"Hagrid! Boy is it ever good to see you!" Beamed Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron as they rushed to greet him.
"No troubles on the train then?" asked Hagrid with concern in his voice.
"No, all quiet Hagrid." Said Harry.
"Well, you best get up to the castle then. Off you go!" He smiled and began herding the first years off t o the boats and Tonks went to help.
The six, including Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna, took a carriage to themselves. Madeye, Remus, and Kinsley sat each in separate carriages with other students.
Everyone made it to the castle with no reported incidents. The student body filed in to the Great Hall and took up their seats. There something different about it and Harry couldn't quite put a finger on it. It was just a feeling he had.
Dumbledore was smiling as usual and Harry couldn't detect any of the sense of urgency and caution he had displayed earlier on the train. Within a few minutes, Professor McGonagall escorted the first years into the great hall and led them up to the front of the great hall. The sorting hat on the stool began to speak and even Ron and Harry paid attention this time.
Another year at Hogwarts
And what a thrilling one it will be
The Danger is all around us all
As everyone will soon see
Things have fallen into place
Now the time has come, the die is cast
For prophecies that have been foretold
To be fulfilled at last
Your houses bind you to each other
And now your courage will be needed
Darkness will fall upon the schoolFor if you fail then evil will have succeeded
You must stand shoulder to shoulder
Each and everyone
With just one common goal
To keep He who must not be named
From taking a wizards toll
A collective gasp fell across the great hall as the sorting hat continued
But there is hope among you
Who will keep you from harms way
You must keep your wits
Stand your guard
And courage will save the day.
The hat fell silent and Professor McGonagall moved to the stool and took her roll of parchment and began to read off the names of new students. Harry wasn't listening. He was staring down at his empty plate. Ginny, who was sitting beside Harry, reached over and grasped his hand and squeeze it. He smiled at her. Ron and Hermione were giving them strange looks.
"What do you make of that song?" Ron asked.
"Well, isn't it obvious Ron?" Hermione replied. "Lord VVVoldermort is coming and someone at Hogwarts will lead the armed force against him." She finished quietly.
"Right Hermione," said Harry. "Listen, could you three meet me in the Room of Requirement after the first years are settled in? Say about 8:30 or so? I have something to tell you."
"Sure Harry" echoed the three.
"Umm, so, I guess we have to patrol the halls before nine. Right Hermione?"
"That and check out anything suspicious."
They started to dish out the food that had appeared before them while they were talking. As always, the food was excellent and Ron busied himself by stuffing his mouth with his favourites. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I swear Ron, you act like you've been starved when you sit down to these welcoming feast."
"Rumph e on't geff ese at Humph." Ron mumpled.
Harry and Ginny laughed.
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.
Ron swallowed and said, "But I don't get these at home. Mum's cooking is great but we can't afford some of this stuff."
Professor McGonagall tapped her fork on her glass and Professor Dumbledore stood up. Silence fell and he began to speak.
"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I'm sure everyone is anxious to get up to their beds after a long day and an excellent meal. I have a few things to talk about however before that occurs."
"First of all, as everyone is aware, Lord Voldemort has come back. We are not sure of his plans totally although we have a very good idea of what he's up to. There is a high probability that he will try and attack Hogwarts."
Gasps were heard throughout the Great Hall.
"Yes, yes, I know what you are thinking, but you will be safe as long as you follow these new rules. They will be posted in your common rooms in case any of you would like a refresher." He took out his wand and wrote in the air.
Rule #1 – Report anything out of the ordinary to your teachers, the head boy or girl or your prefects.
Rule #2 – No one may travel alone anywhere at Hogwarts either in the castle or on the grounds after dark with the exception of Head Boy or Girl or Prefects.
Rule #3 – Hogsmeade visits are cancelled until further notice. Other entertainment will be provided in lui of those visits
Rule #4 – Every student 5th year and up is required to join the D.A. club which is to be taught by Harry Potter. You will be expected to help defend the school if need be so I expect you to be serious about it. It will be part of your mark for Defense Against the Dark Arts as well. Teachers will be assisting Mr. Potter as required.
"That is it for the rules. I have elected three prefects for each house as well as Head boy and Head girl. Would those persons please stand and let everyone see them please?"
