Chapter 5: Hogwarts

Harry and his friends are heading to King's Cross in the same cars they did two years ago. "Prongslet, I know you can't make your Dad proud since he, unlike you, wasn't a prefect, but your mother was." Sirius said. "Albeit I'd rather have you NOT making her proud in that regard. She gave us lots of detentions in our day. She should dock points from Slytherins."

"She couldn't do that as a prefect, Professor Black." Hermione replied. "Prefects can't dock points from any House other than their own. She had to become Head Girl or a teacher to dock points from the other houses."

"She became Head Girl." Sirius moaned. "And yet she didn't dock as many points from Slytherins as she did from us."

"Hermione, you can't dock points from those snakes but you'd better give them a lot of detentions." Ron suggested.

After Moody made sure it was safe (or that the people whose safety he was responsible for were too afraid of missing the train, whatever happened first), Harry and his friends left the cars and entered Platform 9 ¾. "The same usual compartment?" Ron asked.

"Harry and I are prefects now, Ronald." Hermione replied. "Harry and I have special compartments."

"I got word the Potions Master Dumbledore hired to replace Snivellus is also inside the train." Sirius commented. "I'll try to find him and see if he's a better teacher than the greasy git."

Ron lonely looked for a compartment until he found Neville Longbottom. The two of them found seats at a compartment with Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood. "Hi, Ron. Hi, Neville. Join us." Ginny said.

"No, thanks." Ron sheepishly said, not wanting to sit with "Loony" Lovegood. "We'll…"

"We don't mind." Ginny said, pulling Ron. Neville went along.

Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione met the other prefects. "Potter, Granger, what have you done to Draco?" Theodore Nott, the Slytherin prefect, asked with an accusing tone.

"What do you mean, Nott?" Harry asked.

"I was told Draco Malfoy won't be returning this year." Nott said. "I don't know how but I'm sure you have something to do with it."

"You're not here to argue with your fellow prefects, Nott!" The Head Boy said. "Remember you wouldn't be a prefect had Malfoy come to get the title."

After that argument, the prefects started their rounds. "Harry Potter." A student called. "Professor Slughorn asked me to deliver you this note." The student than gave the note and left.

"Slughorn?" Harry asked, thinking about Snape's predecessor.

"Maybe Horace Slughorn has a son or a daughter that followed in his footsteps." Hermione suggested. As both of them went to the place the note told Harry to meet Professor Slughorn, they found several other students and a man they believe to be Professor Slughorn. Given the man's age, Harry suspected he's the same Professor Slughorn his Godfather mentioned. "Horace Slughorn, I presume?"

"You're correct, Mr. Potter." Slughorn replied. "Have you already been told you look like your father but…"

"… with my mother's eyes, yes." Harry replied. "Professor, this is my best friend and fellow Gryffindor prefect Hermione Granger."

"Granger?" Slughorn asked. "Are you related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, founder of The Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?" Professor Slughorn asked with a big smile.

"I don't think so, Sir." Hermione meekly answered. "I'm a Muggle-born."

Slughorn's reaction made it obvious that her connection to Harry Potter is the only reason he's still talking to her. 'At least until he sees how good she is as a potion maker.' Harry thought. 'Unless he's as much of a git as Snape used to be during his time but this doesn't match what Sirius said about him.'

Later on, as they arrived at the Great Hall, Dumbledore made the announcements. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to announce two new additions to our teaching staff: first, Sirius Black is our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; second, the Board of Governors deemed Professor Snape unfit to teach children, so Professor Horace Slughorn agreed to resume his posts as Hogwarts' Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House." The last part got applause from all students. From the Slytherins for having a Head of House that was so well spoken by their parents and from the other students because Snape left. "The Ministry recently passed an Educational Decree allowing them to appoint teachers for any post I can't find anyone to teach. Fortunately that won't be necessary yet. But enough of speeches for now. We all want to eat."

After dinner, Ron invited Harry for a game of Exploding Snap with him. "Sorry, Ron, but I have to lead the Gryffindor first-years to their dorms. Prefect duties."

The next morning, at the Gryffindor common room, Angelina Johnson approached Harry. "Great news, Harry! I'm the new captain of the Quidditch team."

"Congratulations!" Harry exclaimed.

"Training begins tonight." She added. "Don't miss it?"

"Are you sure you're not Oliver Wood on polyjuice?" Harry asked.

"It's Quidditch we're talking about, Potter." She sternly said. "Be serious."

"My Godfather likes Quidditch but I can't be him, Angelina." Harry replied.

"Harry, that…" Gred started.

"… was hilarious." Forge continued.

"Fred, George, how good is your brother as a keeper?" Angelina said. "We need a new one now that Wood graduated."

"Honestly, we'd rather have…"

"…Ginny as a keeper."

"Actually, she's asked me about chaser tryouts." Angelina replied.

"What?" The twins asked in shock. "But our Ginny doesn't even play Quidditch." Fred said.

"She does." Harry replied. "You and your brothers wouldn't let her play with you so she must do it hidden from your family."

"You knew and didn't…"

"…tell us?"

"I'm not a snitch. I just catch them during games."

"Well, it seems that being a Marauder's son and another's godson gave him a sense of humor, don't you agree, Forge?"

"In fact, Gred."

"Marauder?" Angelina asked.

"A group of pranksters my Dad and my Godfather used to be a part of while they were students." Harry explained. "Snape was their favorite victim."

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