As Always I don't own these characters, I did this for fun only.

Chapter 5, New Faces

The train arrived at Hogwarts that night. As the students exited the train they first noted the twelve-man squad of French Aurors guarding the station. Twelve nations across Europe and the United States had committed their Auror forces to defeating Voldemort which was partially responsible for the ministry's success at keeping the Voldemort in Check. This meant that the trip to Hogwarts, or any form of travel across Wizarding Britain was a virtual United Nations convention. The trip took several hours longer than usual as the train had to pass through several checkpoints with quick searches en rout. The younger students were fascinated at seeing Aurors from several different nations, especially the Americans with whom they could communicate, and who were reputed to be the finest Auror force in the world.

Upon arrival, in addition to the French Aurors guarding the station, the seven story Hogwarts Castle stood in the distance, radiant specks of light emanating from its many windows. It seemed to be the only part of the surroundings that spoke of peace, safety, and security. To look upon it that night, one might have forgotten that there was a war currently being waged.

After exiting the train into the cool September air, Harry first heard his call of his old friend Hagrid to the first-year students to follow him to the lake, by which they would arrive at the castle for the first time. The other students, not wanting to stand in the vicinity of the apparently unfriendly and uptight French Aurors, made their way quickly to the carriages which would take them to the school.

Upon arrival at the school, the students were herded into the great hall in which they took their seats at the tables of their respective houses. Sitting at the center of the head-table was Professor McGonagall who had replaced Dumbledore as head. Sitting to her right and left were the other faculty members including five new teachers whom the students did not recognize, except for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, who had already met one of them.

As they entered the great hall, to their dismay, sitting idly at the head table behind an empty plate was the middle-aged Christian Minister Harry had met in the night-club and the others had met at the Leaky Cauldron. The minister was smiling, conversing with the gentleman to his right who had a long beard and was wearing grey robes and a yamakuh.

"What's he doing here?" Ron Asked.

"I told you, he's probably teaching," Hermione replied. "Though this is definitely not good, we've already made a bad impression."

After all of the other students had settled into their seats, outside in the entrance hall awaiting entry into the great hall were the first years. Among whom was a group of three boys and one girl, each with red hair, who looked much too old to be attending Hogwarts for the first time. As a late Neville Longbottom scurried toward the great hall, the sight of the four over-aged new students caught him. His curiosity getting the better of him, he walked over to the one appearing to be the oldest; a tall gangly teenager, towering over the other first years by a good two feet.

"Aren't you four a little old to be first-years?" Neville asked.

"We're not first years," The tall boy replied in an American accent. "We're transfer students."

"From where?"

"Salem Witches Institute, Massachusetts," Said the girl who was with him, also in an American accent.

By their red hair and facial similarities, Neville could tell quite easily that they were related. He nodded, fascinated to be talking to a foreigner.

"You're Americans?"

"Yes," Said another one of the four, this one having a teenage goatee, much like the Christian minister's.

Neville extended his hand to the tall gangly American, who shook it firmly.

"Neville Longbottom," Neville began. "Seventh Year, pleased to meet you."

"Thanks, Theodore Ewls" Said the tall one appreciatively.

At that moment Hagrid, towering even above the tall transfer student approached Neville.

"Neville, what're yeh doin here, yeh should be in the great hall, we're ready ter get started."

"Sorry Hagrid."

Neville entered the great hall and quickly sat down at the Gryffindor table embarrassed at his lateness. Immediately as Neville was taking his seat, the Headmistress McGonagall took the center podium, accompanied by applause.

"May I have your attention please," McGonagall began. "As head-mistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you back to school. As most of you know, these are very grave days for Hogwarts, and for Wizardry in General, the Dark Lord and his death eaters are still free and the war continues. As England's primary training facility for new Wizards and Witches, Hogwarts will be a target, so we are instituting a rule of three. No student will be allowed to travel alone anywhere in the school for any reason, in a group of less than three.

"Also, this school could be closed at any moment if the threat is great enough, your parents have all been warned and should be ready to take you home at a moment's notice. There will also be periodic emergency attack drills for which you will be briefed in your respective houses and by your respective professors. Before we begin I would like to introduce our new staff-members; replacing Madam Pomprhey as the head of the hospital wing, joining us from Salem Witches Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Massachusetts, Healer Amanda Nicole Ewls,

A woman in clean white robes sitting next to the minister stood and bowed to a light applause, after a second she sat back down. Professor McGonagall continued…

"The new Head of the Slytherin House, and Professor of Potions, Professor Donald Harrington."

