Seo Gerecednis

Harry opened the carriage door and looked out over hundreds of students swarming about like a colony of oversized ants. He searched in vain for Hagrid's familiar shaggy head towering above them all, his deep voice booming the return-to-school refrain of, "Firs' years over 'ere, firs' years over 'ere!"

"Where's Hagrid?" Neville asked, looking over Harry's shoulder.

Harry stepped aside to let Neville and Peter pass. "Dunno. I was just wondering the same thing." He looked back at Ron, who was helping a younger girl with a Hufflepuff badge on her robe maneuver her trunk through the narrow corridor. "Say Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"D'you know anything about Hagrid not coming back this year?"

Ron straightened. "No. He's not out there?"

"No. I don't see Grubbly-Plank either."

"Hm. Well, I dunno. Haven't heard anything."

"Maybe he's gone back to the giants," Ginny said in a low voice next to Harry.

He turned to look at her. "Yeah, I reckoned the same thing. Maybe Grawp got to be too much of a handful."

She laughed softly. "Yeah, or too difficult to hide in the Forbidden Forest."

He chuckled in reply, then jumped down to the platform to help Ron unload the girl's trunk. "Oof!" Harry grunted, nearly dropping the trunk on his foot. "What's in this, paving stones?" He smiled at the blushing girl, who took one look at his forehead before emitting a half-strangled squeak and scampering away, abandoning her trunk. He stared after her in befuddled amusement.

"Oy!" Ron shouted to get his attention, then pitched another trunk down the steps. "Blimey, mate. Haven't been here five minutes and already you're terrorizing the midgets," he said with a grin, wiping dirt from his hands.

Harry just shook his head in resignation and grabbed the handle of the next trunk on queue. He'd finally got used to the stares and whispers after so many years, but they still rankled under his skin. "S'long as she doesn't tell all her mates I'm a raving, attention-seeking nutter," he said.

As they were unloading the last trunk Harry heard a distant but familiar echo across the chattering crowd. His head shot up, but even with the added advantage of the extra inches he'd gained over the summer he couldn't see Hagrid. He was about to ask Ron if he could see him when he heard Ron say, "I know that voice."

Then Ginny, who'd stayed on the carriage to help with the unloading, appeared under his arm and looked around. Her face suddenly blossomed with delight and she leaped to the platform with a shriek. "CHARLIE!"

Over the years, Harry had come to realize that the younger Weasleys took it in turns to take after their parents; Bill, Percy and Ron were tall, lanky and (for the most part) even-tempered, like their father, whereas the others--including Ginny--were shorter, stockier and kept their emotions simmering just beneath the surface of their skin, like their mother. The young man with close-cropped, bright red hair and a cloak dotted with scorch marks striding down the platform toward them, his arms and grin equally wide, clearly fell into the latter category.

"Ginger Snap!" Charlie Weasley shouted as he took Ginny in his arms and twirled her around. "When did you get to be so pretty?" he asked, setting her down to examine her at arm's length. "I reckon you're just fighting off the blokes these days."

"Oh, stop it," she said as she playfully cuffed at him, her cheeks pink.

Charlie released her to greet Ron. "Hey, ickle Ronniekins."

"Hey yourself, dragon breath." He grinned, then threw his arms around his older brother. "What are you doing here?"

"Hagrid needed a favor, and I was due some leave, so I offered to help him out." He spotted Harry and held out his hand. "Hullo, Harry, how are you?"

"Just great, Charlie, thanks," he said, giving his hand a firm squeeze.

"Excellent. Listen, I've got to get the first years to the castle before McGonagall torches my arse. I'll see you at the feast, and we can catch up then, okay?"

"Sure thing," Ron said. "I've got to get this lot loaded into the carriages anyway."

Charlie left them with a jaunty wave and trotted back to the far end of the platform, where a crowd of tiny students huddled, embracing safety in numbers. "Was I ever that little?" Ginny asked, gazing at them in wonder.

"Littler," Ron said, helping Luna down to the platform. An unwelcome vision of Ginny's small, still form lying in the Chamber filled Harry's sight momentarily. Judging from the uncharacteristically guarded expression on Ron's face, he'd just had the same vision. "You weren't much bigger than a Snitch when you started," he added, nudging her with his elbow. "That lot's at least as big as a Bludger."

