Chapter Two
Names to the Faces
Everyone's attention turned to Dumbledore, awaiting his usual beginning of term announcements.
"Welcome," he repeated himself, " to another year at Hogwarts. I hope with the best of me that this year will sail by smoothly." Here he paused and surveyed the room; his face grim. Everyone knew what he was referring to, and it forced small snorts out of several disbelieving students. Not everyone in the wizarding world believed what Dumbledore had been saying about Voldermort. Not everyone believed he had returned.
"On a happier note," Dumbledore continued, " I am pleased to introduce to you your new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Mr. Macinson."
Harry's eyes snapped to the tall, tan man with light brown hair now standing a few seats to the left of the headmaster. With everything that had happened over the summer and on the train, he had completely forgotten about getting a new teacher. Harry laughed to himself as he realized he was a little shocked; he had, after all, known this was going to happen. Then his silent laughter ceased as he caught sight of Snape. The corners of the professor's mouth were pulled downwards in a gruesome frown; his steely black eyes glaring at the new professor.
It was a well-known fact that Snape, the potions teacher, wanted the Defense Against The Dark Arts job. It was also a well-known fact that he never got it, and he never liked the teacher that did.
"Get a lode of Snape," Ron whispered into Harry's ear. Snape was the trio's least favorite teacher, and anything that could cause him to look as though he was in pain, to them was considered a good thing.
"I guess Dumbledore refused to give him the position again." Hermione said nonchalantly. Snape had been trying for the DADA position since their first year at Hogwarts. Harry just shrugged and cast a glance towards the Americans. All three of them were staring up at Dumbledore with a look of either admiration or annoyance, Harry wasn't quite sure. But whichever it was, their eyes never strayed from the headmaster.
"I'm sure you all will enjoy his lessons," Dumbledore said, once again causing Harry to tear his eyes away from the Americans and focus them on the center of the large staff table. "Now, a few minor announcements before the feast can commence. One, the forbidden forest is exactly that, forbidden. It is off limits to ALL students. Two, the curfew for ALL students, has been changed from 11 o'clock to 10 o'clock p.m. And lastly," he looked around the room at the sea of faces before him. Harry couldn't help but think Dumbledore looked rather sad, but shook the thought as Dumbledore resumed talking. "Each and every one of you, and I mean ALL of you…must and I mean MUST…" his suddenly stern face was making everyone nervous. Even some of the teachers looked slightly alarmed. What must they do, Harry thought. " Enjoy this meal to its fullest and stuff your faces full of the most delicious food Hogwarts has ever made!" Dumbledore's face broke into a wide smile as everyone in the great hall cheered. Foods of every sort magically appeared on the table before them and the hungry students eagerly dove in. No one noticed as Dumbledore's smile faltered for a quick second before he helped himself to a bowl of mashed potatoes.
"That was the best meal ever," Ron said as he patted his belly. The plates had just been cleared and the students were waiting to return to the common room.
"Well, I know I'm full," sighed Ginny.
"Well Ron, we better head out," Hermione suggested as she caught sight of the other Prefects rounding up the young first-years. Ron only looked at her quizzically.
"What?" he asked.
Hermione just rolled her eyes and replied, " We are Prefects Ron. We have to help take the first years up to the common room. Now come on!" Hermione rose from the bench and began walking towards the end of the table. Ron rose to follow her, mumbling under his breath the whole time.
"Well, we might as well get going too," Harry suggested to Ginny and Neville. The three of them rose and followed the first-years and Prefects out of the Great Hall. Glancing back as he reached the doors, Harry realized they were the bulk of the few Gryffindor's that were leaving for the common room. The majority of Gryffindors that were second-year or above were gathered around the middle of the house table, laughing at some joke the Americans had told.
"They cant be that bad if they were sorted into Gryffindor you know," Ginny said, seeming to sense Harry's wondering eyes.
"We'll find out once they get up to the dorms I guess," Neville whispered. He too was staring at the Americans. Harry just shrugged and continued walking.
"We better catch up to them if we want to know the password," Ginny said, nodding towards the retreating backs of the first-years. The three of them broke into a jog up the stairs.
Harry, Ginny and Neville had been sitting in three cozy armchairs by the fireplace for ten minutes when Ron and Hermione came to join them. Ron slumped down on the sofa with a sigh and Hermione plopped down beside him.
"First-years are annoying," Ron spat, ignoring the death glances shot at him by Hermione.
"They are not…Hey, where is every one?" Hermione cut off in mid sentence when she noticed the lack of students in the common rooms.
