; Professor Snape was nowhere to be seen. He also noticed several empty chairs, including that of Dumbledore who was talking animatedly to Professor McGonagall and another person whom Harry could not see in the shadows but whose sharp eyes caught his looking and, after a quick glance, retreated further into the shadows and with a few words to Professor Dumbledore disappeared all-together.

Harry did not have long to wonder at the appearance of this stranger (for stranger he presumed it to be) as Dumbledore took his place at the table and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on top of a stool in front of the first years. The first-years looked fearfully at the ragged hat as a tear near the brim opened and the hat began a new song of welcome. As it finished, receiving a general round of applause Professor McGonagall unrolled a scroll of parchment and informed the first-years of what was to happen.

"Anderson, Christopher!"

A tiny boy walked forward and sat, with some difficulty, on the stool, which was a great deal too high for him, his legs dangled some way from the ground. He nervously placed the hat on his head, screwing his eyes closed and looking as though he would rather do anything than put the ancient hat on his head.

"Hufflepuff!"

Applause sounded from the Hufflepuff table, slightly less enthusiastic than usual, each member of that house remembering Cedric Diggory who should have been sitting with them.

"Addams, Lisa!"

A dark-haired girl made her way to the stool and no sooner had she placed the hat on her her head than it shouted -

"Slytherin!"

The applause from the Slytherin table was even less than that of the Hufflepuff table. Harry, for the first time since their arrival, looked round at their table to see greatly depleted numbers. He didn't need three guesses as to why and his face paled with anger and worry.

"Burke, Amanda," was the first Gryffindor. Hermione, following Harry's contemtuous look, also saw the Slytherin table and all the empty spaces. She shook her head with mingled hatred and fear.

"What a horrible lot," she said, nodding towards the Slythering table in reply to Ron's inquisitve glance.

"I see Malfoy's here though, have to keep up appearances don't they?" he spoke with contempt but kept his voice quiet enough that he could be sure no-one would hear. Already everyone was afraid, nothing extraordinary had happened since before the summer but even those who took the side of the Ministry, claiming that Voldemort could not possibly have risen once again, were still fearful. If Albus Dumbledore believed it, there must be something to it, was the general concensus.

The Sorting concluded with "Xenya, Alana," who was sorted into Ravenclaw. Professor Dumbledore rose and with a smile which did not reach his eyes, declared "Let us eat!"

The empty dishes filled magically before them and they ate ravenously, unable to speak for some minutes as they sated the first of their hunger. Harry enjoyed that meal more than he had enjoyed anything in a long time. He had opportunity to catch up with his two best friends and to hear everything that had happened in the magical world from which he had been absent all summer.

As Dumbledore once again rose from his seat, Harry perceived a new face, as yet unnoticed by the majority of assembled students. He wondered that he had not noticed her previously, seated nest to Professor McGonagall she watched politely as Dumbledore began his speech of welcome to the school. Compared with the majority of the teachers she was fairly young. Ebony black hair fell in elegant curls from beneath her hat, dark handsome eyes fixed attentively on Dumbledore as he addressed the school. That she was exceptionally pretty was beyond doubt, but Harry suspected he saw also something familiar in her face. He was certain he had seen her somewhere before, with a different expression than she now wore; smiling and cheerful rather than solemn and composed. Harry was called back from his thoughts as Dumbledore directed the attention of the entire school upon this new person by introducing her as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Carus.

"...I hope you will make Professor Carus feel welcome and you may begin at once with a round of applause." Professor Carus smiled graciously as applause followed accordingly.

"There are a few other start-of-term notices. Security on the school has been tightened. As of this evening, there will be guards on all the main entrances to the school, I also must impose slightly stricter regulations on you, as well as enforcing the existing rules. It is now more important than ever that pupils do not stray beyond Hogwarts grounds. The forest is strictly forbidden. No pupil may leave the grounds unsupervised at any time." Harry felt Dumbledore's gaze rest on himself, Ron and Hermione at this point. "I need not remind you of the necessity of protecting yourselves and the school but I ask you all to be very careful. Passwords to House Common Rooms will be changed more frequently, no admittance will be given without the password and I ask you all to be very careful not to impart these passwords to anyone outwith your house." At this point Neville's face glowed. "Understand that these rules are in place for your safety and abide by them as best you can. This said, I bid you all a good night."