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  This chapter was edited by Gdiusx. Check his works on HP and ASOIAF, I highly recommend them.

  On the Express’s roof.

  “Never in living memory has the sorting been deyed, and while this is an extreme circumstance, I do not wish to worry the children any more than necessary.” Dumbledore had cast many spells at Snape’s unresponsive form, yet the Potions Master would not wake. “Never have I thought dementors could be killed, either. Even the most terrible of cursed fmes could not destroy them, only wound them yet even then, they would merely reform. You are certain Severus’ soul returned to his mortal coil?”

  “Yes.” Harry tore his eyes away from Draco’s split skull; it eerily reminded him of Ron’s death. “I saw it sink into his chest.”

  “Yet he has yet to awake and he does not emit the same sensation as those who were kissed.” Dumbledore waved his wand one st time yet to no avail; Snape was breathing, but his eyes were still vacant, gssy almost. “This is uncharted territory. Harry, please tell me how you managed to sy the dementors. It might give me a hint on what to do.”

  “It was Cinder’s fmes.” Harry shrugged, adjusting the conjured robes that the headmaster made for him. Dumbledore’s eyes widened before asking for more details. Harry told him everything he could remember without holding back.

  “Oh, Harry, you really are a remarkable wizard. To master the Patronus at such a young age, and a powerful one at that, when I only showed it to you the one time.”

  “I wouldn’t call it mastery, I just barely succeeded in casting it this morning. Besides, Cinder’s fmes and the sword did most of the work.”

  “Ah, yes. It’s incredibly rare for Fae to interact with humans, especially a wild one so attuned with fire like Cinder - one that had lived and flourished in that wonderful tree of yours no less. Little is known about dementors, some believing they are some form of Fae themselves that were twisted by dark magic to their current form; how a true Fae’s power would interact with them was a mystery… until now.” For a moment, Dumbledore looked like he wanted to ask more questions, eyes full of curiosity, yet his gaze fell on Draco’s corpse, and the twinkle in his eyes vanished, and his shoulders slumped as the weight of the world seemed to bear down on him.

  “Poor Draco… No one should be forced to kill themselves to avoid eternal damnation. As. As. Fate can be so very cruel. I’m afraid a time of turmoil is once again upon us.” Before Harry could ask more, Dumbledore raised his head. “Sheathe your sword and pull out your father’s cloak, if you have it, Harry. We shall discuss more ter, but I believe it would not be in your best interest to be interrogated by the Ministry.”

  Harry nodded, putting on the cloak, and gazed at where he knew Hogsmeade was before Apparating to the ptform with a loud crack, just as several cracks appeared where he was as the Aurors arrived. Yet another ability for Dumbledore to wonder how he learned.

  .

  .

  .

  “Harry!” Harry woodenly turned just in time for Susan to crash into him in a tight hug that nearly toppled him on the ptform as the students left the battered train. “I was so worried about you! We had no idea what was going on. Hermione was saying you left to fight the dementors. We heard the screams, the gss and windows shattered, and the explosions, but the prefects did not let us out. Then the train started moving again, and there were Aurors and teachers everywhere. How are you?”

  He hesitantly hugged her back but felt no joy or excitement.

  “I’m alright. Just tired.” His voice came out hoarse. Though, Harry wasn’t surprised–his mouth still tasted like brimstone, and his throat felt as if he had swallowed a barrel of molten va. An Episkey charm fixed his ears, yet it still felt sore.

  “Harry, what happened?” Tracey asked as the rest of the students left the train, chaperoned by a small army of fretting ministry workers giving out bags of chocote. “Why is it so hectic? What happened to the dementors?”

  Harry inspected his friends and breathed a sigh of relief at finding them unharmed - disturbed but unharmed. The same could not be said for many other students; gss shards had hurt many of them, though thankfully, no one seemed to be too hurt. Madame Pomfrey was on the ptform inspecting every student getting off and administering healing potions or waving her wand at any scratch she saw.

  The first years especially seemed to be terrified, and he could see Hermione and other older students trying to calm them down.

  “The dementors are gone.” He bit his tongue, stopping himself from telling more; his talk with Dumbledore had convinced him to remain silent, for now. Harry had apparated to the ptform and waited for the train to make the st stretch to Hogsmeade - it certainly shocked Hagrid and the rest of the staff when they arrived to find him pacing along the station. “Dumbledore will expin everything.”

  “Yes, I’m sure he will, but what about–”

  “Firs’ years! Firs’ years over here!”

  The cmour deafened everything else as the frightened first years hastily flocked towards Hagrid’s looming figure. Hestia and Flora hesitantly paused by Harry’s side, but he simply smiled as he urged them to join their peers; no matter what, seeing Hogwarts for the first time was quite the experience. After throwing him one st uncertain gnce, the twins joined the crowd together with Mafalda.

  He could feel Hedwig circling in the darkness above and finally eased–his companion would let him know if there was any trouble.

  “Come on, let’s get to the castle.” Harry followed the rest of the students, gncing at Pomfrey, fussing over Zabini’s eyes as the boy moaned in pain - he had not interacted much with the Italian boy, but he did not give him a good impression from the few times they did.

