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Harry, Hermione and Neville were the source of everyones attention as they departed from the Hogwarts Express. Stepping down onto the platform, Harry turned to give Hermione a hand down; being the gentleman that he is. A large circle of students enveloped them into the crowd, keeping their distance but staying close enough to listen to their conversation.
"Relax Neville, they don't bite" Harry laughed, eyeing the students milling around them "at least I don't think they do"
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here", the familiar gruff shout of the gamekeeper Hagrid, came rumbleing over the organised chaos. Harry exchanged a look with Hermione and led his two friends over towards the friendly giant. "Arry! Arry Potter! I heard you were comin back, its good to see ya" Hagrid cheered happily, clapping Harry on the shoulder and beaming brightly at the group before him.
"I just came to say hello before the feast. Are you still teaching?"
"Yeah, Magical creatures is goin to be real interestin this year. Gotta a lot o' amazin creatures to show the students" Hagrid said tapping his sausage like finger to his nose secretivly. "You three betta get goin or y'll be late to the feast" he hurried them along. The group of first years stood silent and shocked as the three heroes said their goodbyes to the giant and walked off down the platform.
"I'd hate to be in his class, I love Hagrid but his idea of 'amazing' creatures were usually highly dangerous and or equally repulsive" Hermione stated kindly, truly feeling for her fellow students.
"It wasn't that bad Mione, his first lesson with us was pretty memorable" Harry smirked helping her into the thestral drawn carriage.
"Of course you would say that, Buckbeak became your close personal friend. You two having so much in common" Neville said from his seat in the carriage, Hermione laughing beside him. Harry just rolled his eyes and took his place beside his friends.
"Harry! Harry! Harry, Hermione! Neville!" The shrill screams of their once close friend Ronald Weasley came from not so far away. Before Harry could react, Hermione muttered something and the carriage took off like a shot, leaving the ginger weasle with his fangirls and layered in gravel.
"Nicely done Mione, nicely done" Harry approved, smirking at the livid ron over his left shoulder. Thanks to Hermione the three were amongst the first to arrive at the castle. Its great presence as awe inspiring as their first trip across the black lake. Above the newly rebuilt grand archway words had been carved into the stone, like a tombstone.
'To those we have lost, we'll remember their sacrafice'
The bold font hung over the school like a bad dream. The tinge of guilt mixed with despair beyond belief raked through Harry's body threatening to drown him in its misery; the pain still all too new.
"Come on Harry, lets get a seat" Hermione pulled on his robe, half dragging half leading him to the Gryffindor table. The great hall looked eerily the same its new walls masking the fowl memories that plagued Harry's thoughts. The three sat in silence, the seats around them steadily filling as more students arrived. Harry caught the barest glimpse of bright red hair in the sea of bodies; he groaned.
"SILENCE!" Headmistress Minerva McGongall blared over the rabble. Drawing the entire halls attention. "Settle down the sorting will begin momentarily. Give the new students the same respect that you were given and welcome them into our school" standing at the podium she gave the signall to open the doors.
Harry sat up straighter and watched as the scared little first years walked down the centre isle; he had a flash back to hearing Hermione say "Its not real, its charmed to look like the night sky. I read it in, A Hogwarts History" he smiled and shook his head, much to the bemusement of his friends. Its true, Hogwarts holds a tremendous amount of bad memories, but it held a lot of good ones too. Harry just had to make the good ones stronger then the bad.
The sorting went by quickly, Gryffindor gaining eight new housemates. "Yes, yes. Congratulations on your new houses. I hope you make them proud. Now before the feast I would like to make a few start of term announcements." McGonagall tapped her wand loudly on the podium to gain the students ever wavering attention.
"We have an unusual amount of 7th years this year and due to this, extra rooms have been built in each of the house dorms. I would also like to announce this years quidditch captains and Head Girl and Boy."-a slight pause-"The Captain for Hufflepuff will be a returning 7th year, Zacharias Smith"-cheers filled the hall, each table clapping good naturely as Zach stood and re-seated himself-"The captain for Ravenclaw will be Rodger Davies-"the handsome boy stood, Harry remebered him being Fleaur Delacour's date at the Yule ball-"The Captain for Gryffindor shall be, Harry Potter!".
