"Harry Potter and the True Heir of Slytherin"
Chapter Six: "The Sorting of the Transfer Students"
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Harry never discovered what happened with Snape, Siren and Hunter during the train ride.
All he knew was that something bad must have happened. For the rest of the ride, Harry didn't tell anyone about his suspicions. He knew, first of all, that there was a death eater by the last name of Nott, which also happened to be Hunter's last name. Hunter sure did act rather rudely, and somewhat frightening, but Harry didn't know for sure if Hunter was related to the Death Eater. Nott wasn't a very uncommon name, was it? Also, Harry noticed that when Siren spoke of her father, she spoke of him in an ashamed
voice, as though she didn't like him. Harry didn't know Siren's last name, so he didn't know if maybe Siren's father was a Death Eater. It would've made sense if he was, too. It would explain how Siren knew the Malfoys, Hunter, and Snape, and why she was ashamed of her father.
Also, was it possible that Siren bore the Dark Mark? Harry saw for himself when Snape
revealed his Dark Mark on his forearm just the year before. Siren grabbed at her left forearm on the train, as though it was in great pain, and Hunter tried to change the subject of the conversation immediately after she did. Also, right after Siren's "Dark Mark" burned her, Snape came and told her to go with him.
Perhaps the two of them were discussing the fact that Voldemort had been calling on them.
Another thing that Harry noticed was that Siren seemed vague about the details about her
summer vacation. Was it during the summer that Siren was branded with the Dark Mark? Was it possible that Siren had been a Death Eater over the summertime? Or maybe she still was one...
Harry didn't want to say anything about what he thought - he figured he would just
secretly tell Ron and Hermione once they were back at Hogwarts, safe in the Gryffindor
common room.
As the sky grew darker, the train moved closer to Hogwarts. Finally, a few hours after Harry's brief meeting with Snape, they arrived. Everyone onboard got up and off of the train.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione got off the train together, along with a cluster of other students. They walked past a group of terrified first years as they got off.
"Firs' years, this way!" called a familiar voice. It was Hagrid, directing the first years towards him, as he always did when the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogwarts. "Firs' years and transfer students, over 'ere!" Hagrid noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and waved to them. "Alrigh', you three?" he called.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all waved back at him, and then walked away to find the carriage which would carry the three of them to the front gates. They finally reached the carriage, and Harry and Ron got in, but Hermione waited anxiously outside.
"Are you coming?" Ron asked her.
Hermione was looking over the crowds and looked rather anxious.
"I'm waiting for Viktor," Hermione answered.
Ron rolled his eyes and sighed. "Hermione," he replied, "he's with Hagrid, along with the rest of the transfer students. Now get in so we can leave."
Hermione shoulders fell in disappointment, and she climbed into the carriage and sat
next to Harry. It was very dark out as the carriage began to move. The road they took was very bumpy,
and they could hear the other carriages moving on either side of them. After about five minutes, the carriage stopped right in front of the entrance to Hogwarts.
Harry got out first, followed by Hermione, then Ron. They walked up the stairs which led
to the doors, and Ron gasped. At the entrance there stood two huge trolls. Hermione screamed as Harry took out his wand. The trolls looked at the three of them, very confused. They certainly didn't look very aware of what was really going on around them.
"Don't worry about them," said a somewhat deep, yet familiar voice.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all turned around and saw who the voice belonged to. It was Lupin. "Professor Lupin!" Hermione exclaimed happily, "What are you doing here?"
Lupin smiled and walked towards them. "You'll find out soon enough," he said mysteriously, "but let's go inside," he continued, "it's a bit chilly out here." "But what about them?" Harry asked, nodding towards the trolls.
"Oh, don't worry," Lupin answered, "They won't hurt you. They're just guarding the main
gates."
"Why?" Ron asked as they walked inside.
"Well, mainly because of Voldemort, I think," he replied gravely. He looked at Harry. "Sorry to hear about the Dursleys, Harry," he added gently. "Are you ok?"
Harry sighed quietly. "Yeah, I'm alright," he responded blankly. "Thanks."
Lupin half-nodded, and they all slowly approached the doors leading into the Great Hall. The Hall was already swarming with students, and they were all talking very loudly.
"I'll see you three later," Lupin said, and he walked out of the Great Hall.
"I wonder where he went?" Hermione asked as the three of them found their seats at the
Gryffindor table.
