Chapter 11- Back to Bedlam
The Great Hall looked as spectacular as it had the first time he had seen it, though he felt not quite as much wonderment at the enchanted ceiling, nor as much amazement at the sheer size of the immense room. The candles still floated in mid-air, along with the house ghosts. Students still chattered with their neighbours at the four huge tables, though Harry couldn’t help but notice that they were not as full as they had been in years past. There was a certain sparkle, the sparkle that had made Hogwarts Harry’s first true home, missing this year.
As Harry walked slowly down between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, he looked up at the teacher’s table at the very front of the room. There, looking rather small in the huge Head chair, Professor McGonagall sat with her head held high, watching the last stragglers take their seats.
Harry and Ginny sat at the very top of the table with Ron and Hermione, who, as Head Boy and Girl, were obliged to sit there to greet the new first-years. Hermione suddenly let out an audible gasp, causing several people from further down the table to look up her.
She was staring up at the Head table. “Is that…Asher?” Harry looked up, and sure enough, sitting to the left of McGonagall and talking to Professor Sinistra, was Asher. As if sensing their gaze, she looked around at the Gryffindor table. On seeing their shocked faces, she grinned and winked before going back to her conversation.
“Well, that was unexpected,” said Harry, staring at the side of Asher’s head.
“That was…yeah, that was unexpected.” said Ginny, half laughing.
Ron looked shocked. “Why didn’t she tell us!” he exclaimed.
Harry laughed. “Why didn’t anyone tell us? I’m sure everyone except us knew.”
Hermione seemed to be mentally scolding herself. “Of course! Didn’t she say something about how she couldn’t tell us about her new job, and about how we would find out eventually.”
Harry looked further along the table and saw Professor Slughorn sitting there, dressed in bottle green silk robes. Harry was surprised Slughorn had come back this year, but maybe the Potions master thought he owed it to Dumbledore. Next to him sat Hagrid, looking slightly more subdued than usual. He caught Harry’s eye and lifted one of his dustbin-lid- sized hands in greeting with a genuine grin.
“I wonder if she’s a good teacher,” wondered Ginny out loud.
Ron shrugged. “Course she’ll be. Anything’s good compared to-”
Ron was interrupted when the huge oak doors opened wide and tiny Professor Flitwick led around thirty terrified first-years into the room.
As they passed, Harry caught the eye of a tiny little girl with straight, shoulder length brown hair and dark eyes, and smiled encouragingly. On seeing his face and scar, her mouth fell open and her eyes bulged. Harry heard Ron snort behind him.
Professor Flitwick told the first-years to line up facing the front and placed the old, tattered sorting hat on its stool before standing atop his own.
Everyone waited expectantly, and a few moments later the rip at the brim opened wide and the sorting hat started to sing.
Hogwarts School opened its gates, but for whom was not foreseen.
For the brave, the sly, the fair, or the true, a conundrum it became
To me they came and asked for help, and still it so remains.
Every year from then on in, I’ve done the job I’m about
Place me upon your head and I will sort you out.
It pains me so to do this now, to quarter you young students,
Fear and pain is at this school; you must all have prudence.
Many a time have I warned you, and again if I must,
Stand together, unite, be strong; friendships are built on trust.
Still I fear if what I do will do more wrong than right
But you must stick together and learn to live and fight.
An external war is going; we cannot let it in,
The danger is at the very core, yet this school must still begin.
Help can be found in places one may not usually look,
But open your eyes and open your mind and you will find the hook.
Go by what I say now and evil shall not win,
Take my words to mind and heart and let the sorting now begin.”
The students stared at it for a moment. The teachers shared a glance. A smattering of applause came from the professors, followed by the rest of the students.
“So, Hermione, what was this year’s Sorting Hat Song all about?” asked Ron, though he didn’t seem too interested.