  Within a few minutes, they were boarding the same thestral-drawn carriages that took them to the train station st term. Harry tried to ignore his friends’ inquisitive gnces, yet he could not stop the other students from gossiping.

  “Heard someone got kissed.”

  “Is that why there are so many Aurors?”

  “No, it can’t be. There would be a lot more mayhem if that was so.”

  He hopped on a carriage, and Susan immediately glued herself to his arm while Daphne, Tracey, and Hermione sat on the opposite bench. They all looked at him as if he were a bomb about to explode, yet Harry simply remained silent as he finally felt the tension in his shoulders bleed out. Even so, his girlfriend’s warmth couldn’t banish the lingering chill that clung to his senses like a bad rash. Especially the cmmy and unnatural feeling of the dementor’s skin when he held one of them; Harry felt like he needed to scrub his hands with sandpaper before he was comfortable touching any food.

  The carriages moved silently, none of his friends bothered him as Harry rested his eyes. Before he knew it, the carriages stopped, and they made their way to the Great Hall, but not before he hurried to the loo for that wash.

  A*L*S*M

  Hogwarts Hospital Wing

  “Wh-What are we supposed to do, Dumbledore?!”

  Albus Dumbledore closed his eyes and prayed for patience as Cornelius fretted by the door while Pomfrey treated young Zabini’s eyes. The Conjunctivitis Curse had taken hold, and there was a chance the boy would forever lose his sight; even if it were reversible, his vision was not guaranteed to fully recover. The sorting was about to begin, but Minerva would be able to handle it. He had been tempted to cancel the feast and have the students retire early; dinner could still be served to them in the common rooms, yet he was loath to ruin the First Years’ welcome.

  The school was safe. It would only cause more fear and panic than anything.

  Some of the students’ moans of pain had Albus open his eyes and inspect their injuries, ignoring Fudge’s fretting. Mr Bletchley and Mr Farley were unlucky to have been pying a game of exploding snap near the windows when they shattered - the fact they ignored the prefects’ warning and boldly started a game spoke more of their ck of survival instincts than anything. A few more students had cerations that were too deep to be treated with a wave of a wand, while the unfortunate Ms Midgen had been in the toilet when both the small window and the mirror shattered in her face. She had to be sent to Saint Mungo’s for the best treatment, as her boils reacted terribly to the damage; perhaps her parents would finally swallow their pride and allow the healers to attempt to cure her of the botched ritual they forced their daughter into.

  Albus sighed sadly as his gaze turned to the biggest loss of the day: the covered form of Draco Malfoy on one of the beds. The entirety of the DMLE was here in addition to many other ministry employees from Magical Transportation, Magical Disaster, and Control of Magical Creatures, with Amelia leading them into Hogsmeade to banish any and all dementors back to Azkaban; With the te night, the ministry only had a skeleton crew. Severus had already been sent to Saint Mungo’s as there was nothing more they could do for him here; Albus would have to search for a new Potions Master, for there was no guarantee that Severus would ever wake up again.

  So many things needed fixing, even more needed his purview, and the worst one had yet to come. Meeting the family of a deceased student… twice had a student died in Hogwarts during his tenure as both teacher then headmaster, and twice he had to deal with the bereaved parents. Both times, Albus was acquitted of any responsibility, yet it did nothing to ease the guilt in his heart.

  Now, for the third time, one of his students had died. This time, it had nothing to do with Voldemort, but sheer foolishness and corruption. Why were the dementors on the train in the first pce? Why did they attack the students when they were intelligent enough to understand the consequences? So many questions that needed answering. Albus felt rage coursing through his veins, the Elder Wand whispered in his mind, calling for him to y the w down and take things into his own hands. He had vowed not to interfere with the ruling of Magical Britain, his greatest concern was Hogwarts and her students.

  And yet, his students were attacked, and one had to pay the ultimate price.

  “Are you listening to me, Dumbledore?” Cornelius barked, his balding head covered by a sheen of sweat. The Minister for Magic must have been dragged from dinner with his family as his sleepwear could be seen under the hastily put on robes, it was not a garment Cornelius would ever wear in public. “This is a catastrophe!”

  “One that you and Dolores facilitated.” Albus reminded with a calm he did not feel as Poppy finally finished treating Bise Zabini and covered his eyes with a gauze before putting him to sleep; time would tell whether the d would recover or not, most likely within a week or so. “It is your neck on the line, Cornelius, especially your Undersecretary’s.”

  “Don’t pretend you are absolved of any responsibility, Dumbledore! This was still your student and–”

  “And he was attacked and murdered onboard the Hogwarts Express, well outside Hogwarts and Hogsmeade’s grounds. Need I remind you, Cornelius, that contrary to what many assume, the Hogwarts Express is not operated by Hogwarts or even Hogsmeade.”

  Albus deplored this political game, especially when the student in question’s body had yet to cool; yet, for the sake of his students and his school, he could not allow such foolishness to repeat. He would not show weakness; that was the only thing he would take responsibility for. He did not wish for power; Yet it appeared that by avoiding wearing the mantle of leadership, he had allowed those who were unworthy to use it for their own gains, abuse it at the cost of others, twist it into a tangled mess, and now… now, an innocent child was paying the price.

