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Harry Potter had a schedule.

He, Hermione, and Ron would all escort Ginny (she was their excuse) to Hogwarts, spend their first day there, and then Harry alone would set out to Godric's Hollow to visit his Mother and Father alone.

They shared a compartment with Ginny, but it didn't help much because Ginny was still brooding over Charlie's lack of 'good-bye.' He had left the day before, for there was no reason for him to stay. Ali had gone to Hogwarts 3 days before them.

Speaking of Ali.

"I heard from what Mum and Lupin were talking, she's all better now." Hermione said conversationally.

"That's a BIG relief. Oh, man, I'm so relieved I'm going to faint." Ginny spat sarcastically.

"Really, Ginny. She never did anything to you. I don't think you should hold a grudge over her. And she's going to be teaching you too."

"Of course she never did anything to me. She just screwed over my brother!"

"I'm sure she didn't 'screw over' your brother. Where do you get these phrases, Gin?"

"The damn T.B. You showed me once, remember?"

"T.V. Anyway. Do you think I should attend classes while we're here?"

"What? We're helping Harry find his Ho-I mean… things." Ron blurted out before he realized Ginny was in the same compartment.

"Well, while he's at Godric's Hollow I mean. I don't see the point of just lying around doing nothing."

"We won't be doing nothing. We'll be eating, sleeping, uh…"

"That's nothing. I bought a few books…"

"WHAT? You even told Harry you'll help him!"

"Ron, I don't mind." Harry said. He didn't. He didn't expect Hermione to be the one sitting in the common room doing nothing while they were waiting for Harry to come back.

"No! You can't." Ron said, ignoring Harry's comment.

"Harry doesn't care! And plus, I'll only be taking them while Harry's at Godrics Hollow. I'll be spending rest of my days… helping."

"Tonks said that classes won't be the same as they used to be." Ginny piped up.

"What do you mean?" Hermione's attention drew back from the very small argument to listen to Ginny.

"She said instead of just regular Charms, or regular Transfiguration, it'll be Charms and Transfiguration for protection. So basically, all our classes will be for defense."

"Then what's the point of a Defense against the Dark Arts class?"

"Uh… to defend yourself against the dark arts?" Ginny said, as if it settled the matter.

"You just said we're doing that in Charms and Transfiguration!" Hermione exclaimed. It was the first time Harry had seen her confused.

"And Potions, Herbology, uh… Ancient Runes, Muggle studies, you know. Everything. They'll be teaching their subjects, except in defense ways. So we won't be learning about just any potion. Maybe a potion that can help protect yourself from danger or something. You know?"

"But what about Charms? Won't we learn defending charms in that class? What will Ali be teaching, then?"

"Uh… defense against the d-?"

"I KNOW I KNOW!" Hermione seemed frustrated. Maybe that's why it wasn't a good thing to make her confused. "What else could there be to learn?"

"Oh. Hexes, curses, Jinxes, you know."

"Oh. Oh, well of course! Why didn't I think of that before?" Hermione said with a small smile.

"Psh. And they call you smart." Ron mumbled.

"Hah. Well maybe if I owl Charlie saying that Ali hit me with an unforgivable curse, he'll lay off her…" Ginny said, wondering off.

"Oh, Ginny… just leave him alone. Let him take his time to figure out that… nothing's going to happen if he just keeps being her dog."

"Charlie. Is. Not. A. dog." Ginny drawled slowly.

The threesome drew back, shrinking in their seats.

Weasley anger got out of hand sometimes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The feast was nothing as it used to be when Professor Dumbledore had been at the head of the table. Now, it was Professor Sprout entering in the first years (there were a total of 16) and Professor McGonagall welcoming the students.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Major changes will be taking place this year, due to… disastrous causes the previous year. We would like to assure everyone in the room that even though Professor Dumbledore is not here, Hogwarts will be as safe as any other school. New security borders have been laid and the Room of Requirements has been taken out of the school." Harry knew that was a good choice, but it was still a bit saddening. "Students are not advised to leave the school campus after dinner or before 6 am. Passwords shall not be given out to anyone who is not in your common room groups." And then, she said the most surprising thing of all.