Only a kick from Hermione could knock enough sense into Harry to stand and smile at his other housemates. He didn't even notice that he got the loudest cheers of all.
"Yes and Finally, the Captain for the Slytherine house will be, Draco Malfoy along with his duties as Head Boy!" Slytherine cheered tremendously for Malfoy, but the three other houses were having a hard time comprehending what had just happened. Draco was Captain? Draco was Head boy? Everyone had assumed it would be Harry Potter, not the boy who tried to kill Dumbledore. And much to everyones confusion, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were amongst the ones clapping politely for Malfoy. "Yes congratulations Mr. Malfoy. Now the Head girl position will go to none other then Hermione Granger!"
This did not come as a suprise to anyone, but her appearance did. Hermione stood just like the other names called out, but with a big difference. Cat calls and wolf whistles resounded inside the walls of Hogwarts and she didn't even blush, this wasn't the same Hermione everyone had gotten used too. Harry put face to palm dramatically, this year was going to be interesting. It took a while after Hermione's startling debute for Mcgonagall to gain control again.
"Okay, moving on. I'd like to remind all students that the Forbiden forest is exactly that forbidden. Anyone caught attempting to enter will be met with strict punishments. Our groundskeeper Hagrid shall be resuming his job as Care of Magical Creatures proffesor and I would like to introduce our new Defence against the dark arts teacher. Proffesor Gawain Robards, the former head of the Auror office at the Ministry" Harry had only ever heard of this man in passing and as a way to bribe Harry to be the 'poster boy' for the ministry.
The new Proffesor stood to the polite cheers and claps of the student body. He looked warn but definatly not old, he looked like a man who had seen the very dredges that society had to offer and lived to tell the tale. Maybe defence against the dark arts wouldn't be so bad this year. The man seated himself and McGonagall continued "I've held up the feast long enough, Bravery! Loyalty! Knowledge! Leadership!"
Food instantly appeared on the tables, the halls chatter laced with delicious smells and scraping of cutlery on plates.
"Congrate Mione, new you'd be Head Girl" Harry said while they dug into the feast before them; their plates laden with great food to eat, from a full turkey to brussel sprouts.
"Thanks Harry, it shouldn't be too difficult. The only problem I have, is with that slime ball Malfoy", the old Hermione would be fretting about schedules and school work, but this is what happens when you conquor something inifinatly worse; nothing ever seems as bad as it used to be.
"After Voldermort how bad can he be?" Neville questioned rhetorically while stuffing his mouth with mashed potatoe.
"He has a point Hermione. If he tries to kill you, then we'll worry" Harry winked and unknowingly made many girls watching swoon. His new powers over the female student body were sure to get him into a lot of trouble...
BANG.
Harry's whole world changed with that sound. The sound of the great halls doors banging against the walls, making his heart sprint and ears ring. The entire hall burst into chatter at the person standing in its doorway, hidden from Harry by the sea of bodies standing for a better look. Loud whispers reached Harry down the Gryffindor table, it was a student, an extremely late student. Knowone knew who it was but she was walking towards the Ravenclaw table.
Harry, unable to just sit, jumped up from his seat. Towering over the students around him (mostly girls). He spotted the late girl-back to him-surrounded by a crowd of Ravenclaw's. She looked about 5ft 8, beautifully sculpted and long golden wavy hair reaching to her waist. The aura around her seemded to glow with incandescent beauty. Harry desperatly wished for the girl to turn around and as if in complacent to his wish she did exactly that.
Harry's instant thought was 'I know her', but he couldn't place where. How could he not know this angel's name? Her oval shaped faced squaring off slightly towards her chin, skin a flawless ivory, rosebud lips and silvery eyes that looked dreamily distracted even at the centre of attention...
"Harry!"-a sharp pull, dragged him back down onto his seat.-"Harry, Harry its Luna"
"I know", and somehow he had, he knew it was her.
"Thats LUNA? Wow" Neville whistled long and low. Harry had to agree, wow.