"If we're going to ride to the castle together, we'd better get moving," Harry said, picking up Hedwig's cage in one hand and the handle of his trunk in the other. He looked back at Peter, who had not said a word since the train pulled into the station and was now staring at everything in turn, his mouth wide open with amazement. "You okay?" Peter snapped out of his daze and nodded. Harry tried to reassure him with a smile. "Not much further."

He was about to explain to Peter about the seemingly horseless carriages when a small body enshrouded in black barreled past, knocking Neville into him and Hedwig's cage out of his hand. "Hey!" Harry shouted as Hedwig screeched and flapped her wings in indignation. "Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry, Harry," Neville said, kneeling down to scoop up Trevor, who'd been jostled loose as well.

"S'okay. Not your fault."

Ron reached out a long arm and grabbed the body by the scruff of the neck before it could escape. "Hey, you," he growled, reeling it in.

"Ow! Geroff, you wanker!" the body squealed in an as-yet unchanged boy's voice, flailing and twisting to break free. His hood slipped back to reveal very prominent ears ill-concealed by a mass of reddish-brown hair. Harry thought he recognized the boy from last year; a closer look at his robe revealed a Gryffindor badge.

"Not until you apologize for knocking into my friends here."

"Yeah? And who's going to make me?"

Harry snorted. The boy had a mouth bigger than his ears, it seemed. Ron yanked him around until they were directly facing each other. "You see that?" he asked, pointing to his prefect's badge. "That gives me the right to write you up and report you to Professor McGonagall."

"You haven't got the stones for it, you arse bandit."

Harry suspected the feminine snigger he heard behind him came from Ginny; he resisted the urge to turn around and grin at her. "Oh yeah?" Ron snarled, shaking the boy. The tips of his ears had turned an alarming shade of red. If the little twerp didn't shut his mouth, he was at dire risk of something far worse than a detention. "What's your name, you little bugger?"

"Abercrombie," Ginny supplied helpfully. She smirked at the boy's scowl. "Second year. He has a rather unfortunate knack for getting himself caught in the girls' lavatory."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "A perv, are we?" He twisted the boy's collar until his face turned purple and pulled him closer. "I better not catch you skulking about the girls' loo this year, 'cause if I do you'll wish I was an arse bandit." Luna giggled and Neville hid a chortle behind a coughing fit.

Ron released his grip on Abercrombie's collar and slid his arm around the boy's shoulders, as though they were the best of friends. Then, in a low voice, one normally used for sharing secrets, he said, "You see those two blokes over there?"

Abercrombie looked at Harry and Neville and nodded. "Good," Ron said. "See, they're mates of mine. They're also two of the most powerful wizards alive. Between the two of them, they knocked out almost a dozen Death Eaters just this summer. And that one, well...." He squeezed Abercrombie's shoulders, crushing him in his embrace, and grinned wolfishly. "I'm sure you already know just how dangerous Harry Potter can be," he stage-whispered. Harry groaned inwardly. He was going to kill Ron for that.

Abercrombie, his face green, nodded again. "So what you're going to do," Ron continued, "is you're going to apologize for running into them. Otherwise, you just might wake up one night to find both of them standing at the foot of your bed."

He managed to squeak out a pathetic, "Sorry."

"Excellent," Ron said, releasing him. He began to edge away. "Wait a tic, I'm not through with you." Ron pointed to Luna. "See that girl?"

Abercrombie wavered drunkenly on the balls of his feet. Harry could see he was on the verge of either flight or violent nausea.

"Her dad's editor of *The Quibbler.* I'm sure you've heard of it." Luna brandished her copy with a deceptively sweet smile. "You call me an arse bandit again, mate, and next month your friends'll be reading all about how you wear nothing but girls' knickers underneath your robes, got it?"

The boy nodded. Apparently his faculty of speech had gone the way of his bravado. "Excellent," Ron said, brushing an imaginary speck of dirt from his shoulder. "Now get the hell out of here before I bury my foot in your arse."

Abercrombie fled, cursing Ron over his shoulder as soon as he was out of grabbing range. Ron colored as one particularly raunchy epithet reached his ears, but didn't go after him. "Arse bandit, really," he muttered, picking up his trunk again. "Fat lot he knows."

