Chapter seven – Hogwarts is still the same

The very first sight of the castle made Lily feel really happy, but suddenly calm as well. She had always considered Hogwarts a place totally deprived of any kind of danger – if you don't count Quidditch –, and the wondrous castle was her second home. The arrival meant not only joining her mates, but leaving behind all things that had made her worried during the summer and entering her safe zone.

While Lucy went to the Hufflepuff table, Lily, Hugo and Roxy joined their mates at the Gryffindor table.

Since the arrival of the new minister, she had been thinking if she would find the same Hogwarts she had left on June. Being such a dictator, certainly Potts would love to control Hogwarts. But when she took a peek at their table, she soon realized that all old employees were there. However, the only one who was missing was the headmaster, Prof. Towler, a sweet and old man. The chair was vacant and Lily couldn't help wondering where he had gone.

Another chair was vacant, and it was Profª. Rackham's, who taught Charms and was the deputy headmistress. But she soon arrived, followed by a line of first years about to get sorted.

Lily barely heard the Sorting Hat's song, and she politely clapped every time a little boy or girl was sorted into Gryffindor and other houses. The headmaster's chair remained vacant during the entire sorting, and even after the wonderful feast Prof. Towler hadn't shown up.

As the students ate all the desserts and the tables were emptied, the staff and the students couldn't ignore Prof. Towler's absence anymore.

Profª. Rackham rose from her chair. She cleared her throat. "I'm afraid our headmaster–"

"Yes, I'm late."

The voice came from the Great Hall's doors. But it didn't belong to Prof. Towler. It was easy to notice, because the voice was very deep, nothing like the old headmaster's. In fact, the wizard who was standing by the door was younger than him, and his dark skin was a real contrast on Prof Towler's paleness.

The man standing by the door was Kingsley Shacklebolt, the previous Minister of Magic.

"There was no time for a proper warning," said Kingsley, walking with dignity to where Profª. Rackham was standing. "I'm afraid Prof. Towler had to retire unexpectedly, due to health problems, since he is not as young as he once was. This was just before the start of the year, so they had to find a new headmaster in a hurry. And I was there, ready. I had just gotten back as the Head of Auror Office and the professor asked me if I would like to be the head of Hogwarts instead, and I accepted immediately."

There was a pause, and first the silence took place, but then everyone started whispering and murmuring, until Kingsley said, "Silence." When he talked it was hard not to pay attention.

"Now," said the new headmaster. "Before you can even begin, I won't tell publicly why I was succeeded by William Potts as minister, and don't even bother to ask."

Mutters filled the room. This was exactly everybody's interest. But the students did as they were told and didn't ask. Kingsley, now Prof. Schacklebolt, had certain control over people, and this started way before his mandate as minister.

"I know that being introduced to a new headmaster so suddenly must be very confusing," said Kingsley. "But I'm afraid I have to keep going with my warnings." And then his tone changed drastically. His deep voice gained a new, warmer tone, much more like the way Prof. Towler usually spoke. "Welcome, students, welcome to Hogwarts! Welcome, new students, and I hope our older guests willingly receive our first years and make them feel at home. And welcome to the ones who have been with us the longest! I'm not the one to say this, of course, since I'm the castle's newest member. But I'll do my best." He took a piece of parchment of his robes. "Our caretaker, Mr Shepherd, informs that any joke product–"

And then he proceeded with the habitual warnings the old students were tired of listening to. Lily now started to think whether to ask or not Kingsley about the Ministry and the minister. Because, even though Kingsley was an old friend of Harry's, he was now Lily's headmaster, Prof. Shacklebolt, therefore she couldn't treat him like a simple colleague of her father.

"Now, off to bed!"

That was when Lily finally woke up from her thoughts. Lucy, who was named as a prefect for Hufflepuff, waved at her cousins before she set off to help was now the first years to go to the dormitories. Lily, Hugo and Roxy went to the Gryffindor Tower.

"Did you two know?" Lily asked the two, when the staircase began to move. "That Kingsley would be headmaster?"

"Of course not," said Hugo. "I think it was unexpected for everybody. Our letters came with Towler's name on them, didn't they?"

"It's really weird, though, isn't it?" Roxy said. "He said he had just gotten back as Head of Auror Office, and then Towler asked him to be headmaster. I get it that Kingsley is always the best choice for everything, but would he just leave the Auror Office just to come here?"

"He's great, but everyone has to retire at some point," Hugo said. "He isn't as young as he used to be, is he?"

"I heard him say to my dad he loved to be minister, but that he would rather take care of a smaller post," Lily said, remembering Kingsley's last visit, just before her birthday. "Dad took on the Head of the office then."

