Disclaimer: Three things to recognize Joane K. Rowling: First, she's not sitting on my chair, second, she's not wearing my clothes (I doubt she ever would) and third: her names is JKR and NOT Sandra, or Moony June for that matter...
Author's note: I've overcome my writers block! For today anyway...
Chapter four
Everyone was getting ready to return to Hogwarts soon again.
Harry, Ron and Hermione decided just to apparate at Hogsmeade so they wouldn't need to go by train, which promised to be rather boring because Draco was not there anymore so there was no one to argue with.
Harry and Hermione apparated exactly where they wanted to appear, only Ron was nowhere to be seen.
Hermione nearly got a heart attack but finally she remembered that she was supposed to be the one who's staying cool and logical in every situation and so they started to search for their friend.
When they reached Hogwarts grounds finally and walked up to the main entrance to tell any teacher that Ron had disappeared, Ron was already waiting for them at the entrance.
"RON!" Harry and Hermione exclaimed at the same time.
"Hey pals!" he said eventually as if nothing had happened.
"What happened?" Harry asked because Hermione was already busy hugging Ron.
"Well, I made a little mistake while apparating…" he explained "And suddenly I found myself in front of the door!"
"But one cannot apparate on Hogwarts grounds!" Hermione insisted "I read that in…"
"… Hogwarts a history, I know! But I did it… so no one but me can apparate on Hogwarts grounds... I CAN SOMETHING SPECIAL! I HAVE SUPER-POWERS!" Ron said happily.
Suddenly the new headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, walked towards them.
"I am sorry to disappoint you, Mister Weasley, but everyone can apparate around here!"
Hermione pouted: "But in Hogwarts, a history it says…"
"I know, Miss Granger, but it was just a rumour we tried to spread so no one would try to do it…" McGonagall explained.
"Oh, good idea to put it in the most read book of the library then!" Harry stated sarcastically, because he thought he hadn't said anything for too long already.
"Actually, you're right Mister Potter, no one read this book… I mean, like no one ever since it had been written, well, except for Miss Granger. So we also put it in the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler." the headmistress explained "actually, the Quibbler was most effective…"
Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't say anything more.
Finally they walked into the castle just a few moments before some other students arrived too.
Suddenly Harry walked towards one boy and looked at him madly.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL MY FRIENDS?"
The boy looked scared. "I… I didn't say anything… I don't even know you!" he stammered.
Hermione ran towards Harry and held him back from doing anything to the boy.
"Harry, all of us miss Draco... but you cannot hex every blonde boy you see!"
He sighed and sniffed a few times and then mumbled: "But I need an enemy… now that Draco's away… and even Snape…"
"Very well, Mister Potter…" he heard a cold voice say behind him.
Harry's heart jumped for a moment. Could it really be that Snape had returned?
He turned around and shrieked loudly. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
Professor Trelawney raised an eyebrow. She was dressed all in black now and hadn't washed her hair ever since Professor Snape had left the school.
Ron looked at her and wiped a tear away: "So you miss him too?"
Trelawney nodded slightly: "I thought I'd make it easier for you kids when I take his role for a while!"
Then her expression turned darker again and she looked at Harry as if he was less than an insect.
"So, Mister Potter, I predict you'll be in detention tonight!" she hissed in her best Snape-alike tone.
Harry jumped up and down excitedly. "YAY! I am in detention… phew, I already feared that this would have an end this year!"
It took another long while before all of them were settled at their house tables and the sorting could start.
Harry couldn't help thinking that the Sorting Hat was getting old when it sang "young and hopeless" by Good Charlotte instead of any song about Hogwarts.
Maybe it was just its way to say that everyone here might be going to die sooner than they thought though.
The song reminded the Slytherins of Snape so much that all of them started sobbing though. So no one could hear half the song because the greater mass of the students were sobbing heavily by then.
Finally everyone was sorted and McGonagall stood up to hold her speech.
Harry just hoped this speech would be any more cheerful than the last he had heard.
"Good evening, new and old students, and new and old teachers!" she started "So, we've got a few changes again. As every year Mister Filch will kill everyone who dares to leave any dirt anywhere! But what's new: We didn't find anyone for the position of the Transfiguration teacher, so you all passed without taking the class. And well, Dumbledore is away, so the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort might try to invade the school every day now… oh, and while we are at it: Welcome our new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, Tom Marvolo Riddle, or well, Lord Voldemort!"
Everyone went silent and looked towards the teachers table disbelieving.
"Now don't act so shocked!" McGonagall shot "We couldn't hold any teacher longer than a year ever since he had applied for the job, so maybe that's the way to get rid of him! Or we'll have a teacher longer than for a year now!"
Everyone nodded satisfied; this seemed to be very logical.
Voldemort then stood up and took his hood off.
"Thank you Minerva, actually I have already taught some of the students here, only the last time I've been hidden under a turban…"
"NOT AN IMPROVEMENT WE CAN SEE YOUR FACE NOW!" someone dared to shout.
Voldemort smiled lightly and took his wand: "Crucio! Well, after one year in my class you might be able to do this too, or even block the spell, if I decide to show you!"
Harry felt lightly sick all of a sudden. He decided that he hadn't eaten enough lately most surely and so he filled his plate as soon as the food appeared finally.
The new DADA lessons promised to be very interesting.