“’Stand together, unite, be strong; friendships are built on trust… Help can be found in places one may not usually look...’ It sounds like its trying to say, have an open mind “ House unity. Maybe something like don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Ron rolled his eyes. “If that stupid hat thinks I’m going to go round having tea parties with Blaise Zabini“”
“HUFFLEPUFF!”
It was apparent the sorting had begun, and a small blonde boy was hurriedly making his way towards the Hufflepuff table.
“Bosson, Stacey,” professor Flitwick’s squeaky voice called out.
A small girl, one of the smallest there, with bright blonde hair made her way hesitantly forward. She was taking deep breaths and wringing her hands. Harry grinned; she reminded him of Hermione.
When she put on the hat, it fell right over her eyes. She was there for several minutes, and students started sharing glances.
Suddenly, the hat seemed to come to life and bellowed, “GRYFFINDOR!”
She hurriedly removed the hat and almost sprinted towards Gryffindor’s table.
Hermione held out her hand and smiled in greeting, introducing herself and Ron.
“Is that it?” Stacey asked Hermione quietly. “That hat just talks to you and…does it read your mind?”
Hermione smiled. “That’s it. I guess it does read you mind in a way. It knows what your characteristics are, what you have the potential to become.”
Harry turned his attention back towards the sorting. A girl called Kate Franklin, the girl who had gawked at him when she walked past, had just placed the old hat on her head. Merely seconds later, the hat raised its voice.
“RAVENCLAW!”
Several other trembling eleven years old followed Kate (sorted into Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin respectively).
The line of students was slowly dwindling.
“Come on, I’m starving,” moaned Ron, and Harry grinned. Some things never change.
Finally, James Western was sorted into Ravenclaw, and Professor Flitwick stepped off his stool and rolled up his parchment. Once he was seated to the right of Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress herself stood to address the students.
Seeing his Transfiguration teacher standing in the centre of the table, wearing dark crimson robes, her dark hair tied back as usual in its tight bun, a pang of sadness echoed through Harry’s heart.
“Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I’d like to welcome the first-years to this school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and to those who have returned to us, welcome back. I will not delay our feast any longer.” She glanced over at the Gryffindor table with the hint of a smile. “Please, begin.”
Gasps of first-years echoed around the Hall as every food imaginable suddenly appeared in front of them, making the tables groan from the strain.
Stacey, the blonde first-year, stared at all the food in astonishment. She looked over at Hermione with wide eyes. “Is… Is it real?” she asked in a whisper only just heard over the roar of the crowd.
Harry glanced, amused, over at Ron, who was currently stuffing his face with every piece of food he could reach.
Hermione also glanced at Ron with a repulsed look on her face. “Yes. It most certainly is.”
There were a total of eight new first-year Gryffindors; four girls and four boys. There was Stacey Bosson, who was Muggle-born. After she got over her initial shock from the seemingly non-existent ceiling, talking hat, and food that appeared out of nowhere, she explained that her parents were both doctors in a hospital in Manchester. There was also a boy called Benjamin Stephenson.
“Are you Harry Potter?” he had asked in a rush, causing Harry to look up from his dinner.
“Yes,” Harry answered mildly, fighting back an eye-roll.
“My mum said you’re gonna go after You-Know-Who.”
“Did she now?” he said, going back to his meal and stabbing a roasted potato with unwanted venom.
“Yeah, she did. Are you?”
Harry looked up and shared a glance with Ron and Hermione.
“What else has your mum read about me in newspapers and magazines?”
Benjamin furrowed his brow. “I don’t know. She used to say you were barking mad, but then she said…she said you were gonna save the world. She said ‘You were the hero we’ve been waiting for.’”
*
Once all the plates were cleared and the food had all but disappeared, McGonagall stood once again.
“Now that you have all been fed after your long journey, I have a few announcements to make. The first of these is our new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Ms Asher Crellin.”
