Hello again all. I know its been a while but last month was trying to kill me off. I collapsed at work, went into hospital for surgery and a whole lot more I'm not going into because I'm trying really hard to forget all about it.

Anyhow, a few of you have commented that you wanted more action as there hasn't been a great deal of that yet. I always try and take on board constructive criticism so I've stepped things up a bit in this chapter. Hopefully this will restore your faith in the fic. It is going somewhere, honest!

This chapter goes out to Pazed, because they like my style.

Here you go…

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WAITING

The new sixth years jostled their way into the Great Hall with everyone else and promptly fell silent. Distantly, Harry heard the other students gasp and go quiet as they entered. Someone started to cry softly. Everyone stared around the hall.

It was a second year that broke the unnatural hush. 'What's with the decorations?'

He was promptly shushed by the new Head Boy, a Hufflepuff named Aidan.

'Someone's died,' he said. 'The last time they changed the tapestries like this was just after Diggory died.' He spotted the Headmaster and called out. 'Sir! Sir, what's happened?'

Dumbledore looked older than Harry had ever seen him, not only solemn but grim.

'Please take your seats everybody. I'm afraid there has been an attack. It seems Lord Voldemort is no longer willing to wait.'

There were cries from some of the younger students.

'But Sir,' Aidan continued, eyes wide. 'Who's died?'

The headmaster sighed. 'There will be an announcement immediately after the Sorting,' he said, as Hagrid entered the Hall. 'Now, Professor McGonnagal will be along shortly with the first years so if everyone would be seated?'

Noise erupted once more as everyone moved towards their places.

'What do you reckons happened?'

'But where's he attacked? There's loads more Aurors out lately!'

'What if it was Dementors?'

'Do you think You-Know-Who was actually there?'

'Please God don't let it be anyone I know.'

Professor McGonnagal entered the Hall just as the last of the second years sat down. The Gryffindor Head of House looked even worse than the Headmaster, her eyes red-rimmed behind her spectacles and her face pale.

'Are you ready for the First Years Headmaster?' she asked steadily. He nodded and she turned on her heel and marched out.

'Merlin!' Ron whispered, leaning closer to Harry. 'I've never seen her look like that!'

Dean, who was sat opposite Ron, nodded. 'She looked well shook-up.'

Hermione looked horrified. 'How bad is it?' she whispered. 'What's happened that could make her look like that?'

Most of the other Gryffindors were asking similar questions.

Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and turned towards the Hufflepuff table.

'Look at professor Sprout,' Ernie said worriedly. The Hufflepuffs absolutely adored their Head of House and the Herbology teacher was in tears. Professor Flitwick was busy patting her on the shoulder but even his ever-cheerful face was pale.

Scanning the High Table Harry realised that only Snape looked much the same as he ever did, sallow face grim in the candlelight.

At that moment McGonnagal returned, striding through the doors of the Great Hall at the head of a line of first years, and with the Sorting Hat and its stool tucked under one arm. She set them down as the new students gazed around them.

Most of them were chatting or gazing wide-eyed at the enchanted ceiling and the floating candles.

There were one or two though, Harry noticed, who obviously knew the significance of the décor and were frantically trying to make eye contact with their older brothers and sisters.

There was a moment's pause and then the rip in the brim opened and the hat began to sing.

'Oh you may see just a tattered hat

That's sitting on this stool

But I've become far more than that,

A very useful tool!

I was there when the Founders thought

To bring what they each knew

And build a school to pass it on

Through time and down to you!

While I may make you a Gryffindor

Or Slytherin House member

Or Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw

I'm begging you, remember!

While each its faults and merits has

And great renown has won

Their greatest glories all were seen

When four were joined as one.

For Hufflepuff, implacable

No obstacle could stop

And Slytherin, with cunning plan

Would keep foes on the hop

Inventive Ravenclaw ensure

They stayed a step ahead

While Gryffindor would give their all

E'en if it saw them dead.

Together there was nothing that

The houses could not do,

And in these dark and troubled times

It all comes down to you.

Now just because I sort you

As the Founders four intended

Does not mean that the rift that grew

Between them can't be mended.

