Chapter 5
Harry's return to the Burrow was uneventful, other than that fact that Mrs.Weasley nearly suffocated him from hugging him so tightly. Harry managed to make up a story about needing to go to Grimmauld place for closure. Something along the lines of him needing to go there to be able to finally admit that Sirius was gone. Everyone believed this except Hermione and Ron, whom Harry told about what had happened.
The last week of vacation passed without incident. Everyone went to Diagon Alley to get their new school supplies and by September 1st they were all ready to go to King's cross.
"Now hurry up everyone, you don't want to be late – oh for goodness sakes Ginny, hurry up! – ok, Ron and Harry you go through first, then Ginny, Hermione and myself will follow," Mrs.Weasley said quickly.
Harry ran through the barrier separating platforms 9 and 10. He and Ron passed through the barrier and he heard Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs.Weasley come through behind them. All four of them stood and looked at the Hogwarts Express for a moment. They said a quick goodbye to Mrs.Weasley and thanked her for letting them stay before boarding the train.
Ginny ran off to go find some of her friends leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione to find themselves a compartment. They chose one at the very end of the train in a car that was pretty much deserted. During the week before school started they hadn't had much of an opportunity so they took advantage of this one and did just so on the way to Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione listened intently as Harry retold the night's events of the night he returned to Grimmauld Place. Hermione was extremely interested in what Dumbledore had to say.
"What did he say again Harry?" Hermione asked for about the tenth time.
"That this year at Hogwarts was going to be different. Something about our lives changing, and secrets being revealed. Something about extraordinary events and something happening too," Harry told her.
"Strange," Hermione replied, "That could mean anything."
"Come on Hermione, it's got to have something to do with You-Know- Who!" Ron exclaimed
Hermione was about to continue when the lady pushing the trolley entered the car. They purchased some food and passed the rest of the journey playing exploding snap.
The train pulled into Hogsmeade station and all the students began leaving the train and unloading their luggage. They heard Hagrid's familiar voice calling the first years over to him as the rest of the students entered the carriages that would take them up to the school.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason he had expected it to be different somehow. Her took a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and waited for the Sorting to begin. A few minutes later Professor McGonagall entered the great Hall carrying the tattered Sorting Hat and being followed by a line of frightened first years. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on a stool and everyone watched it.
Harry took his eyes off the hat and looked around the hall with his eyes resting on the head table. He could see all familiar faces of his teachers from last year (minus Professor Umbridge), teachers he had seen before but never met, professor Dumbledore, and a young female woman sitting a few seats to the right of him. She looked as though she was in her mid-twenties, and Harry guessed that she was the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Clapping around Harry brought him back to his senses. Without him realizing it the Sorting had already begun. Harry watched as first years were sorted into their houses, and clapping whenever one was sorted into Gryffindor. When the last student was sorted Harry waited for Professor McGonagall to remove the hat from the stool, but she didn't. Instead she was turned facing Dumbledore, who was standing up.
"My dear students," he said, "Before we eat we have one final student to be sorted, a transfer student from Beauxbatons Academy by the name of Cameron Evans. Cameron will be joining the sixth year and I hope everyone in her year and in her house will make her feel welcome."
Dumbledore's hand waved towards the oak doors which opened as Cameron walked in. Harry got a good look at her and his jaw dropped, as did many other boys' in the Hall. Oh yes, she was beautiful, and that was the reason she had caught so many boys' attention, but Harry was staring for a whole different reason. If he hadn't known better he would have sworn that a 16 year old replica of his mother had walked through the door. She stood beside Professor McGonagall and waited for her to call her name. She signaled for Cameron to put on the hat and Cameron did so. After about a 30 second wait the hat yelled out "Gryffindor!" and Cameron came over and took a seat. She placed herself a few seats down from Harry, across from Parvarti Patil and Lavender Brown. Harry couldn't stop looking at her. Cameron noticed him staring and shot him a nasty look. Harry instead made himself look at the Head table where Dumbledore was once again standing.
"Now, before this feast becomes underway I have a few start of term notices to give out. As the returning students hear every year, though I think a few of them "forget", the Forbidden Forest is indeed forbidden." He said with a twinkle in his eye as he glanced at Harry. "Also I ask you to remember that magic is not permitted in the corridors. Finally I am announcing that at the end of the year Hogwarts will host a ball for the 5th, 6th, and 7th year students to develop inter house relationships. Now with all that banter out of the way I propose we start this feast."
Whit those words the plates in front of them filled with food. Harry at in silence while the Gryffindors around him joked with one another. He couldn't get the thought of Cameron our of his mind, he could have sworn when she walked in that it had been the 16 year old version of his mother that he had seen in Snape's Pensieve last year.
"Harry, Harry! The feast's over, we've got to head up to the Common Room," Hermione said. "Ron and I have to lead the first years yup, but the new password's 'Mugwump'. See you up there!
With that Hermione ran off to where Ron was waiting for her. Harry had to think for a minutes, he had completely forgotten that Ron and Hermione had become prefects last year. He trudged up to the Common Room alone and headed into his dormitory. Three of his four roommates – Seamus, Dean, and Neville – were already in the dormitory when Harry arrived. The awkward silence that he felt when he walked into the room made Harry believe that they had been talking about him a moment before. He looked around and caught Seamus' eye. Seamus looked back at him with an expression that just seemed to say 'I'm sorry', and Harry nodded and smiled. Last year there had been some tension between Harry and Seamus when he didn't believe Harry's story about Voldemort having returned.
The started talking about how their summers had gone. Ron came in partway through and eagerly jumped in the conversation. After about an hour and a half, Harry said goodnight, shut his bed curtains and closed his eyes. He was finally home.
