Hogwarts' New Student and How She Helps Harry With His Battle

"Margaret, the Headmistress will see you now," Professor Truntley announced. A brown-headed girl in the back of the classroom slowly stood up. She was very short, not much taller then five feet, and she was a little on the heavy side, though the muscle was more weight than fat. She shuffled up to the front of the classroom.

"G'bye, everyone," she sighed, giving her classmates a final wave of farewell.

The class echoed back with "Bye Maggie!" and "Be sure to owl us, Mags!" and "You'll love Hogwarts, I'm sure you will."

Maggie started towards the door, stopping only at her best friend's desk. Rosie O'Thom looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'll miss you so much," Rosie whispered.

"I'll miss you more," Maggie replied. Rosie got up from her seat and went over to hug her best friend.

"Will you owl me? Every day?" Rosie asked.

"I will, Rosie, I will. I promise. Now I've got to go." Maggie let go of her friend and walked out the door. She could hear Rosie crying but she didn't look back. She couldn't.

When she was finally seated inside the Headmistress' office, she started to feel the pain that she would never see any of her classmates again... probably never even Rosie...

"Miss Tiernan, what is it that you're sad for?"

Maggie turned to see the Headmistress. "I'll never see my friends again, ma'am."

The professor smiled sympathetically. "But you do know that Hogwarts is a top rate school, don't you?"

"Yes'm, I do."

"Well, then, keep owling your friends and you'll get a much better magical education there than you would if you stayed here, you can be sure of that," the Headmistress nodded.

"Ma'am?" Maggie breathed, shocked. "But the Ireland School of Magic gives any young witch or wizard a right fine education, am I wrong?"

"No, you aren't wrong. But Hogwarts is better. Headmaster Dumbledore... well I won't say no more, but you'll like him, Miss Margaret, I know it."

"Oh," Maggie said. "Well, I guess that's it, then."

"Yes," the Headmistress smiled, "well, I just wanted to say good-bye, and wish you luck at Hogwarts. I sent all records of your class marks to Professor Dumbledore, he has them. Oh, and here is a letter from the school telling you when and where to get on the Hogwarts train."

Maggie took the letter, her hand shaking. "Oh," she said again.

"The Headmaster already got your new robes and books for you. Your parents already sent your other things. He says their waiting in your new dormitory."

"Oh," Maggie repeated.

"Since you're switching schools in the middle of the term, we are all trying to make this easier for you. We know it is not your fault about... well... about you know what. I'm very sorry about your grandfather, very sorry indeed."

"Oh. Oh, I mean, thank you much, ma'am."

"You are very welcome, Miss Margaret," the Headmistress smiled fondly at her pupil. "Now are you ready to go to your new school?"

"Now?" Maggie asked bluntly.

"Why, yes, young Margaret," the Headmistress picked up a jar from her desk. "Floo Powder. Makes no sense in you going home, if you catch my meaning there."

Maggie nodded, and picked up a handful of the powdery dust. She stepped over to the fireplace.

"Headmaster Dumbledore is waiting for you in his office. Go on now. Good Luck to you, Miss Margaret," the Headmistress nodded kindly toward the fireplace. "Off you go."

"Good-bye," Maggie said, then turned toward the fireplace. She stepped inside and shouted "Professor Dumbledore's Office, Hogwarts!" then dropped her handful of powder. The Headmistress waving farewell soon blurred together with other swirling colors as Maggie felt herself being spun and spun around. Her mouth was filled with hot ash- she had forgotten to close it. She coughed and sputtered and landed face first on a hard, wood floor.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Margaret Tiernan," a friendly voice said.

Maggie squinted upward and saw a very old man with long white hair and a beard wearing silvery blue robes. He had half-moon spectacles perched upon a crooked nose. He seemed to be very wise and Maggie felt immediately at ease just being in his presence.

"Headmaster Dumbledore?" Maggie inquired of this person. The old man smiled warmly.

"Yes, I am your new headmaster. My name is Albus Dumbledore."

"I am very pleased to meet you, sir," Maggie replied. She shuffled to her feet and halfheartedly tried to shake the soot off her purple school robes... or well, the robes of her old school.

"Here," Dumbledore said, and he touched his wand to the tip of her shoulder and the soot was gone.

"T-thank you much, sir," Maggie said, flustered. Her new Headmaster smiled again.

"One of the Ravenclaw prefects will be here any moment to take you to the Great Hall. There, you will be sorted into one of Hogwarts' four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. In whichever house you become part of, a prefect will show you around until you are familiar with the school."

"About how long will that take, sir?" Maggie asked, nervous. "Meaning to become familiar with Hogwarts?"

"Well, Miss Tiernan," Dumbledore drummed his fingertips along the edge of his desk. "You would think that being the Headmaster of this school I would know Hogwarts by now. But just last week I turned a corner, and I was completely lost in a room I had never been in before. No one will ever completely know the entire school, I don't think. Except for maybe our poltergeist."