A man in green and black robes with dark hair and a short beard stood to heavy applause emanating from the Slytherin table, after which he politely sat down.

"Our New Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and head of the Gryffindor house, Professor Reginald Lovelace."

A fat, clean shaven man in brown and orange robes stood to thunderous applause emanating from the Gryffindor table. In midst of this applause, at the Gryffindor table, Hermione turned her attention away from the front of the room and spoke to Harry and Ron in a loud whisper.

"He is a good man," she said.

"Really?" Harry replied, his attention still fixed on the Christian minister, eagerly awaiting his introduction.

"He graduated top of his class ten years ago, last I heard he attended muggle university in political science or something like that at Oxford."

"Oxford?" Ron asked.

"One of the top muggle schools; for a wizard who had no muggle education, to test his way in is quite extraordinary."

The applause settled down, Professor McGonagall continued.

"And now a very special addition to our faculty; the Ministry of Magic has decided in the interests of improving the well-roundedness of Hogwarts' students to add a Philosophy and Religious Studies department to Hogwarts. Therefore, joining us from Salem Witches Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Massachusetts is our new Christian Chaplain, and Professor of Theology and Religious Studies; Graduate of the Salem Witches Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the American Muggle Schools: Lexington Theological Seminary, and Washington University's Graduate School of Philosophy, the Reverend Doctor Thomas Theodore Ewls."

The middle aged Christian minister stood with a polite smile on his face waving at the surprised but excited applause emanating from the crowd. After a second he returned to his seat. At the Gryffindor table, Ron, Hermione, and Harry sat in utter dismay.

"Unbelievable," Hermione said.

"Oh no," Harry added.

Professor McGonagall continued, "And our Jewish Chaplain, and professor of

Philosophy, Graduate of Catspaw School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in California, and Muggle Hebrew Union College's Institute of Jewish Religion, Rabbi Robert Matthew Lebowitz."

The man with the Yamakuh, grey robes, and large beard sitting next to Reverend Ewls stood and bowed to the crowd who gave a him similar applause as they had given to Reverend Ewls. After the applause died, Professor McGonagall directed that the first years were to enter the chamber. As usually happened, they entered with nervous, trembling looks of terror. Even the four older first-years from America were trembling. The Sorting hat, lying on a stool was brought in just in front of the podium behind which Professor McGonagall was standing; it entertained the crowd of students with a brand new song about the four-houses (as it does every year). The first-years were sorted into their respective houses as the hat was placed upon the heads of each of them in alphabetical order, shouting out the names of the houses into which the respective first-years would be sorted.

All four of the older American first-years were sorted into Gryffindor; they took their seats amid thunderous applause from those already sitting at the Gryffindor table. After the Sorting, Professor McGonagall made one last announcement.

"And now before we begin our feast, would our Chaplain's lead us in the prayers of their respective faiths."

At the head table, a friendly exchange proceeded between Rabbi Lebowitz and Reverend Ewls.

"Would you like to go first?" Asked Rabbi Lebowitz.

"Up to you my friend."

"Go ahead."

Reverend Ewls nodded in grateful resignation and stood. With a powerful, yet friendly voice he addressed the chamber.

"You may join me however you choose to pray, you may bow your heads, or look up to the heavens, or close your eyes, it makes no difference to me," Reverend Ewls began. "If you do not pray, however, I ask that you be respectful of those who do."

Reverend Ewls began by making the Eastern Orthodox sign of the cross, moving his right hand up first to his forehead, then down to his stomach, then to his right shoulder and across finally to his left, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever and to the Ages of Ages: Lord we come before you in this time of trials and tribulations for our school and for wizardry in general. We humbly ask that you would bless us and keep us and our families safe, that you would train us in the heavenly arts, rejecting those of the adversary, train us to yield ourselves to your will. Help us to love one another as Christ loved us. We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ our savior, who taught us to pray saying…"

Reverend Ewls began to recite the Lord's Prayer, as he did so sporadic students in the great hall including the four American students, along with several of the teachers: Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, and Healer Ewls, joined him, "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven, and give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever, Amen."

