A/N: Wow… Thanks for the reviews, guys! It makes me all warm and fuzzy. I'm kind of depressed right now; my stupid puppy had a few boxes of screws (the boxes hold over 7,000 screws each, and are really heavy) fall upon his foot, breaking two bones in it. He keeps limping around, now, with this stupid stint on his foot, yipping away at the stupidest things! ~sigh~ Dumb dogs…
Snuffles' Stay
Chapter Twelve
"Bye, Mum! Write me, soon! Dad… take it easy! EASY! I've got it, Mum, really! No, Mum… no! Don't wipe my face like that… Oiy!" Hermione argued with her Mum, who was busy wiping her face off with saliva and a napkin. "I'll write you when I get to Hogwarts… but I've really got to go now. Bye!"
Hermione pulled back inside of the compartment door, running to a window to glance out at her parents. Mrs. Granger was crying and Mr. Granger was holding her close, running his fingers through her hair. The two of them bid their daughter farewell, and the scarlet steam engine pulled from Platform 9 ¾.
*****
"Harry, look!"
Harry's head popped from behind a corner. "What, Ron?" He rubbed his eyes, yawned, and stepped inside of the compartment. "What?"
Ron pointed at the large black dog and Hermione curled up on the bench. "What do you reckon their doing? Oiy, 'Mione! Wake up!" He moved over and gave Hermione a shake. Snuffles opened an eye, peering at the hand with a look of peeved annoyance, gave a bark, and nudged Hermione.
"Not now…" she murmured, snuggling closer to Snuffles. "I'm tired."
"Hermione!" Harry said, shaking her shoulders with careful ease. "Wake up! C'mon!"
"One more minute…" she murmured again, sighing softly. "One more minute."
Ron arched his eyebrows. "What d'you think's gotten into her?"
"I dunno… but she's awfully close to Sirius." Harry eyed his Godfather carefully. "I wonder what they were up to this summer."
"I don't think I wanna know! Look at them!" Ron eyed the two. "What d'you think…?"
"Don't know… don't know… don't wanna know…"
Ron stifled a laugh. "Oh, look!" he added, hearing the compartment door slide open. "Food!"
The Witch with the Food Cart entered the cabin, brandishing a cart full of sweets extraordinaire. Ron purchased a large bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans, a box of Chocolate Frogs, and a few Licorice Wands, while Harry bought a large jug of Pumpkin Juice and two stacks of Cauldron Cakes. They were older, now; thus, they could pack away more food. Ron helped himself to a Cauldron Cake, and Harry busied himself with a Chocolate Frog.
"They dunno what they're missing out on," Ron said, teeth sinking into a bean. "Oh, wow! I just got an ink flavoured one!" He spit the bean back out. "Right. Remember not to eat the black spotted ones."
Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote down, 'black spotted ones.' Harry and Ron had decided, two years ago, to mark down ever flavoured bean they devoured, making an on-going list of which were the good beans… and which were the bad beans. The list, Harry discovered, was now two rolls of Parchment long.
"I'll read to you here, save your eyes… You'll need them; your boat is at sea. Your anchor is up; you've been swept away… and the greatest of teachers won't hesitate to leave you there by yourself, chained to fate. I alone love you, I alone tempt you… I alone love you, fear is not the end of this…"
"Oiy! 'Mione! Shut up!" Ron picked up a large pillow and chucked it at Hermione. The pillow whapped against Sirius, and bounced into Hermione's face. Hermione sat up, rubbing the side of her head, shooting daggers at Ron.
"Ron! That was rude!"
"No! What was rude was your singing, and your ignoring us earlier! Here… have a Cauldron Cake!" Ron picked up one of the cakes from the two stacks and shoved it into Hermione's opened mouth. "Eat."
Hermione chewed on the cake silently, crossing her arms over her chest. Snuffles' eyes cracked open. He turned one to Ron, then to Harry, and put his head in Hermione's lap.
"Hey, Sirius… you can change, you know."
