The New Term Begins

Once the Express pulled out of the King's Cross station, the ride to Hogwarts was pretty uneventful. As they headed north, the scenery became wilder, and darker as clouds thickened. The promise of a particularly nasty highland winter.

"Don't!", Ron said as Hermione was unlatching the cat carrier.

"It's not fair to keep him cooped up!", she complained, as the carrier was just barely large enough for Crookshanks.

"But, Scabbers!"

"He's sound asleep in your pocket. Didn't you tell us that he spends most of his time sleeping? Nothing's gonna happen; you worry too much".

"There you go", Hermione said to her cat. As soon as the lid was up, Crookshanks leaped out, looked around, then jumped into Ron's lap.

"Get away!", he shouted as he roughly pushed him to the floor.

"Ron! Be nice!", Hermione ordered.

"Tell him that!"

"Ron, we're not gonna let anything happen to your rat. There's three of us and one of him", Harry pointed out.

"See? No problem", Harry said as Crookshanks leaped onto a vacant seat, turned around a couple of times before settling down.

"I still don't like his looks", Ron complained.

Crookshanks kept his yellow eyes on the bulge of Ron's robe.

"How can he sleep like that?", Ron pointed to Lupin.

"Probably does a lot of traveling", Harry pointed out. "The salesmen for Gruennings grab shut-eye on planes and trains. Uncle Vernon told me once".

The conversation turned to the Hogsmeade weekends.

"You know much about Hogsmeade?", Hermione asked. "I heard that it's the only all-magical village in Britain".

"Yeah, I think so", Ron said with casual indifference. "I don't care about that, all I want to do is get inside Honeyduke's".

"What's Honeydukes?', she asked.

"It's this sweet shop where they have everything – and I mean everything. They have Pepper Imps that make you smoke at the mouth. Chocoballs stuffed with strawberry mouse and clotted cream. They have these really excellent Sugar Quills. You suck on 'em in class while you're looking like you're trying to think of what to write next…"

"Hogsmeade is a very interesting place, isn't it? According to Sites of Historical Sorcery the inn was the headquarters during the Goblin Rebellion of 1612. The Shrieking Shack is supposed to be the most haunted house in all of Britain…"

"… And massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking on them…"

It was obvious that Ron wasn't hearing a word of what Hermione was saying, nor did he care about anything past his stomach.

"Sounds fascinating", Harry said, "you'll have to tell me all about it…"

"Hell're you talking about?", Ron asked.

"With all this business about Black, do you think Dumbledore's gonna let me go?"

"You have your permission, don't you?"

"Of course I do, and you can wipe your ass with it because that's all it's good for now. Look at how Fudge was fussing all over me? Or how much like a mother hen Arthur was the whole time we were in the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley? Dumbledore will just give me another one of those grandfatherly talks, as he orders me to stay in the castle".

"You don't know that", Hermione objected, "besides, the aurors may very well have captured him by the time the Weekend rolls around".

"Ask Fred and George, I'd bet they know every secret passage in and out of Hogwarts…"

"Ron!", Hermione interrupted. "If the Professor says Harry can't go, then it's because it's too dangerous, and Harry mustn't sneak out!"

"Stop being such an officious bitch…"

"Would you keep it down?", Harry headed off the argument, "Mr. Lupin…"

The only difference is that Lupin turned his head the other way, and snorted.

"It's not like Harry'll be alone", Ron continued his objection, "he'll be with us so Black be a fool to try anything".

"Don't talk rubbish", Hermione said. "Black blew up a gas main, killed over a dozen people, and in broad daylight. If he'd go that far, do you really think a couple of kid wizards will stop him?"

At 1:00, the food trolly lady began her rounds. When she got to their compartment…

"Maybe I should wake him?", Hermione said.

"Looks like he could use a few good meals", Ron agreed.

"Mr Lupin", Hermione said, "would you like something?", she said as she leaned over him.

He slept on, totally oblivious. Harry took a stack of Cauldron Cakes.

"If he's hungry when he wakes up, I'll be up front", the trolly lady said.

Harry passed Hermione a Cauldron Cake.

"You don't suppose he croaked on us?", Ron asked.

"No, he's breathing", Hermione said.

Remus Lupin wasn't much so far as company, but he still proved useful. By mid-afternoon, shortly after the rain started, there were footfalls out in the corridor. Three of their least favourite students decided to drop by. Draco Malfoy and his bookends, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. The only purpose these two seemed to have in life was doing Malfoy's bidding.

Malfoy, platinum blonde with a pale, pointed face and an ever present sneer was in Slytherin. He played Seeker for Team Slytherin, the same position Harry played for Team Gryffindor.

