The Wall of Stone
This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy.
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Chapter 21 Hogwarts Express and SortingOn 1 September 1995, the atmosphere on Platform 9¾ was very different than previous years. Yes, there was great excitement among the students but the presence of Aurors in force suppressed any comments by the few blood purest parents who remained alive. Their teenaged children were tired of the lectures and looked forward to a school year that appeared designed to challenge them to learn and surpass their previous achievements.
And there were new professors present on the platform to provide the anxious parents and students with extensive information about the improvements being implemented at Hogwarts. However, multiple persons noticed that there weren't any firsties present in the crowd.
Many people asked, "Did the new professors know how to find the 11-year-olds who were eligible to attend?"
The explanation floored the older students and parents – Hogwarts had hosted the firsties since 30 August for an orientation. The firsties (and their magical or mundane parents) arrived via portkeys, apparition, or floo to the castle for lunch on the morning of 30 August and spent the afternoon with their professors, house elves, and ghosts. A few mundane parents required mundane approved calming potions upon meeting the ghosts, but everyone survived the adventure. This morning after breakfast and one final discussion with Deputy Headmistress Heppner, the firsties used the floo (with assistance from the head girl, head boy and prefects) to travel to Platform 9¾ to embark on the train for the ride north to Hogwarts.
Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were the fifth-year prefects for Gryffindor, so they avoided everyone at the platform until they arrived with the firsties for the trip north. They helped the firsties onto the train where the atmosphere was welcoming and cheerful.
Then a howl shattered the comfortable morning. It was Molly Weasley yelling, "Harry Potter! Where have you been all summer?"
The obviously angry witch was quickly stupefied by two Aurors and another Auror moved her out of sight of the students and other parents on the platform. When his youngest son and only daughter began to protest the treatment of their mother, Mr Weasley growled, "Shut it! Your mother has no business questioning Mr Potter. This morning is about Forge and Gred who are starting their seventh year!"
Arthur had warned his wife about her behaviour, and so he ignored her current condition to give the twins the attention they deserved during their departure to begin their last year at Hogwarts. With demands of grades at the winter break indicating they would be able to pass their NEWTS, Fred and George left to board the train.
This departure freed Arthur to speak to Ronald and Ginevra and for once, their father didn't mince words, "Ron, you take your OWLS at the end of this school year. You must pass three OWLS to keep your wand. And if you want to keep the scholarship to attend Hogwarts for a sixth year, you need at least three grades of Acceptable or Exceeds Expectations."
"Don't worry, Dad," Ron assured his father. "Those grades are in the bag."
"No, they're not. Dumbledore isn't headmaster this year. He's just there as an advisor before he retires. And no one is going to alter your grades. Remember the five Trolls on your report card last month? The only reason you are enrolling as a Fifth Year is the new headmaster is giving everyone the benefit of the doubt."
The youngest Weasley boy turned red in the face and refused to answer his father. Arthur leaned closer and said, "You're forbidden all Quidditch and Chess until the winter break and I see that your current grades are Acceptable."
"Dad, that's not fair," Ron whined before he ran for the train. He hoped the package he'd slipped into Fred's trunk had gone unnoticed – it contained his chess set and fourteen monthly issues of Quidditch World News. His mother had assured him that Dumbledore would be back in charge of Hogwarts by Christmas – Yule. Glancing back, Ron saw his dad giving Ginny a lecture like the one he'd received – good grades required to stay at Hogwarts past her OWLS.
'Wonder if she's got those chocolates that Mum fixed for Potter?'
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Photos of the BirthdayHarry Potter and Neville Longbottom were both embarrassed when the photos from their birthday party in Paris appeared in the Daily Prophet. The two teenagers were in Paris with the Grangers who were on the last leg of their long vacation (to avoid nosey British wizards) when Hermione discovered two of her Gryffindor classmates visiting the Louvre with Ted and Andromeda Tonks.
The teenagers shared basic news and wandered away to view a hidden room of magical portraits and landscapes, (Josephine Bonaparte's portrait was the most outspoken about life in the late 1700s and early 1800s). While the trio was visiting the magical section of the famous museum, the Grangers and Tonks shared stories.
Andromeda voiced immediate approval of the Grangers removing Hermione from Dumbledore's influence for the summer. Mrs Granger said, "We have stressed the many developments that our people have made compared to the wizards who still wallow in the Middle Ages."
Nodding, Andy lamented, "We didn't pay enough attention to our daughter who was drifting under the old fart's thumb until it was almost too late. This summer, I think she's pulled her head out of the cauldron just in time and can think for herself again."
"And I'm helping Heir Potter figure out his estate, and I became Heir Longbottom's regent earlier this month," explained Ted. "Lady Longbottom kept the boy repressed but he and Harry are coming out of their shells nicely."
While talking, the parents were surprised by the reappearance of the teens with a large group of young witches who were students at Beauxbatons. Last autumn, before the disastrous First Task, Hermione had formed friendships with a half dozen young women from France. (Hermione's French was excellent and Mrs Granger also joined the conversation, meeting the parents who were chaperones for the girls' adventure in the capital.)
When the girls learned that Monsieur Potter and Monsieur Longbottom would return to London the next day, Hermione and her friends asked if the two boys could remain for another week. The Grangers and the magical parents spoke with the Tonks couple and the two teenage boys moved hotels the next day instead of leaving with Ted and Andromeda. On 30 July, when the girls learned they had missed Neville's birthday and the next day was Harry's birthday, a series of impromptu parties were arranged beginning at breakfast, continuing at lunch, and then climaxing with dinner in a restaurant located on the Eiffel Tower.