The dog barked. Seconds later, where there once was a dog, there was a man. He grinned shortly, turning to his Godson with the messy mop of hair. "Good morning to you, too, Harry. You too, Ron."
Harry threw a particularly odd colored bean at Sirius, who caught it in his mouth. He made a face, and soon later, a gagging noise. Harry laughed. "Serves you right."
"Ugh!" said Sirius, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "That was nauseating. What flavour was that thing?"
"Knew you'd like it," Ron said, finishing a Licorice Wand. "Saved it for you, we did. Charred rat."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "How considerate of you. I live off of rats for almost a year for you, Harry, and you repay my freedom with a Charred Rat flavoured bean."
Hermione laughed from the corner; the guys seemed to have forgotten about her. "I always knew you had a taste for delicacy, Sirius!"
"Yes, well… that bean didn't taste much worse than your cooking." Sirius stopped after viewing the look on Hermione's face.
"And what, pray tell, do you mean by that?" she said, voice dripping with a venomous tense.
"Nothing, nothing!" He threw his hands into the air. "Nothing at all!"
"That's what I thought," she answered smugly, slinking back into the depths of the cushioned bench. "I'm a good cook!"
"Yeah… If you're comparing any of her concoctions to Snape's face," Ron muttered.
"What did you just say?"
"Forget I ever existed!"
"That, Ron, can be arranged."
*****
Gale pounded on the compartment windows and gray clouds circled from above. It seemed like every time they ventured to Hogwarts for their beginning-year feast, and the start of a new school year, fleets of furied raindrops greeted them. Hermione curled up to Sirius and absent-mindedly flicked through Excitingly Horrible Magical Beasts and Where You Can Greet Them. Leave it to Hagrid to assign an odd book for class.
Ron and Harry were engrossed in an aggravatingly intense game of Chess; Harry had actually given Ron the slip up, and was, for the first time in how long, winning. Ron's ears were pink with frustration; Chess was one of the best things he was good at, and now Harry had seized that away from him too… but only for the first time since he had met him.
"You remember what I was saying, Harry? This is our last year to play for Gryffindor… I still can't believe that they made me Keeper. And Ginny… a Chaser. Seriously!" Sirius' head shot up at that. "No, not you, Sirius!" Ron directed his Knight to attack Harry's bishop. "HAHA!"
Harry groaned. No matter how hard he tried at chess with Ron, he always seemed to lose, no matter how fruitful his chances seemed.
The compartment door slid open, and in walked Virginia Weasley. She beamed down at her brother and Harry, flushed pink, and took a seat on the compartment bench across from Hermione and Sirius.
"What are you up to, guys?" she asked, fingers twirling around strands of her fiery red hair. "I thought I'd spend the rest of the train ride with you."
"Well, thank you for gracing us with your presence," Ron said, proceeding to smash Harry at chess. "I TOLD YOU I'D WIN! Hand it over, Seeker-Menace!"
With much reluctance, Harry reached into his pocket. Ron's face lit with exasperated malice, a twinge of yielding desire forming on the curve of his lips. "Here," Harry said shortly, shoving something into Ron's hand. "You won it… but I still think you've cheated."
"I won this beauty fair and square… just live up to it! You've always been a bad loser."
"What did you win fair and square, Ron?" Hermione asked, lowering the book. "Please, do inform us."
"This…!" Ron held up a small, single bean between his index finger and his thumb. "This… is the messiah…"
Ginny snorted. "The messiah of what, exactly?"
"The messiah that is Quidditch!"
"I seriously don't know what you're getting to, Ron," Ginny added shortly, bending down to peer at the bean closely.
"You're so thick, you wouldn't understand anyway! This… is the legendary Snitch flavoured Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean. One of the rarest beans to come across…" Ron held up the bean with a look of awe in his bright blue eyes. "Only the Bludger to go."
"You mean to tell me that they have Quidditch flavoured Bertie Botts?"
"I told you, Hermione! When they said 'Every Flavour,' they meant it!"
"And how do you know that it's a Snitch flavoured bean?" Ginny asked, peering ever closely at the small, amber colored bean that was speckled with small, miniscule white circles.
