Outstanding powers

The Sorting Ceremony:

When they got to the great Hall, Professor Snape was waiting at the doors. He threw Harry his usual disgusted look and looked at Isabella with obvious hatred in his eyes.

"Miss Black, follow me. You will be sorted first since you are not a first year," the potions Master said. He whipped around and headed to the stool where the sorting hat was. She looked at her friends worriedly. They nodded at her. She smiled at them and crossed her fingers as she followed Snape. He led her to a very strict-looking woman whom she recognized as Professor McGonagall. She smiled at Isabella and held up a piece of parchment.

"Black, Isabella!" McGonagall shouted.

Isabella knew about the sorting ceremony, Hermione had told her all about it. She sat on the stool and McGonagall placed the old looking hat on her head. She jumped as a voice spoke inside her head.

"Black huh? I remember your father, quite a mischievous young man he was. You have a thirst to prove yourself, that would put you in Slytherin...you're quite smart as well, maybe Ravenclaw. But I see you're as brave as your father was, and that's a Gryffindor quality...But where to put you? I know: SLYTHERIN!"

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked astonished. Malfoy had a look of pure disgust on his face and Professor Dumbledore's expression was unreadable. Professor McGonagall took the sorting hat off Isabella's head. Isabella looked surprised and disappointed. But when she got off the stool, she heard the sorting hat again:

"Wait! Isabella Black will be sorted into GRYFFINDOR!"

Isabella looked at the Headmaster who looked quite pleased now. Then she looked at her friends who were clapping loudly along with all the Gryffindor students. She smiled broadly at them and headed towards the empty seat between Harry and Ginny, across Ron and Hermione. She glanced around the great Hall as the sorting ceremony continued. The enchanted ceiling reflected the stars in the sky and thousands of magical candles hovered over the students. She looked down and her glance was caught in Malfoy's. He had a weird look on his face, but he shook it off quickly and gave Isabella one of his trademark smirks. She rolled her eyes and looked at the empty plates in front of everyone. She realized that she was starving.

"I hope they finish soon, I'm starved!" Ron said, stomach rumbling. Dameron, Nicole was sorted into Slytherin. She headed for the table with a smirk not unlike Malfoy's plastered on her face. Isabella and Harry followed her movements closely.

"Great, another Slytherin. Why aren't I happy about this? I wonder..." Harry whispered. Isabella laughed at this and Harry gave her his biggest smile. Ginny shifted closer to Isabella and looked around her.

"Listen, you never told us how you survived the Avada Kedavra curse," she asked in a whisper. Ron and Hermione heard her and leaned in closer to listen to their conversation. Isabella sighed.

"I knew this would come up sooner or later. I can't tell you right now, it's too crowded in here. Maybe in the common room." The others looked satisfied. Ron and Hermione went back to their conversation and Ginny announced to Harry that she wanted to resume Quidditch, but as a Chaser. Harry looked immensely pleased at the idea and promised to help her practice.

"Hey Isabella, do you play Quidditch?" Harry asked.

"No, I don't. Never got the chance to learn at Herford."

As Wilkins, Maddalena was sorted into Ravenclaw, Albus Dumbledore stood up. All the talking immediately ceased in the Great Hall.

"Welcome to our newcomers, welcome back to the others. A few notices to be passed on: First years-and older students as well-please remember that the Dark Forest is forbidden, that no magic is to be used in the corridors, and that Eternal Flying Chopsticks are now part of the forbidden items at Hogwarts. If you want the full list, please check in our caretaker's office. Please welcome back our old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Remus Lupin."

The whispers in the Great Hall reached an incredible intensity as Professor Lupin stepped trough the doors, looking better than he'd ever have. His robes were new, and his face seemed relaxed. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny gaped at him, and a grin broke on Isabella's face. Lupin winked at them and went to sit next to Professor McGonagall.

"And now, time to eat!" said the Headmaster. Food magically appeared on the tables. Isabella started piling food on Harry's plate because he was too surprised to move.

Ron was the first to come back to his senses.

"Why didn't he tell us? We spent the whole summer with hi..."

"Ron! Be quiet! Nobody is supposed to know about the...O.o.t.p!" Hermione hissed. Her voice brought Harry and Ginny back to reality. Ginny announced that she was going to have dinner next to Dean and walked away. Ron watched her darkly. He was overprotective of his baby sister, and he couldn't bare the idea of her dating a guy. Hermione nudged him in the ribs. He snapped out of his dark thoughts with a start.

"Ron, Ginny is a big girl, she can take care of herself now! You can't run around the school following her every step!"

Hermione and Ron started bickering. Harry rolled his eyes and looked at Isabella. She was watching the fight with disbelief painted all over her face. Harry waved a hand in front of her and she looked at him.

"Aren't they dating?" she whispered to an amused-looking Harry.

"Yeah, they are. They just argue a lot. They are known for it," he replied with a smile. When they finally finished eating, desserts appeared instead of the previous stews, potatoes and vegetables. When the last helpings of treacle tart were wiped off the plates, the Headmaster stood up again. Again, all talking died out.