Fourteen students rose to their feet and looked around the room. They felt a bit awkward with everyone staring at them.
"Very good, thank you, you may sit down again. Remember these face's everyone. They are your closest friends and allies. Seek them if you have any questions or fears. Well, enough of the dark and dire warnings. Off you go to bed and sleep well knowing that you are very well protected hear at Hogwarts."
The prefects rose from the tables and led the first years to the dormitories. Ron and Ginny were corralling them from the hall. "Oi, first years, keep close now!" said Ron.
Harry and Hermione dispersed the rest out of the Great Hall and encouraged them to go to their common rooms. By 8:00 the students were all safely up in their houses, unpacking and getting to know each other. Ginny caught up with Harry in the Common Room.
"Harry, a thought just occurred to me. Don't you think you should tell Neville and Luna too? After all, they were at the ministry last year as well."
"I guess your right Gin, they did risk their lives for it too. Neville's upstairs, but how do we get a hold of Luna? She's in Ravenclaw."
"I'll go ask Hermione. Maybe she can bring her via the galleons she gave us last year.
"Brilliant Ginny. I almost forgot about those."
The five Gryffindor's met up with Luna on the staircase leading up to the Room of Requirement.
"What's up?" Said Luna cautiously. "And why aren't the rest of the D.A. members here? It's lucky I had my galleon with me or I never would have known there was a meeting." She said.
"I have something to tell you four. It's about what happened last year." Harry shut the door and found a crackling fire pit surrounded by six comfy chairs with mugs of steaming hot cocoa placed on the side table. They each picked up a mug and sat down.
"What do you mean by four of you Harry?" Asked Hermione.
"I told Ginny a few weeks ago but I wasn't ready to tell anyone else then. That is, until this evening at the welcoming feast."
They gave him questioning looks.
"Do you remember when we talked about that night earlier this summer? About the fact that the prophecy had been broken? Well, it didn't mean that it was lost. That was just a record of it. Professor Dumbledore had actually witnessed Professor Treelawney reciting it the night she was hired to teach at Hogwarts. It wasn't her usual fake fortune telling that she does, but a real one. Professor Dumbledore showed it from his pensive that night after he port keyed me back to his office."
"Its now time that I shared it with you since you risked your lives to go with me last year." He thought to himself that he could rally use his pensive right about now when it appeared on the table that had held the cocoa mugs a few minutes before.
He put his wand to his head and thought about that night and the pensive and put it into the pensive as thought threads spun from his wand. He tapped the pensive and went and sat back down.
As the pensive began to reveal Harry's thoughts, everyone sat entranced. When it finished by explaining why Harry wasn't picked for prefect, Harry stopped it and looked around that at the five of his closest friends. They sat in silence for a few moments before Neville spoke.
"You mean it could have meant me? I could have been the one that VVVoldemort was after? By some strange twist of fate, he marked you as his equal instead of me?"
"That's right Neville." Harry said softly. "You've heard the sorting hat tonight? The time for the confrontation is coming soon. I know that I'm supposed to kill him before he kills me, but I don't know if I'm that strong." He sighed and sunk back into the chair.
"Of course you are Harry!" Ginny said as she held his hand. "And I'll help!"
"So will I!" Said Hermione as she took his other hand.
"Count me in mate!" Said Ron grasping Hermione's hand
"I'll help too!" Said Luna taking Ron's hand. Ron squirmed a bit.
Neville who had bend pondering it all said. "Of course I'll help Harry" and took Ginny and Luna's hand.
As he did so, a very strange and very peculiar thing happened.
Their hands began to tingle and an aura of bright light surrounded them. They began to levitate off their chairs. They just stared open mouthed, dumbfounded and unsure of what was happening to them.
Without warning, Dumbledore burst through the door, his wand raised expecting the worst. The six broke their connections and let go of their hands and dropped back into their chairs.
"What is going on?" Gasped Dumbledore.
Harry looked thunderstruck. "We're not sure Professor. We were talking, held hands, and the next thing we knew, we were floating above the room."
"Curious, very curious. I felt a disturbance in the magical force in the castle and it came from this room. I will look into this but until then, I would ask that you not try that again. Now, I think it's just about time that you wrap up this little get-together and be off to your common rooms."
