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It was a chilly night. The moon was barely visible through the fog. "Oh, come on!" said Hermione, her teeth chattering while she looked in every direction for the carriages. "There they are!" she exclaimed excitedly.

They went into the Great Hall, releived that it was much warmer inside. They sat down at the Gryffindor Table and immediatley started chatting with the people they didn't get a chance to talk to on the train.

"Shh! It's starting," said Hermione as Proffesor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on the stool, with a trail of small students behind her. But there were two people that stood out from the crowd.

"Aren't they a little old to be sorted?" said Ron, pointing to the two girls side by side. The first girl was pale, tall, and very pretty, with a hat much too large for her head. The brim fell over her icy gray eyes, and Harry couldn't tell if she was merely proud or if she had to hold her head so high to keep it from covering her face. The second girl looked slightly older and tall, with flowing auburn hair and a pretty face. In fact, the only thing wrong with her face was the fact that it looked extremely nervous. But the first girl had a confident smile on her face and looked immensly interested in her new home for the next nine months. A large rip on the Sorting Hat near the brim opened and it began to sing.

Welcome all, the young who've come

to embark on learning the very first time,

those somewhat familar with magic,

and wizards already at their prime.

The hat paused, and Hermione nodded towards the older girls whom, by now, many were whispering about. The taller girl turned slightly back towards the house tables, flashing a set of large deep eyes that flicker nervously among the crowd. The shorter girl swayed gracefully to turn around, and a glimmer of silver seemed to catch the light as she turned. She seemed to be staring right into Ron, almost through him. Ron felt this warmth sweep over him when the other girl whispered something in her ear, and she turned around quickly leaving and emptiness where the magic had just surged.

If you are quite surprised

that this old hat can sing a tune

then step right up; try me on for size

you'll find I do more than just croon.

For I can tell you more than you know

All that is inside your head,

I can't put you where you don't belong,

but I'll sort you right instead.

One of the deep folds that seemed to look like an eye, appeared to wink at Harry. He wished he would have been sung this version in his first year, so to alleviate his woes that he didn't belong in Gryffindor. The Sorting hat had nearly put him in Slytherin, the Hogwarts house that held the most dark wizards. These vexations were eased when he was able to pull Godric Gryffindor's sword from the Sorting hat and destroy Voldemort once again in his second year.

Some will be called to Gryffindor,

the valiant and brave.

Others will be called to Hufflepuff

with virtue even beyond the grave.

Many of the faces in the room grew sullen, especially at the Hufflepuff table. Harry could hear some muffed sniffles coming from the Ravenclaw table, and turned to she Cho with her head resting on another girl's shoulder. Harry felt a pang of guilt and sadness, but realized that the tight feeling like butterflies in his stomach was no longer there. After last year's events, he couldn't feel the same way about Cedric's girlfriend.

Some will be called to Ravenclaw,

where intelligence is the highest feat

Others will be called to Slytherin

where they go to any means to make ends meet.

So step to my stool

and take a deep sigh

I will tell you which house

in which you lie.

As the Sorting Hat finished, the Great Hall was filled with applause. Professor McGonagall took out a scroll of parchment. "When I call out your name, you will put on the hat, and sit down to be sorted. Then you shall join your new classmates. Adams, Brandon!" Brandon sat on the stool and put on the Sorting hat. After a few minutes, the Sorting Hat called out, "Ravenclaw!" The Ravenclaw Table was happily applauding. "Brass, Peter!" Peter sat on the stool and placed the Sorting Hat over his head. "Slytherin!" Harry and Ron hissed him down to his seat where he was merrily shaking hands with Malfoy. "Caito, Carrie." Carrie, looking extremely nervous, Sat on the stool for quite some time, until "Hufflepuff!"

"Chang, ______" A tiny dark haired girl skipped up to the stool to put the large hat on her head.

"Ravenclaw!" It shouted. The little girl jumped up excitedly.

