The thestral drawn carriages pulled up along the dirt path towards the large imposing castle in the distance. The girls could already see Harry and the Black girls coming out of their own carriage a few in front of them in the queue. The small group seemed to be waiting, however, on the steps for the rest of their friends to arrive. When the girl's carriage did finally pull up alongside the entrance, Harry opened the door himself and offered his hand to the first girl that would take it.

Parvati giggled slightly as she took the offered arm and was helped from the carriage, pulling her luggage down with her and setting it in the entrance hall. By the time she was done Lavender and her sister Padma had already been helped from the carriage as well. Luna went next and offered her arm to Hermione, giving a wink to Harry. He in turn just smiled and took the hint, moving away from the carriage to make sure the girl's luggage was all stored in the entrance hall.

All of the girls paired up and walked into the Great Hall whispering about the coming year. Padma and Luna separated from the group and headed over towards Ravenclaw, while the three new students had to wait in the entranceway with Professor McGonagall for the other first years to be sorted. Hermione, Parvati, Lavender, and Harry moved over towards the Gryffindor table, waving to mutual friends as well as speaking in low tones with one another. As a group they sat down nearest the doors to the Great Hall and continued talking.

"Hermione, what's the toad doing up there again?" Harry waved up towards the head table. The three girls turned and indeed Umbridge was sitting near the end of it. She was a right state with her tattered pink robes and her hair sleeked back slightly. She twitched and fretted in her seat, jumping whenever something large hit the floor.

"I have no idea, but I can only imagine she's here from the Ministry again." Hermione sighed and shook her head. "We'll never learn anything about defense." Harry smiled and patted her arm.

"Don't worry, Mione, I've got a plan." She smiled a little and then looked to the Ravenclaw table for a moment. "What is it?"

"I…well, I know it's silly, but….could you all call me Mi from now on?" She turned red a little and looked down at her plate to hide it.

"Why's that, Hermione?" Parvati spoke up from across the table. The four friends had arranged themselves with Harry and Hermione on one side and Parvati and Lavender facing them.

"It's just…..Ron always called me Mione and I'm not sure I really ever liked it. I love my given name, but it is a rather large mouthful." Here the friends had to smile and nod slightly. "Luna has been calling me Mi for a while and I rather like it, but I'm not sure if that will work for the rest of us."

Harry smiled a little and put his arm around her waist, giving her a gentle squeeze. This move went unnoticed by most except for a pair of redhead siblings that had just come in the door. "Not to worry, we'll come up with a good name, but I think Luna had a different meaning in mind with that one."

Hermione seemed deep in thought as the others watched their friends and classmates streaming into the hall. She got a wistful look on her face a moment later and then blushed, punching Harry in the arm. Before she could say anything however, the long line of first year students came into the hall lead by Professor McGonagall. Harry waved to not only the three Black girls, but also Shay and Morgan Valentine.

Both Valentine girls were awed by the size and impression they got from the large Great Hall. Shay appeared to shrink slightly back into her robes from embarrassment about being up there, but Morgan loved it. Her small frame twisted this way and that to see everything that there was, focusing on one thing only long enough to get some details and then look away. When her eyes found Harry she waved excitedly and pointed him out to her sister, whom waved a little more sedately.

Harry smiled back to both girls and gave nods and waves to the three that he knew. Rachel blew him a few kisses while Claire and Cassie were eyeing the old sorting hat sitting on the stool. As the entire hall soon quieted down the sorting hat came to life, jerking slightly as the rip near the brim opened into a wide mouth.

Another year has come at last

And here you all stand before me.

Be my job to recognize the past.

And look for what there is to see.

So put me on and think real hard

Of what you want to do

And I will take up the lead of bard

To tell all what you accrue.

Whether it be Gryffindor, Ravenclaw,

Slytherin, or Hufflepuff, it's true.

Hogwarts is the family with many flaws.

Gryffindor they say was brave

But more than rash was he.

Slytherin ambitious is what they crave

Although cowardly he may be.

Ravenclaw was fair and lusty

Taking only those of smarts

Her sight was slightly rusty

Not looking into their hearts

Beautiful dear Hufflepuff was next

Taking those of loyal true

Never thinking of the job so complex

Hard working was her clue.

While I separate you each in four

Unite you must to fight the war.

Put me on and see for yourself

What lies deep within your heart.

Most of the school clapped at the end of the song, although a few were silent staring at the hat. In the time that Harry had heard the song the hat always praised the founders and simply told what each of the houses stood for, but this year was obviously different because of other factors. While clapping for the hat he scanned the others reactions and saw most of his friends had reached the same conclusion.