Harry's return to the Burrow was uneventful, other than that fact that Mrs.Weasley nearly suffocated him from hugging him so tightly. Harry managed to make up a story about needing to go to Grimmauld place for closure. Something along the lines of him needing to go there to be able to finally admit that Sirius was gone. Everyone believed this except Hermione and Ron, whom Harry told about what had happened.
The last week of vacation passed without incident. Everyone went to Diagon Alley to get their new school supplies and by September 1st they were all ready to go to King's cross.
"Now hurry up everyone, you don't want to be late – oh for goodness sakes Ginny, hurry up! – ok, Ron and Harry you go through first, then Ginny, Hermione and myself will follow," Mrs.Weasley said quickly.
Harry ran through the barrier separating platforms 9 and 10. He and Ron passed through the barrier and he heard Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs.Weasley come through behind them. All four of them stood and looked at the Hogwarts Express for a moment. They said a quick goodbye to Mrs.Weasley and thanked her for letting them stay before boarding the train.
Ginny ran off to go find some of her friends leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione to find themselves a compartment. They chose one at the very end of the train in a car that was pretty much deserted. During the week before school started they hadn't had much of an opportunity so they took advantage of this one and did just so on the way to Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione listened intently as Harry retold the night's events of the night he returned to Grimmauld Place. Hermione was extremely interested in what Dumbledore had to say.
"What did he say again Harry?" Hermione asked for about the tenth time.
"That this year at Hogwarts was going to be different. Something about our lives changing, and secrets being revealed. Something about extraordinary events and something happening too," Harry told her.
"Strange," Hermione replied, "That could mean anything."
"Come on Hermione, it's got to have something to do with You-Know- Who!" Ron exclaimed
Hermione was about to continue when the lady pushing the trolley entered the car. They purchased some food and passed the rest of the journey playing exploding snap.
The train pulled into Hogsmeade station and all the students began leaving the train and unloading their luggage. They heard Hagrid's familiar voice calling the first years over to him as the rest of the students entered the carriages that would take them up to the school.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason he had expected it to be different somehow. Her took a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and waited for the Sorting to begin. A few minutes later Professor McGonagall entered the great Hall carrying the tattered Sorting Hat and being followed by a line of frightened first years. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on a stool and everyone watched it.
Harry took his eyes off the hat and looked around the hall with his eyes resting on the head table. He could see all familiar faces of his teachers from last year (minus Professor Umbridge), teachers he had seen before but never met, professor Dumbledore, and a young female woman sitting a few seats to the right of him. She looked as though she was in her mid-twenties, and Harry guessed that she was the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Clapping around Harry brought him back to his senses. Without him realizing it the Sorting had already begun. Harry watched as first years were sorted into their houses, and clapping whenever one was sorted into Gryffindor. When the last student was sorted Harry waited for Professor McGonagall to remove the hat from the stool, but she didn't. Instead she was turned facing Dumbledore, who was standing up.
"My dear students," he said, "Before we eat we have one final student to be sorted, a transfer student from Beauxbatons Academy by the name of Cameron Evans. Cameron will be joining the sixth year and I hope everyone in her year and in her house will make her feel welcome."
Dumbledore's hand waved towards the oak doors which opened as Cameron walked in. Harry got a good look at her and his jaw dropped, as did many other boys' in the Hall. Oh yes, she was beautiful, and that was the reason she had caught so many boys' attention, but Harry was staring for a whole different reason. If he hadn't known better he would have sworn that a 16 year old replica of his mother had walked through the door. She stood beside Professor McGonagall and waited for her to call her name. She signaled for Cameron to put on the hat and Cameron did so. After about a 30 second wait the hat yelled out "Gryffindor!" and Cameron came over and took a seat. She placed herself a few seats down from Harry, across from Parvarti Patil and Lavender Brown. Harry couldn't stop looking at her. Cameron noticed him staring and shot him a nasty look. Harry instead made himself look at the Head table where Dumbledore was once again standing.
"Now, before this feast becomes underway I have a few start of term notices to give out. As the returning students hear every year, though I think a few of them "forget", the Forbidden Forest is indeed forbidden." He said with a twinkle in his eye as he glanced at Harry. "Also I ask you to remember that magic is not permitted in the corridors. Finally I am announcing that at the end of the year Hogwarts will host a ball for the 5th, 6th, and 7th year students to develop inter house relationships. Now with all that banter out of the way I propose we start this feast."
Whit those words the plates in front of them filled with food. Harry at in silence while the Gryffindors around him joked with one another. He couldn't get the thought of Cameron our of his mind, he could have sworn when she walked in that it had been the 16 year old version of his mother that he had seen in Snape's Pensieve last year.
"Harry, Harry! The feast's over, we've got to head up to the Common Room," Hermione said. "Ron and I have to lead the first years yup, but the new password's 'Mugwump'. See you up there!
With that Hermione ran off to where Ron was waiting for her. Harry had to think for a minutes, he had completely forgotten that Ron and Hermione had become prefects last year. He trudged up to the Common Room alone and headed into his dormitory. Three of his four roommates – Seamus, Dean, and Neville – were already in the dormitory when Harry arrived. The awkward silence that he felt when he walked into the room made Harry believe that they had been talking about him a moment before. He looked around and caught Seamus' eye. Seamus looked back at him with an expression that just seemed to say 'I'm sorry', and Harry nodded and smiled. Last year there had been some tension between Harry and Seamus when he didn't believe Harry's story about Voldemort having returned.
The started talking about how their summers had gone. Ron came in partway through and eagerly jumped in the conversation. After about an hour and a half, Harry said goodnight, shut his bed curtains and closed his eyes. He was finally home.