Reverend Ewls again made the Eastern Orthodox Sign of the Cross saying, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever and to the ages of ages, Amen."

The Jewish Rabbi gave a similar prayer omitting references to Jesus, the trinity and the Lord's Prayer. Following which, with a wave of her wand, Professor McGonagall summoned a huge feast which appeared out of nowhere on each of the respective tables.

The Four American first-years sat relatively close to Hermione, Ron, and Harry, as they, like everyone else dug in. There was, at first, an awkward silence at the Gryffindor table as the house had not, in recent history had American members. Though slowly but surely the Gryffindors around them began to introduce themselves to their new American members, who were indeed siblings; children of Reverend Ewls and Madam Pomphrey's replacement: Healer Amanda Ewls.

Hermione, who to her own disappointment had lost the coveted head girl position to a girl from Huffelpuff, was a seventh year prefect; the siblings, who immediately recognized this on the count of her badge, were quite apprehensive about speaking to her. Immediately after learning that they were the children of Reverend Ewls—whom he despised ever since the night-club incident—Harry found his pride interfering with any attempt to engage them in conversation. Harry therefore decided to not speak to them, they however, seemed to recognize him; the American girl, whose name was Rachel and was old enough to be a fifth-year kept smiling at him. Rachel Ewls' twin brother, Elliot, who kept his hair long rapped in a pony tail also gave Harry looks of admiration which were beginning to annoy Harry.

Theo Ewls, the oldest of the siblings and by far the tallest person at the Gryffindor Table—old enough to be a seventh-year—recognized Harry but did not pay him much heed. Rather he was engaged in a conversation with an admiring Colin Creevy, who was asking him loads of questions about wizardry school in America. In between this, he tried to avoid the glance of Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil who, every time he looked, smiled at him, their eyes dreamy and fixated on his long, dark-red hair.

Thaddeus Ewls—old enough to be a sixth year—who had the goatee, was the only one who wasn't speaking with anyone, but rather kept his nose in a bible. When Ron tried to speak to him, his response was polite and friendly but reserved and quite shy.

"What are you reading?" Ron began.

"Malachi"

"Er… so… what's it about."

"It's a post-exilic admonishment to the Jews to continue work on rebuilding the temple and a prediction of the one who will come to prepare the way of the Lord, aka John the Baptist," Tad said, his eyes not leaving the bible.

"Oh… I… er… see," Ron said.

Ginny, stifling her own shyness broke the ice by talking to Elliot, who was sitting directly across from her.

"So… er… where are you from in America?"

"Kentucky originally, but I like to think of Boston Massachusetts as home, you?"

"Ottery St. Catchpole."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to get you to show me that one on a map," Elliot replied in a voice of jest; Ginny laughed in reply. "Sorry, it's just that Britain seems so strange to me, I've never actually left the United States before."

"Really?"

"Nope, been all over the US though, California, New Mexico, New York, Missouri, Colorado's my favorite place to visit."

Ginny was excited to be discussing something with what was, to the Gryffindors, somewhat of a spectacle. At first she was nervous though Elliot's eyes caught her's for a moment and something about his eyes made her feel quite comfortable, normal, calm. He gave her a friendly smile which would continue throughout the course of their long conversation.

As the feast was drawing near to a close, Hermione finally broke in politely.

"Well, I just want to say welcome to Britain, and to Gryffindor."

"It's good to be here," Elliot replied. "We've heard a lot about Gryffindor, we're honored to be a part of it."

"It's a lot to live up to, hope you three are up to the challenge," Harry said, almost coldly.

"Are you Harry Potter?" Asked Rachel.

"Yes,"

"We've heard all about you, how you defeated Lord Voldemort as an infant, won the Tri-Wizard Cup, the youngest ever to do so, you're quite popular, even in America."

"Er… thanks."

"I take it Ms. Granger is the head prefect of this operation," Theo asked.

"You can call me Hermione if you'd like."

"Thanks," Theo replied. "It really does work different here, I was president of my fraternity my fifth and sixth years, that would be the equivalent to a house I guess."

"But American Fraternities are optional," Tad broke in, his eyes remaining on the bible which had now flipped to Matthew. "And it's not something you can do until your fourth year, Theo and Elliot are the only ones of us who are Greek."