"It's only in the best book there has ever been written, Ginny… don't be so daft!"
Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And what book would that be, dearest brother of mine that sleeps with a teddy bear?"
At Ginny's words, Ron's ears turned a light pink color. "I do not sleep with a teddy bear! Fred and George slipped him into my bed while I was sleeping… I told you that!"
"They did not, Ron, and you know it… I've caught you more than once!"
"OKAY! You're getting off of the subject!" Hermione sat up, shutting the book informing her of a dangerous looking Chimera. "Are you going to be so kind as to inform us what book seems to hold this… impassible knowledge, or are you going to bicker with your little sister like a nine year old?"
Ron's ears brightened. "Well, it was in Quidditch Through The Ages, of course… Where else? There have only been nine Snitch-flavoureds recorded… And this… will be the tenth. Can you imagine how many Galleons some big-shot would pay for this? I'm betting 50,000…" His eyes diverted into a glassy hue.
"Look who's being daft now," Ginny muttered.
The steam-engine pulled to a slow lurch at Hogsmeade station. The students disembarked; Second Years and above heading toward the moldy old carriages, First Years looking around frantically, wondering where they should go.
Sirius was Snuffles once more; he had told them that he needed to speak to Dumbledore and afterwards, would most likely leave to Remus Lupin's flat nearby. He told Hermione, in an undertone, that he would be staying the night, however.
The group (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Snuffles) boarded into a carriage, which set off toward the large castle. None of them talked - Harry was staring out of the carriage window, Hermione was snuggling into Snuffles, and Ginny and Ron were thumb wrestling. Sibling Rivalry… bleh.
"Ron! Ow, that hurts! Stop!"
"Stop being such a bloody prat… you started it!"
"I did not, Ron! You're just too daft to know when you've lost…!"
"I never lose!"
"At Quidditch, maybe… but that won't be for long. This year, I'm going to whoop you. You'll help me, won't you, Harry?" The carriage pulled to a stop and they climbed out. "Won't you, Harry?"
"No. You've got to do it yourself… he's your brother."
Ginny pouted out her bottom lip, eyes watering with dramatic effect. She scooted over, wrapping her arm around Harry's elbow, tugging on his shirt with a soft force. "Please, Harry? Please…?"
Harry almost laughed at the look she was giving him… she seemed almost babyish. "We'll see when the time comes." When Ginny gave a protestant fake sob, Harry grinned, pulled her close to him, and kissed the top of her head. "Just wait a while. We have the whole year ahead of us."
Hermione, Snuffles at her side, glanced around, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. Hogwarts… this was her home, her life. "C'mon, Snuffles… we should run up to Dumbledore's before the feast begins."
"We'll meet up with you two later?" Harry asked, eyes falling on Snuffles. Snuffles gave a bark, jumping up and putting his front paws on Harry's chest. "I'll take that as a yes?"
The two departed, walking down the hallway until they reached a familiar staircase. They climbed up the stairs, turned, and walked down the remainder of the hallway, until they reached the large stone Gargoyle. Hermione leaned against it, watching as Snuffles' black body twisted and distorted until Sirius stood before her.
"I'm going to head back down to the feast. Dumbledore should be here in a few minutes." She paused, smiled, and gave Sirius a tight hug.
"You are correct about one thing, Miss Granger," said a voice from behind them. Hermione let go of Sirius abruptly. "Oh! Professor! It's so nice to see you again!"
"And you, Miss Granger." His blue eyes twinkled merrily. "I was just coming back to my rooms to fetch my wool socks. It seems as though there are holes in my nice blue ones, here!" He lifted the hem of his robes to reveal his sock-laden feet - only, though, his toes were sticking through his left sock. "Alas… I knew the time would come when I would wear these out! No matter… I suspect that a particular house elf will be very pleased if I present him with the newly re-stitched version of them."
Hermione chuckled. Yes, she thought. Dobby would like those socks. Anything that Dumbledore would present him, he would love.