  “Make no mistake, Cornelius. This is on your head, and you shall reap what you sow.”

  The Minister for Magic stuttered incoherently, before his face reddened.

  “Now you listen here, you, it was your fault for pcing an inept teacher on the train. You assured us Snape could cast the Patronus, yet Priori Incantantem shows that he failed. This is what caused the boy’s death, not me!”

  “Even the greatest of wizards could be overwhelmed if taken off guard by those who were supposed to be on their side. Besides, I did not pce Severus to protect the students from the dementors but to ensure that if Sirius Bck was on that train, he would be the most poised to apprehend him.” Dumbledore fired back. He hated this game of avoiding bme, framing, and skullduggery. A younger man would have shed out, and rightly so, but Albus had other ways of showing dominance.

  Dumbledore let loose the control of his magic and focused all of his ire on the bumbling man before him. Cornelius instantly paled. “If you had agreed to pce a squad of Aurors onboard, as I, the board of governors, and several concerned parents had requested, none of this could have happened. We had an off-duty Auror on the ptform who was more than willing to join the train ride, yet you saw fit to have him assigned elsewhere since, how did you describe it? ‘He was so free to chaperone a gaggle of kids, might as well give him something worthwhile to keep him busy.’”

  “B-But, it was true! The A-Aurors w-were needed elsewhere due to the surging crimes! T-There’s t-too few of them already, and u-underfunded.”

  “And who is to bme, I wonder?” Albus smiled sardonically. “Nevertheless, I shall not have more of this discussion here. I have other matters to attend to, and the Minister for Magic should probably figure out a way to pcate the press. I would normally offer you all my help, and tell you that my door is always open for you, yet I seem to recall you accusing me of attempting to usurp your power st we spoke in the Ministry.”

  Normally, Albus would not be so petty, yet he would not deny to feeling satisfaction at watching his former student squirm. It was yet another form of education, making sure that his student accepted the consequences of his actions and endured them just as many others did. Cornelius might have been an old hand in politics, and hoarded a significant amount of power, but he still had much to learn.

  A chime came from the firepce, and a burst of green fmes erupted. Albus turned; this was not a request to enter but a demand. Poppy looked at him worryingly, but he waved her concern aside and approached the floo. “You may enter, Narcissa.”

  The fmes grew hotter as Narcissa Malfoy, dressed in mourning bck, entered the infirmary, followed by another of his former students, this one a recent graduate. It was a surprise to find Meru Snyde with the Malfoys, yet Albus’ attention was set on the older witch.

  “Where is my son?”

  Narcissa Malfoy’s face was utterly bnk. There was not a single emotion, not a frown, not a line furrowed or a brow twitching. These were the finest set of mind shields Albus had come across in a long time, even better than Severus’.

  “Narcissa, I am sorry, but–”“You sent me your phoenix with a letter stating that my son is dead.” The phrase was said as if the woman was making inane small talk or stating that the sky was blue or that water was wet - only young Snyde’s hiccup and red eyes showed what was truly hidden in Narcissa Malfoy’s heart. “I would like to see Draco.”

  Albus’ shoulders slumped before he gnced imperceptibly at the frozen Cornelius. Narcissa followed his gaze, and something passed through her eyes; a sheer storm of loathing, before it returned to pure chips of ice. Clearly, Cornelius noticed, for he gulped as he took a step back.

  “Here.” Albus walked between the sleeping students to Draco’s bed in the corner, the two witches following him. “I am sorry, Narcissa, but by the time I arrived at the train, he was already gone, and so was Severus.”

  The impassive woman raised a quivering hand towards the cover, but he gently grabbed it. “It is… not a pretty sight.”

  Narcissa Malfoy’s shaking limb steadied, and she did not hesitate as she continued; Albus did not stop her when she pulled the covers off. Meru Snyde’s gasp of shock, followed by sobbing, were the only sounds in the Hospital Wing. Cornelius seemed to be inching towards the doors, followed by two of his aides - not Aurors, all of them were with Amelia in Hogsmeade.

  The bereaved mother stared stoically at the mangled head of her son. His left eye was mush, and so was the entire left side of his face. His pale hair was painted red with blood, and his head had a massive crack in it from hitting the rocky canyon. His broken skull was visible under the hair, and Poppy had to remove part of his brain as it leaked and put the rest of the body into stasis. Young Meru sobbed louder, yet Narcissa did not so much as flinch, her eyes glued to her son’s face.

  “How did he die?”

  “We are not entirely certain. We know dementors attacked the train from both sides, yet were beaten back at the front. Severus and Draco were in the rear of the train and must have been attacked by more of the wraiths there. Severus tried and failed to cast the Patronus and I assume Draco tried to escape. We found the remains of his wand, as well as half the carriage they were in, destroyed from what I suspect was a powerful exploding curse that Draco used as a st resort.”

  Albus gave her a wan smile, “Priori Incantantem shows that Severus only used two spells, a Fme Weaving Charm, and the Patronus. I can only assume that Draco fought to the st, but, recognising a fate worse than death, chose to fling himself off the train to crash into the canyon below.”

