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Harry waited for Ron and Hermione.  When they approached the carriages, Harry saw Ginny give him a frightful glance and then hurry off to meet up with her fellow fifth year Gryffindors.

"Ron, what's wrong with Ginny? She's acting awfully strange."  Hermione had asked the question Harry was thinking.

"I don't know. You were the one who was supposed to make sense of her on holiday."  Ron stuffed Pig's cage into the carriage.

"For heaven's sake, Ron! You're her brother! Don't you think you could at least take an interest in what's bothering her?"

Harry had had enough.  He held up a hand to both of them before Ron could respond.  "Don't start fighting.  Can't we at least have one peaceful night without you two bickering back and forth?"  He tried very hard to keep his voice steady and calm.

Neither Ron nor Hermione answered.  They just nodded and climbed into the carriage.  Harry, thankful for peace and quiet at last, climbed in behind them.

The moment Harry walked into the Great Hall the knot in his stomach seemed to loosen a bit.  He was back at Hogwarts.  Every room he walked into wouldn't remind him of his godfather, perhaps.

Ron prodded him as they took their seats at the Gryffindor table.  "Who's that?"  He was pointing to a very pretty woman sitting between Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick.  She had shoulder length blonde hair and very large, very bright blue eyes.

Harry saw her glance in his direction, then return to her conversation with Professor Sprout.  "Well, one things for certain, she'll be the new Defense teacher.  There isn't anyone else new up there.  Wonder what she'll be like?"  Harry fell silent as he saw Hermione and Ginny exchange odd glances.

Before he could ask what they were thinking, Professor McGonagall brought the first years into the Great Hall.  She looked absolutely furious about something.  As the line passed between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, Harry saw the Parkinson boy pinching a bleeding nose and the small red haired boy's left eye swelling rapidly.

Seamus leaned across Ron, chuckling. "Well Harry, looks like those two have been at it again."

The hall fell silent as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat and stool in front of the line of first years.  Harry sat in a daze, not hearing the Sorting Hat's song.

The entire hall rang with applause.  Harry jerked from his daydream about crawling into his four poster bed at last.

"When I call your name, you will sit on the stool and I will place the hat on your head.  Once the hat has called out your house, you may go and join your house mates."

Harry barely paid attention to the names being called until McGonagall called out, "Evans, Mark."  Harry snapped his head around so fast, he felt his neck crick.  Making his way to the stool was the small red haired boy with a very black eye.

"I know that kid!" Harry whispered urgently to Ron.  "He lives a few streets over from my aunt and uncle.  Dudley beat him up last summer!"

Ron laughed.  "Well it looks like he's started sticking up for himself."

Harry nodded in agreement, but something was bothering him.  Although he realized why Mark Evans looked familiar, Harry felt as if he knew him in a different way.  Harry jumped and nearly fell off his seat when the Sorting Hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"

Mark jumped from the stool, but Professor McGonagall stopped him.  She leaned down and whispered in his ear.  Mark nodded and, looking glum, set off back across the hall and back into the Entrance Hall.

"Wonder where she's sending him?"  Ron asked.

"Must be to the hospital wing.  See, she's talking to Madame Pomfrey." Hermione turned to Ron.  "Did you tell McGonagall about those two fighting on the train, like I asked you to?"

Ron's ears went red, but he did not look at Hermione.

Hermione looked as furious as McGonagall had.  "I swear Ron; I don't know why you even bothered to accept Prefect's duties! You don't even try!  Fine, I'll tell her myself after dinner. Of course, I'm always the one who has to make up for your slack!"  She got up from her chair and stomped off.  She settled in between Lavender and a second year boy, who looked thoroughly frightened of her.

"What has gotten into her lately?  She and Ginny have been complete nightmares since they came back from holiday!"  Ron looked horrified at being told off.

Harry, knowing better than to get into the matter, only shrugged.   He thought Hermione had made her point perfectly clear. On the other hand, he had to agree with Ron.  Something was different about Hermione and Ginny since their return from America. 

They both sat in silence and watched the rest of the first years being sorted.  When Andrew Parkinson was sorted into Slytherin; ("Big surprise there." Harry heard Hermione say.)   he was obviously given the same instructions as Mark Evans.  Professor Snape must have been the one designated to accompany him; he left with a quick nod to McGonagall.

