Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, I own nothing and I am making no money from this.  The only characters I own are Ava, Kenna, Neona, and all the new people I introduced to the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry Potter and the Mystery of the Veil

Year 6 at Hogwarts

Ghost on the Hogwarts Express

            The days in between August 1st (When Harry had gone to get school supplies in Diagon Alley), and September 1st (The start of the new term) passed very quickly.  Too quickly for Harry, who had a feeling even stronger than the one he had last year about not wanting to face his peers.  They'd all heard of Harry's depression over Sirius's death (and someone had given away to the paper the fact that Harry and Sirius had been in communication since the end of Harry's third year.  He was rather glad he didn't know who tattled because he had a feeling he would've tried to wring their necks for making even more of his private life less private) and he was almost certain they would try to make him feel better, but only end up making him feel worse.

            For instance, Ginny and Hermione had warned him that they'd heard Lavender and Parvati were planning on having one of them go into a fake trance and have the other tell Harry that Sirius was communicating with him through the body of which ever one was in the "trance".  Dean Thomas, Ginny's second ex-boyfriend had asked her before they broke up what Sirius looked like after nearly three years out of Azkaban so he could draw a picture of him and throw it over Harry's bed before he came up to it.  Ginny said she'd told him that she didn't really think Harry would want to walk up to their room to unload his belongings and see his dead godfather's face staring up at him.  He was glad Ginny knew him well enough to know something like that, because otherwise he felt he might have had a heart attack.

            "Come on kids, hurry up!  We don't have long to get there!" came Mrs. Malrose's nervous voice from down the stairs as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Kenna, Ava, and Neona all attempted to lug their trunks down the stairs at the same time, much to the amusement of Fred and George.  Ginny had been up for a while and brought her trunk down already.

            "We're taking a portkey mum!  How long can it take?" whined Kenna, who wasn't at all used to being waken up early.

            "It's only seven fifty!" Neona agreed indignantly.

            "Well we can't just pop up in the middle of King's Cross!  We're going to need to walk awhile," snapped Hermione irritably, "The muggles aren't used to seeing things like that!"

            "They would think they'd all gone crazy, and dad wouldn't fancy it if we made a load of muggles think they were crazy," agreed Ron, whose dad was fascinated by muggles.

            "Is Professor Lupin coming on the Hogwarts Express again?" asked Harry.

            "How should we k-" Kenna, who was bringing up the rear as they all attempted to come down the stairs, began.  But suddenly, to everyone's horror, he let out a yelp as he tripped, falling into Ava, who fell into Neona, who fell into Ron and Hermione, both of whom fell into Harry, and they all went tumbling the rest of the way down the stairs.  Fred, George, and Ginny were nearly dying of laughter now.  Eight-year-old Ivan gave them a smirk, as though satisfied they'd been injured, because last night he'd thrown a rather loud temper tantrum when he discovered that he would be the only child in the house.

            "Fred, George, go to work!" roared Mrs. Weasley coming over to help everyone up, "and Ginny, don't sit there laughing because you know it wouldn't have been half as funny to you if you'd been coming down the stairs too.  Help me get them up."

            "Alright mum," she groaned, grabbing one of Ava's arms.

            They'd managed to make it to Platform 9 3/4 mere minutes before the train set off.  Professor Lupin was coming with them after all, along with Kingsley Shacklebolt (Who'd been fired from the Ministry when they found out about his involvement in the Order of the Phoenix).  Harry still had trouble trying to contain his laughter when he remembered the look on the two men's faces when they were coming down the stairs, only to see everyone else lying in a lump on the ground except for Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Mrs. Zondermann, and Mrs. Malrose, who'd come to see her children off despite the threat that her husband might see her.

            Once on the express, Harry found that it was much more empty than usual, and the platform had been as well now that he thought about it.  Neona scowled at Kenna, "You told me there would be people everywhere!"