"There will be no houses this year. There will be no sorting of the houses for the first years as well. We will not be standing as Gryffindors, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, or Ravenclaws. We will be Hogwarts. We hope this will be the best measures taken to ensure inter-house relations starting from now. The new first years will be divided alphabetically into 4 different common rooms and the rest of you will remain in your own former houses. Please know that this was to enforce a spirit of equality in the school."

"Now, I will take my time to introduce to you a new defense against the dark arts teacher, Professor Bishop." Professor McGonagall said, pointing towards her left where Severus Snape had risen from his chair.

Indeed, Ali was a shocker when she wasn't sick. Harry realized that he never noticed her when he had walked into the Great Hall. Now, he could recognize her shoulder length brown hair and rosy cheeks. The dark bags under her eyes were gone and her hair was tamed. She had a fuller, healthier face rather to her bony one he had met at the wedding and held a strong confident hold of herself as she smiled slightly to the applauding students.

There was also a second caretaker to help Filch with his patrolling. Soon, food was piled up on the tables and Ron had already finished off a chicken leg.

"You disgust me sometimes." Hermione groaned as she poked Ron at his side. He didn't move.

"And I know you love it."

Hermione held back a laugh and looked over at Harry worrily.

"Why aren't you eating? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine. Not very hungry."

"You should ask Dobby for something to eat while you're gone, Harry!"

"FINALLY over SPEW?" said, punching the air victoriously.

"It's S-P-E-W, Ronald. And no. It's just Dobby's your house-elf so…I don't know."

"Ask Kreacher to do it. Wait. Never mind. He'll probably give you some maggots."

Harry laughed remembering the last Christmas.

"Maybe it's not too bad."

"Don't you find it unnaturally quiet now that Malfoy and his Slytherin friends are gone?" Hermione said, smirking and looking towards the end table in which the Slytherins once gathered.

Harry looked across the great hall and realized that almost the whole Slytherin table was empty.

"Why do you think they're all gone?"

"I don't know. Maybe they all got whisked off to become death eaters? I hope they all got kicked out." Ron punched the air once more.

"Wait." Ginny suddenly tuned into their conversation. "What'll ever happen to Quidditch?"

Ron dropped his 6th chicken.

"You're right! What WILL happen to Quidditch?"

Harry shrugged. He wasn't going to be taking part of any of it anyway.

"Don't tell me you're quitting Quidditch, Harry." Ginny said looking intensely at him.

"I'll have to, wouldn't I? I'll be off most of the year anyway. Remember- I'm only here to sleep and eat."

"But…" Ginny stared at him unbelievingly.

"They probably got rid of Quidditch anyway."

"No!"

"Actually they probably did. That's beside the point. There's a Dumbledore-free school and Lord Voldemort running around stronger than ever. And YOU guys are worrying about Quidditch? Now really." Hermione interrupted them. The two Weasleys glared at her.

"What? It's true!"

"I don't care. If it's the last thing I do, I'm bringing Quidditch back to Hogwarts. Just because Voldemort's free from any holding back against attacking any of us this second, it doesn't mean we should be deprived from any thing good we had in this hell hole. And DON'T look at me like that, Hermione. It was your bloody T.B. thing."

"Hear hear! That's my sister."

"We don't have to have houses. Just teams. And maybe we'll just play for fun. You know? Maybe I'll have a team called the Pygmy Puffs."

Harry laughed.

"I'll watch some games."

"Why don't you PLAY them?"

"No! I told you. I'm not doing Quidditch. I'm barely even part of this school right now."

"Are you currently sitting at a table in Hogwarts?"

"Yes, but…"

"Are you sleeping in a bed in Hogwarts?"

"Yes, but you…"

"Are you going to be putting a foot in any of the floors of Hogwarts?"

"Well, yes…"

"Then you're in Hogwarts! Please? Don't let Voldemort hold you back from THIS now! You've lost everything to him. Don't you lose your passion too."

Nobody spoke and Harry's face reddened, but Ginny didn't stop.

"What are you lot gawking at? It's the truth! Listen. I know you have important things to do that will save all our necks. But you know what we really need? We all need a bit more happiness. We need to show HIM that we can all still have fun while he's trying to kill us."