"He's just lovesick," Ginny said. Luna laughed out loud, but Harry and Neville had the decency to snigger only when they knew Ron wasn't looking. "I reckon he polishes his wand until he can see his face in it." Ron gave Ginny a withering glare that would've made Hermione proud, but said nothing.

"We really need to get going if we don't want to have to walk to the castle," Harry said. The platform was nearly deserted.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Neville said.

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked. Neville pointed in the direction of the darkened station house, where Harry could see Tonks and Kingsley walking briskly towards them. Neither Auror looked particularly happy at the moment. "Great," he groaned. "Just great."

"Here comes the fire brigade," Ginny muttered.

"Where have you been?" Tonks squawked at them. "Do you realize we've sent search parties after you?" Dressed as she was, and with her arms crossed over her chest like that, she looked exactly like Harry imagined Professor McGonagall had looked as a young woman. Moreover, she sounded alarmingly like Mrs. Weasley. Maybe having her at Hogwarts this year wasn't going to be such a good thing after all.

Not pausing for breath, she thrust a clipboard under Harry's nose. "We had to make sure every student was accounted for before we could leave for the castle. Guess who's holding us up? It's not safe for you to be alone out here after dark!"

Harry didn't know what to say. He'd never seen Tonks this upset before. Nonetheless, he couldn't help feeling rather irritated with her; did she think he'd hung back on purpose? He opened his mouth, about to explain or say something rude--whichever happened to come out of his mouth first--when Luna piped up, "It's my fault, really." His mouth still open, Harry stared at her. "I'd dropped my wand when someone knocked into me, and it rolled under the train. Fortunately they --" she gestured toward the boys "-- were here to help. It's taken us all this time to retrieve it." She twirled her wand nonchalantly before sticking it behind her ear.

"Then Trevor got away from me again," Neville added hurriedly, holding up his pet toad for Tonks and Kingsley to see. "He's always doing that." Harry, Ron and Ginny could truthfully nod in agreement.

Kingsley wasn't convinced. "All of you had to help Miss Lovegood recover her wand?" he asked, gazing down at them with his arms folded over his broad chest. "Why didn't you just Summon it?" he asked Luna.

"She didn't want to risk it breaking," Ron said.

Kingsley's eyes narrowed as he studied each of them in turn. "You don't look as though you've been crawling under a train."

"I used a charm to clean everyone up," Ginny said. "Didn't want to track dirt into the castle."

Tonks harrumphed. "I'm taking five points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, for holding up the carriages and giving us a fright," she said. "I suggest you hurry along now, before I take away five more points."

"But term hasn't even started!" Harry said, angry again. "You can't take away points yet."

"That so?" she said. "Five more points from Gryffindor then, because you're such a pervy little prat."

Blood rushed to Harry's head. "WHAT? Wh--"