            Kenna looked rather concerned, "Well last year there were…"

            "Oh, some of them have died, and others moved somewhere where You-Know-Who wasn't attacking," came a vague voice behind them.

            Ron groaned, "That's Loon-er…Luna Lovegood, isn't it?"

            "The weird girl in my House?  The one we all call Looney Lovegood?" asked Kenna blanching, "Why couldn't it be her that died or moved and not some of these other people who aren't here?"

            "Don't say that about her," Harry scolded the second year, and then was very surprised with himself.  He supposed he still felt sorry for Luna, who was teased and bullied by her peers because of how different from them she was.  He was also surprised that Kenna had the guts (or stupidity) to say something like that when Lupin and Shacklebolt were in hearing range.

            "Lupin and I are going up near the conductor, we need to discuss a few things about the Order," said Shacklebolt suddenly, "That's where we'll be if you need us."

            "You should be ok, right?" asked Lupin with slight concern in his voice, "Something…and not just the lack of people…feels off this year."

            "That's just the ghost," said Luna as though there had always been a ghost on the Hogwarts Express.

            "What ghost?" Lupin asked her patiently.

            "The ghost of someone who died this summer.  Her name is Mandy.  Don't ask me why she's haunting the Hogwarts Express, but she is.  I saw her," said Luna truthfully.

            Ginny put a hand over her mouth, "Mandy Brocklehurst?!"

            "That sounds right, but she just said her name was Mandy," said Luna shrugging, "Well, I'm going to find an empty compartment-not that it's hard to do that anymore-and I'll see you all later," she said walking off.

            And at that exact moment, a pearly white girl in Hogwarts robes flew through the door, "Oh hello there.  Nice to see that YOU'RE well," she grumbled, gritting her teeth, "I, however, am dead.  And for some reason I have to spend all eternity on this stupid train.  I swear if you don't kill Voldemort, Harry, I'm going to personally make sure you have to join me on this stinking train ride forever!" she moaned, floating through the next compartment door.

            No one said anything for a moment, until finally Ron spoke up, "That was just odd."

            "Poor Mandy, I wonder why she'd need to haunt the train?" asked Hermione with sympathy evident in her voice.

            Lupin shrugged his shoulders, looking quite puzzled, "Usually ghosts haunt the place of their death, or a place that was very special to them.  Did she do something she thought was worthwhile on this train?"

            Hermione suddenly turned to Ron, "Wasn't Mandy Brocklehurst the girl that was making out in her compartment last year with Justin Finch-Fletchley and then started screaming that she found her soul mate?"

            "Oh yeah, we needed to ask the conductor for a calming draught," said Ron with a small grin on his face, "She really made a big scene, that one."

            "So then it does make partial sense why she would haunt the train," said Shacklebolt, more to himself than anyone else, than abruptly he turned from his thoughts, "Should we be going then, Lupin?" at Lupin's nod, the two men took off for a private compartment close to the front of the train.

            "I'm nervous about being sorted," murmured Ava later as they found where Luna was sitting ("Do we have to sit by Looney?" Kenna had whined) and had been sitting down for a while.

            "Don't worry, all the Houses do have redeeming qualities, even Slytherin," said Hermione in a pacifying voice.

            "Kenna told me all the Slytherins were evil scum," Neona piped up.  Kenna turned slightly red.

            "Well, just because some of them act like that doesn't mean they all do.  They're just too intimidated by Malfoy and his cronies to speak up," said Hermione bitterly.

            "Someone call my name?" asked Malfoy leisurely, wandering into the compartment.

            "We were just talking about people who could be nominated as 'King of the Gits'," said Ginny just as leisurely.