When all the first years had taken their seats, Dumbledore rose and smiled to them all. "First let us welcome our new students to Hogwarts."  He applauded and the rest of the Great Hall followed suit. "And let us not forget all our returning students. Welcome back to school." Again he applauded.  "Now, join me in welcoming a new member to our staff.  Once again we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." 

Dumbledore stopped as the Hall rang with laughter.  The whole situation had become a bit of a joke with the older students.  No teacher had lasted more than one year in the school in nearly 7 years. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat and held up his hand, still smiling.  "Yes, I'm sure you are all used to this by now.  However, join me in welcoming Professor Nicole Bombeck to Hogwarts." 

The pretty blonde stood and gave a smile. Applause rang through the Hall, but Harry noticed that it mostly seemed to come from the male population of the school. Ron leaned sideways, not taking his eyes from Professor Bombeck.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love Defense class?"  Ron said, in a dreamy sort of voice. 

Harry laughed.  He looked down the table at Hermione, who was surprisingly staring back at Ron.  She certainly did not look pleased with Ron's behavior. She caught Harry watching her and dropped her eyes down to her plate.

Professor Bombeck took her seat once again, and Dumbledore spoke. "Now, why don't we dig into our delicious feast?"

Harry sat pushing the food around his plate.  Ron had tried to convince Hermione to come back and sit with them, but she flatly refused. So now, Ron sat across from Harry, forming small hills with his mashed potatoes.

"What is the matter with the two of you?  I thought Ron had never met a meal he didn't like."  Dean Thomas said.

Ron glared at him, but Harry didn't look up. It wasn't until he felt a tug on his sleeve that he even realized other people existed in the room.

"Hello Harry, how have you been?"  It was Cho.

 Harry stared at her for a moment; not really sure why she was talking to him.

"Oh, uh...hi Cho.  Not bad, I guess."  Harry lied.  He saw the gold badge on the front of her robes.  He had forgotten she was Head Girl now.  "Congratulations on making Head Girl."

She smiled broadly at him, and Harry felt the strangest sensation.  Nothing, pure nothing.  The familiar flip of his stomach wasn't there.  For three years he had felt it every time she even came close.  Now, here she was, talking to him and nothing was happening.  It was odd.

"Oh, thanks.  That's not all, I made Quidditch captain too."  Her smile faltered slightly when he didn't say anything. "Listen, Harry, I was wondering if we could have a chat.  Not here and now, but sometime soon in private."  She bit her lip and watched him for a moment.

Harry hadn't really heard the last part of the conversation.  He watched Madame Pomfrey and Professor Snape bringing the two boys back into the Hall.  Then the mention of Quidditch made him think of something else.  "Wonder if Katie's captain this year?  Wonder if McGonagall will let me on the team?"   Slowly Cho's request filtered through his thoughts. "Oh, um, well I suppose.  When do you want to talk?"  Harry didn't want to talk to her, but he couldn't just brush her off.

"How about tomorrow evening after dinner, down by the lake?" 

"Yeah, okay.  See you then."  She left and Harry turned back to his plate.

"What was that all about?  I thought she was with that Corner creep?"  Ron asked.

Harry shrugged, but didn't say anything.  Whatever he had felt for Cho was gone.  Those feelings had been part of his life before, the part that included his godfather. And now that part was gone.

Dinner ended, the desserts were eaten, the dishes were once again sparkling, and Dumbledore made his usual beginning of term announcements.  "To our first years, and a reminder to our older students, the Forest is expressly forbidden to all students.  Magic is not to be used in the corridors between classes.  All students third year and up, with permission from their parents of course, are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on select weekends.  However in the light of recent events, Aurors will now be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade day and night.  I must ask you to remember that they are here for your protection as well as the residents of the village.  You will treat them with respect while you are in the village, or face expulsion from this school.  Now, let us all retreat off to the comfort of our beds.  I'm sure you all want to be rested for your first day."

 Murmurs ran throughout the hall.  No one had any doubt why the Aurors were in Hogsmeade.  The search for the escaped Death-eaters was now top priority to the Ministry.

Harry and Ron stood up with the others.  "Where's Hermione?  Prefects are supposed to take the little first year demons up to the dormitories."

An irritated sigh came from behind Ron's back. "Maybe one of these days you will listen during our meetings."  It was Hermione.  "The fifth year prefects have to take the first years up. And that would be Ginny and Colin. We are supposed to patrol the passageways and make sure no one is wandering around."

