Chapter 19- Missing Faces

The rare glances exchanged between Harry and Ginny on the journey to the castle only took place when one thought that the other wasn't looking. For the time being, both Ron and Hermione had decided not to interfere in this, and instead pondered over how different everything would be now at Hogwarts. They knew for certain that there would be fewer chairs set out for the feast that evening, and hoped at the same time that those who were absent would at least be safely in their own homes.

Entering the great hall, they found themselves flanked on either side by those who had also returned. Ernie MacMillan, the pompous Hufflepuff prefect, stood to their left, along with Michael Corner and Colin Creavey. On their right, entered Seamus Finnegan and, to Ron's embarrassment, Lavender Brown, followed by a small crowd of third and fourth years. Nobody could help noticing that there were fewer places laid out on the Slytherin table than for any of the other houses, and many drew the same conclusions from this.

Just as Harry headed towards the Gryffindor table, he felt a savage push from behind and stumbled as he turned around. Pansy Parkinson stood there accompanied by Millicent Bulstrode. Her look of cruel amusement changed to one of undisguised hatred as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"So, I suppose you believe everything they're writing about you now, aren't you?" she sneered, "Dumbledore's favourite comes to save the world, is it? Well, let me tell you something; you are nothing special, Potter, just a troublemaker who got his fifteen minutes of fame!"

She slowly moved in towards him, her face rising in temperature with every step she took. Harry stood his ground.

"It's because of YOU that my parents are being investigated by the Ministry. It's because of YOU that some of my closest friends have been kept away from here, and it's because of YOU that my Draco has been driven away! He could be dead because of YOU!"

Harry was unfazed by these accusations and even grinned slightly as he replied.

"Your Draco made his own choices. If he's got himself into trouble that he can't handle, then it's no fault of mine. And if he's dead, then he dug his own grave."

Pansy was shaking with fury at this and made to lunge at him.

"YOU F…!"

She stopped dead as she noticed Ginny's wand, mere inches from her face, and slowly took a step back.

"Touch him again, and I will personally show you what your insides look like!" she snarled, watching the Slytherin girls backing off grudgingly.

Calmly shifting her eyes between Ginny and Harry, Pansy composed herself.

"This isn't over, Potter," she muttered harshly, without blinking, "Like I said, you're nothing special. You'll be looking over both shoulders everywhere you go, for the rest of your life. Not that it will be a long life, from what I hear."

She turned on her heal and walked away towards the Slytherin table.

"Oh, and Potter," she called back over her shoulder, "Tell your blood-traitor girlfriend that she's walking on wafer-thin ice herself."

The red mist swept over Harry, and he fiercely drew his own wand. It was unfortunately at that moment that Professor McGonagall made her entrance.

"Potter!" she said sternly, marching up to him past a startled group of second years, "Unless you happen to be demonstrating a duelling stance to your peers, I suggest you control yourself and lower your wand this instant!"

Grumbling a protest under his breath that McGonagall chose not to hear, he put his wand away and walked with the others to their places, amidst quiet sniggering from the Slytherin table. Ginny nervously put her arm around him as they sat down, then leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"She doesn't know what she's talking about" she whispered in his ear.

Harry turned to her, wondering if she was hoping that he wouldn't question her about what happened on the train.

"I won't have anyone calling you a blood-traitor, or anything else".

Ginny gave him the kind of embarrassed smile that he hadn't seen on her since visiting The Burrow just before his fourth year at Hogwarts.

"She can call me whatever she wants, I don't care," she replied, "What I meant was that you are going to save the world."

This completely threw him off track. From anyone else, he would have greeted this statement with apprehension and scepticism, but coming from her, he could almost believe it to be true. Coming from her, it felt like it meant something. He tried to smile back at her, but she was already looking withdrawn again and avoiding eye contact with everyone else on the table.

The rest of the school were now filing into the hall, and Ron, Harry and Hermione could plainly see the rapid decline in numbers. Dean Thomas, Romilda Vain and both the Patil twins were missing from the seventh year Gryffindors alone. Neither Owen Cauldwell nor Hannah Abbot were present at the Hufflepuff table, and Harry hadn't spotted a single member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. There were a lot more absent whom the three of them would have recognised by sight.

"Will the new first years please step this way!" called the Headmistress, beckoning to the crowd of frightened looking youngsters at the end of the hall. They trooped forward obediently, and the eyes of the older students automatically turned to the wooden stool a little way in front of the staff table, where the Sorting Hat had now been placed. It was tradition that the Hat would wax lyrical to welcome in the new school year, and though it was a perilous time for all, this year would be no different. And so, the crack near the brim of the worn and battered old hat opened as a mouth, and it began.

"It is time again to pass the knowledge of centuries gone by.

I see before me faces young who thought they'd have a try.

Come one, come all, if hearts be true, and minds be keen to grow,

Just try me on, and oh, where should this witch or wizard go?

To Ravenclaw, where study reigns and genius abounds?

In Gryffindor, the brave, the strong, the folk who stand their ground.

Fair Hufflepuff would welcome all who simply came to learn,

And Slytherin for pride of blood, ambitious fires burn.

The magic flowing through your veins is what has called you here

Though shadows lengthen, souls corrupt, and lives are ruled by fear

You came to show in days like these, this magic will live on

For Hogwarts school is here for you, the place where you belong.

When words are spoken, work is done, and wisdom learned by all

The question remains of the dangers that lie beyond these hallowed walls.

When unity is broken, and loyalty cast aside

The end will come for this wonderful world in which we all take pride."