"They aren't in the dorms already are they?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head.
"Everyone's still down stairs, talking to the new students," he said cynically. Ron and Hermione both looked at him for a moment. "Oh," they said simultaneously. The five of them sat in silence for a few moments as Hermione angrily scowled at the fireplace.
"Uh, Hermione?" Ginny asked gingerly. Hermione's eyes didn't move. " Well, don't you think that if they were sorted into Gryffindor, well, then they really can't be what Harry says you think they are?" At this Hermione's eyes shot at Harry; he hadn't been supposed to tell any one that.
"What?" squeaked Neville, " what do you think they are Hermione?" Hermione however didn't answer, she just hardened her stare.
"W-well," Harry started, unsure of just what to say. "She thinks they might be…might be," he glanced feverishly at Ron, whose eyes were wide, " she thinks they might be Death Eaters." He finished in a quick breath. Ron's eyes grew even wider as Hermione's shrunk into tiny slits.
"Death Eaters!" Neville screamed, causing the few students who were present in the common room to look at them.
"Be quiet," Hermione snapped. "It's just a theory, we don't have proof…yet," she added as an afterthought. Harry saw a small shiver run through Neville.
"But what if they are, and we have to share a dorm with them?" Neville looked on the verge of tears.
"Neville, calm down." Ginny said and placed a hand on his shaking arm. Then, turning to Hermione she said, " but they were put in Gryffindor. There's no way a bunch of Death Eaters would be sorted into Gryffindor. There's just no way."
"Besides, we really don't have any reason to think that they are. They haven't really done anything to us. The only people they've been deliberately mean to are Slytherins, and I don't see a problem with that." Ron whispered, weary of Hermione's anger. Her eyes slowly narrowed in on Ron; he swallowed hard.
"Fine," she seethed through clinched teeth, " you can all go on your merry way and be friends with them. But when something happens to you because of your pretty little girlfriend Ron, don't come crying to me!" And with that she pushed herself from the sofa and stormed up the stairs to the girls dormitory, leaving the rest of them staring after her in silence.
"Um, I think maybe we should have handled that better," Ginny said.
"Geez, she really doesn't like to be proved wrong does she? And what was that thing about my girlfriend? That girl ain't my girlfriend, I don't even know her name," Ron sighed, seeming to be more mad about her not being his girlfriend than he was about Hermione saying she was.
"What if she was right? What if they are Death Eaters?" Neville asked.
"Neville, I honestly doubt they are. The sorting hat wouldn't have put them in Gryffindor, and I'm sure Dumbledore would have known if they were." Neville sighed deeply and stood up.
" I have to go to bed, but," he shivered slightly, "promise me that when those Americans come up to bed you guys will come too. I don't want to be in there alone with them." Harry and Ron exchanged glances, "Um…ok." Ron said. Neville nodded and trudged off towards the boys' dormitory.
"Poor guy," sighed Ginny.
"He'll be fine," said Harry. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. They all would be fine. Wouldn't they?
Ron yawned deeply and let his head fall back on the soft cushioning of the big red sofa. Ginny's eyelids hung drowsily and Harry himself began to feel the fatigue from the day's events.
"Gin, you should go up to bed," Ron said through a yawn.
"Humph, so should you." They both seemed to agree, but neither Weasley moved. Harry himself wasn't going to bed until the rest of the Gryffindors came up. As it turns out he didn't have to wait too long.
A few moments later, and a few small snores out of Ron, the portrait hole swung open with a loud screech. Harry, Ron and Ginny's heads all jerked toward the portrait hole, all three looking wide awake in an instant. The first to clamber through was Dean Thomas, closely followed by Seamus Finnigan. Neither of them seemed to notice the three other Gryffindors already occupying the common room; neither did the rest of the students who piled in after them. Lee Jordan, Fred and George Weasley, Parvati Patil, and a hoard of other students came pouring through the portrait hole like water through a spout. In the middle of the throng of students stood the Americans themselves, all with a look of smugness upon their faces.
The group of Gryffindors stood in the center of the common room talking noisily for a few moments before students started heading towards the dormitories. It was getting late and everyone had a full day of classes tomorrow. Soon, the only ones left in the common room were Harry, Ron, Ginny and the three Americans. Harry was beginning to wish they would just hurry up and go to bed. He was exhausted. Ron's head kept dropping down to his chest and then he would jerk back awake with a snort; Ginny was still in the common room, but she was sound asleep in her chair. The American's on the other hand showed no signs of being tired. They were lively and seemed to be full of energy, talking eagerly among themselves. Harry was too far away to hear what they were talking about, but he caught their eyes occasionally straying over to where he set.