For an instant Tonks appeared as drop-dead dishy as she had earlier that summer, when she'd visited him in Little Whinging. Harry felt his mouth go dry. Then, before he could swallow, she was once again prim and proper. Neville's lower jaw hung down somewhere near his waist and even Ron looked a little rattled, while Ginny and Luna just stood there with wide eyes. "For trying to peek at my knickers, that's why," she tossed over her shoulder as she headed back towards the waiting carriages.

~~~~~<<<<< >>>>>~~~~~

Theirs was the last carriage to arrive at the castle, which meant they were hard-pressed to find spaces in the crowded entrance hall for all their trunks, cages and other paraphernalia (Neville was reluctant to take his prized Mimbulus Mimbletonia into the Great Hall, where it might get jostled about in all the excitement). Once they'd set everything down, however, Tonks shooed them onward, stopping at a classroom just outside the Great Hall into which Kingsley led Peter. Just before the others passed on into the cacophony of the Great Hall, Harry got a brief look into the room. In addition to Peter, Kingsley and tiny Professor Flitwick, he saw a tall, extremely thin girl with pale skin and hair lighter than Draco Malfoy's; a short, plump, dark-skinned girl with wild hair and florid robes; a rangy, suntanned boy wearing--incongruously, Harry thought--a cowboy hat; a girl with dark hair and olive-colored skin; a boy with Asian features unlike anything Harry'd ever seen before; and a stocky boy with a prominent, hooked nose that looked vaguely familiar. Before he could get a closer look, however, Tonks was opening the door to the Great Hall and ushering him inside.

Luna left them with a wave to join her housemates at the Ravenclaw table, while Tonks went ahead to the staff table and Harry, Ron, Ginny and Neville split into pairs to hurry down both sides of the Gryffindor table in search of empty seats near their friends. Seamus Finnegan, apparently spotting Ron's vivid hair above the crowd, stood up on the bench and waved them down. Breathless and hungry, Harry slid into a space next to Colin Creevey.

"All right, Harry?" Colin asked with a bright smile, chipper as always.

"All right, Colin," he said. "You?"

"Can't complain. Glad to be back here, that's for sure." Harry had to agree, despite his misgivings. Hogwarts would always be home to him.

"What took you s'long, mate?" Seamus asked in his thick Irish brogue, sliding closer to Lavender Brown to make room for Ginny and Neville. "You should've seen the Aurors when they couldn't find you. You'd've thought You-Know-Who himself had been spotted larking about."

"Seamus!" Lavender hissed.

Harry sighed. "Long story."

Lavender leaned across Seamus to address Ron. "Is it true Hermione's in India this year? Parvati told me she was supposed to stay with her aunt and uncle in Calcutta before term began."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, she's there for the exchange. We had a boy from Kenya come stay with us this summer."

"I heard there'll be two foreign exchange students in each house," Colin said. "To make up for the two students who'll be away."

"D'you think they'll be Sorted like the rest of us?" Harry asked. Colin shrugged. "It'd be excellent if Peter could be in Gryffindor. He's a decent bloke."

"Can't stay on a broom, that's for sure," Ron said under his breath.

"Did you see that chap with the hat?" Seamus asked, holding his hands above his head to approximate the size of the offending article. "You could store a broom in that thing!"

"See him?" Parvati Patil asked. Harry realized she'd been sitting on Colin's other side the whole time. "Did you *hear* him? I couldn't understand half of what he said!" She and Lavender shared a giggle.

"I imagine there'll be a lot of that going on this year," Colin said. "I heard Dumbledore's brought in students from all over the world."

"It couldn't have been easy for Dumbledore to convince their parents to let them come here," Parvati said. "After all, now that You-Know-Who's back, Hogwarts is bound to be a prime target."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the table as the meaning of her words hit home. Harry kept his gaze fixed firmly on his hands as they lay folded on the table, but he could feel the others' stares burning into him. He knew what Parvati had really wanted to say: that he was Voldemort's prime target.

"Bah!" Ron exclaimed, breaking the silence. "Everyone knows that Hogwarts is the only truly safe place these days. There are so many charms and enchantments protecting us here, You-Know-Who would be a bloody fool to try anything."

"Glad to know Hermione's lectures are finally sinking in," Ginny said with an affectionate smile.

"Where's he from?" Neville asked Seamus, indicating who he meant by pointing to his head.

"Texas, according to Ernie Macmillan. Says he stayed with the Boneses."

"He's an American?" Ginny asked, leaning forward in her eagerness for more information. Seamus and Parvati nodded. "I've never met an American wizard before. Dad says their Muggles are even more suspicious of magic than European Muggles."

