Author's Note:

In light of the fact that sometimes there's glitches with the site, and story alerts don't go out, I've created a Yahoo group that I hope you will join. I'll be keeping members abreast of anything going in with my stories, and if there are long delays – why. Or, if you have questions/ideas about the plot lines, they can be discussed as well.

You can find the group at: http // groups . yahoo . com / group / mysticsong / (just be sure to take the spaces out).

I also want to thank my great and speedy new beta, ddamato! PS Nearly all reviewers of this chapter are telling me I have a mistake in here about something Harry should already know. It's not a mistake. Everyone who reviewed and mentioned this got a reply back stating the same thing. My profile also tells you it's not a mistake. Chapter 5 follows-up on this.

Hope you enjoy! Love, MysticSong

Chapter Four:

The next morning found the group of friends outside the Great Hall for a quick meet-up before they split to head for their respective House tables. Ginny was beside herself with nerves; she'd been sorted into Ravenclaw.

"But Ron," she exclaimed in anguish, "I don't know anyone!"

"Surely you mixed with your House-mates last night, Gin?"

Ginny shook her head. "They're all so studious! I want to do well too, but I thought at least there would be some sort of interaction!"

While Ginny was bemoaning her assured loneliness, Professor Flitwick came upon the group.

"Ah, Miss Weasley! Perhaps you can help me out?"

Ginny look at the small professor curiously, as classes had not even begun yet. She noticed an unusual looking young girl standing behind him, staring dreamily at nothing.

"This is Miss Lovegood; for reasons I shan't go into, she was unable to attend the Welcoming Feast last night, but she is in your year and the illustrious House of Ravenclaw. I've heard good things about you from your parents, and thought perhaps you could help Miss Lovegood settle in?"

Ginny smiled hesitantly at the blond girl and told Professor Flitwick that she'd be happy to help.

"Splendid," he squeaked. "Please excuse me, I must get some breakfast! I'll come down to the table soon to pass out class schedules!"

Ginny and the new girl studied each other. Eventually, the other girl reached out to Ginny and said, "My name is Luna."

Ginny smiled in return, clasping the new girl's hand gently. "I'm Ginny. I'm quite pleased to meet you. Come on, let's get something to eat, shall we? We can get better acquainted over breakfast." Luna smiled, her eyes wandering over the older students.

"Oh!" Ginny exclaimed, "How impolite of me!" She pointed out her brother and his friends, perhaps one day her friends as well, and named them off to Luna. She came around to Harry last, and Luna gave him a lingering look which made him a bit uncomfortable.

"Slytherin is good for you," she said, before turning to head into the Great Hall.

After Ginny and Luna departed for their table, the seven looked at each other. "Bit of an odd girl," commented Ron. "What do you think she meant?"

Harry shrugged, but said the Sorting Hat had said as much the previous year. "Maybe she's a Seer," suggested Draco.

"We'll have to see what Ginny makes of her," Ron finally offered. "In any case, I'm glad Gin seems to have made a friend in her year. I don't mind her hanging around with us, but she'll want friends in her classes that she can compare notes with. Mum and Dad will feel better if they know she's got an age-mate to confide in as well."

Hermione smiled, "That's very wise of you, Ron."

The boy blushed, and in follow-up, his stomach growled. "C'mon, you lot," Blaise said, amused, "let's go eat before Ron's stomach attacks us!"

Snorts of laughter followed him into the Great Hall.

-----

----

---

--

-

First-day back classes never seemed too troubling, so Draco was surprised when at lunch, he caught sight of their mates in Gryffindor. Neville and Ron were bruised. Hermione's hair was a bigger mess than usual, but she seemed more aggravated than injured. Draco tapped Harry, who had just settled into place for lunch, and gestured towards the Gryffindor table. Harry's jaw dropped.

The two boys looked at each other, and then hurried over to find out what was going on. "Neville, Ron, what on earth? You didn't run into a mountain troll, did you?"

"Pixies."

Draco quirked a brow.

"Pixies did this to you?"

"Freshly caught Cornish Pixies," interrupted Seamus Finnegan, a plucky Gryffindor who seemed amenable to the inter-House friendships. "That git, Lockhart, just opened up their cage and set the nasty little blighters on us. Didn't give us a word of advice on how to defend against them, and then that berk hid under his desk!"

"I'm sure he was just trying to give us a chance," Hermione began primly, still a bit charmed by the professor's good looks and apparent knowledge on how to solve any bit of trouble.

Neville rolled his eyes at Harry, who hid a grin. Before anymore could be said, however, a bright flash went off in Harry's face, causing him to jump in alarm. Before he could react, a terribly shrill young voice piped up, "Hiya, Harry! I'm Colin Creevey! I've heard loads about you and read all about you, did you know you're in a lot of books and this boy in my dormitory, I'm in Hufflepuff, he told me that if I develop the pictures in a special potion the pictures will move can you believe it, Harry, and so can you pose with me so I can have a special picture of you to show my Dad and can you sign it Harry?"