They were huddled around a small coffee table at the other end of the common room, near the door to the boys' dormitories. The girl and the smaller of the two boys sat on a large red sofa while the other boy sat on the edge of a small ottoman. The smaller boy's dark brown hair fell in find strands down to his eyebrows. His crystal blue eyes were live and vivid, opening widely every few minutes at something one of his friends was saying. The other two looked just as excited and just as awake. What were they talking about? It was obviously something that they hadn't wanted to talk about around everyone else, or they wouldn't have been up so late.
"Ron…RON!" Ron's head jerked up form his chest with a snort and his eyes scanned the room, finally focusing on Harry. He looked as though he didn't know where he was.
"W-what?"
"Lets go to bed."
"But you said.."
"I know, but lets go now." Ron looked at him quizzically, opened his mouth to protest, and then closed it quickly. The thought of sleep seemed like a good idea to him. Harry rose and gently shook the sleeping Ginny's shoulders. She woke up with the same startled expression as Ron and gazed tiredly at Harry.
"Huh?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"It's time for bed Gin." Without hesitation she sleepily rose from her chair and walked to the girls' dormitory.
Yawning, Harry and Ron began walking to their own dormitory. As they came closer to the Americans, Harry felt his breath catch in his throat. With every step he took he mentally scolded himself to act natural. They were almost within earshot. His palms began to sweat. Why the hell was he so nervous? He was beginning to be able to make out their words, even over the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.
"Yea, but the …"
"Quidditch teams here are pretty good aren't they?" The girl's eyes were now on Harry. She had caught him and Ron coming towards them before the two others did. By the stunned look on the boys' faces, Harry guessed that quidditch wasn't what they had been talking about. It had been the taller boy that was talking, but the girl interrupted him before he could finish. She must have been weary about who heard what he was going to say. Harry met her eyes as the other two caught on and looked up to face him. There. It was still there. There was something in that girl's eyes. Harry could feel it, but he didn't know what it was.
Before he knew what happened the three Americans were on their feet and glaring at Harry and Ron. Ron almost ran into the taller of the two boys who stood up right in his path. Harry choked on his breath. They didn't look too happy. Did they know that Harry had been trying to ease drop? How could they?
"Uh, can you please, um, excuse us please? We're just um, trying to get up to bed." Harry whispered after he found his voice; it had been hiding somewhere between his feet and stomach.
"Of course," the girl smiled, " we were just headed up to bed as well. I guess we'll see you in the morning." Her voice was sweet and didn't contain the hint of malice that was visible on her face. Grinning from ear to ear, she swept past Harry and Ron and crossed the room to the girls' dormitory. The two boys left behind eyed Harry and Ron for a moment before the smaller one held out his hand.
"Hi, I'm Quinlan, this is Conrad, and that was Cari. I guess we all haven't gotten off to a great start have we? You know, with the train ride and all." His voice trailed off and his hand remained frozen in air. Harry just looked at him. He wasn't sure what to do. Quinlan, too, sounded sincere, yet Harry still felt as though he shouldn't trust him.
"Well, you going to shake his hand or not scar…," Conrad shut his mouth before he could finish. Unlike his two friends, he gave no effort to hide the hate in his voice, "I mean Harry," he mumbled quickly.
"Sorry," Harry muttered under his breath as he too extended his hand. "This is Ron and I'm, well, I guess you guys already know who I am." Quinlan and Conrad exchanged curious glances as Harry drew his hand back. "I don't mean to be rude, but like I said, we were just heading up to bed so…"
Quinlan nodded and stepped aside. Ron smiled to both boys and lead the way up the stairs. As soon as he and Harry were far enough away from the two other boys, Harry grabbed Ron by the back of the ropes and forced him to a halt.
"What now?" Ron asked.
"I don't trust them. I know they were talking about us before we came up to them. And did you see how that girl, Cari, looked at me? Like she wanted to kill me? I don't trust them."
"Harry, mate. You're just being paranoid. They were actually being friendly. Like he said, we all got off to a pretty rough start."
" I know what he said Ron, but I don't believe that they want to make any more friends than they already have, if you know what I mean."
"No, I don't know what you mean Harry. I'm too tired to know what you mean. Can't we just discuss this in the morning? When my brains actually working and I can keep my eyes open?"
"Ron, we have to.." but Harry didn't have much of a choice. He could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. "We'll talk about it in the morning. Ron blew out a sigh of relief and finished walking up the stairs. Harry didn't get much sleep that night.