Harry Potter Book 7

~Chapter Eight~

Changes

The first of September dawned with the usual last hour scramble to get everything packed and to get to King's Cross station.

Harry awoke to the sound of his bedroom door blasting open and Ron strode in, already fully dressed, Hermione right behind him.

"Harry, you better wake up," he said. "If you don't get changed soon, we're going to miss the train." He began rummaging through his drawers. "Have you seen my white socks?" he added. "I could've sworn I put them here..."

Hermione gave Harry a frightened, fleeting look.

"I'm sure it'll turn up, Ron," he said taking a stab at airiness.

Ten minutes later, the three of them went downstairs, dragging their suitcases, Ron and Harry carrying Hedwig and Pigwidgeon in their cages under their arms and Crookshranks trotting at Hermione's heels to find the hall cluttered with luggage and people dashing in all directions.

"You three, over here!" Mrs. Weasley shouted to them, gesturing them over with her hand. Lupin was standing next to her looking harassed. The reason Mrs. Weasley had to shout was so that she could make her voice heard over another voice that was screaming, "Get out of my house you unwelcome scum! Thieves, you stole this noble manor from my worthless son!"

Harry recognized the screeching voice as that of Mrs. Black's, Sirius's mother who had her unmovable portrait hanging in the house and being a constant nuisance to the members of the Order.

Ginny was standing next to her mother and gave Harry an embarrassed smile. Harry tried to avoid her eyes but couldn't and he grinned back.

"Arthur's going to manage the luggage," Mrs. Weasley yelled as they struggled towards her, trying to not trip over anybody else's suitcase. "Leave all your things here."

"Are you all ready?" Lupin said loudly.

Ron and Hermione nodded but Ron gazed at Lupin intently.

"Is something wrong, Ron?"

"Wait a minute...I know you..." Ron said slowly.

Mrs. Weasley was not listening as she was trying to talk to Mr. Weasley at the top of her voice over Mrs. Black's screams.

Lupin frowned.

"Yes, you do know me, Ron."

Harry gave Hermione a panicked look, which she returned whereas Ginny looked confused.

"Ron, are you alright?" Lupin asked in a mixture of alarm and seriousness.

But before Ron could answer, to Harry's immense relief, Mr. Weasley had darted off in the direction of Mrs. Black's portrait, pulling out his wand and Mrs. Weasley turned to them, opened the door and pushed them all outside.

"Goodbye and take care you four!" Lupin shouted. They all waved back in time before the door snapped shut, cutting off all the cacophony that was going on inside.

Harry moved to Hermione's side as they set off at a brisk pace.

"What's wrong with Ron?" he hissed.

"I don't know," she whispered. "But I think that the Memory Charm might have gone wrong."

"What?" Harry gaped at her. "Didn't the charm erase just the conversation we had that day?"

"Oh, Patrick, I don't know. I've never done a Memory Charm on a person before so I don't know if I did it right!"

"Are you saying you might have accidentally interfered with his other memories? Is that why he didn't recognize Lupin?"

"That-that must be it," Hermione moaned.

"Did the charm affect any of his other memories?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know. Oh, what are we going to do?"

"We'll have to hope that's the only other bit of his memory that's been affected," Harry replied grimly. "Let's hope the spell didn't do too much damage."

During the twenty minutes it took them to reach King's Cross by walking, Harry nervously avoided the gaze of strangers. Even though he knew he was not Harry Potter to them (he had taken the enhanced Polyjuice Potion once again that morning at breakfast), he still felt nervous when they looked at their party.

Lupin had given Harry an entire case of phials containing the potion; enough to last him throughout the whole year. If he needed more, he needed to write to Lupin who would send some more straight away. Lupin explained that the new potions were even more powerful than the ones Harry was currently taking and that they would last twelve hours instead of three, so Harry should be taking them twice a day.

When they reached King's Cross, Mrs. Weasley checked her watch before letting the party through the barrier in pairs so as to not attract attention. At last, once Mrs. and Mr. Weasley were the last pair through the barrier, Mr. Weasley handed the baggage to their owners one by one before they exchanged goodbyes.

