CHAPTER SIX- Back To School (Ron's point of
view)
"Molly, you've got to let go of the boy. Molly. let go. Molly. MOLLY!" It took Dad and Percy to somehow pry mother off of me. She was refusing to let me go.
"Be careful my baby!" She sobbed.
"I will, Mum." I said. She got loose of Dad and Percy and hugged me tightly again. "Mum! Please! The train'll leave any moment!" I said. I kissed her cheek and tried to wiggle loose.
"Molly please. the train will be leaving." Dad said, trying to pull Mum off of me again.
"No. I need more time with him!" Mum screeched.
My ears were rapidly turning red as all the other parents were staring at us. "Mum!!!" I gasped. "please. Dad, Percy."
"Molly don't make me use magic." Dad said.
Mum kissed both cheeks and my forehead before finally letting go. "Bye baby." She whispered.
"I'll write mum, I promise. Bye!" I jumped onto the train just three seconds before the whistle blew, the doors closed and the train started.
I went down the corridors and bumped into someone. "I'm sorry." She said. She looked exactly like that 'Alexia Webs' at Wormtail's trial, only with perfectly straight and smooth hair, and thick-rimmed and thick-lensed oval glasses
"Peggy!" I gasped.
It was Peggy Morlins. She looked at me in shock. "R-Ron?" She stammered then fainted dead away in my arms. I dragged her down the corridor and into the compartment Harry and Hermione were saving (Jasmine was sharing a compartment with Draco Malfoy).
"Hey R- Peggy?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. She saw me and fainted." I said, tipping her body on a seat. Her glasses clattered to the floor and I pocketed them.
"But... she saw you at the trial she knew you were alive." Hermione said.
"Hermione, that was someone named Alexia Webs." I pointed out.
"I think Peggy and Alexia are one and the same." Hermione said grouchily, fingering her Prefect badge.
"We have no proof." I pointed out.
"What if..." Harry trailed off. "what if it is the same person."
"Listen, Harry, her reaction to seeing me was truthful. She had no idea I was alive. And Alexia saw me at the trial." I pointed out.
"What if she has a split-personality?" Hermione asked.
"Split-personality?" I asked, sitting by Peggy's legs.
"Yeah. Sometimes she's Peggy then sometimes she's that Alexia. and-and subconsciously she thought the note HAD said that about her aunt but it really said that other thing. The real note wormed into the Alexia side so Peggy left Hogwarts and returned to the cave as Alexia." Hermione said.
"Brilliant idea but wouldn't she of turned into Alexia at SOME point at Hogwarts last year?" I asked.
"Yeah well. remember all those times she disappeared? Like at Christmas morning? Maybe she was off being Alexia then." Hermione suggested.
"Want to know what I think?" I asked.
"Sure, Ron, what do you think?" Harry asked.
"Think about what?" I asked in confusion then remembered. "oh yeah. Well, I read about dopplegangers. Somewhere out in the world is someone who looks exactly like you."
"And you think that Peggy's doppleganger is Alexia Webs?" Hermione asked and I nodded.
"Yep." I said.
"I think she has split-personality." Hermione voiced stubbornly.
"Maybe Peggy and Alexia are twins that were separated as babies." Harry suggested.
"I think its the doppleganger thing." I said.
"And I think she has split-personality. It makes sense."
"No it doesn't, Hermione!"
"Just because she has split-personality doesn't mean she'll turn into the other person once a month or something." Hermione said bitterly.
"I think they're long lost twins." Harry said.
"That makes as much sense as Ron's idea." Hermione retorted.
"Wait... the twin... that boy." Harry suddenly said.
"What about him?"
'Well obviously he and Alexia are twins but. never mind its. well-"
"Wait, Harry. before he and Peggy or Alexia or whoever left after we returned from the cave, she called him 'Paul'."
"Yeah, so?" Harry asked.
"But at the trial. his name was Alexander."
"Well maybe he has split-personality." I said sarcastically.
"No because then. well Peggy called him Paul when she was Alexia. and he was Alexander at the trial when she was still Alexia." Hermione pointed out.
But we had to stop talking because Peggy was waking. "What. happened.?"
I handed her her glasses. "You saw me and fainted." I said.
Peggy slowly sat up and rubbed her head. "R-Ron?" She stammered.
"Yes?"
"You. you. you're alive!" She gasped, staring at me with widening hazel eyes.
"I am. Thanks to some good friends." I said with a wide grin.
She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly, kissing my face all over (which started giving me very strange feelings). "Oh Ron I don't care how but you're alive!" She said then kissed me hard on the lips.
The first thing I saw was stars and rockets. Then I began to feel extremely dizzy... "That was a very. good. kiss." I said, feeling extremely dazed after she stopped kissing me, but was hugging me tightly.
"How? How did you get to be alive again?" She asked, pulling back.
"Well, see Harry-" I began but Harry cut in.
"He was never dead in the first place. That funeral and grave was a hoax." He said quickly.
"But. why?" Peggy asked, looking confused.
"Why?" Harry asked and glanced at Hermione.
"To make You-Know-Who think we used the Stone up so he won't try and get it." She said.
"What?" Peggy asked.
"We made it look like Ron died and had come back, and in doing so used up the power of the Stone and he wouldn't try to go after it again." She said.
"Oh." Peggy said slowly and sat back. "I see. I think."
I, however, was confused as of why Harry and Hermione didn't want Peggy to know the truth. I looked at them and they looked back, with looks on their faces that obviously meant for me not to tell her.
"Where's Jasmine?"
"With Malfoy." Harry sneered.
And the rest of the trip was relatively silent. We arrived in Hogsmeade and the four of us piled into a carriage that took us to the great castle that was Hogwarts.
Professor Albus Dumbledore was waiting on the front steps. Everyone looked shocked as they climbed out of their carriages, wondering why he'd be out. "Giving you another little talk most likely." I whispered to Harry as we walked over.
"Mr. Weasley may I please speak to you?"
I was more shocked then anyone else as he said these words. "M-me?"
"Yes." Dumbledore said.
"Yeah. uh, sure." I followed him into the castle and to an empty room. Last year he had sent Professor Flitwick to take Harry to him. he wasn't waiting for Harry. What did Dumbledore want from me? We sat down and Dumbledore stared hard at me, down his long crooked nose.
"I wanted to talk to you about. well. er-I don't know if this might make you, er, uncomfortable-"
"Professor, I don't mind talking about my death." I said with a shrug.
He looked mildly relieved. "I want to warn you that being a spirit trapped in the Stone then released there will be some-er-interesting side affects."
"I know. I've read about them." I said.
"I want you to have this." Dumbledore handed me a large package wrapped in pale. almost white blue paper and silver ribbon.
"Er-Professor this isn't necessary." I said but he shoved the package into my hands.
"Don't open it until you'll have time to actually look through it." He said.
"Okay, sir." I said. "thank you."
"Now, let us get to the feast. I'm positively starving." He said, helping me up and guiding me to the Great Hall.
I had stuck the (rather heavy) package in my backpack and dropped into the seat Harry had saved me. "What did Dumbledore want?" Hermione whispered.
"Just wanted to congratulate me on being alive." I mumbled. I then noticed almost every single pair of eyes were on me and everyone began whispering.
We turned (and thankfully the whispering stopped) as the front doors opened and Professor McGonagall guided a bunch of nervous looking First years in, ready for their Sorting. They went up to line in front of the teachers table and that's when I noticed it. There were four seats empty.
"Hey, why're so many seats empty?" I asked.
"Dunno." Harry replied with a shrug.
I glanced at Dumbledore who winked at me before turning to the Sorting Hat McGonagall had brought out and set on the stool. It opened its brim wide and began its song.
"I am called the Sorting Hat
For that is what I do.
I look right into your head
And see all about you.
You might be a little afraid
But no need to be, so
Put me on your head
And here we go!
If you have sharp mind and wit
And in learning you have no flaw
Then bronze and blue is where you'll go
To the house of Rowena Ravenclaw.
If your color is true blue
If you're loyal, devoted, and that stuff
Then to black and yellow!
House of Helga Hufflepuff.
If you have daring nerve,
If you're brave and sure
Then scarlet and gold is your color
House of Godric Gryffindor.
And if you are real shrewd
Ambitious to a pin
Then to green and silver
House of Salazar Slytherin.
One of those four
Is where you will be
So just put me on your head
And then we all shall see!"
The Hat was now silent. Everyone cheered and McGonagall unrolled a parchment. "Abrit, Andrew?" A boy with curly black hair and a greenish tint to his face ran forward and the Hat was placed on his head.
"RAVENCLAW!" The Hat announced and Andrew went to the house of blue and bronze.
"Addins, Geraldina?" A girl with fluffy blonde hair and bright blue eyes nervously sat down.
"SLYTHERIN!!" And she rushed to the table.
"Arvins, Christine?" A girl with curly reddish blonde hair slowly went forward.