The hall filled with polite applause, particularly from the top of the Gryffindor table, as she stood and waved to the students. People started muttering amongst themselves, though Harry distinctly heard Lavender Brown say, “At least this female Defence professor knows how to dress…”
“As I am taking the role of Headmistress this year,” continued McGonagall as the noise died down, “I am unable to keep my post as Head of Gryffindor house; therefore, Professor Crellin,” Harry saw Asher laugh to herself and grinned, “Will be talking my place.”
This was followed by another loud cheer, especially from the whole Gryffindor table.
“Also, please note that the Forbidden Forest is named as such for a reason. There have also been several new rules put in place for your own safety. Walking around the castle after hours will not be tolerated. Do not leave the main castle building after nightfall. Hogsmede visits will continue, but on stricter terms. You will get to and from the village via the carriages, and at planned times. There will be no walking out of the gates without a professor or Auror’s permission and supervision. Also, Quidditch will continue, but again, practices will not be allowed without the supervision of a professor.” McGonagall looked around the room with sharp eyes, almost daring someone to break her rules.
“On another, though associated, note: Mr Filch had asked me to inform you that the list of forbidden products has grown once again over the summer, and that the list is on his office door and the surrounding wall.”
The new Headmistress then took a deep breath to steady herself before ploughing on with her speech. “A great evil broke into these walls last year, and we lost one of the most loved and accomplished Headmasters in the history of Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore now lays at rest on the banks of the black lake, and you are free to pay your respects to him anytime, so long as it complies with our new restrictions. I am proud of each and every one of you who have decided to return to Hogwarts this year. We are in the midst of a war which could be the beginning or the end of us, but we must remember not to forget those we love. They are what keep us going in times of sorrow, so we must all be strong for each other.”
Harry felt Ginny grip his hand tighter as McGonagall finished her speech. He looked down at her and offered a tight smile.
There was a sudden deafening screech as the benches were all pushed back and McGonagall dismissed everyone to bed.
Hermione, Ron, and the prefects started gathering the first-years together to lead them to the common room. “The password’s decorum; we’ll meet you in the common room,” whispered Hermione on her way past.
Harry and Ginny hung back and waited for the bulk of the crowd to move out so they didn’t get squashed in the rush.
“Hey, kids!” Harry felt Ginny start next to him, and he turned at the sound of Asher’s voice. “Bet that was a shock, eh?” she chuckled, and nudged Harry on the arm. “Head of House to boot, though I have to admit, I only found out about that yesterday…”
“A shock?” Ginny spluttered, half exasperated, half laughing. “Talk about an understatement.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Harry asked. He grinned. “I’m sure Hermione would have had a blast revising the right subject matter.”
“Oh, come now,” said Asher, fighting a smile of her own, “It was much more fun to watch your faces tonight.”
“Alrigh’, Harry!” Harry looked beyond Asher, up towards the Professors table, to see Hagrid’s huge form approaching. He was surprised he hadn’t spotted his biggest friend coming sooner.
“Hey, Hagrid,” waved Harry, as the half-giant came to stand beside Asher. She barely came above his waist, making her seem even shorter than she actually was.
“’Ow yer doin’?” he asked Harry quietly, a sad, sympathetic look in his black, beady eyes.
Harry knew exactly what Hagrid was taking about, but really didn’t want to even think about Dumbledore. So, instead, Harry replied simply, “I’m fine, Hagrid. How are you?”
“’oldin up, as always. Ginny! Good ter see yer! I ’eard ‘bout the Burrow. ‘Ow yer doin’?”
“I’m fine, thanks. There wasn’t much damage and no one was hurt, so I’ll live.”
Ginny smiled brightly up at the half-giant, though she gripped Harry’s hand a little tighter. Whether it was a conscious decision or not, it showed Harry she was a lot more bothered about her home being attacked than she let on.
The Burrow being targeted had shaken her more than she would admit, but Ginny was still one of the strongest people he knew. Through the assault on her home and family, Ginny had been given confirmation on a silver platter that they were in this war for the long run, if Bill’s horrific injuries last year hadn’t been enough. But still, none of the Weasleys, except maybe Percy, regretted their decision to continue in the fight against Voldemort. Neither Dark Lord nor Death Eater would scare them away from the front lines of battle.