Tis better far to stand as one

And different strengths unite

Than stand alone in weakness and,

Divided, lose the fight.

So now its time to look inside

And see where you belong

So step right up and put me on

Here ends my Sorting Song!'

'Another warning,' Hermione said softly as 'Arturis, Sylvester,' became a Slytherin.

'At least we've made a start,' Harry said quietly. 'We've got the DA, everyone knows he's back, we're better prepared than we ever have been before.'

He glanced over at the teachers again. 'If they ever decide to let us know what's going on we've got a better chance of facing it than we did last year.'

'Talking of last year,' interrupted Parvati. 'Who do you think is going to be teaching Defence?'

'I think it's her,' Hermione said immediately. 'The witch sat beside Snape. I've never seen her before.'

Seamus leered. 'Can't say I'd mind having her teach me a few things.'

The other Gryffindor boys grinned. While not extraordinarily pretty, when compared to the likes of Umbridge and Grubblyplank, or even McGonnagal and Hooch, it was clear the new teacher came out on top.

'Yeah,' Ron smirked. 'I think I'll be looking forward to Defence this year!'

Hermione 'accidentally' trod on his foot. Hard.

'Honestly Ron, you should be more concerned about whether or not she can teach than what she looks like!'

The two descended into their habitual bickering and Harry returned his attention to the Sorting as 'Pickering, Jamie' became a Hufflepuff.

It was true that it would be nice to have a decent Defence teacher but Harry was determined to learn despite whatever the new teacher might do. A good professor, as he had learnt last year, wasn't essential.

They'd proved, as had the many other students who'd come up to him on the train with news of their E's and O's, that they could make it on their own.

And Harry wasn't going to let anyone, not the teachers, not the ministry, not any other well-meaning adult, stop them now.

Harry was fairly certain he would keep the DA going in any case, they'd found far too much in the Black Library to let it go to waste and Harry was not prepared to just sit back and put responsibility for his safety into anyone else's hands.

Voldemort would be coming, and Harry had no intention of making it easy for him.

He cam out of his introspection with a jerk as Dumbledore clapped his hands and 'Young, Jason' joined the Gryffindor table.

'If I might have your attention please.'

There was instant silence.

'As most of you will know I traditionally take this time for a few brief words before the beginning of our excellent feast. I am afraid that tonight will not run quite as our usual start of term.'

He surveyed them all for a long moment, candlelight glinting off his glasses, before he resumed his speech.

'There has been an attack. As some of you may have realised, there were a number of Aurors on Platform 9 ¾ this morning. Unfortunately they were little deterrent to Lord Voldemort. Minutes after the train left there was an attack.'

There were cries around the Hall and Harry noticed more than one white-knuckled grip on cutlery that had been picked up in anticipation of the feast.

The Headmaster raised his voice slightly. 'There were a number of injuries and some few fatalities. The following students are to leave the Hall with their Head of House immediately.'

He gestured behind him and the four teachers stood up and moved towards the exits.

'Theodore Nott, Terrance Higgs and Susan Fitzwallis.' The Slytherin students stood up.

'Wayne Hopkins, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Laura Medley, Rose and Marie Zeller, Arden Harris and Georgina Vale.'

Georgina was one of the new first years and was visibly trembling. Harry thought she looked like she was about to throw up.

'Stewart Ackerley, Stephen Cornfoot, Li Su, Padma Patil, Marie Davidson, Alison Wright, Graham Fletcher and Dorothy Lafayette.'

Parvati had screamed when her sister's name was read out and now was shaking like a leaf. As Dumbledore turned his attention to the Gryffindor table she slid off her seat in a dead faint. McGonnagal hurried over to help her up.

'Euan Abercrombie, Rebecca O'Donnell, Nathaniel Cairns, Geoffrey Hooper, Parvati Patil, Jack Sloper, Patricia Stimpson, Kenneth Towler and Dean Thomas.'

Nathaniel Cairns, the seventh year prefect was white as a sheet but nonetheless paused to help up Jack Sloper, the young Gryffindor Beater, who was trembling so badly he could hardly walk.

There was almost total silence, broken only by muffled sobs, as the students left the hall. The headmasters sigh almost echoed.