Before Harry could ask her what else she knew about American wizards, the doors to the Great Hall were flung open with a flourish and Professor McGonagall entered, leading this year's crop of first years to their Sorting. Charlie Weasley held the rear, gently herding the students forward as they stared and pointed at the enchanted ceiling, which revealed a moonless, star-filled night. Harry turned in his seat to study the students, marveling, as Ginny had earlier, at how small and innocent they looked. He could scarcely remember a time when he'd been so awestruck and ignorant of what lay ahead.

He let his gaze wander across the Great Hall, then, taking in the familiar (and not-so-familiar) faces of his fellow students. Several of them caught his eye and nodded or waved in recognition. Cho and Michael Corner, he noticed with amusement, still seemed to have eyes only for each other.

He glanced over at the Slytherin table. Crabbe and Goyle were there, larger and more oafish than ever, as was Millicent Bulstrode, whose neck seemed to have finally given up the battle and allowed itself to be completely swallowed by her head and shoulders. He spotted Theodore Nott sitting a few places down from Millicent, and recognized a couple of other Slytherins but couldn't recall their names. Nowhere, however, was the familiar white-blonde hair and pale, pointed face of Draco Malfoy visible.

Harry turned back to his own table. "Where's Malfoy?" he hissed.

"What?" Ron whispered back.

"Malfoy. He's not at the Slytherin table. Where is he?" Ron looked over his shoulder and peered around, then turned back and gave Harry a shrug of confusion.

Then Lavender leaned forward and beckoned everyone closer, to hear what she had to say. "I overheard a couple of the Aurors talking on the train today. Malfoy's arriving separately, under guard."

"Under guard?" Ginny said. "Is he a prisoner?"

"We should be so lucky," Ron said with a grimace.

Lavender giggled. "Apparently he's been receiving death threats all summer."

Harry snorted. "Can't imagine why they'd bother protecting him now. Ron's been trying to kill him ever since first year." The others sniggered, earning sharp glances from several of their housemates not in on the joke.

"Has anyone come forward to take credit?" Seamus asked, barely able to keep his voice down to a whisper. Harry struggled not to burst into outright laughter.

"Sh," Neville said, his face beet red, his breath coming out in tiny gasping sobs. "Snape's looking this way."

Harry glanced up at the front of the hall, where the Sorting was already well under way. Snape, sitting near the end of the staff table next to Madame Pince, was indeed watching the Gryffindors through narrowed eyes. Harry tried not to let the loathing he felt for the Potions Master show on his face, even though he knew Snape had no doubts about Harry's feelings for him. Instead, he studied the other faculty members as they watched the Sorting.

At the center of the table, as always, was Professor Dumbledore, resplendent in shimmery robes, long, silvery-white hair and beard, and half-moon spectacles perched at the end of a very crooked nose. To his left stood an empty chair where normally Professor McGonagall would be seated. Next to the empty chair Madame Pomfrey, Tonks and Madame Hooch were engrossed in what looked to be a very spirited discussion; given the participants, Harry wouldn't have been at all surprised to learn it centered around Quidditch. To Dumbledore's right stood another empty chair where Professor Flitwick normally sat, with the aid of a Levitating Charm to enable him to see above the table. Next to his place sat Professors Trelawney and Sinistra, each studiously ignoring the other, two additional empty chairs, and then Charlie. He spotted Harry looking at him and raised his chin in greeting. Harry grinned back, then turned back to his table.

"Looks like Professor Vector and Professor Sprout are on the exchange as well," he said.

"What about Hagrid?" Colin asked. "He wasn't at the station tonight."

"Ron and Ginny's brother Charlie is filling in for him. Says Hagrid needed a favor." Harry was curious to know what sort of "favor" Hagrid needed.

"That's Charlie Weasley up there?" Seamus asked, his eyes wide. Ron nodded. "Blimey. I've heard all sorts of stories about him. Heard he's a brilliant Quidditch player."

"Seeker," Ron said. "Gryffindor won the Cup every year he played."

"Maybe he'll help coach," Ginny said. "I'm sure he could teach you some dead useful moves, Harry."

"Where's that dishy centaur?" Lavender asked dreamily, a far off-smile on her face. Harry tried not to laugh when Ron elbowed him. "You know, the one who took over for Trelawney after she got the sack last term?"

"Firenze?" Harry asked. "Dunno. It's not as though he can exactly sit at a table, can he?"

"But would Trelawney be sitting up there if she hadn't returned to teaching?" Neville asked.

"Old fraud," Ron muttered.