Harry felt a sudden rush of pride and affection, as well as an odd, unknown, yet distantly familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had the very strange and sudden urge to laugh and smile and kiss Ginny square on the lips, all at the same time.
At the sound of his name, Harry was drawn back to the conversation, which had continued without him.
““ have a note from Minerva for you.” Harry, quite startled by this, took the note from Asher and slid it into his pocket.
“Thanks.”
“No problem,” said Asher. “Well, I think I must be off to bed, lots of classes tomorrow, and I suggest you two,” she looked between Harry and Ginny pointedly, “do the same. Don’t want to be falling asleep over your reviews of last year’s work.” She grinned. “Nighty night.”
“Night, Asher,” said Harry.
“Goodnight, Professor Crellin!” hollered Ginny teasingly. Harry heard Asher laugh, but she didn’t turn around as she headed out of the Hall.
“Well, we’d better be off too, Hagrid, see you later,” said Harry. Before he could react, Hagrid had wrapped both he and Ginny into a bone-crushing hug. When he let go, Harry was sure at least one of his ribs had been cracked, but tried not to let it show as he smiled up at his friend, though it did turn out as more of a grimace.
“Night, Hagrid,” said Ginny, as she patted his elbow and took Harry’s hand to lead him out of the Hall.
*
“Should we wake them or let somebody find them?” asked Ginny, with a merry glint in her eyes.
Ron and Hermione were sitting on the couch in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Ron had his arm around Hermione’s shoulders, and Hermione was using Ron’s chest as a pillow as they both slept. That was how Harry and Ginny had found them after making their way back to the Fat Lady’s portrait. It seemed the Head Boy and Girl, along with the Gryffindor prefects had done a good job getting the students up to their dorms. It was just themselves who had trouble getting into the right bed.
“Wouldn’t it be funny if Lavender found them like that?” commented Harry mildly.
Ginny snorted. “Don’t tempt me.”
“Come on, we better wake them.”
“Aww, you spoil all my fun,” whined Ginny, but she nevertheless followed Harry towards the couches.
Shaking Ron’s shoulder, Harry called, “Oi, Ron. Wake up. You’re going to get a stiff neck!”
“Mmmwazapenin?” mumbled Ron, not opening his eyes.
Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother. “Lazy git,” she muttered. Moving closer to Hermione, Ginny raised her voice to a slightly panicked tone. “Hermione! Your classes start in five minutes! Get dressed!”
Hermione was awake before Ginny had finished her sentence.
“What! Its morning?” exclaimed the bushy-haired girl, standing abruptly and trying to get her bearings. “But its first day of “” She caught sight of Ginny and Harry, who could barely contain their mirth, then of Ron, who was groggily opening his eyes. Hermione looked out the window, which showed that it was, in no uncertain terms, still night time.
She scowled at Ginny and sat back down on the sofa with as much dignity as she could muster. “That was not funny.”
“Come on, you know it was,” replied a smirking Ginny.
“What was?” asked Ron, only just waking up enough to be aware of his surroundings. He saw Hermione next to him, and then glanced over at his sister and Harry, who were still chuckling as they sat down on the sofa opposite, and Harry saw a crimson Weasley blush rising up his neck.
“My comedic genius,” said Ginny to her brother, grinning importantly.
“Yeah, but I think only you would really call it genius...”said Harry.
“Oi!”
Harry laughed at her scandalised look.
There was a comfortable silence as Harry stared into the fireplace. Ginny leaned her head onto his shoulder and he absently twisted a fiery lock round his finger.
“I can’t believe Asher is a teacher!”
Harry looked up at Ron. “Me neither. But I can’t believe we didn’t work it out with all the clues she was giving us.”
“I wonder what sort of things she’ll teach,” said Hermione after a pause.
