"Now, when I call your name, please come up and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head," Minerva
McGonagall instructed crisply. The pool of first years in front of her all shuddered in unison, as if previously
rehearsed.
"Americus, Marcia," she read off from the parchment. A tiny girl with big, round hazel eyes wrapped her
cloak around her tighter and stepped up to the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on her head.
"Yes. Hmm...I see. Right. Very good...Hufflepuff!" the hat cried. Her panic turned into a grin as she got
up and walked quickly to the Hufflepuff table.
"Benson, Sean" was next to become the first Slytherin. After that, "Crockford, Rachel" became a
Ravenclaw. At the mention of Rachel's last name, Harry briefly wondered whether she was related to the old lady who
had kept shaking his hand when he had first arrived at the Leaky Cauldron with Hagrid, Doris Crockford.
"Dartmouth, Brian" became the first Gryffindor, and was welcomed at the table with the loudest applause given
so far. As the sorting continued, more and more nervous faces turned into joyful expressions as they went to their
respectful tables.
"Malfoy, Robert", McGonagall called.
"MALFOY?" Ron repeated, incredulous. Harry was also puzzled. A tiny 11-year old boy with shocking blond
hair just like Malfoy's stepped up to the stool with an air of amusement, sat down, and jammed the hat on his
head.
"Not much of a challenge…Slytherin!" the hat proclaimed. Harry looked over at the Slytherin table to find
Malfoy smirking back at him and then greeting Robert enthusiastically.
"As if ONE Malfoy isn't revolting enough," Ron muttered.
"How is he related to Draco Malfoy?" Hermione asked, looking in the same direction as Harry. Harry only shrugged. The Sorting continued, and after "Yarrow, Matthew" was the last of 20 new Gryffindors this year, and "Zabini, Victoria" (Blaise's little sister) was the last Slytherin, the Sorting ended.
"Your attention, please," Professor McGonagall said from the staff table, tapping her goblet with her
silver spoon lightly. All the students, including the newly sorted first years, who had a look of sheer excitement on
their faces, looked up from their buzzing conversations. Albus Dumbledore stood up behind the table and beamed around
at them all.
"Time flies! Well, I would first and foremost like to welcome all the new first years. Hope your first year at
Hogwarts is bewitching and memorable," he said with merriment in his voice. Harry smiled as he remembered his
first time at Hogwarts. He had been extremely nervous but all the Gryffindors had made him feel so welcome. Plus, it
was where he had met his best friend, Ron Weasley.
"All first years please note that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden. Also, the hut on the edge of the
Forbidden Forest is out-of-bounds for now. Please do not risk yourselves by going into either of those,"
Dumbledore continued and he seemed to shoot a look directly at Harry, who knew this look well. Hut by the forest...
THAT'S HAGRID'S HUT! Harry's brain realized. When he told the other two, they seemed just as
shocked by this.
"Why is Hagrid's hut all of a sudden off-bounds?" Ron asked.
"Maybe he's growing some sort of dangerous animal in there that's supposed to help the school,"
Harry suggested, knowing it sounded lame.
"No. Hagrid would've told us in his letters. You know how he slips up all the time...wait a minute. Harry,
when he owled you, or Ron, did he tell either of you anything?" Hermione asked. The other two shook their heads.
They were interrupted by Dumbledore's other announcements.
"Mr. Filch, our caretaker," Dumbledore gestured with his hand to the old man with the twisted face
standing at the door to the Great Hall, Mrs. Norris the cat in front of him as it had always been. No hint of happiness
grazed his contorted complexion. "Has made up a revised list of the banned items at Hogwarts, bringing the grand
total to...749 I believe, Argus?" he verified. Filch gave the slightest nod. "This includes Canary
Creams," and Dumbledore looked at Fred and George Weasley this time who blushed and looked down at their plates,
"Put-Outers, and Pimply Pumpkin Juice. For a complete list, go to Mr. Filch's office where it is posted,"
Dumbledore said with a hint of laughter in his voice.
"And finally, since the Triwizard Tournament took place at Hogwarts last year, and the Yule Ball as a result
was an immense success, this year, we will have the 'Fall With the Leaves' Ball, dedicated to the late Cedric
Diggory," Dumbledore announced as the whole hall erupted into cheers and applause. Dumbledore smiled.