            "Oh no, I heard you and you're absolutely right," Malfoy grinned maliciously, "I've got all of Slytherin House under my pinkie finger.  It's handy, really," he said with a smirk on his face.  He gestured to Crabbe and Goyle, standing loyally behind him, "For instance, if I tell them to beat you up, or use an Unforgivable Curse on you, they'll do it, no questions asked," he said, and seemed to be searching their faces for any sign of fear.  Harry knew that Hermione, Ron, Luna, and Ginny were all fine, but Kenna and Neona both paled slightly, and Neona at least was biting her bottom lip.  Ava, sitting by the window began sobbing softly and had her arms over her head as though she thought that would help if Crabbe and Goyle used an Unforgivable.

            "Yes, well I'm not doubting your abilities, or Mr. Crabbe or Mr. Goyle's, Mr. Malfoy, but I'm afraid the curses are called Unforgivable for a reason," came the voice of Lupin, who standing in the doorway with Shacklebolt.

            Malfoy immediately turned several shades paler and seemed at loss for words until he was finally able to sputter, "Oh Professor Lupin!  I was only…not serious…and I'd never use an Unforgivable on anyone!  I don't really know how to…really…" and with that he took off out the door that Lupin and Shacklebolt weren't standing by, Crabbe and Goyle at his heels.

            Lupin walked over to Ava, who was still sobbing and sat down next to her, "Will you be alright?" he asked gently.  Ava nodded, and tried to stop herself from sobbing, without success.

            "Wh-what if…" Ava began, but then couldn't control her sobbing anymore.

            "What if what?" asked Kenna, leaning over to get a better look at her.  Hermione grabbed the corner of his robes and pulled him back, whispering something to the effect of, "Don't stare at her."

            She sniffled and took a deep breath of air before answering, "What if I get sorted into Slytherin?  M-Malfoy will kill me…he'll kill me," she began to sob again.

            "Oh he won't kill you, he'll just jinx you and I speak from experience-" Kenna began, but was cut off by a sharp look by Hermione and Ginny and Ron and Harry clamping a hand over his mouth at the same time.  Ava sobbed harder.  Luna and Neona were watching patiently to see the outcome of the ordeal, and Luna at least, seemed to be watching it as though it were a program on TV.  Shacklebolt looked quite uncomfortable.

            "Ava, listen to me," said Lupin calmly, "while myself, one of the other teachers, or anyone else in this compartment is around, Mr. Malfoy will not lay a hand on you.  Professor Snape may not look like the friendliest person, but if you are sorted into Slytherin, he would stop Mr. Malfoy from lying a hand on you," this seemed to calm Ava down slightly.

            "You won't be sorted into Slytherin anyway," came Luna's voice all of a sudden.  Everyone turned to look at her, "I can see it.  You're going to be a Ravenclaw," Kenna scoffed.

            "H-How do you know?" asked Ava, her lower lip trembling.  Harry remembered being nervous as a first year, but not this nervous.  Then again, Malfoy hadn't been a large sixth year when he was in first.

            "I can just tell," said Luna vaguely with a shrug, as though that settled it.

            "What will I be?!" asked Neona excitedly.

            Luna studied her intently, giving her what, in Harry's opinion, was a rather creepy look, as though she were reading Neona like an open book, "I think you'll be a Gryffindor," she said at last.

            "What makes you say that?!" demanded Kenna harshly.  Then he turned his eyes on Shacklebolt, "And you aren't a teacher, so why are you even coming?!"

            Shacklebolt chuckled, appearing amused by Kenna, "I'm taking over History of Magic."

            "But it said on my letter that Professor Binns was still teaching," said Hermione with a puzzled frown.

            "Well, he was going to, but it seems that one day this summer he went slightly haywire and screamed that he never wanted to see his classroom or Hogwarts again, and disappeared into thin air and hasn't been seen since, or at least that's what Dumbledore told me," he responded, sounding as though he thought the tale was quite odd himself.

            "We finally drop it and Professor Binns leaves?" said Harry, finding this extremely unfair.

            "Life's hard, huh mate?" said Ron sympathetically.  Ava started to giggle quietly.