Harry and Ron shared a look. Ginny had a look in her eyes that clearly said, “Here we go…”
“I mean, there are certain things we are supposed to learn for our N.E.W.T.s: duelling tactics, wandless magic, defence techniques, but seeing as how our past Defence classes have been…”
Harry slowly started losing his grip on what Hermione was saying and continued playing with Ginny’s hair. As he stared into space, Harry’s mind started wandering to other topics, namely Dumbledore. Hogwarts without Dumbledore. It was a foreign concept to him. If Death Eaters had managed to get through the school’s defences with Dumbledore there, how long would it take for them to do it again now?
Harry’s mission had begun and yet he had gotten nowhere. While at Grimmauld Place, he, Ron, and Hermione had read and checked every book they could lay their hands on, and yet had no more information on the qualities or destruction of Horcruxes than they did when they had started. It was only a matter of time before Voldemort tried to hurt someone else Harry cared about, and Harry wasn’t going to let that happen. He would do what he had to do and be done with it, so he could be free to live how he wanted, without constantly having to look over his shoulder.
As he shifted to get more comfortable, he heard the crinkle of parchment in his pocket. Remembering McGonagall’s note, Harry slipped it out of his pocket and spread out the tightly folded parchment.
Mr Potter,
Please report to my office at 7 o’clock tomorrow night. There are some things which I have not had time to discuss with you until this date.
Yours,
M. McGonagall
P.S. The first cat I owned was a Scottish Fold.
“The first cat I owned was a Scottish fold?” Harry heard himself wonder out loud. Hermione’s voice faltered.
“What was that?” Ron asked, though he didn’t seem sorry that Hermione had been effectively stopped just as she had started to get into her tirade.
“McGonagall wants to see me tomorrow night, and in the post script she put ‘the first cat I owned was a Scottish Fold.’”
“Must be the password,” said Ron loudly.
Harry glanced at the staircases to the dorms as Ginny said sarcastically, “Why don’t you say that a bit louder, Ron, I think the Giant Squid didn’t quite catch it.”
“Well,” said Hermione, standing up and stretching, “I’m going to bed. Night.” She kissed Ron goodnight. “Coming, Ginny?”
“Yeah, I’m coming,” said the redhead, snuggling closer into Harry.
A few seconds passed, and after a glance at Hermione’s raised eyebrows and Ron’s glare, she slowly stood. “Night, Harry,” she said, leaning down to kiss him goodnight. “Goodnight, brother dear,” she said, ruffling his hair as she passed on the way to the girls’ staircase.
The boys both dragged themselves up to bed several minutes later, the sounds of three snoring boys reaching their ears.
“Night, Ron,” said Harry, as he undressed and got into bed.
There was no reply as Ron fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
*
“You better wake up, Harry, you’re gonna to be late,” Harry heard Neville say.
“Mnphhh.”
Harry buried his head into his pillow as sunlight hit his closed eyelids.
With stupendous effort, Harry carefully opened his eyes and got his bearings. He looked across the room to see Seamus shrugging on his school robes, Dean packing his bag, Neville opening his trunk to look for an item of some description, and a mop of red hair on Ron’s pillow. Dragging himself out of bed, mentally cursing himself for staying up so late, Harry shuffled into the bathroom for a quick shower that would hopefully wake him up.
Twenty minutes later, the five seventh-year boys made their way down to the common room. It was deserted, so Harry and Ron presumed the girls had gone to breakfast without them.
“So when are tryouts for that chaser place, Harry?” asked Dean as they walked down the third floor staircases. Katie Bell, who had been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team ever since Harry’s first year, had left at the end of last year, so there was a spare place up for grabs. Obviously, Dean wanted to try out again; he had been temporarily on the team when Katie had been cursed by Malfoy last year.
“Oh, probably in the next few weeks or so. We need to get training up if we want to keep that cup.” Harry could only laugh at the memory of his mad urge to kick Dean off the team when he had caught him and Ginny snogging in an empty corridor after a Quidditch training session. It seemed Dean had also gotten over the fact that Harry had started going out with Ginny shortly after their relationship had come to a halt.
