Harry,Ron,Hermione,Ginny and Neville walked around the Hogwarts Express and finally found an empty carriage. The train left Kings' Cross Station and chugged away.

In about two hours time, everyone was nibbling on snacks either brought from home or brought on the train.Hermione, who was a sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy along with Harry,Ron and Neville, had taken out her Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6 by Miranda Goshwak and her head was buried in it.Ginny, who was taking her OWLs this year, had her Defence against the Dark Arts book out and she was observing the pictures carefully.She obviously wanted to be ahead of her class.Harry and Ron were busy chatting away about who would be the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher this year since Professor Umbridge , their teacher the year before, had been taken away into the Forbidden forest by centaurs.Neville was keeping himself busy by reading an old edition of the Quibbler,which had Harry's interview by Rita Skeeter.

"Remember last year? Everything seems so clear to me..." said Ron, heaving a sigh.That was enough.Harry squeezed his eyes as he remembered the day he has lost Sirius, his only living relative then.He had never really gotten to know Sirius all that well, and had never really gotten over the fact that he was an orphan again, with no one to turn to for advice. He made it a condition to do his best at everything , especially Quidditch, as sixth year was considered as the foundation for their NEWTs the next year..Ron, who saw Harry's face, immediately quietened down.Everyone was looking at Harry." Ron!" said Hermione in a voice that was slightly over-bearing.Ron flushed a crimson colour and said sorry to harry.The rest of the ride was a rather quiet one.

Once they reached Hogwarts,they climbed onto the carriages pulled by threstrals, whom by now everyone could see, and made their way to Hogwarts Castle.The Great Hall was as crowded and lively as usual.Harry saw the first years goggle at the sight of the hall.

The sorting began." Archibald, Bryan!" Professor McGonagall called out in her usual, curt voice.Harry and Ron yawned." This begins to get more and more boring every year!" Ron blurted out loudly.Hermione, as usual, was paying one-hundred-percent attention to the sorting.She also listened to Professor Dumbledore's speech word for word.She had come to the conclusion that every beginning-of-the-year speech always had some hint about things that would happen through out the semster.Harry and Ron scanned the row of teachers sitting on the either side of Professor Dumbledore." I hope we get someone as good as Professor Lupin!Whatmore, we have our NEWTs next year! We certainly need a good teacher!" said Ron excitedly, remembering his third year teacher, who had been the only teacher to teach him something useful to his standard.Hermione immediately turned around.She was staring at Ron mutely.Never before had anyone seen Ronald Weasley speak like that before.Harry had been wondering the same thing.

On the right of Professor Dumbledore, was Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Transfigurations teacher, then Professor Flitwick, the charms teacher, who was sitting on three large books to hoist himself high enough to reach the table, followed by Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher.Harry wondered what Professor Sinistra was like.Ron continued for him." Professor Sprout, Snape , Hagrid, Trelawney and um..... an empty chair, must be for our new teacher..."

The food then arrived, distracting their thought while they engulfed themselves with food.Sir Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost, entered the feast by popping his almost-detached head through the chicken soup." ARGH!!!!!!" a first year cried out loud." Sorry," was the meek reply." Aah..first years.....welcome to Gryffindor house! I'm your house ghost,Sir Nicholas De Mimsy Porpington!"The first years stared blankly at the ghost." Or you can just call him Sir Nick!" said Seamus Finnigan , one of Harry's sixth year dorm-mates.Everyone, especially Ron, was enjoying their first dinner of the new semester.Even Hermione was havinh a rather interesting conversation with Ginny Weasley about her experience with OWLs.Ginny, it seemed , was going to end up as another Hermione Granger according to Ron.

Suddenly, the doors of the great hall opened again, and a lady, who looked vaguely familiar to Harry,Ron,Hermione and Ginny, walked into the hall.The, it struck Harry.It was Nymphadora Tonks, an auror and also a part of the Order of the Phoenix, a group hekd by Professor Dumbledore himself, so know more information about Lord Voldemort and his troops, also known as the Death-Eaters.the trio tried to get Tonks to turn around, but it was to no avail.She walked down the middle aisle, and took a seat beside Professor Trelwaney.." sorry to bother you inbetween your scrumptious meal," said Professor Dumbledore,smiling at the students before him," But it is my duty, to present to you, your Defence Against the Dark arts teacher, Nymphadora Tonks, whjo prefers to be called by her surname, Tonks."Tonks waved her hand in greeting and blushed slightly.

"I have a feeling this year's going to be a rather different one," said Harry, totally ignoring his dinner." Tonks is certainly going to be as good as Lupin, if not, better!"