Part 3.
A/N: mad, 'crazy' in English (what they speak in England).
BTW, thanks to everyone who reviewed part 2. I hope you like p3 just as much.
As he walked along the Gryffindor house table people from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, members of 'Dumbledore's Army', called out greetings to him.
When he reached Hermione, Ron and several of his other friends, he sat down.
"There you are Harry!" Ron exclaimed, "We were starting to get worried."
"What did Dumbledore want to see you about?" Hermione asked quietly, amid the other's chatter about their holidays.
"Hey look!" Dean exclaimed, "Who's that with Dumbledore?" He pointed to the woman walking towards the High Table with the Headmaster.
"I wonder if she's a teacher?" Ginny asked aloud, to no one in particular.
"She is," Harry answered. "She's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and she's teaching Mythology as well."
"If you know so much about her, what's her name ?" Dean asked disbelievingly.
"Professor Said." Harry answered. "She was friends with my mum when they were at school."
"Is that why Professor Dumbledore had Hagrid take you up to the school so quickly?" Lavender Brown asked.
"I think so." Harry told her, half lying. "I guess he wanted me to meet her before hand, but she's really nice."
"Really nice like Professor Lupin, or really nice like Professor Umbridge?" Ron asked.
"Professor Lupin nice." Harry affirmed. "She asked me all about Dumbledore's Army and she thought it was great. She even wants us to keep going with it."
"For sure?" Neville asked. All of his best work was done in that class.
"Yeah, for sure."
They all looked up as Professor McGonagall announced the Sorting Ceremony, clapping and cheering as new Gryffindors were sorted.
Finally, Professor Dumbledore stood, pausing for silence before he began to speak. "Welcome back to Hogwarts everyone, and welcome to those who are joining us here for the first time, to begin their magical education. I have been asked to remind you not to use magic in the corridors between classes, and to ask everyone to check the list of banned objects, which can be seen in it's entirity in Mr. Filch's office. But before the feast gets underway I would like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Mythology teacher, Professor Said. I would also like to welcome Professor Trelawney, Firenze and Hagrid back to our teaching staff." His announcement was met with cheer and calls of congratulations, as well as several wolf whistles and cat calls.
"Now," Dumbledore spoke again, "Let the feast... begin." The plates filled with food as usual and everyone in the Great Hall tucked in, the room silent for several moments, save for the sound on cutlery clinking on plates.
After several minutes a steady stream of chatter erupted, with everyone talking once more about their holidays.
"So what did you get up too?" Ron asked Hermione, "Besides when you came to stay with us I mean."
"I went to Italy with mum and dad." She replied, "What about you Neville?"
"Gran and I went to see mum and dad a few more times, and Great uncle Algie let me stay a his place for a week." Neville's voice held barely an ounce of the trembling uncertainty it once had.
"Good for you." Dean told him, "What about you Harry?"
"Spent it with my Aunt and Uncle and my cousin. Funny though, they spend all these years practically denying my existence, and this year it seemed like they couldn't get me back to Privet Drive fast enough. I spent the whole holidays there, except for a couple of days. I spent those in Diagon Alley with four bodyguards."
"Four!" Seamus exclaimed, "Why so many?"
"They were assigned to me, even saw me onto the train." Harry answered. "They're not the kind of people you ask too many questions."
"Cool." Dean sighed wistfully.
"That's not cool, Dean." Ginny told him "It means that Harry is still in danger."
At that point Cho and Luna joined them from the Ravenclaw table.
"Hello all." Came Luna's breathy voice. "How is everyone?" She looked at Harry for a moment, who nodded his head and mumbled an answer.
"I heard about what happened." Cho said quietly. "I'm sorry."
For a fleeting moment an expression of pure anguish flitter over Harry's face. "It's fine Cho." He answered, desperate to change the subject.
"How were your holidays?" Luna asked pointedly.
"Quiet, yours?" Harry asked her, thankful to talk about something else.
"Dad and I went overseas for a while." She replied, looking around as students began to file out of the Great Hall.
At once Hermione was on her feet, beckoning to the first year Gryffindors. "First years, come with me please, this way."
