AN: The usual disclaimers do not apply, I do not own the world or characters created by J. K. Rowling, I only own this story and the Original characters created to play within it. Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying your Holidays and I hope they are merry, bright and filled with love and friendship. This new story wouldn't leave me alone while I was working on some of my others so, here we go; lets see where this adventure takes us shall we.

Harry entered into the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione, glad to be out of the pouring rain. He was surprised when Ron called out at the fact that Barty Crouch, the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic, was seated beside Professor Dumbledore. They quickly made their way toward the Gryffindor table as they saw Ludo Bagman enter from a door behind Professor Sprout and take the empty seat beside where Hagrid usually sat.

"What on earth are they doing at Hogwarts?" Ron cried as they settled themselves into their seats.

"Dunno." Said Harry with a shrug as he turned to look up and down the Staff table. "Looks like the First Years are still crossing the lake, wonder where the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is?" He said indicating the empty seats of Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and the seat usually occupied by the yet unknown Professor.

"I have no idea." said Hermione with a frown as she turned to look up at the Staff Table herself.

Turning to look about as the other students entered the Hall, he found himself staring at the Slytherin Table. As usual Malfoy and his cronies were gathered in their little cluster enjoying their jabs and sneers. He was just about to turn back to Ron and Hermione when the girl beside Draco turned and he saw her.

Her shoulder length black bob was familiar though he could not immediately place where he had seen her before as he continued to take her in. Her porcelain skin held a beauty he felt he had never seen before as he his eyes took in her heart-shaped mouth and thin petite, pug-shaped nose. He blinked as comprehension dawned on him at both the changes come over her and the fact that it was Pansy Parkinson.

"Harry!" Hermione called, exasperation evident in her voice. "Harry are you listening, what are you staring at?"

He quickly turned back to her, shaking his head as he quickly muttered. "Nothing!"

"No, really." Hermione said as she turned toward the Slytherin Table and froze. "Is that...Pansy Parkinson?"

"What?" Ron asked looking about, "What about-good-Merlin's Beard!" he cried as his eyes took in what Harry suspected was Pansy's transformation.

"What?" Harry asked, trying to get the attention taken off of his notice of the Slytherin girl. When he had saw her he had felt something stir deep in his stomach and the attention was making him uncomfortable.

"She got beautiful!" Ron hissed, turning back to look at Harry and Hermione.

"She'll still be a fat cow no doubt though." Hermione said with a sigh as the Great Hall began to fall silent.

They turned their attention toward the entrance where Professor McGonagall was leading the new First Years toward the front of the Hall, a three-legged stool and the dilapidated old Sorting Hat held in her hands. Harry watched as she stopped at the bottom of the steps leading up to the dais where the Staff Table sat, setting the stool down and the hat upon it, she stepped aside.

The gathered crowd quieted as all of the older students and staff turned toward the hat expectantly, the First Years following their lead after a few moments. As the gathered Hall watched a wide tear in the hat near the brim opened wide like a mouth.

"Oh gathered friends and new ones yet" The Hat began to sing, quivering upon its stool as if in a dance. "A new year has now started. We gather here in joyous cheer as if we never parted."

The Hall erupted into applause, but clearly the Hat was not finished as it continued on:

"For many years I have watched and watched,

Each year is so different. I wish I knew a better

Way than breaking you all in part. It never had

a greater mark than what we see at hand.

Yet still it is my job you see,

to place you where you aught to be.

I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat, put me on

and lets see where you belong.

Perhaps in Brave old Gryffindor, where dwell those courageous lot.

Mayhaps in Ravenclaw where those with intellect most oft dwell.

Clever you who find that Slytherin is what your path will swell.

Instead perhaps in Hufflepuff you'll find that long lost host of friends.

Though each be different yet and true,

we're still so very much the same.

Beware the Darkness may yet come,

stand true and strong Hogwarts will overcome."

The Hat gave a wobbly bow and then settled as the students all looked at each other and then up to the Staff Table before back to the Sorting. Professor McGonagall quickly made her way through the list, calling the students forth and placing the Hat on their head where it would shout the name of the Hogwarts House to which they were sorted. It wasn't long before a boy named Denis Creevey who turned out to be the Brother of Collin joined them, sopping wet and soaking the table and bench with Hagrid's great overcoat.

After another twenty Minutes Professor McGonagall cleared away the Stool and Hat before joining the Staff Table. As she sat Dumbledore rose with a warm smile as he looked out upon all of them raising his hands in welcome.

"Good evening all of you." He greeted politely as most of the faces in the Hall turned to greet him, some waving. "I am sure all of you are more than ready for our excellent Feast. Tuck in!"

As he finished his sentence Dumbledore sat back down in his seat and the plates and goblets appeared filled with food and drink. Immediately the room was filled with the buzz of talking and laughter mixed with the scraping of cuterly on plates. Harry quickly began to pull several of his favorites toward him including ham, mashed potatoes and some rolls.

Ron sighed heavily as he began to pile his plate with food, stuffing his mouth immediately with satisfaction. Hermione looked at him in mild disgust but didn't say anything, something Harry was sure would have caused an argument. She smiled at Harry as she began to fill her own plate as the House Ghosts and other select Ghosts from around the school began to swarm into the Hall in their usual Start of Term show.

"I wonder what that was about with the Hat?" Hermione asked as she looked about to see Nearly Headless Nick the Gryffindor House Ghost hovering beside her.

"No idea." Harry said, he had only heard the Hat sing twice now and both in his third year and first the song had been the same. "Has it ever given out warnings before?"

