AN: Okay, first off, I am extremely sorry that this has taken so long to upload! Trying to balance sixth form, work, hanging with friends and doing homework and revision, I have been extremely busy, to the point where I've been sleeping very little to do all of the above. I am going to try and upload sooner next time, I can't promise they will be specific intervals between publishing parts, but I am going to try and make it more than once every three months. Also begging for me to update and telling me to hurry up isn't the best way to encourage me to upload sooner, it just makes me more stressed about uploading. Sorry.
Also I wrote these over two and a half years ago now, so they're not the best.
There has been a quick edit, but it won't be the greatest.
Please read and review
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, obviously.
Chapter Three George's Pov
At the station there was a woman collecting the first years instead of Hagrid and Harry looked unsure and worried as to why she was there. I was confused too. Hagrid couldn't have left could he? Or was he ill or something?
" Where do you expect Hagrid is?" Harry asked.
" Maybe he's not back from where Dumbledore sent him?" Hermione suggested.
" Yeah that'll be it." I said smiling.
Rattling and swaying, the carriages moved in a convoy up the road. When we passed the gates into Hogwarts grounds Harry leant forward as if trying to look for lights in Hagrid's cabin. The grounds however were in complete and utter darkness. Hogwarts loomed over us a towering structure with turrets.
The carriage pulled to a stop and we all climbed out and Harry looked at the front of the carriages again yet I still couldn't see them nor could anyone else but Luna. I squeezed his hand and we entered the castle. The entrance hall was lit up by candles and the warmth soaked over us as we entered.
We walked into the great hall and peered at the four house tables. Luna drifted away from us towards the Ravenclaw table and Harry waved at her before the rest of us sat down. I was in between Fred and Harry. Harry was looking up at the starless ceiling sort of dreaming.
I squeezed his hand and he shook his head slightly before smiling at me. Lavender, Parvati and Laura were talking and then they looked over at Harry before going back to whispering. When they looked over at Harry once more I gave them slight glares. They shrugged their shoulders and continued talking. Harry was plainly ignoring them.
" He's still not here." Harry whispered.
" Who?" I asked.
" Hagrid."
" He's still probably not back from his holidays." I said.
Harry looked at me nodding knowing I wasn't actually on about holidays and that he understood that Lavender, Laura and Parvati were listening in to our conversation closely. Harry was looking along the staff table and I could tell he was trying to guess who the new defence teacher was.
" Who's that?" He asked.
I looked to see where he was looking and saw a woman wearing full pink right down to a bow in her brown, short, curly hair. Her face had a sort of squished look to it like a toad and her eyes bulged out making her resemblance to a toad more clear.
" Her names Umbridge." Lee told us.
" How do you know that?"
" She works at the Ministry. Dad said she's a right old cow." He whispered.
" What she doing here then?"
" Maybe Fudge got her to be the new defence teacher." Harry said.
" Doesn't she just look like the best teacher here." Fred whispered snickering slightly.
All conversation stopped as Professor McGonagall came into the hall with a long line of scared looking first years behind her. Harry smiled reassuringly at a few and some smiled back and others started whispering amongst themselves and I heard them whispering his name and squeezed his hand slightly.
McGonagall placed the three legged stool on the stage and placed the old sorting hat on it. The hat was over one thousand years old and use to belong to Godric Gryffindor and every year the hat sorted the first years into house based on personality traits. The hats brim opened wide and the hat burst into song.
" 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 the common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the worlds 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 some day be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff 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,
Whos 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 Hufflepuff, 'I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same.'
Those 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 Hufflepuff, 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 duelling 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 were once 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 fulfil my duty
And must quarter each 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.
The hat then became motionless and people all looked confused.
" Branched out a bit hasn't it." Fred commented quietly.
" Too right." I agreed.
" I wonder whether its given warnings before?" Harry wondered.
" It has when it thinks the school is in danger." Hermione said.
" Where'd you read that?"
" Hogwarts a history."
" Oh I only mainly focused on Slytherin's chamber I'll read if fully at some point."
" Its good."
" Abercombie, Euan." McGonagall called.
" GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted and we clapped.
The sorting carried on and on so it seemed to take forever and I started at the plates wishing the food would just appear on it already. More clapping filled our table and I clapped as well knowing that there must have been a new Gryffindor even if I hadn't heard the name.
" Zeller, Rose." McGongall called.
" Hufflepuff!"
Dumbledore stood up and faced the crowds in the hall.
" To our newcomers, welcome. To our old hands- welcome back! There is a time for speech making yet this is not it. Tuck in!" He called.
There was applause as the golden plates filled with food and everyone tucked in. Fred and I dived in to pick what we wanted to eat and Harry just put some spaghetti bolognese and green beans on his plate as not many of us liked it so we never had it at home so he always had it when we came back.