Mrs. Weasley hugged her children while Mr. Weasley shook hands with Harry and Hermione.

"Do take care and be extra careful this year, Patrick," Mrs. Weasley murmured to him as they embraced. "Remember, you're Patrick Simons now. Be wary of what you say around people and try not to slip up."

"I won't, Mrs. Weasley," Harry reassured her and she smiled at him.

"Well, goodbye and take care, of all you," she said as the first warning whistle blew. "You lot all better get on the train now."

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny clambered aboard and leant out the window.

"Please especially watch out for yourselves this year," Mrs. Weasley implored them. "What with Dumbledore gone..." her voice trailed off.

"We will, mum," Ron promised.

"Of course," Hermione smiled.

"Definitely," Harry said.

The train whistle blew again and the carriages lurched forward. The four of them waved to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until they shrank from view and the train pulled out of the station, gathering speed.

At once and determinedly avoiding Harry's gaze, Ginny seized her suitcase and set off to find her friends.

"Ron and I have to go to the prefect's compartment," Hermione told Harry in an apologetic voice.

Harry nodded and watched Ron and Hermione set off together down the train. Then he turned and slowly began to walk the other way, searching for an empty compartment.

As he passed the other students, he braced himself for the barrage of stares he was expecting from all the other students before he remembered that he was a different person now. He wasn't Harry Potter anymore. And at that thought, a strange feeling of freedom stole over him making him feel untroubled. So this was how it felt like not to be famous, with no one ogling at you.

Near the end of the train, he finally found a suitable compartment and struggled in with his suitcase and Hedwig's cage. The only people in there were Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood.

"Hi, Neville. Hi, Luna," Harry greeted, sliding the door shut behind him.

Neville stared at him. "Er-hi," Neville mumbled. "How did you know my name?"

Harry gaped soundlessly at Neville. Then he turned to look at Luna who was vaguely reading the Quibbler and not taking in a thing of what they were saying.

Then, it hit him again. They did not recognize him as Harry Potter.

"Er...someone in the train told me," Harry said hastily. "I'm-I'm new to Hogwarts. I'm a new student. My name's Patrick Simons."

"Nice to meet you Patrick," Neville said politely. "We don't usually get new students joining the school above the first year. You're the first I think."

"Thanks," Harry said.

"Patrick, do you read the Quibbler?" Luna asked suddenly and absently over her magazine.

"No, sorry," Harry said at once.

He quickly changed the subject, not eager to hear the latest, ludicrous article about the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

As the day wore on and the train flew through endless fields of innocent grazing cows and grass, steep heavily-bushed mountains and across vast, sparkling lakes, Harry and Neville passed the time by talking about Quidditch and playing numerous games of Exploding Snap (Luna was to absorbed in the Quibbler to really care much about what they were doing). Neville was also curious about Harry's background and why he changed from his old magical school, but Harry steered the conversation away from the subject and invented excuses.

Right after the food trolley had gone by and Harry and Neville had bought a stack of Cauldron Cakes each, the compartment door slid open. Harry looked around, expecting to see Ron and Hermione, but instead, a boy who looked like he was in their year poked his head in.

He was slightly taller than Harry and pale with a broad face, short brown hair and a few freckles. His mouth was unusually wide; his eyes large and slightly bulging. As Harry stared at him, he was strongly reminded of someone, but he could not think who.

"Hello," he said, smiling nervously, his lips stretching even wider. "My name's Edward. Can I sit with you?"

"Okay," Harry consented.

The boy went back out into corridor momentarily, then returned, pulling his suitcase into the compartment. He then dropped into the seat beside Harry.

"Are you in our year?" Neville asked.

"Nope," Edward shook his head. "I'm a new student. I'm changing schools to Hogwarts from my old one."

Neville glanced at Harry in surprise who was stunned. Was this a coincidence that there was another boy changing to Hogwarts this year too? Harry began to feel a little uneasy about this new boy.

