Disclaimer: I still don't own anything about or from Harry Potter. And I've noticed (after utilizing the search tool) that a lot of people have fan fic's called Full Circle in the Harry Potter category. Let's hope my title makes sense!
To all of you wonderful reviewers: THANKS!
Joanne Kathleen Rowling (if that IS your real name, hehe): Thanks for the review! It was nice to hear.
Marmalade Fever: Thank you! I am glad you appreciate my story as well as my mechanics.
Here goes...
Hermione was up bright and early the next day. Not early enough, she thought, as she, Ron and Harry ambled their way from the Gryffindor common room to the Great Hall. Dumbledore had said at last night's assembly that he expected them all to be there to watch the sorting ceremony for the exchange students and to welcome them all to their respective houses. But the hall was already jam packed with students eating breakfast, awaiting the appearance of Dumbledore, who hadn't arrived yet.
Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table in between Harry and Ron. It was spread with delicious looking food, and they all help themselves to some French toast. "I forgot how great the food was here," Hermione laughed, after they had silently eaten for awhile.
"I don't know if I can eat," said Ron. Despite the fact, he grabbed another slice.
Harry looked at him. "Still worried about the exchange students?"
"Yeah..." Ron admitted. "I mean, what if the ones who go to Gryffindor are really, really brilliant at Quidditch? You know I'm not a Quidditch superstar myself, I mean, I was lucky to even get on the team last year. And it was mostly cause they had no one else anyway."
Harry and Hermione immediately began to protest. "No way, Ron!" Hermione said firmly. "You are a great keeper. You'll definitely be on the team and I'll be there to watch you try out!"
Ron smiled at her and then looked away, a faint blush to his cheeks. Hermione wondered if it was just from excitement, but Harry had a knowing look in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Ron," Harry said. "The team last year didn't just let you on cause they had no one else.. you know that. Remember the House Cup? You've got to stop being so hard on yourself, mate."
Ron smiled again and said, "You guys are right. I'm not going to let it bother me. I'm just going to try out and what will be will be. But I'll definitely be disappointed if I don't make the team."
Hermione looked at him with sympathy and then raised her eyebrows slyly. "Yeah, but don't forget, Ron, Harry is the captain." At this prospect Ron brightened and finished his breakfast in peace.
Students were still milling into the great hall when Dumbledore arrived. To their misfortune, he clapped his hands and all the breakfast dishes cleared. Ron was just in the process of reaching for a piece of bacon with his fork and slumped disappointedly.
"Quite, please!" Dumbledore's loud voice resonated through the room as he took his place behind the teacher's table.
"I hope you have all enjoyed your breakfast, but as we have much to do today all late-comers will have to make up for their missed meal at lunch." He smiled and had a twinkle in his eye as he looked upon the students, all looking at him with eager, expectant faces- even the usually sour Slytherins. After all, they'd have some new members to their house too.
"As you all were informed last night," Dumbledore continued, "today we have arriving some foreign exchange students. They will be staying with us this year and will be interacting in Hogwarts as if they were students here. They will be sorted by the Sorting Hat" at this moment he whisked it out from behind the table, "momentarily, and will join their houses. I trust you will all make our friends from Canada feel welcome."
A murmur arose among the students- none of them knew where the students were coming from, and not many expected Canada. They thought it would have been like when Dumbledore brought other students to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament- ones who didn't speak English as a first language.
Hermione, Ron and Harry looked at each other with interest and then back up at Dumbledore, who was patiently but sternly awaiting the talking to die down. "Now then. Before they join us this morning you must know that not every magical school is sorted by Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Our Canadian friends are sorted into houses but they are not the same as ours, so the Sorting Ceremony is required. And with that," he said, his smile growing ever wider, "let me introduce to you to the students!"
The group of about twenty students that then arrived in the Great Hall through the doors were looking around in, not quite amazement, for they were witches and wizards, after all, but in interest. Some girls pointed at the ceiling and whispered to each other. Some were smiling, some were laughing, and some were looking shy and nervous. Hermione remembered how nervous she was when she got sorted. To have to do it in front of an audience of kids your own age- it must have been worse!
