Monday morning at breakfast the Heads of each of the houses handed out timetables, for the first two weeks, first year Muggle born witches and wizards would undergo orientation, where they learned about the wizarding world, they would then have Wizarding Studies, at the same time as the students from the wizarding culture would have Muggle Studies. All students would also have lessons in the political structure of the wizarding world, including the ranking of titles.
They were introduced to Professor Rosemary Thyme who was the new Potions Professor (of course Harry and his friends already knew her) and to Professors Granger & Granger the two Muggle Studies Professors, much to the surprise and delight of Hermione and her friends.
Due to a curse placed on the Defence Against the Dark Arts (DADA) position, which had caused that position to be vacated every year, the DMLE was supplying Aurors to fill that post on a yearly basis and this year Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt would be the DADA Professor. Next was Professor Augusta Longbottom, who would be teaching Magical Studies, and last and definitely not least, especially for the males present was a very beautiful part Veela, Dominique Després, who would be teaching History of Magic.
Harry and his friends would also continue to have private tutoring, in Martial Arts as well as Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. They would also continue studying silent and wandless magic, but as both Harry and Hermione were naturals at Occlumency and Legillimency they wouldn't need training in that, Neville and Luna on the other hand would be studying both. All four of them would also be undergoing Animagi training; the rest of their classes were shared with either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw.
After all the announcements were made, Harry and his group went and joined their other friends at the Gryffindor table where they were congratulated on the pranks they did on ex Professor Snape the previous year. They then started comparing their schedules and noticed that they had several classes with the twins.
Ron took exception to this, "how can you have classes with Fred and George, this is your first year here; you should be sharing classes with me. That's just not fair, I wanted you to be in my class," he whined.
Harry and his group looked at him in disbelief, "Ron," Hermione said, "you knew we were studying all last year, what do you think we were doing that for?"
Not that it did any good he just turned away in a huff and started shovelling food into his mouth again and didn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge her. His little dragon popped in just then and scolded him for over eating and promptly sat in the middle of his plate staring at him. At first Ron was annoyed at this but when the dragon started making little mewing sounds he couldn't help but smile at it and started scratching it's eye ridges.
"Ignore him Mione, he is just being a jealous prat."Harry said via their link.
Hermione leaned into Harry who put his arm around her giving her a squeeze; he then leaned in and kissed her on her cheek. She smiled at this and her hair started wrapping around his neck caressing him. Most of the students at the table were watching the way they were clinging to each other.
"Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend?" Parvati Patil leaned over and asked; while everyone was straining to hear their reply.
"That sounds like a good idea, Mione will you be my girlfriend?"Harry asked via there link.
"I'd like that, shall you answer or should I?"
"You answer."
Hermione smiled "Yes we are."
Harry then gave her a kiss on the cheek as if to confirm what Hermione had said.
oo00oo
Classes started the next day and went really well, the students were amazed at the difference the new Potions Professor made to that class, quite a number of students were undergoing remedial potions classes out of the years six and seven students, there wasn't one who was up to NEWT standard, so all students in those years who wanted to do NEWT potions, had to do the remedial class, the same was true of the OWL level students. This made a lot of extra work for Professor Thyme, but she was more than up for the task and by Christmas everyone had caught up to where they should be.
In the Muggle Studies class, Hermione's Parents were fast becoming a big hit as they took the students to the Muggle Cinema (paid for by the school) and to the shopping mall to buy Muggle clothing and games. They introduced them to TV and Computer Games, the school had purchased a house just outside the school where classes were taught and where they could do demonstrations. They also introduced all students to Anagrams and played games for house points. Of the first years, Draco Malfoy, was by far the best at this game and won no less than fifty points for Slytherin.
By far the favourite Professor in the school especially with the boys was Professor Dominique Després the History of Magic Professor, she was not only easy on the eyes and exuded the Veela allure but she was also very easy going, she had the students, male and female, eating out of her hand. She gave all the students in the school the same task to research, and 100 points would be awarded to the student who handed in the best assignment in each year level, there was no word limit, it just had to have all the facts laid out and supported by references. The subject of this assignment was one of the school's alumni, Tom Marvolo Riddle; it was explained that this exercise was to teach them how to research properly.
