"Harry, I will get us a seat at the Gryffindor table. For the time being, you go speak with Professor McGonagall and ask her for permission," Hermione insisted as she pushed him down the walkway to the castle.
"Ill be right back. I will see you in a bit," Harry huffed out as he started to get tired from running, as if his lungs were turning into gills.
Harry ran past all the first years only to see Hagrid, as always, standing with a lantern. This time was different, instead of the lantern having a white fire inside the cage; it now held a red flame, which engulfed the whole lantern itself. It didn't burn him though, that was the odd part. It reminded him of Fawkes. How Fawkes could choose whether or not the flames and embers would burn anything, or just appear as if it did.
Harry didn't want to confront Hagrid, he knew that if he did, Hagrid would surely start sobbing and he would never get to talk to McGonagall before the dinner started, so he raced past Hagrid, and straight to the Great Hall.
When Harry got there, he noticed that not just a few teachers where there, all of them where there. He walked up to the front to speak with Professor McGonagall and noticed that she was looking rather pale and skittish. As though her only protection was gone.
"I need to speak with you in private, please," Harry asked her nonchalantly.
"Yes Mr. Potter, I know why, Dumbledore has informed me that you would be here. And yes, you may speak with him," She replied.
Harry seemed dumbfounded, how could Dumbledore already have known he would be coming to speak with him? How could he have known, he was dead for crying out loud.
"But I must ask of this from you Potter. Wait until tonight, after hours," She jutted out quickly.
"Yes mam," Harry babbled.
"The password is the same as always. As you already know it," she said again, even faster than the last.
Harry sat down with Hermione and Ron, who had already met at the table while Harry was talking.
The sorting hat was the same as all times, except this time it said something that actually would come in handy, little did Harry know, but it was going to help him kill Voldemort.
The Sorting Hat talked about rivalry, and how it should not be dealt with in a vulgar manner, and that Slytherin and Ravenclaw had their differences, yet Ravenclaw still tried to make house unity with in all the houses. And that Rowena was the only school founder that had a name that meant something to the war.
The hat made some sort of letters in the air above itself and spelt out Rowena in big red letters, similar to what Tom Riddle did in Harry's second year. The hat then took the letters and mixed them up, only to spell a new two letter phrase: "One War."
Harry immediately knew that Voldemort would have thought of this and found humor in it, and absolutely would have had to make a Horcruxe with something from her.
Harry still had no idea of what the last Horcruxe could be though. He had to try harder than ever before to figure it out.
After the sorting of the new students, the food appeared on the tables, but instead of eating, Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided to take a walk down to the black lake. It was the only place that felt quiet at the moment. The only place they could get there minds off of things and just think.
They walked down to the lake and sat on the grass right under a tree on the edge of the water.
"Harry, when are you going to speak with Dumbledore? I think that since we are all in this together, we should all go," Ron said. "After all, I'm not risking my life for nothing."
"I asked McGonagall and she said that it was fine as long as we visit him after hours. So that way, no one can intrude on us while we are having secret conversations." Harry said. "That reminds me, I don't think I will continue with the D.A. because I don't think I will be around the school long enough to attend. Me looking for Horcruxes and all will affect my school time."
Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and placed it around her shoulders and hugged him tightly.
"Don't worry, it will get all sorted out after we speak with Dumbledore. Maybe he will have some useful hints as to the tasks set high for us," Hermione said lightly.
Harry looked out in the middle of the lake and then moved his glance to a sparkling star in the sky.
"Yes, this will be a year, that is totally different from the rest, it isn't just school anymore, it is the choice between, living and dying a horrible death, or standing up for that freedom to live and taking a risk of death at the same time," Harry said.
"This will either be one of the best of worst years in history," Harry said. "This could be the biggest life changing task that any of us have ever had to go through. But we would be fighting for a few very important things. We would fight for our own freedom, and right to live how we choose. We would be fighting for the world's freedom and right to live freely, whether they be muggles or whatever. We would be fighting for each other, and most importantly, to destroy evil as we know it."
"I know exactly what you mean Harry. Scary is what it all is." Ron said quietly. Then he put his hand in the middle of them. "I'm in."
Hermione put her fist on top of Ron's hand and said "I'm in too."
Harry followed the three of them by putting his hand on top of theirs and then joining them by having a group hug.
"We should go to see Dumbledore. I think the feast is over, and everyone should be in bed by now. We will have total privacy, with no interruptions." Hermione said.
"I know a shortcut through the greenery." Ron said. "I had to use it two years ago, when Fred and George started chasing me and threatening to beat my head in for pushing them into the lake."