CHAPTER SEVEN

Another Year Begins

The carriage slowed to a stop at the foot of the giant castle named Hogwarts; Harry, Ron and Hermione clambered out of their transport into the downpour. Harry noticed Ron and Hermione were still sharing at the menacing looking threstrals. "Can you see them?" Harry croaked as he pushed them forward, the warm summer rain pelting his face.

Hermione shook her head sending water in every possible direction, "We can't see them, but the rain kind of makes their shape visible, if you know what I mean." Ron nodded in agreement as he stared at a threstral's draconic head.

They shivered as a blast of cold air hit them when they walked into the school. The Great Hall was much warmer than the entrance hall; candles magically floating over their heads provided a welcoming warmth that filled the room.

Please let Selene get into Gryffindor, Harry thought as he sat down at one of the four long tables designated to each house next to Ron, on whose other side sat Hermione. Before Harry knew it, the Hall became packed with chattering students returning to Hogwarts for another year of creatures, spells, and text books.

The Hall went silent as Professor McGonagall lead in a nervous number of first years and Selene, who was a head taller than all of the eleven-year-olds and was almost as tall as McGonagall herself. Harry watched Selene through McGonagall's annual speech describing the procedure of the Sorting, not paying attention to one word she said. The stern old witch put the tri-legged stool down with a large thunk and opened her mouth to call out the first name on the list, but the hat one the stool objected. Professor McGonagall looked as if she was internally scolding herself for forgetting to let the Sorting Hat sing its song.

The tattered old hat opened its "mouth" and began to sing an eerie song...

"Last year I told you all

To stand together tall,

I still stand by what I said

Stand each other in good stead.

I know this little song

Isn't very long

But I have told you

What I meant to.

Divided by what house you are

Can stop this school from going far

So whether you're a lion

Snake, badger, or raven,

Be united, that is all I'm saying."

Harry glanced at Dumbledore, who seemed amused by the Sorting Hat's lyrics, small white dots from the candle light danced across his smiling sky blue eyes. "Artemis, Selene!" Professor McGonagall called out, and with that, Selene crept up the stairs, her dirty blonde head bobbing, and she sat on the stool. Her knees were at a very high height in comparison to the first years from last year; the stool seemed to grow as it took on her proportions, Harry could hear her soft giggle. A whistle came from behind Harry, he and everyone around him whipped around to see a drenched Seamus with a devilish smile on his face. Harry looked back to Selene to find her grinning and gently waving, her cheeks slightly pink. "Is she waving at us or Seamus?" he hissed in Ron's ear.

"I dunno, mate," he whispered back. Professor McGonagall placed the tattered old Sorting Hat on Selene's wet head. The hat fell over her eyes, a few moments passed; Harry knew the hat was debating over which house to put her in. Harry thought he saw her lips moving a bit, and a split second later, the battered hat announced, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat was removed from her head, she was beaming. Selene quickly went down the stone steps, her wet cloak slapping each one, and sauntered over to Gryffindor table, she slipped into the space between Seamus and Harry as the table applauded.

Harry turned to her and smiled, "Congratulations!" he said as he fought a sudden urge to drape his arm over her shoulders.

"Thanks," Selene replied as the applause died down and a new student was called to be sorted. Harry took this time to scan the staff table. A young man with a brown ponytail sat where Delores Umbridge had sat a year before. He couldn't have been older than Percy Weasley, instead of robes, the man wore a button-down shirt and a brown leather jacket, and he was smiling as he watched the students being sorted. Maybe he's a student teacher or an assistant, Harry thought, He couldn't possibly be a professor.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Harry jumped at the particularly loud proclamation, and heard Selene giggle, Harry sheepishly turned and grinned at her, she returned it. Harry looked at his hand to find it on top of Selene's; Harry felt his face grow hot, he had thought that her hand was a base of a goblet. Harry pulled his hand away and gave a nervous laugh.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Harry jumped again, and laughed with Selene as the applause from Ravenclaw began. Harry looked over at the table to see Cho Chang glaring at him; Harry smiled even broader; Cho turned around abruptly with a huff to talk to Michael Corner.

"Norwich, Blake!"

"They're already on n's?" Harry asked Selene who nodded and watched the little boy intently.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"My man!" Selene exclaimed as the nervous black haired boy with cheeks dappled with freckles sat across from her. She held out her fist to Blake and he tapped it lightly with his own.

"You're man?" Harry asked.

"He's my little buddy. We sat in the same boat when we crossed the lake."

"I almost fell in," Blake squeaked, "Selene saved me." Selene shook her head as she smiled.

The Sorting ended soon after, with Even Zeverdoth being sorted into Slytherin. Dumbledore stood up then, and the room fell silent. His half moon spectacles and silver beard glimmered in the candle light.

"As you heard last June in the papers, Voldemort has indeed returned to power as I had stated after the Triwizard Tournament two years ago. Our newly appointed Minister of Magic, Madame Bones, and I ensure your safety during our school term.