"Gin…"

"No! Once you quit Quidditch, Harry, it's over. You've got nothing now. I know your life doesn't revolve around Quidditch and you don't think it'll make a big of a deal, right? I bet you never had second thoughts about this. But you know what? Soon, everything you do will be because of Voldemort. He'll possess you in a different way. Don't be like me, now. Don't you succumb to it all and become just a body killing yourself by depriving yourself of privileges that are all around you."

Ginny's passionate lecture was moving and Harry almost felt like jumping up and saying that he'll forget all about Horcruxes and Voldemort and have the time of his life before he died. But he didn't. Instead, he put his fork down, turned to face Ginny in the eye and told her softly.

"I'm. Not. Doing. Quidditch. Next. Year. But, Ginny. I think you'll make a brilliant captain. You go lead your Pygmy Puffs to victory. You have to understand… I can't."

Ginny gave one last furious glare before grabbing a chicken leg and storming off.

"Bloody jesus. What's wrong with her?"

"Well… It seems like she does not like the changes that are going on."

"Well, none of us do. But we're not talking Harry off like that, are we?"

"It's okay Ron. She's right. None of you should be keeping yourself from having fun. You could just stay in sch-?" Harry tried to say when Hermione cut him off.

"No. Harry, we've discussed this. We're coming with you."

"But…"

"No. No buts. Look. Voldemort completely ruined Ginny years ago. Voldemort was the reason that you two broke up, wasn't it? Voldemort kept her from doing anything she could have done for a while now. And she's just angry now that everyone's becoming like that now."

Ron stared gaping at her with bits of turkey falling out of his mouth.

"Ronald, that's gross. I don't know why I ever agreed to go out with y…" Hermione stopped, blushing slightly. She looked around.

"You realize that Lavender and Parvati aren't here?"

"Yeah… why?"

"Oh, just pointing out. If they had caught me saying the rest of that sentence… the whole school will probably know by tomorrow morning."

"Are you telling me you're embarrassed of our relationship?" Ron asked.

"No! I just don't want every single person alive to know."

"Why?"

"Well, why do you WANT them to know?"

"Well, why CAN'T you know? Will it hurt you?"

"No… just… Ugh! Never mind."

"Yeah. Never mind, all right."

"Fine." Hermione blew some hair away from her forehead as she turned to start a conversation with Neville.

"Hermione…" Ron whispered in a sing-song voice.

"What?" she said, whipping around in her seat.

"Heh. Nothing. I just love it when you do that…"

Harry felt a knot in his throat. They could bicker endlessly, but their mushiness was just unbearable to watch.

Harry slid away from the table just in time to miss Ron and Hermione's nose wars. He was walking to the Gryffindor common room when he bumped into Ali.

"Harry! I see you've made it okay."

"Yeah. You're all better now?"

"Never been better. Your immunization system does wonders for you."

"…right."

"Really, does anyone know about their body systems?"

"Well…"

"Don't answer that. Hey Harry, I know you're busy but before you leave tomorrow morning, you mind if you drop by my classroom?"

"Uh… sure. Why?"

"Remus gave me something to give you before you left. He said it'll help you a lot there."

"Oh. Okay."

"Are you going to be gone mostly every day now?"

"Uh… I'm not quite sure. I know I won't be back for about a week or two."

"Oh. Well, because I know you're not taking any classes or anything, but I have really important projects planned and I think it'll be crucial for you, especially, to learn them this year."

"Well, I'll see about that. I'm sure I won't be gone every day. I'll need this library often."

"Hah. One last thing Harry- I'll need to be giving you Occlumency lessons?"

Harry slumped.

"Do I have to?"

"From what I know, yes."

"I can't do it! Snape always said I don't concentrate enough but who trusts him now? It's like impossible to do it."

"Oh really? From what I hear, you've gotten very close once."

"Well, that was once."

"Maybe it'll be twice."

"I doubt it."

"Well, I'll make it twice. Don't worry, Harry. I'll be extra harsh on you. I'll starve you until you get it." Ali said with a twinkle in her eye. Harry didn't know if that was a joke or not.

"Uh…"

"I'm not kidding. I'll be sending you an owl. You should head back now; I don't want to keep you from your sleep. Come by my office from any time after 7 tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Talk to you later."

"Right."

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"You got everything?" Hermione and Ron asked in the morning of September 2nd.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

"What do you have in your bag?"

"Uh… invisibility cloak, Maurader's map for my way back, and I've got my wand in my pocket."