"RAVENCLAW!" Christine ran down and sat with Andrew Abrit.
"Bagge, Eustace?" A boy with a prominent chin and glasses sat down.
"SLTYHERIN!" And he joined the table looking quite happy.
"Baggins, Freda?" A short girl with immensly curly black hair sat on the stool.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Our house exploded into cheers as she came down to the table. "Welcome to Gryffindor!" We all said.
"Thank you." She said cheerfully.
"Are you named after Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings?" Asked a Fourth year.
"Oh shut up." Freda grumbled. Obviously the answer was 'yes'.
"Bell, Hannah?" McGonagall called and shockingly nothing happened. "Bell, Hannah?" She repeated. Everyone stared at the First years but no one moved. The entire Hall was silent for quite a few moments.
"Minerva continue, please." Dumbledore said, I could tell he was snickering at something. And, oddly enough, a few names later it happened again.
"Cat, Ima?" She called. Nothing happened. Everyone looked at the First years. McGonagall cleared her throat. "Cat, Ima!" She insisted.
"My dear Minerva please just continue with the Sorting." Dumbledore said but he was giggling at something.
"Creevy, Ellen?" A small girl with her mousy brown hair pulled into pigtails ran up.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Ellen ran down and joined Colin and Dennis Creevy who were obviously her older brothers.
"Creevy, Flora?" A girl identical to Ellen was put into Gryffindor as well.
"Girls look over that's Harry Potter!" I heard Dennis whispering.
"Wow!" the Creevy twin girls gasped, staring at Harry.
"And that's Ron Weasley. He died!!"
"He looks alive to me." Ellen said, peering at me.
"He died." Her brothers assured her.
By the time we turned back to the Sorting it was up into 'F' and it happened again. "Fulded, Greg?" She called but nothing happened. "Fulded, Greg?" She insisted.
"Just continue." Dumbledore said, smiling. Luckily it didn't happen for a while. When it got to the 'L's, another set of twins were sorted. "Livings, Darien?"
A boy with the blackest hair I had ever seen rushed forward and plopped himself on the seat. "GRYFFINDOR!"
Darien rushed down to the table and looked very relieved. "If I was anywhere else dad would kill me." He mumbled.
"Livings, David?" A boy identical to Darien went forward and was put into Gryffindor as well. When it got to 'M' another set of twins were Sorted. Jacob and Jessica Miller were put into Hufflepuff.
"How many twins are here this year?" Hermione asked as Clarise and Claire Nott were put into Slytherin. Later, Eglantine and Eugene Sandstone were put into Gryffindor.
"Stone, Livings?" McGonagall asked and nothing happened except a few giggles.
"What? What's funny?" I asked as Harry and Peggy snorted and tried to hide their laughter.
"Oh my gosh I didn't see it until now." Harry said.
"Me either." Peggy giggled.
"See what?" I demanded.
"Stone, Livings?" McGonagall said more firmly. None of the First years went up though a great deal of them were giggling.
"What is so funny?!" I hissed as Hermione couldn't hold in her laughs. "Tell me!" I insisted as three other Gryffindor Sixth years, Seamus Finnigin and cousins Dean and Donnie Thomas, burst into snickers. A lot of people from every table but the Slytherins were trying hard not to laugh, hard. I recognized most of them were either Muggle-Born or half and half.
"Stone, Livings please come forward." McGonagall said then whirled angrily at the table as Dumbledore suddenly burst into loud laughter which caused everyone who had been suppressing it, to burst into laughter.
"My dear Minerva, just continue on with the Sorting." Dumbledore said in a muffled voice since he had buried his face in his hands. "before we all break our ribs. please hurry."
Her lips extremely thin, McGonagall called the next student up. Later it happened again, one last time.
"Voil, Oliver?" She asked and the entire hall now burst into laughter.
McGonagall suddenly went red and waved the parchment about. "Okay, who is the wise guy?!" She demanded.
"J-just get the last couple of students Sorted!" Dumbledore gasped as he fell out of view, laughing so hard. The remaining four students were Sorted.
"I wonder who did it." Hermione asked, gasping for air and clutching her sides.
"You mean all those names when nobody came up were fake?" I asked.
"Duh! 'Bell, Hannah'. Hannah Bell. Hannibal. 'Cat, Ima'. I'm a Cat. 'Fulded, Greg'. okay well I have no idea what that is. It might be a real guy who didn't show up. Then 'Stone, Livings'. Livingstone. Dr. Livingstone. Then Oliver Voil which you got." Peggy said.
"Yeah." I said and turned to the table where Dumbledore had finally regained control over his senses and stood up.
"Yes well after that amusing prank." He cleared his throat, announced a few rules then introduced the new teachers. er sort of. "As you probably noticed we have a few seats empty. anyway, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who will be arriving soon. Now then. over the summer we had a few. retirements.
Professor Binns of History has-" Dumbledore never finished, the entire hall burst into loud cheers. It took Dumbledore fifteen minutes and a threat to hide Pufferballs in everyone's beds to quiet them down. "Thank you." He said sternly, though smiling. "Binns has retired. said something about quitting to continue his death in peace or something, anyway the new History teacher will be arriving tomorrow morning.
"Alas it is my deepest regrets to inform you that Professor Sprout has retired." With this he took a deep breath through his nose. "well not retired, really. Just took a job that offered her a higher pay somewhere in Iceland. Anyway, your new Herbology teacher will be arriving tomorrow as well.
"Professor Amah has left us, as well. Her parents were. attacked in a recent Death Eater raid and she went to Scotland to raise her younger siblings. We have a new Healings Professor who will be arriving in the morning.
Now then! Before we eat I'd like to say." Dumbledore trailed off as the doors burst open and a woman crossed the room. "welcome, Professor Conway. No, students, that's not what I was going to say." He quickly added.
"Thank you, Albus." She said and sat in one of the empty seats. She was a young woman with golden brown hair pulled in a braid, tan skin and a scar that curved from her left eyebrow down to her chin in a crescent moon shape.
"What I was going to say was. SOLO FOR THE HEADMASTER! When I'm stuck with a day. that's gray. and lonely. I just stick out my chin. and grin. and saaaaaaaaayyyyy the sun'll come out. Tomorrow. So you gotta hang on till tomorrrrow. come what maaaaaaaaaaay! Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I'll love ya! Tomorrow! You're only a day away! Toooooooomorrow! Tomorrow! I'll love ya! Tomorrow! You're only a daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!"
Everyone (especially the First years) stared at him. Dumbledore spread his arms out wide and food appeared over the golden plates and everyone attacked it with hunger that had endured through the extra 15 minutes of cheering that Binns was gone.
*** (Harry's point of view)
Something heavy landed on me, waking me up. "Har, wake up." I rolled over and blinked. Ron was dressed and had thrown one of my shoes at me.
"Oh man." I moaned. I slowly got up and rubbed my shoulder where he had hit me. "Ron." I moaned, glancing at my Wizarding watch. "its only six-forty- five. we don't have to get up for another. half an hour at the least." I fell back on my bed and pulled the covers up around me.
"Whatever. I'm going down to breakfast." Ron said and I heard him leaving.
I wondered what had gotten into Ron then remembered. Duh. The Stone. One of the side affects was an increase in studious behavior.
Not much longer later, Ron ran up the stairs. "HARRY!" He shrieked. "Harry come on! Hurry you've got to. come on!"
"Don't wanna." I grumbled. Ron pulled the covers off my bed.
"Come ON!"
"Oh okay!" I got dressed and after trying (and totally failing) to brush down my hair, I followed Ron to the Great Hall.
"You're not going to believe this but." He opened the doors and I stepped in.
"Heya Harry!"
I looked at the teachers table. Sirius and Remus sat there, building a mountainous tower out of bacon and toast with Emerin using her wand to fly pieces of the breakfast food to them so they could work on the extremely tall tower. In fact as I stared, Sirius and Remus climbed onto the table. The tabletop breakfast tower was five feet tall, give or take a few inches. No, just give. The only other teachers were Professor Flitwick of Charms, and Professor Sinistra of Astronomy.
Flitwick was threatening to topple over backwards as he stared at the tower top. Sinistra was clapping her hands and giggling.
"Oh my goodness." Hermione and Peggy had appeared and stopped in the doorways as well. Soon there was a build-up and Dumbledore pushed to the front to see what was the matter.
"Nice tower boys, you've beaten your old record." He said as he walked towards the teachers table.
The students poured in and sat at their tables, watching the tower get higher and higher. Finally neither man could reach the top and everyone thought it'd be over but Sirius ducked, and Remus climbed onto his shoulders and they continued higher.
"Leaning tower of breakfast pizza." Emerin giggled as they put a little flag with an emblem I couldn't see on the top.
"YEAH!" Sirius and Remus suddenly yelled happily. Emerin and Dumbledore burst into applause. Ron and I joined closely followed by Hermione and then the entire Gryffindor table. Then the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs and a handful of teachers.