Two weeks later the whole school was gathered in the great hall for a joint History lesson and the awarding of house points. Professor Després stood to address the school, "I am quite impressed with the standard of the reports submitted to me over the last two weeks," she said, then proceeded to award the house points, proceeding from the seventh years on down, finally reaching the first years, "Now I have a submission here from Draco Malfoy, who is the winner for the first years and also the overall winner so he gets 100 points for year level and an extra 150 points for being the overall winner."
The first year Slytherin students burst out cheering and patted Draco on the back in congratulations, Draco himself looked rather smug at getting all those points.
Professor Després called for the attention of the school again and when they had quieted down she continued, projecting a copy of Draco's assignment on a screen she had conjured, she proceeded to explain why he had won, "As you can see, Draco went into a lot of detail about Mr Riddle, he has pointed out that his father was Tom Riddle Snr. who was a Muggle, he has also pointed out that his mother, Merope Gaunt was virtually a squib. He has included references showing where he got his information from; he goes right through young Tom's school days including the award for special services to the school. He showed how Merope's brother was the last heir of Slytherin and goes on to explain that the title of Heir of Slytherin stops there, as it is patriachal and can only be passed on through the male line and cannot be passed via a female. He does mention that if you went back far enough you might find a younger brother that had male descendants which it would pass through to get to the current generation." She looked around the hall to make sure that everyone was paying attention. "I did take some points off Baron Malfoy's assignment, due to him constantly referring to Tom Riddle as a Mudblood, as that is an offensive term and shouldn't be used in school. If he had said that some in the community would refer to him as a Mudblood, then that would have been acceptable, as he would only be stating fact. All things considered it is a masterful job by Baron Malfoy, congratulations a well deserved win." Professor Després deliberately left the name Tom Marvolo Riddle up on the screen.
Professor Emma Granger looked at the name on the screen and smirked, "I will give 100 points to whoever is the first to solve the anagram in Tom's name."
Draco wanting more attention and house points quickly slashed his wand across the name up on the screen, without really thinking what he was doing as it had become automatic to him, when he was finished he and the whole school were stunned to see before their eyes in bold letters, "I AM LORD VOLDEMORT" then he screamed "Lord Voldemort is a fucking Mudblood?" and collapsing into his seat in shock.
Professor Granger stood "100 points to Baron Malfoy for solving the Riddle that is Tom," she said grinning at what they had done, "and 20 points off for swearing."
oo00oo
Soon it was Halloween and everyone was looking forward to the celebration, being a Thursday they would normally have classes, but they were all allowed Thursday and Friday off so they could enjoy themselves, (truth be known the staff were more interested in having the Friday off, so they could get over their hangovers).
Even though it was the beginning of winter it was an unseasonably warm day and the students were making the most of it. The Awesome Foursome or as the other students had started calling them the Golden Four, were walking around by the lake, chatting with Ron and the Weasley twins, they noticed Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater walking towards them holding hands.
Percy noticed movement near the whomping willow "Snape!" he screamed while diving to push the group of youngsters out of the way, just as the ex-professor shouted "Avarda Kedavra". His action of diving caused Penelope to stumble and brought them both into the path of the green curse, which hit them, killing them instantly.
Ron and the twins collapsed onto their brother, crying inconsolably as they clung to him; Hermione and Luna were crying and clinging to Penelope, Hermione cradling the dead girls head in her lap; while Harry and Neville were trying to console their wives and Harry called out for someone to inform the headmaster of the tragedy.
It was a very subdued school that evening, the headmaster, delivered a speech about how two of their own had given their lives for their fellow students. Molly and Arthur Weasley came to the school and picked up Ron and the twins, and made arrangements for Percy's body to taken to the local undertaker and Penelope's parents came and removed her body from the school as well.
Amelia Bones the head of the DMLE, came and interviewed Harry and everyone that had witnessed what had happened, there were many people who saw that it was Severus Snape that sent the killing curse at the group, even Draco Malfoy gave evidence stating bluntly, that it was that Idiot Snape who tried to kill Harry Potter and the group that was with him, and if Percy hadn't pushed them out of the way they would have died instead.
The Daily Prophet the next morning carried headlines of the death of Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater at the hands of ex-Professor Severus Snape, stating that Harry and Hermione had obviously acted correctly in removing such a person from the school.
The following Tuesday there was quite a gathering at the funerals of both Percy and Penelope, not only were the Weasleys and Clearwaters there but Harry and Sirius, Hermione and her parents, Neville and his family and Luna and her father. There was also the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, plus of course the obligatory media and where the media is you will also find the Minister of Magic.
