Authors Note: Welcome to the first chapter of my story. I know its starting of a little slow. But trust me it will get more exciting as it goes on I must put in a small warning here though. There is some angst though not a large amount in this story. I hope you are enjoying it! Please review!
Silence. Nothing dare break it as Head mistress McGonagall's gaze peered it seemed through every single individuals mind as they sat at their respectful tables, only having just finished the welcoming feast. Which in a amazed surprised twist was also filled with silence.
"Welcome, rather surprisingly to another year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry," The headmistress started breaking the silence with an echo, "I hope that this year will come with many high wishes for the future and that we may take a step into a pleasant future hand in hand. I am sorry, though not startled to see that we have half the population in which we had last year."
At this, some of the students looked at the Slytherin table pointedly where only an average of ten to fifteen people sat. However the other tables looked bare as well holding only half of their previous students. Only a handful of first years. Around seven. Had come to Hogwarts to be sorted, strangely enough however none of them went into either Slytherin or Gryffindor but instead spread between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
"Now, Prefects show your first years to their dormitories and-" However what the new headmistress was about to say will never be known as the Great Hall doors opened to reveal none other then Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and in the middle of the two friends the famous boy-who-lived Harry Potter. The trio walked at a normal pace through the great hall as everyone watched in awe and intimidation. At this very moment they looked like heroes from a old fantasy story.
Harry looked around, almost sheepishly. "Sorry, headmistress, we are running a little behind schedule." Harry said loud enough for every nosy person In the great hall to hear. "Quite all right Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger. Please stay behind. Everyone else may leave." Headmistress McGonagall's voice emitted through the hall making everyone jump at her command.
Even the youngest and newest of students could feel the tension in the air as they filed out of the hall. This year was different. This year was dangerous, this year…there was no Albus Dumbledore.
It took little over ten minutes for the last of the students to leave the hall, when they did McGonagall pulled out her wand and waved it wordlessly at the tables making them disappear, another single round table then appeared in the middle of the room. As the trio and the teachers where directed to sit down, her wand was waved again as a see through, light mist circled the table in protection of their words. This was a meeting of a serious matter.
"Now," Started McGonagall, "I trust that your training was successful and uninterrupted." she asked the trio looking at them intently. Surprising all of the teachers Ron was the one to speak up. "Yes, training was…intense and successful. Well in our opinions anyway." Ron said a little dryly. It was at this Harry actually managed a small chuckle.
"Yes, I can't imagine any other way to put us in more pain with out it slipping from the title of training to torture." Harry said with a small smile. McGonagall nodded. "So you three will be returning to school then?" She asked almost sincerely.
"For a time." Hermione replied. "However not for long, we'll attend classes to hide the fact that we are looking for something." she explained seriously. "We've spent the last week arguing about this, and we believe that there is something we need to see, or find with in the castle." Harry and Ron nodded in agreement to what she was saying.
"I have been having dreams of late Headmistress. They are in great detail of Hogwarts, some places within this castle that none of us have been" Harry stated looking around at all the teachers. "this is all we can discuss at the moment I'm sorry." He said finally actually looking sorry about it. The table stayed in silence for a while before McGonagall spoke up.
"There have been no leads on Severus Snape or Draco Malfoy. We are not the only ones looking for them though." She said as all of the attendants looked at her. Apparently she had been keeping this information to herself for a little while. "They haven't returned to Lord Voldemort. It appears that they have moved into a neutral standing."
"They have to be hiding somewhere…unpredictable, some place they know where no one will think them to be." Hermione said softly contemplating it under her breath, Harry looked at her being the only one to hear her assumptions. "the castle." Hermione said her eyes widening. Harry shook his head and looked away. "Its been a long day for us may we be excused?" He asked the headmistress who nodded absent mindedly. The trio stood, saying their goodbyes walked out of the great hall.
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"What you mean to say is that you think Snape and Malfoy are here in Hogwarts." Ron said incredulously looking at his friend. Hermione frowned at him. Apparently some things hadn't changed, and never will change and that was the constant bickering that could be heard between Ron and Hermione which always made Harry sighed. As if on cue Harry gave a sigh.
"Look Hermione, I actually agree with Ron on this one. They aren't stupid enough - unfortunately - to return to Hogwarts." Harry said from his position on the couch. They where currently sitting in the Gryffindor common room. It now being little over one am in the morning Harry yawned slightly.
They had been talking, well more rambling conclusions from baseless facts for the last four hours or so. Of course under the protection Muffliato just incase. Though Hermione had protested, because it was a spell from the Half Blood Prince who to Harry's annoyance ended up being Severus Snape. However he couldn't help but continue to use the book and try and figure out the new spells. Even Hermione couldn't protest that they weren't good and handy in certain situations.
"Don't you two understand!" Hermione said in annoyance. "If I were them I would return to Hogwarts as well." Hermione said letting out a large breath of air as if to say 'how could you two be so naive.' "Hogwarts is one of the safest places one could be, and the last place anyone would expect Professor Snape and Malfoy to hide. So no one would be on the look out, or even considering that they are here!"
Ron snorted and plopped himself down on an over-stuffed couch looking at the fire. Hermione looked away from Ron and at Harry almost pleading for him to believe her. "Look Hermione we'll keep a look out for them and anything suspicious but I seriously doubt that they are here. We have to concentrate and find the reason why we had to come here." Harry stated.
"Harry couldn't it be entirely possible that maybe Malfoy and Snape are the reason we had to come here.-" Hermione looked between them both as they stayed silent. "apparently not. I'm going to bed." She said in a huff before walking up the stairs to the girls dorms.
"We should probably go to bed to mate." Harry stated to Ron after watching Hermione walk up the stairs. "Look at all this from a new and fresh perspective in the morning." Ron nodded in agreement. The boys lugged themselves up the stairs and silently changed before sinking into their beds falling promptly to sleep.