The teachers who were not cheering were McGonagall who had her lips pressed thin, and Professor Severus Snape who was glaring murderously at the duet on the table.
The two men grinned and suddenly Remus's eyes got wide. "SIRIUS!" He yelled as Sirius let go of his legs to hold his hands up high in victory. Remus began wobbling and Sirius grabbed his legs but it was too late. The two crashed back into the tower, and the intricate design was destroyed as bacon and toast (as well as some sausage gravy they were using) fell on them.
Everyone stopped cheering and burst into laughter as the two slowly sat up on the teachers table. Sirius was grinning as he pulled a piece of crisp bacon from his hair. Remus was laughing, causally brushing toast crumbs from his shabby robes.
"Nice going, idiots!" Emerin said.
"Oh stuff it." Sirius replied.
Emerin grinned a nasty grin and suddenly poured a tureen of sausage gravy over Sirius's head. "Oops. Sorry." She said innocently. Remus roared with laughter until Sirius dumped a whole pitcher of orange juice on him.
Remus leapt to his feet (still on the teachers table) and grabbed a plate of sausage links. "FOOD FIGHT!" He screamed and dumped it onto Emerin.
"Not again!" Hermione yelled, ducking under the table as breakfast foods began soaring through the air.
"Now this is what I call a good first day of school!" Ron laughed, sending some kippers in the direction of half a dozen Hufflepuff girls who had looks of disgust on their face. They screamed as it hit them and glared at Ron who smiled innocently at them. I took this opportunity to dump milk over him.
Unfortunately this food fight couldn't last very long since it was breakfast and we had classes to go to. So only after fifteen minutes, Dumbledore was ushering everyone out to get showered.
"Now that three of you are back together, Hogwarts is going to be in ruins, isn't it?" He asked a grinning Sirius, Remus and Emerin.
"Well. duh!" Sirius said causing the other two to laugh.
I shook my head and went to get a quick shower before rushing to Care of Magical Creatures.
*** (Ron's point of view)
Everyone in the entire house of Gryffindor was at some class or another. Since I was all alone, I felt it fit to open the package Dumbledore had given me. So, sitting in a squashy armchair by the crackling fire, I untied the silver ribbon and carefully unfolded the icy blue paper.
It was a huge book, like something Hermione'd want. It was about five inches thick, and the edges of the paper were uneven. The cover was old and a faded brownish red. The binding was goldish and the paper inside was old and yellow. I closed the book and peered at the gold words stamped across the front. The title of the book was 'Deep Magic'. As soon as I read that, I felt a weird sensation growing inside of me. Taking a deep breath, I opened to the first page and began reading.
*** (Harry's point of view)
The second class of the day was Herbology and when we went to the greenhouses, I saw Sirius. "Hey Harry!" He said, grinning from ear to ear, waving his hand.
"What're you do-" I stopped and dropped my bookbag. "YOU'RE THE NEW HERBOLOGY TEACHER?!" I screeched.
"Yep!" He said cheerfully.
"You. YOU?!" Hermione demanded.
"Yes. Me." He said cheerfully. We were staring at him in disbelief. "Oh don't worry! Herbology was my best subject. Or maybe that was James. eh, anyway, follow me!" He said. We still looked doubtful but followed him into one of the greenhouses.
It was Greenhouse Ten and filled with most fascinating plants. I was the first one in line, with Hermione, Jasmine and Peggy behind me (the rest of the class was slow to follow. Even know the papers announced he was innocent, they still looked nervous being taught by a man who had been accused slayer of thirteen.). As soon as I went in, a large plant with its leaves as teeth growled at me. I jumped back as it snapped angrily.
"Ouch- Harry!" Hermione yelped as I landed on her foot.
"Don't let that buster get to you, Harry." Sirius assured me. "his bark is worse then his bite. Can't even sink his teeth into mashed potatoes."
With this Ernie MacMillan laughed and poked the plant in the stalk. The plant, in turn, wrapped its branches around Ernie's waist and lifted him high in the air. The Hufflepuffs yelped and darted back out the door. "Get me down!" Ernie shrieked.
"First one that can get him down without hurting the plant will get something special." Sirius said lazily as he flopped into the seat at the front of the greenhouse.
"Bindicus Breakus!" Neville Longbottom, a round, and rather stupid Sixth year Gryffindor, who had a horrible memory and was the worst in all classes except this one, pointed his wand at the plant.
The plant screeched and dropped Ernie and quickly retreated into the corner, rubbing the branches and whimpering. I helped Ernie off the ground. He was a bit shaken up, but otherwise fine. "Y-you said he couldn't hurt me." He growled at Sirius who stood back up.
"No. I said he can't bite you. Wrapping his branches around your waist and lifting you into the air isn't biting. at least, not the last time I checked." Sirius ran his fingers through his hair then produced a Chocolate Frog and gave it to Neville. "and ten points to Gryffindor. Oh come in, your housemate is perfectly fine but that should teach him not to go prodding plants." Sirius told the Hufflepuffs waiting outside the doors. "should teach all of you." He added as they came in.
There were a bunch of desks that could seat five. Hermione, Jasmine, Peggy and I sat at one of these, joined by Justin Finch-Fletchly. "Hi Harry." He said.
"Hey Justin."
"I. well I have a . a-a question." He stammered.
"Okay." I said.
"I saw-well I THOUGHT I saw. well I-I-I-I-I mean. I don't mean to UPSET you. well its j-I mean I'm not the only one who th-thought they saw that well-and there well. you see I just thought-last night at the feast and this morning well. I-I-I"
"Yes Ron is alive." I said, reading between the stammers.
"How?" Justin whispered.
"I don't know." I lied and turned to the front of the room. Sirius had been, during the time Justin was sputtering, wrestled a plant onto his desk.
It was about two feet tall and covered with purple fuzz. It had two long tendrils coming out either side like tentacles, covered with something green and sharp-looking. Two fangs protruded from amidst the purple fuzz. I already heard it snarling with a high-pitched garbling sort of sound.
"Anybody know what this is?" Sirius asked, holding the thing back with a gloved hand.
Hermione, Peggy, Neville and Jasmine all shot their hands up. Sirius looked at them all then at Neville. "Neville?"
"Its the Fangora." He said, looking rather nervous.
"Right-a-mundo." Sirius said with a grin that made Neville smile back. "Anyone care to tell me the Fangora's four deadly weapons?" Once again it was the three girls and Neville who raised their hands. "No. I want someone else to answer. I want to see if anyone can't point out at least two of them."
"The-er-fangs?" Susan Bones of Hufflepuff said.
"Yes. anyone else? There's another real obvious one."
"The green sharp things on its tentacles?" Dean asked.
"Yep! Now then. Hermione?"
"The purple fuzzy stuff can secrete a toxic fume." She said.
"Yep and. Jasmine."
"Its roots." She answered.
"Very good. The Fangora's roots do not go deep. The spread along right under the top soil and if someone tries to attack, the roots will shoot up. The end of the roots are like stingers and can put a poison into you if the stinger actually goes into you." Sirius said He put a Muggle's diver mask over his head which covered his eyes and nose. Most the students giggled but I didn't for I was one of the very few who saw a thin, hard-to-see purple powder stuff release from the fur as Sirius grabbed the Fangora around the middle and lifted it. "The powdery stuff most of you don't see," Sirius said, his voice slightly nasally. "can only enter through the nose and eyes. For some reason, it refuses to go near the mouth and in fact will repel away from an open one. Your best defense against the fume is covering your eyes and nose, then talking a lot. Which is quite easy for me." With this most the class burst into laughter. "But that is just one of the four deadly weapons. The fangs you can easily avoid. The tentacle-things however lash out like whips. The best defense against this is kicking it. It doesn't like to be kicked and will then resort to using its underground stingers. Incredibly easy to avoid since the roots can only come an inch or two above the ground so if you wear thick shoes you'll be safe." Then Sirius grinned incredibly wide. "Now there IS a way to completely repel the plant. oh man this is the funnest part. Now. the way you can repel a Fangora is do the thing it hates the most. which is singing a song." Most the glass laughed in disbelief. "No, I'm serious. Okay well I AM Sirius no matter what but anyway. I tell the truth. Let's see. let me think. ah, I got it." Sirius said and cleared his throat.