"Hey, I don't know your names yet," Edward said.

"My name's Neville," Neville introduced. "This is Luna-" he pointed to Luna who did not raise her eyes from her magazine but merely nodded. "-and this is Patrick," Neville motioned to Harry. "He's new to Hogwarts too. Same as you!"

"What a pleasant coincidence!" Edward cried, though Harry noticed his eyes narrowed and he saw a tiny spark of suspicion flickering within them.

He and Harry shook hands.

"Say," Edward said slowly. "You were Harry Potter's friend, weren't you Neville? I read in the papers that you knew Harry."

Harry's insides gave a warning jolt but he kept calm and his face impassive.

"Yeah," Neville said gloomily. "Harry was a great friend. But..."

"Do you really think he's dead?" Edward said bluntly, seemingly uncaring of how painful the subject might be to Neville.

"What do you mean?" Neville replied. "Of course he's dead, the Daily Prophet reported it. What are you talking bout?"

"Nothing, nothing," Edward said at once in an airy voice, but Harry could hear a tone of disappointment in his voice.

At that moment, the compartment door slid open again and Ron and Hermione came in, then spotted Edward and stopped dead in their tracks.

"Hi, Ron. Hi, Hermione," Neville said to them.

"Hi, Neville," they said back.

"Ron? Hermione?" Edward said suddenly in frenzied excitement. "Are you both Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger? Harry Potter's best friends?"

Ron and Hermione looked startled.

"Yeah..." Ron said suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"He's a new student at Hogwarts," Neville explained. "His name is Edward."

"Really..." Hermione said in a suspicious voice that matched Ron's.

Harry knew what they were both thinking.

"And this is Patrick," Neville added gesturing to Harry.

"Yeah, we know Patrick," Ron said comfortably. "He's friends with Hermione and I."

"You know Ron and Hermione?" Edward said suddenly, turning an expression of frozen disbelief to Harry. Again, Harry saw the tiny spark of suspicion flaring within his eyes he had seen earlier.

"Yeah, I do," Harry answered cautiously.

"Why that's wonderful!" Edward said in a falsely sweet voice. His voice again reminded Harry of someone, but still, Harry could not recall whom it was.

For the rest of the journey, as darkness fell and the lamps were lit, they all sat down and talked with Edward. When he asked for an insight into Hogwarts, Hermione enthusiastically launched into an explanation about the rich history of the castle to him. She was just beginning to inform him about the history of the four founders when he told her coolly that he wasn't interested in historical information and turned his back on her, oblivious to her offended and angry expression.

He then asked Ron to talk about Hogwarts. Ron immediately started talking about Quidditch at Hogwarts when Edward stopped him too and told Ron calmly he didn't like Quidditch either. Ron looked equally as outraged as Hermione's face showed but they were too shocked to say anything.

At last, the train ground to a halt and they rose from their seats. There was the usual scramble and pushing to get out of the train.

Harry jumped down onto the dark, crowded station and breathed in the fresh and chilly night air.

He looked around and saw a gigantic figure at the end of the station carrying a bobbing lantern and yelling, "Firs' -years this way! Firs'-years this way!"

"Hi, Hagrid!" Harry bellowed.

But Hagrid simply stared at Harry. Harry stared back in confusion. Before he could spare the matter another thought, he felt someone prod him hard in the back.

"Patrick, move!" Hermione hissed. "Hagrid can't recognize you, remember?"

They moved with the crowd on to the road outside the station where a hundred or so carriages stood waiting. Harry looked at the carriages and saw that they were being drawn by Thestrals. They glared hollowly back at Harry. He shuddered and climbed aboard one of the coaches.

Ron, Hermione, Neville and Edward climbed in after him. Edward, the last to enter, slammed the door and at once, the carriage lurched forwards and they began to rattle down the road.

They passed the statues of the winged boars that marked the entrance gates to the Hogwarts grounds and wheeled bumpily up the drive.

