Seo Gerecednis

Harry awoke from dreams of talking thestrals to the unpleasant sensation of a hard jab to his shoulder. He blinked groggily, rubbing the sore spot, and looked up to see a blurred Ron looking down at him.

"Time to get up, mate," he said as he handed Harry his glasses. "Don't want to be late to class the first day of term."

"Did I oversleep?" He climbed out of bed and dug around in his trunk for clothes to wear.

"Nah," Ron said, kneeling down to tie his trainers. "I had to get up to deal with a crisis in the girls' loo."

Harry looked up from buttoning his shirt. "Abercrombie?"

"Stupid git got caught trying to peek in the showers," Ron said with a roll of his eyes. "Ginny nabbed him with a Bat-Bogey Hex." Harry couldn't help chuckling. "Anyway, Seamus and Neville have already headed down for breakfast, so we might as well join them."

Harry glanced over at the fifth bed, which had already been neatly made; since the house-elves usually didn't clean up the dormitories until everyone had left for morning lessons, its occupant must have done it himself. "What about Ace?" he said, gesturing toward the bed.

Ron shrugged and picked up his satchel. "Dunno. He was gone by the time I got up."

Harry glanced out the window as he pulled his robes over his head and saw that the sun still hung low over the eastern horizon. "Blimey, it must've been dark when he got up. Wonder where he went?"

"Who cares?" Ron said. "You coming or what? I'm starving."

"Ron," Harry said with a chuckle as he grabbed his bag from under his bed and ran to catch up with Ron's long-legged lope out of the dormitory, "you're always starving."

The common room was empty when they came down the stairs from the boys' tower, but Harry could tell from the sounds emanating from upstairs that it would soon be filled with students rushing to breakfast, eager to face a new term. Despite his qualms, he was eager too, not least because this year he'd be taking N.E.W.T.-level courses. No more History of Magic and Divination, and, though he rather liked Astronomy and had qualified for the advanced course, he'd dropped it as well. He doubted he'd be missing those midnight sessions with a telescope and a star chart. Ron had wanted to drop Astronomy as well, but feared Hermione's wrath more than Harry did and grudgingly signed up for another year. "She's going to be the death of me one of these days," he'd grumbled good-naturedly when they'd gone to Diagon Alley to purchase their books." Harry, Fred and George had just laughed at him.

As he crossed the common room, movement by Hagrid's hut, which he could see through the window, caught Harry's attention. Curious, he veered that way to take a closer look. Sometime over the summer holiday a large building had been erected between the hut and the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where Hagrid usually kept his pumpkin patch, and Charlie and Ace were just now exiting it.

"You coming?"

Harry looked up to see Ron standing expectantly by the open portrait hole. "Yeah, sure," he said, joining Ron as they stepped over the threshold and into the corridor. "I just saw Ace with Charlie outside," he said as they descended the first of the many staircases that would take them to the Great Hall. "Wonder what they were doing so early this morning."

"Maybe he likes dragons," Ron said.

As they crossed the mezzanine to the last flight of stairs leading down to the entrance hall, Harry heard a familiar lazy drawl filtering up from below. He grabbed the sleeve of Ron's robes to stop him and they both looked over the railing.

"I truly don't know what we would have done without Minister Fudge's generosity," Narcissa Malfoy was saying. "That anyone would want to hurt either Draco or myself when my husband is unable to come to our defense is just appalling."

"Indeed," said Professor Snape. "We don't tolerate that sort of hooliganism at Hogwarts, I assure you."

"We're relieved you both arrived unharmed," Professor McGonagall said. "You needn't worry about Draco's safety here."

"I only hope you can provide me the same assurances about Mother's safety on her return trip," Malfoy said.

Hatred surged through Harry's veins at the sight of Draco Malfoy and his mother talking amiably with Snape and McGonagall. He hadn't forgotten that it was Narcissa Malfoy who'd encouraged Kreacher to betray Sirius to his death, or that she had taken up residence at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place earlier that summer, thereby evicting the Order of the Phoenix from its headquarters. He also hadn't forgotten that her husband now languished in Azkaban, thanks to his botched attempt to steal the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries for Voldemort. Harry's hands gripped the railing until his knuckles turned white with rage.

A gentle nudge from Ron tore him away from his dark thoughts. "S'pose that's the other exchange student?" he asked quietly, pointing down. With a start Harry realized he hadn't even noticed the two strangers standing there, a dark-skinned girl with her hair hidden beneath a large scarf and an adult wizard, also dark-skinned, his head as bald as Kingsley's, his face almost obscured by the most elaborately curled mustache Harry had ever seen. In the main entrance, next to a pile of trunks and two cages, stood a burly man Harry reckoned to be the Malfoys' bodyguard, his beefy arms crossed over his chest.

"Guess that's her father," he said to Ron, not bothering to conceal his voice. "Ace said they'd both be coming with the Malfoys."