"You broke my heart. cause I couldn't dance. you didn't even want me around. and now I'm back to let you know. I can really shake 'em down." Sirius sung in a melencholy voice. Suddenly a spotlight went on him and all the other lights turned off, as he leapt to his feet and music began playing. "Do you love me?! I can really move! Do you love me?! I'm in the groove! Now do you love me? Do you love me? Nooooooowwwwwww that Iiiiiiiiiiii can daaaaaaaaaanncceeee. daaaaaaaaaaannnceeee. daaaaaaanncee- watch me now!" Sirius began playing an air guitar. The entire class was laughing and cheering Sirius on. And it was working, the Fangora was cringing back and trying to get as far from Sirius as possible (I wasn't sure if it was because of the song, or the fact Sirius was totally insane. I had a feeling it had to do with both.) "Hey! Work, work! Oh work it out baby! Work, work! Well you're a driving me crazy! Work, work! With a little bit o' soul now, work! I can mashed potato! I can mashed potato! I can do the twist! I can do the twist! Now tell me, baby! Tell me, baby! Do you like it like this? Do you like it like this? Tell me! Tell meee, tell me!" Sirius jumped onto his desk and began doing the 'Monkey'. "Do you love me?! Do you love me? Do you love me?! Do you love me? Now do you love me? Do you love me? Nooooooowwwwwww that Iiiiiiiiiiii can daaaaaaaaaanncceeee. daaaaaaaaaaannnceeee. daaaaaaanncee watch-" Sirius was cut off and the lights came back on and the music stopped.
"Nice dancing, Black." We looked at where Snape had opened the door and was standing there, arms folded and a look of intense dislike on his face.
Sirius- who was frozen in the middle of doing the 'monkey'- suddenly straightened up and nearly banged his head on a hanging fern from the ceiling above his desk (which he was still on). "Hullo Sevy baby, still a teacher?" He asked.
Snape clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. "I came by to get that Wlan powder you were to supposed to of given to me before this class started." With this Snape narrowed his eyes even more. "but I can see you are far too busy teaching these kids your appalling dancing and singing abilities."
"If you think you can croon it better then me, go ahead." Sirius said.
Snape clenched his teeth even harder. I could a muscle in his forehead twitching. "The Wlan powder, Professor."
"I haven't gotten it made yet. The Seventh years were supposed to be helping but halfway through class we got-er-off track. One of the Ravenclaws, Miss Cho Chang, discovered a Pufferball in the greenhouse and we begun a game of volleyball." Sirius grinned broadly at this.
"I'll expect that Wlan powder on my desk before lunch is over, Black." And Snape whisked off, robes billowing behind him.
"Oily git." Sirius said, shutting the door (not noticing the Fangora had run out to get away from him) and turned to the class. "and you can quote me on that- damn!!!" He said, now noticing the plant was gone. "no, no, no, no! Don't quote me on THAT. ah well I guess class over. I'll expect you to be able to sing a Fangora away by next class. Bye!" He said and opened the door again.
I hung back to talk to him. "Nice song."
"Thanks." He said with a grin. "Now, did you stay back just to say what a marvelous dancer and singer I am or is there something else?"
"First of all. I was wondering what Remus and Emerin teach now." I said.
"Remus is the new History teacher and Emerin is teaching Healings."
"I take it they're good at those?"
Sirius snorted. "Speaking as a fellow Professor- yes. Speaking as myself- god no. Those two need to be locked up in a padded cell. Then again, so should I. Letting the three of us loose together is a big mistake. Oh well. Let's get going, its time for lunch and I'm hungry."
And Sirius escorted me back to the castle.
***
Compared to Herbology, the rest of the day was totally uneventful. Ron, when he found out what they did in Herbology, seemed rather upset.
"Hey at least you don't have to make a ruddy fool of yourself singing a song." Harry complained.
"I've got a dreadful singing voice." Hermione sighed, looking very upset.
"What's wrong, Hermione? For once can't get help from a book?" Ron asked, grinning nastily.
"Actually I can." She said, brushing back some of her hair.
"You what?" Peggy asked. "how?"
"A voice spell. I can at least make myself sing better." Hermione said, sipping some water.
"That's cheating." Jasmine said then thought a moment. "though a clever idea."
"Let's see." Ron grabbed Hermione's schedule, haven only been given his two- week O.W.Ls schedule since he had missed his, the last school year being dead. "Wednesday after lunch. no I don't believe I'll be having ANY O.W.Ls that day. I think I'll drop by the greenhouses." Ron said.
Hermione snatched her schedule back and scowled. "I love Sirius but really. making us sing." She said, glancing up at the teacher's table where the trouble-making trio were unusually quiet. Emerin's impish face was grinning nastily. Remus had his head ducked low over his dinner. Sirius was calmly stirring some tea. Too calmly.
"Okay I wonder what they've done now." Harry said. Ron began snickering. "What?" Harry asked.
"I know what they're gonna do."
"How do YOU know?" Harry asked.
"A little before dinner I. had my first Divination thing since, you know, I died. A vision." Ron said and cracked another grin. "oh man this is going to be so funny."
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"You'll see." Ron said, checking his watch. "should be happening any second."
Sure enough, five seconds later all the torches went out, and black curtains fell over the windows making it completely black in the room except for the sky above them. Almost all the girls screamed as well as quite a few boys. Then everyone (except the teachers and Ron) screamed as a blanket covered the ceiling and causing the entire room to be black.
"Ron, what the hell are they up to?" Harry hissed.
"Oh man." Ron said, trying not to laugh. "this is so funny. oh God I can't stand this. oh geez." Suddenly a disco ball was lowered down and burst out its dazzling light and disco music pumped out of no where. The song was 'Macho Man'.
"Oh NO not THIS again!" McGonagall's cry shouted out and a loud 'thud' indicated she banged her head against the table.
Everyone stared as Sirius and Remus leapt onto the table which had burst into squares of light. They ripped off their robes revealing disco clothes and they began discoing.
Everyone was too dazed to move and just watched their new professors dancing. They sat there completely frozen.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Macho, macho maaaaaaaannn! Yeah baby! I've got to be. a maaaachooo man. Macho, macho maaaan! I've got to be. a machoooo! Whoo! Macho, macho maaaaaaaannn! Ooh baby! I've got to be. a maaaachooo man. Macho, macho maaaan! (come on baby) I've got to be. a macho man!" Sirius and Remus sang.
Harry blinked slowly, hardly even breathing. Ron was snorting with laughter and burying his face in his hands. Hermione's jaw had dropped and her eyes had gotten extremely wide. Peggy was shaking with silent laughter, though just as shocked as everyone else.
Finally the song was over, the disco ball disappeared, the blanket and curtains disappeared, the torches were blazing again and Sirius and Remus had sat back down, in their robes but grinning.
"Thank you, boys, for that after-dinner entertainment." Dumbledore said, looking at the two with an amused smile.
"Told you it was funny." Ron said with a grin.
The rest of the Great Hall was still in total shock.
*** (Ron's point of view)
"Any O.W.Ls today?" I looked up as Peggy flopped into a chair near where I read the next day.
"Yep. History. Already finished it." I said, shutting the book.
"What's Professor Lupin. er, Remus like?" Peggy asked.
"Great. He says I probably passed with flying colors. He's a lot better then Binns. So, why aren't you in class?" I asked.
"Divination/Arithmacy. I don't take either." Peggy said with a slight yawn.
"Divination sucks. I'm thinking about quitting." I said.
"And just when you're actually starting to become all Divination-y?" She asked with a smirk.
"Oh shut up. I was hoping that by dying it would get rid of the stupid thing but."
"You saw what Sirius and Remus were going to do." Peggy finished and I nodded.
"Yep."
"Hey Ron?"
"Yeah?" I asked.
"How come Harry and Hermione lied to me?" She asked.
"What do you mean?"
"On the train trip up. They said you didn't really die but yet just then you said you did." She pointed out.
I sighed and shook my head. "I don't think they trust you."
"How come?" Peggy asked, sounding hurt.
"Because of Alexia Webs." I said with a shrug.
"They still think that's me? I told you guys that is NOT me!" She said, scowling.
"I know. I don't think its you." I said.
"So you believe me?" She asked, smiling.
"Yeah. I think.. have you heard of dopplegangers?"
"Somewhere else there's someone who is identical to you. Yeah. You think that Alexia Webs is mine?"
"Yep."
She moved over to sit beside me on the couch. "Thanks for believing me."
"You're welc-" She leaned over and kissed me on the lips.
After regaining my senses I looked around and saw she was gone. Blinking, I looked at the fire. "Ron don't you dare start with these feelings for Peggy again." I told myself. The previous year I had really started liking Peggy and when I kissed her, she slapped me. But she had kissed me this year. TWICE. But. all that stuff she had said. about how she wasn't worth all I'd have to give up.
Frowning, I tried thinking what she'd mean by that.
After a long time I gave up and started reading 'Deep Magic' again. It was fascinating and was stirring up something inside of me. The first page was the most fascinating. There was a design. It was a circle with a silver star inside of it and inside the star was a phrase I didn't know what meant.
Llay Ortsedd Naseta Nimod Nacc Igampe Edfo Rewo Peht.
Then under the circle and star was another phrase.
Cigampe Edeh Tesa Eleru Oynig Nidi Serc Igampe Ede Vahu Oyra Tsehte Esu Oyfi
Maybe it was Latin or Greek or something. I read the two phrases over then returned to my place in the book.