"I hope you enjoyed the feast. I know you are all tired and wish to go to bed and sleep, but I have extremely urgent things to tell you. Now that you all believe that Voldemort is back, our duty as a school is to teach you the best ways to defend yourselves. Now, some of you may not be gifted with curses and counter-curses. If you belong to this category of students, you may use your gifts to better uses, like growing plants that are necessary to potions." Dumbledore looked at Neville while saying that. "However, very few students have gifts that they don't know about. They have what we call Outstanding Powers." Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked briefly at Isabella. She was looking intensively at Dumbledore. "I have formed a group for those students so that they may learn to control their gifts and use them for the good of the wizarding world. These students are: Isabella Eleanor Black, Harry James Potter, Hannah Joan Abbott, Padma Elizabeth Patil, Draco Adrian Malfoy, and your teacher will be...me. You will receive further details with you timetables, tomorrow morning. Now, to bed and good night!"

The students in the Great Hall were whispering and throwing glances at the people with Outstanding Powers, but mostly at Isabella. She knew that it was because of her name. She ignored them. When they started exiting the Great Hall, she sighed with relief. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had gone to tell the first years where the Gryffindor Tower was situated. Isabella looked at Harry worriedly. She had received a huge shock the day she had found out about her powers. Harry looked only lightly surprised. Isabella put her hand on Harry's arm. He looked at her and smiled.

"Guess we'll be spending a lot of time together," he said.

"Yeah, we'll get to know each other better. Too bad we have to share these moments with ferret boy. I'm ready to bet he'll spoil all the fun."

"I'm sure we'll be fine Is. By the way, do you mind if I called you Is? Isabella is just too long."

"Sure Harry, no problem. Dad calls me that sometimes in his letters. Now, could you show me where Gryffindor Tower is? I don't feel like spending the whole night in the Great Hall!" Isabella laughed. Harry smiled and took her hand.

"I'm glad you're here Is," he said, ignoring the suggestive looks he got from two Gryffindor girls who were standing not so far away. He squeezed her hand lightly and stared into her endless black eyes. She looked into his deep emerald eyes for a moment, then flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. He hugged her back. Feeling tears build up in her eyes, Isabella shut them tightly. Just then, a voice drawled from behind Harry's back, therefore facing Isabella.

"Isn't that a disgusting sight? Potty found himself a girlfriend! Aren't you afraid she might kill you Potter?" Isabella's eyes snapped open. Draco Malfoy was standing there, wearing a smirk on his face. She and Harry ended the hug and Harry turned around to face his nemesis.

"Go to hell Malfoy. If you need directions, you could ask one of your goons here, they'll know the way. It's the Slytherin common room!" Harry spat. Malfoy's smirk was replaced by a look of fake outrage.

"Potter, do you have to be so harsh? Do you have to attack me with words? Why don't you use your Power? Are you too afraid that I might beat you with mine?"

Harry glared at Malfoy. Of course! he though bitterly to himself, he lives with Wizards. They'll tell him about his Powers and teach him to control them!

"Don't you know how to use them?" Malfoy asked with sarcasm dripping off every word. Harry was getting really angry, and cold. He looked down at his hands to see that tiny particles of ice had formed on them. He looked over at Malfoy who was wearing a satisfied grin on his face. His ice blue eyes...wait a second! Blue? Malfoy had gray eyes! Harry wanted to point that fact out to Isabella, but found that he couldn't move his head. He was frozen. Suddenly, he felt a gust of warm wind on his almost totally frozen face, and warmth spread throughout his entire body, unfreezing him. Soon, he was warm and could move freely again, and he was completely dry. He looked up at Malfoy's face. His eyes were gray again and he looked furious.

"Harry, you used your power!" someone squealed. He turned to Isabella who was glaring daggers at Malfoy. He put two fingers on her chin and turned her face towards his own. He looked into her eyes and was amazed at the amount of anger in them. As soon as she looked in Harry's eyes, all anger disappeared.

"You can control the weather, Harry!" she whispered. Harry suddenly noticed that she had beads of sweat clinging on her face.

"C'mon, let's get out of here," he said, grabbing hold of her hand. They ran till they got to the Gryffindor common room Entrance. The Fat Lady asked them for the password. Harry and Isabella looked at each other silently. They didn't know the password.

"Can you orb us in?" Harry asked.

"I can orb us in," Isabella said at the same time. They grinned at each other. Isabella put Harry's hand around her waist and her hand around his waist. "Why are you doing this?" Harry asked silently with his eyes.

"It's hard orbing inside a place as heavily guarded by spells as Hogwarts!" Isabella answered.

Harry suddenly felt a tickling sensation all over his body, and his body dematerialized into specks of blue light. He felt...free. Just as quickly as it had started, the tickling sensation vanished. Harry felt his body materialize again, and he found himself in the almost empty common room, right next to the fireplace. Fortunately for them, the only people left in the common room were Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Dean and Seamus, who were currently gawking at them. Isabella, blushing slightly, stepped away from Harry, and when she glanced at him, she saw that his cheeks were tinged with pink.

"What happened here?" Dean asked. Isabella sighed at sank into an armchair next to the fireplace. Harry leaned his back on her legs and sat on the floor. Ron sat between Ginny and Hermione on a couch, and Seamus, Dean and Neville sat on the floor. Isabella re-told her story after the three new listeners promised not to tell anyone. She gave them a demonstration of her powers with Harry's wand.

"And now I'll tell you how I survived the Avada Kedavra curse. I was born a Vampire," Isabella raised her hand to silence any questions and continued to talk, "because my mom was bitten by one when she was pregnant with me. I don't need blood to survive, I only need blood when I need my Powers to become stronger, or when a new Power is forming."