Moments later, the coaches swayed to a stop, they jumped out of the coach and walked up the stairs and through the oaken front doors entering the entrance hall of the castle.

As they crossed the hall towards the double doors on the right wall that lead to the Great Hall, a voice called out to them, "Just a moment please."

The five of them stopped and turned. Professor McGonagall was descending the marble staircase and approaching them.

Harry wasn't surprised that Edward was looking extremely nervous as Professor McGonagall was looking as severe as ever.

"Edward and Patrick? she asked, her eyes meeting Harry's for the briefest second and although the corners of her mouth twitched, she did not smile.

Harry and Edward nodded.

"Come with me please, you both need to be sorted into your houses," she said crisply. "Weasley, Granger, Longbottom, into the Great Hall please," she added to the others whom were still standing there and they departed.

Harry and Edward followed Professor McGonagall into a small chamber just off the entrance hall where all the first years were already gathered, looking pale and very frightened. Harry remembered how when he first arrived at Hogwarts, he and his other fellow first years were taken in here by Professor McGonagall and told to wait for the Sorting ceremony.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. As you are both new students, you will have a lot to learn about the castle to catch up with everyone else. I will assign a house prefect to you each to help guide you during your first weeks here. Your prefect will be happy to answer any questions you have. Now, you two will be sorted with the first years," she told them. Then she addressed the new students.

"Alright, arrange yourselves into a single file at once, please, first years!"

After five minutes of pushing and fighting, the first years formed a single line. Harry and Edward joined the back of the line.

"Follow me," Professor McGonagall instructed.

She lead them into the Great Hall where the rest of the school were seated in their houses. The enchanted ceiling was black and boiling with storm clouds that rumbled and flashed with lightning. By the lights of the hundreds of candles that floated in mid-air, the wispy, transparent ghosts could be seen.

Filch, the caretaker, stepped forward from the staff table and placed a wooden stool in front of the teacher's table where it could be seen by the whole school. Set on the stool was a very old, patched hat.

Everyone in the hall stared at the hat. It was motionless for a moment, then its brim opened like a mouth:

Once upon a magic age,

Let the sorting now start.

The hall exploded with clapping and cheering. The Sorting Hat bowed to each house table and finally, the staff table before it became motionless once more.

Professor McGonagall stepped forwards and unrolled a long scroll of parchment. She cleared her throat sternly and the last applause died away.

"When I call out your name, please step forward and put the hat on," Professor McGonagall said clearly.

Straightening the parchment, she read aloud:

"Agnes, Truman!"

A boy detached himself from the line of first years and stumbled over to the stool. With trembling fingers, he raised the hat and put it on his head. Then he sat and waited on the stool.

"Hufflepuff!" the hat shouted.

The Hufflepuff table exploded with cheers as Truman took the hat of his head and went to sit at the Ravenclaw table. He looked immensely relieved.

"Bena, Lucy!"

A white-faced girl next stepped forwards and put the hat on her head.

"Ravenclaw!"

The Ravenclaw table clapped loudly and Lucy removed the hat and rose to sit at their table. Harry glimpsed Cho Chang clapping and as she turned her head, their eyes met for a split second.

Harry felt his heart lurch horribly because he thought for a moment he saw a shadow of recognition cross Cho's face. But the moment passed and she looked away.

Slowly, the line of first years dwindled away. With only ten first years left to be sorted, Edward looked like he would very much like to vomit.

In a few minutes, they were the only two left. Everyone was now looking curiously at them and whispering to their friends. Harry avoided their gaze.

Professor McGonagall raised her voice over the muttering and silence fell again.

"This year," she announced. "We are pleased to introduce two new students at our school who will be joining the seventh years this year. Although this situation is highly irregular, they too need to be sorted into their houses."

The silence in the hall seemed to intensify. Professor McGonagall continued. "The first new student joining our school, is Patrick Simons."

Harry walked over to the Sorting Hat and slowly put it on. He felt the eyes of every person in the hall upon him.

