Chapter 2: A Great Welcome Back
A/N: Yay, I have finally posted up the second chapter, sorry for it taking so long! I hope this is enjoyable for you...ok, I'm done, go on ahead and read on.
On the rest of the way to Hogwarts, Harry spent most of his time thinking. Sometime he had let his mind wander to when his scar was hurting earlier.
"What does it mean? Why had it acted up again? Does this mean he is up to something? And if he is, what could it be? But perhaps, perhaps it was just some less important thing. He had seemed to feel rather anxious about something, maybe it was just the thought of getting caught by the Ministry of Magic, or the Order. But that can't be, Voldermort is at the height of his power! Except he just did lose some of it last term..." Harry let his mind shift as he thought his last thought.
He just couldn't bear that time in the past...It made him so angry at the thought of it- none of it, none of it would've happened if Voldemort didn't exist. Why did it have to be this way! And for some reason this made him think of Jacoba sitting across from him, making him wonder why she had transferred from Durmstrang at all.
"Well, it's no big deal really, maybe they just had trouble with the headmaster...Come to think of it, probably, considering the way that headmaster was. But wait- they would have a different headmaster now, since the old one ran away when Voldemort returned. What a coward he was. Or maybe they have no headmaster at all now. But why do I care anyway?"
"Erm, Harry? There's two people outside our compartment that want to come in. Do you know who they are?"
"Yeah, they're just my friends, they can come in- if that's alright with you."
"Sure, I have no problem with it."
Ron and Hermione came in, looking somewhat weary. They sat gratefully next to Harry, looking curiously at the girl across from them.
Noticing their stares, Jacoba quickly said, "Hi, you probably haven't seen me before, since I'm new around here. I'm Jacoba. And you two are...?"
Answering for both herself and Ron, Hermione replied, "Hello, I'm Hermione, and this is Ron. We're two of Harry's friends. We just happened to come by while we're off our prefect duties."
"Bloody glad for it too, I swear some of those second years are just asking for trouble," Ron muttered.
"That's just because you were telling them off for no reason."
"I was telling them off because they were pointing at me and laughing!"
"Oh Ron, why can't you just grow up?"
Ron said nothing to this, but grunted in defiance.
After a while, Hermione spoke her thoughts aloud. "I wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is this year?"
"Dunno, but whoever it is will end up like the rest of the lot," Ron said grimly.
"Ah, I can tell you who the next teacher is, it's my mum. She's pretty good with the Dark Arts," Jacoba said.
"Your mum?" Harry said, mildly surprised.
"Yeah, she was happy to take the position."
"Maybe, but will she be teaching us out of book all year too? She did assign a book, Knowing and Using the Dark Arts. Or even better, she'll attack us with one of the Unforgivable Curses."
"Ron! I'm sure she isn't like that at all! Besides, didn't you notice the 'Using' in the title? I'm sure she'll be teaching us practical stuff, by any means, we hopefully won't need to start up a group again..."
Jacoba gave a small smile and said, "Well, we have heard that Hogwarts doesn't have the best of luck with that positon, but my mum was willing to take it...And I'm sure she wouldn't make you learn out of a book- and definitely not use an Unforgivable Curse on you. You should know too, that she came from Durmstrang. She knows much about the Dark Arts."
"Nothing too dark, I hope," Ron muttered under his breath.
Glancing at her watch, Hermione said, "We had better get changed. We're almost there, which also means that Ron and I have to leave to go watch over everyone, and tell first years where to go. So we'll see you around Harry, Jacoba."
"Ok, I'll save a carriage and leave room for you two."
There was much activity going on as people ambled off the train.
As Harry got off, he could hear the familiar cry of: "Firs' years over here! Firs' years.." This was a good sign, and meant that Hagrid wasn't on any other missions for the Order at the moment. Harry sighed and started to walk through the crowd to where the carriages stood. When he was in sight of the carriages, Harry paused. He could see the thestrals, looking rather formidable in the twilight. Rather funny, considering how harmless the thestrals really were. So, Harry trudged off again and found an empty carriage. He entered into it, smelling the familiar smell of something like damp straw. Remembering that Jacoba was somewhere around, he looked out to see if she was near. He didn't see her, but he would remember to let her in if he did later.
Ron and Hermione came in later, and as soon as they did, the thestral started trotting down towards Hogwarts.
"So Harry, Jacoba didn't come with you."
"Nope, I suppose I lost her in the crowd earlier."
"Oh well, we'll see her later. She seemed nice, which must mean that she's not a Slytherin. Do you know if she's in a House?"
"Yeah, she said she had already been sorted. She's in Ravenclaw."