"We consulted each other on the curriculum for this year, and we have decided that every student, including first years, will be taught Defense Against the Dark Arts each day with the exception of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday." A number of students let out groans. Harry couldn't blame them; more classes meant more assignments, which means less sleep and less time for Quidditch, that is, if he was allowed to play. Last year Umbridge had banned him from Quidditch for life because of a provoked attack on Malfoy last year, and Harry didn't know if the punishment had been lifted since she was sacked.

Harry buried his head in his hands as Dumbledore continued his speech., "Now, now, I'm sure you'll enjoy this addition to your schedule for we have a new member on our staff that I'm sure you will take a liking to, may I introduce Drew Helios," Dumbledore began to clap and the rest of the hall followed his lead. The young man flashed a charming smile and waved gently.

"Drew?" Harry glanced at Selene who was beaming as she said the man's name. Why did that name ring a bell? Selene knows him, that's it! Selene was e-mailing him the other day...

Dumbledore listed the usual precautions and rules, then clapped his lined hands curtly, food erupted out of the tables. Eager hands groped at the platters and tureens filled with puddings, rolls, and marinated pork. Harry seemed to have blanked out because the next thing her knew, his plate was flooded with food.

Harry began to stuff his mouth with the contents of his plate; he hadn't realized how hungry he had become since their arrival. Harry looked up from his plate to see a scarlet envelope shaking in front of him; he cautiously reached out and snatched it from between two goblets. Harry then quickly slipped out of his seat and sprinted out of the Hall and into the corridor, and he held his breath as he opened the envelope with trembling fingers,

"YOU WILL PAY, POTTER!"

The Howler burst into flames and Harry dropped the smoldering parchment and let it hit the ground, sending embers rolling on the sandstone floor; Harry stepped back into the Hall, Ron's eyebrows shot sky high, and hid in his fiery red hair.

Harry could feel the heat of everyone's eyes on his neck, drilling holes through his skin with their piercing gazes. He slipped into his seat with an air of faux confidence, and continued to wolf down his meal, the silence was broken when the clanking of utensils resumed after he took his first bite, "Did you hear it?" Harry asked through a mouthful of pork.

"Yeah, erm, it was muffled a bit, but I think everyone heard it." Ron shoved a spoonful of pudding into his mouth, as if it would stop him from saying anything else.

"Malfoy began to laugh," Hermione chirped, "so when he wasn't looking a sent a Silencing Charm his way. He still doesn't realize he's mute, though," she laughed, "because Crabbe and Goyle are more confused then ever. I expect he thinks they've become denser over the summer." Harry grinned.

"Do you know who it was from?" Harry asked his best friends.

"Malfoy, Harry, who else?" Hermione stated matter-of-factly, "Didn't you see him send it to you?" Harry shook his head subtly; Hermione rolled her eyes. "He's still angry that you got his dad in Azkaban, he's going to try to get even, if you couldn't figure out what the message meant."

"No need to get snappy, Hermione," Ron said. Hermione scowled at Ron and decided to focus on her meal meanwhile Ron's ears began to grow red.

Harry looked to his other side to see Selene teaching the Norwich boy how to make things levitate, Seamus was watching dreamily. A surge of jealousy spread through Harry like warmth from a sip of butterbeer. He found rivalry in Seamus now, for it seemed to Harry that Seamus had a thing for Selene; Harry couldn't allow that.

Harry scowled and turned his focus to Dean whose arm was wrapped around Ginny; Harry swerved his gaze to Neville who was glaring at Dean. Harry lost interest in observing other people, and decided to focus on his food.

Before long they left the Great Hall, the entire Gryffindor table followed the two seventh year prefects of their house to the seventh floor. The prefects announced that the password to get into the Gryffindor common room was "grindylow." The portrait of the Fat Lady dressed in pink swung open and they all clambered through the portrait hole and into the common room.

Harry flung himself into one of the squishy velvet armchairs by the fire, his robes dried completely in a in a matter f moments from the warmth of the fire and the chair. Harry rubbed his eyes as Selene settled herself into the chair opposite Harry and curled herself into a ball, as she transformed, Blake Norwich sat right next to her on the floor and stared into the flames absentmindedly stroking the fur on Selene's tail.

Harry almost leapt out of his seat when Katie Bell, the only remaining Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, barked his name. "Harry! I'm the Captain for this year!"

"That's great, Katie," Harry said half heartedly.

"You didn't let me finish," she said as she pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail. "I'm putting you back in as Seeker, you're allowed to play again," a huge grin crept up his face, "but, you must not get in trouble! Please, Harry?"

"I won't get in trouble," Harry said, a little offended that Katie made it seem like he tried to get in trouble.

"That Howler wasn't all too convin-"

"Well, I'm not in trouble, and I won't be in the future." Harry crossed his arms as Katie put her hands on her hips. "When are you holding tryouts for the rest of the team, Harry continued as he pointed to the white ball of fur in the other armchair, "because Selene over th-"

"This Friday seven o'clock. Don't be late!" and with that, Katie spun around and sprinted up to the girls' dormitory. Harry sighed a breath of content as he let his hand fall limp and stared into the bright orange flames licking at the fire grate and dancing about under the hearth.