  An uncomfortable silence followed as Narcissa continued to stare at her son’s corpse before she finally broke it. “I see. My Draco fought bravely, didn’t he?”

  “He did,” Albus said simply. “Far braver than many others would have been.”

  “I never wanted him to be brave,” Narcissa’s facade broke for a heartbeat as her fingers gently caressed the only undamaged part of her son’s face. “I wanted him to grow old and happy….” The mask returned, and the witch’s words grew colder. “As, fate ughs at us all, it seems. And was it the Aurors who beat back the dementors at the front of the train?”

  “A student, actually. There were no Aurors on the train, and now Amelia has brought their entire force here to banish all the lingering dementors to Azkaban.”

  “I see,” Something dangerous fshed behind the woman’s eyes. “All of the DMLE is in Hogsmeade and the Minister is here.”

  “I-Indeed, someone had to be here after such a disaster. Why, I have called Dolores from her home to cover for me in the ministry.” Cornelius chose that moment to chime in but flinched when the two witches turned to him, Narcissa’s lips thinning. “M-Mrs Malfoy, I-I a-assure you that no one feels more distraught about this incident than–”

  “I am not.”

  “I-I beg your pardon?”

  “With the death of my son, I am no longer a Malfoy as per my husband’s will. I am Narcissa Bck.” Narcissa Bck turned to her companion, “Meru, stay with Draco, please. Make sure his body is prepared for burial. He shall be id to rest with the rest of his ancestors.”

  “A-Alright, b-but, w-what about you, N-Narcissa?”

  Narcissa Bck turned back to the Floo and threw a pinch of floo powder into the firepce the same way an angry child would throw a rock in the Great Lake. “I have somewhere to visit to prepare my son’s funeral. I shall see you in a few hours. Remember, prepare the body and the burial, Meru.” The youngest of the Bck sisters gazed at Albus then the Minister with her utterly emotionless eyes. “Farewell.”

  Then she turned to the floo and stated an address that sounded like nonsense to Albus. A privacy ward or a hidden location, most likely. Before he could ponder further, Narcissa was gone, and Miss Snyde quickly started fussing around Draco’s body.

  “Well, that went better than I expected.” Albus gred at Cornelius so harshly the man jumped. “I-I mean, the woman did not so much as blink when she looked at the boy’s corpse.”

  “Cornelius. I believe it is time for you to go. I am certain Amelia could have something for you to do. I am sure the residents of Hogsmeade would like some assurances from their Minister that he cares about their anger.” The Minister flinched before fiddling with his bowler hat and muttered a hasty excuse as he left the Hospital Wing. Albus gnced around him once more; the patients were asleep, and Poppy was busy. He grabbed an abandoned quill, pointed his wand and muttered “Portus,” before pcing it on the table next to Draco’s bed. “Ms Snyde? I have created a port key for you to use. You need only to designate a destination, as Malfoy Manor is hidden from my senses. Do not worry about ministry regutions - I will handle everything.”

  “… thanks.” A quiet voice came from behind the curtain, and Albus nodded.

  “Poppy, I am needed in the Great Hall.”

  “Yes, yes, I have everything at hand, Albus.”

  Shaking his head, Albus Dumbledore made his way to the Great Hall, trying to shake off the unbridled rage he had seen in Narcissa Bck’s eyes. While different, it reminded him of another woman of House Bck and her manic ways.

  A*L*S*M

  Entrance Hall

  “We need to have a talk, Harry.” Susan smiled sadly at him. “I’m gd you’re alright, all things considered.”

  Harry returned the smile, but it probably came out like a grimace. “I am gd you are well, Susan. And… we shall talk ter.”

  The red-haired girl nodded before letting go of him once they entered the hall to join the rest of the Hufflepuffs.

  “We would also like to er… talk, but I’m more concerned with how empty the staff table is.” Tracey frowned at the front of the hall, and Harry shrugged - all of the Hogwarts staff were busy doing damage control, but he doubted there was much more they could do that the DMLE couldn’t handle. “Also, has anyone seen Malfoy?”

  Harry felt ice in his veins as the blonde witch looked around curiously before her eyes paused on him, and he cursed how perceptive the girl was. “We’ll talk ter.”

  He made his way to the Gryffindor table, Hermione following suit, her cat hot on her heels. The tables were already filling up, with nearly everyone gossiping loudly about what had happened - not that anyone knew, but their guesses about someone getting Kissed were spot on.

  “Harry, over here!”

  Harry made his way to the Gryffindor table where Dean was waving at him; the rest of his dorm years had taken a section of the table near the middle, and even the girls waved Hermione over. They had barely sat before Neville burst out in talk.

  “Gd you’re alright, mate. I heard you cast a wicked spell that protected everyone from the dementors!”

  “Fred and George Weasley were singing praises of it to the moon!”

  “It was like a massive ghost of a wolf!”

  “Really? That sounds so charming!”