"Eh Harry, you have already found a replacement for Cho!" Ron said, smirking.
Harry's face grew hot. "I only sat there because Loony Lovegood wanted me to sit with her. Something I didn't want to do again."
"Sure that was the case..." Ron answered, Hermione now chuckling along with him.
"It was! Now will you two shut up? I need silence on the way there. If you haven't thought about it, we're about to go to the Great Hall, and they won't just be staring at me this time- they'll be staring at you two too. So take those smirks off your faces. And you both have hardly been talked about, so do you think you can really handle all of the pressure? I don't know how you both can be so laid back about it! Look at Ron, for instance, he couldn't block a Quaffle while the Slytherins were catcalling him! And if you can't stand that, you won't be able to stand this!"
As Harry finished, he knew he had gone overboard. He hadn't meant to say all of that, but this was the first time he had actually not wanted to go back. And unfortunately, all of his frustration had become pent-up and went toward the two people who probably had similar feelings as his. Harry knew that the rest of the rest of the night would be very stiff now. But he just didn't know how to handle his emotions. Life just had to make everything complicated and twisted.
"Well," Ron said slowly, with no emotion, "If you must take everything out on us, then why not take everything out on you? Do you really think that the world only revolves around you, your feelings and your problems? It doesn't. Much of the time I always feel like I'm the sidekick, no one cares about me. Whenever you would win a Quidditch match, win the Triwizard Tournament...No matter what, you always have received attention- good or ill. But I never wanted that attention, in fact, I didn't mind being out of the limelight. Sure, it wouldn't be bad, but I wasn't bothered by it. And just to think- I felt bad for you in times when people hated you, when they accused you of doing something you hadn't done...And just to think, I felt BAD FOR YOU. But you know what? IT WASN'T WORTH IT!"
Harry was shocked. Ron had never truly said how he felt about being friends with him, and knowing how he felt now...It made Harry feel lower than dirt. He looked to see if Hermione would give him any help- but Hermione didn't meet his gaze, she looked disgusted with all of it. But then, Harry really couldn't expect much more in this kind of situation...He should've kept his mouth shut.
The Great Hall was the same as ever. As Harry walked in, he could instantaneously feel the stares of all the people. A great welcome back. Trying to act cool, Harry sat down as if he was oblivious to it all- but he didn't think it was working. He looked and saw that Ron and Hermione sat farther down the table. Looked like Harry was facing this alone.
People looked up at the teacher's table as Dumbledore grandly entered into the Great Hall, along with other teachers. As he looked he saw an unfamiliar woman enter with the other teachers, but knew right away that it could only be Jacoba's mom, who had the same hair as her's. In fact, as Harry stared harder, she looked like she even had the same eye color- but from the distance, he wasn't so sure.
Returning back to his surroundings, Harry noticed that people were all talking and laughing with one another. He wished he could've been carefree and talking with Ron and Hermione, but that wouldn't happen now. He slouched down in his chair, all of a sudden feeling very sullen.
People started to quiet down as the first years and Professor McGonagall entered the room, carrying along with her the stool and the Sorting Hat. As soon as everything was situated, the rip at the brim of the hat sang:
Long ago there was a time
When I wasn't patched or frayed,
And in that time that I was new
Four good friends had been made.
Great Gryffindor, Cunning Slytherin,
Clever Ravenclaw, Graceful Hufflepuff.
They discovered they all had a fate,
In making one grand school,
And none thought they would hesitate
Or alone would want to rule.
So Slytherin sought out those
Whose blood was as pure as gold,
And Gryffindor chose only those
Whose hearts were great and bold.
Ravenclaw searched for those
Whose minds were sharp and wise,
Kind Hufflepuff took the remainder,
Who all were fair and nice.
So all worked out for a time,
The Houses stayed the same,
And Hogwarts had been successful
Until all had someone to blame.
Once friend now turned to foe
And all desired to reign,
But all had simply gone too far
So Slytherin left in vain.
Learn that this was their ending,
Don't let history repeat itself,
But the truth is now bending,
To what- I don't know myself.
My duty is to Sort you
And fufill my fate I shall,
Now I hope that you have listened,
Have learned that lesson well.
You must all obtain a stout heart,
So now let's let the Sorting start.
"Funny, it let off a bit of a warning again- well, not as big a one as last year though." But nonetheless, people applauded and clapped in approval this time. He wondered if something else would happen this year- a lot had happened in the other years attending Hogwarts. In fact, he hadn't been in Hogwarts for one year without something happening to him or around him. Perhaps this would be his first normal year- or just the same as any other. He'd just have to wait and see- and hope that Ron and Hermione were along wtih him.