"Molly, you've got to let go of the boy. Molly. let go. Molly. MOLLY!" It took Dad and Percy to somehow pry mother off of me. She was refusing to let me go.
"Be careful my baby!" She sobbed.
"I will, Mum." I said. She got loose of Dad and Percy and hugged me tightly again. "Mum! Please! The train'll leave any moment!" I said. I kissed her cheek and tried to wiggle loose.
"Molly please. the train will be leaving." Dad said, trying to pull Mum off of me again.
"No. I need more time with him!" Mum screeched.
My ears were rapidly turning red as all the other parents were staring at us. "Mum!!!" I gasped. "please. Dad, Percy."
"Molly don't make me use magic." Dad said.
Mum kissed both cheeks and my forehead before finally letting go. "Bye baby." She whispered.
"I'll write mum, I promise. Bye!" I jumped onto the train just three seconds before the whistle blew, the doors closed and the train started.
I went down the corridors and bumped into someone. "I'm sorry." She said. She looked exactly like that 'Alexia Webs' at Wormtail's trial, only with perfectly straight and smooth hair, and thick-rimmed and thick-lensed oval glasses
"Peggy!" I gasped.
It was Peggy Morlins. She looked at me in shock. "R-Ron?" She stammered then fainted dead away in my arms. I dragged her down the corridor and into the compartment Harry and Hermione were saving (Jasmine was sharing a compartment with Draco Malfoy).
"Hey R- Peggy?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. She saw me and fainted." I said, tipping her body on a seat. Her glasses clattered to the floor and I pocketed them.
"But... she saw you at the trial she knew you were alive." Hermione said.
"Hermione, that was someone named Alexia Webs." I pointed out.
"I think Peggy and Alexia are one and the same." Hermione said grouchily, fingering her Prefect badge.
"We have no proof." I pointed out.
"What if..." Harry trailed off. "what if it is the same person."
"Listen, Harry, her reaction to seeing me was truthful. She had no idea I was alive. And Alexia saw me at the trial." I pointed out.
"What if she has a split-personality?" Hermione asked.
"Split-personality?" I asked, sitting by Peggy's legs.
"Yeah. Sometimes she's Peggy then sometimes she's that Alexia. and-and subconsciously she thought the note HAD said that about her aunt but it really said that other thing. The real note wormed into the Alexia side so Peggy left Hogwarts and returned to the cave as Alexia." Hermione said.
"Brilliant idea but wouldn't she of turned into Alexia at SOME point at Hogwarts last year?" I asked.
"Yeah well. remember all those times she disappeared? Like at Christmas morning? Maybe she was off being Alexia then." Hermione suggested.
"Want to know what I think?" I asked.
"Sure, Ron, what do you think?" Harry asked.
"Think about what?" I asked in confusion then remembered. "oh yeah. Well, I read about dopplegangers. Somewhere out in the world is someone who looks exactly like you."
"And you think that Peggy's doppleganger is Alexia Webs?" Hermione asked and I nodded.
"Yep." I said.
"I think she has split-personality." Hermione voiced stubbornly.
"Maybe Peggy and Alexia are twins that were separated as babies." Harry suggested.
"I think its the doppleganger thing." I said.
"And I think she has split-personality. It makes sense."
"No it doesn't, Hermione!"
"Just because she has split-personality doesn't mean she'll turn into the other person once a month or something." Hermione said bitterly.
"I think they're long lost twins." Harry said.
"That makes as much sense as Ron's idea." Hermione retorted.
"Wait... the twin... that boy." Harry suddenly said.
"What about him?"
'Well obviously he and Alexia are twins but. never mind its. well-"
"Wait, Harry. before he and Peggy or Alexia or whoever left after we returned from the cave, she called him 'Paul'."
"Yeah, so?" Harry asked.
"But at the trial. his name was Alexander."
"Well maybe he has split-personality." I said sarcastically.
"No because then. well Peggy called him Paul when she was Alexia. and he was Alexander at the trial when she was still Alexia." Hermione pointed out.
But we had to stop talking because Peggy was waking. "What. happened.?"
I handed her her glasses. "You saw me and fainted." I said.
Peggy slowly sat up and rubbed her head. "R-Ron?" She stammered.
"Yes?"
"You. you. you're alive!" She gasped, staring at me with widening hazel eyes.
"I am. Thanks to some good friends." I said with a wide grin.
She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly, kissing my face all over (which started giving me very strange feelings). "Oh Ron I don't care how but you're alive!" She said then kissed me hard on the lips.
The first thing I saw was stars and rockets. Then I began to feel extremely dizzy... "That was a very. good. kiss." I said, feeling extremely dazed after she stopped kissing me, but was hugging me tightly.
"How? How did you get to be alive again?" She asked, pulling back.
"Well, see Harry-" I began but Harry cut in.
"He was never dead in the first place. That funeral and grave was a hoax." He said quickly.
"But. why?" Peggy asked, looking confused.
"Why?" Harry asked and glanced at Hermione.
"To make You-Know-Who think we used the Stone up so he won't try and get it." She said.
"What?" Peggy asked.
"We made it look like Ron died and had come back, and in doing so used up the power of the Stone and he wouldn't try to go after it again." She said.
"Oh." Peggy said slowly and sat back. "I see. I think."
I, however, was confused as of why Harry and Hermione didn't want Peggy to know the truth. I looked at them and they looked back, with looks on their faces that obviously meant for me not to tell her.
"Where's Jasmine?"
"With Malfoy." Harry sneered.
And the rest of the trip was relatively silent. We arrived in Hogsmeade and the four of us piled into a carriage that took us to the great castle that was Hogwarts.
Professor Albus Dumbledore was waiting on the front steps. Everyone looked shocked as they climbed out of their carriages, wondering why he'd be out. "Giving you another little talk most likely." I whispered to Harry as we walked over.
"Mr. Weasley may I please speak to you?"
I was more shocked then anyone else as he said these words. "M-me?"
"Yes." Dumbledore said.
"Yeah. uh, sure." I followed him into the castle and to an empty room. Last year he had sent Professor Flitwick to take Harry to him. he wasn't waiting for Harry. What did Dumbledore want from me? We sat down and Dumbledore stared hard at me, down his long crooked nose.
"I wanted to talk to you about. well. er-I don't know if this might make you, er, uncomfortable-"
"Professor, I don't mind talking about my death." I said with a shrug.
He looked mildly relieved. "I want to warn you that being a spirit trapped in the Stone then released there will be some-er-interesting side affects."
"I know. I've read about them." I said.
"I want you to have this." Dumbledore handed me a large package wrapped in pale. almost white blue paper and silver ribbon.
"Er-Professor this isn't necessary." I said but he shoved the package into my hands.
"Don't open it until you'll have time to actually look through it." He said.
"Okay, sir." I said. "thank you."
"Now, let us get to the feast. I'm positively starving." He said, helping me up and guiding me to the Great Hall.
I had stuck the (rather heavy) package in my backpack and dropped into the seat Harry had saved me. "What did Dumbledore want?" Hermione whispered.
"Just wanted to congratulate me on being alive." I mumbled. I then noticed almost every single pair of eyes were on me and everyone began whispering.
We turned (and thankfully the whispering stopped) as the front doors opened and Professor McGonagall guided a bunch of nervous looking First years in, ready for their Sorting. They went up to line in front of the teachers table and that's when I noticed it. There were four seats empty.
"Hey, why're so many seats empty?" I asked.
"Dunno." Harry replied with a shrug.
I glanced at Dumbledore who winked at me before turning to the Sorting Hat McGonagall had brought out and set on the stool. It opened its brim wide and began its song.
"I am called the Sorting Hat
For that is what I do.
I look right into your head
And see all about you.
You might be a little afraid
But no need to be, so
Put me on your head
And here we go!
If you have sharp mind and wit
And in learning you have no flaw
Then bronze and blue is where you'll go
To the house of Rowena Ravenclaw.
If your color is true blue
If you're loyal, devoted, and that stuff
Then to black and yellow!
House of Helga Hufflepuff.
If you have daring nerve,
If you're brave and sure
Then scarlet and gold is your color
House of Godric Gryffindor.
And if you are real shrewd
Ambitious to a pin
Then to green and silver
House of Salazar Slytherin.
One of those four
Is where you will be
So just put me on your head
And then we all shall see!"
The Hat was now silent. Everyone cheered and McGonagall unrolled a parchment. "Abrit, Andrew?" A boy with curly black hair and a greenish tint to his face ran forward and the Hat was placed on his head.
"RAVENCLAW!" The Hat announced and Andrew went to the house of blue and bronze.
"Addins, Geraldina?" A girl with fluffy blonde hair and bright blue eyes nervously sat down.
"SLYTHERIN!!" And she rushed to the table.
"Arvins, Christine?" A girl with curly reddish blonde hair slowly went forward.
