A/N: Hello! I'm still looking for any ideas: ) Review! Tootles, enjoy the chap!

Oh, yeah, am I introducing too many new characters? Tell me if I am, because it might be confusing to readers… but I promise, these would probably be the last ones!

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Chapter 19:

Harry awoke the next morning, startled, not remembering his dream. He knew it had been frightening, though, and had made him break out in a cold sweat. He had practiced Occlumency last night, and he wondered why he had so many normal nightmares, or why Voldemort was somehow breaking through any skills he had in Occlumency. Harry drew back his curtain, seeing that the room was still dark. He pushed off his covers and walked over to the window to see the sun beginning to rise. Harry stared into the sun for a moment. Suddenly, it seemed to become extremely bright, and Harry had a foreboding sense of dejavu (A/N: Sorry if that's spelled wrong!). Harry shuddered involuntarily before going back to sleep until his alarm went off. He figured he'd need it.

That was an understatement. Two hours later, Harry was downstairs eating breakfast with Ron and Hermione. They were, as usual, fighting. Nothing was new there. Harry sighed, as Ginny's first class had begun a quarter of an hour ago, and Lenore was engaged in a conversation with her many admirers. Everyone was thrilled to have an American in the school, especially the Gryffindors. Harry wouldn't be surprised if a Lenore fan club came out. He was just glad that things didn't go to his cousin's head; in fact, they usually went over it, as Lenore didn't seem to care at all about the attention she received. Harry then tuned into Ron and Hermione.

"Really, all you care about is yourself-"

"The elves don't WANT to be free! I will NOT go recruit more spew members! I thought you were over that!"

"Ron, they have so little! Their lives are spent working for us!"

"Get a life, 'Mione! Honestly! Do you feel sorry for elves like Kreacher? Huh?"

"As a matter of fact, Ronald Weasley, I-"

The argument was suddenly cut off by the arrival of the Morning Post. A tan owl landed in front of Hermione. She paid it and unrolled the Daily Prophet. Her eyebrows arched in mild surprise as she opened it and read, pointedly not looking at Ron. He sighed in frustration, putting a hand through his sloppy red hair. Harry rolled his eyes at his best friends.

"Hermione, what is it?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, not too much," she replied. "Just the usual. But the United States' Ministry will be sending over Aurors to help. Some will be stationed at Hogwarts, actually." She continued reading, running a finger through her curls habitually.

This was news to Harry. "I bet Lenore will be pretty happy; she's already getting tired of the way we talk," joked Harry. Ron laughed.

"Seriously- don't they realize that they're the ones with the accent, not us?" Harry laughed before turning to Hermione.

"What's Fudge have to say about all this?" he asked.

Hermione grinned wanly. "Well, you know Fudge… always the hypocrite. He thanks the United States immensely, and says that he regrets that France, who's ignoring Voldemort, may find him a bigger problem one day if they don't help now." Hermione laughed critically. "Fools."

"Who?" asked Ron. "Fudge or France?"

"Both, in a way," said Hermione as she sipped some hot chocolate. "But I'd better be going to Arithmancy. I will see you two later. Bye, Harry," she said as she walked briskly away, leaving Ron staring after her.

"Can't stand her," he said carelessly. Harry grinned.

"Right, Ron." Ron was about to retort that when suddenly an excited shriek was heard down the table, from Lenore. Harry jumped up and hurried over, joining the other five or six people surrounding her. Her emerald eyes were alight with happiness, and her face was lit up in a smile. She turned to face Harry.

"Harry!" she squealed, "I need to talk to you! Come on!" Lenore then stood up, excusing herself, and dragged Harry to the other side of the Great Hall, which was quite empty.

"Harry!" she whispered enthusiastically.

"What already?" he asked in fake sarcasm, grinning at her euphoria. "Is it about the American Aurors?"