Ron's ears turned brilliantly red and Harry was sure Ron would burst at any moment.  Before Ron or Hermione could get any further into their argument, Harry said, "Well, I'm heading to bed.  I'm really tired." 

Faking a yawn, he turned to leave.  As he was walking through the doors leading back to the Entrance Hall, he saw Ginny holding onto the collar of Mark Evans.  She was pulling him towards the staircase, as Colin tried to encourage the other first years forward.

"Weasley, keep your little snots in line!  If I catch that one trying to attack my brother again, I'll hold you responsible!"  Pansy Parkinson had her arm around her brother's shoulders.

"Tell you what Parkinson, how about we go and get Dumbledore to settle this matter? I'm sure he would love to know what your brother called Evans here on the train."  Ginny smiled very nastily. 

Pansy didn't say anything, but stood gaping at Ginny.  "Just as I thought.  Now, get your lot down to that dungeon you call a home."  Ginny gave Mark's collar a tug and pulled him bodily up the stairs.

When Harry passed her, she gave him a quick smile and then started to berate Evans.

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The next morning Harry went down to the common room to find Ron.   He only found Mark Evans sitting by the fireplace.

"I know you."  Mark said. "You're that scary kid that lives with those Dursley people.  They said you went to that St. Brutus's or whatever it's called.  That fat cousin of your attacked me last summer, when I wasn't looking."

Harry looked at him for a moment.  "Scary kid, am I?  Seems you're in the same school I am."

Mark nodded and played with a hole in the chair. "Well, you know what I meant."

Ron came clambering in through the portrait hole a second later.  "Come on Harry, let's go down to breakfast."  He looked around the common room.  "You haven't seen Hermione come down yet, have you?"

"No, why?"  Harry asked.

"Is she that pretty brunette girl that yells at you?" Mark Evans spoke up.

Ron turned red and Harry saw him clench his fists.  "What do you mean by that?" Ron asked through gritted teeth.

Mark Evans stood up and walked towards the portrait hole.  "Sorry, mate, didn't mean to insult your girlfriend."

Ron looked as if he had been hit in the face with a broom.  "What do you mean my 'girlfriend'? She is not my girlfriend!"

Mark threw his hands up in defense.  "Sorry, I just thought..."

Ron pushed roughly past him.  "Yeah, well you thought wrong.  She's my friend and that's it!"  He gave the Fat Lady's portrait a great shove and stormed from the room.

Ron was very quiet throughout breakfast.  He didn't speak until they received their schedules.  "Well, guess we get to see how that Bombeck woman will be.  We've got her after lunch."

Harry looked down his own schedule.  "Oh, perfect.  I've got Snape this afternoon.  Just how I wanted to end my first day back.  What do you have this afternoon?"   Ron hadn't gotten into N.E.W.T. Potions.

"Study period.  Great, an hour and a half with Pince breathing down my neck for daring to look at her precious books."  Ron grumbled.  Suddenly he fell very quiet again.

Harry looked around to see Hermione walk into the Great Hall with Ernie Macmillian.   They were laughing and talking.

She broke away from him and took a seat next to Harry.   "Good morning Harry.  Are those our schedules?"  

"I've got yours Hermione, here you go."  Ron held out a piece of parchment to her. He smiled at her, and was clearly trying to get back into Hermione's good graces.

She plucked it from his hand without a word.  She didn't even look up at him when he began to drum his fingernails on the table.  Finally it appeared that Ron had been ignored long enough.

"Hermione, are you going to speak to me or not?"

Hermione took a piece of toast from the stack, stood up, and swung her bag over her shoulder.  "Not."  And she turned and left the room.

Ron growled under his breath as he watched her give a small wave and a smile to Ernie. 

Harry knew there was something odd going on. "Alright, what is going on with you two?  I mean, I'm used to the both of you fighting, but this isn't your usual bickering.  Something's happened between you two."

Ron's jaw was clenched and he began rummaging through his bag.  Harry heard him mumbling to himself. "Fine, if she wants to act that way, then so can I."  He sat up and looked at Harry.  "Come on we've got McGonagall now, if we're late she'll kill us." 

Harry followed Ron up the marble staircase, thinking.  Whatever was going on between Ron and Hermione, he was going to get to the bottom of it.