"Hey guys!" said Neville as he sat down across from them.
"Oh, hey Neville!" Hermione smiled.
"How are ya doing?" asked Ron, stretching out his arms as he sat down.
"OK," Neville replied, and he looked at Harry, "Gee, I'm really sorry to hear about what
happened to your relatives, Harry."
"Thanks, Neville," Harry answered solemnly, trying to smile.
Just then, the doors to the Great Hall opened, and in walked all of the new first years. Behind them walked about fifteen or so older students, in two straight lines. Krum, Hunter, and Siren were among them.
"Are those the Transfer Students?" Neville asked Ron.
"Yeah, I guess so. Since when does Hogwarts have transfer students anyways?" Ron
asked curiously.
"Ever since everyone found out that Karkaroff used to be a Death Eater," Seamus answered, who was sitting next to Neville, "Aren't they all from Durmstrang anyway?"
"I think so," Neville replied, and then he shuddered and added, "They all must know the
Dark Arts, too."
"Yeah," Seamus answered, "I wish that Hogwarts taught the Dark Arts. Must be really
helpful if you're in danger or something."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all exchanged looks, but didn't say anything.
"But I suppose that's what Defense Against the Dark Arts is for," Seamus added with a sigh. "I hope we have a good teacher for it this year."
All five of them looked up at the staff table to see if they could find an unfamiliar face. Neville pointed out a man wearing a dark navy cloak. He was fairly young, and had brown hair. They all agreed that he must be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"I don't get it," Hermione said, "Why are they transferring here? I mean, Durmstrang has a new Headmaster now, so what's the big deal?"
"I don't know," Seamus replied, "I think it's because their parents want them safe and, well, Dumbledore's the safest guy you can be around, y'know?"
"Has Hogwarts ever had any transfer students before?" Harry asked.
"Rarely," Ron answered, "My mum told me that the only transfer student she ever heard of was from, like, 1850 or something."
The first years all crowded around the center of the stairs leading to the staff table, and the transfer students stood in two neat rows on the right side of the first years. Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore placed the hat atop the stool. The transfer students looked at it oddly, and the first years seemed almost afraid of it. Suddenly, the hat began to move, and a tear in the hat opened like a mouth, as it began to sing:
"Oh, I'm the Sorting Hat, you see,
I'll tell you where you ought to be.
There is no use in lying to me,
Ask anyone, they'll all agree.
So put me on your head, right now,
I'll figure it all out somehow.There's nothing in you I can't see,
There's never been a better hat than me.
Do you belong in Slytherin?
With the cunning, strong and keen?
Perhaps this is the house you'll be in,
And sport quidditch robes of green.
Or perhaps in mighty Gryffindor,
Where it's impossible to be lame.
For their minds are smart and their hearts are sure,
For which they get all the fame.
Or should you be in Hufflepuff?
This could be just the house for you.
Their times are fun and never rough,
And their friendship is always true.
In Ravenclaw, perhaps you'll find,
Proper knowledge you'll need for life.
Their smarts and wisdom ever bind
with their friendships which are free from strife.
So put me on, and you will see,
In whichever house you ought to be.
I'm through with singing now, that's that.
So try me on, I'm the Sorting Hat."
Everyone cheered loudly as the hat ended, especially the first years. Once everyone was settled, the hat began to call out names.
"Anniston, Sherina," it said.
A short, and very nervous girl sat down on the stool as Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore placed the hat on her head. The hat took about 10 seconds before it yelled out, "RAVENCLAW!" Loud cheering was heard from the Ravenclaws as Sherina sat down at their table.
The sorting hat continued to call out names of all the first years, until the last one (Zurich,
Xander) was made a Gryffindor.
Then, the transfer students stepped a bit more forward in an orderly fashion. "TRANSFER STUDENTS!" the hat called out, and all of the transfers stood side-by-side in front of the hat.
As the first 5 were called, they were all made Slytherins.
"That's odd," Ron said to himself.
"What did you expect?" Seamus asked, "I mean, they have learned the Dark Arts and all."
Finally, Viktor Krum was called. Harry could see Hermione crossing her fingers. He
decided to do the same. After being on his head for only 3 seconds, the hat made Krum a Gryffindor. The Gryffindor table was absolutely roaring, especially Hermione. Ron, however, gave one good clap and then stopped and continued to sit quietly.