"The rhyming scheme was a little off there at the end." Hermione nodded as she clapped and spoke over some of the other whispers that had broken out at the end of the song.

"I think it had something it wanted to say and couldn't figure out how to make it rhyme there at the end." Lavender replied as she craned her neck to try and see the new students being sorted. "Awful lot of older students coming in this year, isn't there?"

"People are getting scared with the Ministry finally acknowledging that Voldemort is back." Harry ignored the flinches around the table and continued. "Many parents are enrolling their children in Hogwarts late because they feel that with Dumbledore around the dark tosser wouldn't want to attack the castle."

The friends turned back to the sorting as it was reaching the older students. For the ease of getting through the sorting and not embarrassing a few people the older and younger students were separated. They paid enough attention to see Morgan Valentine be named a Hufflepuff. She seemed to pout for a second, going to sit with her new friends, all the time looking across the hall to Harry and his friends. He gave her a small encouraging smile and saw the little girl blush and turn to talk to another new first year near her.

When it came time to sort the older students into their new houses, the Black girls were near the top, all three of them going one after the other. Their names being called out caused a few whispers to break out and a few pointing, but that quieted down once Claire was put into Ravenclaw. The table clapped politely as she went and sat with Luna and Padma. Rachel was put in Slytherin and she couldn't help but blow kisses to both Draco and Harry as she walked past. Draco paled and slammed his head into the table a few times to the ringing laughter of Rachel.

Cassie was the real surprise of the night. Harry knew that Tonks had been in Hufflepuff before, and figured that she would probably end up there as well. Instead she was put in Gryffindor and squealed happily before bounding over and nearly sitting right in Harry's lap. The girls around the bewildered wizard made room for the new addition and congratulated her on getting into the house of the lion. Cassie gave a short wave across the hall to her new sisters at Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

Harry clapped loudly along with the Hufflepuffs when Shay was put in with her sister. She seemed embarrassed, her face red as a tomato as she sat down next to the bouncing Morgan. Harry gave her an encouraging wave and she smiled a little, still staring down at the gold plates and cutlery through most of the rest of the sorting.

"Now that we are all sorted and seemed to be settling down." Dumbledore stood up and gave a twinkling gaze over towards Cassie whom was still bouncing in her seat. Clapping his hands together the food appeared up onto the tables from the kitchens below.

As the houses ate, Harry listened to the gossip flying around him. It didn't hurt the cause to know what was going on around the rest of the school, and having the two self proclaimed gossip queens on his side were a bonus. Lavender and Parvati sitting across from him immediately started in on what people were wearing, whom was going out with whom and what the newest gossip could be in the coming weeks of school. Scanning the room the two girls landed on a pair of redheads leaning close to each other and occasionally shooting glares down the table.

"Harry, look at that…" Lavender said, tilting her head in their direction. Harry looked for a moment and then shrugged.

"I can only guess that they're planning something, although Neville doesn't seem to be in on it." Neville was seated a little ways down from the Weasley duo speaking in low tones to Dean and Seamus. "Think he might be getting support for a Ban Potter campaign for the dorms?"

"Not likely, we spoke to both of them on the train and they seem to be in your court with all this mess. It could be that he's trying more to get support for himself when he comes to apologize." Parvati speared a jacket potato and pulled it onto her plate before dousing it in butter and digging in.

"If they do try something, our vengeance will be swift and just." Cassie claimed, pulling more vegetables onto her plate. At a look from Harry she sighed. "Fine, I won't string them up from the astronomy tower by their knickers, but believe me…it would have been fun."

The other girls at the table nodded as Harry shook his head and then went to take a sip of his juice. A soft warm glow came from his right hand on the goblet and he paused for a second as he assimilated the information he got. Hermione stared down at his hand for a moment and saw the flash of something black and silver. Gasping she grabbed his hand and pulled it towards her.

"Harry James Potter, what in Merlin is going on?" Over Hermione's shoulder Harry could just see Ginny craning her neck to try and see him. She seemed eager to see what was about to happen.

"Later, Mi, I'll let you all in on a few secrets later, but for now, no one touch my goblet." Harry pulled his hand back from Hermione and smiled gently. "I could get used to your new nickname."

Before Hermione could respond however Dumbledore had already cleared all the plates and goblets of their food and drink respectively. Harry let his disappear without ever touching the liquid within. He caught a glimpse of Ginny sagging against her brother further down the table, but they quickly struck up a conversation with some others around their table. As Dumbledore stood he swept his arms across the hall in a grand gesture.

