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CHAPTER THREE: Selection

"I know I should have spoken to you first."

Neville had said that quite a few times since summoning them for a private chat in his office. The fact he knew that didn't change the fact that he hadn't. And it didn't change how annoyed Harry was feeling at having yet another year that he was hoping would be nice, quiet and sedate turn into a circus.

"Why us?"Hermione asked.

Neville looked slightly relieved to have at least some response. "You were specially requested by the headmaster. I think Viktor Krum might have put in a word for you."

Harry sighed. He liked Viktor, now a teacher at Durmstrung, but this was one honour he could have done without. "Is it just going to be us dealing with…how many students?"

"There'll be thirty students going with you,"Neville replied. "You'll be the only members of staff but I'm trying to see if I can get some other adults to go along and help you out."

"I can ask Emily,"James suggested. Emily was his wife…and Neville's daughter.

Neville smiled. "Great idea, yeah. I'll send you all the final details when they're…final. You'll be leaving next week."

Feeling as though they'd been dismissed, Harry, Hermione and James filed out of the office. "What do you think?"James wondered.

"I feel like someone's about to say 'What could possibly go wrong?',"Hermione mused wryly.

"Does anyone feel slightly worried that we're going to Philip Nave's last school?"Harry asked.

Hermione looked at him sharply. So sharply that he was left wondering if he'd done the impossible and had an idea she hadn't. "Do you think that's important?"

"Everything's important, usually. How important it is…well, I guess that's something we're going to find out."

"Any idea why we're here?"Gemini asked.

No-one had told them why they'd been summoned to one of the empty classrooms but Nymphadora could guess. All of them there were seventh years. The usual suspects were all present: Herself and Gemini, of course, and Bradley and Beverley and Maxwell. Amanda, and Verity Higgs, and Flavia Lupin, and Gareth Daker, and Susan Green and Nigel Peakes and Terry Fowler…All in all, she counted thirty of them.

"It's probably going to be about that exchange trip,"Bradley noted, echoing Nymphadora's thoughts.

"It'd be interesting to see another school, I suppose,"Beverley mused.

"I wonder how they are at Quidditch,"Amanda considered. "We've got enough Gryffindors here to make up a team…"

The group fell silent as Harry, Hermione and James entered. Harry cleared his throat. "Well, this has come as a bit of a surprise for all of us. Hogwarts is going to do without us for a while. Professor Souvren is going to be taking over Defence Against the Dark Arts and Professor Weasley is going to be substituting at Charms." Souvren was Harry's predecessor while Lisa Weasley, George's wife, was the school's Astronomy professor. "Not that it'll make any difference to us because we won't be here."

"We'll be representing Hogwarts at Durmstrung,"Hermione concluded.

Nymphadora looked around, wondering how people were reacting to the news. Most seemed quite enthusiastic. "When do we go?"Maxwell asked.

"Next week,"James replied. "You'll be given details nearer the time."

"I know this is a surprise to all of us,"Harry told them. "But let's just think of it as an adventure." He gave Hermione an apologetic look. "What could possibly go wrong?"he asked wearily.