"I've heard about it," said Ron. "Isn't it basically a mirror of what Muggle Universities do in America?"

"Basically but younger," Theo responded.

"Any Hazing?" Asked Neville, to which the four laughed.

"A little," said Elliot. "But its not difficult really."

"What fraternity were you with," Asked Ginny, her eyes were now fixed upon Elliot's whose gaze did not leave her's even as he answered Neville's question.

"Alpha Chi Delta," he replied, still staring directly into Ginny's eyes.

"Well there'll be no American 'Rowdiness' in our house," Hermione broke in.

The Four laughed at Hermione's comment. Hermione did not intend, at first, for it to be offensive; however, she wanted to take it back immediately after having spoken it. Luckily for her the four simply laughed without taking offense.

"Hermione you have nothing to worry about," Theo said. "Just as long as we get some time to practice our music.

"During breaks sure," Hermione replied. "Just don't make too much noise."

"What type of music to you play?" Asked Ginny, her eyes still connected with Elliot's.

"Just about anything really," Said Elliot whose eyes were still glued on Ginny's. "We love muggle music, Southern, and classic rock-and-roll."

"Perhaps you could play for the house sometime?" Ginny asked hopefully.

Harry gave a sigh of displeasure at this idea; although he tried to hide it, it was clear to the Ewls siblings that he was not their greatest admirer.

"I have one more question," Hermione began. "Are you four Christians?"

"Absolutely," Came Thaddeus, his eyes no longer on the bible but staring directly into Hermione's with a gaze of powerful resolve.

Hermione returned his resolved look with one of her own, she still maintained her calm but it was clear that an argument was afoot as all four of the Ewls siblings were now staring at her, half expecting some sort of attack on their faith.

"I would appreciate it if you kept that to yourselves."

"I'm afraid we can't oblige you there," Theo retorted calmly.

"Excuse me," came Hermione taken back.

"It's our solemn duty as Christians to spread the gospel to any willing soul now we can…" started Elliot.

"I am the head prefect of this house, you are under my authority and you will obey my rules," Hermione interrupted.

"A thousand pardons Hermione, but your rules are arbitrary," Elliot said forcefully.

"Excuse me," Hermione retorted, now quite offended.

"You heard him," Rachel Ewls added powerfully.

"It's a fair rule," Harry jumped in. "She's not telling you not to believe in your religion, just don't rub it in our faces."

"On the contrary," Began Theo. "I don't think it's a fair rule at all, and it's

nowhere in the school or house rules for any of the four houses to suggest that you can arbitrarily tell us that we cannot practice missionary work, one of the most sacred practices of our faith. It would be like suggesting that you can arbitrarily tell us that we have to put bubblegum in our hair every second Thursday, the rule is arbitrary and yes I call it unfair."

"Hermione, I think they have a fair point why not…" Ginny began.

"No! what gives them the right to challenge my authority?"

"Your authority, as head prefect, is to govern the house based upon the rules set forth in the School and house charter," Began Rachel. "And to make any rule which aids in the enforcement of those rules currently in existence; making and enforcing rules beyond that is beyond the scope of your authority, and I'm sorry but we have the right not to recognize it, or to go to the school for a redress of grievances on this issue."

"In addition we only talk to people who are willing to hear what we have to say, if you don't want to listen just tell us," said Theo. "We won't be offended."

"See this is what I mean when I say 'American Rowdiness.'" Began Hermione. "no respect for authority at all."

"No, Not when one exceeds their mandates of authority," Said Theo. "And if you look through history, the English have been perfectly willing to do the same. In fact there's one Englishwoman in particular who didn't let the slavery house elves, the execution of one Hippogriff, or a defense against the dark arts teacher who wouldn't allow her to practice defensive magic stop her from doing what she thought was right."

"Oh yeah," broke in Thaddeus. "What was her name again."

"Hermione Granger." Said all four.

Hermione was shocked and offended. Her eyes gave off a powerful, frightening look of rage as she peered straight into Theo Ewls who appeared unaffected by this.

"This is outrageous, you are rude and arrogant, and I will not stand for it," She said. "If you mention one more word about this I'll give you detention."

Not only were the four siblings surprised at this action, the other Gryffindors were too apparently, as Ron of all people, attempted to reason with Hermione on the siblings' behalf. Hermione's response was not exactly cordial.

"Not another word Ron!"