“Um, Harry,” started Neville. “We were talking last night, and we were going to ask you about it then, but you didn’t come up until after we’d gone to bed, but…after the break-in last year…are you going to start the D.A. up again?”
Harry stared at him, shocked. Well, he thought, that was unexpected. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron look from Neville, to Dean, to Seamus, and to Harry.
“Well...err…I don’t know…”
“Have you seen the papers all summer? And after Dumbledore was killed…well, people want to know how to defend themselves and their school or homes, you know?” Seamus said, watching Harry carefully. “Me mam nearly forbid me from coming back to Hogwarts; I’ve been fighting with her all summer about it.”
“And my parents got an owl telling them about Dumbledore and the state of the Wizarding world at the moment,” continued Dean. “They went totally crazy and were ready to keep me away from the whole Wizarding world; I tell you, it was hard to talk them out of snapping my wand.”
“What we’re trying to say is,” said Neville, sounding more serious than they had seen him in quite a while, “we want to learn how to protect ourselves and the people we care about, and when Umbridge was around we learned more in that year than we did in any other…except maybe with Lupin.”
“But we do have a good teacher this year,” said Harry, wondering why Ron hadn’t said anything yet, but was staring into space as they descended the main staircase and walked across the entrance hall, a pensive look on his face. “Ash “ I mean Professor Crellin looks good.”
Seamus whistled. “You’re telling me.”
Dean rolled his eyes at his best mate. “Even if she can teach us something, having an extra defence class can’t hurt, can it?”
Harry didn’t say anything as they walked down the house tables towards Hermione and Ginny, trying to ignore the stares he always got at the start of the year. And the rest of the year, for that matter. “I’ll think about it, ok? But really, how many people would want me to teach them?”
“Probably a hell of a lot,” said Ron unexpectedly, as the five boys all sat down on the bench.
“A lot of what?” asked Hermione.
“A lot of people would want to learn defence off Harry in the D.A.” said Ron loudly.
“Ron…” warned Harry, glancing at the inquisitive looks their little group was now getting.
“What, you’re starting the D.A. again?” Ginny asked, looking up at Harry.
“No…yes…I don’t know. Those three,” he said, motioning to Dean, Neville and Seamus, “said I should because people want to learn defence, but I don’t see the point if we have a decent DADA Professor…” he trailed off and took a bite of toast.
“How do you know so much about her?” asked Seamus curiously, as he piled his plate full of scrambled eggs and bacon.
“Err…” said Harry lamely.
“Long story, don’t ask,” said Hermione.
“Yes, its an exciting and moving tale, but, as Miss Granger says, a very long one.” All five students jumped as Asher unexpectedly popped up from behind Hermione.
“OK,” she said as the teenagers laughed, “Timetables, timetables, timetables…oh the joy…” she muttered. It was only then that Harry noticed the long piece of parchment and wand in Asher’s hands.
“Hermione…” She tapped a piece of parchment with her wand several times, and then handed a full timetable to Hermione. “Wow, you’re going to be busy. Ok, Harry, Ron…you two both have the same classes so…” she tapped two more slips of parchment and handed them to Harry and Ron. As she moved around the table, Harry read through his lessons.
“Cool, free period first thing today and then Charms…not too bad…” said Harry.
“Hey! Then we have Defence Against the Dark Arts!” exclaimed Ron. Harry looked up at the table, where Asher continued to pass out timetables and could see her grinning.
Hermione finished her last spoonful of cereal and said. “Well, I think you should think about the D.A., Harry. People really do want to learn from you. I have to go; Ancient Runes starts in fifteen minutes and I don’t want to be late.”
Ginny pushed her plate away too. “I’m coming. I have Transfiguration; it’s on the way to Ancient Runes; I’ll walk with you, Hermione. See you later, Harry,” she said. She gave him a swift peck on the cheek before she was gone in a flurry of red hair.