At the sound of their name both Malfoys looked up, as did their companions. The guard let Harry and Ron see his wand, but remained in a state of alert relaxation. Malfoy and Snape both scowled. "Potter, Weasley, come down and greet your new housemate," Professor McGonagall ordered.

With a roll of their eyes Harry and Ron did as she ordered, taking the last three steps in a single leap and skidding across the slick stone floor to stand before her. The look she gave them wasn't friendly, but neither was it angry. "Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, this is Fatima al-Ghazali," she said, indicating the girl. "Her father will be teaching Arithmancy at Hogwarts this year while Professor Vector is in Iceland. Miss al-Ghazali, Mr. Weasley is the Gryffindor prefect for your year. He can answer any questions you may have."

"Hullo," Ron said, extending his hand. The girl glanced up at her father, who nodded, then accepted his greeting with a smile.

Before either Harry or Ron could say anything else, however, there was a rumble from above and a cluster of Gryffindor girls, with Katie Bell, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil in the lead, came running down the stairs. Harry backed away to avoid being trampled.

"Is this her?" Lavender squealed. "Is this our new housemate?" The girls swarmed around Fatima with a flurry of squeals and giggles and whisked her into the Great Hall before Professor McGonagall could reply or even protest.

She turned to Professor al-Ghazali with an aggrieved sigh. "Well, I'd say she'll have made a few friends before breakfast is over. Mrs. Malfoy, would you care to join us at the staff table?"

"Thank you, Minerva, but I must be returning to London. There's so much work to be done on our new home--" At this, she gave Harry a pointed look that made his blood boil. "--that I mustn't be away for too long. Thank you for your hospitality."

"I'll see you out," Professor Snape said, following Mrs. Malfoy and her guard outside.

"Very well," Professor McGonagall said. "Professor al-Ghazali, let me show you where the staff table is. Our house-elves will make sure your belongings find their way to your rooms." She peered over her square-rimmed spectacles at Harry, Ron, and Malfoy. "Potter, Weasley, Malfoy, I suggest you get some breakfast while you can. I imagine Professors Shacklebolt and Tonks will be keeping you busy this afternoon." Then she and Professor al-Ghazali swept into the Great Hall, leaving the boys alone in the entrance hall. Harry, his arms hanging loosely by his sides, was curious to see who'd draw his wand first.

"I see you don't have a bodyguard, Potter," Malfoy said with a sneer. "Unless, that is, you're paying Weasley here to protect you. I'm sure he could use the extra Galleons. Merlin knows he's not good for much else."

Harry felt Ron grow tense, but was impressed at how well he held himself back. "Speaking of bodyguards," he said, "where are your mates?" He made a show of looking around for Crabbe and Goyle. "Don't tell me they actually developed the ability to think for themselves?" Ron snorted.

"I don't need Crabbe and Goyle to protect me," Malfoy shot back. "Every Auror in this castle will be keeping their eye on you, just to make sure you don't try anything stupid."

"Oh, they'll be keeping their eye on me alright," Harry said. "They're here to protect me from Voldemort's lackeys like your father." He couldn't help smiling as all the color drained from Malfoy's face. "At least I know who wants me dead. For all you know, the person threatening you could be...anyone."

"Yeah, so I'd watch my back if I were you, Malfoy," Ron said with a smirk. "You never know who might be sneaking up on you."

Malfoy had reached inside his robes to draw his wand when someone said, "Is there a problem here?" Harry turned to see Charlie and Ace standing in the main entrance.

Malfoy's face twisted even more as he dropped his hand. "What's the matter, Weasley?" he said to Ron. "Afraid you couldn't keep your sister out of trouble without help from big brother?"

His voice remarkably even, Ron said, "Actually, he's teaching here, so unless you want to lose house points, I suggest you shut it." For a moment, Harry thought Malfoy was going to have a fit of apoplexy, but he schooled his features and stomped into the Great Hall.

"Who put the burr in his britches?" Ace drawled as the four of them headed for the Gryffindor table.

"Malfoy?" Harry snorted. "He's always like that."

"Kind that thinks his shit don't stink?"

Harry laughed. "You could say that."

When he, Ron and Charlie took seats near Seamus and Neville, Harry was surprised Ace didn't join them, choosing instead to approach the staff table and speak to a strange witch with her long gray hair pulled back in a braid. "Is that the new Herbology professor?" he asked Charlie.

Charlie shrugged as he speared a slice of French toast. "Reckon so. She hadn't arrived by the time the staff meeting ended last night, so I can't be sure."

"Wotcher," came a female voice to Harry's right. He turned to see Tonks, looking more the way he was accustomed to seeing her, sitting down beside him. Ginny, who'd apparently come in with her, gave him and her brothers a cheerful smile before heading down to sit with the other girls.

"Hey," Harry said to Tonks. Ron and Charlie, both mouths full, nodded.