            "Death is hard too," moaned Mandy Brocklehurst, flying into the compartment, "I can't even pick up a teaspoon!  It's so frustrating!  Why did I have to be afraid of whatever comes right after you die?  WHY?!" she cried, and left the compartment sobbing harder than Ava had.

            "So not only do we need to deal with an overemotional, whiny ghost at Hogwarts, but now on the train, too?" grumbled Ron, whom Harry was sure was comparing Mandy to Moaning Myrtle, who haunted one of the girls' bathrooms at Hogwarts.  Myrtle had been killed by a Basilisk while she was at Hogwarts, and was forever moping in the place of her death.

            "Mandy was really nice was she was alive," murmured Hermione sadly.

            "Well I'd be pretty P.O.'d too if I had to live in this place forever," said Ginny looking around at the compartment.  Seeing how badly Mandy was handling all this, Harry now felt very angry with himself for even hoping that Sirius would return as ghost over the summer holiday. 

            "Ghosts were never the happiest of people during life, and seem to feel like they died an unfair death too," said Lupin wisely.

            "I bet Harry knows about a lot of people who died an unfair death, so why aren't they ghosts?" prompted Kenna, seeming not at all concerned about how Harry might feel being dragged into this.

            And to Harry's surprise, he suddenly understood why, "Because they…they might have had a few unhappy times in their lives, but overall they weren't disappointed and angry about how they'd lived," Lupin nodded at him, looking rather proud that Harry had understood, 'Well I hope he doesn't think I've known this forever.  But I don't really have a reason to discredit my intelligence on the subject.  It'd be awkward it I just blurted out that I've only just figured this out.'

            "In that case, Percy's bound to haunt the Ministry of Magic.  He's never entirely happy with what he's done in life and I suspect he never will be.  I just hope he doesn't drive too many people insane," said Ron, looking as though he were half joking, half serious.  Harry saw that Hermione was trying to cover up a bit of laughter.

            When the train arrived at the station, Ava was pale again, but not from fear, 'Oh no, if only it were that simple,' thought Harry with a sigh, but in fact, this time Ava was looking like she was going to be sick.  Her face was a pale green color and she was shivering quite a bit.

            "I'll be able to make it," she told Lupin stubbornly when he offered to have himself or Shacklebolt take to take her to Madame Pomfrey and ask McGonagall if she could be sorted privately later.  Harry suspected this had more to do with embarrassment than with her really feeling up to it.

            When they got out of the express, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny found Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil, some of their fellow Gryffindors.  Harry heard Hagrid's familiar call of "Firs' years!  Firs' years, this way!" as he ushered them into small boats that would take them through the lake and right to Hogwarts.  

            Harry turned his head over to the carriages that carried the other students to Hogwarts.  The Thestrals were still there; they were bony horse-like creatures with wings that appeared only to those who had seen death.  Harry shuddered, he had been hoping privately that seeing Thestrals was just some crazy dream he'd had about last year, but they were still as real as ever.  He got into one of the carriages, followed by Ron and Hermione, and it abruptly set off for the castle.

            As Harry walked into the Great Hall, he felt a surge of happiness at being there.  Its familiar design was comforting to him after the holidays.  He finally felt like he was home again.  He walked with Ron and Hermione over to the Gryffindor table.  Hogwarts had four houses: Gryffindor (Which Harry, Ron, Hermione, and all of Ron's siblings belonged to), Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.  Each year, a battered old hat called 'The Sorting Hat' was placed on the head of first years to determine which of these houses best fit their personality. 

            Lavender Brown pointed to the entrance of the Great Hall, "Look!  There are the first years!  Aren't they so tiny and cute?"

            And across the room, Harry heard Pansy Parkinson's (A pug-faced Slytherin girl) voice, "Look Draco!  Look at that one!  That's my little sister, Posy!  No, not the brunette one, the one next to her!"