"That must be Cho's little sister." Hermione said. Cho was clapping enthusiastically from the Ravenclaw table, and caught the the little girl in a big hug as she skipped to her.

"Cyrus, Lindsay" became the first Gryffindor. "Delacour, Celest!"

"Hey!" said Harry to a surprised Ron, "Just like Fleur last year!" Ron hadn't blinked since she had entered the room. "Funny, she doesn't look like a veela..." Harry said. Ron didn't respond as he was still fixated on the girl as she floated towards the front (amidst Fred and George's whistles). The girl's already nervous red face blushed even more as she stepped up to the stool.

Ron cleared his throat: "That would explain alot though..." Hermione gave an exasperated sigh as she looked back between the two and muttered something that sounded like 'boys' . The taller of the two girls, Celest, sat on the stool for only a few seconds, then "Gryffindor!" She took a seat next to Fred, and George glared jealously at him from the other end of the table. Fred subtly turned to make a face at George, and then turned to welcome the new member of Gryffindor.

"Delacour, Desiree!" Hermione gave a start.

"What? They look nothing alike!"

"Maybe it's a VERY popular name over in France or wherever." Ron said dazedly following Celest to her place next to Fred, who eagerly offered a seat. Desiree came up, took off her witch's hat quickly and very carefully, and jammed the Sorting Hat on her head. She sat on the stool for a while, and then the hat proclaimed, "Gryffindor!" She took back her hat from Professor McGonagall, and put it back on her head, in the blink of an eye. She walked to the Gryffindor Table and took a seat next to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They sat in silence until "Zachar, Marie" became a Hufflepuff and Professor McGonagall put the stool and the Sorting Hat on. Dumbledore stood up, and the chatter of excitement ceased.

"I'm sure you all won't mind me stating a few start-of-term notices," he said, eyes twinkling. "I would like to introduce to you our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Delacour. But I'm sure many of you already know her," he said over the loud applause she was recieving. "Also, note that the Dark Forest is still forbidden to all students, and Mr. Filch has added Fillibuster's Fireworks and Dungbombs to the restricted list, after the incident in the Hufflepuff Common Room last year. We will continue with Quidditch this year, and we will be having a few balls, one on Halloween, one on New Year's Eve, and one at the end of the year, in June. Now, let the feast begin." Dumbledore sat down and immediately began a conversation with Fleur.

"Hi. I'm Desiree Delacour, I'm fifteen years old, and just transferred here from Beauxbatons, with my two step-sisters, Celest and Natala. Celest is in her 6th year. What year are you in?" Desiree looked from Harry, to Hermione, to Ron, who had a look of disbeleif on his face as to how anyone could be so talkative on her first day of school. Hermione elbowed the two boys and said,"I'm Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you."

"Ow! I'm Ron Weasley", said Ron.

"And I'm Ha-" Harry began, but was cut off. "Oh! I know who you are! You're Harry Potter! My cousin told me all about you," said Desiree. She seemed awful freindly and very out-going. When the feast finally ended, they had learned an awful lot about Desiree. Her mother died giving birth to her, and 11 years later, her father re-married Celest's mother. Celest is sixteen, and Natala is 10. They transferred to Hogwarts because of a job offer from the Ministry of Magic, and Desiree's favorite color is orange. Hermione showed Desiree to her room, and helped her unpack a few things while the boys went to their dormitory.

"What about that Desiree, eh?" said Ron while they were changing into their pajamas. "She was very talkative. Not even nervous at all!" They got into their four-posters and sat quietly for a few minutes, then Ron said, "I reckon she could turn out to be a very good friend for Hermione. Be good for her to have another girl around." Then, yawning, he turned around and fell asleep before even waiting to hear an answer form Harry. But Harry was too excited to sleep. His head was spinning with everything that had happened in one day. But eventually, he drifted off to sleep.