"RAVENCLAW!" Christine ran down and sat with Andrew Abrit.
"Bagge, Eustace?" A boy with a prominent chin and glasses sat down.
"SLTYHERIN!" And he joined the table looking quite happy.
"Baggins, Freda?" A short girl with immensly curly black hair sat on the stool.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Our house exploded into cheers as she came down to the table. "Welcome to Gryffindor!" We all said.
"Thank you." She said cheerfully.
"Are you named after Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings?" Asked a Fourth year.
"Oh shut up." Freda grumbled. Obviously the answer was 'yes'.
"Bell, Hannah?" McGonagall called and shockingly nothing happened. "Bell, Hannah?" She repeated. Everyone stared at the First years but no one moved. The entire Hall was silent for quite a few moments.
"Minerva continue, please." Dumbledore said, I could tell he was snickering at something. And, oddly enough, a few names later it happened again.
"Cat, Ima?" She called. Nothing happened. Everyone looked at the First years. McGonagall cleared her throat. "Cat, Ima!" She insisted.
"My dear Minerva please just continue with the Sorting." Dumbledore said but he was giggling at something.
"Creevy, Ellen?" A small girl with her mousy brown hair pulled into pigtails ran up.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Ellen ran down and joined Colin and Dennis Creevy who were obviously her older brothers.
"Creevy, Flora?" A girl identical to Ellen was put into Gryffindor as well.
"Girls look over that's Harry Potter!" I heard Dennis whispering.
"Wow!" the Creevy twin girls gasped, staring at Harry.
"And that's Ron Weasley. He died!!"
"He looks alive to me." Ellen said, peering at me.
"He died." Her brothers assured her.
By the time we turned back to the Sorting it was up into 'F' and it happened again. "Fulded, Greg?" She called but nothing happened. "Fulded, Greg?" She insisted.
"Just continue." Dumbledore said, smiling. Luckily it didn't happen for a while. When it got to the 'L's, another set of twins were sorted. "Livings, Darien?"
A boy with the blackest hair I had ever seen rushed forward and plopped himself on the seat. "GRYFFINDOR!"
Darien rushed down to the table and looked very relieved. "If I was anywhere else dad would kill me." He mumbled.
"Livings, David?" A boy identical to Darien went forward and was put into Gryffindor as well. When it got to 'M' another set of twins were Sorted. Jacob and Jessica Miller were put into Hufflepuff.
"How many twins are here this year?" Hermione asked as Clarise and Claire Nott were put into Slytherin. Later, Eglantine and Eugene Sandstone were put into Gryffindor.
"Stone, Livings?" McGonagall asked and nothing happened except a few giggles.
"What? What's funny?" I asked as Harry and Peggy snorted and tried to hide their laughter.
"Oh my gosh I didn't see it until now." Harry said.
"Me either." Peggy giggled.
"See what?" I demanded.
"Stone, Livings?" McGonagall said more firmly. None of the First years went up though a great deal of them were giggling.
"What is so funny?!" I hissed as Hermione couldn't hold in her laughs. "Tell me!" I insisted as three other Gryffindor Sixth years, Seamus Finnigin and cousins Dean and Donnie Thomas, burst into snickers. A lot of people from every table but the Slytherins were trying hard not to laugh, hard. I recognized most of them were either Muggle-Born or half and half.
"Stone, Livings please come forward." McGonagall said then whirled angrily at the table as Dumbledore suddenly burst into loud laughter which caused everyone who had been suppressing it, to burst into laughter.
"My dear Minerva, just continue on with the Sorting." Dumbledore said in a muffled voice since he had buried his face in his hands. "before we all break our ribs. please hurry."
Her lips extremely thin, McGonagall called the next student up. Later it happened again, one last time.
"Voil, Oliver?" She asked and the entire hall now burst into laughter.
McGonagall suddenly went red and waved the parchment about. "Okay, who is the wise guy?!" She demanded.
"J-just get the last couple of students Sorted!" Dumbledore gasped as he fell out of view, laughing so hard. The remaining four students were Sorted.
"I wonder who did it." Hermione asked, gasping for air and clutching her sides.
"You mean all those names when nobody came up were fake?" I asked.
"Duh! 'Bell, Hannah'. Hannah Bell. Hannibal. 'Cat, Ima'. I'm a Cat. 'Fulded, Greg'. okay well I have no idea what that is. It might be a real guy who didn't show up. Then 'Stone, Livings'. Livingstone. Dr. Livingstone. Then Oliver Voil which you got." Peggy said.
"Yeah." I said and turned to the table where Dumbledore had finally regained control over his senses and stood up.
"Yes well after that amusing prank." He cleared his throat, announced a few rules then introduced the new teachers. er sort of. "As you probably noticed we have a few seats empty. anyway, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who will be arriving soon. Now then. over the summer we had a few. retirements.
Professor Binns of History has-" Dumbledore never finished, the entire hall burst into loud cheers. It took Dumbledore fifteen minutes and a threat to hide Pufferballs in everyone's beds to quiet them down. "Thank you." He said sternly, though smiling. "Binns has retired. said something about quitting to continue his death in peace or something, anyway the new History teacher will be arriving tomorrow morning.
"Alas it is my deepest regrets to inform you that Professor Sprout has retired." With this he took a deep breath through his nose. "well not retired, really. Just took a job that offered her a higher pay somewhere in Iceland. Anyway, your new Herbology teacher will be arriving tomorrow as well.
"Professor Amah has left us, as well. Her parents were. attacked in a recent Death Eater raid and she went to Scotland to raise her younger siblings. We have a new Healings Professor who will be arriving in the morning.
Now then! Before we eat I'd like to say." Dumbledore trailed off as the doors burst open and a woman crossed the room. "welcome, Professor Conway. No, students, that's not what I was going to say." He quickly added.
"Thank you, Albus." She said and sat in one of the empty seats. She was a young woman with golden brown hair pulled in a braid, tan skin and a scar that curved from her left eyebrow down to her chin in a crescent moon shape.
"What I was going to say was. SOLO FOR THE HEADMASTER! When I'm stuck with a day. that's gray. and lonely. I just stick out my chin. and grin. and saaaaaaaaayyyyy the sun'll come out. Tomorrow. So you gotta hang on till tomorrrrow. come what maaaaaaaaaaay! Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I'll love ya! Tomorrow! You're only a day away! Toooooooomorrow! Tomorrow! I'll love ya! Tomorrow! You're only a daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!"
Everyone (especially the First years) stared at him. Dumbledore spread his arms out wide and food appeared over the golden plates and everyone attacked it with hunger that had endured through the extra 15 minutes of cheering that Binns was gone.
*** (Harry's point of view)
Something heavy landed on me, waking me up. "Har, wake up." I rolled over and blinked. Ron was dressed and had thrown one of my shoes at me.
"Oh man." I moaned. I slowly got up and rubbed my shoulder where he had hit me. "Ron." I moaned, glancing at my Wizarding watch. "its only six-forty- five. we don't have to get up for another. half an hour at the least." I fell back on my bed and pulled the covers up around me.
"Whatever. I'm going down to breakfast." Ron said and I heard him leaving.
I wondered what had gotten into Ron then remembered. Duh. The Stone. One of the side affects was an increase in studious behavior.
Not much longer later, Ron ran up the stairs. "HARRY!" He shrieked. "Harry come on! Hurry you've got to. come on!"
"Don't wanna." I grumbled. Ron pulled the covers off my bed.
"Come ON!"
"Oh okay!" I got dressed and after trying (and totally failing) to brush down my hair, I followed Ron to the Great Hall.
"You're not going to believe this but." He opened the doors and I stepped in.
"Heya Harry!"
I looked at the teachers table. Sirius and Remus sat there, building a mountainous tower out of bacon and toast with Emerin using her wand to fly pieces of the breakfast food to them so they could work on the extremely tall tower. In fact as I stared, Sirius and Remus climbed onto the table. The tabletop breakfast tower was five feet tall, give or take a few inches. No, just give. The only other teachers were Professor Flitwick of Charms, and Professor Sinistra of Astronomy.
Flitwick was threatening to topple over backwards as he stared at the tower top. Sinistra was clapping her hands and giggling.
"Oh my goodness." Hermione and Peggy had appeared and stopped in the doorways as well. Soon there was a build-up and Dumbledore pushed to the front to see what was the matter.
"Nice tower boys, you've beaten your old record." He said as he walked towards the teachers table.
The students poured in and sat at their tables, watching the tower get higher and higher. Finally neither man could reach the top and everyone thought it'd be over but Sirius ducked, and Remus climbed onto his shoulders and they continued higher.
"Leaning tower of breakfast pizza." Emerin giggled as they put a little flag with an emblem I couldn't see on the top.
"YEAH!" Sirius and Remus suddenly yelled happily. Emerin and Dumbledore burst into applause. Ron and I joined closely followed by Hermione and then the entire Gryffindor table. Then the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs and a handful of teachers.
