HARRY POTTER AND THE FINAL BATTLE
CHAPTER 2 : THE AMERICAN WITCH
Harry tailed Ron down the stairs. While Hermione an Indra followed behind them and Professor McGonagall after them.
"I hope you will like your time here at Hogwarts Miss Gwydion."
"I am sure I will." replied Indra in her sweet voice.
Ron suddenly stopped and turned around and Indra ran right into him. "Opps, I'm sorry Ron." she said stepping back and smoothing out her Hogwarts robes.
"It's okay."he then looked up at McGonagall "Professor, who will be teaching Transfiguration now that you are the Head Mistress?"
McGonagall looked at Ron a moment "Nymphadora Tonks will be teaching Transfiguration." Ron lifted an eyebrow. "I will be teaching a special class. Animagi. I will teach students how to become an Animagi."
"Cool, but I don't remember that being on the list of classes we would be taking."
"It will be an additional class for those wanting to sign up for it, but I won't be teaching it till next semester Mr Weasley. Now could we proceed so we won't be late." Ron turned and went on. Harry was excited and he could tell Hermione was to about the Animagi class.
When they reached the Great Hall the doors were still open and people were still standing about talking. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Indra walked in almost unnoticed. People started to find their seats as the door closed and Professor McGonagall made her way up the isle to the staff table. The four of them sat down the boys across from the girls There at the table they saw Hagrid, Kingsley Shaklebolt who was going to be the new DADA teacher. Since Dumbledore's death they had decided to bring more powerful wizards in to protect the school. Bill was going to be teaching at Hogwarts to, he was going to be the new Potions teacher. Mr Weasley had come home one night and told them all about it. Harry was very glad that Shaklebolt and Bill were here.
Tonks was sitting next to Shaklebolt, she looked very small next to his large form. Her hair was a neon blue tonight and she looked very excited. As soon as everyone had taken their seats the doors of the Great Hall opened and in came Bill in leading a pack of scared looking first years.
"Remember when that was us." said Hermione watching one first year boy stumble when he stared at the ceiling that mimicked the starry night sky. Ron let out a small laugh. Harry remembered his first time here. He was just a bit scared he didn't know what to expect. He wondered what Indra felt when she first came here. She was watching the sorting, Harry looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She glanced at him and Harry looked away so she wouldn't notice. It wasn't long before the sorting was done and Professor McGonagall stood up to give the start of term notices.
"Welcome to Hogwarts first years and welcome back everyone else. And while we are the subject of welcomes we need to welcome three new teachers among us. Mr Shaklebolt will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." Shaklebolt stood then sat. "Ms Tonks, Transfiguration," Tonks stood and waved to Harry, Ron and Hermione then sat down. "and Mr Weasley will be teaching Potions." Bill stood and gave a very small bow and sat down. The Hall rang with applause. "And," the applause died down. "Miss Indra Gwydion who is our first foreign exchange student from America." McGonagall motioned for her to stand, Indra looked rather embarassed and turned red. Everyone was looking at her, Harry new what that was like. His first year lots of people stared at him, he still got it sometimes now. "Miss Gwydion is a seventh year and has been sorted and was found to be worthy to join the Gryffindor House." There was a great round of applause. Indra sat down and some fellow Gryffindors even some Ravenclaws gave her pants on the back and handshakes. "Since last year's terrible events and events over the summer we MUST take extra caution. Every student must be in there House common room by eight o'clock. Students may not leave their dormitories after that time. No wandering the grounds after dinner. No student is allowed to enter the forest, and have a good year." With that said glorious food covered the table.
Like every year Ron loaded his plate with a heeping amount of everything. Indra sat there and watched a moment before she started taking her share of food. She didn't eat slow but she didn't eat like Ron either. She ate sort of like McGonagall, proper. Ron noticed Harry watching Indra and looked up at her to. She must have felt their eyes because she soon looked up.
"What?" She looked at Harry then at Ron. "What?" She looked herself over. Hermione turned to Indra.
"It's because of your table manners. Ron and Harry don't really get good exposure to good table and eating manners." Indra looked at the two of them.
"Is that what it is?" Ron gave a small sympathetic nod. Indra grinned and gave a chuckle. "I only really do that to either make a good impression, I want to, or I happen to not be in a rush."
"Oh." was all Harry could say, Ron just gave a shrug and continued eating only not as fast this go around.
It wasn't long before it was time to go to the common room. Since Ron and Hermione had to take the first years Harry had to show Indra the way, but he didn't mind.
"So whats it like in America?" asked Harry who had become a bit nervous.
