The Fifth Year Mage

Harry sat at the table, twiddling his thumbs, wondering what the reaction to his new...look...would be. Five more minutes...five more minutes until they walk into the Great Hall...

Well, they didn't exactly walk. Instead they bolted full speed in, yelling. "PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE!!!!! HARRY DIDN'T GET ON THE TRAIN AND..."

"I know," was all that Dumbledore said, smiling. Snape rolled his eyes, and groaned.

"Oh..." They made their way to the Gryffindor table. "Oh, hello," said Ron, "I don't believe we met. Name's Ron, Ron Weasley, and this is Hermione Granger."

Harry looked at them, and began laughing. Laughing hysterically. They hadn't recognized him! They watched with raised eyebrows, and looked at each other questioningly. This caused Harry to laugh all the more, and soon he was gasping for breath.

"Are you all right chap?" asked Ron cautiously. "Need to see Madam Pomfrey, or something?" Harry began laughing harder (if this was possible) and was soon on the ground. People began coming in, and they were all staring at the boy on the ground, who was rolling around, laughing like crazy, and crying.

"Maybe we need to call St. Mungo's..." said Ron.

"Don't be stupid Ron," said Hermione. "Ignore him...are you sure you're all right?" Harry had settled down some, but this only brought down another bout of laughter. "Ron...on the other hand, maybe St. Mungo's would be best..."

Harry had finally settled down enough to stop crying. "Geez...Hermione, I never thought you were that stupid..." He began laughing again.

The two gasped in recognition of his voice. Ron fainted, and Hermione was speechless. Her mouth had fallen open, and she was trying to make some sort of sound, but her mouth obviously wasn't working. "I'm sorry, Hermione, what did you say?"

"You...you...you..."

"Yes, me, me, me, what?" asked Harry innocently, as if there was nothing different in his appearance, and she was just having problems.

"Look different," she managed to say, and then close her mouth. She was staring at him, when she realized Ron was on the ground. "Oh gosh...he didn't take it well..."

"What do you mean different...I just added highlights, and my vision was corrected," he lied smoothly. He had been told not to tell them about being a Mage.

"I guess, it just...surprised us...that's all, and...how are we supposed to get Ron up?"

"Oh...I have an idea..." He slipped up behind Ron, as Sirius had him. "RON, VOLDEMORT JUST PROPOSED TO RITA SKEETER!!!!"

"AHHH!!!! Oh, Harry, don't you ever, ever, ever, do that to me again!"

"Okay, next time I'll tell you that Snape proposed to You-Know-Who."

"That might be worse...what did you do to yourself?!"

"Nothing much...added highlights, had my vision corrected, nothing major."

"Uhh...okay." He got up on the floor and sat down on the bench. Harry sat down next to him, as Hermione had already sat down. Everybody was still looking at Harry sort of funny, but none of them said anything. Dumbledore smiled at him, and winked, and then the sorting began.

(A/N: I am not poetically talented, and lack the skills to come up with a Sorting Song...Of course, I could try...).

"Come on and try the Sorting Hat

The wonderful Sorting Hat of Hogwarts

Because, because, because, because

Sorting is what thine does!

So come on and try the Sorting Hat

The wonderful Sorting Hat of Hogwarts!

Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin,

I will sort you out because

You're off to try the Sorting Hat

The wonderful Sorting Hat of Hogwarts

Because, because, because, because

Sorting is what thine does!"

"Who showed the Hat the Wizard of Oz?" whispered Hermione.

"The wizard of whatsit?" asked Ron.

"I don't know, but that was stupid. The Sorting Hat must have been drunk when it came up with that song...it didn't even rhyme!" said Harry.

The sorting was longer than usual. Harry figured it was because of the word that Voldemort was out on the loose again. Fudge wouldn't budge (He-he, that rhymed, fudge, budge) in his stand that Voldemort had not come back, but there were already signs that he had.

"I have some announcements!" said Dumbledore. "First, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is once again, Remus Lupin!" Cheers filled the hall, except for the Slytherin table. "Second, we are starting a dueling club, and the professor will be Sirius Black!" Not so many cheers this time, except from Harry, Hermione, and Ron. "Third, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden." He looked directly at the trio. "Next off, Filch wanted to remind you not to set off dung bombs, dirty the corridors, or anything else he comes up with. Now, eat!"

"Aww, man, Potions first class...yuck!" complained Ron. Harry immediately brightened up.

"Oh, no...Harry, what are you going to do?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing that I haven't done before," said Harry innocently. "Now, I wouldn't want to be late for Double Potions with Slytherins, so will you two kindly finish eating?"

Ron eyed him strangely, and Hermione immediately began to pack up the books she had been reading. A minute later, the three left the Great Hall.

Both watched Harry as they walked down to the Dungeons. "You have something up your sleeve Harry, I know it," said Hermione.

"So do I," said Harry, and then he innocently added, "my arm is up my sleeve."

Ron immediately cracked up. "That was pretty good Harry!" Hermione glared at the two of them, and muttered something about 'immature two-year-olds' and 'how they shouldn't be in a school if they were so young'. Harry and Ron just grinned at each other, and continued behind her.

Snape, as usual, came billowing in, in a bad mood, and looking like an overgrown bat. "Today, we will be making a complicated potion," Neville visibly trembled in his seat. "For some of you, note will be extremely important. It is called the Comple Transformo. Potter!"

Harry immediately jumped up, and stood at attention. "Sir, yes, Sir?!" Everybody turned to look at him. The Slytherins were snickering, and the Gryffindors were awed that he would dare to do such a thing.

"SIT DOWN!!!"

"Sir, yes, Sir!!!" Harry sat immediately. He was sitting straight up, facing forward. Snape put his face in his hands. He was obviously not amused. Instead of deducting points, though, or even asking Harry some ridiculous question, he just began telling about the potion. Everybody was taking notes, except Harry.

"Potter, give me one good reason why you are not taking notes."

"Permission was not granted, Sir!" Harry was trying hard not to smile to himself. He knew he was getting Snape into a bad mood.

"TAKE NOTES!!!!"

"Sir, yes, Sir!" said Harry, not in the least dazed. Draco began snickering. That was the straw that broke the camel's back, or in this case, the large overgrown bat's back.

"Ten points off Slytherin for direct disobedience!" Everybody gasped in surprise, except Harry, who was diligently writing down notes. He didn't seem fazed in the least.

Ten minutes later they were supposed to start the potion, except, Snape hadn't granted permission to Harry. "Potter, why have you not yet started at all on your potion?"

"General Snape did not grant permission to soldier to begin potion, sir!" Snape rolled his eyes.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE POTTER, START THE POTION ALREADY!!!!" Right then Sirius walked into the room.

"Uhh...can I take Harry?"

"Sir, permission, sir?" asked Harry, looking straight ahead.

"GET OUT OF MY CLASS!!!!!!!!!!"

"Sir, yes, Sir!!" Harry marched out of the classroom, following Sirius. Once the door was shut behind them, they both dissolved into helpless laughter.

"What did you want Sirius?" asked Harry when he had regained his composure.

"Oh...yes, meeting of the Dragon Heart Underground tonight. Your admission is tonight, nine, Dumbledore's office."

"Oh, thanks Sirius...better get back."

"Have fun!"

Harry marched back in. Snape groaned, and Harry ignored it, marching dutifully to his seat.

Author's Note: Did you like it...dislike it, funny, stupid? If you think it stinks, at least tell me why, cause then maybe I can fix it...flames are used to create marshmallow fluff, yum, it goes great with peanut butter! R/R! Please!!!