"Nott, Hunter!" the hat called.
Hunter walked towards the stool and sat down. The hat didn't even touch his head before
it yelled, "SLYTHERIN!" just as it did to Malfoy when he first came to Hogwarts. Hunter somewhat smiled and joined the Slytherin table.
A few more students were called and so far, Krum was the only one who was sorted into a
house other than Slytherin.
"Ridge, Siren!" the hat yelled.
Siren walked forward in a very dignified manner and sat down upon the stool. As Harry watched her, he could hear a distant, a beautiful, voice singing in his head. He suddenly saw visions of great white lights and stars. Then, amidst the light, he saw the silhouette of someone - it was Siren, and she was the one who was singing. Before Harry could move any closer to the silhouette, his thoughts were interrupted.
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat yelled.
Siren didn't seem surprised at all, and sat down at the Slytherin table as if she was royalty.
"That was weird," Ron said, dazed.
"What was?" Harry asked, finally coming to his senses. He was hoping that Ron also saw
the vision, not just him. "What do you mean? Didn't you see the Sorting Hat laugh?" Ron whispered.
"Huh?" Harry asked, confused.
"The hat!" Hermione said quietly, "It laughed before it sorted Siren."
"Weren't you paying attention?" asked Seamus.
"No," Harry answered truthfully, "not really."
The last transfer student to put the hat on was sorted into Ravenclaw. Krum, who was now sitting on the other side of Hermione, looked rather sad. "Vell," he said, "I guess I'm the only transver student in Gryniffdorr."
"No, it's Gryff-in-dor," Hermione corrected.
"Votever, you get the point," Krum sighed.
Ron looked at Harry and whispered to him, "Geez, he can't even pronounce the name of
his house OR his girlfriend. What an idiot."
Harry didn't reply because he, honestly, liked Krum. And Harry didn't bother to remind
Ron that he once idolized Krum only last year. Harry was just trying to figure out what the
vision was all about. It was then that Harry remembered that he didn't catch Siren's last name.
"Hey," Harry said aloud to the Gryffindors sitting around him, "Did anyone catch Siren's
last name?"
Everyone shook their heads no, some because they didn't know who he was talking about,
and others because they weren't paying close attention to everyone's last names.
"Her last name is Ridge," Krum answered. "Vhy?"
"Oh," Harry answered, "Just curious." Ridge. Why did that name sound so familiar to Harry? He couldn't put his finger on it.
"Viktor, was it just me," Hermione added, "or was Hunter sort of, er, mean towards
Siren?"
"Vot?" Krum asked, "Veely? I did not notice it."
"He is," Ron said, "and the weird thing is that she took it. I mean, Harry, when we saw
her in Knockturn Alley, she looked like she was ready to kill Lucius Malfoy, remember?"
"Yeah," Harry replied, "She seemed pretty powerful. I wonder why he treats her like
that? And, on the train, when I was with Snape, Draco came, and she looked like she
wanted to kill him, too."
"Who wouldn't?" Hermione muttered.
"Wow," Ron replied, "I didn't know she was there with you."
"She was there to talk to Snape," Harry replied, looking around at the new Gryffindors sitting at the far end of the table, closest to the staff table.
"Speaking of Snape," Hermione added curiously, "They seem to know each other well. But how do
they know each other, I wonder?"
"I dunno," Ron answered, "Probably because they're both evil. She's a real Slytherin, I
tell you. I can see it in her eyes."
Slytherin ... Ridge... Harry thought to himself, and then it finally came to him. He
remembered; Ridge was the name that the heirs of Slytherin switched to! Sirius had told
him so the night that Harry found out he was the heir of Gryffindor.
Harry wanted to shout out, but decided better of it. He didn't want to make a scene, but
Harry knew that right after the feast he would tell Dumbledore about it - or did
Dumbledore already know? After all, he did hire her as a new teacher - the Dark Arts
teacher, at that. Harry looked at the Slytherin table and saw her sitting there, next to Hunter. No wonder they were going out. Hunter's father must have been the death eater named Nott. As Harry continued to think about it, he realized that Ridge wasn't such an uncommon name; what if Siren wasn't a descendant Slytherin? And if she was, in what way was she related to the Slytherins? Was it possible that she could be Voldemort's distant cousin, or something like that? It was then that Harry found that he didn't even know if Voldemort even had any relatives. In fact, he had never really thought about it before. Harry watched as Dumbledore returned to his chair and began to make his announcement.