"Well, Miss Granger… why don't you descend back unto the feast, and grace the Great Hall with your presence. They will be expecting you at Gryffindor table, to award you of your Head Girl priority, I presume!"
She nodded, turned on her heel, and marched back down the hall, cascaded down the length of the staircase, and walked down the Entrance Hall to the Great Hall. She entered, the noisy blast hitting her full on.
Ron had saved Hermione a seat next to him, which she took gratefully. They always seemed to save seats for each other. The Hall continued to bustle with noise, until a stern-looking McGonagall entered the Great Hall, placing the Stool with the Ceremonious Sorting Hat upon it next to the High Table.
The Witch disappeared in the corner of the Great Hall, and emerged a few minutes later, followed by a group of nervous looking First Years. McGonagall stood next to the Sorting Hat's stool, took a roll of parchment, and called out names of the First Years to begin the sorting.
"Barmithius, Adeite!"
A moment later, the Sorting Hat shouted "RAVENCLAW!"
"Brinkton, Elle!"
The new girl was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff.
The sorting continued; all in all, there were 20 extra Hufflepuffs, 25 Ravenclaws, 31 Slytherins, and 31 Gryffindors. Clapped out, the students awaited the beginning-of-the-year announcements, and the feast to begin.
"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" Dumbledore's voice began, coming from the entrance of the Great Hall. "May you enjoy your stay here, learn, and grow! Let the feast begin!" With a clap of his hands, the platters before them on the house tables filled with luscious foods, and the crowd dug in.
"The house elfs have really outdone themselves this time," Ron managed through mouthfuls of Beef Stew. "I think this is Dumbledore's way of grieving the loss of his three favourite students…"
"And who exactly would that be, Ron?" asked Hermione, the hairs on the back of her neck sticking up. House elfs were still a touchy subject.
"Who else, but us?"
A/N: Weee! I would be giving feedback to you reviewers… but… I don't feel like it ^_^; LoL! I'm lazy, what can I say? Anyway! This chapter is kind of boring; I'm sorry about it, but it had to be done! There's not much Sirius/Hermione action here… the occasional snuggling, but that doesn't count much, eh? The plot's only just evolving for the school year, and stuff… so don't get mad if there isn't much snogging action, 'cause I don't know where I'm going to put it all yet. I'll try my hardest to please yeh.
"Bye, Mum! Write me, soon! Dad… take it easy! EASY! I've got it, Mum, really! No, Mum… no! Don't wipe my face like that… Oiy!" Hermione argued with her Mum, who was busy wiping her face off with saliva and a napkin. "I'll write you when I get to Hogwarts… but I've really got to go now. Bye!"
Hermione pulled back inside of the compartment door, running to a window to glance out at her parents. Mrs. Granger was crying and Mr. Granger was holding her close, running his fingers through her hair. The two of them bid their daughter farewell, and the scarlet steam engine pulled from Platform 9 ¾.
"Harry, look!"
Harry's head popped from behind a corner. "What, Ron?" He rubbed his eyes, yawned, and stepped inside of the compartment. "What?"
Ron pointed at the large black dog and Hermione curled up on the bench. "What do you reckon their doing? Oiy, 'Mione! Wake up!" He moved over and gave Hermione a shake. Snuffles opened an eye, peering at the hand with a look of peeved annoyance, gave a bark, and nudged Hermione.
"Not now…" she murmured, snuggling closer to Snuffles. "I'm tired."
"Hermione!" Harry said, shaking her shoulders with careful ease. "Wake up! C'mon!"
"One more minute…" she murmured again, sighing softly. "One more minute."
Ron arched his eyebrows. "What d'you think's gotten into her?"
"I dunno… but she's awfully close to Sirius." Harry eyed his Godfather carefully. "I wonder what they were up to this summer."
"I don't think I wanna know! Look at them!" Ron eyed the two. "What d'you think…?"
"Don't know… don't know… don't wanna know…"
Ron stifled a laugh. "Oh, look!" he added, hearing the compartment door slide open. "Food!"