They were still wearing normal, everyday clothing. They'd left their old school robes behind, as when they were sorted into their houses they'd be equipped with robes of the proper house. As they lined up in front of the teachers, Hermione gazed at them all. Their age ranged from about twelve to eighteen, and looked as if they all came from different backgrounds, despite coming from the same country. There was a pretty Asian girl that reminded Hermione a lot of Cho Chang, except with a short, chin-length bob. Hermione cast a sidelong look at Harry, but he was absorbed in taking it all in.
As the Sorting Hat was placed on the stool, Hermione caught the eye of one of the students, and he smiled. She smiled back, hoping to make him feel welcome. Only when he looked away shyly did she actually see how cute he was. He looked about her age or a year older, with softly curling dark brown hair. He was tall and looked athletic without being bulky, and was wearing beige corduroy trousers and a brown sweater. Even from her distance she could see that his eyes were startlingly blue. She shook her head and blushed a bit at the realization that she'd been staring at him. Luckily Ron and Harry hadn't noticed, as they were equally curious about the new students. Something in the back of Hermione's mind nagged that it wasn't just curiosity that held her gaze on the unknown student for so long.
All the students watched the Sorting Ceremony with deep interest. It seemed the Canadian students were spread almost equally into Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, but with only three of them joining the ranks of Slytherin. Hermione, Harry, Ron and all the other Gryffindors welcomed their new house-mates with smiles and friendly words. The six students who came to the Gryffindor table were made up of a small, second year girl with dark curly hair and a shy, rosy face, whose name was Caty; two twin seventh-year girls with long, strawberry-blonde hair named Chelsea and Emma, who the boys seemed to much admire; a third-year boy who reminded Hermione slightly of Colin Creevey, only more shy, named Chris; another smiling, bouncy girl in the second year, named May, and a stockily built sixth-year boy with curly red hair, named Arnold. Hermione recalled, with a bit of disappointment which surprised her, that the unknown, dark-haired boy had taken a seat at the Ravenclaw table.
A/N: Oooh.. what will happen? Did we notice something with Ron? Will Hermione meet the mysterious student? You'll have to keep checking for my next post to see! Please review, I will really appreciate it!
To all of you wonderful reviewers: THANKS!
Joanne Kathleen Rowling (if that IS your real name, hehe): Thanks for the review! It was nice to hear.
Marmalade Fever: Thank you! I am glad you appreciate my story as well as my mechanics.
Here goes...
Hermione was up bright and early the next day. Not early enough, she thought, as she, Ron and Harry ambled their way from the Gryffindor common room to the Great Hall. Dumbledore had said at last night's assembly that he expected them all to be there to watch the sorting ceremony for the exchange students and to welcome them all to their respective houses. But the hall was already jam packed with students eating breakfast, awaiting the appearance of Dumbledore, who hadn't arrived yet.
Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table in between Harry and Ron. It was spread with delicious looking food, and they all help themselves to some French toast. "I forgot how great the food was here," Hermione laughed, after they had silently eaten for awhile.
"I don't know if I can eat," said Ron. Despite the fact, he grabbed another slice.
Harry looked at him. "Still worried about the exchange students?"
"Yeah..." Ron admitted. "I mean, what if the ones who go to Gryffindor are really, really brilliant at Quidditch? You know I'm not a Quidditch superstar myself, I mean, I was lucky to even get on the team last year. And it was mostly cause they had no one else anyway."
Harry and Hermione immediately began to protest. "No way, Ron!" Hermione said firmly. "You are a great keeper. You'll definitely be on the team and I'll be there to watch you try out!"
Ron smiled at her and then looked away, a faint blush to his cheeks. Hermione wondered if it was just from excitement, but Harry had a knowing look in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Ron," Harry said. "The team last year didn't just let you on cause they had no one else.. you know that. Remember the House Cup? You've got to stop being so hard on yourself, mate."
Ron smiled again and said, "You guys are right. I'm not going to let it bother me. I'm just going to try out and what will be will be. But I'll definitely be disappointed if I don't make the team."