  His dorm years were excited, Lavender gushing about wishing to see his wolf and menting staying in her regur compartment. Most of them were in the middle of the train, and thus, their compartment windows did not shatter - Hermione and the rest of his friends had stuck close to the middle of the common room, avoiding the worst of the damage.

  Harry doubted they would be so enthusiastic once they learned of Malfoy’s death.

  ‘Or perhaps they would be,’ he mused. ‘Nobody really liked Malfoy, especially in Gryffindor.’

  Gncing at the other tables, he could see many heads were looking around, searching for any missing student; sooner or ter, they were bound to notice the missing ones, though Harry thought there were more missing students than usual. Considering the damage to the Hogwarts Express, a good chunk of them were probably in the Hospital Wing.

  “So, Harry, what do you think happened out there? You went out to fight those dementors, right?”

  Everything grew deadly quiet after Neville’s question, and Harry groaned inwardly. But it was not like he could hide it, there were plenty of witnesses anyway. Before he could answer, however, a distraction appeared in the form of the teachers entering the hall through a side door. Soon, they were all seated, though every one of them had solemn faces, even the scarred man in tattered robes who must be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

  Something about him was familiar, but another distraction caught his attention. McGonagall entered through the front doors, leading the first years to the sorting hat and for once, Harry could truly appreciate the sheer number of future first-years. The line was three students abreast and extended all the way to the doors; there must have been at least a hundred and fifty of them compared to his year’s forty or so.

  Normally, silence would be followed, but the absence of the Headmaster and Potions professor had all of the students whispering.

  “I will have silence!” That is not to say Minerva McGonagall could not control an unruly crowd of children who were struck silent at her reverberating call - no doubt through the use of magic. “I understand many of you have questions, and they will all be answered in time.”

  “Was someone really attacked?” One of the older Gryffindors blurted out.

  The headmistress’ lips thinned as she gnced at him.

  “Were they…Kissed?!” The squeak of fear came from a Ravencw, and suddenly, a deluge of questions and demands for answers flooded the hall as students got bold.

  “Silence, students!” Once more, everyone quieted, yet McGonagall seemed to have aged a dozen years in the past ten minutes as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “It is simply too early to know everything, and we would not want to cause panic by giving you misinformation. Professor Dumbledore is on the case with the DMLE’s finest and the Ministry. For now, we will begin the sorting.”

  Her words had a finality to it, and Harry noticed the first years certainly looked spooked enough as it was. Professor McGonagall finally gestured to the four-legged stool on top of which was that tattle-tale of a hat, Gaston. The ratty old hat opened the beam on its lips, and started singing.Oh, come ye wizards, come ye all,

  To Hogwarts’ halls, both wide and tall,

  Where once four founders made their stand,

  To shape the magic of this nd.

  Four houses born from friendship true,

  Each one with traits that call to you.

  So don’t be shy, and take a seat,

  I’ll tell you where you’ll find your feet.

  First, there’s Gryffindor, the bold,

  Where courage gleams like scarlet gold.

  The daring hearts, the brave and strong,

  They’ll fight for right, and right the wrong.

  Or yet in Hufflepuff you’ll go,

  Where loyal souls do thrive and grow.

  The just, the fair, the patient few,

  They’ll toil and strive ‘til work is through.

  In Ravencw, the clever reside,

  Where wit and learning are your guide.

  With open minds and sharpest eyes,

  They seek the truth beyond the skies.

  And Slytherin, so shrewd and sly,

  The house of cunning, quick, and sly.

  With ambition fierce, they’ll rise and lead,

  For those who dream of power’s seed.

  So don’t you fret, I’ve got the knack,

  Just pce me gently on your back.

  I’ll read your mind, I’ll see your heart,

  And tell you where you’ll make your start.

  Though we may differ, house by house,

  In heart of Hogwarts, all are bound.

  For unity is what we need,

  To face what’s coming—take heed indeed!

  The path ahead is dark, unclear,

  But together, we’ll endure the fear.

  So trust in me, and take your pce,

  With Hogwarts’ strength, we’ll stand with grace!

  A smattering of appuse echoed, far less enthusiastic than two years prior when Harry attended his own sorting. The students were clearly still in too much shock, yet Harry did not let that stop him from cpping hard, and sure enough, many of the other Gryffindors joined him.

  McGonagall gave him an imperceptive nod before she produced a roll of parchment and coughed. “When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted – Abercrombie, Lucinda.”

  A tiny bck-haired girl hesitantly moved forward and put on the hat, nearly covering her entire head if not for McGonagall holding it for her. A few seconds ter, the hat shouted: “SLYTHERIN!”

  The house of the cunning gave a zy appuse. Harry gnced at the Slytherins only to see Daphne elbowing Pansy beside her, who kept looking around in worry, before gring at her Warrington cousin until he did the same with the older years. The cpping intensified to a polite one.

  “Albrighton, William.”

  A bold-looking kid strutted towards the chair but nearly tripped on his cloak, earning himself a wave of chuckles. Strangely, the boy didn’t look embarrassed, but merely ughed along before plopping on the seat and pcing the hat on. This one took longer, maybe fifteen seconds, before the Hat shouted:

  “GRYFFINDOR!”

