Harry followed the rest of the group into the castle. They all shuffled into the great hall, and Harry sat down between Ginny and Ron. He looked over at the Ravenclaw table, and noticed that Cho had positioned herself so that she was looking in his direction. She smiled and waved, and he smiled back. By now the first years were making there way to the sorting hat. There seemed to be a lot more of them this year, and they all looked scared. Harry watched the first few get sorted, and then his mind began to wonder. He glanced around the great hall.
"Sometime this month please." Ron said. Harry nodded and looked at the staff table. There were two open seats, one was Professor McGonagall's, and the other was for the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Apparently they haven't hired anyone yet, Harry thought. After what happened to the last five, it's amazing that anyone would want the job. Ginny nudged him.
"We have to move down. There's not enough room for the first years." she said. The whole table moved down, and there still wasn't enough room. "Guess they'll be sitting on the floor then." Ginny said.
"Why are there so many of them?" Harry thought out loud. Hermione shrugged. "By the time they're done it'll be November." Eventually the last few were sorted, and Albus Dumbledore stood up.
"Welcome back everyone. It appears that the tables need to be a bit longer." He said a few words and all of the tables stretched out. "That's a lot better. Now let the feast begin." The food appeared on the tables, and everyone began eating.
"Who do you think the new Defense Against the Dark Arts prof is?" Harry asked.
"Dunno." Ron said
"As long as it isn't Umbridge." Hermione said
"Maybe it's Snape." Ginny said. "He's wanted that job for a long time, so maybe he finally got it."
"Then who's going to teach potions?" Harry asked
"I dunno. It's possible though."
"You should teach it Harry." Neville said.
"What?"
"I learned more from you last year then I've ever learned. If it weren't for you I'd have never passed my OWLS." Harry smiled and looked back down at his food.
"Oh I wanted to ask you. How did you do on your OWLS, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Alright. I didn't exactly pass with flying colors though."
"You passed the Defense Against the Dark Arts test with one of the top scores. I think it was the top score actually." Ginny said.
"How do you know that?" Harry asked.
"It said that on the letter."
"You read it? Without asking me?"
Ginny looked down. "Well, yeah, but you weren't talking to me and I was curious and -"
"It's okay. I didn't even see that part."
"Wait a minute." Ron said. "You mean someone other than Hermione got a top score?" Hermione kicked him. "Ow! That hurt." Hermione smiled. Something came flying in front of Harry's face and landed between him and Ginny. It looked like a paper airplane. He picked it up.
"Open it!" Ginny said. "It's air mail." she giggled, and Harry opened his letter. It was from Cho. He looked over at her. 'Read it.' she mouthed. Harry looked back down and read it:

'Hey Harry! How's it going over there? We're so far apart. I wish the tables were closer. Anyway, I wanted to know if you're going to do the DA again this year. I know a few people who might be interested. Please write back! Just fold it up again and say to Cho and it will go.'

"Are you?" Ginny asked.
"Am I what?"
"Are you going to do the DA this year?"
Harry thought for a minute. "I don't know. I'd have to talk with Dumbledore." He wrote the same thing in Cho's letter and sent it back. She nodded and put the letter in her purse before anyone else saw it. Everyone was starting to finish eating by now.
"Harry? Are you going to play quidditch this year?" Ron asked.
"Yeah I guess so."
"Good. I was afraid they were going to make me captain this year, since I won the cup last year."
"Don't you want to be the captain?"
"Not really. I'm not all that great and it would just be way to much work."
"Heaven forbid you actually work." Hermione said. Ron kicked her. A few minutes later, they were walking upstairs with the other Gryffindors. One of the new prefects pushed through and said the password. It took forever for all of them to get into the common room. Harry eventually made it to his dormitory, and he fell on his bed and went to sleep.