"Welcome, one and all to another year at Hogwarts. You will see some old faces and some new here in the school. As the sorting hat always points out, this year more so than last, Hogwarts is a family and there may come a time in the not so distant future where all of its students will have to stand together." Here he swept the hall with his eyes, landing first on Gryffindor and then on Slytherin. "Coming back to us from her short stay in Saint Mungo's after her dreadful accident is Professor Umbridge to teach Defense against the Dark Arts."

The hall erupted into a various shows of outrage or affection. The Slytherins, most of them at any rate, were singing her praises, clapping and cheering to have her return. Most of the rest of the hall were on their feet loudly protesting the return of by far the worst professor in the history of their time there. Many from last year's DA stood as well to protest, but Harry did not. Noticing their leader from last year not protesting, many of the students sat down confused, but he shook his head with a smile.

"Yes, Yes, we are all happy to see Professor Umbridge back safe and sound." Dumbledore smiled and his eyes twinkled merrily behind his glasses. The students slowly sat down muttering and whispering to one another. "After the Ministry recorded exemplary marks on O.W.L and N.E.W.T examinations last semester, they wished for her to return to teaching." Here most of the DA started to protest, but Harry shook his head again and waved them back down into their seats. "Because of her unfortunate condition a new approved student run organization has been formed to assist Professor Umbridge in her teaching duties. This organization will focus mostly on the practical portion of the Defense class while she will cover theory in the classroom."

The other teachers stared at Dumbledore as did most of the school. Harry simply smiled as Umbridge turned a shade of red and then white at the implications of the announcement. The entire school was on the edge of their seats, figuratively and literally as they waited for the inevitable announcement to drop.

"As per the Hogwarts bylaws, the organization has been approved by both me and the board of Governors. This new, Defense Association, or DA for short, will be completely student run with Professor McGonagall as the faculty advisor." The school was completely silent as they continued to listen, many of them staring at Dumbledore, Umbridge, or Harry for their reactions. "The DA will be open for all houses and all years depending on your skill. Each person interested in joining will have to speak with their Head of House for more details after this coming weekend."

Dumbledore clapped his hands and then seated himself, engaging in a conversation with McGonagall on one side and Sinistra on the other. The students didn't seem to know what to do with themselves as they sat there talking amongst themselves. Eventually the Head girl and Boy moved through the tables telling the prefects of a new meeting that would take place that evening directly following dinner in the Headmaster's office.

Harry smiled as he watched Dumbledore give a small nod in his direction before seating himself. Cho came by to let Hermione know of the meeting, but seemed to linger slightly near Harry, her leg pressed up against his back as she leaned over to talk to Hermione. Once she had left he shook his head a little and gained the attention of the other ladies at the table.

"What is it Harry? Do you know something about this new DA?" Hermione leaned into him as did the others.

"Of course I do, why Dumbledore would name it that if he didn't already know that I wanted to continue it." He held up a hand to forestall any arguments or questions. "What had me thinking was the rather flirtatious leaning of our dear Head Girl Cho Chang."

Instantly the four girls looked up around the Hall to find their query. Cho was down the Gryffindor table telling the new fifth year prefects and Ron about the meeting that would be held. As a group they started to stand, but Harry laid a hand on Hermione and Parvati's arms a little, pulling them back down onto the bench. Cassie still stared murderously down the aisle towards the Asian girl before speaking.

"She has no right to just come in here and flirt with you like that."

"Really?" Harry leaned on the table and smiled at the four blushing girls.

"It's just….we put a lot of effort into you and we don't' want to see you get hurt." Hermione began speaking really fast and then blushed as she stared at her plate.

"Look, all the girls talked one night and we figured that it would be best if you were with one of us, or at least someone that we all approve of." Cassie spoke quickly, seeing the scowl on Harry's face. "It's not that you need our permission to date…it's just….oh…"

Lavender put a hand on Cassie's arm as well as staring into Harry's eyes. "We are all very committing to protecting you, my lord. If a woman insults you then she insults all of us and we must defend you. We care much for your happiness, my lord."

The formal address as well as her words softened Harry a little and he groaned. "Ok, but none of that 'my lord' business again; I get the point. You're right though, Cho never was very good for me and it's odd that she would only now find me attractive when she had her shot last year."

The girls nodded and had to fill Cassie in on what had happened last year on Valentine's Day. Once the story was finished she looked furious and went to stand again to go after the Head Girl, wand in hand. It took both Harry and Hermione to talk her down from the idea, and only after a small kiss on the cheek from Harry did she sit back down.

