Disclaimer: I, unfortunately don't own Harry Potter, his magical world, friends, enemies and locations mentioned in the chappie below. They belong to the one and only J.K. Rowling. I own only some random ideas, and MAYBE some made-up characters, and they unfortunately (again) aren't making me money either…

Uploaded:Saturday, January 29, 2005

Chapter 4: Same Old, Same Old

Harry and Ron pushed their way through the Entrance Hall with the crush of students waiting to get into the Great Hall for the Welcome Feast.

"It's like this every year. You'd think they'd figure out a system to get people through easier," Ron said, shaking his head, or at least trying to. There was hardly space to breathe, let alone shake your body parts.

Harry just grinned and concentrated on getting through. Slowly but surely, Harry and Ron got into the Great Hall and took their seats at the Gryffindor table. Hermione came in just after the Sorting took place and sat down looking out of breath.

"Where were you?" Ron asked.

"Huh? What? Oh, where was I? No where. No place at all," Hermione said, flustered.

Ron decided to let it lie and he turned his head to the front just as Professor Dumbledore stood. Dumbledore was Headmaster of Hogwarts and was the leader of the Order of the Phoenix. He was thin and tall, very old yet, he did not look frail and weak. In fact Dumbledore was the strongest man many of the Hogwarts students had ever known. It was a well-known fact that Dumbledore was the only man Voldemort was ever afraid of.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! For many of you, this is not your first time being here, but I would like to extend a warm welcome to those now arriving." The students clapped and quieted down as Dumbledore continued to speak. "I would like to ask that everyone here be extremely careful outside the protection of Hogwarts. This warning is especially focused on those in Third Year and above. Please, I beg you all, please be careful. There are dangerous forces at work and it would grieve me to see any of you cross their path." The students were quiet as they looked up at Dumbledore. They were shocked to see that as he spoke the last sentence, a single tear rolled down his cheek, glistening as sunlight in the dimly lit hall. "There is evil in our midst, and it will not stop until it destroys whatever is in its way to power." Dumbledore looked around at his students, love and another, undetectable emotion, filled his face. "But, alas! I am just an old man speaking on an empty stomach. But may I remind you that it would do no harm to take heed to my words. And I have just a few more those. One, two, three, tuck in!" as fast as the sombre look on Dumbledore's face arrived, it was gone. As usual, food appeared on the table. The students suddenly came to life, as if they were under a trance during Dumbledore's speech.

Harry and Ron piled food onto their plates, reaching across their classmates for dishes out of their reach. Hermione tutted and shook her head.

"You'd think they'd never eaten a day in their life," she said to Parvati Patil. The two laughed and resumed their talk on who their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher would be. In his emotional state, Dumbledore had forgotten to introduce the new teacher.

"I'm half and half me self," Seamus Finnigan said to a group of Ravenclaw sixth years who had come over to say hello to Ginny.

"Me mam's a witch, me dad's a muggle," the whole Gryffindor table chorused along with him. Seamus stopped and grinned at the giggling girls.

"Honestly, I don't know why he thinks that's a good pick-up line… because it isn't!" Ron muttered to Harry. The rest of the meal went very well, until the end.

"Potter, you'd better watch out for yourself. The Dark Lord's about, and He wants you dead. I would listen to old Dumbledore if I were you,"

"That's alright, thanks Malfoy. Voldemort has wanted me dead since I was one, I defeated Him then so I think I can handle Him now," Harry said calmly, looking into the cold steely pair of eyes of Draco Malfoy. Malfoy scowled and hissed, "I wouldn't be too sure of myself, if I were you. You have no protection but a blundering old fool. Even your Godfather left you," Draco knew he had hit the spot where it hurt the most. Though Sirius had died almost two years ago, Harry still had trouble admitting the fact that his Godfather was gone. Harry pulled out his wand, pointing it right in the center of Draco's chest.

"Harry, no! You don't want to get into trouble on the first night back. And anyway, Malfoy has no idea what it's like to be you. He's just a twitchy little ferret, isn't he?" Hermione added poison to the last words. Malfoy blushed and swore that he would get revenge on the mudblood Granger, if it was the last thing he would do, as he and his croonies stalked off. Harry decided he would forget about the Malfoy incident. It was no different from the other times that Malfoy had taunted him, why should he brood on this? Feeling full and content, Harry, Ron and Hermione dragged themselves up to Gryffindor Tower, saying goodnight as they went their separate ways to their dormitories. Harry and Ron fell into bed, without taking their clothes off, just noticing how tired they were.

"Ron?" Harry asked.

"Wha'?" came the muffled reply.

"It's good to be home."

His only response was a soft snore coming from the four-poster bed beside him.