"Alas," he said, "yet another year has started! Hopefully you still have room in your heads
for just a little more knowledge!" Dumbledore then looked at the Slytherin table, particularly at Siren. "As you can see," he continued, "We have some transfer students this year. They are all from Durmstrang, and I expect you all to give them their just respect.
"As far as our staff goes, we have a few minor changes," it was here that he directed his
arm to the right side of the staff table. He pointed towards a man who looked about 30,
and was dressed in a dark navy cloak, with brown hair. "First of all," he said, smiling, "We have a new teacher, Professor Winston, who will be teaching the Defense Against Dark Arts this year."
The students all clapped, and Dumbledore raised his hands, and everyone silenced
themselves immediately.
"Also note," Dumbledore continued, "that a select few of you have been chosen to
participate in a new class--you know who you are."
Harry could have sworn that Dumbledore looked specifically at him and winked. "This new class will be Hogwarts first ever Dark Arts class."
Many students gasped. Harry could see Neville shudder at the mere thought of it.
"This new class will be taught by Professor Siren Ridge, who will also be a part-time
student."
At this, Dumbledore pointed towards Siren. She stood up and gave a short wave, before
sitting back down again. The Slytherins all cheered very loudly for her, and a few Gryffindors (especially the Weasley twins) all hissed at their table mockingly.
"Well," Dumbledore said, smiling, "Let's eat!" And as he said this, the tables magically filled with foods of every kind.
"I'm starfing," Krum said as he picked up his fork and began to eat.
As the feast went on, Krum and Hermione were talking about what they had been doing over the summer, and Harry and Ron talked about what the Gryffindor quidditch team would be like that year.
"What if Krum joins?" Ron said to Harry in a hush voice, "then he'll become the new seeker for sure!"
"Not if I have anything to do about it," Harry replied quietly in a bitter tone.
Their conversation was interrupted by a huge bang that was heard, coming from the
Weasley twins. All of the students in the hall looked at the twins curiously, while the twins were simply
laughing their heads off. Apparently, they had given Lee Jordon an exploding peanut.
Ron frowned at them. "They gave me about 3 of those over the summer," he said, "They
really hurt your tongue."
Harry chuckled a bit.
Once everyone finished eating, Dumbledore rose once more. "It is now time for me to speak of a more serious topic," he continued, "As you all know, Voldemort has risen again, and has kept very busy over the summer. Some of you have been involved directly by this, and some of you haven't. Regardless, I want to let you all know that you will be quite safe at Hogwarts. Our gates at the school have been heavily guarded, and we will have aurors staying here for the entire year, vacations and all. In addition to this, there are certain people here, as well as in Hogsmeade, who will be secretly keeping a close eye on things.
"Well, it is now time for bed. Chop, chop! Let's go!"
Everyone immediately stood up, and the prefects showed all of the first years to their houses.
"I'll catch up with you two," Harry said to Ron and Hermione as they both left.
"Why? Where are you going?" Ron asked.
"I need to talk with Dumbledore," Harry answered.
"Oh, ok," Ron answered, "see you later, then."
"Bye!" Hermione said, and her, Ron, and Krum all left the Hall together.
Harry slowly made his way towards the staff table where Dumbledore stood, talking to Siren. Harry wished she would leave.
"Um, Professor Dumbledore," Harry said as he approached.
"Ah, Harry!" Dumbledore smiled, "it's good to see you again! What is it?"
Harry looked at Siren, and he could have sworn that there was a certain glow about her.
"Er," Harry replied, "Can I talk to you about something...alone?"
Siren seemed to understand, because she looked at Dumbledore sadly and said, "I should
go." She left immediately.
"Of course," Dumbledore said to Harry, with that ever-sparkling twinkle in his eyes. "We
can discuss it in my office." Dumbledore led Harry out of the Main Hall and down the corridors until they reached Dumbledore's office. "Strawberry filling," Dumbledore said to the stone gargoyle (and Harry assumed that he
had spoken the secret password to enter). As they made their way up the winding stairs, Harry remembered the vision he had of Siren. Should he tell Dumbledore?
"Yes," said a voice in his head. This time, for once, Harry was going to tell Dumbledore everything.
____________________________________________________________________________ ________
Hope you liked it!
