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Chapter Two

A Greeting.

Ginny, Neville, and Luna trudged up the steps to the Great Hall, having to separate as soon as they were there. Luna went to sit at the Ravenclaw table, while Ginny and Neville went to sit at their customary spot at the Gryffindor one. They were soon joined by fellow Gryffindors Seamus Finnegan, Lavender Brown and Pravati Patil, all of whom looked a little worse for the wear.

"I wonder what the hat is going to sing about this year." Neville muttered to Ginny under his breath as they sat.

"I don't care, so long as it doesn't start spouting that Death Eater trash." Ginny replied, taking the opportunity to shoot a glare at the man now sitting in what was previously Albus Dumbledore's chair.

"Still a greasy git I see." Neville chuckled, "the Carrow's aren't much to look at either are they?" he continued, gesturing to the two rather stout figures sitting on either side of Snape.

"No." Ginny agreed just as Professor McGonagall, looking more thin lipped then ever before, stood and carried the Sorting Hat to the stool at the center of the room. The was an autiable gasp amongst the first years as it opened it's mouth and began to sing.

"Many, many years ago, when I was just some cloth,

There came about a brilliant lot

Whose names you know so well,

Brave Gryffindor, Fair Ravenclaw

Sweet Hufflepuff , Cunning Slytherin

All noble, and all wise,

And they thought it swell,

To create a school, a magic school,

In which young wizards could excel,

And so now we stand here,

In this hall

You all side by side

And it pains me that what is together

It is my job to divide

And so tonight I will tell you,

Into which house you must go

But as you linger here before me

Take to heart what I say, for you must know,

As the dark clouds gather in around us,

And there seems to be no light

It is in unity that we succeed

and fight the dark with what is right

So let not a different sorting be the end of a friendship, no!

Instead let us look inside ourselves

Respect our differences and allow unity to grow

For there is no greater power

Then the one we have inside

What is your weakness is your fellows' strength

And together no evil can divide

And though the tide is coming in

And the battle seems for naught

It is not lost until the last man's spirit is wrought

And so now my friends the time has come

For me to administer my test

Hold fast and firm together,

On your shoulder's the future rests

And now and now

Step up, take heart

Place me upon your head

Let me see into your mind

Let my words live in your heart.

As the last notes of the song faded, the applause, especially from the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables was tremendous. Alecto Carrow looked as if she had swallowed a Swelling Solution, and Snape seemed particularly grim as he reluctantly brought his hands together.

In a flash it seemed, the sorting was through, with Benson, Pollyanna, Dalton, Andrew, Fentmen, Nathaniel, Greer, Maureen, Harman, Kent, Minnow, Bella, O'Ryan, Jakie, Pierce, Joseph and Taman, Ethel, joined their ranks to immense applause from their fellow Gryffindors.

And then, he stood. A hush fell over the crowed, and Ginny watched as Professor McGonagall's mouth became even tighter.

"Another year has come." Snape said, his oily voice echoing though the silence, "this one promising to be better then the last."

"Like hell." Neville muttered, and Ginny suppressed a giggle.

"There are a few new security measures that will be instated this year. First, all students are required to submit to a check into their blood status." At that there was a nervous rumbling through the great hall, ignoring it, Snape continued, "All students will now have a compulsory curt view of 8 pm. Any student found out of bed without express permission from one of the Professor's Carrow or myself will be subjected to the strictest," he caressed the word, his eyes flicking to the Gryffindor table, "punishment."

"And finally," he said, standing a little straighter, "You will all find that Muggle Studies has been added to all of your schedules. The administration-"

'Voldamort." Ginny coughed under her breath.

"Feels that this class will give each and every student a glimpse into the true non magical world."

"Now let's eat!" Snape clapped his hands and the empty gold plates on the table were magically filled with all sorts of the finest food.

But it seemed that no body felt like eating. Some were still nervously talking about the blood status test in hushed voices amongst themselves, every once in a while shooting nervous glances at the staff table. Others chatted in high pitched tones about nothing important, revealing their anxiety. Still others said nothing at all, preferring to stare at their plate silently then attempt to maintain any sense of normalcy.

By and by dinner was over and the Gryffindors filed up to their dorms amid the prefects calls of "this way first years!". Ginny and Neville lagged behind the main group, so as to dicuss what was to be done about these new "procedures".

"I mean, we can't just go along with this." Ginny hissed.

"I know, I know," Neville said running his hands through his hair, "we have to do something."

"I agree." Luna said, having joined their group without either of the others noticing.

"Don't worry, I'll think of something." Neville assured them before they were all shooed off to bed by a very harassed looking Professor Flitwick.

Later that night in his dormitory, where now only he and Seamus slept, Neville couldn't help but wonder what Harry was doing right at that moment. Several floors down, unbeknownst to him, Ginny's thoughts lingered on the same boy, though hers took a distinctly different direction. She wondered if he was thinking of her, like she was thinking of him. If he knew that she loved him. If he was safe. And then she breathed, so quietly that none of her dorm mates could have possibly heard,

"Just in case you don't know, I love you Harry Potter."