Once all the prefects had been told of the meeting the students were let out of the Great Hall and streamed into the hallways and passages of the ancient castle. The Slytherins broke off at the entrance hall to the dungeons with the Gryffindor and Ravenclaws heading up towards their respective towers. Harry gave a nod of recognition to each of his friends as well as a wave to the Valentine sisters as they were shown off with the Hufflepuffs towards their dorms.

Upon reaching the portrait of the fat lady and the common room beyond, the four friends sat around the fire waiting for Hermione to return. Both Ginny and Ron were prefects for their year and disappeared with Hermione shortly after they had been let out from dinner. Seated around the fire with his friends, Harry felt more at home in the castle then he ever did. Cassie was flipping through one of her new textbooks familiarizing herself with potions, spells, and the like while Lavender and Parvati spoke it fast paced gossip girl speech that Harry couldn't possibly follow.

"Harry, could we talk?" Neville spoke up from behind the couch that Harry and Lavender were seated at. Instantly the conversation around the fire died and the girl's all looked to the shy boy.

"It's ok, girls, I'll talk with him." Standing Harry waved Neville over towards a nearby table and chairs. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm not going to apologize for the letter if that's what you want to hear." Neville slid down into a chair across from Harry. "I did think that you were a menace to us, our house and our lives, Harry. I still believe that on some level, but I do recognize that you're not going dark."

"I guess that's some consolation, what did you want to talk to me about?" Harry crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair.

"Before term started Ron and Ginny sent me a letter saying that they were going to try and get you banned from the Quidditch team even if Umbit…Umbridge's ban doesn't hold up. They were also talking about starting a petition to get you moved out of Gryffindor house for good." Neville shuffled his feet a little and then took a deep breath. "You've earned us a lot of points over the years, and lost a fair share. I know that Professor Snape seems to hate both of us equally, but I think that they might have gone too far with all of this."

"What do you mean?"

"I only got hurt last June because I choose to go with you, not because of something that happened here at school. Ron used to tell us amazing stories of your exploits here at school and I'm glad that I wasn't with you through some of them." He looked out the window as he sighed. "Sometimes I wonder why the hat put me in this house to begin with; here I want to stay away from the action when I'm supposed to be brave."

"Nev, bravery isn't all about jumping in head first. Think about what the hat said tonight about each of the houses, they all have their flaws, but Gryffindors are rash and can get killed for their bravery." He put a hand on the wayward students shoulder. "Sometimes bravery means knowing when to run away."

Neville nodded and then looked back at Harry. "Do you think that I belong here, Harry?"

"I think that everyone is put in their houses for a reason. It could be something small like standing up to a bully, or something large like going after the darkest wizard of all time. I do know this though, you were damn brave in the Ministry and I would be proud to have you fight alongside me anytime."

Neville smiled a little and then shook his head. "I don't think I was really that brave, going up against all those Death Eaters…and Lestrange getting away.." His face darkened for a moment and Harry shook his head.

"Neville, you fought beautifully in there and lasted longer than anyone else besides myself, and that's only because I've been training myself for so long. About Bellatrix Lestrange, I think that there is something you should see, a memory." Harry leaned in close and nodded slightly. "Not yet, and not here, but I'll get it to you when I can, all right?"

Neville nodded and accepted Harry's handshake before moving away from the table and heading up towards the boy's dorm. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he moved to sit back down on the couch on the other side from Lavender. The girl's gave him questioning looks, but before he could answer the portrait hole opened once more and a horde of prefects came into the common room.

Ginny smiled to Harry and gave a little demure wave before glaring at the girls around him. She sashayed her hips a little as she walked back towards the girl's dorms followed by a small group of girls that were obviously her friends. Ron didn't say anything to anyone as he came in the room and headed straight for the stairs, taking them two at a time to get up to his room. Hermione came in last and looked on the verge of hexing anyone who got in her way.

Harry stood and with the help of Cassie got Hermione to sit down in the middle of the couch with her friends around her. Lavender and Parvati were even concerned for the bushy haired genius of Gryffindor as they leaned in to help her relax a little. Cassie conjured a hot mug of tea and put it in Hermione's hand as Harry drew small circles on her back with his fingers.

After a few seconds Hermione seemed to calm down and gave a great sigh. "Thanks, guys, I really needed that. I guess I shouldn't let what she says get to me."

"Who?" Cassie asked from her position on the floor before the couch.

"Cho and Ginny, they were….ugh….I don't know if I can even talk about it."

"If you don't talk about it, how can we possibly craft a suitable revenge?" Cassie smirked twirling her wand between her fingers. The others nodded as well and Hermione smiled.