Crabbe and Goyle were thick and muscley, Crabbe being the taller of the bookends with a bowlcut and thick neck. Goyle had bristly hair and long, gorilla-ish arms.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?", Malfoy said as he pulled open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel". Crabbe and Goyle both chuckled.

Ron stood up, and so did Harry, in case he needed to break up a fight.

"Heard your old man came into some gold, Weasley", Draco sneered at Ron. "Did your mother drop dead from the shock?"

Lupin gave a snort, and Draco took a half step back.

"Who's that?", he asked.

"New Professor", Harry informed him, "you were saying?"

Malfoy wasn't stupid enough to start something with a Professor as a possible witness.

"C'mon, let's get back", Draco, Crabbe and Goyle took their leave.

"I swear by Merlin", Ron raged on, "I'm through taking Malfoy's shit. He says another word about my family, and I'll…". He made a gesture like snapping an imaginary neck.

"Ron! Be careful", Hermione had to remind him that there was a potential witness to what Ron just threatened.

They were interrupted by a muffled whistling coming from somewhere. Crookshanks' ears went up, and Scabbers squirmed in Ron's pocket. They looked all around…

"I think it's coming from your trunk", Ron told Harry.

He opened the trunk and the sound increased in volume. Harry searched briefly before producing his Sneak-o-scope. It was spinning rapidly in his hand, giving off flashes of light.

"Is that a Sneak-o-scope?", Hermione asked. "I've heard of them…"

"Bill said it wasn't a very good one. Better put it away…"

Harry dug out the thickest sock he could find before returning the Sneak-o-scope to his trunk.

"Maybe get it looked at at Dervish and Banges, they deal in such things, magical instruments and stuff like that. Fred and George told me", Ron explained.

The rain came down so hard, and the sky so dark, that the lamps lit. The train seemed to be slowing down.

"Good, we're there! I'm famished!", Ron announced.

"Can't be", Hermione said as she checked her watch. "It's too soon".

"Then what? We break down?", Ron asked.

"Dunnow", Harry said.

As the train slowed, the sound of the pistons dying away, the rain pounding on the window and roof sounded louder than ever. The Express jolted to a stop to the sound of couplings banging. As suddenly as the lamps came on, they went out. The compartment became unexpectedly dark, too dark for a late afternoon, even during a storm.

"OW! DAMMIT! Ron: that was my foot!", Hermione complained.

There was a squeaking noise, and Harry spotted the outline of Ron as he used a sleeve to wipe the condensation from the window.

"Something moving out there", he announced. He looked closer: "Looks like we're taking on more passengers? Out here, in the middle of nowhere?"

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell over Harry's legs.

"OWWWW!"

Harry reached down and pulled someone up by his cloak.

"Hullow, Neville"

"OW… Sorry… D'you know what's goin' on?"

"Not a clue…"

There was a hiss and squeal of pain as Neville tried sitting on Crookshanks.

"I'm going to see the Conductor", Hermione's voice.

Harry felt her squeeze around him, the door opened, and there were two more squeals of pain.

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What're you doing…"

"I was looking for Ron".

"Come in and sit down"

"Not here! I'm here!", Harry complained.

"QUIIII-ET!", came a hoarse voice.

Lupin had finally awakened. He was doing something in his corner. There was a click, and the compartment flooded with light. Lupin was holding a high intensity flashlight, his face looking tired and gray, but the eyes alert and wary.

"Everyone: stay here and do not leave", he said with that hoarse wake-up voice. "I'll see the Conductor"

Just before he opened the door, the door opened to reveal a figure wearing black robes. It towered to the ceiling, face entirely hidden beneath its hood. Harry glanced down and what he saw made his stomach clench. There was a hand, but it was glistening, gray, slimy and scabbed, like something that died and decayed under water. The hand was visible for a second or two, as it pulled the hand under the cloak as soon as it noticed Harry's noticing.

Next, this creature, whatever it was, took a long, slow, rattling breathe. As it did so, everyone felt an intense cold. A cold that went more than skin deep. Harry felt his breath catch in his chest, the cold was in his chest, in his very heart.

His eyes rolled up, and he couldn't see. He felt as though he was drowning in cold and dark. There was a rushing in his ears, like the sound of running water. He felt as though he were being pulled under, the sound becoming louder. Then he heard screaming, screams of pure terror and pleading. He wanted to help, but as he tried moving his arms, he couldn't. He was surrounded by a thick, white fog that swirled all around him… in and through him.

"Harry! Harry! HARRY!" the next thing he knew, someone was slapping his face. "Are you all right?!"

