Chapter Four:
First Night
The rest of the summer disappeared like a flash of light. For the most part, it had been uneventful except for the usual riff-raff. Ron and Hermione fought over the littlest things this time around, much to everyone else's annoyance. Eventually, George spoke out on it and called the pair an old married couple. For some reason, that shut both of them up in a hurry.
Harry, on the other hand, continued to spend some quiet time with Ginny. He found himself amazed at to how much he enjoyed simply being in the same room with her. All they ever really did was sit. Sometimes they would talk or play a game, but most of the time it was just the sound of each other's breathing. The best part was how comfortable it was.
Now, though, those lazy summer days were over. Already, Harry, Ginny, Hermonie, and Ron were on the Hogwart's Express. Ron and Hermione made prefect again which caused them to move in and out of the car all trip. This year, Harry wasn't bothered by it in the least. He'd had enough responsibility to last a lifetime. Not only that, the biggest responsibility of all was yet to come. The final battle.
He had to immediately purge that thought. This single thought kept him from being the best friend he could be to the others. All his emotions were bottled inside, bubbling, too. The pain of these emotions had him cut off from those who loved him. He snapped at them when they attempted to get too close. The odd thing was that no matter how far he tried to push away, little Ginny Weasely kept maneuvering herself in. Harry had a hard time resisting.
"Harry, are you listening?"
A voice pulled him from his thoughts. He blinked a few times and shook his head. Other eyes in the car, belonging to Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, were fixed on him along with Ginny's. Each one had curious and concerned looks on them.
"Oh, sorry," he answered, "What was that?"
"We're almost there. We have to change." Ginny said
He raised his eyebrows then turned his head toward the window. He hadn't even realized that it became night.
"Alright." He turned to her with a small smile
"People told me that sometimes you can be a mad man. I'm starting to think they're right." Tyla said with crossed arms on the way to the feast
Dumbledore responded with a chuckle which made Tyla more nervous than she already was. This wasn't going to work. They may have spent time showing her how to do this, and yes, her people were adaptable, but she lacked confidence.
She looked up at him, waiting for a real answer from him. He smiled down at her with those twinkling eyes that were forever on the edge of mischief.
"Tyla, when I came to you with this idea, I thought of whether or not it could be managed. I believe it can. What you've shown us in the last few weeks, I am more than confident in your abilities."
Tyla turned slightly pink. She never took compliments well, he'd discovered.
"I'll try not to let you down." She grumbled nervously, then rubbed her hands nervously
He just chuckled again while the pair continued down the castle corridor.
This year, the sight of the Gryffindor table made Harry feel apprehensive. Another school year in close quarters with everyone. He was already on edge. What would this do to him?
"Come on, Harry!" Ron exclaimed excitedly, obviously hungry as always
"Really, Ron, don't you think of anything else other than food?" Hermione asked as she walked up beside the pair
Ron stared at her as though she'd grown a second head.
"There's something other than food?" he asked with confusion, "Come on, you two, I'm starved!"
The trio headed for the table and took their seat just as the Sorting Hat sung its yearly song. Neville sat across from them, flanked with Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. Dean's face practically started to glow when Ginny came to sit nearby. Ginny greeted him happily as she took a spot next to Harry.
"Wonder who's going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year." He heard someone say darkly
It was a good question. There was a lot of catching up to do this year after that Umbridge woman ruined everything.
"Look. The Slytherin table looks half empty." A voice said
"I reckon that their parents are running scared."
"I see that Malfoy and his lackies are still here, though."
Harry looked over at the Slytherin table only to find Draco Malfoy with his head slightly turned in Harry's direction. Draco's eyes were half lowered in anger as he stared at his nemesis at the Gryffindor table. Harry knew that this year, he'd have to watch his back more than ususal.
"Is it just me or does everything feel like doom and gloom this year?"
Harry really wanted to ignore it all, but couldn't. He listened to the various conversations around him, feeling more and more queasy by the moment.
"Me mum almost didn't let me come back." He heard Seamus say, just as he had last year
"I don't see why. We're safer here than anywhere else." Ginny responded sharply
That caught his attention. Harry turned his head to Seamus with a tightly clenched jaw.
"Is it because of me, again?" he said, his voice on the edge of rising.
Seamus shook his head with a shocked expression.
"No, nothing like that. Everything else, is all." Seamus replied
Before Harry could say anything else, Hermione piped up.
"Dumbledore isn't here yet." She said sounding slightly worried.
A few eyes looked up to the table. Indeed, the professor wasn't at his usual spot with the staff. A few faces turned momentarily to each other before focusing on the table again. There was a new face at the table–a man who didn't appear more than thirty, with almost shoulder length chestnut hair and the biggest hazel eyes any of them had ever seen on anyone. The man wore deep grey robes with black embroidering in the front that very much suited his handsome face. He grinned as he discussed something with Professor McGonagall. His smile would have rivaled Gilderoy Lockhart's.
"Do you think he's the new Defense teacher?" Neville asked the group
The others made curious but noncommital sounds in regards to the question. They looked between the young man and McGonagall for a moment until the doors at the other end of the teacher's table opened.
"Hey, there's Dumbledore," Dean said, sounding relieved
Their eyes moved to the now opened doors where the tall, white-haired wizard appeared from. They watched as he moved toward the center of the table. He had a speech to make after all. However, the group found themselves unable to focus on their Head Master.
A woman walked in behind him. She was tall, fairly tall for a woman, anyway, wearing burgundy robes. She seemed to be rather young, too–not much older than thirty from the looks of it. She moved with a sort of grace that most could never achieve, with her long braids flowing with her during every movement. Her skin was a soft sort of brown that reminded Harry of a very creamy coffee. And there was something about her features that didn't seem completely human, but no one could place which features gave her that quality.