-Summer :)
Chapter Six: "The Sorting of the Transfer Students"
__________________________________________________
Harry never discovered what happened with Snape, Siren and Hunter during the train ride.
All he knew was that something bad must have happened. For the rest of the ride, Harry didn't tell anyone about his suspicions. He knew, first of all, that there was a death eater by the last name of Nott, which also happened to be Hunter's last name. Hunter sure did act rather rudely, and somewhat frightening, but Harry didn't know for sure if Hunter was related to the Death Eater. Nott wasn't a very uncommon name, was it? Also, Harry noticed that when Siren spoke of her father, she spoke of him in an ashamed
voice, as though she didn't like him. Harry didn't know Siren's last name, so he didn't know if maybe Siren's father was a Death Eater. It would've made sense if he was, too. It would explain how Siren knew the Malfoys, Hunter, and Snape, and why she was ashamed of her father.
Also, was it possible that Siren bore the Dark Mark? Harry saw for himself when Snape
revealed his Dark Mark on his forearm just the year before. Siren grabbed at her left forearm on the train, as though it was in great pain, and Hunter tried to change the subject of the conversation immediately after she did. Also, right after Siren's "Dark Mark" burned her, Snape came and told her to go with him.
Perhaps the two of them were discussing the fact that Voldemort had been calling on them.
Another thing that Harry noticed was that Siren seemed vague about the details about her
summer vacation. Was it during the summer that Siren was branded with the Dark Mark? Was it possible that Siren had been a Death Eater over the summertime? Or maybe she still was one...
Harry didn't want to say anything about what he thought - he figured he would just
secretly tell Ron and Hermione once they were back at Hogwarts, safe in the Gryffindor
common room.
As the sky grew darker, the train moved closer to Hogwarts. Finally, a few hours after Harry's brief meeting with Snape, they arrived. Everyone onboard got up and off of the train.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione got off the train together, along with a cluster of other students. They walked past a group of terrified first years as they got off.
"Firs' years, this way!" called a familiar voice. It was Hagrid, directing the first years towards him, as he always did when the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogwarts. "Firs' years and transfer students, over 'ere!" Hagrid noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and waved to them. "Alrigh', you three?" he called.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all waved back at him, and then walked away to find the carriage which would carry the three of them to the front gates. They finally reached the carriage, and Harry and Ron got in, but Hermione waited anxiously outside.
"Are you coming?" Ron asked her.
Hermione was looking over the crowds and looked rather anxious.
"I'm waiting for Viktor," Hermione answered.
Ron rolled his eyes and sighed. "Hermione," he replied, "he's with Hagrid, along with the rest of the transfer students. Now get in so we can leave."
Hermione shoulders fell in disappointment, and she climbed into the carriage and sat
next to Harry. It was very dark out as the carriage began to move. The road they took was very bumpy,
and they could hear the other carriages moving on either side of them. After about five minutes, the carriage stopped right in front of the entrance to Hogwarts.
Harry got out first, followed by Hermione, then Ron. They walked up the stairs which led
to the doors, and Ron gasped. At the entrance there stood two huge trolls. Hermione screamed as Harry took out his wand. The trolls looked at the three of them, very confused. They certainly didn't look very aware of what was really going on around them.
"Don't worry about them," said a somewhat deep, yet familiar voice.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all turned around and saw who the voice belonged to. It was Lupin. "Professor Lupin!" Hermione exclaimed happily, "What are you doing here?"
Lupin smiled and walked towards them. "You'll find out soon enough," he said mysteriously, "but let's go inside," he continued, "it's a bit chilly out here." "But what about them?" Harry asked, nodding towards the trolls.
"Oh, don't worry," Lupin answered, "They won't hurt you. They're just guarding the main
gates."
"Why?" Ron asked as they walked inside.
"Well, mainly because of Voldemort, I think," he replied gravely. He looked at Harry. "Sorry to hear about the Dursleys, Harry," he added gently. "Are you ok?"
Harry sighed quietly. "Yeah, I'm alright," he responded blankly. "Thanks."
Lupin half-nodded, and they all slowly approached the doors leading into the Great Hall. The Hall was already swarming with students, and they were all talking very loudly.
"I'll see you three later," Lupin said, and he walked out of the Great Hall.
"I wonder where he went?" Hermione asked as the three of them found their seats at the
Gryffindor table.