  Their table gave a thunderous appuse as Albrighton grinned toothily and ran off, stopping for a moment to take off the hat and tossing it to McGonagall. The deputy headmistress’ face was worth two detentions when the hat nearly struck her forehead.

  “Smart kid.” Harry cpped as the boy sat in an empty section reserved for the first years, several of the students near him moving close to cp his back or shake his hand. He eborated on Hermione’s and the rest of his group’s confusion. “He noticed the mood and managed to break the tension with a couple of antics. Look, most have forgotten their earlier worries.”

  “You think he’s smart enough to fake that trip?” Seamus did not look convinced as he gnced at their first recruit. “Should have been in Ravencw then.”

  “The Hat works in mysterious ways,” Harry quipped.

  True enough, Albrighton’s trick worked wonders as the rest of the sorting went smoothly. Students and teachers appuded every newcomer, and gradually, the solemn mood in the hall evaporated.

  “Bones, Edward.” Harry straightened his back as Susan’s brother was called. The prospective first-year, carrying himself with dignity, walked purposely to the stool and pced the hat over his head. It was nearly a minute ter, as many started to get excited about the hatstaller, and the Weasley twins were just about to open betting when the hat frowned before roaring: “RAVENCLAW!”

  The loud appuse from the Cws’ table was near deafening, especially as Astoria nearly jumped on the table in an attempt to wave Eddy Bones to sit beside her and Luna. Clearly, the st blood transfusion still held strong.

  By the gods, the girl did not so much as blink when the dementors arrived, almost cackling in excitement.

  After poor Eddy was glomped by the girl, and Harry spied Susan shaking her head by her table, the sorting continued. A Buckwell went to Hufflepuff, A Baxter to Slytherin, and then Caldwell to Gryffindor, before finally, it was his cousins’ turn.

  “Carrow, Hestia.”

  “Huh, so Hestia is the eldest?” Hermione whispered as his impassive cousin sat on the stool and the hat dropped nearly to her eyes.

  Harry hummed as he watched in interest, Hestia seemed to be muttering something under her breath urgently, yet even with his excellent hearing, he could not tell what she was saying from this distance, especially as the rest of the hall started whispering as well. Another hatstaller. The hat looked agitated, while Hestia bit her lips and subtly gnced his way.

  Harry merely gave her an encouraging smile.

  “GRYFFINDOR!”

  Harry stood up and cpped loudly, prompting the rest of the Gryffindors to join in enthusiastically. Hestia dropped the hat like it was on fire and hurried to the table, making a beeline for him until he pointedly looked at the first-year section. She switched tracks and sat next to William Albrighton and Fiona Caldwell just as her sister Flora was called to the stool.

  The hat didn’t take long to also decre, “Gryffindor!” and Flora joined her sister with a mischievous smile.

  “It’s a fortune to have twins in our house,” Katie noted, and many seemed to agree.

  “Why, dear Katie, are the two of us not enough?” Fred and George dramatically grasped their hearts and limped on their chairs.

  “The two of you don’t count and only bring us trouble,” Percy pompously pointed out.

  Yet a whisper about the name Carrow and lunatics had Harry gring at an older boy so hard he flinched. Harry had no desire to py the overprotective brother and did not even pn to tell anyone that the twins were his cousins, but a part of him–mostly Jon–would absolutely and shamelessly procim them under his protection regardless if it would put them in the spotlight.

  He was barely capable of stopping that part, merely sufficing to grunt out, “You’re in the wrong house if you want to judge someone by the name of their forbearers. The hat believes their pce is here, and that should be enough.”

  The boy, he thought his name was McLegup or something, nodded along with the rest of the table. The sorting continued, and then, on and on, it went, as sorting over a hundred children would easily take more than an hour. He perked up when a certain Sullivan Fawley was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Harry recalled Eleanor mentioning a brother enrolling this term.

  More names continued to be called, and more students were sorted until another name he recognised was called. “Prewett, Mafalda.”

  The brown haired girl with red eyes squared her shoulders before approaching the stool and pced the hat on. Maddie did not seem to be whispering to the hat this time, most likely trusting it to pce her in the house that would suit her most. Seconds stretched on to a minute as the hat deliberated, and people whispered excitedly at another hatstaller.

  It was when Fred and George started taking bets that she would reach two minutes when the hat opened its mouth and procimed: “SLYTHERIN!”

  Silence for a second before appuse erupted from the Slytherin table, Daphne and Tracey were on their feet causing many others to follow suit. Harry wagered that only worked due to the st name of Prewett as if any of them knew she was practically a muggleborn, it would be a different story.

  Maddie left the hat on the stool before walking to the Slytherin table, sitting beside that tiny Abercrombie girl.

  “Well, Fred, looks like we are in a serious dilemma.” George joked as he handed out the winning bets, while pocketing a few sickles. “Our pride as Gryffindors, and inheritors to the will of the marauders, dictates that no Slytherin is safe from our pranks.”

  “Yet, as her cousins, it behoves us to be merciful and give her a grace period.” Fred nodded knowingly, accepting his share of the bets. “Besides, I'm sure her stay in Slytherin will be very interesting.”

