I don't own it and never will, I'm just gonna have to deal with that.

Here goes...

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August was a dull and uneventful month. Harry Ron and Hermione spent the majority of their time exploring the castle hallways with George and Fred. Ginny stayed mainly in the Gryffindor common room, only joining the others for meals and conversations in the common room.

It was September first and the rest of the Hogwarts students were due to arrive later in the evening.

Professor McGonagall had just gotten finished unlocking all the classrooms, the dorm rooms for the other houses, and all other rooms that would be used throughout the year. When she had unlocked the prefects bathroom she gave Harry, Hermione and Ron the privilege of selecting the new password. After much discussion they finally decided on 'Ludwigadig' after hearing Ginny use the word as a curse when she stubbed her toe.

The new password in place, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were checking out the prefect bathroom. Ron was messing with the water spouts and Hermione was inspecting the multi-colored bubbles. Harry watched from the wall as Ron hot his new black robes soaking wet.

"Arrgh!" Hermione shouted while being pelted with green bubbles from an up-turned faucet. "Gross! They're all soapy and in my eyes. I can't see!" Hermione stumbled around blindly for a towel with which to remove the soap from here eyes.

"Here Hermione!" Ron shouted from across the pool. Hermione turned and walked towards his voice.

"Watch out!" Harry called frantically, but it was too late. Hermione stepped right into the deep end of the pool. She paddled over to the side where Ron was standing.

"Here, grab my hand. I'll help you out." Ron knelt down and extended his hand to Hermione.

"Thanks Ron." Hermione grasped his hand and dragged him into the water.

"Hey," Ron said, "What was that for?"

Harry was laughing. Grabbing two towels, he walked around the edge of the pool and offered them to Hermione and Ron.

"Harry," Hermione said sweetly "Would you help me out? Please?"

"Sorry, Hermione," Harry said, taking a step back from the edge. "I'm not falling for that like Ron did."

"Oh, gee, thanks Harry." Hermione said, looking hurt. "Take that." Hermione splashed Harry. "Ron! Get him!"

Ron and Hermione continued to splash Harry until he was soaked through. Harry was just about to jump into the pool with his friends when they heard a knock on the door.

"Harry? Ron? Hermione? The students are arriving." Professor McGonagall's head appeared through the door. "Oh my goodness! Whatever have you done? Get up to your tower and clean up at once!" Her head faded back out through the door, scowling at the trio.

"Harry, Hermione, and Ron shuffled out of the bathroom and up to the Gryffindor tower, leaving a trail of water behind them.

Half an hour later they plopped down into empty seats in the dinning hall with the other Gryffindors. Fred and George had already spread the word of how they all came to the school early so they were bothered with few questions about not being on the Hogwarts Express.

Apparently the news had spread to the Slytherin table because as soon as Harry had sat down Malfoy and his goons had swaggered over to the Gryffindor table.

"How's little Harry?" Draco asked maliciously. "DO you need Dumbledore to look after you? If I were you I wouldn't let any old man coddle me. Are you not old enough to look out for yourself? I wouldn't."

"Listen Malfoy," George cut in. "At least someone cares about Harry, which is more than you can say for yourself no doubt."

Malfoy scowled and sauntered back to his table with Crabbe and Goyle on his heals.

"The bloody git." Someone said, voicing everyone's thoughts.

When dessert was finished Dumbledore stood up to make a speech.

"Welcome everyone. It is a pleasure to see you all again or for the first time. This year I must sadly announce the departure of Professor Snape." Dumbledore paused as cheers erupted from three of the house tables. "Replacing him will be Professor Merit." A young woman with long black cascading hair stood and smiled at the students. All of the boys in the room were speechless. She inclined her head slightly and sat back down. "And," continued Dumbledore, "Our new defense against the dark arts professor will be Professor White, an old friend of mine"

As Sirius stood up, Hermione, Harry and the Weasleys tried not to laugh out loud. He appeared as a comely lady in her late thirties with short brown curls for hair and a warm smile. Sirius' eyes had changed from brown to a deep blue. He wore a white robe edged in periwinkle. Obviously uncomfortable he sat down almost right after he had stood up.

"Now that we have all met, please follow your prefects to your rooms. Dissmissed!" Dumbledore winked at Harry.

"O.K. prefect, lead me." Fred pushed Ron and followed him like an insecure toddler follows its mother. Ron left the hall without looking back. Hermione and Harry motioned to the first years and led them up to the tower.

Ron was waiting for them when they got there with the portrait held open. They all went into the common room and talked a bit before turning in.

The following morning Hedwig dropped of a letter for the Quiditch team from their ex-captain Oliver Wood. Everyone crowded around Harry as he read it aloud.

"Dear team, I suppose they cancelled quiditch last year because of the tournament. What a bloody waste of time. (congratulations Harry.) I wrote to announce your new team captain, well, captains. Fred and George Weasley will lead you to victory this year. Treat the as you would have treated me. Good luck, Oliver Wood."

"Us? Captains?" Fred shouted gleefully as Harry finished. "Wood must be crazy!"

"Yeah, one too many hits in the head with a bludger." George added.

"Great!" Moaned Alicia "A whole year with them as captains."

"Congratulations, mum will be proud." Ron said.

Hermione looked at the twins. "When will you be holding try outs? I think I might actually go out for the team after all."

"I don't know, this team has too many girls already." George began to circle around Hermione, hand on his chin and his index finger across his lips. "Hmm. Fred, help me evaluate this, this female."

Fred began to flap his arms and run around in circles about Hermione while cawing like a dying crow. He stopped, stuck out his nose, and sniffed her. "Yum, fresh meat." He snapped at Hermione and jumped back as she slapped him across the face.

"Ouch! I just wanted to taste you! You smell so, so like a dead carcass on a hot summer day. Ahh, heaven." Fred inhaled deeply and let it all out right in Hermione's face.

"If anything smells like a carcass, it's your breath." Hermione waved her hand in front of her mouth and plugged her nose.

"Enough, Hermione, I thought you were old enough to know not to hit people. Hermione looked at her feet as McGonagall scolded her. "Here are your schedules. Your first class begins at 9:00." McGonagall handed slips of paper to everyone and headed on down the row of tables.

"Yeah Hermione," George said when McGonagall was gone. "Aren't you too old to be hitting boys?"

"Shut." Hermione began

"Aw man, potions first, and with the Slytherins!" Ron said, slamming his hand down on the table.

"At least we don't have Snape." Harry said.

"Yeah ." Ron still looked a bit angry.

"Well we better get going. We have to get our things from the room and it's a long walk to the dungeons. We don't want to be late." Everyone stared at Hermione. "Hurry up! It is already 8:00!"

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