Harry didn't comment. Trelawney was an old fraud to be sure, but he knew only too well that she had had moments of genuine prophetic insight, at least two of which applied directly to him. He shrugged. "I hope Firenze's still here," he said. "I mean, it's not that I mean to keep on with Divination, but he can't go back to the Forbidden Forest. The other centaurs'll kill him."

Lavender's eyes grew wide and bright. "They wouldn't!" She looked tearfully at Seamus, her chin quivering. "Would they?"

He slipped an arm around her shoulders. Ron stiffened, but said nothing. "I dunno what to tell you, love," Seamus said to Lavender. "Centaurs are unpredictable creatures."

"I'm sure Firenze is fine, wherever he is," Ginny said, casting Ron a worried glance. "Dumbledore would've made certain of it."

A loud burst of applause announced the end of the Sorting, and Harry realized somewhat shamefully that he hadn't the slightest idea who'd been Sorted into Gryffindor. He'd have to try to find out later. As Professor McGonagall removed the three-legged stool and Sorting Hat from the dais, everyone's attention focused on Professor Dumbledore, who now stood before them, his hands raised in an effort to silence the murmuring.

"Welcome," he said, "one and all, to a new year at Hogwarts. I trust your journey here was uneventful and that you are as eager to begin your studies as our teachers are to assign homework." He looked over his half-moon spectacles at the students as a ripple of good humor passed through them. "Marvellous, marvellous," he said, a tiny smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. When the students fell silent once again, however, his expression grew grave.

"No doubt you are all aware of the situation that brews beyond our walls. I will not deceive you: war is coming, and no corner of our world, no matter how sheltered or remote, will pass untouched by it. We will do everything in our power to protect you while you are at Hogwarts. Aurors on special assignment from the Ministry of Magic will patrol the castle and grounds day and night. Two of their number, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks --" Harry saw Tonks roll her eyes and say something to no one in particular. He guessed it was a reproof aimed at Dumbledore for uttering her given name in public. "-- will be providing Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts instruction to all students in fifth year and above, while Professor Snape, our Potions Master, has graciously agreed to instruct the younger students in our novice Defense courses."

A buzz filled the air. Harry said nothing, but turned to Ron, who gave him a meaningful look that said volumes. Even Neville looked disturbed. Snape, for his part, showed no emotion on his sallow face.

Dumbledore pressed on, raising his voice just enough to make it audible above the continued buzz of murmured debate. "I am quite confident the grapevine has made most of you aware that we will have several guests with us this year." The buzz grew momentarily louder. "Please allow an old man the indulgence of introducing your new schoolmates to you." He extended his hand to his left, and a door--a door Harry remembered passing through himself, when he'd been selected for the Triwizard Tournament--opened, and Professor Flitwick and Kingsley entered the Great Hall, leading the exchange students. Peter spotted Harry, Ron and Ginny and flashed them a broad grin.

"There's only seven of them," Neville whispered.

"What?" Harry whispered back.

"Colin said there's supposed to be two students for each house. Someone's missing."

Harry did a quick head count to confirm Neville's observation. Only four boys and three girls stood on the dais before them. Before he could offer a theory, however, Dumbledore spoke again, while Professor Flitwick coaxed the first student, the tall, pale girl, to step forward. "Visiting us from St. Petersburg, Russia, is Svetlana Petroiovich. She will reside in Hufflepuff House this year."

A gasp went up from the Hufflepuffs as the girl, her back ramrod-straight, her head held high, stepped off the dais to take her place at their table.

"Guess that answers your question about Sorting," Colin whispered to Harry. Harry, his gaze fixed on the other students, simply nodded and applauded with everyone else.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and Professor Flitwick brought the Asian boy forward. "Bogdo Sukhbaatar, from Mongolia, will join Slytherin House."

To Harry's great amusement, the Slytherins sat in stunned silence, apparently unable to comprehend someone so...different...in their small, exclusive society. If their coldness bothered the boy at all, however, he hid it well; his face was a mask of placid impassivity as he took a seat at the end.

Professor Flitwick now led the plump, brightly dressed girl forward. "Mambo Ezili Yemanja comes to us from Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic," Dumbledore said. The girl smiled broadly and clasped her hands before her ample belly. "She will be delighted, I am sure, to become a member of Ravenclaw this year."

It was hard to tell from the tumult that erupted who was more delighted by this announcement, the girl or her new housemates. She was greeted with loud whoops that she echoed in kind with ululations of pleasure, and several minutes elapsed before Dumbledore could restore order.