"I love you guys, have I ever told you that?" She sipped her tea for a moment and then took a deep breath for a long story. "I was coming out of dinner going towards the Headmaster's office for the meeting when….

Flashback

Hermione came out of dinner and started to walk down the familiar hallways towards the Headmaster's office. He often spoke with prefects there for various reasons, but she had never been there herself, only told where it was. She knew from conversations with Harry how the office was set up and what Dumbledore kept around him at all times. Her head was down so she didn't see the small group of girls that were walking in front of her.

"I thought you said that you two were dating. He didn't seem very interested in you at dinner."

"Oh, that's just because he felt bad for those girls. I mean, we have to keep up appearances or there might be an attack of something. He's so thoughtful like that." Hermione recognized Ginny's voice. As she rounded a corner she could see a small group of girls walking in front of her with the redhead in the lead.

"When's your date?" One of the other girls asked.

"Tomorrow night, just like always. We have a standing date for the first day back after term starts. He always brings me flowers and expensive gifts." Hermione was able to keep herself from snorting at the idea of some boy buying Ginny expensive gifts.

"He and Granger seemed pretty close at dinner, are you sure that you're going out with The Harry Potter?" Hermione was now closely following the girls, keeping her footsteps silent as she walked.

"Of course I am would I lie?" The girls didn't seem to buy it, but Ginny continued. "I mean, he just feels sorry for her; who wouldn't? She's the same buck toothed bushy haired, know-it-all that she was in first year."

"I don't know; I heard a few boys in Ravenclaw talking about how to get Granger in the sack. That Looney girl seemed a little upset about it, but she said it was some hum-whats-it that was flying around her head at the time." The girls all laughed as they neared the hallway that lead to the Headmaster's office.

Hermione kept her distance from the group taking in calming breaths just around the corner from the winged boars that guarded the entrance to the Head office. She put a hand to her chest and then slowly turned the corner. Ginny was gone, but Cho was apparently waiting at the bottom of the steps with the door open for the rest of the prefects to arrive.

"Granger, good for you to arrive early; Weasley already went up. I was hoping to talk to you privately before the meeting." Cho kept her voice happy as she spoke.

"What would you like to talk about, Cho?"

"First of all I was hoping you could help out my friend Marietta from last year. She says that she's really sorry about what happened, even if she can't remember all the details." She gave a large sigh and looked down at the other girl before her. "I also wanted to ask about Harry."

"What about Harry?"

"Well, I was hoping to get to know him again this year and wanted to know what kind of girls Harry is interested in." Cho flipped her black hair over her shoulder. "I mean, does he like pretty girls like me or plainer one's like you. You've been his friend for five years now, I'm sure that you would know by now."

Hermione gritted her teeth at the implication. "Well, I think you would know since you went out with Harry last year."

"I don't really consider that much of a relationship. I was hoping for a bit more intimacy after our first kiss, but I guess you can't have everything. Tell me, how is he in bed?"

"What!?" Hermione had to take a step back and put her hand over her heart.

"You must have been sleeping with him for so long to get him to be so loyal to you. He left a date with me to go to the Three Broomsticks with you, clearly there's something going on there."

Before Hermione could give her angry retort the rest of the prefects had arrived, moving up the hallways chatting happily with one another. Giving one last look to Cho Hermione moved up the moving staircase towards the office, her mind a whirlwind of what she had both heard and spoken about.

End Flashback

Harry was staring at the ceiling in thought as the other girls around him were increasingly angry. Lavender and Parvati were already talking about what rumors to spread about the new Head Girl while Cassie was flipping through her textbooks for the most obscure curses and potions that they could use. Hermione stared down into the surface of her tea for a moment before speaking.

"Harry…do you…I mean…." Harry took her hands in his and gently gave them a squeeze.

"I don't hang out with you out of pity if that's what you're going to ask. And No, I don't think that you're plain at all." Hermione blushed at the compliment and smiled. "Ginny's remarks do explain a few things."

"Yes, they most certainly do." Lavender tapped a well manicured finger against her chin. "I think it might be time to unleash a few nasty rumors that I've had stored up for just such an occasion."

"Oooh….number fifty-five, please let's do that one." Parvati was on her knees begging as she pouted slightly to her best friend.

"Come on girls, we have planning to do." Cassie stood up, gathering her books as she headed towards the girls stairs, blowing a kiss to Harry. "We'll see you in the morning, lover boy." The other girls did the same, giving hugs to Harry as they disappeared, chatting with one another in whispers.

"This year is only going to get more interesting." Harry shook his head as he trudged up the stairs dreading the coming confrontation.