"Something's . . . odd about her, isn't it?" he heard Ron croak nearby
The others nodded. It was true. She seemed normal enough, but there was something . . .
The young woman sat next to Professor Snape, albeit hesitantly. She turned to him, giving him a small smile. Snape smirked in return. Her face turned from his with weariness in her eyes. Then, when she reached for the goblet in front of her, wrapping her long black nails around it, Snape coughed a few times. The young woman jumped, placing her hands underneath the table, just as Professor Dumbledore began to speak.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts." He said to the young crowd before him, with arms raised, "As you know, dark times are looming on the horizon. I want each and every one of you to rest assured that within these walls, you will be safe. However, there are a few new rules in place this year, so do take note."
He told them of the new rules. New curfew times. Where people could and couldn't go during school hours. Hogsmeade trips were all but cancelled, but for good reason. There were groans from the students, especially the new third years, but everyone had understanding in their eyes. Oh, and of course:
"The Forbidden woods is--as it has been--forbidden." He said as his closer on the rules, gaining a few brief smiles from the older students, "Now, onto something a little happier. We have two new members of the staff, as you can see. First, we have Professor Andrew Beale, who has graciously taken the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
Professor Beale gave the students a warm smile and a brief nod. Scattered applause filled the room.
"And Madam Tyla Knight who is taking up a special position here. She is training to be a professor so she will be assisting different classes during the year."
More scattered applause. Madam Knight looked down at hidden hands, then returned her eyes to the crowd of students with a small smile.
"Without further adieu, let us feast." Dumbledore announced and suddenly food appeared before them.
"There, there, dear. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Professor McGonagall asked Tyla post welcome feast as the older woman escorted her to her quarters
Tyla smiled at McGonagall timidly, then shook her head.
"It was alright. Tomorrow's the real test, isn't it?"
"Indeed it is."
Tyla sighed, then raised a brow.
"Do you think anyone will figure out what I am?"
The pair stopped outside a large, decorative door. The room beyond had been Tyla's home for the last few weeks. She'd grown quite fond of it in fact. It already felt like home.
Professor McGonagall stared at her over her glasses. Tyla shifted uncomfortably at the woman's scrutiny, scratching her temple with her black finger nail. Eventually, the Transfiguration teacher spoke.
"Not yet, but we'll get to Ms. Granger before that happens. Good night, Madam Knight."
Tyla sputtered with confusion for a moment as she watched McGonagall walk down the hall. What exactly was THAT supposed to mean? Who the hell was Granger? Oh . . . she knew. Professor Dumbledore had warned Tyla of young Mr. Potter and his friends, Mr. Weasely and Ms. Granger. That's where she'd heard the name. Now all she had to figure out was why anyone would want to tell the young girl anything. It didn't matter now. Tyla found herself stuffed and exhausted so it was time for bed.
"Something about Madam Knight is very familiar." Hermione muttered as everyone reached the Gryffindor's common room
Instead of immediately heading to their respective dormitories, everyone sat around the common room to relax by the fire to digest. After all, it had been two months since most had seen each other. It was nice to have a moment to catch up.
Eyes turned to Hermione with curiosity–all except Harry who was too busy staring at the fire to pay attention to everyone else. His mind focused on Sirius all of a sudden to the point it nearly broke him down. Maybe it had something to do with the fire. Part of him hoped that Sirius' head would suddenly appear, as it had often in the past. He only half listened to the conversation in the room.
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked as she watched her best friend from the floor
"I don't know, honestly. I feel as though I might have read something this summer–"
"Not a big surprise." Ron interjected, but Hermione kept speaking as though he hadn't spoken
"But I read a lot this summer. I can't recall . . . something about the way she looks, really. I'll have to do some research."
"Must you ALWAYS be a busybody, Hermione." Ron asked with a groan
Immediately, Hermione's eyes blazed at him with hurt and anger. Not that Ron noticed.
"Must you always be an insensitive–" she started but got cut off by Dean.
"You two are always at it, aren't you? I'm not sure how Harry has put up with it so long." He sniggered at them
Seamus decided to jump in at that point.
"Really, you should just snog and get it over with."
Ron turned crimson and Hermione stared at Seamus as though he'd grown another head.
"I would never–!" she stared scandalized
"That's just–" Ron continued, making an undignified croaking sound in the process.
Everyone burst into laughter as the pair became so distraught over the very idea. Eventually, both stormed off as though thoroughly insulted, causing more of a riot in the common room. Once it all calmed down, those left behind decided to call it a night.
On the way up the stairs, Ginny noticed that Harry was still by the fire, lost in thought. She came back down and moved over to him.
"Harry?"
He jumped, then looked up at her. Ginny nearly gasped as she looked at the weariness and pain in his eyes. She actually took a step back before she spoke again.
"Harry, are you alright?"
His pride obviously got to him. That pained look turned to mild anger.
"I'm fine." He said, obviously suppressing his feelings
"Look, Harry, if there's a problem–"
"I said I'm fine."
"Is that why you're being such a prat all of a–" she said in a cool tone
"I'M FINE, GINNY!" he roared angrily
Ginny's eyes widened for only a moment, before they narrowed angrily.
"Oh, really? Good to know. I'm sorry that I bothered to be concerned about you, Harry." She practically hissed at him, then turned on a heel and headed for the stairs to her room.
He watched her go with clenched fists. He hadn't meant to be so cruel . . . it was just that he kept picturing Sirius falling through the veil so suddenly. Harry thought he'd started healing, but obviously he hadn't. And then he took it out on Ginny, who'd only tried to help. Shaking and distinctly disgusted with himself, Harry headed up to bed.