            Professor McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor and Deputy Headmistress, walked over near the staff table and pulled out a stool with the battered old sorcerer's hat on it and placed it in the middle of the room.  Looking over at the first years, Harry could've sworn he saw Ava going an even greener shade then before, and wobbling slightly.

            Then to the surprise of the first years, the sorting hat burst into enthusiastic song:

Oh this may come as a shock to you,

and certainly to all,

but I know all inside you head,

it's no use hiding from me,

I'll sort into where you belong, you just wait and see!

You've got four choices,

four houses await,

each with strengths and weaknesses

and wild assumptions made by other houses,

a division between them, tried and true.

First there's Gryffindor,

house of the brave and courageous,

yet the other houses see them, as foolhardy,

reckless, knaves.

Then there's Hufflepuff,

where hard workers and loyal people stay,

though the other houses will call them,

stupid, pathetic slugs.

After that there's Ravenclaw,

where the intelligent are always valued,

but other houses wave them off,

as snobby, stuck-up know-it-alls.

Finally we have Slytherin,

home of the ambitious and cunning,

they've got the worst stereotype,

as horrible, evil men.

Yet, let me tell you these are only opinions,

held by different types of people,

the only one who can decide what to do with your house's name,

is you.

            The Sorting Hat went silent, and so did everyone else.  No one was expecting the hat to sing about the other houses' opinion of a particular house.  And Harry could see that quite a few people seemed, for some reason, to have trouble grasping the last two lines.

            Professor McGonagall stepped up beside the hat and cleared her voice, "When I say your name, you will proceed to the Sorting Hat, put it on your head, and when it tells you what house you will be in, place the hat back down and go to your house table.  Ambly, Darryl," a boy who was taller than most of the other eleven year olds nervously walked forward.

"RAVENCLAW!" cried the hat after a while.

            And the sorting continued to drag onward…Arzon…Ayin…Becker… Bockhold…Casma…Cemer…Crape…Crump…Cvech…Danson…Dimler…Dyber…Echie…

            And then a name that caught Harry's attention, "Evans, Mark," called McGonagall.  A small boy with orange hair walked forward, stumbling once or twice and put on the oversized hat.

            It seemed to consider him for a while, "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat finally called, and he put the hat down, running, as if for dear life, to the Gryffindor table.  This all bothered Harry for several reasons, first of all, Mark Evans had been a small boy whom Dudley and his gang had beat up last year, secondly, last year he'd found out for certain that his mother's maiden name had been Evans, and thirdly, this boy had nearly the same shade of hair as his mother.  Did his mum have other relatives living nearby Little Whinging?  If so, why did he always need to stay with the dreadful Dursleys, when it seemed these relatives wholly accepted magic if they let Mark come to Hogwarts? 

            Harry was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't turn his attention back to the Sorting until Ron pointed out, "Look, it's time for that Neona girl to be sorted," Harry jerked his head upward just as McGonagall called out, "Malrose, Neona" and Neona's head of light brown hair flew in every direction as she raced towards the hat and, in a gesture that reminded both Harry and Ron of Hermione when she was being sorted, nearly jammed the hat onto her head.

            "GRYFFINDOR!" it called without much consideration.

            The next girl, who had short blond hair, named Hypatia Merrin, became a Ravenclaw, then after that Cashlin Mick, a girl with black hair in a messy bun became a Slytherin, and Thelma Norris became a Hufflepuff, then it skipped right ahead to Posy Parkinson, Pansy's younger sister.  Pansy was whispering excitedly to Malfoy, and seemed to have full confidence that Posy would become a Slytherin, but to her amazement the sorting hat called out that Posy was a Hufflepuff.  The small girl turned beet red and shuffled her feet over to the Hufflepuff table, but then Professor McGonagall called to her that it'd be nice if she put the hat back on the stool, so she returned it there, and turned an even darker shade of red.  Pansy was smacking herself in the forehead and muttering in an exasperated tone of voice, more to herself than to Malfoy, who was snickering and not bothering to try and hide it.