The applause for this verse was significantly weaker than it had been in previous years. The student population had been depleted of course, but also, the Sorting Hat's song had always been known to end on a positive note of some kind, and Harry couldn't help but feel that it had only served to further sour the atmosphere in the hall.

Professor McGonagall stood beside the Sorting Hat, and began to call out the names of the new first years.

"Collins, Tristania!"

The whole school watched as a very nervous girl with messy blond hair walked up to the stool and placed the hat on her head.

"Ravenclaw!" cried the hat a few moments later, followed by a loud cheer from the Ravenclaw table.

"Darius, Robert!"

"Slytherin!" declared the hat, after only a second.

"Drake, Samantha!" called MacGonagall, as Robert was welcomed by the Slytherins.

"Ravenclaw!"

There was further celebration from Ravenclaw house, and so the sorting went on. By the time Andrea Wingthorn had been placed in Hufflepuff, All eyes seemed to be on the Gryffindor table, who had only four new students to their name.

Douglas Finch was a slightly twitchy young wizard with smooth curtains of black hair and eyes that were constantly darting all around, observing his new surroundings. On his way to join the other Gryffindors, he had tripped over his shoelaces amidst gales of laughter from the neighbouring tables, and had a certain clumsy way about him that reminded Harry of his first encounter with Neville.

Imelda Larkin and her twin sister Katrina had been delighted to be placed in Gryffindor house. They were identical in every way as far as Harry could see. Both were of the same height, sporting the same waist-length blond hair, and not so much as a freckle or difference in eye colour to tell them apart. They were so alike that Harry was very much hoping that he would never have the need to address either one of them by name. He rolled his eyes as he noticed them nudging each other and trying to be subtle about pointing to the scar on his forehead. No matter how used he was to this kind of thing, he often thought that he would be very grateful if someone could just remove it for him.

Dale Tulstan was the final arrival at the table. He was, without a doubt, the most apprehensive individual in the hall. He was no smaller that most of the other first years, but still seemed to be from the way that he shrunk into his seat, and looked as though he was wishing to be somewhere else. Harry was caught by the look in his eyes, as if something terrible had happened to him, and as if being here wasn't much better. Something about him seemed to draw out Harry's sympathy, and knowing how Ron delighted in abusing his position as prefect by frightening younger students, he decided he would have a chat with Dale when the time was right.

The Headmistress took her place at the staff table, and began her address to the school. This was a bizarre experience for most of the student body, as they had always been used to hearing Dumbledore's voice at this point. Many of them looked confused as she spoke.

"I would like to start by welcoming all the newcomers to Hogwarts, and of course all those who are returning. Owing to recent tragic events, there will be a few new school rules this year, as well as new safety measures that will be put into practice."

This was obviously to be expected, and glances were exchanged as the students braced themselves for the restrictions that were to be placed on their day to day lives.

"I regret to inform you that the Quidditch House Cup will not be taking place this year, nor will there be any team practices held. Madame Hooch will continue to provide flying lessons for the first years, but if I see a broom rise off the ground without express permission from me at any other time, disciplinary action will be taken."

Harry hadn't counted on Quidditch being possible this year, not when more urgent matters were at hand, but this still brought back wistful memories of past glory. Ginny simply stared at the table in front of her. As far as she was concerned, the professor could have just announced that Transfiguration lessons would now be taught by the giant squid that resided in the lake beside the Hogwarts grounds. It was all meaningless to her at that moment.

"As you will have no doubt heard by now, the school will be patrolled around the clock by Aurors from the Ministry of Magic," she continued, indicating the row of witches and wizards standing beside the staff table, "They will be stationed in the corridors, and at every entrance to the castle. It will be part of their job to escort all students to lessons that take place outside the main building, and it is the responsibility of you all, especially the older students, to report anything unusual to them immediately."

This was prompting everyone, first years in particular, to wonder exactly what she meant by 'unusual'. Much as it distressed him, Harry was tempted to report Ginny to them. He was itching to get her alone and find out what really happened.

"Every item of owl post will be double checked for any signs of dark magic, and our caretaker, Mr Filch will be posting up lists of banned items. All such items received by post will be confiscated. There will, unfortunately, be no scheduled trips to Hogsmead, and any pupil caught wandering the grounds outside of lessons without an escort will be punished accordingly. I beg of you all to understand that these measures are taken purely out of concern for your safety."

Necessary as this was, it wasn't the most reassuring thing for the newcomers to hear.

"Finally, a notice to all sixth year students that last year's cancelled O.W.L exams will begin in six weeks' time. Your teachers will of course be happy to provide any assistance with revision that you should require. Good luck to you all! If we stand firmly together, I am certain that we shall triumph in the face of adversity. Let the feast begin!"

With these words, the tables were filled with dishes of food and jugs of pumpkin juice. As everyone delightedly filled their plates, the eyes of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna and Neville were all turned on Ginny, who seemed oblivious to the banquet that had just appeared before her.

"Come on, Ginny, you've barely had a thing to eat all day!" muttered Ron in exasperation, "You've got to have something to keep your strength up!"

She looked around at Harry with a dazed, almost helpless look on her face. He nodded as if to tell her that he wouldn't see her starve either. To keep them all happy for the moment, she placed a solitary chicken leg on her plate and poured herself some pumpkin juice, which she simply nursed pensively in front of her.

"Mr Potter and Miss Weasley, see me afterwards!" called McGonagall from the staff table.

The heads of every first year in the hall turned sharply at the sound of the name 'Potter'.