Indra looked at him then forward."Well." She was trying to think of a good way to describe it. She turned towards Harry. "It is sort of like England. Only the landscape is a bit different and some other small things. One thing I don't like about the wizards in America is that they aren't really in to Quidditch like Europe is."
"So you like Quidditch then." said Harry a bit surprised.
"Yes I do. I love to fly." Her smile was big and her a shone.
"Well I am Gryffindor's Captain and Seeker." said Harry with a sudden burst of confidence.
"Really. That is awesome. I am good at about every position. Since we don't play Quidditch much in America I had to learn all the positions and how to do them well, cause hardly anybody would play."
"Wow." Harry thought that that was aweful how people couldn't play Quidditch."Well we need more players. One of ours is in the hospital and another graduated."
"Oh, I'm sorry." she said with concern and tenderness.
"It's not your fault." Harry felt a rush of anger and remembered that the day of graduation he was gone. He would have to face Voldemort sooner or later. Indra must have noticed because she asked Harry what was wrong. "Nothing" he replied. "Caprius dextom." The Fat Lady's portrait swung open and Harry led Indra inside to the Gryffindor common room. The first years were there and about half of the rest of Gryffindor, but no matter what when Harry and Indra stepped into the common room everyone stared at them.
Some little first years started wispering to one another, Indra wispered with out moving her lips."Are they staring at 'The Boy Who Lived' or me?"
Harry grinned. "Well considering that I have been here for a long time I doubt the older ones are staring at me." Indra got an uncomfortable smile on her face making Harry feel bad. "This is the Gryffindor common room," Said Harry so everyone heard him and would stop staring at Indra. "and this is some of your fellow Gryffindors."
A little first year in the front of the group, who had her hands in front of his face, squeaked and her friend next to her who looked fearlesstook a step forward and asked, "Do you speak English.", he said it slowly and clearly as if she were a very dumb person.
Indra however did not seem to take offense by this ignorant little boy. She actually smiled at the first year who was losing confidence and started to fidget and look at his feet. Indra bent down so she was at eye level with the boy, who was really quite short, and answered him, "Hai watashi hanasu Eigo." The first year's eyes got wide and some people started wispering again. The young man man turned his head to his friend and said "Told you she doesn't speak English."
Indra stood up grinning and tapped the boy on the head once, he faced Indra again. "Thats Japanese for 'Yes I speak English.'. " Some of the older students started to giggle and spurts of laughter broke out. The first year's face tensed up and he looked mad. Indra put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. You didn't know." The boy's face didn't look so upset anymore and Indra took a step back.
"How many languages can you speak?" asked a third year girl.
"I know how wo carry on a very limited conversation in Spanish, Japanese, French, Dutch, Italian, Greek, Swahili, Egyptian, Chinese," she was counting these on her fingures, " Maori, Celtic, Hindi, Cherokee, Cheyenne, German, and Russian. So that is what?" She counted her singures again. "Sixteen." There was lots of mumering and talking then. "But keep in mind that if you know one of those languages I will most likely know how to say 'Hi and Goodbye', 'How are you', ' I am doing fine.'. Little things like that."
Dean from the back asked a question. "Do all Americans look like you?"
Indra looked at him. "No they don't. America is known a the 'Mixing pot' we have people from almost every country, race, ethnicity, and tongue." Dean remarked something to Seamus, and Indra made another remark. "I had a real good friend named Byron who was black like yourself and whose parents came from Kenya." Dean and everybody else was surprised by this information. People then started blurting out questions left and right and Hermione and Ron had to step in.
"All right calm down." Ron stood in front of the crowd holding up his hands.
Hermione was right next to him saying the same. "Now leave her alone she is new and probably not ready to be bombarded with questions and she does not need people pestering her." Hermione was practically scolding them like she was everyone's mother.
"Come on." Harry told her a led her over to a secluded corner to sit. After Hermione and Ron had told the crowd off they came to join them.
"Sorry about that Indra." said Hermione apologetically.
"It's alright." she said.
"So where is America anyway?" asked Ron, Hermione gave him her 'I-can't-believe-you' look. "What?" he was trying to act inocent.
"Indra would you like to see where you will be staying?" asked Hermione in a tone that was ticked and happy rolled into one.
"Yes, please." Hermione got up and led her to the girls dormitory.
"Wow, she is," Ron shaking his head trying to think of a word. Harry not knowing if he was talking about Hermione or Indra gave him a puzzled look. "Indra. She is wow." Harry smiled and nodded. She was very pretty.
"Sharp as a tack to." Harry thought gazing at the chair were she had been sitting.
"Yeah." Ron smiled and they both started chuckling.
I was late and everyone had gone to bed. Harry and Ron were trading rumors when Hermione and Indra came back down talking.