            The sorting once again became a blur in Harry's mind until he heard the last name called, "Zondermann, Ava," he noted the Ava was looking worse than before and shaking nearly uncontrollably.  Her bluish hair, much like her father's, was beginning match nicely with her greenish face.  When she put the hat on, after a moment of consideration, it called, "RAVENCLAW!" and the poor girl didn't even make it to the Ravenclaw table before she fainted on the floor.  McGonagall hurried forward to help her up, and after she was awakened, she insisted she was all right and slunk down next to Luna at the Ravenclaw table.  Harry angrily noted Padma Patil, Parvati's twin sister in Ravenclaw, was giggling with her group of friends and doing a few fainting impressions reminiscent of the ones Malfoy had done in third year when Dementors had made Harry faint.

            It was then that Harry remembered that the official pardoning ceremony for Sirius was tonight.  Or was supposed to be tonight.  He decided to turn his attention to Dumbledore and see if he made any mention of it.

            Despite the worsening state of events in the wizarding world, Dumbledore's blue eyes still twinkled as he began his beginning of the year speech, "Welcome all new and returning students to Hogwarts!  Before we get in to another subject of great importance, I would like all first years to note that the Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits!  Some of our older students should have learned this by now…but it seems this is not the case," he directed a glace at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, especially Hermione who had lured their foul former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge, in there just last year.  Amusement was evident from the look on his face, "and Mr. Filch once again has a list of objects forbidden in the corridors on his office door.  I would like to welcome Professor Kingsley Shacklebolt to the staff, as he will be filling a just-opened post for History of Magic, and I would like to re-welcome Professor Remus Lupin who will once again be taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts-"

            And then a Slytherin boy named Blaise Zabini cut Dumbledore off, and yelled in a disgruntled voice, "But he's a werewolf!" and some more Slytherins let in yells of, "YEAH!" Harry wanted to go over there and make them shut up by whatever means necessary, and it looked like Ron, Hermione, and Ginny did too, yet the little voice inside their heads that directed common sense made sure they all knew what trouble they would be in if they did it.

            But Dumbledore had a determined look on his face and plowed on, "This is exactly the reason I hired Professor Lupin again, besides the fact that he is a very capable teacher.  In the world we are living in now, you must learn tolerance for many different types of people, whatever they may be.  The more divided by petty grievances we are, the easier Voldemort will find it to divide us, and the easier we will be conquered," he paused, and in Harry's opinion seemed to be inviting the Slytherins to challenge him again.  They said nothing, so he continued, "In the past summer we have lost many of our best students, victims of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, however, they will never be forgotten.  But do not be frightened by these events, for as long as you are inside the walls of Hogwarts, I assure that you are safe.  And to our seventh years who will soon be leaving us, I tell you once again, the stronger we are united, the harder it will be for Voldemort to break our ties and defeat us," once again he paused.  No one said anything.  They all sat straight in their chairs, eyes locked on Dumbledore, "I would also like to address the subject of the pardoning of Sirius Black, a great man unjustly accused and sentenced to Azkaban.  The Minister of Magic decided at the last minute that he would rather hold the pardoning at Christmas time, in a less public place.  It causes me to think he and the other Ministry Officials who were to be attending are highly embarrassed about their mistake and would rather not admit it in front of so many people," the twinkle returned to his eyes and Harry couldn't help but feeling slightly elated about his last statement, "Now then, let us eat!" he clapped his hands and the Great Hall filled with food.

            "Those Slytherins!" growled Ron, his mouth filled with chicken, "We should just kick the whole lot out!  That'd solve a lot of problems!"

            Hermione frowned, "I agree they aren't acting the best, but surely some of them aren't as idiotic."