"It's not the point," Roxy observed. "Even if he needed to retire, I doubt it that Kingsley would concede his post to a man like Potts."

"She's right," said Hugo. "Kingsley is totally against dictatorship."

Lily frowned. "This smells like a scheme."

They arrived to the painting of The Fat Lady, who smiled cheerfully at them.

"Iunctus amicitia," said Hugo to the painting. Then, to his cousins: "Why always Latin?"

"You shall pass," said The Fat Lady gently, and the painting twisted, revealing the comforting Gryffindor's common room.

Lily, Hugo and Roxy down on their favorite sofa, in front of the fireplace, observing as the other students arrived.

"Do you guys know what post Potts used to occupy before being minister?" Lily asked. She was trying hard to understand this.

"Dad told me he was the head of the Magical Maintenance Department," said Hugo.

"Well, it's not like an important area, is it?" said Roxy. "Not as important as the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at least, where is located the Auror Office."

All that was making Lily more frustrated than when she first learned about minister Potts taking Kingsley's post. Their conversation was leading them to nothing, and they were as close to figure something out as Lily was close to find any information about the secrets her family was keeping from her. Therefore, they had no clue about anything.

They decided not to go further on the subject. The common room was starting to get empty. Hugo said goodbye to Lily and Roxy and they went to their respective dormitories.

Emmeline and their other roommates, Helena Comstock and Hera Forbisher, were already there. They greeted each other politely and went to bed.

Lily's head was bubbling with thoughts as she tried to sleep. There was so much going on and no way to explain them. At least, she was back at the castle. It would make things better.

Emmeline, Helena and Hera were early to rise, so they went to breakfast before Lily and Roxy.

The two cousins arrived at the Great Hall, in a hurry, when hundreds of owls came for the habitual every-morning post. Lily couldn't find Hedwig II among the owls, and being totally white and easily visible, Lily knew she hadn't gotten any letters.

Prof. Longbottom, a friend of the family, Herbology teacher and Head of Gryffindor house, was handing out the timetables.

"Today isn't bad," Lily said, examining the schedule. "Except for History of Magic in the beginning of the day. Then double Defence Against the Dark Arts, Ancient Runes and double Potions. At least we have all classes with Hufflepuff, so we'll get to see Lucy."

"I should've quit Divination," said Hugo. "But I don't think I would do well on Ancient Runes."

"Same" said Roxy. "At least we don't need to translate a messed-up language to proper English."

"I like Runes," Lily said. "It's not bad, just tricky. Besides, I still prefer to translate Runes than to 'learn' Divination, which is, in my opinion, a plenty waste of time."

In that very moment, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, Eldon Dobbs, a tall sixth year, came running to Lily.

"Potter, the one I was looking for," he said with a smile. "Hello too, Weasley," he added to Roxy, another team mate. "Too bad when I heard about your injury."

"Yeah," said Roxy bitterly. "You don't feel as bad as I do."

Roxy used to be part of the Quidditch team as a Beater until last year, when she got a bludger on her left arm and had an almost permanent contusion. Her Healer said she couldn't play Quidditch for a long time. She was really sad about it.

Dobbs looked at her in an apologizing way and turned back to Lily. "So Potter, since Warmsley and Starky graduated, and the thing with Weasley, we don't have a Keeper, a Chaser and a Beater. I'm doing the trials on Saturday at nine a.m., and it would be really nice if you and the rest of the team helped me."

"Sure," Lily said. "No problem. I'll be there."

Dobbs smiled. "You're the best, Potter. Tell your friends to apply." With that, he walked away.

Hugo turned to Lily. "What do you think, Lils? Do you think I would be a good keeper?"

Lily, who had been drinking a glass of Pumpkin Juice, coughed. She stared at him, incredulous. "I have tried to persuade you to take trials to enter the team since I was chosen as a Chaser on third year. And now you decide to listen to me?"

He shrugged. "I just wasn't confident enough at the time, that's all. Now I think I can be as good as my dad."

Emmeline Thomas, who was sitting beside them, unexpectedly joined the conversation. "I've always found you a great Quidditch player, Hugo. You should try."

Hugo's entire face went red. He stammered, "T–thanks."

With a smile, Emmeline left the table with Helena and Hera.

Roxy nudged Hugo. "Emmeline, huh?"

Hugo pushed her shoulder. "Shut up."

"Dobbs and the team would like you to watch the trials, Roxy," Lily spoke up. "Although you don't play anymore, you're still part of the team."

"I'll think about it," she said. "It would be too painful to watch it, knowing that I can't play. But I'll do my best to go."