The teachers who were not cheering were McGonagall who had her lips pressed thin, and Professor Severus Snape who was glaring murderously at the duet on the table.
The two men grinned and suddenly Remus's eyes got wide. "SIRIUS!" He yelled as Sirius let go of his legs to hold his hands up high in victory. Remus began wobbling and Sirius grabbed his legs but it was too late. The two crashed back into the tower, and the intricate design was destroyed as bacon and toast (as well as some sausage gravy they were using) fell on them.
Everyone stopped cheering and burst into laughter as the two slowly sat up on the teachers table. Sirius was grinning as he pulled a piece of crisp bacon from his hair. Remus was laughing, causally brushing toast crumbs from his shabby robes.
"Nice going, idiots!" Emerin said.
"Oh stuff it." Sirius replied.
Emerin grinned a nasty grin and suddenly poured a tureen of sausage gravy over Sirius's head. "Oops. Sorry." She said innocently. Remus roared with laughter until Sirius dumped a whole pitcher of orange juice on him.
Remus leapt to his feet (still on the teachers table) and grabbed a plate of sausage links. "FOOD FIGHT!" He screamed and dumped it onto Emerin.
"Not again!" Hermione yelled, ducking under the table as breakfast foods began soaring through the air.
"Now this is what I call a good first day of school!" Ron laughed, sending some kippers in the direction of half a dozen Hufflepuff girls who had looks of disgust on their face. They screamed as it hit them and glared at Ron who smiled innocently at them. I took this opportunity to dump milk over him.
Unfortunately this food fight couldn't last very long since it was breakfast and we had classes to go to. So only after fifteen minutes, Dumbledore was ushering everyone out to get showered.
"Now that three of you are back together, Hogwarts is going to be in ruins, isn't it?" He asked a grinning Sirius, Remus and Emerin.
"Well. duh!" Sirius said causing the other two to laugh.
I shook my head and went to get a quick shower before rushing to Care of Magical Creatures.
*** (Ron's point of view)
Everyone in the entire house of Gryffindor was at some class or another. Since I was all alone, I felt it fit to open the package Dumbledore had given me. So, sitting in a squashy armchair by the crackling fire, I untied the silver ribbon and carefully unfolded the icy blue paper.
It was a huge book, like something Hermione'd want. It was about five inches thick, and the edges of the paper were uneven. The cover was old and a faded brownish red. The binding was goldish and the paper inside was old and yellow. I closed the book and peered at the gold words stamped across the front. The title of the book was 'Deep Magic'. As soon as I read that, I felt a weird sensation growing inside of me. Taking a deep breath, I opened to the first page and began reading.
*** (Harry's point of view)
The second class of the day was Herbology and when we went to the greenhouses, I saw Sirius. "Hey Harry!" He said, grinning from ear to ear, waving his hand.
"What're you do-" I stopped and dropped my bookbag. "YOU'RE THE NEW HERBOLOGY TEACHER?!" I screeched.
"Yep!" He said cheerfully.
"You. YOU?!" Hermione demanded.
"Yes. Me." He said cheerfully. We were staring at him in disbelief. "Oh don't worry! Herbology was my best subject. Or maybe that was James. eh, anyway, follow me!" He said. We still looked doubtful but followed him into one of the greenhouses.
It was Greenhouse Ten and filled with most fascinating plants. I was the first one in line, with Hermione, Jasmine and Peggy behind me (the rest of the class was slow to follow. Even know the papers announced he was innocent, they still looked nervous being taught by a man who had been accused slayer of thirteen.). As soon as I went in, a large plant with its leaves as teeth growled at me. I jumped back as it snapped angrily.
"Ouch- Harry!" Hermione yelped as I landed on her foot.
"Don't let that buster get to you, Harry." Sirius assured me. "his bark is worse then his bite. Can't even sink his teeth into mashed potatoes."
With this Ernie MacMillan laughed and poked the plant in the stalk. The plant, in turn, wrapped its branches around Ernie's waist and lifted him high in the air. The Hufflepuffs yelped and darted back out the door. "Get me down!" Ernie shrieked.
"First one that can get him down without hurting the plant will get something special." Sirius said lazily as he flopped into the seat at the front of the greenhouse.
"Bindicus Breakus!" Neville Longbottom, a round, and rather stupid Sixth year Gryffindor, who had a horrible memory and was the worst in all classes except this one, pointed his wand at the plant.
The plant screeched and dropped Ernie and quickly retreated into the corner, rubbing the branches and whimpering. I helped Ernie off the ground. He was a bit shaken up, but otherwise fine. "Y-you said he couldn't hurt me." He growled at Sirius who stood back up.
"No. I said he can't bite you. Wrapping his branches around your waist and lifting you into the air isn't biting. at least, not the last time I checked." Sirius ran his fingers through his hair then produced a Chocolate Frog and gave it to Neville. "and ten points to Gryffindor. Oh come in, your housemate is perfectly fine but that should teach him not to go prodding plants." Sirius told the Hufflepuffs waiting outside the doors. "should teach all of you." He added as they came in.
There were a bunch of desks that could seat five. Hermione, Jasmine, Peggy and I sat at one of these, joined by Justin Finch-Fletchly. "Hi Harry." He said.
"Hey Justin."
"I. well I have a . a-a question." He stammered.
"Okay." I said.
"I saw-well I THOUGHT I saw. well I-I-I-I-I mean. I don't mean to UPSET you. well its j-I mean I'm not the only one who th-thought they saw that well-and there well. you see I just thought-last night at the feast and this morning well. I-I-I"
"Yes Ron is alive." I said, reading between the stammers.
"How?" Justin whispered.
"I don't know." I lied and turned to the front of the room. Sirius had been, during the time Justin was sputtering, wrestled a plant onto his desk.
It was about two feet tall and covered with purple fuzz. It had two long tendrils coming out either side like tentacles, covered with something green and sharp-looking. Two fangs protruded from amidst the purple fuzz. I already heard it snarling with a high-pitched garbling sort of sound.
"Anybody know what this is?" Sirius asked, holding the thing back with a gloved hand.
Hermione, Peggy, Neville and Jasmine all shot their hands up. Sirius looked at them all then at Neville. "Neville?"
"Its the Fangora." He said, looking rather nervous.
"Right-a-mundo." Sirius said with a grin that made Neville smile back. "Anyone care to tell me the Fangora's four deadly weapons?" Once again it was the three girls and Neville who raised their hands. "No. I want someone else to answer. I want to see if anyone can't point out at least two of them."
"The-er-fangs?" Susan Bones of Hufflepuff said.
"Yes. anyone else? There's another real obvious one."
"The green sharp things on its tentacles?" Dean asked.
"Yep! Now then. Hermione?"
"The purple fuzzy stuff can secrete a toxic fume." She said.
"Yep and. Jasmine."
"Its roots." She answered.
"Very good. The Fangora's roots do not go deep. The spread along right under the top soil and if someone tries to attack, the roots will shoot up. The end of the roots are like stingers and can put a poison into you if the stinger actually goes into you." Sirius said He put a Muggle's diver mask over his head which covered his eyes and nose. Most the students giggled but I didn't for I was one of the very few who saw a thin, hard-to-see purple powder stuff release from the fur as Sirius grabbed the Fangora around the middle and lifted it. "The powdery stuff most of you don't see," Sirius said, his voice slightly nasally. "can only enter through the nose and eyes. For some reason, it refuses to go near the mouth and in fact will repel away from an open one. Your best defense against the fume is covering your eyes and nose, then talking a lot. Which is quite easy for me." With this most the class burst into laughter. "But that is just one of the four deadly weapons. The fangs you can easily avoid. The tentacle-things however lash out like whips. The best defense against this is kicking it. It doesn't like to be kicked and will then resort to using its underground stingers. Incredibly easy to avoid since the roots can only come an inch or two above the ground so if you wear thick shoes you'll be safe." Then Sirius grinned incredibly wide. "Now there IS a way to completely repel the plant. oh man this is the funnest part. Now. the way you can repel a Fangora is do the thing it hates the most. which is singing a song." Most the glass laughed in disbelief. "No, I'm serious. Okay well I AM Sirius no matter what but anyway. I tell the truth. Let's see. let me think. ah, I got it." Sirius said and cleared his throat.