'Tragedy has once more touched us at this school. It is easy to believe, safe behind these walls, that here the terrors of the outside world cannot reach us. That is not so, not in these uncertain times. This year will not be easy, not for any of us.'

He paused a moment before continuing.

'As you will no doubt find out in tomorrows Daily Prophet the attack at the station was merely a diversion, though a costly one for us. As the Minister pushed every available Auror to either the station or the Ministry there was a second attack.

At half past eleven Dementors swarmed Azkaban on all sides. A number of Aurors and Muggles from the surrounding areas were Kissed. Azkaban has been liberated.'

Harry turned in time to catch a triumphant sneer on Malfoy's face as the blonde Slytherin caught his eye and mouthed 'You'll get yours Potter!'

'I very much doubt that anyone is in the mood for a feast. Therefore the start of term notices will be delayed until tomorrow.

Do not worry about rising for breakfast. Food has been delivered to your Common Rooms should anyone feel like eating. Prefects, if you would lead your students to their dormitories then that will be all for tonight.'

It was a subdued group who sat in the Gryffindor Common Room waiting for their housemates.

The first years had had questions, especially the Muggleborns, and the explanations had lasted hours before the other seventh year Prefect, Faith Fletcher, had ordered them to bed.

The second and third years had been sent to their dorms after some of them started falling asleep where they sat. As the clock crept past three the fourth years had also retreated, leaving the upper years to their anxious vigil.

Normally professor McGonnagal would have marched in and ordered everyone to bed and the absence of their stern head of house was unsettling.

It was almost four when an exhausted Dean Thomas, McGonnagals hand on his shoulder, stumbled through the portrait hole and into the common room.

'Dean!'

'You okay mate?'

'What happened?'

'Where are the others?'

'Where have you been?'

'Sit down mate you look like hell. Sorry Professor!'

She held up a hand for silence and looked at them with pride in her eyes.

'By rights you should all be in bed by now. However, I am glad to see you all pulling together for you housemates sakes.'

She pushed Dean gently into the chair Seamus had vacated. 'Take care of him Mr Finnegan, do not badger him too much and try and ensure he has at least a few hours sleep. That goes for the rest of you too.'

'Professor?' Hermione said as she turned towards the portrait hole. 'What about the others?'

'Some of them are in the hospital wing, some are at St Mungo's and a few have been sent home. It is not my place to say any more than that now. Hopefully we will have more news by tomorrow. Goodnight.'

The professor left and the noise level immediately rose as everyone started asking questions.

Ginny brought a glass of pumpkin juice over for Dean, which he took with a grateful smile.

'Thanks Gin, don't think I've had anything to drink since the train.'

'What happened?' asked Seamus.

'It was my Mum, she got hit in the attack. They don't think it was a spell, just some rocks or debris or something.' He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

'She was unconscious but she's okay now, just a bit battered and bruised. My Dad's in a right state, he went off it, threatened to pull me out of school but McGonnagal talked him out of it.'

'Where's Parvati?' asked Lavender, voice shaky.

Dean looked drawn. 'I don't think she'll be back tonight. Her dad was hurt pretty bad protecting her mum and everyone on the platform. He's in St Mungo's. He swallowed hard. 'They're not sure he's going to make it.'

The common room was quiet.

'And everyone else?' asked Harry

'I don't know. I just don't know.'

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Well, there you go, hope you enjoyed it!

Let me know what you thought, as always. Does the story seem a bit more 'on track' now?

To those who worry that Harry is never actually going to do something to live up to the summary of 'not being anyones pawn' it is coming. Its just that I don't write the worlds longest chapters so its taking me a little longer to get there. That and I tend to wander off down character roads I had no intention of going down when I started. Still, there is a point to most of them.

Now they're back at school things are going to start hotting up a bit so it'll start playing out a bit more from here on in.

Deh Vap: not a snake, something soooo much better. I'm really looking forward to that chapter.

Nonjon: hopefull this chapter has set your mind at ease a bit, and no, you shouldn't worry too much about the romance!

Anyway, enough from me – look forward to hearing from you and I'll cross my fingers and hope I get the chance to write the next chapter a bit quicker.

TTFN