"Yes, yes. We are all very excited-" at this point, Harry and Ron looked at Professor McGonagall, who was
looking very disapproving. They both turned to each other with smiled threatening to turn into laughter. "-The
Ball will be held after the first Hogsmeade weekend, on Saturday, which is exactly four weeks from now. Now, let's
eat!" As soon as he said this, the food blossomed on the plates and tables, and the familiar gasps of the first
years were heard throughout the hall. Since everyone was starving, all of them dug in immediately.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"We've got Defense Against The Dark Arts first thing in the morning! Followed by...ugh, Divination, and
then Transfiguration. Lunch, then Charms, Herbology, and Double Potions! That's Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,
anyway. For Tuesday and Thursday, we've got...Herbology, Transfiguration, Defense Against The Dark Arts, then
lunch, followed by Potions and Divination," Ron listed at breakfast the next morning, glancing over his schedule
for the new term while chewing on a mouthful of eggs.
"I've got the same, except instead of the rubbish you all have as Divination, I've got
Arithmancy," Hermione added. The three looked up in time to see the two Malfoys coming through the doors.
"Great. I'm not even done with my breakfast, and I think I'm going to spew," Ron muttered
disgustedly. The two wandered over to the Gryffindor table, where, besides Ron, Hermione and Harry, not that many
people were there or noticed.
"Well. The Golden Trio," the younger Malfoy said, smirking just like the older.
"Well. Malfoy's clone," Harry retorted. The younger blushed faintly, but the older Malfoy put his hand on the younger one's shoulder and shook his head when the younger looked up at him.
"At least he's a pureblood unlike Granger, richer than Weasley, and not a scar-ridden prat like yourself,
Potter," the older one sneered and they left.
"I swear, I am going to hex him into the next dimension," Ron said through gritted teeth.
"Let's just go to class," Hermione replied and stood up. The other two followed, seething with anger.
The three walked quickly to the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom, and as soon as Harry entered, he was engulfed with
memories: Pixies with the git Lockhart, boggart lessons, Grindylows, Hinkypunks, werewolves. He followed Ron and
Hermione to a seat at the front of the class. A few minutes later, the bell rang and slowly, their fellow Gryffindors
and Hufflepuffs filed into the classroom and sat down. Lupin arrived through the small door behind the teacher's
desk. He stood in front of the class, grinning broadly and clapping his hands together. Harry grinned back. He was
excited.
"Welcome, class! Your first Defense Against The Dark Arts lesson of your 5th year! Some of you may remember me
from your 3rd year. I am Professor Lupin, and I will be your teacher this year as well. We are going to have a smashing
lesson today!" Harry was filled with anticipation.
"We will start with...NOTES!" Lupin exclaimed, still grinning. The class groaned, but pulled out
parchments, quills and inkbottles. Harry's anticipation died, but he was still happy that Lupin was back.
"Now. You have all heard of boggarts. Am I right?" Lupin asked as he waved his hand at the board, where
words began to appear, curving gently across the board. The students followed as Lupin continued to talk.
"Well, they have a closely related, but just as mischievous, brothers. These are called Nettleworts. They are
closely related in the fact that they also like dark enclosed spaces and are shape-shifters. But they're different
from boggarts. Can anyone tell me how?" Lupin asked, looking around the room. Both Hermione's and Susan
Bones' hand shot up in the air, Hermione's much quicker than Susan's, of course.
"Susan?" Lupin called on her.
"Well, I don't think Nettleworts can be killed by laughter," she answered tentatively. Lupin smiled at her.
"That's right. There's a special spell to kill these vicious things. Five points for Hufflepuff.
Anything else?" he asked. Hermione's hand shot up again, and this time, she was called on.
"Nettleworts can take the shape of more than one of your fears, therefore panicking and confusing the
person," she answered perfectly.
"Good! Five points for Gryffindor," he said and Hermione beamed. Harry couldn't help but help and think, God, she looks adorable when she laughs. Uncannily, Ron was thinking the same thing on the other side of Hermione as he stared at her, smiling.