"You broke my heart. cause I couldn't dance. you didn't even want me around. and now I'm back to let you know. I can really shake 'em down." Sirius sung in a melencholy voice. Suddenly a spotlight went on him and all the other lights turned off, as he leapt to his feet and music began playing. "Do you love me?! I can really move! Do you love me?! I'm in the groove! Now do you love me? Do you love me? Nooooooowwwwwww that Iiiiiiiiiiii can daaaaaaaaaanncceeee. daaaaaaaaaaannnceeee. daaaaaaanncee- watch me now!" Sirius began playing an air guitar. The entire class was laughing and cheering Sirius on. And it was working, the Fangora was cringing back and trying to get as far from Sirius as possible (I wasn't sure if it was because of the song, or the fact Sirius was totally insane. I had a feeling it had to do with both.) "Hey! Work, work! Oh work it out baby! Work, work! Well you're a driving me crazy! Work, work! With a little bit o' soul now, work! I can mashed potato! I can mashed potato! I can do the twist! I can do the twist! Now tell me, baby! Tell me, baby! Do you like it like this? Do you like it like this? Tell me! Tell meee, tell me!" Sirius jumped onto his desk and began doing the 'Monkey'. "Do you love me?! Do you love me? Do you love me?! Do you love me? Now do you love me? Do you love me? Nooooooowwwwwww that Iiiiiiiiiiii can daaaaaaaaaanncceeee. daaaaaaaaaaannnceeee. daaaaaaanncee watch-" Sirius was cut off and the lights came back on and the music stopped.
"Nice dancing, Black." We looked at where Snape had opened the door and was standing there, arms folded and a look of intense dislike on his face.
Sirius- who was frozen in the middle of doing the 'monkey'- suddenly straightened up and nearly banged his head on a hanging fern from the ceiling above his desk (which he was still on). "Hullo Sevy baby, still a teacher?" He asked.
Snape clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. "I came by to get that Wlan powder you were to supposed to of given to me before this class started." With this Snape narrowed his eyes even more. "but I can see you are far too busy teaching these kids your appalling dancing and singing abilities."
"If you think you can croon it better then me, go ahead." Sirius said.
Snape clenched his teeth even harder. I could a muscle in his forehead twitching. "The Wlan powder, Professor."
"I haven't gotten it made yet. The Seventh years were supposed to be helping but halfway through class we got-er-off track. One of the Ravenclaws, Miss Cho Chang, discovered a Pufferball in the greenhouse and we begun a game of volleyball." Sirius grinned broadly at this.
"I'll expect that Wlan powder on my desk before lunch is over, Black." And Snape whisked off, robes billowing behind him.
"Oily git." Sirius said, shutting the door (not noticing the Fangora had run out to get away from him) and turned to the class. "and you can quote me on that- damn!!!" He said, now noticing the plant was gone. "no, no, no, no! Don't quote me on THAT. ah well I guess class over. I'll expect you to be able to sing a Fangora away by next class. Bye!" He said and opened the door again.
I hung back to talk to him. "Nice song."
"Thanks." He said with a grin. "Now, did you stay back just to say what a marvelous dancer and singer I am or is there something else?"
"First of all. I was wondering what Remus and Emerin teach now." I said.
"Remus is the new History teacher and Emerin is teaching Healings."
"I take it they're good at those?"
Sirius snorted. "Speaking as a fellow Professor- yes. Speaking as myself- god no. Those two need to be locked up in a padded cell. Then again, so should I. Letting the three of us loose together is a big mistake. Oh well. Let's get going, its time for lunch and I'm hungry."
And Sirius escorted me back to the castle.
***
Compared to Herbology, the rest of the day was totally uneventful. Ron, when he found out what they did in Herbology, seemed rather upset.
"Hey at least you don't have to make a ruddy fool of yourself singing a song." Harry complained.
"I've got a dreadful singing voice." Hermione sighed, looking very upset.
"What's wrong, Hermione? For once can't get help from a book?" Ron asked, grinning nastily.
"Actually I can." She said, brushing back some of her hair.
"You what?" Peggy asked. "how?"
"A voice spell. I can at least make myself sing better." Hermione said, sipping some water.
"That's cheating." Jasmine said then thought a moment. "though a clever idea."
"Let's see." Ron grabbed Hermione's schedule, haven only been given his two- week O.W.Ls schedule since he had missed his, the last school year being dead. "Wednesday after lunch. no I don't believe I'll be having ANY O.W.Ls that day. I think I'll drop by the greenhouses." Ron said.
Hermione snatched her schedule back and scowled. "I love Sirius but really. making us sing." She said, glancing up at the teacher's table where the trouble-making trio were unusually quiet. Emerin's impish face was grinning nastily. Remus had his head ducked low over his dinner. Sirius was calmly stirring some tea. Too calmly.
"Okay I wonder what they've done now." Harry said. Ron began snickering. "What?" Harry asked.
"I know what they're gonna do."
"How do YOU know?" Harry asked.
"A little before dinner I. had my first Divination thing since, you know, I died. A vision." Ron said and cracked another grin. "oh man this is going to be so funny."
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"You'll see." Ron said, checking his watch. "should be happening any second."
Sure enough, five seconds later all the torches went out, and black curtains fell over the windows making it completely black in the room except for the sky above them. Almost all the girls screamed as well as quite a few boys. Then everyone (except the teachers and Ron) screamed as a blanket covered the ceiling and causing the entire room to be black.
"Ron, what the hell are they up to?" Harry hissed.
"Oh man." Ron said, trying not to laugh. "this is so funny. oh God I can't stand this. oh geez." Suddenly a disco ball was lowered down and burst out its dazzling light and disco music pumped out of no where. The song was 'Macho Man'.
"Oh NO not THIS again!" McGonagall's cry shouted out and a loud 'thud' indicated she banged her head against the table.
Everyone stared as Sirius and Remus leapt onto the table which had burst into squares of light. They ripped off their robes revealing disco clothes and they began discoing.
Everyone was too dazed to move and just watched their new professors dancing. They sat there completely frozen.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Macho, macho maaaaaaaannn! Yeah baby! I've got to be. a maaaachooo man. Macho, macho maaaan! I've got to be. a machoooo! Whoo! Macho, macho maaaaaaaannn! Ooh baby! I've got to be. a maaaachooo man. Macho, macho maaaan! (come on baby) I've got to be. a macho man!" Sirius and Remus sang.
Harry blinked slowly, hardly even breathing. Ron was snorting with laughter and burying his face in his hands. Hermione's jaw had dropped and her eyes had gotten extremely wide. Peggy was shaking with silent laughter, though just as shocked as everyone else.
Finally the song was over, the disco ball disappeared, the blanket and curtains disappeared, the torches were blazing again and Sirius and Remus had sat back down, in their robes but grinning.
"Thank you, boys, for that after-dinner entertainment." Dumbledore said, looking at the two with an amused smile.
"Told you it was funny." Ron said with a grin.
The rest of the Great Hall was still in total shock.
*** (Ron's point of view)
"Any O.W.Ls today?" I looked up as Peggy flopped into a chair near where I read the next day.
"Yep. History. Already finished it." I said, shutting the book.
"What's Professor Lupin. er, Remus like?" Peggy asked.
"Great. He says I probably passed with flying colors. He's a lot better then Binns. So, why aren't you in class?" I asked.
"Divination/Arithmacy. I don't take either." Peggy said with a slight yawn.
"Divination sucks. I'm thinking about quitting." I said.
"And just when you're actually starting to become all Divination-y?" She asked with a smirk.
"Oh shut up. I was hoping that by dying it would get rid of the stupid thing but."
"You saw what Sirius and Remus were going to do." Peggy finished and I nodded.
"Yep."
"Hey Ron?"
"Yeah?" I asked.
"How come Harry and Hermione lied to me?" She asked.
"What do you mean?"
"On the train trip up. They said you didn't really die but yet just then you said you did." She pointed out.
I sighed and shook my head. "I don't think they trust you."
"How come?" Peggy asked, sounding hurt.
"Because of Alexia Webs." I said with a shrug.
"They still think that's me? I told you guys that is NOT me!" She said, scowling.
"I know. I don't think its you." I said.
"So you believe me?" She asked, smiling.
"Yeah. I think.. have you heard of dopplegangers?"
"Somewhere else there's someone who is identical to you. Yeah. You think that Alexia Webs is mine?"
"Yep."
She moved over to sit beside me on the couch. "Thanks for believing me."
"You're welc-" She leaned over and kissed me on the lips.
After regaining my senses I looked around and saw she was gone. Blinking, I looked at the fire. "Ron don't you dare start with these feelings for Peggy again." I told myself. The previous year I had really started liking Peggy and when I kissed her, she slapped me. But she had kissed me this year. TWICE. But. all that stuff she had said. about how she wasn't worth all I'd have to give up.
Frowning, I tried thinking what she'd mean by that.
After a long time I gave up and started reading 'Deep Magic' again. It was fascinating and was stirring up something inside of me. The first page was the most fascinating. There was a design. It was a circle with a silver star inside of it and inside the star was a phrase I didn't know what meant.
Llay Ortsedd Naseta Nimod Nacc Igampe Edfo Rewo Peht.
Then under the circle and star was another phrase.
Cigampe Edeh Tesa Eleru Oynig Nidi Serc Igampe Ede Vahu Oyra Tsehte Esu Oyfi
Maybe it was Latin or Greek or something. I read the two phrases over then returned to my place in the book.