"We'd better let you go." Cho said reluctantly, looking towards some of her friends.
"Did everyone have a good holiday?" An unfamiliar voice asked.
Harry turned, "Hello Professor Said."
"Hello." She greeted everyone.
"Hello Professor." Everyone else greeted her.
"Professor, this is Hermione, Ron, Dean, Ginny, Seamus and Neville." Harry introduced everyone.
"It's lovely to meet you all." She glanced over towards Professor McGonagall, who was gesturing to her. "I'd better let you go, get these first years up to bed. Goodnight." She said calmly, before leaving them and walking over to Professor McGonagall.
"Whew, she seems like a sport." Dean whistled.
Harry just shook his head, smiling. "I told you so."
"Come on first year Gryffindors." Hermione called.
One of the new Gryffindors pushed to the front of the group assembling in front of Hermione. "I know you. You're Harry Potter."
"Last time I checked, yeah." Harry agreed. "Remind me to come find you when I forget my name next."
"I read in the Daily Prophet that you were mad."
Hermione flushed with anger, but Harry, to everyone's surprise just laughed it off. "Yep, that's me, the one and only mad Harry Potter." At this sudden burst of humor everyone began to laugh.
"Nice one." Ginny whispered in his ear as she passed.
Finally everyone made it up to the Gryffindor common room.
Once all of the boys were dressed in their pajamas and lying in their four- poster beds with the candles out they began to talk.
"Harry?" Neville asked."Are you still having nightmares?"
Harry was silent for a moment before answering. "They're not as bad as they were. I don't wake up screaming as much. Are you having nightmares?" He asked Neville.
"I never thought I'd see Bellatrix Lestrange, or any of the Death Eaters. I never thought..." Neville's voice trailed off to nothing.
"Most of us never thought that anything like this would happen." Ron said quietly.
"What can we do about it?" Seamus asked.
"We do what we have to do, Seamus." Harry answered. "Every day we do what we have to do. One day we'll get there, and there won't be anymore Voldemort. With a bit of luck we'll all live to see it." As he finished speaking Harry turned on his side, so he could look out of the window, ending the conversation.
A/N: mad, 'crazy' in English (what they speak in England).
BTW, thanks to everyone who reviewed part 2. I hope you like p3 just as much.
As he walked along the Gryffindor house table people from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, members of 'Dumbledore's Army', called out greetings to him.
When he reached Hermione, Ron and several of his other friends, he sat down.
"There you are Harry!" Ron exclaimed, "We were starting to get worried."
"What did Dumbledore want to see you about?" Hermione asked quietly, amid the other's chatter about their holidays.
"Hey look!" Dean exclaimed, "Who's that with Dumbledore?" He pointed to the woman walking towards the High Table with the Headmaster.
"I wonder if she's a teacher?" Ginny asked aloud, to no one in particular.
"She is," Harry answered. "She's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and she's teaching Mythology as well."
"If you know so much about her, what's her name ?" Dean asked disbelievingly.
"Professor Said." Harry answered. "She was friends with my mum when they were at school."
"Is that why Professor Dumbledore had Hagrid take you up to the school so quickly?" Lavender Brown asked.
"I think so." Harry told her, half lying. "I guess he wanted me to meet her before hand, but she's really nice."
"Really nice like Professor Lupin, or really nice like Professor Umbridge?" Ron asked.
"Professor Lupin nice." Harry affirmed. "She asked me all about Dumbledore's Army and she thought it was great. She even wants us to keep going with it."
"For sure?" Neville asked. All of his best work was done in that class.
"Yeah, for sure."
They all looked up as Professor McGonagall announced the Sorting Ceremony, clapping and cheering as new Gryffindors were sorted.
Finally, Professor Dumbledore stood, pausing for silence before he began to speak. "Welcome back to Hogwarts everyone, and welcome to those who are joining us here for the first time, to begin their magical education. I have been asked to remind you not to use magic in the corridors between classes, and to ask everyone to check the list of banned objects, which can be seen in it's entirity in Mr. Filch's office. But before the feast gets underway I would like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Mythology teacher, Professor Said. I would also like to welcome Professor Trelawney, Firenze and Hagrid back to our teaching staff." His announcement was met with cheer and calls of congratulations, as well as several wolf whistles and cat calls.