The Witch with the Food Cart entered the cabin, brandishing a cart full of sweets extraordinaire. Ron purchased a large bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans, a box of Chocolate Frogs, and a few Licorice Wands, while Harry bought a large jug of Pumpkin Juice and two stacks of Cauldron Cakes. They were older, now; thus, they could pack away more food. Ron helped himself to a Cauldron Cake, and Harry busied himself with a Chocolate Frog.
"They dunno what they're missing out on," Ron said, teeth sinking into a bean. "Oh, wow! I just got an ink flavoured one!" He spit the bean back out. "Right. Remember not to eat the black spotted ones."
Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote down, 'black spotted ones.' Harry and Ron had decided, two years ago, to mark down ever flavoured bean they devoured, making an on-going list of which were the good beans… and which were the bad beans. The list, Harry discovered, was now two rolls of Parchment long.
"I'll read to you here, save your eyes… You'll need them; your boat is at sea. Your anchor is up; you've been swept away… and the greatest of teachers won't hesitate to leave you there by yourself, chained to fate. I alone love you, I alone tempt you… I alone love you, fear is not the end of this…"
"Oiy! 'Mione! Shut up!" Ron picked up a large pillow and chucked it at Hermione. The pillow whapped against Sirius, and bounced into Hermione's face. Hermione sat up, rubbing the side of her head, shooting daggers at Ron.
"Ron! That was rude!"
"No! What was rude was your singing, and your ignoring us earlier! Here… have a Cauldron Cake!" Ron picked up one of the cakes from the two stacks and shoved it into Hermione's opened mouth. "Eat."
Hermione chewed on the cake silently, crossing her arms over her chest. Snuffles' eyes cracked open. He turned one to Ron, then to Harry, and put his head in Hermione's lap.
"Hey, Sirius… you can change, you know."
The dog barked. Seconds later, where there once was a dog, there was a man. He grinned shortly, turning to his Godson with the messy mop of hair. "Good morning to you, too, Harry. You too, Ron."
Harry threw a particularly odd colored bean at Sirius, who caught it in his mouth. He made a face, and soon later, a gagging noise. Harry laughed. "Serves you right."
"Ugh!" said Sirius, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "That was nauseating. What flavour was that thing?"
"Knew you'd like it," Ron said, finishing a Licorice Wand. "Saved it for you, we did. Charred rat."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "How considerate of you. I live off of rats for almost a year for you, Harry, and you repay my freedom with a Charred Rat flavoured bean."
Hermione laughed from the corner; the guys seemed to have forgotten about her. "I always knew you had a taste for delicacy, Sirius!"
"Yes, well… that bean didn't taste much worse than your cooking." Sirius stopped after viewing the look on Hermione's face.
"And what, pray tell, do you mean by that?" she said, voice dripping with a venomous tense.
"Nothing, nothing!" He threw his hands into the air. "Nothing at all!"
"That's what I thought," she answered smugly, slinking back into the depths of the cushioned bench. "I'm a good cook!"
"Yeah… If you're comparing any of her concoctions to Snape's face," Ron muttered.
"What did you just say?"
"Forget I ever existed!"
"That, Ron, can be arranged."
Gale pounded on the compartment windows and gray clouds circled from above. It seemed like every time they ventured to Hogwarts for their beginning-year feast, and the start of a new school year, fleets of furied raindrops greeted them. Hermione curled up to Sirius and absent-mindedly flicked through Excitingly Horrible Magical Beasts and Where You Can Greet Them. Leave it to Hagrid to assign an odd book for class.
Ron and Harry were engrossed in an aggravatingly intense game of Chess; Harry had actually given Ron the slip up, and was, for the first time in how long, winning. Ron's ears were pink with frustration; Chess was one of the best things he was good at, and now Harry had seized that away from him too… but only for the first time since he had met him.
"You remember what I was saying, Harry? This is our last year to play for Gryffindor… I still can't believe that they made me Keeper. And Ginny… a Chaser. Seriously!" Sirius' head shot up at that. "No, not you, Sirius!" Ron directed his Knight to attack Harry's bishop. "HAHA!"