Lily, Hugo and Roxy continued talking about Quidditch until they arrived at History of Magic. Lucy had found them sits at the back of the classroom. She waved at them.

Prof. Binns, the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts, had been teaching for ages, and even dead he didn't abandon the school. He was so boring that no one could resist him talking with no pause. Lily usually turned to Albus's notes, which he always kept in his trunk, goodness knew why. He didn't always give them out willingly, but he seemed too happy that people found him intelligent enough to get his notes.

The four of them spent the whole class drawing on Hugo's books. Roxy was the most creative: one of her best drawings was the one where she drew Hugo falling off his broom during the Quidditch trials and Emmeline Thomas coming running to him and shouting: You're the best Quidditch player on earth, Hugo Weasley, and I'm totally in love with you!

Next was Defence Against the Dark Arts class. The DADA teacher, Prof. Horton, was the head of Slytherin house, therefore hard to impress. But he was a great teacher, and always had done well on his subject.

Prof. Horton went on with Defensive Spells. The first one was Protego. He told the students about the theory, gave a demonstration and let the rest of the next hour and a half to the students to practice. The class was fun, and in the end of it most students were doing Protego perfectly. They were really happy. But then…

"Homework," said Prof. Horton. "I want ten inches of parchment about five Defensive Spells and its uses for Friday."

Still cursing on Horton, the students left the classroom and went to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Omevor!" complained Hugo while filling his mouth with chicken. "Nn ve rest bleu fo lassys!"

"Hugo, we can't understand a word," said Lily, repulsed. "Swallow the food on your mouth and then talk to us."

But Hugo was more interested on lunch than on talking, so he just kept eating.

"The fifth years shouldn't be complaining about homework," said Hera Forbisher seriously. "I suppose we will receive a lot of it this year. It's our OWLs that we talking about!"

Her thoughts proved to be right sooner than they expected. When Lily met up with Lucy at Ancient Runes, Profª. Fleet made them translate three pages of Runes to English due Thursday, and Hugo and Roxy had gotten a fair lot of Divination homework as well.

When they arrived at the Potions classroom, they weren't expecting anything different. Prof. Malone, head of Ravenclaw house, was very strict and personally loved homeworks. This year, Lily was pretty sure he would be delighted on making everyone really busy.

Lily always sat with Hugo during class, but Prof. Malone had different ideas that day. He himself chose the pairings. Lily ended up with Phillip Finnigan, which was fine by her. He was a sweetheart, and very good at Potions.

"Today we are brewing the Strengthening Solution," said the professor. "It's a complicated potion which takes days to be prepared. The Ministry don't usually approves that Potions Masters teach this solution, but I'm sure Prof. Shacklebolt won't mind. You will find the ingredients in the store cupboard and the instructions on page 283 of your books. Begin."

Lily and Phil did well. By the end of the class, the two potions were turquoise, just like they were supposed to. The only ones who got the same results were Lucy and Hera.

"Now I want an essay about this solution," said Prof. Malone. "Thursday. And I want at least a hundred words."

After saying goodbye to Phil as he reunited with best friend Emmeline, Lily found Hugo, Roxy and Lucy a little farther and kept up with them.

"We are full of homework already," Hugo was complaining.

"It will be like this the whole year," said Lucy.

They went directly to the Great Hall for dinner. Malone had held them after class because of the Strengthening Solution and they arrived in the right moment of the beginning of the feast.

Everyone was entertained with their food, but they all paid attention when a single owl in the middle of the meal. It wasn't common for owls to arrive out of schedule, so it meant something had happened. And, to their worries, they recognized the owl. It was Hugo's Levi.

"What is he doing here?" asked Hugo.

Everybody's attention was on Levi's landing in front of Hugo. He got the package tied to his owl's leg and unwrapped it. It seemed to be a non-official copy of the Daily Prophet and a letter.

Rose, Hugo's sister, who had seen Levi, came from the Ravenclaw table and grabbed the letter, while Hugo got the newspaper.

"Dear Rose and Hugo," Rose read it aloud. "This is what will be on the newspapers tomorrow, got it with your aunt Ginny. Can't say more details in here, but I'll stay in contact. Dad. That's weird. What does it say on the news, Hugo? Hugo?"

They all looked at Hugo. He was staring at the newspaper, seeming to be in shock. All the color of his face had disappeared. It reminded Lily of when he was having that nervous breakdown on summer. She tried not to panic, but she thought I knew what had happened. She hoped she was wrong. Lily grabbed the newspaper from his hands and took a look at the headline.

Wizards and witches with the purity of their bloods in doubt will be obligated to be under questioning.

Their biggest fear had turned into reality: minister Potts had just created a new law against Muggle-borns.