Hermione looked at him with sympathy and then raised her eyebrows slyly. "Yeah, but don't forget, Ron, Harry is the captain." At this prospect Ron brightened and finished his breakfast in peace.
Students were still milling into the great hall when Dumbledore arrived. To their misfortune, he clapped his hands and all the breakfast dishes cleared. Ron was just in the process of reaching for a piece of bacon with his fork and slumped disappointedly.
"Quite, please!" Dumbledore's loud voice resonated through the room as he took his place behind the teacher's table.
"I hope you have all enjoyed your breakfast, but as we have much to do today all late-comers will have to make up for their missed meal at lunch." He smiled and had a twinkle in his eye as he looked upon the students, all looking at him with eager, expectant faces- even the usually sour Slytherins. After all, they'd have some new members to their house too.
"As you all were informed last night," Dumbledore continued, "today we have arriving some foreign exchange students. They will be staying with us this year and will be interacting in Hogwarts as if they were students here. They will be sorted by the Sorting Hat" at this moment he whisked it out from behind the table, "momentarily, and will join their houses. I trust you will all make our friends from Canada feel welcome."
A murmur arose among the students- none of them knew where the students were coming from, and not many expected Canada. They thought it would have been like when Dumbledore brought other students to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament- ones who didn't speak English as a first language.
Hermione, Ron and Harry looked at each other with interest and then back up at Dumbledore, who was patiently but sternly awaiting the talking to die down. "Now then. Before they join us this morning you must know that not every magical school is sorted by Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Our Canadian friends are sorted into houses but they are not the same as ours, so the Sorting Ceremony is required. And with that," he said, his smile growing ever wider, "let me introduce to you to the students!"
The group of about twenty students that then arrived in the Great Hall through the doors were looking around in, not quite amazement, for they were witches and wizards, after all, but in interest. Some girls pointed at the ceiling and whispered to each other. Some were smiling, some were laughing, and some were looking shy and nervous. Hermione remembered how nervous she was when she got sorted. To have to do it in front of an audience of kids your own age- it must have been worse!
They were still wearing normal, everyday clothing. They'd left their old school robes behind, as when they were sorted into their houses they'd be equipped with robes of the proper house. As they lined up in front of the teachers, Hermione gazed at them all. Their age ranged from about twelve to eighteen, and looked as if they all came from different backgrounds, despite coming from the same country. There was a pretty Asian girl that reminded Hermione a lot of Cho Chang, except with a short, chin-length bob. Hermione cast a sidelong look at Harry, but he was absorbed in taking it all in.
As the Sorting Hat was placed on the stool, Hermione caught the eye of one of the students, and he smiled. She smiled back, hoping to make him feel welcome. Only when he looked away shyly did she actually see how cute he was. He looked about her age or a year older, with softly curling dark brown hair. He was tall and looked athletic without being bulky, and was wearing beige corduroy trousers and a brown sweater. Even from her distance she could see that his eyes were startlingly blue. She shook her head and blushed a bit at the realization that she'd been staring at him. Luckily Ron and Harry hadn't noticed, as they were equally curious about the new students. Something in the back of Hermione's mind nagged that it wasn't just curiosity that held her gaze on the unknown student for so long.
All the students watched the Sorting Ceremony with deep interest. It seemed the Canadian students were spread almost equally into Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, but with only three of them joining the ranks of Slytherin. Hermione, Harry, Ron and all the other Gryffindors welcomed their new house-mates with smiles and friendly words. The six students who came to the Gryffindor table were made up of a small, second year girl with dark curly hair and a shy, rosy face, whose name was Caty; two twin seventh-year girls with long, strawberry-blonde hair named Chelsea and Emma, who the boys seemed to much admire; a third-year boy who reminded Hermione slightly of Colin Creevey, only more shy, named Chris; another smiling, bouncy girl in the second year, named May, and a stockily built sixth-year boy with curly red hair, named Arnold. Hermione recalled, with a bit of disappointment which surprised her, that the unknown, dark-haired boy had taken a seat at the Ravenclaw table.
A/N: Oooh.. what will happen? Did we notice something with Ron? Will Hermione meet the mysterious student? You'll have to keep checking for my next post to see! Please review, I will really appreciate it!