"Hey guys!" said Neville as he sat down across from them.
"Oh, hey Neville!" Hermione smiled.
"How are ya doing?" asked Ron, stretching out his arms as he sat down.
"OK," Neville replied, and he looked at Harry, "Gee, I'm really sorry to hear about what
happened to your relatives, Harry."
"Thanks, Neville," Harry answered solemnly, trying to smile.
Just then, the doors to the Great Hall opened, and in walked all of the new first years. Behind them walked about fifteen or so older students, in two straight lines. Krum, Hunter, and Siren were among them.
"Are those the Transfer Students?" Neville asked Ron.
"Yeah, I guess so. Since when does Hogwarts have transfer students anyways?" Ron
asked curiously.
"Ever since everyone found out that Karkaroff used to be a Death Eater," Seamus answered, who was sitting next to Neville, "Aren't they all from Durmstrang anyway?"
"I think so," Neville replied, and then he shuddered and added, "They all must know the
Dark Arts, too."
"Yeah," Seamus answered, "I wish that Hogwarts taught the Dark Arts. Must be really
helpful if you're in danger or something."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all exchanged looks, but didn't say anything.
"But I suppose that's what Defense Against the Dark Arts is for," Seamus added with a sigh. "I hope we have a good teacher for it this year."
All five of them looked up at the staff table to see if they could find an unfamiliar face. Neville pointed out a man wearing a dark navy cloak. He was fairly young, and had brown hair. They all agreed that he must be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"I don't get it," Hermione said, "Why are they transferring here? I mean, Durmstrang has a new Headmaster now, so what's the big deal?"
"I don't know," Seamus replied, "I think it's because their parents want them safe and, well, Dumbledore's the safest guy you can be around, y'know?"
"Has Hogwarts ever had any transfer students before?" Harry asked.
"Rarely," Ron answered, "My mum told me that the only transfer student she ever heard of was from, like, 1850 or something."
The first years all crowded around the center of the stairs leading to the staff table, and the transfer students stood in two neat rows on the right side of the first years. Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore placed the hat atop the stool. The transfer students looked at it oddly, and the first years seemed almost afraid of it. Suddenly, the hat began to move, and a tear in the hat opened like a mouth, as it began to sing:
"Oh, I'm the Sorting Hat, you see,
I'll tell you where you ought to be.
There is no use in lying to me,
Ask anyone, they'll all agree.
So put me on your head, right now,
I'll figure it all out somehow.There's nothing in you I can't see,
There's never been a better hat than me.
Do you belong in Slytherin?
With the cunning, strong and keen?
Perhaps this is the house you'll be in,
And sport quidditch robes of green.
Or perhaps in mighty Gryffindor,
Where it's impossible to be lame.
For their minds are smart and their hearts are sure,
For which they get all the fame.
Or should you be in Hufflepuff?
This could be just the house for you.
Their times are fun and never rough,
And their friendship is always true.
In Ravenclaw, perhaps you'll find,
Proper knowledge you'll need for life.
Their smarts and wisdom ever bind
with their friendships which are free from strife.
So put me on, and you will see,
In whichever house you ought to be.
I'm through with singing now, that's that.
So try me on, I'm the Sorting Hat."
Everyone cheered loudly as the hat ended, especially the first years. Once everyone was settled, the hat began to call out names.
"Anniston, Sherina," it said.
A short, and very nervous girl sat down on the stool as Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore placed the hat on her head. The hat took about 10 seconds before it yelled out, "RAVENCLAW!" Loud cheering was heard from the Ravenclaws as Sherina sat down at their table.
The sorting hat continued to call out names of all the first years, until the last one (Zurich,
Xander) was made a Gryffindor.
Then, the transfer students stepped a bit more forward in an orderly fashion. "TRANSFER STUDENTS!" the hat called out, and all of the transfers stood side-by-side in front of the hat.
As the first 5 were called, they were all made Slytherins.
"That's odd," Ron said to himself.
"What did you expect?" Seamus asked, "I mean, they have learned the Dark Arts and all."
Finally, Viktor Krum was called. Harry could see Hermione crossing her fingers. He
decided to do the same. After being on his head for only 3 seconds, the hat made Krum a Gryffindor. The Gryffindor table was absolutely roaring, especially Hermione. Ron, however, gave one good clap and then stopped and continued to sit quietly.