He remembered his sorting in his first year of Hogwarts. He remembered how when he had worn the hat, it had fell right over his eyes. But now, it felt like a normal wizard's hat and rested comfortably on his head.

"Hmm. Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes-and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting..."

Those were the first words the Sorting Hat had spoken to Harry. And now...

"Well, well, Harry Potter...now why are you being sorted again? Ah yes, I see, of course..."

Harry gripped the edges of the stool like he did in his first year as the hat went on.

"How well I remember your first sorting six years ago, as if it were yesterday...I can see in your head that you remember it very well too..."

And indeed, Harry could recall it very clearly.

"...the old argument, eh? Your heart is craving to be in Gryffindor, yes I see that. However...ah...your courage has grown magnificently since we last met...yes...you are a true Gryffindor...but you would do even better in Slytherin, you know?"

Harry felt his heart sink.

"Yes...Slytherin is the house for you, my boy..."

"Your wrong," Harry told the hat inside his head. "Wrong!"

"I am never wrong," the hat whispered inside his ear. "But it is our choices that set us apart from other people...and though I know better, I must go against my judgement...Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table burst out in cheers. Harry removed the hat from his head, rushed to t he Gryffindor table and squeezed himself between Ron and Hermione who were cheering loudly too. Harry felt the whole table patting him on the back.

At last, the ovation died away.

"And now," Professor McGonagall said. "The last person to be sorted, is Edward Umbridge."

An invisible wave of shock seemed to pass through the entire hall. At once, whispers erupted on all four tables as the students whispered urgently to their neighbours.

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat there, paralysed with shock.

"Umbridge?"

"Umbridge did she say?"

Harry knew what everyone was whispering about.

Ron voiced his thoughts in a croak.

"He's...he's Umbridge's son!"

Edward Umbridge acted as if though he did not notice the sensation that the sound of his name had created but stepped forwards to the chair, raised the hat and put it on his head.

Harry was still staring at Edward in disbelief. And like flash of lightning, he realized why Edward had strongly reminded Harry of someone he knew, but couldn't remember. The bulging eyes, the wide mouth, his toad-like face, he was the son of Dolores Umbridge.

"Why didn't we figure out who he was?" Ron whispered in fury. "We should've recognized him! He looks just like Umbridge!"

"Gryffindor!" shouted the hat.

The whole Gryffindor table was stunned. Umbridge's son a Gryffindor?

No one in the hall applauded as Edward joined the Gryffindor table and sat on Ron's right side except the teachers. The sound echoed lamely and they stopped clapping quickly. All the Gryffindors were staring at him in disbelief.

Edward looked back at them warily.

"What's wrong?" he asked feebly.

Many people exchanged glances, but they didn't say anything.

Professor McGonagall was now standing in the middle of the staff table where Dumbledore would usually stand at the beginning-of-term feast if he were still alive. But obviously, Professor McGonagall was now the new headmistress of the school.

One by one, each face in the hall flicked from Edward back to the headmistress.

"Welcome," Professor McGonagall said to them all. "Welcome back to our old students and welcome to our new students. I have no speech to give for now. Common sense says that students cannot possibly pay attention on am empty stomach. Therefore, let us eat first and I will give announcements once we are finished."

She sat back down and the school applauded.

The empty plates before Harry, Ron and Hermione magically filled with food before their very eyes.

Harry grabbed a few chicken drumsticks while Ron reached for chips letting out a moan of longing.

While they ate, Ron turned to Edward.

"So Edward, why didn't you tell us you were Umbridge's son?"

Edward looked genuinely surprised. "I didn't think it mattered," he replied. "Why?"

All the Gryffindors exchanged dark looks and he glanced at Ron, puzzled.

"Did you know your mother taught at Hogwarts?" Harry asked him.

"Yeah..." he said slowly. "What about it?"

"Do you know how horrible your mother was?" Hermione burst out.

"What?" Edward cried. "My mother's a great mother!"

Ron let his fork fall onto his plate with a clatter.