Maggie laughed. She decided that she liked Headmaster Dumbledore.

There was a knock on the door and a pretty girl with long black hair entered the room. She was wearing black robes, and there was a crest on the right chest bearing an eagle, and the word "Ravenclaw".

"Ah, Miss Patil. This is our new student from Ireland, Miss Margaret Tiernan. Margaret, Padma Patil, a Ravenclaw prefect."

"Hello," Maggie greeted her. Padma smiled.

"To the common room for robes, then the Great Hall, professor?" she asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, thank you, Miss Patil. See you at the feast, Miss Tiernan." Dumbledore turned and soon disappeared through a door at the back of his office.

"You go by Meg, then?" Padma was asking Maggie.

"Er, no, I like Maggie better."

"Maggie," Padma smiled. "That's pretty. Come on, I'll take you to the Ravenclaw common room."

Padma led Maggie down winding stairs past a large statue of a phoenix. They walked down a few corridors, making so many turns and going up so many flights of stairs that Maggie had absolutely no idea how she could ever find her way back to the Headmaster's office, let alone anywhere else. Padma seemed to be thinking along the same lines she was.

"Lost yet?" she asked, grinning. "Don't worry, everyone is at first. But you get used to it; really you do."

"I hope so," Maggie replied.

"I hope you get sorted into Ravenclaw," Padma went on. "Either that or Gryffindor. That's the house my twin sister is in. Hufflepuff isn't so bad, but not Slytherin; that house is terrible!"

"Why is Slytherin terrible?" Maggie asked. She didn't get an answer though, because at that moment her foot sank low through the stairs, and she couldn't move.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Padma cried. "It's a trick step, I don't even think about jumping over them anymore. Here," she gave a great big tug on Maggie's arm, and she was out.

"Thank you," Maggie said.

"No problem," Padma said. "Here we are."

Maggie looked around the completely empty corridor. There weren't even any pictures on the walls.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to close your eyes until we're inside," Padma explained, looking apologetic. "I'd get in big trouble if you weren't sorted into Ravenclaw and I let you see how to get in the common room."

"Oh," Maggie said. She shut her eyes. She heard a shuffle, a small pop, and then felt Padma take her arm and lead her forward. There was another small pop, and Padma let go of her arm.

"Okay, open them."

Maggie looked around. The room was completely in blue, with squishy blue chairs all around the place and a big crest matching the one on Padma's robes on the wall. It was deserted.

"Where is everyone?" Maggie asked.

"Probably already at the feast. We better hurry; we don't want to be too late, the feast is in your honor, after all. Here, put these on."

Maggie took some black robes from Padma, identical to hers, except the crest had an H, with a lion, eagle, badger, and snake.

"These are different," Maggie said, confused, as she started to pull them over her head.

"Well, it's the Hogwarts crest. Mine is the Ravenclaw one. When you get sorted, that will change into the crest of your new House," Padma explained.

"Oh," Maggie said.

"Now let's go, quickly."

Padma ushered Maggie out of the common room and down through several corridors and more flights of stairs. Maggie's head was spinning. She would never be able to find her way in this huge castle. Her old school was just a building, and much, much smaller than this. Finally, Padma stopped in front of two large oak doors.

"Here is the entrance to the Great Hall," Padma gestured toward the doors.

"Thank you, Miss Patil, for bringing her here. You may go on in while I explain some things to Miss Tiernan."

Maggie turned to see a tall woman with black hair pulled into a tight bun. Her face was stern, but there was a certain softness about her.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Padma responded. She opened the left door and disappeared behind it. There was a soft thud as it closed.

"Miss Tiernan, you know about the four Houses?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes'm," Maggie replied. "Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin."

"Good," McGonagall gave Maggie a small smile. "Now when you walk inside, there is a hat on a stool in front of the head table. All you need to do is sit on the stool and place the hat upon your head. It will tell you your House. Then you may go and sit at that House's table. A prefect from that House will meet with you then. Do you understand?"

"Yes'm," Maggie said again.

"Alright," McGonagall opened the doors and began to walk down the the isle. Maggie hurried to keep up with her quick strides. She tried not to notice that there were hundreds of students all quiet, staring at her. She faced the floor, trying not to blush too much. McGonagall stopped suddenly in front of her, and Maggie, too flustered to notice, slammed right into her. She heard a few students laugh, especially ones at a far table to the right.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Maggie whispered miserably.

"That's quite all right, dear," McGonagall said. "Now just put on the hat."

Maggie walked up to the stool. She picked oh a patchy, frayed grey hat and put it on her head. She sat on the stool, waiting expectantly.

When she heard a voice in her ear, she jumped. The voice laughed.