"Nott, Hunter!" the hat called.
Hunter walked towards the stool and sat down. The hat didn't even touch his head before
it yelled, "SLYTHERIN!" just as it did to Malfoy when he first came to Hogwarts. Hunter somewhat smiled and joined the Slytherin table.
A few more students were called and so far, Krum was the only one who was sorted into a
house other than Slytherin.
"Ridge, Siren!" the hat yelled.
Siren walked forward in a very dignified manner and sat down upon the stool. As Harry watched her, he could hear a distant, a beautiful, voice singing in his head. He suddenly saw visions of great white lights and stars. Then, amidst the light, he saw the silhouette of someone - it was Siren, and she was the one who was singing. Before Harry could move any closer to the silhouette, his thoughts were interrupted.
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat yelled.
Siren didn't seem surprised at all, and sat down at the Slytherin table as if she was royalty.
"That was weird," Ron said, dazed.
"What was?" Harry asked, finally coming to his senses. He was hoping that Ron also saw
the vision, not just him. "What do you mean? Didn't you see the Sorting Hat laugh?" Ron whispered.
"Huh?" Harry asked, confused.
"The hat!" Hermione said quietly, "It laughed before it sorted Siren."
"Weren't you paying attention?" asked Seamus.
"No," Harry answered truthfully, "not really."
The last transfer student to put the hat on was sorted into Ravenclaw. Krum, who was now sitting on the other side of Hermione, looked rather sad. "Vell," he said, "I guess I'm the only transver student in Gryniffdorr."
"No, it's Gryff-in-dor," Hermione corrected.
"Votever, you get the point," Krum sighed.
Ron looked at Harry and whispered to him, "Geez, he can't even pronounce the name of
his house OR his girlfriend. What an idiot."
Harry didn't reply because he, honestly, liked Krum. And Harry didn't bother to remind
Ron that he once idolized Krum only last year. Harry was just trying to figure out what the
vision was all about. It was then that Harry remembered that he didn't catch Siren's last name.
"Hey," Harry said aloud to the Gryffindors sitting around him, "Did anyone catch Siren's
last name?"
Everyone shook their heads no, some because they didn't know who he was talking about,
and others because they weren't paying close attention to everyone's last names.
"Her last name is Ridge," Krum answered. "Vhy?"
"Oh," Harry answered, "Just curious." Ridge. Why did that name sound so familiar to Harry? He couldn't put his finger on it.
"Viktor, was it just me," Hermione added, "or was Hunter sort of, er, mean towards
Siren?"
"Vot?" Krum asked, "Veely? I did not notice it."
"He is," Ron said, "and the weird thing is that she took it. I mean, Harry, when we saw
her in Knockturn Alley, she looked like she was ready to kill Lucius Malfoy, remember?"
"Yeah," Harry replied, "She seemed pretty powerful. I wonder why he treats her like
that? And, on the train, when I was with Snape, Draco came, and she looked like she
wanted to kill him, too."
"Who wouldn't?" Hermione muttered.
"Wow," Ron replied, "I didn't know she was there with you."
"She was there to talk to Snape," Harry replied, looking around at the new Gryffindors sitting at the far end of the table, closest to the staff table.
"Speaking of Snape," Hermione added curiously, "They seem to know each other well. But how do
they know each other, I wonder?"
"I dunno," Ron answered, "Probably because they're both evil. She's a real Slytherin, I
tell you. I can see it in her eyes."
Slytherin ... Ridge... Harry thought to himself, and then it finally came to him. He
remembered; Ridge was the name that the heirs of Slytherin switched to! Sirius had told
him so the night that Harry found out he was the heir of Gryffindor.
Harry wanted to shout out, but decided better of it. He didn't want to make a scene, but
Harry knew that right after the feast he would tell Dumbledore about it - or did
Dumbledore already know? After all, he did hire her as a new teacher - the Dark Arts
teacher, at that. Harry looked at the Slytherin table and saw her sitting there, next to Hunter. No wonder they were going out. Hunter's father must have been the death eater named Nott. As Harry continued to think about it, he realized that Ridge wasn't such an uncommon name; what if Siren wasn't a descendant Slytherin? And if she was, in what way was she related to the Slytherins? Was it possible that she could be Voldemort's distant cousin, or something like that? It was then that Harry found that he didn't even know if Voldemort even had any relatives. In fact, he had never really thought about it before. Harry watched as Dumbledore returned to his chair and began to make his announcement.