"Now," Dumbledore spoke again, "Let the feast... begin." The plates filled with food as usual and everyone in the Great Hall tucked in, the room silent for several moments, save for the sound on cutlery clinking on plates.
After several minutes a steady stream of chatter erupted, with everyone talking once more about their holidays.
"So what did you get up too?" Ron asked Hermione, "Besides when you came to stay with us I mean."
"I went to Italy with mum and dad." She replied, "What about you Neville?"
"Gran and I went to see mum and dad a few more times, and Great uncle Algie let me stay a his place for a week." Neville's voice held barely an ounce of the trembling uncertainty it once had.
"Good for you." Dean told him, "What about you Harry?"
"Spent it with my Aunt and Uncle and my cousin. Funny though, they spend all these years practically denying my existence, and this year it seemed like they couldn't get me back to Privet Drive fast enough. I spent the whole holidays there, except for a couple of days. I spent those in Diagon Alley with four bodyguards."
"Four!" Seamus exclaimed, "Why so many?"
"They were assigned to me, even saw me onto the train." Harry answered. "They're not the kind of people you ask too many questions."
"Cool." Dean sighed wistfully.
"That's not cool, Dean." Ginny told him "It means that Harry is still in danger."
At that point Cho and Luna joined them from the Ravenclaw table.
"Hello all." Came Luna's breathy voice. "How is everyone?" She looked at Harry for a moment, who nodded his head and mumbled an answer.
"I heard about what happened." Cho said quietly. "I'm sorry."
For a fleeting moment an expression of pure anguish flitter over Harry's face. "It's fine Cho." He answered, desperate to change the subject.
"How were your holidays?" Luna asked pointedly.
"Quiet, yours?" Harry asked her, thankful to talk about something else.
"Dad and I went overseas for a while." She replied, looking around as students began to file out of the Great Hall.
At once Hermione was on her feet, beckoning to the first year Gryffindors. "First years, come with me please, this way."
"We'd better let you go." Cho said reluctantly, looking towards some of her friends.
"Did everyone have a good holiday?" An unfamiliar voice asked.
Harry turned, "Hello Professor Said."
"Hello." She greeted everyone.
"Hello Professor." Everyone else greeted her.
"Professor, this is Hermione, Ron, Dean, Ginny, Seamus and Neville." Harry introduced everyone.
"It's lovely to meet you all." She glanced over towards Professor McGonagall, who was gesturing to her. "I'd better let you go, get these first years up to bed. Goodnight." She said calmly, before leaving them and walking over to Professor McGonagall.
"Whew, she seems like a sport." Dean whistled.
Harry just shook his head, smiling. "I told you so."
"Come on first year Gryffindors." Hermione called.
One of the new Gryffindors pushed to the front of the group assembling in front of Hermione. "I know you. You're Harry Potter."
"Last time I checked, yeah." Harry agreed. "Remind me to come find you when I forget my name next."
"I read in the Daily Prophet that you were mad."
Hermione flushed with anger, but Harry, to everyone's surprise just laughed it off. "Yep, that's me, the one and only mad Harry Potter." At this sudden burst of humor everyone began to laugh.
"Nice one." Ginny whispered in his ear as she passed.
Finally everyone made it up to the Gryffindor common room.
Once all of the boys were dressed in their pajamas and lying in their four- poster beds with the candles out they began to talk.
"Harry?" Neville asked."Are you still having nightmares?"
Harry was silent for a moment before answering. "They're not as bad as they were. I don't wake up screaming as much. Are you having nightmares?" He asked Neville.
"I never thought I'd see Bellatrix Lestrange, or any of the Death Eaters. I never thought..." Neville's voice trailed off to nothing.
"Most of us never thought that anything like this would happen." Ron said quietly.
"What can we do about it?" Seamus asked.
"We do what we have to do, Seamus." Harry answered. "Every day we do what we have to do. One day we'll get there, and there won't be anymore Voldemort. With a bit of luck we'll all live to see it." As he finished speaking Harry turned on his side, so he could look out of the window, ending the conversation.