"Yes, I have heard it give out warnings in the past." Nick said as he leaned down to join their conversation. "Of course, in those times the school and indeed the world were in great danger. Now though, I am not sure what it's going on about."

Harry frowned as he looked at Hermione and Ron, he thought back to over the summer when his scar had hurt before the Quidditch World Cup and the events after. Perhaps the Sorting Hat was trying to warn everyone that something dangerous was coming. Well that was obvious if you took the Death Eaters at the World Cup as more than just a reminder of their continued existence.

He sighed as he took a bite of his food, the wish that Sirius was close to talk to coming to him yet again. He didn't want to think about the fact that Sirius was now on his way back, he hoped that Hedwig would reach him in time and that the letter he had sent him on the train would dissuade him from returning. He refused to allow Sirius to be caught again, especially when it was nothing more than a few minutes pain and then it vanished.

Clearing his head he looked around the hall again, finding his gaze once more drawn to the Slytherin Table and Pansy. She was sitting beside Draco with a smug smile as he chattered on about something, probably gloating about his Father and his crazy violent friends. He watched them for a few moments as she doted over Draco, obviously infatuated with every ounce of him.

He was just about to turn away when her eyes shifted and he found her staring at him. She froze for a moment and he quickly looked away before peering out of the corner of his eye to see if she was still looking at him. She had returned to her conversation with Draco, two other girls now joining in who he vaguely remembered to be Tracy Davis and Daphne Greengrass a brunette and corn-silk blonde who looked at everything with disdain that wasn't purely magical or Pure Blooded.

He sighed, feeling that strange feeling in his stomach again as he thought about her beauty. He had never really had many interactions with Pansy, those that he had often ended with rude remarks or comments aimed at him, Ron or especially Hermione. Why was the Slytherin girl so rude, was there truly something about them that was so repulsive that rudeness was the only way she could respond.

Well, he knew that part of the problem was his feud with Draco and several of the other Slytherins. Since first year they had despised each other, constantly Harry had found himself either provoking or being provoked by Draco over some of the stupidest things. He wondered momentarily if Draco and Pansy were dating, but pushed the though of his mind it wasn't his business.

Shaking his head to clear it, he returned to his food and listened to the conversation around them. It was not long before the deserts and plates were cleared away and they were all settling into their full stomachs. Dumbledore rose from his chair and moved to the podium at the head of the dais.

"Before we retire to our warm beds for a good nights sleep, I have a few Start of Term Notices to announce." He said as the hall immediately fell silent, all heads turning to Dumbledore. "Firstly to our New Students I want to say welcome to Hogwarts, to our returning Hands welcome back!"

The Hall erupted into applause and calls of greetings and welcome. Dumbledore paused and waved, smiling politely as he waited for everyone to fall silent once more.

"Secondly the Forbidden Forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students, Mr. Filch has also asked me to remind you that the list of banned objects can be found on his office door." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

"And Third, most important of all." He said, his smile growing wider. "Hogwarts is to play Host this year to a most extraordinary event, the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

The Hall which had been silent until now was near to deafening at the noise that met this announcement. Several of the older students were looking about excitedly as if to ask if it were true. Finally after much effort Dumbledore managed to call the Hall to silence again.

He introduced Mr. Crouch and Ludo who quickly jumped into an explanation of what the Tournament was about. The two visiting Schools, Beauxbatons Academie in France and Durmstrang in Romania would be arriving the first weekend in October. It was revealed that the inter-house Quidditch tournament would be canceled this year, but most of the students did not care with the excitement of the Tournament ahead.

With the promise that more information would be coming about the Tournament when the visitors arrived, Dumbledore dismissed them for an early nights rest. Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way up to the Gryffindor Common room, Hermione already having gotten the Password from one of the Prefects. As they entered the three of them bade good night to each other and Harry and Ron made their way up to their dorm.

Entering they found that Seamus and Neville had already beaten them up and were changing into their pajamas. Harry and Ron waved in greeting as they too began to change into their night clothes, Harry setting his robes aside for the next day.

They talked about the Tournament as Dean came in and began to pin up his usual personal affects. Harry smiled as he thought back to all the times Ron had tried to get the figures in Dean's photos and posters to move despite the fact they were obviously Muggle made.

"So, who do you think will be the 'ogwarts Champion then?" Seamus asked as he looked over to the others.

"No idea mate." Said Ron with a grin. "I am sure there are a few who will try for it."

"I jus' hope it isn' that' idiot Cedric Diggory." Seamus said with a frown. "I wonder if they'll put an age limit on this year's tournament?"

"Why?" Asked Harry with a frown.

"Well because o' all the deaths o' course" He said, turning to look at Harry with a frown. "There's been loads, it's why they canceled tha Tournament to begin with."

Harry frowned, the more he heard about the Tri-Wizard Tournament the more he found that he did not ever want to be in it. While the thought of eternal glory may be amusing to some, he just wanted to be himself and have a normal, quiet, year of peace at Hogwarts.

"No idea." Said Ron with a frown. "Could you imagine entering though?"

The others all agreed at how great it would be to be named School Champion and represent the school in the Tasks. He sighed as he curled up into his covers and turned to face away. He could hear the others slowly getting into bed and making their good nights. He had no wish for all that entering the Tournament would entail, he thought again as he drifted slowly off to sleep.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the story thus far. This will be a slow burn story revolving around Harry and Pansy Parkinson that will cover several Parts, this first called Because I Can will cover the entirety of Fourth Year and each installment will be a separate year. Leave a review below and let me know what you think.