"What?" Harry, Ron and Hermione said together.

"She-she's a good mum," Edward said uncertainly. "Why?"

No one answered him. Harry decided it was best if he did not say anything and Ron and Hermione seemed to think so too.

After they had all finished eating and the plates wiped themselves clean, Professor McGonagall stood up and the talking ceased again.

"Now, I all know you are all too full and sleepy to pay reasonable attention to my words...(Hermione straightened in her chair, her face alert)... however, I do beg you to take note of what I am about to tell you. There will be quite a number of substantial changes at Hogwarts this year. Firstly, due to last year's horrific events, we need a new Head for the school and the Ministry of Magic has decided it is appropriate to appoint me to that position."

Everyone clapped enthusiastically, but the Gryffindors were beside themselves, whistling and yelling themselves hoarse.

"Yes...thank you, Gryffindor," Professor McGonagall said sternly though she was smiling. "Secondly, Mr. Filch, the caretaker has asked me to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor a number of novelty items that include Fanged Frisbees, Dungbombs and all products bought at the shop, Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. The complete list is attached to his office door. I should also inform the first years that the Forbidden Forest is an out of bounds area as is the Astronomy Tower except during class time. I'd like to give a warm welcome to a new member of staff this year. After last year's...events (there was a very tense silence)... Professor Ikovsky has joined our ranks this year to take on the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts."

A thin man sitting in Professor McGonagall's original seat, the chair to the right of the head's seat stood up, raised his hand and beamed warmly at everyone to acknowledge the generous ovation they gave him.

Harry stared at him, open-mouthed.

He had shiny and smooth brown hair that fell to his waist, his face was slightly lined, his chin stubbled and he wore extremely small, round glasses. To cap it all, he was wearing a ring of large, blooming flowers around his neck and he held a goblet in the air with a cocktail umbrella sticking out of it. There was only one word to describe him: hippie.

"Thank you, Hogwarts!" Professor Ikovsky shouted as the students clapped. He did not notice Professor McGonagall who was frowning in deep disapproval, but apparently thought it was best not say anything.

Now, as Harry looked at the staff table properly, he saw the changes in seatings. He was surprised to see Professor Slughorn sitting in the chair to Professor McGonagall's left as the primary reason Slughorn returned to Hogwarts last year was to be protected by Dumbledore from the Death Eaters. As Dumbledore was no longer around, Harry wondered why Slughorn still considered Hogwarts safe enough to live at.

It was a while before Professor Ikovsky sat back down as Professor McGonagall spoke again.

"I am also pleased to announce that Professor Slughorn has kindly agreed to stay at Hogwarts to teach. He will not only be resuming his position as Potions Master as he did last year, but he will be also taking on the added responsibility as the head of Slytherin house."

The Slytherins clapped unenthusiastically and muttered darkly amongst each other. Harry knew that the Slytherins thought that Slughorn did not match up to Snape's character whom they saw as a very able head of house. Slughorn however, did not seem to notice.

"And finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to issue you all a serious warning. As you all know, with each passing the day, the war against You-Know-Who and his supporters is escalating further and further. I will not lie to you. The Ministry has listed Hogwarts as a potential target by the Death Eaters. This ancient castle was once long ago a stronghold against the forces of Voldemort and a safe haven for children to learn without disruption while war was waged. But now, things have changed. With the loss of our headmaster comes the loss of many of the protective enchantments and magical safeguards that make Hogwarts safe quarters. We must stand strong and be wary of happenings within the castle. If you see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, please contact a member of staff at once and share your concerns with them. I am sure they will be more than happy to help you. We must do our best to keep Hogwarts as safe as ever, but that can only done with your cooperation This is for your education's sake and the sake of your lives."

The end of this speech was greeted with the longest silence Harry had ever heard in his life.

"That is all I have to say," Professor McGonagall concluded. "I know you are all as tired as I am. Goodnight, sleep well."

And with the usual deafening scraping of hundreds of chairs being pushed back, the school rose to its feet, dismissed to sleep.