"Do you think he breathed at all when he said that?" Draco whispered to Harry.

Before Harry could reply, a glittery robe swept into view. Unfortunately, it wasn't the Headmaster. But he had his own share of unusually random speech patterns.

"Harry, Harry, Harry. Celebrity is as celebrity does. Now, Harry, it's not wise to be handing out signed photos, not at your age, my boy. Now, what do you say to Colin taking a photo of both of us? Then it's okay, but Harry, you really shouldn't be playing the celebrity. What will people think of you?"

"But I wasn't giving out signed photos!" protested Harry. "I was talking to my friends and this kid just surprised me by taking a photo of me. Colin looked crushed that Harry had apparently missed or forgotten his name.

Before Lockhart could reply, Professor Snape was standing at his side, a deep frown marring his features.

"What is the meaning of this . . . ill-mannered frivolity during the lunch hour?"

Several voices began to speak when Snape cut them off. " One —only one of you— shall explain this. Draco!"

"Yes, sir. Harry and I were about to eat lunch when we noticed how bruised are friends were. Harry and I were quite curious because first day back to classes isn't generally quite so rough. We asked what had happened, and . . . is it Seamus? Seamus told us that Professor Lockhart had freed a cage of Cornish Pixies on his Defense class without a word of advice on how to stop them."

"Cornish Pixies did this to you lot?" Professor Snape seemed a bit doubtful.

"They hung Neville up by his jumper over the light fixture, sir," explained Ron. "We were all so busy trying to stop the Pixies with a charm Hermione knew that we didn't see him when he fell. We've all been to the hospital wing and been given healing potions. Madame Pomfrey gave Neville some creams to use as well, but she said they might take awhile to take full effect. Nothing's broken . . . class was utter rubbish though."

"I see," said Professor Snape. "I would like all of you, including you," he said levelling a finger at Colin Creevey, "to finish your lunch and immediately report to the Potions classroom for further discussion of this . . event. It is not advisable to tarry longer than necessary during this mealtime. Have I made myself quite clear?"

Eight heads nodded slowly, and as the students returned to their respective tables, Harry smirked as he heard Lockhart retort, "Now really, Severus, don't you think you were perhaps a bit harsh on the children?"

He could not hear the Potion Master's response, but the shaky tone in Lockhart's soft reply was enough to know that it had been appropriately snarky.

-----

----

---

--

-

Although they all knew where to find the Potions classroom, Draco led the way and Harry brought up the rear, just to be ensure that none of their sneakier house-mates would try to pull one of their friends aside, making them late for whatever Snape had planned.

Draco knocked on the door, and gently pushed it open when he heard Snape's brusque "Enter" sound from inside the room.

"Sit," he commanded.

The students quickly filed into the available seats, unsure if the man was angry at them, angry with Lockhart, or perhaps a combination thereof.

"I want you all to be aware that Professor," he said this with a sneer, "Lockhart may not be who he appears to be. I have already begun to hear students voice concerns over the validity of this man. The Headmaster has had a hard time filling that teaching position, and after the events of last year, ask that all of you be particularly careful with whomever is teaching Defense. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Now, Mr. Creevey," Snape said, turning a glare on the new Hufflepuff, "Mr. Potter does not like attention focused on him. He has not had an easy time of things and you should not be so quick as to believe everything that is printed in a book. Please refrain from photographing Mr. Potter. He does not appreciate it nor will the other Slytherins appreciate someone from your House being seen about the dungeons. If you continue to bother my student and he complains to me about it, I assure you that you will deal with the consequences dealt by myself and your own Head of House."

Harry was privately amazed that his professor had stood up for him like this, even though he was his Head of House. Harry was simply so ingrained with how the Dursley's treated him . . . or perhaps traumatized was a better word . . . that he still did not truly expect an adult to take his interests into account.

Colin nodded, embarrassed for what he had done to The Boy Who Lived! He still was unable to separate the boy slightly older than himself with the hero he'd read all about before starting school. Snape leveled a glare at him and Colin had the feeling Snape knew what he was thinking. He resolved to do better by The ... by Harry.

As the group headed back towards the main part of the castle, a sibilant voice caught Harry's attention. As he was at the end of the line, the others didn't notice when he dropped back a bit to listen.

"Kill . . . Mudbloods . . ."

Harry shook his head. No one else had appeared to hear the voice. Maybe he was coming down with something. And what was a Mudblood? He decided he'd ask Draco later, and hurried to catch up before anyone noticed what was going on; he didn't want to draw attention to himself with Colin still in hearing range.

It was probably just Peeves.


PS Nearly all reviewers of this chapter are telling me I have a mistake in here about something Harry should already know. It's not a mistake. Everyone who reviewed and mentioned this got a reply back stating the same thing. My profile also tells you it's not a mistake. Chapter 5 follows-up on this.