Harry Potter was not having the best of days. His head was pounding from hours spent staring at the Marauder's map looking for Malfoy. He knew that Draco was up to something, and he was going to find out what.
Hermione and Ron told him to drop it for one night and come to the feast. It would really cheer him up to stuff his face with delicious pudding, Ron had told him. Harry decided to go with it.
They followed the masses of students making their way to the huge holiday supper. There were golden plates lining the four tables, and students were already seated with friends, and the teachers table was already half full.
Harry sat at the Gryffindor table with Ron and Hermione, cringing at the noise level in this huge hall. He glanced at the teachers' table and made eye contact with Snape. The level of dislike in the stare almost singed Harry.
Harry stared at his empty plate, and became lost in thought. What in the world was Malfoy doing that made him disappear off the map for hours on end? Harry was desperate to find out.
As Harry sat there thinking hard, he didn't notice the silence that rung through the hall. He didn't see the projection of two mismatched eyes that was floating in the front of the room. It wasn't until the voice spoke that he was pulled out of his daze.
"I need everyone's attention," said the most beautiful voice Harry had ever heard. He snapped his head to the side and looked up at the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He wanted to do whatever this voice told him to do, no matter what.
"There will be a new student here, and he will be in Slytherin house. I want you to know that he has been here since the very beginning. His name is Artemis, and you have always known him. He is no different than the rest of you, do you understand?"
"Yes," chimed the students, as one.
"And there will also be a short elf girl that will be here. She is also a normal human student. Treat her as such, understand?"
"Yes."
Harry wanted so much to follow that voice, to allow himself to succumb, but something in his brain was telling him no. If he had beaten the Imperius curse, then this was no different.
Since Holly's power was so strong, Harry only halfway avoided her mesmer. He was left with a sort of confusion that only gave him a small doubt. He did not know what had just happened, and he only partly knew to accept the new boy and the new girl.
The new boy in question came into view, and all of the students ignored him. When the projection faded, they went back to chatting as though nothing had happened. Dumbledore gave his speech, and the huge assortment of food appeared.
Artemis motioned to Holly, who followed him to a spot that was open at the Slytherin table. They both sat down and blended right in to the mass of students. It was like they were never there, and the Slytherins seemed to be talking to them like they had known them their whole lives.
Little did they know, there were three people staring at them. Dumbledore, who had really pretended to be mesmerized, Snape, who was in on it all, and Harry, who was utterly confused about who they were and where he was.
"Gome on, 'Arry, eat 'om 'urkey," mumbled Ron, who had a turkey leg in each fist. Harry shook his head and started piling food on his plate. He hadn't known it, but he was starving. And his headache had magically disappeared. Who cares if there was a strange new student with a friend that wasn't human? Harry sure didn't when there was food to be eaten.
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