There were the usual speeches about how good they were and how tragic it is that their potential was cut short, Minister Fudge when his turn came, mentioned how brave they were in giving their lives to save fellow students and posthumously awarding them both the Order of Merlin third class.
A few weeks after the funeral Snape tried to get into the school again, only for Percy's ghost to start screaming "SNAPE...SNAPE...SNAPE" over and over again and racing up to him screaming in his face, While Penelope's ghost raced around the school whaling "Snape is back...Snape is back," and when Lucius Malfoy turned up for a meeting with the headmaster they started screaming "DEATH EATER...DEATH EATER!" at him and not stopping until he left, they were actually very good alarms. The rest of the time they could be seen walking around the school holding hands, they would also berate Ron about doing his homework, and tell the twins off for pranking.
Harry and the others noticed that the miniature dragons had started doing patrols around the grounds and over the Forbidden Forest, taking it in turns, seven dragons at a time day and night, doing a vigil protecting what they decided was their territory.
Like all things, people can only mourn for so long and then life takes back what is hers, things then get back to normal with the mundane everyday stuff taking over, there are times though when one is reminded of the departed and think of them again, especially when their ghosts haven't actually departed.
Even with all the distractions and drama that had been going on The Golden Four were progressing rapidly in their studies. They now had black belts in Jujitsu and had been training in the use of the sword, they all took to wearing them at all times, although they were disillusioned so as not to be seen. At the rate they were learning they would definitely be on track to sit their OWLs by the end of the school year.
Christmas came rather quickly and everyone went to their homes, they had decided to get together for Christmas dinner and exchange gifts at Keswick Manor, Hermione's home. It made very little difference to them that they were at different ends of Britain, as they were in constant contact via their links.
Christmas day at Hermione's was fantastic, the kids got heaps of presents and had a great deal of fun playing games and running around just being kids. Sirius brought his girlfriend, nurse Amanda Coldfingers which delighted Harry, who had gotten to like the young nurse when she looked after him while he was in hospital.
With all the Miniature Dragons flying around and the Fairies that turned up to adorn the tree and the rest of the house, the place looked great. Luna was having a wonderful time dancing with Neville, she really loved dancing and he was good at it, the lessons that his grandmother insisted they all have were paying off, Harry and Hermione were enjoying it as well. During school they had set aside every Friday night for dancing and enjoying themselves, often some of the professors would turn up as well and everyone would have a great time, with dancing and karaoke. Sirius and Amanda were doing the slow dances together, if you could call cuddling and swaying to the music dancing that is; still they were enjoying themselves.
Towards the end of the evening Sirius started to show signs of nerves, then after a particularly romantic song, he got down on one knee and presented her with an engagement ring, "I...I really love you Amanda, W...will you M...marry me?" he stuttered.
Her hands over her mouth and tears streaming down her face, she was too choked up with emotion to answer and she just stared at him in shock.
"Um you're killing me here," he mumbled, "please say yes."
That snapped her out of it, "YES, HELL YES!" she squealed. Everyone cheered and rushed to congratulate them.
oo00oo
Christmas wasn't very nice for Draco Malfoy; he had been stewing over what he had learned at school and on Boxing Day he challenged his father about Tom Riddle, "Father, why do you serve Tom Riddle," asked a very confused Draco, "you always told me that Mudbloods were beneath us."
Lucius slapped him hard across the face "Don't use that accursed name when referring to the Dark Lord!" he shouted. He then kicked him in the stomach, when he had fallen to the ground, "and don't you dare call him a Mudblood."
After Draco had gotten his breath back he stood, arms akimbo and stared furiously at his father, "You bastard, his mother was a squib and his father was a Muggle. What the fucking hell would you call him?" he asked in a low, cold and defiant voice.
"Crucio" his father screamed back at him.
Draco's mother, who had been alerted that something was wrong by all the shouting ran into the room, "Ossis Effergo, Stupefy." The first spell broke the bones in Lucius' arm, the second hurled a red light at him knocking him out; she then raced to her son, lifted him to his feet and apparated them both out of there.
They arrived at the Leaky Cauldron where she rented a room and wrote a letter to her cousin asking for his help, after sending it by owl she then waited anxiously for his reply.
oo00oo
A/N. Please review it's what keeps us going.
Raven Spotter