Hermione gave a worried frown.

"You sure you're not missing anything?"

"Nope."

"Why can't we come with you?"

"Just because."

"Because…"

"Because it's not your parents' grave you're visiting."

"Oh."

"Well, we'll be missing you, mate. Come back soon." Ron said, head propped up on his arms dozing off.

"Yeah. I really now don't see why it should it be any more than 2 days."

"Me neither. Maybe you'll be back by tomorrow?"

"Maybe. There's not much I can do there, is there?"

"Nope. There isn't. If it'll take longer, owl us."

"Okay. You two don't do anything naughty while I'm gone, okay?" Harry said, winking.

"Now, really."

"You're right, Ron. Mrs. Weasley is really rubbing off on you."

"Now really…"

"Look, it's 7. I should go now." Harry said, making his way out of his dormitory.

"Remember to drop by Ali's." Hermione said, following him out the door.

"Oh yeah- I forgot."

"I thought you did."

"Are you going to follow me out?"

"Yes."

"Sorry mate, too sleepy." Ron said, in the same spot as he was when he first woke up.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded, beckoning him over.

"Fine, fine."

"No, really. You stay too, Hermione."

"I'll watch you go out the portrait."

Harry blushed. He wasn't a fan of when Hermione got all motherly on him.

"It's not like there's going to be someone just out of our common room ready to attack me."

"There might."

Harry groaned as he walked swiftly out the portrait. He looked back, waving at his two friends.

"Bye! Take care!"

"Be careful, Harry!"

"Yeah. What she said." Ron yawned.

Harry felt awkward walking directly from the common room to a class before breakfast. After a few trips on trick stairs and an argument with a knight, he found his way to the defense against dark arts classroom.

He expected Ali to be sitting there in her desk waiting for him to come but when he entered, nobody was there.

"Hello?" Harry called out timidly.

No answer.

'Maybe she was in her room.' Harry eyed the staircase that led to the professor's private room. That was where he and Ron had met a frantically packing Lockhart. That was where he had learned to do the Patronus…

Harry stopped in front of the closed door and knocked. Nobody came to the door.

After a moment's hesitation, Harry turned the doorknob to peek in. There Ali was, head under pillow, sleeping.

"Uh… Professor Bishop?" It felt different acknowledging her to that. Hermione, Ali, and Ron always just called her Ali.

Harry gently tapped on her bare shoulder.

She shifted a little before turning to face him.

"Who is it?"

"It's Harry. You said to come by?"

"Oh. Oh. It's 7 already?"

"Er, yeah."

Sighing, Ali sat up in her bed sleepily.

"Harry, dear, could you get me that cup on my desk, please?"

When Harry handed her the white mug, she grabbed a rose that was beside her bed.

"Aguamenti." She said, tapping the pink petals to the cup.

Getting out of bed in only her pajamas and rubbing her eyes, Ali led Harry back out into the classroom.

"Remus gave me a book… and… two letters. One's for you, the other one is a permission slip to let you in." Ali said, handing each one by one.

"Okay."

"I'm giving you a map to and of Godric's Hollow."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Uh huh. I think…that's it."

"Okay. Thanks."

"You'll be leaving now?"

"Er- yeah."

"Oh, yeah! One more thing. You'll be needing food." Ali said, looking through all her papers.

"Food… food… where did I put that? Whatever. Uh… Winky? Winky?" Ali said, snapping her fingers.

"Yes, master?"

"Get me a bag of food that will last… 3 days? Edible food."

"Yes. Winky will."

"You don't have to…"

"I do have to. Thank you, Winky. I'm not sure if you'll like whatever she packed, but… it's food."

"Well… thanks, I guess." Harry said, making his way out.

"Oh! And one last thing, Harry, your parent's grave has been relocated. So whatever people there might tell you, it's not. It's behind the old church, not the new one, okay?"

"Erm…" How would she know where they were? Or more importantly, how did she know he was going there? "How…"

"Everyone knows. Just not the people who live there."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks."

"Have fun."

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Haha. I was getting so ready to have Godric's Hollow this chapter, but I guess not!

I neeeeed reviews! So far, only Strandy25 has been kind enough to do so.

Usually, if I don't get more, I stop writing.

But this is different. Somehow, I've gotten pulled into this story.

Ta ta!