"Margaret Tiernan," it said. "You have... hmmm... courage... and strength, and oh yes! Wisdom... quite brainy, aren't you? I would say Ravenclaw, but oh, wait! No, never mind, that won't do. Your bravery must be put to good use, I'd say... so I'll put you in GRYFFINDOR!"

A great cheer rang out from the students. Maggie plucked the hat from her head and handed it back to Professor McGonagall.

"Well done," the professor said. "The Gryffindor table is right there."

Maggie followed the professor's finger and sat down on a seat near the edge.

"Welcome to Gryffindor, Margaret!"

Maggie looked to see who had welcomed her. A girl with long bushy brown hair was smiling proudly at her.

"My name is Hermione Granger, I'm a sixth year Gryffindor prefect. Down there is Ron Weasley, the other one." Hermione indicated toward a tall, red-headed boy sitting a ways down the table. He was chatting animatedly to a boy with messy black hair and glasses. The boy looked rather familiar to Maggie...

Hermione was still talking.

"Ron never likes to do his prefect duties, so when I said to him, 'Come on Ron, let's go greet Margaret', he was all 'Oh, Hermione, she's a girl, she'd like it better if just you went' and I told him he was lazy and incompetent, which I have told him, oh, a thousand times..."

"Is that Harry Potter?" Maggie interrupted rudely. Hermione gave Maggie a strange look.

"Why yes, it is..." she said. Then she looked a bit amused. "You've heard of him?"

"I have," Maggie replied, still staring at Harry. "Everyone has. He's a hero..."

"Hmm, he is, I suppose... if you like the whole saving people thing..."

"Do you know him?" Maggie asked breathlessly.

"Know him?" Hermione laughed. "Why he's my best friend!"

"Really? Oh, you've talked to him? I mean, he's talked to you? He knows your name?" Maggie gazed up at Hermione admiringly. It seemed to Hermione that she was clearly star-struck.

"I would sure hope he would know my name," Hermione tutted. "Go over and ask him, why don't you, and if he doesn't give him a bonk on the head for me, will you?"

"Oh, I could never do that," Maggie shook her head. "I can't talk to him."

"Well, why not?" Hermione looked on the verge of laughter.

"Well," Maggie wrung her hands nervously. "He's done so many great things and he's just a wonderful person and so brave and fearless, especially last year when so many people didn't believe him about the You-Know-Who thing..."

"Goodness, one day around you and he could get quite a big ego," Hermione said coolly as she spooned some potatoes on her plate.

"Do you think I could meet him?" Maggie asked hopefully.

"You will," Hermione reached for the chicken. "After all, I'm going to be showing you around, and Harry, Ron, and me are always together," Hermione shrugged.

"Goodness me," Maggie breathed, and with a loud clang she spilled her goblet of pumpkin juice all over the white tablecloth.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Maggie shrieked. She grabbed a napkin and tried to half-heartedly try to soak up the juice.

"Don't worry about it," Hermione said, taking the napkin away from her. "See?"

The pumpkin juice disappeared through the tablecloth.

"Amazing," Maggie replied. "Do house elves work here? They did at my old school."

Hermione suddenly scowled. "Yes," she muttered.

"Oh," Maggie said. 'Oh' seemed to be her word of the day.

"Hey Hermione, are you going to eat those?"

Maggie looked up to see the boy Hermione said was Ron Weasley. He was pointing at Hermione's uneaten portion of peas. Without waiting for an answer, Ron grabbed a spoon as started eating them off Hermione's plate.

"Ron!" Hermione cried. "I was going to eat those!"

"Too late," Ron grinned sheepishly through the peas. He turned to Maggie. "I love peas."

"Why? Corn is so much better," said another voice.

Maggie's jaw dropped. Harry Potter took the seat across from her, helping himself to the corn on Hermione's plate.

"You two are such pigs," Hermione said in disgust, pushing her plate away from her. "I've lost my appetite."

"Great," Ron said, swallowing hard. "More for us."

Hermione motioned to Harry. "And you wanted to meet him because..." she trailed off, rolling her eyes.

When Harry had finished Hermione's corn, he turned to Maggie.

"Hi," he said, sticking out his hand. "Harry Potter."

"M-M-Maggie Tiernan," Maggie whispered, reaching out her hand. Harry grabbed it and shook it, smiling at her. Maggie could only stare back.

"You're in the best House, Maggie," he said, still grinning.

"Uh-huh," Maggie murmured. All she could think about was that Harry Potter had said her name.

"Everyone, please quiet down for a moment!" Maggie heard McGonagall say. She finally tore her eyes away from Harry and looked at the head table. Dumbledore had stood up.

"I would like to take this time to welcome our new student," he said. "She has been transferred here from the Ireland School of Magic, and she will be with us for the remainder of her magical education. Everyone, Margaret Tiernan!"