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Harry was walking through the woods, trying to get to something at the other end of the Dark Forest. It was calling out to him, in an un-earthly voice. "Harry, Harry! Come to me Harry, come to me. Yes that's right. A-"

"Harry? What are you doing?" It was Desiree.

"W-what?! Why are you in the boys' dormitory?" Harry asked her. She had an odd look on her face.

"Boys' dormitory? Harry, you're in the Common Room. I came down here to get a glass of water, and saw you heading out of the portrait." She looked cocerned. "Are you feeling okay? Maybe you should go back to bed. Here, you go upstairs and to the left. That's where the boy's dorm is. I'll go get my water and-d'ya want me to get the nurse?"

"What? Oh, no I'm fine. I just need to go back to bed." But he couldn't get back to sleep. It was just too weird. This was the third time it's happened in three months. Then Harry, exhausted, and very confused, fell back to sleep.

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At breakfast the next morning, Desiree kept looking uneasily at Harry, and jumped when anyone said something. She did, however, keep whispering to her older sister. Fred and George were handing out course schedules. "Excellent!" said Ron, looking at Desiree's schedule. "You're in all the same classes as us! Oh, but look! Double Divination-first thing in the morning!" Desiree snapped out of her trance.

"Divination? Oh, I love it! It was my favorite class at Beauxbatons," she said. Ron and Harry looked at each other, trying not to laugh. "Oh, you just wait," Ron said. "You're gonna LOVE Professor Trelawny!"

"You have to do this for every Divination lesson?" Desiree, said, gasping for breath. "Where'd Hermione go?"

"She takes Arithmancy instead of Divination. Bit wise, if you ask me. Wish I could," Ron answered. They finally arrived at the step-ladder to Professor Trelawny's classroom. As they descended, Harry whispered to Ron, "Should we warn her about, ya know?"

""Are you kidding? It'd take all the fun out of it!" Ron grinned and jerked his head towards one of the tables further from Professor Trelawny.

"Hey!" Desiree's voice startled them. "What were you two whispering about back there?"

"We'll tell you later, okay?" said Harry. Desiree raised her eyebrow, and was just about to say something, when Professor Trelawny entered the room. She shut her mouth and sat down at the table with Ron and Harry. "What was it?" she whispered to them. Ron just grinned and pointed to Professor Trelawny, who was beginning the lesson.

"Good morning, students. For our first lesson, we will study Aeromancy, a form of Divination based on storms or cloud patterns. Please turn to page 61 in your books. Bring them with you, and we will go outside to continue the lesson." Even though it was Divination, it was good to have an excuse to be outside in such good weather. It was a sunny day, with a slight breeze, and with big, fluffy, white clouds. They all went down by the lake, where there was the best view of the clouds.

"This doesn't make sense. That big one, just there, looks like a chicken with it's head cut off!" proclaimed Ron after quite some time. There is a chicken in the glossary, and a headless goat too, but the chicken means that someone close to me is an enemy, and the headless goat means that I have very trustworthy friends and companions." At this, Harry and Desiree burst out laughing, and only stopped when Professor Trelawny came over to see the cause of the noise. Ron quickly coughed to alert Harry and Desiree.

"Here, let me help you with your interpretations." Ron's grin suddenly vanished from his face. "Hmm... let's see, a scorpion. You are in danger. And, oh my-!" she gasped dramatically,"The Grim!" She saw the look almost everyone else gave her, and quickly turned to help Parvati and Lavender. By the end of the lesson, Desiree was looking worriedly at Harry, but then Ron said, "Don't worry about her. She usually does that about once a week."

"Are you sure? I mean-" Desiree said, looking uncomfortable.

"Yeah, don't worry. She's a right old fraud," whispered Harry. That seemed to cheer up Desiree a bit. "So.... What were you two whispering about?"she said, giggling.

"You just don't quit, do you?" said Ron, laughing.

"Who me?" she said in mock surprise. Laughing, they made their way back up to the castle.

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