CHAPTER 5: A FINAL START-OF-TERM

They all swept into the Great Hall to find a lot of changes made to the staff that sat at the front table. Minerva McGonagall would have newly occupied the spot that was filled by a much younger woman who seemed quite comfortable with another new person beside her as Deputy Headmaster filled the spot that. McGonagall still sat at the staff table, but she resided the seat of Transfiguration professor. Another change made was the woman they had met on the train, the one they knew as Karisma Chase.

As they neared the house tables, Harry and Draco were forced to separate as Draco went to sit with his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, and Harry sat with the Gryffindor gang in their usual spot. Then, all attention was brought to the front of the Great Hall as the Deputy Headmaster brought out the Sorting Hat and the three-legged stool for the students to sit on as they are Sorted. He waited patiently as the first-years carefully stepped into the hall and came to meet him at the front of the Hall.

As soon as they did, he unrolled the list of that year's first year students and began calling out their names, and as he did so that student came forth. "Adams, Hanna!" rushed excitedly to her table as she was the first Sorted student of the night and became a Hufflepuff. As she joined the table, Cho Chang could be sighted welcoming the girl to the school and to Hufflepuff, which made Hermione, who had observed Harry hadn't even glanced over at, as they had become good friends, smile ever so slightly as she nudged her raven-haired friend.

The list continued on until "Xavier, John!" was placed in Slytherin. Then, the Headmistress rose and cleared her throat. As new as she was to this job, McGonagall had given her a few pointers and she took them all to heart and used each one as she commanded the attention of all in the most possibly nice way she could. Eventually, she had the attentions of the entire Hall so she began her Start of Term speech.

"Due to the unfortunate tragedy that occurred last term and the dark times that lay ahead of us all, Minerva, whom you all know as Professor McGonagall, has asked me to take over the position of Headmistress. And of course, as she does not feel able, I have also been asked to find a Deputy Headmaster, which I have and will introduce him shortly. I am Aaliyah James, but you all shall refer to me much more formally. Professor James would do nicely, as I have started a new class here and will be teaching something to you called the Dark Arts, so you can know exactly what you're up against.

"Which brings me to my next point." She paused here, looking around at the hall full of students that weren't exactly hanging on her every word, but they were listening, and that was all she needed. Dumbledore had at least taught them something. "I would like to introduce the new additions to our staff for the following year. Professor Karisma Chase," she paused as Karisma rose from her chair, "has agreed to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and after this year will become Head Nurse, due to Pomfrey's imminent retirement which will take effect after this year.

"Also," she said, gesturing to the man that sat beside her, "the new Deputy Headmaster, and a professor of another new class, which I felt was necessary, instead of it just being the club. Professor Alexander Rafferty will teach Dueling this year and if it succeeds, then it will stay for years to come." The man that sat next to her rose when she introduced him and she said with an almost direct stare at Harry, "and I would hope that most of you will be able to find my office if you need me." She looked over at the Slytherin table, then at the Ravenclaws, the Hufflpuffs, and the Gryffindors. Then, with the small smile that had appeared on her face, she said, "Dig in."

With that, she sat and so did the other two new additions to the staff, each turning their attentions to the plates before them, as did the entire hall. "Bloody hell," Ron said, stuffing half a sandwich in his mouth, "the new Headmistress is hot." Dean, Seamus, and Lee all nodded excitedly in agreement, Hermione just rolled her eyes and stabbed her fork into a particularly difficult chunk of meat, and Harry, who had broken his gaze from Draco to give Ron a strange look, chuckled and shook his head.

"Ron," he said, glancing once more at Draco, almost sure he got a wink in return. He received a grunt assumed to be a 'hmm?' "Shut up and eat." Hermione giggled and covered her mouth slightly with the hand that held her fork, she had seen the look Ron shot back at Harry and it was hilarious. Ron just glared at her and made a face that said all too sarcastically, 'Oh how so dreadfully hilarious, can't believe it, shut up already' and returned his gaze to the full plate of food that he had just cleared.

It wasn't long before the last bit of food was cleared from the plates and then all the table settings disappeared. The Headmistress once more rose from where she sat and said, "It's finally the time you've all been waiting for. You are now dismissed to your dorms, which have already been filled with all your belongings, and of course the fluffy beds that will let you rest. Good night, I shall see those of you that signed up for my class and some of you that will find trouble all too early in the school year." After the final words left her lips, the earsplitting noise of benches scraping back filled the Hall, and the staff and students slowly filed out of it, to go to a warm bed of their own for the night.

But rest did not come so easily for one Hermione Granger and her two friends. They were in the common room in front of the crackling fire that seemed never to die out; they were talking about the summer that had seemingly vanished before their eyes. Hermione was feeling reminiscent, Harry was almost glad the summer was over, and Ron was wishing that it could be relived just a little bit, as it was after all their last summer of freedom. Currently, the topic they found themselves discussing was one they usually would not consider, it was the jobs they were considering for the future.

Hermione had told her friends she was going to get her degree in being a Potions Mistress, Ron wasn't sure what he was going to do, as he was in the shadow of his ever-so-successful brothers, and Harry was set to being an Auror. Training wasn't long, even if it was difficult, and he was more than qualified, he had managed to get into Snape's N.E.W.T. class, after all, so he was ready for the task, and the experience from facing the Dark Lord one more than one occasion would give him more than enough experience for facing Dark wizards.

Their conversation slowly drew to an end, they had run out of things to talk about and they all had become tired in the late hour, and so they dredged off into their dorms, Hermione of course trudging up the stairs to the right then to her dorm, which she shared with Ginny Weasley and Katie Bell, and Harry and Ron going to the right and then into theirs. Ron fell into a deep slumber almost instantly, and Harry found himself struggling to stay asleep, the memory of Hermione confessing her love for him even after he was with Draco was haunting his mind. Hermione herself, she stayed up for another hour talking with Ginny and Katie about the summer.

And after another half-hour passed by, the entirety of the school was asleep. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were asleep in their dorm, Cho and her roommates were as well, and all the other students and all the professors were safely at rest for the night in their rooms. Hogwarts was silent, it wouldn't last the entire night, but at least now it was, and would remain so for several hours. But far away in Little Whinging, Surrey, Harry's oversized Uncle Vernon and horse-like Aunt Petunia were wide awake in their parlor, reading the newspaper of all things, staring at one peculiar picture that seemed like it was moving. But they figured it would never matter, nevertheless, the person in this peculiar picture seemed rather familiar…