"All right Professor, we'll just be a few more minutes." Harry said.
Professor Dumbledore left and Hermione spoke again.
"Well, that was weird don't you think? I wonder what just happened to us? Wasn't that the oddest sensation?"
"It's definitely never boring around me isn't it?" laughed Harry. "But really, we need to research what just happened. That was bizarre!"
"On another matter… I think that since I am going to be running the D. A. club again this year and it will be a lot bigger, I will need some extra help. I think the core six of us will be called the Advanced D. A. club and you will all help me coach this bigger class if you are willing."
The five beamed back at Harry and all thanked him at once. He cleared his throat and did his best Percy Weasley impersonation.
"All right now, break it up. Everyone back to your common rooms. I'm head boy you know. Make way!"
Everyone laughed and they began to head back. It was 9:15 by the time the 6 ADA members got to their common rooms. They had walked Luna to the Ravenclaw dorm entrance and turned their back when Neville gave Luna a peck on the cheek. The common room was mostly empty and Neville said goodnight and headed up to the boys rooms. Hermione and Harry each had a private room to themselves and the four of them went to check it out. They were off the common rooms to the left of the fireplace. Down this same corridor housed the prefect's bathroom as well.
The Head Boy and Girls rooms were large, spacious well laid out areas. They had a 4 postered-canopied bed as well as a writing desk and chair and a seating area with 2 chairs and a couch beside the fireplace. Harry's room had a masculine feel to it, while Hermione's was feminine.
"Well, this is quite comfortable isn't it?" Said Harry as he surveyed his new room. "Affords us some privacy from the common room. I think I like the dorm room better though. Maybe I'll just use this room for meetings and studying. Perhaps we can get a house elf to take out the bed. On second thought, maybe I'll keep it. I'm going to sleep here tonight though as all my things are here anyways. Who knows, maybe I'll like it."
"Well, I'm beat." Said Ron. "I'm off to bed. Night everyone."
"I'm off too." Said Hermione. "Ginny, don't keep Harry up to late will you? I might have to dock points." She smiled as she left the room. Harry smiled at Ginny who had a slight pink tinge to her face.
He walked over to her and enveloped her in his arms in a warm embrace. She stood there with her head resting on his chest hugging him back, listening to his heartbeat.
"Big day wasn't it?" Harry said softly.
"Ummm." Was Ginny's response.
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. He kissed her gently at first but the passion began to build between them. "I think you best be going before Hermione takes those points." Said Harry breathlessly.
She smiled. "In a minute. Harry, I think you did a great job dealing with the prophecy issue. I think it went very well. And once again, you found out you were not alone. What did you think of that whole bonding thing we did?
"It was strange, but somehow, I feel it was normal, almost serene."
"Kind of like now?" She said as she kissed him again.
Well, I'd better go before I get detention." She walked over to the door and pulled it softly closed after her. He heard 'OW' and went over to the door and opened it. Ginny was laughing as Ron and Hermione were falling all over each other trying to get up from the floor. Both Ron and Hermione were beet red and extremely embarrassed.
"You know, it's much easier to snog in private." Ginny said giggling. "Especially when you have a room Hermione! Harry, what do you think, docking points or detention?"
Harry laughed too. "No, I think we should let them off with a warning as they are new to this. I think we should all get some sleep though."
Ron and Hermione were mortified. They had been talking outside Harry's door. Ron, who was usually scared of any showing of emotion, had walked over to Hermione and pulled her into his arms and snogged her silly. And Hermione was snogging him right back! It happened in a blink of an eye and then Ginny had walked right into them and knocked them over.
Finally, everyone had said final goodnights and went to bed.
As Harry lay awake that night, he thought to himself, "Could it get any better than this?" He was dating Ginny Weasley, Ron and Hermione were finally realizing how much they really liked each other and he was Head Boy not to mention back on the Quidditch team. He wished Sirius had been around to see it. The thought saddened him and he resolved to find out what exactly the veil that sucked Sirius in actually was. The last thing he thought that night however was the passionate kiss that he and Ginny shared and he rolled over and fell asleep with a big grin on his face.