"Huh… whu…"

He opened his eyes, the lamps were alight. He could feel the vibrations through the floor, so he knew the train was on the move. Apparently, he had fallen out of his seat, and was now flat on his back on the floor.

Ron and Ginny were over him: "You OK?", Ron asked. Neville and Lupin were above Ron and Ginny.

"Yeah, I'm all right".

"You sure?", Ginny asked.

Ron and Neville helped him up. He felt sick, and knew he had cold sweats. The last time he felt so bad was after a nasty flu a few years back.

"What happened? Where's that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed", Ron said.

"I heard screaming", Harry insisted.

"No one was screaming", Ron insisted again.

A loud snap got their attention. Lupin was breaking pieces from a large chocolate bar, and was handing them out. He gave Harry an especially big piece.

"Eat it, it will make you feel better", Lupin advised.

Harry took the offering, but didn't eat it right away.

"What the fu… what was that thing?", Harry asked instead.

"A dementor: one of the dementors from Azkaban. Now everyone: eat up. I'm going to see the Conductor"

As he was leaving: "The most irresponsible…", his self-complaining under his breathe faded down the corridor.

"Are you OK?", Ginny asked.

"I don't get it", Harry said, as he mopped sweat from his brow, "What happened?"

"Well, that thing, the dementor was looking all around. At least that's what I think he was doing as I couldn't see his eyes or face. And then, you looked like you were having a fit or something. You stiffened, slid out of your seat onto the floor. You were twitching", Ginny described what she saw.

"Then Lupin stepped over you, and up to the dementor", Ron took over. "He said: 'None of us are hiding Black under our robes, so go away'. Either it didn't hear, or was ignoring him. That's when Lupin took out his wand, said something I couldn't hear clearly, then something silvery shot from the tip of his wand. The dementor took off, seemed frightened by what Lupin did, and sort of glided away".

"It was… horrible!", Neville said in a higher than his usual voice. "You notice how cold it got when it stood there?"

"I felt strange", Ron agreed, "like I'd never be happy again".

Hermione was huddled in the corner, looking every bit as bad as Harry felt. She let out a small sob. Ginny went to her, wrapped an arm around her: "It's over now. You'll be OK".

Harry was beginning to feel disappointed in himself for going all to pieces like that when no one with him did, or passed out.

Lupin was back, he looked around.

"I haven't poisoned that chocolate", he said to Harry, who finally took a bite. To his surprise, he began to feel much improved. The warmth was spreading to his fingers and toes.

"We'll be at Hogsmeade Station in ten minutes", he announced.

"Better, Harry?", he asked.

"Much, thanks for the chocolate"

There was no conversation for the rest of the trip. As Lupin said, the train was pulling to a stop within ten minutes. It was still raining heavily, and cold. Everyone scrambled to get off the train, and onto the platform.

"Firsties ober here! Firsties ober here!", they saw Hagrid at the edge of the platform.

They waved to him, and he waved back. There was no chance for conversation now as Hagrid was preparing to take the first year students to Hogwarts in the small boats.

Poor firsties were going to be soaked by the time they arrived. The upperclassmen would be taking the carriages. These were horse drawn carriages, but self propelled: no horses between the traces. Like the boats the firsties took across the lake: no sails, motors, or oars. They just took off, skimming the surface of Black Lake.

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny claimed a carriage. When the carriages were all occupied, they set off for the castle. As Hogwarts came into view, Hermione leaned out the window to get a better look at what looked like a fairy tale castle with its towers and turrets. The bay windows filled with light.

As the carriage approached the magnificent wrought iron gates, supported by stone columns, each topped with a statue of a winged boar, Harry spotted two more dementors standing guard. The cold sickness threatened again, so he closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat until the carriage was through the gate. The carriage picked up speed as it climbed the sloping, winding drive to the main doors.

Ron, Ginny and Hermione were the first ones out. As Harry was exiting, his ears were assaulted by that annoying drawl.

"You fainted Potter?", Malfoy taunted in glee.

He elbowed his way past the other three: "Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted? Leave it to a Chickendor to be the only one to faint!"

(Mental note #1: Tell Longbottom to keep his yap shut, especially around Malfoy)

"Fuck off, Malfoy", Ron told him.

"Did you faint too, Weasley? Did the scary old dementor frighten you too?", he asked loudly enough to be overheard.

"Is there a problem?", Lupin was arriving.

He looked him up and down, noticing the shabby robes: "No, no problems at all… Professor", he sneered. He smirked to Crabbe and Goyle and led the way up the stairs and through the oak doors into the main entrance. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione followed on, and into the Great Hall. Harry didn't bother to have a look at the enchanted ceiling because he knew what was up there: lots of clouds and lots of dark. No sooner had they entered the Great Hall:

"Potter! Weasley! I want to see the both of you!"