"Come on, Selene," Hermione said roughly, Harry closed his eyes, he needed to relax and clear his mind, he now understood that Occlumency was very important, but what he didn't understand was why Hermione seemed to dislike Selene so much. Harry heard nails click against stone and heard Blake get up and cross to the boys' dormitories. Harry was left alone to his thought in the musty common room.

After a few short minutes of being alone Harry decided to go to his room, maybe he could talk to Ron or the other boys or just listen to something other than the popping of crisp wood.

"What did you do?!"

"I-it was squeaking I-I thought it might want some food." Harry pushed open the door to find Neville wringing bloody hands and the ebon's empty cage on the floor.

"What happened?" Harry seemed to have been asking this question often lately, not just to his peers and elders, but to himself as well, especially when he thinks of what happened in the Department of Mysteries.

"I, er, accidentally let it out, I-I'm sorry, Harry! It m-melted into the shadows," a pink faced Neville stammered, as he pointed to a dark corner of the room where Dean knelt examining a spot on the floor. "I-it attacked me, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Neville, I wasn't attached to the bird, but are you okay?" Harry felt guilty of his reckless pet, so he pulled out his wand and bandaged Neville's fingers. "Don't worry about it." They crawled into bed Harry, didn't change out of his robes, he was too tired. Truth be told, Harry was almost happy that the ebon was gone, although it was a gift from Hagrid, it did nothing but cause pain and screech.

Harry tossed and turned in his sleep as he dreamt of the ebon soaring through the clouds with its talons sinking into Ron's skull, as it took him into the shadowy graveyard where Voldemort had been reborn.

Dawn spilled onto Harry's bed sheets through the part in his four-poster curtains; Harry rolled off his bed, crawled to his trunk and ripped some clean robes out of it. What had the dream meant? Did it mean anything? Harry dressed as these thoughts flew through his head.

Ron seemed perfectly fine at breakfast when they were writing which classes they wanted to take as Professor McGonagall instructed. She swept down Gryffindor, pointing her wand at each note, and stopped as she looked at Harry's note, "Remember what I said, Potter, you really need to work hard in your classes to get what you want." Harry nodded, and Professor McGonagall magically turned his note into a schedule. He had the subject he loved most first, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"What do you have?" Ron asked, as he snatched Harry's schedule from Harry's hands. Ron's eyes flew over the paper; he sighed and handed it back to Harry. "You and I only have Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration together." Harry took Ron's schedule from him. It was true three out of five classes; usually he and Ron had been in every class together for the past five years.

Harry shrugged and he, Ron and Hermione walked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Ron and Hermione sat together in the back, and Harry slid into the empty seat in front of them. A chart of the moon cycle was drawn on the blackboard, and the thought that he was in the wrong room came upon Harry because moon charts are studied in Astronomy, but then Selene and Drew Helios sauntered into the room chatting about something Harry could not hear. The man jogged to the front of the room.

"Harry, is this seat open?" Harry shook his head and Selene slid onto the bench, and accidentally bumped into Harry who felt his face grow hot, "Sorry," she giggled as she moved over a bit to give Harry room to move.

"Hello class. Boy that sounds weird," Helios said, as the room grew silent. "Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. You may call me Drew or Helios; 'Professor' just hasn't sunk in yit." A few Ravenclaw girls in the front row giggled, Selene rolled her eyes.

"How about Doobles?" Selene shouted. Harry looked back at his other friends; Hermione made a face like she thought Selene was an idiot, Ron was just confused.

Drew laughed, "You can call me whatever Wolf Girl back there calls me, too." He pulled out his wand and conjured a floating diagram of a man.

"Our first thang in the lesson plan is werewolves. Anybody know some random facts they'd like ter share with us?" His rich Dixie accent floated through the air to Harry's ears. Harry felt a tiny gust of wind ruffle his hair as Hermione shot her hand up in the air, as did Selene.

"Yes er-"

"Hermione Granger."

"Alright, Hermione,"

"Werewolves are hard to tell from regular wolves, the only way you can determine them is by knowing the differences between them. For instance, werewolves' eyes are more humane; the eyes are larger. Their skulls are rounder than a wolf's, their tails hardly ever move, the ears aren't placed exactly on top of their heads like a wolf's, and the fifth phalange on each front paw is longer than wolves'."

"That's right. Fahve points to Gryffindor. For this week we are going to examine the body structure of werewolves." Harry watched as the graphic morphed into a wolf.

"Do ya'll know the Protean Charm yit?" Drew asked as he slumped into a chair next to Hanna Abbott of Hufflepuff. Everyone except for Selene and Hermione shook their heads. "Well, I guess you'll have ter pay attenshin, 'cause Ah'm not goin' ter say this agin, nor do I feel like performing thirty somethin' of 'em..."

Harry watched the graphic spin and move as Drew went through his lesson, joking along with them as the time passed.