            "They all are," responded Harry in a tone that he hoped sounded final, "Look at what they've done.  They'll all do anything just to stand against everyone else.  In fact, if we all went and joined Voldemort," everyone flinched at the sound of the name except Harry, "I bet they'd go help the Order!  They do it all just so they can piss us off!" he finished scowling deeply.

            Ginny smiled lightly, "Let's act like that to them then and see what they do.  I'm all for it.  We don't need to go as far as saying we support V-Vo-Volde…you know, but we should just act like how they normally act to us," she now had an evil smile played out on her face.

            "Reverse psychology!" said Hermione triumphantly.

            "Um…sure, if that's what the muggles call it," said Ginny looking slightly confused, but trying not to show it.

            Hermione really appeared to be getting serious about this, "But first we should see exactly how they act, then make notes on it and such, and then by that time we should be prepared…oh, but we aren't going slander teachers, right?  I refuse to slander them," she said firmly.

            "Does this mean no more spew?" asked Ron excitedly.

            "It's S.P.E.W., Ron," she corrected gently, "and no, I should still have plenty of time for it," Ron looked crestfallen.

            "We're actually going for this then?" said Harry, raising an eyebrow slightly.  It wasn't that he didn't think it was a good idea; it was just that he didn't think Hermione would have been so excited to make fun of the Slytherins in this way.

            "Um, are you feeling sicker than Ava, Hermione?" asked Ginny with concern.

            "No!  Reverse psychology is such a great way to get to people like the Slytherins, though," she said tentatively.

            Ron shrugged, "Let's think about that after the feast.  I wanna eat, and I'm not in a listening mood."

            "Oh yes, we probably should hurry," said Hermione nervously, "We need to show the first years to their dorms."

            Reminded of the first years, Harry once again looked over at Mark Evans while absentmindedly buttering a piece of corn. The boy was engaged in a conversation with another first year named Damian Danson, who was making animated gestures as he mocked his mother's reaction to him getting a letter, because apparently his father, a wizard, had assured his wife that their son would have no magic in him.  Both boys were laughing, and suddenly Mark began to talk, and Harry perked up his ears to listen to every word, "My parents are both uh, what are they called?  Murgles?  You know, people without magic?" he looked around him as though he wouldn't go on until someone told him what the word was for certain.

            Harry, being just a few seats away, decided to offer an answer, "Muggles," he shouted to Mark.

            "Oh yeah, thanks!" said Mark enthusiastically, looking as though he wasn't suspicious that Harry had been listening to their conversation, "Well my parents are both muggles, so they had no clue.  My dad told me that he had a relative, a sister or a cousin or someone-wasn't paying much attention-who was a witch, but it didn't turn up in him, so he didn't know it would happen to me.  It's a good thing that he had experience with it too, otherwise I bet mum would've just laughed it off.  She's really practical and down-to- earth-"

            "Harry!" said Ginny, calling him back to his friends' conversation, "Harry, I've been yelling at you for the last thirty seconds," she said impatiently.

            "What?!" snapped Harry, annoyed that he'd now missed the rest of Mark Evan's story about his family.

            Ginny huffed, "Don't get all angry at me, Harry.  If you'd pay attention, you'd have noticed that you've been buttering the same section of your corn for the last ten minutes.  I thought you might like to know that before a big glob of butter dropped onto your hand."

            Harry suddenly felt very embarrassed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hi everyone!  Thanks for the reviews, they really boost my morale!  Ugh, I'm disgusted that I couldn't make a better Sorting Hat song, though _.  Anywho, sorry that this chapter isn't as long as the last one, but the next chapter should be plenty long.  I try to make my chapters all at least ten pages long, and it's happened so far, but depending on how much I have to explain/cover in each chapter it may be anywhere from ten or eleven pages (Like this one) to twenty pages or so (I hope the next chapter will be close to that).

Heero: It probably also has to do with laziness *Bops TRF*

Agh, stupid muses!  Anyway, your feedback is greatly appreciated, so keep reviewing!

See you in the next chapter!

~TRF