Surprised, they looked around. Professor McGonagall, Headmistress, Transfiguration professor, and Faculty Advisor to House Gryffindor was waving to get their attention.

Ron and Harry exchanged glances. McGonagall always looked stern, with her hair always done in a tight bun, sharp eyes framed with rectangular spectacles, wearing Scottish tartan. Harry and Ron made their way through the crowd. Harry, with a feeling of foreboding, as McGonagall had a way of making him feel guilty even when he did no wrong.

"Wrong Weasley", she said to Ron, "I meant your sister, Ginerva".

"I'll get her", Ron said with relief.

"There's no need to look like that, Mr Potter, you aren't in any trouble. I just want a word in my office".

She ushered Harry and Ginny from the hall, up the marble stairs, down a corridor to her office: a smallish room with a large, welcoming fire. She motioned the two to take seats before her desk, while she took her place behind it. She got right to the point.

"Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead saying you took ill on the Express?"

(Mental Note #2: Tell Lupin to mind his own business.)

"It was nothing, really", Harry said.

There was a soft knock at the door, and the school Healer, Madam Ponphrey, came bustling in.

"You again", she said to Harry. "You haven't been doing anything dangerous, have you?", she asked as she began her examination. She brushed back his hair.

"It was a dementor, Poppy", McGonagall explained.

Pomphrey gave a cluck of disapproval. "Dementors have no business at a school.

"Definitely clammy", she diagnosed. "Setting dementors around a school".

McGonagall gave a nod of approval.

"Nasty creatures. Mr Potter may have been the first, but he won't be the last. We'll be seeing more students fainting. Dementors have a dreadful effect, especially on the delicate…"

"I am not delicate!", Harry protested.

"No, of course you're not", Poppy dismissed with that medical professional voice that said I know what's best for you better than you do. She was taking his pulse.

"So what does he need?", McGonagall asked with genuine concern. "Bed rest? Perhaps an overnight stay in the infirmary?"

"I'm fine!", Harry insisted. The thought of what Malfoy would say if he was confined to the infirmary made him sicker than any dementor.

"He should have some chocolate, at the very least", Pomphrey suggested.

"I've already had some. Professor Lupin gave all of us some".

"Did he now?", Pomphrey said with approval. "Finally: a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who knows his remedies".

"Are you absolutely sure you feel well?", McGonagall asked.

"Yes! I'm 100% sure I'm fine!"

"Very well, Potter, you can wait outside in the hall while I discuss Miss Weasley's advance credits, then we can go to the Great Hall together".

Harry followed Pomphrey out of the office. He leaned against the wall as Pomphrey set off to the infirmary, muttering to herself. Harry had to wait only a few minutes until Ginny, looking especially pleased about something, and McGonagall left. They all headed to the Great Hall. The students were seated at their respective house tables. Professor Flitwick, a wizard no taller than the firsties was carrying off a stool and an old hat.

"We missed the sorting", Ginny said with disappointment.

Professor McGonagall set off for the staff table, and her place there. Ginny and Harry slid along the wall to the Gryffindor table. He noticed a few students pointing his way. Was the rumour mill already at work, spreading the news of his fainting on the Express?

They sat at the Gryffindor table, on either side of Ron who'd saved these places for them.

"What was that all about?", Ron asked.

Harry started to explain, but broke off. Professor Dumbledore stood and was headed for the bronze podium in the shape of an owl with outstretched wings. Even though Dumbledore had seen 90 come and go, he gave the impression of a man decades younger. He stood ram rod straight. He was wearing his midnight blue dress robes decorated with stars and crescent moons – a stereotypical wizard's outfit. His silver beard reached to belt buckle length, the end held tight with a golden ring. He wore half moon glasses on a very crooked nose. It was widely claimed that he was the greatest wizard of the century. However, that wasn't why Harry respected him so. You couldn't help but to like and trust Albus Dumbledore. He couldn't blame himself for falling into that trap, as had so many. He was very good at fooling people.

"Welcome!", he called out. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I will dispense with the usual welcome speech. I have something of critical importance to tell you, and I want your undivided attention before we're all befuddled after another wonderful welcome feast".

He paused, cleared his throat: "As you are all undoubtedly aware, after their search of the Express, Hogwarts will be playing host to a contingent of dementors from Azkaban. They are here on Ministry of Magick business…"

He paused again, and Harry recalled Arthur's telling him that Dumbledore didn't approve.

