Chapter 75
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The car was a simple sleek number, with enough room for about a dozen people if they actually looked inside, otherwise it looked like it could fit five people, six if they squeezed in. Sirius sat to one side of her, his arm swung over to lay near the headrests, and Remus sat on her other side with Emperor cuddled up in his lap. Rebekah just leaned into Sirius' side and tried to block out Molly's continuous chatter and complaining about how many people were going.
"Tell me again why I need a guard?" Rebekah asked, turning her head a little.
"Because a group of people are trying to kill you," Remus stated after rubbing a hand down Emperor's head and back, watching the feline stretch and shrink into a small cat to fully stretch out in his lap.
"And you know how paranoid Dumbledore is about you," Sirius shrugged, turning his head to take a peek outside. "Regardless of if you can look after yourself, he thinks it's better to be safer than sorry for the time beginning."
The car stopped outside the station and they all huddled into the building. Sirius and Remus made sure to keep Rebekah close by but she took no notice of them and the rest following them. They went through the barrier and found that most people would split as they walked towards the train.
Rebekah caught sight of her friends, raising a hand in greeting.
"That reminds me," Molly said sourly before suddenly turning to look Rebekah in the eyes. "I want you to sit with Ron and Hermione. It's the safest choice. You won't be exposed."
"Exposed? Exposed to what?" Rebekah scoffed, shaking her head. "We have a meeting in the Prefect carriage anyway, then they'll want us patrolling from time to time." Rebekah hugged Sirius and Remus, fist bumped Tonks before she took Emperor from Remus' arms. She quickly saluted everyone before she quickly stalked off towards her friends.
Strangely enough, Astoria Greengrass was now with them.
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"You two," Montague poked his head into the compartment after only a minute of being onboard, nodding to the members of the Quidditch in the group before waving a hand to the Prefects among them. "The Heads want all Prefects in the compartment in ten. Get changed before I have to come back, I'm informing the rest of the new Prefects."
Rebekah grumbled. "I just sat down, Montague!"
"Don't care. Get changed and get your ass moving."
"Alright," Rebekah said and gave Astoria a mock glare as she snickered. "I can give you detention, remember?"
She stopped snickering before she huffed.
When Montague caught sight of Rebekah less than five minutes later, he sighed, "Potter, where's your robe?"
Rebekah shrugged, "It's too hot."
She used a dark green scrunchie to pull her hair back as she walked the tiny corridor behind Draco and Montague. Someone passed her, too familiar and yet strange to see them here. Rebekah grabbed them by the arm, stopping the former Durmstrang student.
"Logan?" Rebekah said before she was encased in a hug by the slightly taller male. "What are you doing here?"
"Hello, Rebekah," He smiled his little dimple smile before letting her go. "Malfoy."
"Good to see you, Romanov," Draco said but gave him a pointed look. "Your father decided to finally send you to Hogwarts?"
"And all it took was the Dark Lord's return," He shook Draco's extended hand before turning to Rebekah again. "Nona is taking an Apprenticeship with Minerva McGonagall. Wants to become a teacher herself."
"Don't call him the Dark Lord, only his followers do," Rebekah quickly said before Draco had to hurry her up. She gestured down the way. "Right at the end you'll find my group. Stay with them. Tell 'em I told you where they were. I'll see you later— Draco, stop pulling!"
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"That was pointless of us patrolling the corridors," Rebekah said as the group, adding two, exited the train. "Looks like we'll have to split up. We can't fit nine people on one carriage."
"You take Romanov and my sister along with Draco," Daphne said quickly. "If you might want to inform them of how things are done."
Rebekah nodded as Daphne stalked away with the rest of the group. As Draco, Logan and Astoria climbed onto a carriage, Rebekah noticed who drew it closer.
Tatia leaned into Rebekah's touch as she stroked the Thestral's head, finding comfort in a familiar animal she hadn't seen in a while.
"What's she touching?" Astoria asked Draco, unsure of what Rebekah was doing.
"She's touching a Thestral," Logan stated as Rebekah climbed into the carriage also. Rebekah gave him a curious look but didn't ask how he knew. He shrugged. "My grandmother died a few years back. My family was there at her deathbed."
She hummed as the short journey began.
Within the time that it took for the journey to finish, Draco was able to explain how their group worked. They'd been friends since the first year, slowly adding people in. Rebekah trusted only those in the group, so the two newcomers shouldn't expect her to be loose with information. Information was shared with everyone, but Rebekah chose to keep some things secret because it was better in the long run. They trusted her on this because she had the better knowledge of what was to come.
Logan just swore under his breath. What did he get himself into?
Few years of mischief, lies, and trying to find the truth it seemed.
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As soon as they reached the castle, McGonagall had come and took Logan Romanov from the group.