  “You two don't seem too surprised she went there.” Harry noted, “Even won a few bets from it.”

  “But of course! We knew our cousin well enough to know she was a snake at heart. The good kind of snake.” Fred hurriedly added when his twin elbowed him. “The cute and fuzzy kind–”

  “I get you.” Harry chortled as the sorting continued though he noticed Hermione gazing sadly at her now Slytherin friend. Tracey seemed to have already taken her under her wing, and Harry wondered if Hermione felt she lost a protégé.

  “Rex, Hermione. It's not like you can't still be friends.” Harry pointedly looked at the Greengrasses. “If I can make friends in Slytherin, then so can you.”

  Hermione smiled, “True enough. We barely got any Lions though, and I wonder if this simply isn't our year.”

  True enough, as the sorting continued, they barely got a score or so of lions out of the lot. Several hatstallers ended up dragging it well over an hour, and it was only at nine in the evening when the st first year, Delih Zeller, was sorted into Slytherin, that Dumbledore entered through the staff’s door.

  The Great Hall instantly quieted as the venerable headmaster slowly but purposefully walked towards his throne and stood over it. He calmly inspected the hall, yet Harry could see the solemness and sadness in his eyes.

  “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. First, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. May I introduce Professor Remus Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.”

  Dumbledore waved his hand to where a nondescript man wearing shabby robes stood and bowed, receiving polite but subdued appuse from the students. The moment he raised his head, however, Harry frowned as Ghost’s hackles were raised. The man was tall, had light-brown hair, tired brown eyes, scars across his face and a thin moustache. Their eyes met, and the man’s eyes widened, just as Ghost growled a challenge in his mind. It was then that Harry realised why he seemed familiar.

  The man was a werewolf.

  So his parents befriended a werewolf while at school? Considering his situation with Chiara, it seemed he was following in their footsteps as well.

  “As to our second new appointment,” Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm appuse for Professor Lupin died away. “I regret to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of st year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his pce will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on his teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties.”

  The appuse was greater for Hagrid, especially from the Gryffindors, yet still subdued. Even Hagrid was not in the mood to celebrate, merely nodding to them, though he did smile when he caught his eyes.

  Once the appuse died, however, Dumbledore pced his hands on the head table, leaning heavily on it as if the weight of the castle was on his shoulders.

  “I’m sure many of you would like to know what happened during your train ride here.” Instantly, everyone straightened out in their seats, and a few worried eyes gnced around at where the missing students should have been.

  “Dementors attacked, that’s what happened. Potter drove them off, didn’t he?”

  Harry stifled a groan as he gred at the nky blonde Hufflepuff, whom he recalled was in the train’s common room. Some rich kid with too little sense, no doubt.

  “Aye, he did. Cast a wicked patronus he did. A massive red-eyed wolf that chomped at one of the daring wraiths that peaked its ugly head through the window before flying off.” Ernie MacMiln, the boy whom he snubbed st term, added. “Potter had went off and stabbed one of them with a sword according to the driver.”

  “Bloody fucking hell.” He whispered under his breath as the entire hall broke out into murmurs.

  “Harry, nguage!”

  Hermione’s elbow showed that he was clearly not silent enough, but he did not care. Harry had no idea if the two Puffs were being malicious or thought they were doing him a favour and trying to cosy up to him.

  “That is enough, students.” Dumbledore did not raise his voice. In fact, he was the epitome of calm, yet the command seemed to reverberate through the hall, and everyone was struck silent. He sent him an apologetic look, but Harry shrugged helplessly; now, the ministry would surely want some sort of statement from him. “Harry Potter has indeed shown exempry bravery and loyalty in protecting his fellow students, not to mention shrewdness and cunning in keeping the dementors busy long enough for help to arrive and vanquish the dreadful creatures.”

  The headmaster paused for a moment before sighing tiredly, “Yet, even the most valorous and resourceful wizard cannot be in two pces at once. There were more dementors on that train, and I regret to inform you of the passing of your fellow student, Draco Malfoy.”

  The silence in the hall was broken by many gasps, one louder than most from Hermione sitting next to him, yet not as much as he thought. Harry gnced at the Slytherin table, finding many of the students were at least shocked, especially his yearmates.

  One of the older years blurted out, “Was he…Kissed?!”

  “No… Young Draco recognised a losing battle when he saw one and fought relentlessly until he could do no more. I will not go into details for our young students but know that he has perished, and that is enough. Any student not in attendance is merely recuperating in the Hospital Wing and shall be fit by morning. I would ask for your prayers and sympathies to his friends and family in this trying time.”

  Many murmurs in the hall, along with a few choked sobs. Harry wagered not many would truly ment Draco’s passing, yet the death of a fellow student, so soon after another one, was freaking some of the students out.

  “I also regret to inform you that Professor Severus Snape was also attacked and is now in Saint Mungo’s for treatment. It remains to be seen when he shall recover, but know that Potions csses will continue as scheduled.” Chuckling at the wave of disappointed groans–the Weasley twins being the loudest–the headmaster continued, “In the meantime, I shall take over the position of Potions Master until a suitable repcement is found.”