She looked at Harry, frowning, stopping jumping for only a moment. "What American Aurors?" Harry was about to reply when she jumped excitedly. "No, tell me in a minute. Guess what?" she squealed.

"What?" asked Harry impatiently.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, Lenore, just tell me, for Merlin's sake!" Lenore laughed giddily.

"Okay, sorry." She took a deep intake of air. "Okay," she laughed, brandishing a letter under Harry's nose. "Tabitha! She knows I'm alive!"

"What?" asked Harry, surprised. "Your best friend, you mean? I thought it wasn't safe…"

"Well," giggled Lenore, "Her Mom's an Auror, I suppose… OH MY GOSH! Harry, I've just realized… did you say there were American Aurors coming here?"

Harry nodded. "It was in the paper, but it didn't say too much else, really."

"Ah! This is so cool; Tabby said she had a surprise for me! I bet this is it; I bet she and her family is coming! Oh, this is so cool!" Harry laughed at Lenore. She was so fun to be with when excited. He suddenly looked at his watch.

"Damn! Oh, no, Lenore… I gotta run; late for Potions! Uhh, Snape is going to kill me!"

"Wait, we're late?" she asked. Harry nodded. "Oh, great, I have Potions too, next."

"Oh, really?" asked Harry as they started to the Dungeons together. "Yeah, we forgot to compare our timetables!"

"What is a timetable?" asked Lenore confusedly. Harry looked at her, astonished, figuring it must be an American thing.

"You know… a schedule."

"Oh," said Lenore. "OH! I get it; that's what everyone was talking about! Sorry, Harry, you'll have to fill me in on this entire British Lingo…" she laughed as they reached the door. Class had started four minutes ago. Harry held his breath as he opened the door slowly. Snape lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at the two Gryffindors.

"How nice of you to finally join us," he said icily. "Forty points from Gryffindor. Take a seat, Potter." Harry huffily walked to a desk and sat down, knowing that it was best not to argue. Snape then turned to Lenore. "And you must be…"

"Lenore Felkes," she answered, smiling.

"Mmm," he said uninterestedly. "Well, I will let you know now that no nonsense whatsoever is tolerated in this class. Take a seat, Miss Felkes. Next time you're late, it will be one hundred points." Lenore's smile wavered. She made to go sit by Harry, but Draco Malfoy raised his hand.

"Yes, Draco?" asked Snape idly.

"Lenore can sit here," Malfoy offered. "There's room…" Snape looked at Lenore, who smiled.

"Okay." Harry scowled, becoming increasingly mad at Malfoy and Snape. He was the only Gryffindor besides Lenore and Neville, who'd gotten special permission from Dumbledore to take NEWT potions, which Snape had repealed about five times, always being overridden. Harry moved back a seat to sit by Neville.

The Potions class passed fairly slowly, with Snape taking about 100 total points from the three Gryffindors. He'd taken ten points from Lenore for "getting an answer wrong," when in truth she'd gotten it right, just saying it differently because of her American New York accent. He took the usual forty points from Neville for his potion exploding and ten from Harry because he called Malfoy a git when he'd splashed his Draught of Remembrance onto Harry's head. A bit of it had gone into his mouth, and Harry had to endure an hour of the tedious class before he could go rinse out his mouth. By this time, of course, he had begun remembering long-lost things from the back of his brain; being pushed by Dudley, being yelled at by Aunt Petunia, being sung to by… who did that voice belong to? Harry remembered his mother's voice; the only time he'd ever heard it happy. Harry suddenly wanted to drink more of the Potion, but he didn't.

After potions, Harry went to Defense against the Dark Arts. Evelyn was teaching. Harry actually became curious to hear more of Calista's voice. The lesson passed fairly quickly, ending in Harry gaining back his lost points in Potions for telling the class the correct definition of a Patronus and doing the most accurate one in the class.

As soon as Evelyn saw the form of Harry's Patronus, she gasped but regained composure fairly quickly, though Harry swore that she had faintly whispered, "Prongs."