"Alas," he said, "yet another year has started! Hopefully you still have room in your heads
for just a little more knowledge!" Dumbledore then looked at the Slytherin table, particularly at Siren. "As you can see," he continued, "We have some transfer students this year. They are all from Durmstrang, and I expect you all to give them their just respect.
"As far as our staff goes, we have a few minor changes," it was here that he directed his
arm to the right side of the staff table. He pointed towards a man who looked about 30,
and was dressed in a dark navy cloak, with brown hair. "First of all," he said, smiling, "We have a new teacher, Professor Winston, who will be teaching the Defense Against Dark Arts this year."
The students all clapped, and Dumbledore raised his hands, and everyone silenced
themselves immediately.
"Also note," Dumbledore continued, "that a select few of you have been chosen to
participate in a new class--you know who you are."
Harry could have sworn that Dumbledore looked specifically at him and winked. "This new class will be Hogwarts first ever Dark Arts class."
Many students gasped. Harry could see Neville shudder at the mere thought of it.
"This new class will be taught by Professor Siren Ridge, who will also be a part-time
student."
At this, Dumbledore pointed towards Siren. She stood up and gave a short wave, before
sitting back down again. The Slytherins all cheered very loudly for her, and a few Gryffindors (especially the Weasley twins) all hissed at their table mockingly.
"Well," Dumbledore said, smiling, "Let's eat!" And as he said this, the tables magically filled with foods of every kind.
"I'm starfing," Krum said as he picked up his fork and began to eat.
As the feast went on, Krum and Hermione were talking about what they had been doing over the summer, and Harry and Ron talked about what the Gryffindor quidditch team would be like that year.
"What if Krum joins?" Ron said to Harry in a hush voice, "then he'll become the new seeker for sure!"
"Not if I have anything to do about it," Harry replied quietly in a bitter tone.
Their conversation was interrupted by a huge bang that was heard, coming from the
Weasley twins. All of the students in the hall looked at the twins curiously, while the twins were simply
laughing their heads off. Apparently, they had given Lee Jordon an exploding peanut.
Ron frowned at them. "They gave me about 3 of those over the summer," he said, "They
really hurt your tongue."
Harry chuckled a bit.
Once everyone finished eating, Dumbledore rose once more. "It is now time for me to speak of a more serious topic," he continued, "As you all know, Voldemort has risen again, and has kept very busy over the summer. Some of you have been involved directly by this, and some of you haven't. Regardless, I want to let you all know that you will be quite safe at Hogwarts. Our gates at the school have been heavily guarded, and we will have aurors staying here for the entire year, vacations and all. In addition to this, there are certain people here, as well as in Hogsmeade, who will be secretly keeping a close eye on things.
"Well, it is now time for bed. Chop, chop! Let's go!"
Everyone immediately stood up, and the prefects showed all of the first years to their houses.
"I'll catch up with you two," Harry said to Ron and Hermione as they both left.
"Why? Where are you going?" Ron asked.
"I need to talk with Dumbledore," Harry answered.
"Oh, ok," Ron answered, "see you later, then."
"Bye!" Hermione said, and her, Ron, and Krum all left the Hall together.
Harry slowly made his way towards the staff table where Dumbledore stood, talking to Siren. Harry wished she would leave.
"Um, Professor Dumbledore," Harry said as he approached.
"Ah, Harry!" Dumbledore smiled, "it's good to see you again! What is it?"
Harry looked at Siren, and he could have sworn that there was a certain glow about her.
"Er," Harry replied, "Can I talk to you about something...alone?"
Siren seemed to understand, because she looked at Dumbledore sadly and said, "I should
go." She left immediately.
"Of course," Dumbledore said to Harry, with that ever-sparkling twinkle in his eyes. "We
can discuss it in my office." Dumbledore led Harry out of the Main Hall and down the corridors until they reached Dumbledore's office. "Strawberry filling," Dumbledore said to the stone gargoyle (and Harry assumed that he
had spoken the secret password to enter). As they made their way up the winding stairs, Harry remembered the vision he had of Siren. Should he tell Dumbledore?
"Yes," said a voice in his head. This time, for once, Harry was going to tell Dumbledore everything.
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Hope you liked it!
-Summer :)