  “Finally, following the recent events, I have taken it upon myself to summon the full might of the DMLE to patrol Hogsmeade and banish the dementors back to Azkaban. You shall never have to fear from those monstrosities ever again.”

  That seemed to calm down the students more than anything else. Not a single one of them did not miss the effects of the dementors on the train. Knowing that soul-sucking monstrosities wouldn’t linger around Hogwarts as was the previous pn even made Harry feel better.

  “Now, I have already taken too much of your time. While our hearts are heavy, we must still remember to live for our fallen friends, keep their memories close, and our remaining friends closer. Now, fill your bellies, for you still have school on the morrow.”

  Several groans were cut short as the opening feast began, and food appeared everywhere. The students were not too exuberant, however; the shadow of another death hung over their heads, though soon, people’s empty stomachs prevailed over any hesitation. Harry was still feeling the effects of magical exhaustion, though he tended to recover after a few hours of rest or a good meal, usually both. Thus, he was not reserved when he grabbed a pte of mashed potatoes and an entire turkey roast to himself; only his etiquette and pride stopped him from gorging like a pig.

  The rest of the surrounding students ate and chatted, many of them wondering how Snape got hurt. A fair few, however, were worried about the safety of the castle.

  “I mean, this is the second death within three months!” Parvati was saying as she finished her chicken sad and enjoyed a strawberry shortcake. It’s been nearly an hour since dinner started and Harry was onto his second treacle tart pie. “And it happened to someone from our year. Again!”

  “Do you think we’re jinxed?” Neville asked warily.

  “Who knows?” Dean shrugged, “Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest pce in Britain for witches and wizards.”

  “To be fair, Malfoy died outside the grounds. Wouldn’t that be the ministry’s jurisdiction?” Lavender directed the question to Hermione, who was nguidly pying with her food. “Hermione?”

  “Er, what?” His bushy-haired friend flinched. “Sorry, what was that?”

  Lavender repeated her question, causing Hermione to frown. “I’m not sure. According to Hogwarts a History, the Hogwarts Express is operated by the Department of Magical Transportation. The appearance of dementors on the train would definitely be the Minister’s responsibility; wasn’t he and his undersecretary the ones who insisted on deploying them to Hogsmeade?”

  “Oh yeah, I’m sure they will be in deep trouble for this.” One of the older students chimed in, and suddenly, the rest of the table gossiped on how much trouble the ministry would be in after this.

  Meanwhile, Harry noticed his friend was still distracted and could sense her distress. “Are you alright, Hermione?”

  “Not really? I mean, I can’t believe Malfoy is dead. It’s just so… surreal. He had just greeted me on the train. Politely even. He must have turned over a new leaf and all that potential - all of his hopes and dreams were snuffed out. Just like that.”

  Harry nodded and patted her shoulder, “It was his fate. There was nothing any of us could have done for him. Snape was with him, and Dumbledore said he tried to cast the Patronus Charm but, for some reason, failed. All we could do now is to pray for his soul and focus on school.”

  “I suppose… I just wish that damned gargoyle would get her comeuppance!” Hermione growled, grabbing some of their friend’s attention. “I mean, this could have been any one of us. Malfoy was simply in the wrong pce at the wrong time. Imagine if you were not there, Harry. Things would have been far worse.”

  “Aye, Umbridge will get her due. I have no doubt about that.” Harry squeezed her shoulder before returning to his food. “Now, let’s finish dessert and get to bed. It’s been a long day and–”

  “DUMBLEDORE!” Suddenly, the doors to the Great Hall burst open and Harry gawked as the dishevelled Minister for Magic burst in, nearly tripping on the fgstones, before one of his aids grabbed him. “DUMBLEDORE!!”

  The entire hall stared in silent shock as the man rushed to the staff table like the world was ending and nearly crashed into it, grabbing it with both hands and heaving like an angry bull. The Headmaster had sprung to his feet, wand in hand, and gazed coldly at the minister.

  “Cornelius! This is highly unbecoming. What in Merlin’s name could–”

  “Attack!” Cornelius Fudge raised his head, but Harry could not see his face - only guess that it was completely panicked. “That crazy woman is attacking the Ministry! She’s already destroyed half the Atrium and is going floor by floor looking for Dolores!!”

  A sudden chill seemed to grab the air, and Harry had a terrible premonition that he knew who that crazy woman was. Who else would abandon all hope and despair, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, in order to gain revenge for the death of her son?

  “Who, Cornelius?” Albus Dumbledore was far calmer than he should be, and Harry almost sensed Schandefraude as he stared at the minister, now fnked by two aids and several Aurors who had burst in as well. “Who is attacking the ministry?”

  “Who else but her? Narcissa Bck!”

  Hell hath no fury than a Mother in despair. Yet the path to hell is usually paved with bones and blood.

  It would be just like the magical world to try to downpy the death of someone in favour of keeping the peace and status quo. The sorting is too important of a ceremony to be abandoned or even postponed; where would those kids stay? Yes, something could be prepared for them: An abandoned cssroom, the Great Hall…etc, but Magicals aren’t that savvy, eh?