" The hat has given warnings before when I have been here." Nick said.
" How does it know if it's a hat?" Lee asked.
" It lives in the headmasters office it probably picks things up." Harry said.
" Indeed." Nick agreed.
" And it wants all the houses to be friends?" Fred snorted.
" Now you shouldn't that attitude. Us ghosts or all friends. In spite of the rivalry of Gryffindor and Slytherin I am good friends with the Baron."
" Only because you're scared of him." I snorted.
" I beg your pardon!"
" Ignore him Nick." Harry said.
" Well I never I am not scared of him."
" We know your not." Harry reassured him.
" Humph."
" Sorry Nick." I said.
" That's better."
" Well now we have all eaten I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce. First years ought to know the forbidden forest is out of bounds and some of our older students would do well to know it too." Dumbledore said glancing at Fred, Lee, Harry, Hermione and myself and we exchanged slight grins.
" No magic in the corridors and we have two new changes in staffing. Professor Grubbly-Plank will take care of magical creature lessons. Also Professor Umbridge will take Defence. Try outs for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the-"
Professor Umbridge cut him off by standing up and giving a little hem, hem. Everyone turned to look at her surprised. No one cut Dumbledore off in the middle of a speech. It was unheard off. Dumbledore looked a little startled before he sat down and looked at her smiling pleasantly.
" Thank you Headmaster for those kind words of welcome. Well it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts I must say. And to see all those happy smiling faces looking up at me."
Harry turned around to look into at everyone with a raised eyebrow and I coughed covering a snicker. Harry leaned back against me and whispered something softly as she began speaking again.
" Ugh her voice I think there's a reason I'm gay." He whispered.
I coughed and this time Lee and Fred coughed as well to hide their laughs.
" I am sure we are going to be great friends."
" That's likely." Fred and I chorused.
Lavender, Laura and Parvati whispered something about her clothing.
" The Ministry of magic have always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts you have need to be tamed and learnt to be controlled. They must be polished by those who are here because of the noble art of teaching."
She nodded to all of the teachers and you could see McGonagall's nostrils were flaring which showed just how angry she was.
" Every headteacher has brought new things to this historic school. Some changes for the better and for some for the worse."
Fred and I began ignoring her and messing about with the cutlery while Harry and Hermione listened intently. Lee was messing about with Katie's hair and I noticed she was listening too. Umbridge did not seem aware of the lack of attention she was getting from the people in the hall. Near enough no one was listening. If a herd of flying unicorns entered wearing tutus and doing the conga could have broken in and she more than likely would not have noticed or stopped talking.
Hermione and Harry exchanged glances as she continued speaking. There were less and less people listening as time went by. Nearing the end of the speech only half of the prefects were listening and none of them were from Slytherin or Hufflepuff. When she finished and sat down there was scattered applause. Harry clapped once before turning away.
" What a whole load of crap." I commented.
" In there she said some important things." Harry told me.
" Like what?" Lee asked.
" Like progress for progress's sake must be discouraged." Hermione said.
" Or pruning wherever we find practices may be prohibited." Katie said.
" What does it mean?" I asked.
" The Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts." Harry told us.
" Let us depart!" Dumbledore cried.
There was a rush as people hurried to stand up. Harry gave me a kiss on the cheek as did Katie with Lee as Hermione joined them to lead the first years to the common rooms.
Harry's Pov
" First years gather around here please!" I cried.
All of them walked over.
" You're Harry Potter!" One cried.
" Er yeah."
" My Dad says your a liar." The same one cried.
" That's great." I said.
" My Mum says you're telling the truth your a hero."
" Thanks."
" Liar."
" Hero."
" Hey hey lets not argue. We're all Gryffindor's and if thinks I am a liar he can be entitled to his own opinion now shall we head to the common room?" I asked.
" Okay." They called.
" This way then." Katie cried.
" Is she your girlfriend?" One asked.
" No she's my friend Lees." I said.
" Is the girl with the frizzy hair?"
" No she's my friend Fred's or near enough." I said.
" This is the most direct path to the dormitories. I am Katie Bell by the way." She said smiling at them.
" I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione said.
" The dorms are guarded by the Fat Lady. She takes the password from you and swings forward and emits you. No password no entry." I said.
" What's the password?"
" Its Mimbulus Mimbletonia." I told them.
" Do any of you want to say it themselves?" Hermione asked.
A few put their hand up and went through first and the rest followed with us.
" Girls dormitories are at the top of the stairs at the left. Boys the same on your right. Your belongings will have already been brought up."
" Er sir?" One asked.
" Its just Harry." I said smiling.
" Harry? If we need to find you where will you be?"
