Hogwarts
"Come on Harry let's go," Hermione said as she combed her hands through her unruly brown locks, "we should probably apparate at the gates."
"All right," Harry said thoughtfully. He was nervous and excited all at the same time. Though he was keen on coming back to Hogwarts, Harry wasn't so sure about the teaching aspect of his return. Not to mention the grief which was now connected with the school.
The two new teachers apparated at the gates of Hogwarts and waited for the coaches with the students to arrive. "Do you remember the charms to open the gates?" Hermione asked.
"Don't you?" Harry asked with a smirk.
Hermione blushed and grinned in response. "You didn't really give me much of a chance to practice the charm on the way here."
"How do you expect me to know it then?" He teased pulling the piece of parchment with the charm out of his pocket. "I had the same amount of time to learn it as you did."
"Give me that." She said grinning as she grabbed the piece of parchment. Hermione took out her wand and whispered the incantation as the coaches approached the gates.
The gates of Hogwarts were open to all that dared enter them. There was only one quarter of the usual number of students attending Hogwarts that year. Hufflepuff literally had a handful of students; they would be combined with the Slytherin students. Though they would keep to their houses, their classes will be taken together. Slytherins had absolutely no fifth, sixth, or seventh years most of their parents were Death Eaters as it was.
Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had twenty students each, and there were also four muggle born first-years that were yet to be sorted.
Hermione went to the main doors of the castle, where she stood with professor McGonagall. Harry stayed behind to close the gates behind the students. Once that was done, he walked to the last carriage to retrieve his trunk.
When he got there, the trunks were being unloaded by the house elves, so he hung back and waited as the non-first year students were herded into the castle by the Head mistress.
"Hey there 'Arry." Harry smiled and turned to face his friend. Hagrid had just gotten across the lake with the four first years. They all seemed awe struck by the castle, and Hagrid, and all the things they'd heard about the place since boarding the train.
"Hi Hagrid," Harry said and reached out to hug his friend.
"Surreal, isn't it?" Hagrid asked as he returned the hug, "Hogwarts without Dumbledore."
The smile in Harry's face faltered. He had managed to keep Dumbledore out of his mind until that point. The headmaster had been the closest thing Harry had had for a caring guardian since his parents died, and now he was gone as well. "Yes it is."
"Come on 'Arry, Let's get to the great hall." Hagrid said as the students lined up at the door of the castle. Hagrid caught Hermione's eye as they walked through the door and gave her a wan smile.
She smiled back and turned to guide the new students to the holding room next to the great hall. As Harry took his seat, he took in the view form his new perspective. It felt darker and more sullen than before. Harry was rather shaken by the knowledge and responsibility that he has been and will always carry. The entire wizarding world was counting on him to destroy Voldemort. He had to make this year count.
Minutes later, Hermione walked in with the tattered sorting hat and she placed it on the stool in front of the room. The houses were silent as the looked up at the main table. The first years stared at the hat. Harry could tell that they were thinking the same way he had been thinking when he stood in front of that very same hat seven years before.
He could see the surprise in their eyes when they saw the hat open his mouth and began to sing:
I know I'm not a pretty hat
I've had much better days
But you would be hard pressed to find
A hat that's lived such days.
No other wizard's hat has lived
Or seen things great or small
For I am Hogwarts sorting hat
And I have seen it all.
There is not a thing inside your head
That you could ever hide
So try me on so I can see
Who will be by your side.
Your friends could be from Gryffindor
Where the brave of heart dwell
Their daring, nerve, and loyalty
Just makes one's old heart swell;
They may just be in Hufflepuff
Who also are quite loyal
Patience is their greatest virtue
And will stand with you through toil;
Or could they be in Ravenclaw
That is if you are wise
With ready minds and a quick wit
They can see through any guise;
A Slytherin among you
I will be pressed to find
Cunning and Ambitious you may be
But pure blood is the preferred kind;
So put me on! The lot of you
And soon we all will see
Just where exactly you belong
And who you'll grow to be.
The hall was filled with applause as the hat ended its song. Hermione stepped forward, a roll of parchment in her hand. She remembered when she had been in the same position as they. She thought of how nervous they must be and she smiled at them pleasantly before stating, "when I call your name, come forward, put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."
She looked around the great hall, before looking down on to the parchment. "Cabanban, Portila." Hermione read. A slight girl with dark tanned skin and long black neatly curled hair and bright green eyes stepped forward. Her striking beauty forestalled any jokes or comments about her name.
Portila sat on the stool; the sorting hat was almost covering her entire head. The hat seemed to mull over her placement for a little while. Soon it shouted "Gryffindor!" The girl smiled as the Gryffindor table exploded with cheers to welcome her. She gently took the hat off and placed it back on the stool.
Portila made it to the table, as Hermione called out "Chung, Michael."
An Asian boy practically ran to the stool. He confidently put the hat on, before he could even sit on the stool the hat said, "Ravenclaw."
"Howard, Liberty." The hat placed her in Gryffindor as well. Liberty took a seat next to Portila as Hermione read the last name. "Nesbitt, Wendell." whom was quickly placed in Hufflepuff.
Soon after the new students were sorted and received by their particular houses, Minerva Mcgonagall got to her feet. She waited until the room quieted then spoke. "Welcome everyone, to a brand new year at Hogwarts. There are a few changes this year, considering our great loss. Two of them are the inclusion of two new teachers. Professor Granger our new transfigurations teacher and head of Gryffindor, and our new defence against the dark arts teacher Professor Harry Potter." Harry stood up and waved hello to everyone timidly then sank back in his seat right next to Hermione and Hagrid.
The start of term feast went on as usual. There was loads of food for everyone and it was, to Harry, as delicious as ever.
After dinner Hagrid showed both Harry and Hermione to their respective rooms. Harry's was on the seventh floor, not too far from the head mistresses office. She did not see it fit that he should occupy the same room of the previous teacher on the subject of defense against the dark arts. Hermione was in the house leader's room to the side of the Gryffindor common room.
As Harry got himself settled that evening, there was a knock on his door. "Come in," He said hanging up his robes.
Hermione poked her head into the room, "Hey there Harry."
With a smile, Harry sits on his bed to take off his shoes. "Hello."
Hermione steps all the way into the room closing it behind her. She takes off her robes and kicks off her shoes pulls off her shirt and undoes the button on her skirt on the way to her lover.
Harry stops what he is doing as he watches her. "I want you now," She said straddling his lap. "You look so hot in your teachers robes, I wanted to rip them off you all night."
"Oh?" Harry said nervously allowing her to remove his glasses, and his shirt.
"Uh huh," she said kissing his neck, "I would have done this on the train, but I'm not quite that bold yet."
"Neither am I," Harry said as he helped Hermione remove his pants by lifting his hips, "I watched you all night imagining how it would be here at Hogwarts.
"Mmm..." Hermione said as she pushed him back on to the bed, "No more talking."
Harry snogged her within an inch of her life. They kissed for what seemed hours pressed skin to skin. They made love long and passionately and fell asleep in each other's loving embrace.
Just before dawn, Hermione awoke completely happy and satisfied. She slid out of bed making sure not to wake Harry, and dressed quietly hissing a spell over herself. She gathered her Robes as she walked out of Harry's chambers and headed towards her own, before the castle stirred to life.