Harry groaned. No matter how hard he tried at chess with Ron, he always seemed to lose, no matter how fruitful his chances seemed.
The compartment door slid open, and in walked Virginia Weasley. She beamed down at her brother and Harry, flushed pink, and took a seat on the compartment bench across from Hermione and Sirius.
"What are you up to, guys?" she asked, fingers twirling around strands of her fiery red hair. "I thought I'd spend the rest of the train ride with you."
"Well, thank you for gracing us with your presence," Ron said, proceeding to smash Harry at chess. "I TOLD YOU I'D WIN! Hand it over, Seeker-Menace!"
With much reluctance, Harry reached into his pocket. Ron's face lit with exasperated malice, a twinge of yielding desire forming on the curve of his lips. "Here," Harry said shortly, shoving something into Ron's hand. "You won it… but I still think you've cheated."
"I won this beauty fair and square… just live up to it! You've always been a bad loser."
"What did you win fair and square, Ron?" Hermione asked, lowering the book. "Please, do inform us."
"This…!" Ron held up a small, single bean between his index finger and his thumb. "This… is the messiah…"
Ginny snorted. "The messiah of what, exactly?"
"The messiah that is Quidditch!"
"I seriously don't know what you're getting to, Ron," Ginny added shortly, bending down to peer at the bean closely.
"You're so thick, you wouldn't understand anyway! This… is the legendary Snitch flavoured Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean. One of the rarest beans to come across…" Ron held up the bean with a look of awe in his bright blue eyes. "Only the Bludger to go."
"You mean to tell me that they have Quidditch flavoured Bertie Botts?"
"I told you, Hermione! When they said 'Every Flavour,' they meant it!"
"And how do you know that it's a Snitch flavoured bean?" Ginny asked, peering ever closely at the small, amber colored bean that was speckled with small, miniscule white circles.
"It's only in the best book there has ever been written, Ginny… don't be so daft!"
Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And what book would that be, dearest brother of mine that sleeps with a teddy bear?"
At Ginny's words, Ron's ears turned a light pink color. "I do not sleep with a teddy bear! Fred and George slipped him into my bed while I was sleeping… I told you that!"
"They did not, Ron, and you know it… I've caught you more than once!"
"OKAY! You're getting off of the subject!" Hermione sat up, shutting the book informing her of a dangerous looking Chimera. "Are you going to be so kind as to inform us what book seems to hold this… impassible knowledge, or are you going to bicker with your little sister like a nine year old?"
Ron's ears brightened. "Well, it was in Quidditch Through The Ages, of course… Where else? There have only been nine Snitch-flavoureds recorded… And this… will be the tenth. Can you imagine how many Galleons some big-shot would pay for this? I'm betting 50,000…" His eyes diverted into a glassy hue.
"Look who's being daft now," Ginny muttered.
The steam-engine pulled to a slow lurch at Hogsmeade station. The students disembarked; Second Years and above heading toward the moldy old carriages, First Years looking around frantically, wondering where they should go.
Sirius was Snuffles once more; he had told them that he needed to speak to Dumbledore and afterwards, would most likely leave to Remus Lupin's flat nearby. He told Hermione, in an undertone, that he would be staying the night, however.
The group (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Snuffles) boarded into a carriage, which set off toward the large castle. None of them talked - Harry was staring out of the carriage window, Hermione was snuggling into Snuffles, and Ginny and Ron were thumb wrestling. Sibling Rivalry… bleh.
"Ron! Ow, that hurts! Stop!"
"Stop being such a bloody prat… you started it!"
"I did not, Ron! You're just too daft to know when you've lost…!"
"I never lose!"
"At Quidditch, maybe… but that won't be for long. This year, I'm going to whoop you. You'll help me, won't you, Harry?" The carriage pulled to a stop and they climbed out. "Won't you, Harry?"
"No. You've got to do it yourself… he's your brother."
Ginny pouted out her bottom lip, eyes watering with dramatic effect. She scooted over, wrapping her arm around Harry's elbow, tugging on his shirt with a soft force. "Please, Harry? Please…?"