" I will either be in the common room or great hall or in the seventh year dorms. If you can't find me then ask Hermione or Katie there are three other prefects as well in Gryffindor."
" Thank you."
" You're welcome."
She skipped off to her dorms and I smiled before bidding goodnight to Hermione. Katie walked up to the seventh year dorms clearly spending the night with Lee so I walked up with her. We walked in and she walked over to Lees bed where he was already asleep and then went and got changed in the toilets.
I slipped into some pyjamas and climbed into bed with George. He kissed my head slightly and wrapped his arms around me clearly half asleep. I smiled before snuggling down with him and falling asleep.
The next morning I woke up early and led some of the first years to breakfast as they had no idea where to go. I went and sat with Susan, Justin and Hannah at the Hufflepuff table as they had waved me over and I saw Nick nod at me and smile so I nodded back.
" Morning Harry." Hannah chirped.
" You're cheerful." I commented.
" I am because Martin Moon in Ravenclaw asked me out on a date!" She whisper cried to me eyes shining.
" That's great Hannah."
" He's dreamy." She whispered.
" Er..."
" Ignore her." Justin commented.
" Ah Mr Potter here's your timetable Professor McGongall gave it to me."
" Thank you Professor Sprout."
" Susan, Justin, Hannah here you are."
" Thanks Professor."
I looked down at the timetable and sighed. History of magic, double potions, charms and double defence.
" What have you got?" Justin asked.
" Same as you all day."
" Sounds interesting right." He commented sarcastically.
" I can barely reign in my enthusiasm."
I looked at my watch and saw it quarter past eight.
" Meet you near Hufflepuff at half eight I need to get my books."
" All right meet you there Harry."
I ran off and into the seventh years dorms and got my books from my trunk before proceeding on waking George and Fred up. Lee had woken up as had Katie but those two were snoring loudly.
" Oi wake up you have lessons in fourty five minutes." I said poking Fred.
" FOURTY FIVE MINUTES? MERLIN!"
" George?"
" I'm up. I'm up." He moaned.
I bid goodbye to the four of them before rushing off for Hufflepuff.
" Detention!" Someone called.
I turned around to see Professor Umbridge stood there.
" Me?"
" For running in the corridors." She said before walking off.
Bitch.
" There you are Harry what took you so long?" Justin asked.
" Umbridge stopped me."
" Come on."
We walked off to history of magic. The girls sauntered in fifteen minutes later just before the bell. We all took seats at the back and I took out the book and began reading ignoring what Binns was saying totally. Justin was doing the same. When I had read the whole thing we were looking over twice and remembered all the details I doodled on a piece of paper.
" What's that?" Justin asked.
" Huh?"
He took the paper from me and sniggered before passing it back.
" Nice." He commented.
I looked down at it and blushed. Harry and George Potter.
" I didn't notice what I was doing."
" That's clear." He snickered.
I whacked his shoulder lightly. I took the paper and hid it in my bag. I turned to look and saw what Justin was drawing.
" Says you."
He looked down and saw he was looking at and blushed as well. Justin and Susan Finch-Fletchley. He hid it too.
" Don't tell her."
" Ask her out."
" I will when I'm ready. What if she doesn't like me like that? It will ruin our friendship."
" I think she likes you."
" I'm not sure."
" Keep an eye on her and see how she reacts around you."
" Will do."
" You'll see."
" I don't know."
" Trust me."
" How are you and George?"
" Good."
" Any wedding plans yet?"
" Other than who's walking me down the isle and best men no."
" Lee and Fred best men."
" Yeah and Percy walking me down the isle. You can be bridesmaid Justin."
" Na I'm all right thanks."
" Shame."
" Funny."
" I don't even know if a gay marriage has bridesmaids." I commented.
" You can if you want." He commented.
" I might that's a lot though. Katie, Luna, Ginny, Angelina, Alicia, Hermione, Hannah and Susan."
" Just be glad that there's no more Weasley girls."
" Merlin I would have to have even more bridesmaids."
" Ha it'd be massive in the Guinness book of wizard records."
" Is there even one of them?" I asked.
" There should be there massive in the muggle world."
" Too right."
We walked to double potions together. We took seats near the back and Snape sneered as we came in and I was beyond glad we were with no Slytherins this year. Snape sneered at us before the potions instructions appeared on the board and we began to work.
" Potter!"
" Yes sir?"
" Your potion is too light in shade."
" Sorry sir."
" A zero."
I sighed before packing my things away as he vanished my potion. Justin looked over and whispered harsh to me and Snape looked over to me and glared and I looked down. When the lesson was over I rushed out with Justin behind me and we made our way to lunch.
I sat Hufflepuff knowing I would sit Gryffindor at tea. I ate a sandwich not being really hungry before we rushed off for Charms. We slid into our seats near the front and began working out the equations on the board.