"They are stationed at all entrances to the campus, and will be patrolling the Perimeter. I can't express enough that no one is to leave the grounds without permission. Dementors are not fooled by Disillusion Charms, Notice Me Not Charms… or invisibility cloaks…"

Did Dumbledore flash a knowing look Harry's way?

"Dementors aren't the forgiving types, don't accept excuses, and have no better natures to which to appeal. I stress again, you do not want dementors taking an interest in you. People who make themselves interesting to dementors usually come to a very bad end. Do not delude yourselves that your youth will offer any protection. They neither know the difference between children and adults nor do they care. It will be best if you stay well clear of them. I'm counting on our Prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl…"

Upon hearing that, Percy, a few seats over, puffed out his chest to better show off his Head Boy badge.

"… To watch over our students, to make sure no one runs afoul of the dementors. It's more responsibility than I would expect under normal circumstances, and for that, I apologize.

"Now onto happier news. Would you extend a warm Hogwarts welcome to two new additions to our faculty. First, Professor Remus Lupin has kindly accepted the Defense Against the Dark Arts professorship".

There was some polite applause, but the only ones who clapped with any genuine enthusiasm were his compartment companions. Lupin looked especially shabby, sitting at the faculty table with the others in their best dress robes.

"Look at Snape", Ron whispered.

Professor Snape was gripping his goblet so hard his knuckles had gone white.

"He always wanted to teach DADA", Ron said. The look on Snape's face wasn't jealousy, but pure hatred.

"As for our second appointment", Dumbledore continued after the applause for Lupin faded away. "I regret to inform you that Professor Kettleburn has opted for retirement. It would seem that he wants to spend quality time with his remaining limbs. At the same time, I am pleased to present you with our new Care of Magical Creatures Professor… our own Rubius Hagrid who has taken on these new duties in addition to his Gamekeeper duties…"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances, then began clapping most enthusiastically, as did the students from other houses, but none so much as the Gryffindors, and especially the Golden Trio, whose applause were the last to be heard.

"Should'a known!", Ron called out as he banged the table. "Who else would assign a biting book?"

("In addition to Gamekeeper duties. Old cocksucker's too cheap to hire a new Gamekeeper. Does a pay raise come with that?" Harry kept that to himself.)

Hagrid went ruby red in the face. He looked down at his huge hands, his ear-to-ear grin hidden underneath his scraggly black beard. He wiped his eyes on the table cloth.

"I think that covers everything", Dumbledore wound up his speech, "let the feast begin!"

The golden platters filled with food; the goblets with drink. Harry, suddenly feeling ravenous, helped himself to as bit of everything he could reach. The Great Hall was soon filed with the clatter of knives and forks, and conversation and laughter.

It was another excellent feast, but Harry, Hermione, and Ron wanted to get it over with as soon as possible since they all wanted a word with Hagrid. They all knew how much this professorship would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't fully qualified, as a wizard, and certainly not as a Professor. Not officially, at least. He had been expelled from Hogwarts during his third year for an offense he hadn't committed. His wand snapped, and forbidden to continue his magical education, he had been the Gamekeeper ever since. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had cleared his name last year.

As for academic qualifications, what did a piece of paper really mean? There was no one who got along with "critters", who never met a "critter" he didn't like, better than Hagrid. Few people would consider making pets out of man-eating spiders and massive, three-headed dogs. Or think that hatching illegal dragon eggs and raising a dragon in a wood cabin was a good idea.

Once the last of the pumpkin tart was magically cleaned from the platters, they got their chance.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!", Hermione squealed as they ran up to the faculty dais.

"Awl down ter ye three", Hagrid wiped his face with his napkin. It's what I allays wan'ed", he said as he wiped his face again. He looked up: "Great man, Dunblederr… Lass spring, he come straight away to my cabin soon's he got word from Kettleburn he had enough. Offered me thuh P'fessorship straight off. 'Course I 'ccepted…"

He buried his face in his napkin, overcome with emotion, and McGonagall shooed them off. They joined the rest of the Gryffindors as they headed up the marble stairs, went up and up more stair cases, until they came to the hidden portal to the Gryffindor common room. A fat lady in a pink dress guarded the entrance.

"Coming through! Coming through!", it was Percy, shoving to the head of the line.

"Password", the fat lady requested.

"The new password is Fortuna major", Percy announced, and the painting swung aside to let everyone into the common room.

"Shit!", Neville thought to himself. He had trouble remembering the passwords, especially difficult ones. More than once, he had to sleep out in the hall when no Gryffindors happened by.

Suddenly sleepy, the boys and girls divided, each headed to their stairs to the dorms above.