Harry almost laughed at the look she was giving him… she seemed almost babyish. "We'll see when the time comes." When Ginny gave a protestant fake sob, Harry grinned, pulled her close to him, and kissed the top of her head. "Just wait a while. We have the whole year ahead of us."
Hermione, Snuffles at her side, glanced around, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. Hogwarts… this was her home, her life. "C'mon, Snuffles… we should run up to Dumbledore's before the feast begins."
"We'll meet up with you two later?" Harry asked, eyes falling on Snuffles. Snuffles gave a bark, jumping up and putting his front paws on Harry's chest. "I'll take that as a yes?"
The two departed, walking down the hallway until they reached a familiar staircase. They climbed up the stairs, turned, and walked down the remainder of the hallway, until they reached the large stone Gargoyle. Hermione leaned against it, watching as Snuffles' black body twisted and distorted until Sirius stood before her.
"I'm going to head back down to the feast. Dumbledore should be here in a few minutes." She paused, smiled, and gave Sirius a tight hug.
"You are correct about one thing, Miss Granger," said a voice from behind them. Hermione let go of Sirius abruptly. "Oh! Professor! It's so nice to see you again!"
"And you, Miss Granger." His blue eyes twinkled merrily. "I was just coming back to my rooms to fetch my wool socks. It seems as though there are holes in my nice blue ones, here!" He lifted the hem of his robes to reveal his sock-laden feet - only, though, his toes were sticking through his left sock. "Alas… I knew the time would come when I would wear these out! No matter… I suspect that a particular house elf will be very pleased if I present him with the newly re-stitched version of them."
Hermione chuckled. Yes, she thought. Dobby would like those socks. Anything that Dumbledore would present him, he would love.
"Well, Miss Granger… why don't you descend back unto the feast, and grace the Great Hall with your presence. They will be expecting you at Gryffindor table, to award you of your Head Girl priority, I presume!"
She nodded, turned on her heel, and marched back down the hall, cascaded down the length of the staircase, and walked down the Entrance Hall to the Great Hall. She entered, the noisy blast hitting her full on.
Ron had saved Hermione a seat next to him, which she took gratefully. They always seemed to save seats for each other. The Hall continued to bustle with noise, until a stern-looking McGonagall entered the Great Hall, placing the Stool with the Ceremonious Sorting Hat upon it next to the High Table.
The Witch disappeared in the corner of the Great Hall, and emerged a few minutes later, followed by a group of nervous looking First Years. McGonagall stood next to the Sorting Hat's stool, took a roll of parchment, and called out names of the First Years to begin the sorting.
"Barmithius, Adeite!"
A moment later, the Sorting Hat shouted "RAVENCLAW!"
"Brinkton, Elle!"
The new girl was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff.
The sorting continued; all in all, there were 20 extra Hufflepuffs, 25 Ravenclaws, 31 Slytherins, and 31 Gryffindors. Clapped out, the students awaited the beginning-of-the-year announcements, and the feast to begin.
"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" Dumbledore's voice began, coming from the entrance of the Great Hall. "May you enjoy your stay here, learn, and grow! Let the feast begin!" With a clap of his hands, the platters before them on the house tables filled with luscious foods, and the crowd dug in.
"The house elfs have really outdone themselves this time," Ron managed through mouthfuls of Beef Stew. "I think this is Dumbledore's way of grieving the loss of his three favourite students…"
"And who exactly would that be, Ron?" asked Hermione, the hairs on the back of her neck sticking up. House elfs were still a touchy subject.
"Who else, but us?"
A/N: Weee! I would be giving feedback to you reviewers… but… I don't feel like it ^_^; LoL! I'm lazy, what can I say? Anyway! This chapter is kind of boring; I'm sorry about it, but it had to be done! There's not much Sirius/Hermione action here… the occasional snuggling, but that doesn't count much, eh? The plot's only just evolving for the school year, and stuff… so don't get mad if there isn't much snogging action, 'cause I don't know where I'm going to put it all yet. I'll try my hardest to please yeh.