"Next one's ours, I'll wager," Seamus said.

"Yeah, but look who it is!" Lavender exclaimed.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered.

Harry redirected his attention to the head of the Great Hall, where Dumbledore now stood beside the boy with the cowboy hat. "Joining us from the United States of America," Dumbledore began, "is James Ray --"

"Ace," the boy said, interrupting him.

Dumbledore seemed taken aback. "I beg your pardon?"

"Ace, suh," he said, his voice carrying across the hushed throng. Harry realized what Parvati had meant earlier about not being able to understand him; his accent was indeed quite thick and drawn-out, with vowels of incomprehensible length. "Don't no one call me James Ray, suh. Jus' Ace."

Dumbledore studied him briefly. "Ace it is then," he said at last. "Ace Boyd, from the United States of America, will be residing with Gryffindor this year."

Harry heard a loud guffaw that could only have come from the Slytherin table, and his face burned with anger. He could see the boy, his ridiculous hat perched on his head, making his way toward them, an expression of utter guilelessness on his face. The Slytherins'll have him for breakfast in a dragon's heartbeat, Harry thought, his anger rising. He elbowed Ron viciously.

"Hey!" Ron grunted, clutching his side.

"Get up," Harry hissed.

"What? Why me?"

"Because you're a bloody prefect. Get up and welcome him."

Ron gave him a look of ill-concealed irritation, but did as he said. "Oy, you, over here!" he shouted, waving the boy down to their end of the table.

His expression, which had begun to tense as the shocked Gryffindors had not yet made room for him, immediately brightened, and he trotted toward Ron, revealing silver-tipped cowboy boots beneath his robes. He scooted into the space Ron had opened up between himself and Harry, and doffed his hat with a drawled but cheerful, "Howdy, y'all."

Professor Flitwick had already brought forward the next exchange student, who happened to be Peter. He seemed to have realized that he wouldn't be sharing digs with Harry and Ron this year, a realization that Dumbledore verified by placing him in Hufflepuff. They greeted him as enthusiastically as they had the Russian girl, however, which eased Harry's mind a bit. He knew Peter would make out well with the Hufflepuffs, and showed his approval by applauding loudly.

Now the olive-skinned girl stood before them. "Polydora Thalassa comes to us from Herakleon, Crete," Dumbledore announced. "She joins Slytherin House." Not surprisingly, the Slytherins greeted her far more warmly than they had the boy from Mongolia.

"I reckon Draco's going to forget Pansy Parkinson even exists once he sees her," Ginny said wryly, earning a laugh from everyone in earshot.

Dumbledore now directed their attention to the boy with the hooked nose. "I imagine many of you older students will fondly recall the family name of our next guest," he said, his eyes twinkling in what Harry could only describe as mischievous delight, "seeing as his brother distinguished himself with us two years ago." Harry gasped in realization, as did Seamus. Ron swore profanely. "Ravenclaws, please welcome Vladimir Krum of Bulgaria."

"Krum?" Lavender asked Seamus. "Wasn't he--?" Seamus just nodded, his normally ruddy face now pale.

"I wonder if he plays Quidditch too?" Colin asked.

"We're doomed if he does," Harry said. He looked at Ginny. "Think Hermione knows?"

"If she does, she didn't tell me." She glanced over at Ron, who was muttering something inaudible, then back at Harry, her eyebrows raised. "This year just got a lot more interesting."

"What now?" Neville asked. "Are we the only house not to get two exchange students?"

"What d'you mean?" Seamus said.

"Neville's right," Ginny said, pointing to the dais, where Professor Dumbledore stood alone. "All the exchange students have been assigned to houses. We're short one. Is it supposed to be that way?"

"Naw," the American boy said. "She's comin'. She and her paw are comin' sep'rately."

"How do you know?" Lavender asked.

He pointed to Professor Flitwick, now climbing into his seat at the staff table. "That little feller there tol' me. Somethin' to do with her host family needin' extra security or somethin'."

Comprehension dawned all around. Their new housemate--and her father too, for some unexplained reason--was a guest of the Malfoys. Merlin only knew what she might turn out to be like, Harry thought darkly, knowing everyone around him--save the new boy--shared the same sense of foreboding. She might even be a spy for the Death Eaters, which could place them all in grave danger if they weren't careful.

Meanwhile, at the head of the hall, Dumbledore had resumed speaking. "I know you are eager to get down to the business of feasting, so I will wrap up my remarks as quickly as possible. Some of our visitors this year, including two guest professors, were unfortunately unable to join us for the Opening Feast. You will meet them tomorrow. For now," he said with a sweep of his arm, "tuck in."