Apparating back to Paris to attend the evening celebrations, Andromeda and Ted took the photos and returned to London before midnight where they met with the night editor of the Daily Prophet with the newsworthy photographs. The newspaper's front pages were redone that night with the paper being delivered only one hour later than usual.
The plan to shock Magical Britain by raising the profile of the young wizards succeeded. Hermione was satisfied not to be in the newspaper (at the request of her parents), and she possessed copies of the photos that showed her dancing with the boys for her photo album.
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Prefects for GryffindorWhen the Grangers returned to London with the two young wizards via the Chunnel, none of the magical community was aware of their arrival. The friends arranged to meet several times in the next week. When a pleasant, middle-aged woman knocked on the Granger's front door, she surprised everyone by introducing herself as Mrs Katherine Heppner. It was only when she accompanied Mr and Mrs Granger into the lounge and she recognized both Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom that they realized she was a witch.
The friendly woman said, "I was hired by New Management as the new Deputy Headmistress for Hogwarts. I came to Crawley to offer Miss Hermione Granger the position of the girl's Gryffindor Fifth Year prefect button."
She smiled and added, "And with Mr Potter being here, I hope I can deliver the boy's button as well!"
Mr and Mrs Granger and Neville congratulated the two happy teens. Then the deputy headmistress told the prefects about some changes at the school and how they would be needed beginning August 26 to help with orientation for the new professors and others.
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Troubles on Express and SortingPhotos of Birthday in ParisHarry Potter and Neville Longbottom were both embarrassed when the photos from their birthday party in Paris appeared in the Daily Prophet.
The two teenagers were in Paris with the Grangers who were on the last leg of their long vacation (to avoid nosey British wizards) when Hermione discovered two of her Gryffindor classmates visiting the Louvre with Ted and Andromeda Tonks.
The teenagers shared basic news and wandered away to view a hidden room of magical portraits and landscapes, (Josephine Bonaparte's portrait was the most outspoken about scandalous life in the French capital during her life). While the teenagers visited the magical halls of the famous museum, the adult Grangers and Tonks shared stories.
Andromeda voiced immediate approval of the Grangers removing Hermione from Dumbledore's influence for the summer. Mrs Granger said, "We have stressed the many developments that our people have made compared to the wizards who still wallow in the Middle Ages."
Nodding, Andy lamented, "We didn't pay enough attention to our daughter who was drifting under the old fart's thumb until it was almost too late. This summer, I think she's pulled her head out of the cauldron just in time and can think for herself again."
"And I'm helping Heir Potter figure out his estate, and I became Heir Longbottom's regent earlier this month," explained Ted. "Lady Longbottom kept the boy repressed but he and Harry are coming out of their shells nicely."
While talking, the parents were surprised by the reappearance of the teens with a large group of young witches who were students at Beauxbatons. Last autumn, before the disastrous First Task, Hermione had formed friendships with a half dozen young women from France. (Hermione's French was excellent and Mrs Granger also joined the conversation, meeting the parents who were chaperones for the girls' adventure in the capital.) With regular correspondence, the initial friendships had grown stronger.
When the girls learned that Monsieur Potter and Monsieur Longbottom would return to London the next day, Hermione and her friends put their head together and then asked if the two boys could remain for another week. The Grangers and the magical parents spoke with the Tonks couple and the two teenage boys moved hotels the next day instead of leaving with Ted and Andromeda. On 30 July, when the girls learned they had missed Neville's birthday, and the next day was Harry's birthday. The young witches immediately arranged a series of impromptu parties beginning at breakfast, continuing through lunch, and climaxing with dinner in a restaurant located on the Eiffel Tower where there was dancing and much laughter.
Apparating back to Paris to attend the evening celebrations, Andromeda and Ted took the photos and returned to London before midnight where they met with the night editor of the Daily Prophet with the newsworthy photographs. The newspaper's front pages were redone that night with the paper being delivered only one hour later than usual.
The plan to shock Magical Britain by raising the profile of the young wizards succeeded. Hermione was satisfied not to be in the newspaper (at the request of her parents), and she possessed copies of the photos that showed her dancing with the boys for her photo album.
SLIGHT SCENE CHANGE ###
Prefects for GryffindorWhen the Grangers returned to London with the two young wizards via the Chunnel, none of the magical community was aware of their arrival. The friends arranged to meet several times in the next week. When a pleasant, middle-aged woman knocked on the Granger's front door, she surprised everyone by introducing herself as Mrs Katherine Heppner. It was only when she accompanied Mr and Mrs Granger into the lounge and she recognized both Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom that they realized she was a witch.
The friendly woman said, "I was hired by New Management as the new Deputy Headmistress for Hogwarts. I came to Crawley to offer Miss Hermione Granger the position of the girl's Gryffindor Fifth Year prefect button."
She smiled and added, "And with Mr Potter being here, I hope I can deliver the boy's button as well!"
Mr and Mrs Granger and Neville congratulated the two happy teens. Then the deputy headmistress told the prefects about some changes at the school and how they would be needed beginning August 26 to help with orientation for the new professors and others.
SLIGHT SCENE CHANGE ###