Everyone else went to their respective dorms and quickly changed, getting into their uniforms as Draco and Rebekah waited for them in the hall. As soon as they got out and into the Common room, Snape called for them to stop.
"You may wish to show Mr Romanov to the Great Hall."
"He's a Slytherin?"
"Yes. Malfoy, he is only a few doors down from you. Please make sure that he finds his way. Potter, I want a word with you," Snape said unhappily.
"Someone's in trouble…" Draco nudged her in the side before letting the rest of the group walk on and he went back to the dorms.
Snape brought her into his private labs before putting silence spells up. He passed her the pouch that contained her Time Turner, letting her put the chain around her neck before hiding it.
"You will have to be careful this year,"
"Why?"
"Umbridge is here to keep an eye on any and all children that could be Death Eaters or related to them," Snape said, looking down at Rebekah as the Witch paced a little in thought. "She will be watching you as well. Minister Fudge believes, because of Hogwarts' lack of control in the ways of Defense against the Dark Arts, the likeliness of students turning to the Dark Arts is increased. She will be limiting the use of defense within the classroom."
"She'll be looking to me for guidance of who could be turning," She mumbled as she bit a nail in thought, pacing the length of the room. "Or she will try and guide me away from them, trying to keep me on the Ministry's side. Should I be concerned with my Time Travel?"
"I would believe not but it be best that you keep to two of yourselves at any moment," He said. "Now off to the feast. You needn't be late."
In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach!"
The four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffndor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Huffepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,"
Said Hufflepujf, "I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A House in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepujf she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the Houses and their founders
Retained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The Houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with dueling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the Houses been united
As they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I'm for,
But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,
Though I must fulfill my duty
And must quarter every year
Still I wonder whether sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within.
I have told you, I have warned you. . . .
Let the Sorting now begin."
"Hey Baron," Rebekah quickly said when she caught sight of the Slytherin Ghost. He floated over until he just hovered behind her, making her turn around to speak to him. "Is the Sorting Hat known to give warnings out over the years? 'Cause that song was not its usunal one."
"Yes," Bloody Baron nodded as McGonagall began the sorting of the first year students. "When it feels like the school is in danger, it will create a song to warn us. It did so after You-Know-Who came into power, and now again."
The feast began as soon as the students were sorted.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge smiled in a way that made their hair curl, "for those kind words of welcome. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"
"Is she being serious?" Tracey laughed quietly with a snort. "Rather deal with another imposter than her actually!"
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!" Clearing her throat, Umbridge began to sound like a dull hum as she recited the words. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young Witches and Wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of Magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"
Rebekah found the impulse to take her Black butterfly knife and just start carving things into the table, that would have been much more productive than listening to the speech the woman gave. Rebekah still listened with one ear but kept her other ear open to her group.
"What does most of that even mean?" Pansy asked.
"The Ministry is trying to weed out the undesirables," Rebekah shrugged as everyone had to clap when Umbridge finished her speech. "She'll be targeting the children of Death Eaters and anyone that could ruin the Ministry's reputation."
It took another ten minutes before they were dismissed.
"Get up," Draco kicked Rebekah in the shin under the table. "We have to show the First Years to the dorms."
"Right, do I have to?"
"You are not leaving me with the midgets!" Draco scowled, glancing towards the shortest of the students.
"Fine, fine," Rebekah stood from the table before talking to the end nearest the High Table. "Right. First years, follow us. See you later, guys."
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"Right," Rebekah had turned around so she faced the group of twenty First years diligently following her and Draco, continuing to walk but now backwards. "We're Fifth year Prefects, Rebekah Potter and Draco Malfoy. You have any problems with the older years, come get one of us or one of our friends. You'll always be able to find—"
"You're The Rebekah Potter?" One of the gasped, making all of the others whisper with shock.
"Don't interrupt me, ever," She snapped but exhaled a breath. "There's only one Rebekah Potter."
"And she'll fall down the stairs if she's not careful," Draco's snicker stopped as Rebekah turned back around at the very last step before the beginning of the stairs down to the dungeons. She shifted into her lioness form, making all of the First years gasp with shock again.
"She's an Animagus, resulting in her being able to shift between an animal form and her human," Draco said as he watched the students begin to walk down the stairs. Rebekah stopped before the wall that concealed the entrance, shifting back. "What's the password?"
"Serpentine King," Rebekah said, turning her head to look at the students. "Password changes weekly, check the board each friday and remember the password as it changes on Sunday nights."
The common room was just as it was in their own first year at Hogwarts. It was dark but warm with roaring fires scattered across the lengths. It had been permanently extended into the Black Lake, allowing a portion of it to be completely exposed to the waters around it.
As soon as Rebekah shifted again, Draco turned around. "Ladies, follow the lion to your dorms. Gents, follow me."
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