PART II

YEAR SIX

Chapter 22 September 1st

"Hurry up, you guys! The sorting's about to start and I don't want to miss Jessica!" Lavender cried. Harry, Ron and Hermione ran after her towards the Great Hall on the first day of the new school year, and they could hear the familiar voice of the sorting hat as it sung its annual song:

Though I'm old and ratty Do not think me batty Don't get your hair all in a flap For I am a thinking cap

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Lavender took their usual seats at the Gryffindor table, where they were greeted by their old friends. "How come you weren't on the train?" whispered Dean Thomas with confusion. Seamus Finnigan and Neville Longbottom sat on either side of him.

"Long story," Harry replied. "We'll tell you guys later in the common room."

You may belong to Gryffindor Where bravery is key Loyalty and kindness Produced great witches and wizards, you'll see.

"So how was your summer?" asked Seamus.

Harry, Ron and Hermione glanced at each other uncomfortably.

I have not failed yet And never will.

Ron sniggered. "It doesn't have to be modest." He watched as Professor McGonagall unrolled the parchment and began to call out the names of the new students. "Allan, Rowan!"

Lavender nudged Ron on the arm and pointed towards the crowd of first years. "What?" He asked.

"See that little girl with the blonde hair and glasses? Standing in the second row from the back?"

"Yeah-what about her?"

"That's Jessica!"

"Oh! Cool."

Eventually the name "Brown, Jessica!" was announced, and Lavender held her breath as she watched her little cousin climb up to the platform, her cheeks red with embarassment as she sat facing the rest of the school. The sorting hat was then placed on her head. "GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted a few moments later, and the entire Gryffindor table burst into cheers as Jessica happily skipped towards it.

"Hullo, Lavender!" Jessica squealed, throwing her arms around her cousin.

"Hi! Congratulations!" Lavender laughed. "Sit here-we've saved you a seat."

Jessica sat down and then noticed Harry, and her mouth fell open. "Holy cricket! I know who YOU are!" She gasped. "You're Harry Potter, aren't you?"

Harry nodded with a laugh. "Yes. And you must be Jessica."

"You can call me Jess. Do you really have the scar? Is it true what people say?"

Harry hesitated but then moved his bangs away from his eyes. Jessica frowned. "Oh-I thought you really were him."

"I am." Harry insisted.

"Well-where is the scar then?"

"We'll tell you later, Jess." Lavender promised.

"Clifford, Robert!" Professor McGonagall shouted and a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes stepped up to the stool. He ended up being another Gryffindor, and when the sorting ceremony ended, Professor Dumbledore stood to make his usual start-of-term announcement. "I wish he'd skip this and get straight to the food," Ron grumbled, glancing down at his empty golden plate and goblet. "I'm starving."

"Are you hungry, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"Sort of." Harry admitted. He hadn't felt properly hungry since his birthday party, and it worried him a little.

"I could eat a horse!" Jess giggled. "I didn't eat anything on the train because I was so nervous. I was talking to Peter Halway and he was telling me how we had to perform spells and how good we did was how we got into which house."

Lavender rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't have listened to him. It wasn't so bad, was it?"

Jess shook her head. Finally the food appeared and everyone began to eat. Harry, Ron and Hermione eventually wound up telling the story of the enchanter and Harry's near-death experience and they had all of their friends wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"You went all the way to Siberia?" Katie Bell cried. "Wasn't that dangerous?"

"We used a portkey of course," Ron told her.

"You would have never gotten me to do something like that in a million years!" Alicia Spinnet gasped.

Harry snorted. "Thanks, Alicia." He joked.

"Well-I mean...I um...I didn't mean it quite like that, Harry." She insisted. Ron was enjoying having an audience and he got so into telling the story that he was acting it out as well.

"Oh brother," scoffed Hermione.

Ron cried out when he felt someone clasp an enormous hand on his shoulder and he slowly turned around to see the enormous form of Hagrid standing behind him. "Hullo, Hagrid." He squeaked. "Did you want to hear the story of Hermione and I in Siberia?"

Hagrid chortled. "Already heard it three times, Ron." He joked.

"Oh."

"How are yeh feelin', Harry?" Hagrid asked.

"Better, Hagrid. Thanks." Harry replied, taking a bite of chicken-pot- pie.

"That's good teh hear. An' welcome back teh the rest of yeh." He smiled at the others. Then Hagrid went to join the Professors at the staff table so he could eat as well, and Harry turned back to Hermione. "It looks like Professor Lupin's back again," He whispered, nodding towards the staff table. Hermione glanced over her shoulder and smiled.

"This is the first time we've ever had a Professor stick around for two years in a row." She replied.

Harry suddenly sneezed loudly, holding a napkin to his nose just in time as he did so.

A few random "Bless you's" could be heard throughout the table.

"Thanks." Harry sniffed.

"So what are you allergic to exactly?" asked Katie as she stirred her lamb stew.

"Dust and pollen." Harry replied.

Hermione nodded. "Wow, I'm stuffed." She let out a small burp and excused herself with a giggle. Ron nearly choked on his pumpkin juice after she did that.

"How lady like," He snorted.

"Shuddup." Hermione snapped.

Jessican let out an enormous belch, causing Harry and Ron to jump and the other girls to burst into laughter. "What?" Jessica asked.

"Jess! I hate it when you do that!" Lavender cried through her laughter.

Jessica giggled. "You're laughing so you don't hate it that much!" She joked.

"Some cousin you have, Lavender!" Dean snorted. "You go, girl!"

"She also hates it when I do this," Jessica added. She turned to her cousin and raised her eyes so that she looked possessed and let out a meniacal burst of laughter.

"Stop THAT!" Lavender squealed.

"I'm sure you two are going to have a lot of fun this year," Harry teased.

"If I don't strangle her first," Lavender grumbled, going back to her food.

Jessica batted her eyelashes. "You LOVE me." She teased.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

The rest of dinner passed on uneventfully, and by the time Harry and the rest of his house arrived in the Gryffindor common room they were all ready to fall right into bed. Harry and Hermione said good night at the bottom of the stairs and shared a kiss before going their separate ways. "I'll meet you down here tomorrow morning," Hermione told Harry with a wave. He smiled and waved back before disappearing into the sixth-year dormitory room.