"I see mealtime manners run in the family," Tonks said with a snigger, ignoring the nearly identical scowls from Ron and Charlie. She distributed schedules to Harry, Ron, Seamus and Neville. "McGonagall asked me to give you these. Looks like Kingsley and I get first crack at you after lunch today." She rubbed her hands together and cackled.

"Yeah, McGonagall said something to that effect earlier," Harry said, grinning.

"Can you give us a hint what's in store for us?" Ron asked.

She shook her head and held a finger to her lips. "Ruin the surprise? Not on your life." Then she lowered her voice and beckoned the boys closer. "But I recommend you wear trainers."

Harry raised his eyebrows, but Tonks refused to be more forthcoming. Rather than pester her, he read over his schedule. He had Charms this morning, then Defense Against the Dark Arts in the afternoon, and again Wednesday morning and Friday afternoon; Potions Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon; Herbology Wednesday afternoon; Care of Magical Creatures Thursday morning; and Transfiguration Tuesday afternoon and Friday morning.

"Blimey," Seamus muttered. "Defense Against the Dark Arts three times a week?" He gave Tonks a sour look.

As much as he enjoyed Defense Against the Dark Arts, and looked forward to lessons with Kingsley and Tonks, Harry was inclined to agree with Seamus. Did he truly have that much to learn? He stuffed his schedule into his bag and directed his attention to his breakfast. Then he remembered what he'd seen that morning as he was leaving Gryffindor Tower, and asked Charlie, "What's with that new building out by Hagrid's hut?"

Charlie blew at the steam curling up from his cup of coffee. "It's a barn."

"A barn?" Ron asked. "What's it for?"

"What else are barns for?"

Harry's eyes widened. "You didn't bring one of your dragons, did you?"

Charlie gave him an odd look. "Harry, it's a wooden building. What kind of dolt would house a dragon in a wooden building?"

Harry grinned sheepishly as Tonks laughed and gave him a light punch on the arm. "Oh, yeah."

"I didn't know you worked with dragons," Neville said, his face pale.

"Yeah," Ron said, before his brother had a chance to speak. "He was part of the team that brought all those dragons for the Triwizard Tournament."

"Blimey," Seamus said. "I can't wait to see what you've got to show us in Care of Magical Creatures this year."

"No Blast-Ended Skrewts, I promise," Charlie said with a grin.

"Say, Charlie," Ron asked, "what were you and Ace doing in the barn so early this morning? Harry said he saw you coming out of there as we were leaving for breakfast."

"We were tending to the animals."

Seamus leaned across Ron's plate to ask, "What animals?"

"Some of the exchange students brought horses with them."

This caught Ron's attention. "Horses?" he asked. "As in Abraxan horses? Cool!"

"No, Ron, just horses."

Ron's excitement deflated. "What kind of wizard has an ordinary horse?"

"One that grew up on a ranch perhaps?"

"A ranch?" Seamus snorted. "You don't mean to tell us that Tex there's an actual cowboy?"

"So what if he is?" Tonks muttered, but Harry didn't think Seamus heard her.

"Is he Muggle-born?" Neville asked. Charlie nodded.

"How d'you know?" Ron wanted to know.

"Why are you asking him these questions?" Tonks asked, gesturing toward Charlie, accidentally knocking over a pot of honey in the process. "Sod it," she muttered under her breath, taking out her wand to remove the sticky mess. "He's your roommate. Ask him yourself."

"Well, since we haven't seen him long enough to ask him anything, how're we supposed to find this stuff out?" Ron said. "Where'd he go anyway?"

"Looks like he's sitting with that Mongolian boy," Seamus said, pointing across the room. "Bog whatever."

Harry and Neville turned to see Ace seated at the end of Slytherin table, apparently attempting to carry on a conversation with the Mongolian student, if the broad gestures he was making with his hands were any indication.

"What the bloody hell's he doing sitting at the Slytherin table?" Ron asked.

"Maybe he's making friends with people who don't think he's ridiculous," Tonks said.

"We don't think he's ridiculous," Harry retorted, somewhat offended.

"Right," she said. "You've just welcomed him with open arms."

"We just met him yesterday!"

"Yes, and your other housemate just arrived this morning, and it looks like she's made nearly a dozen friends already." She pointed to where Lavender, Parvati, Ginny and the other Gryffindor girls were talking animatedly with Fatima. "You might want to take a page from their book and be a little open-minded about people who refuse to fall all over themselves just to fit in."

"Blimey," Seamus said. "You're starting to sound like Hermione."

"No kidding," Ron said, exchanging a look with Harry.

"I did come here to teach," she said, getting up. "No time like the present, wouldn't you say?" She drained the last of her coffee, although Harry had to lunge forward to grab her mug when she tried to set it on the table and missed. "Thanks," she said. "I've got to prepare for morning lessons. I'll see you boys later." Harry watched her, a bit dumbfounded, as she exited the Great Hall, barely avoiding a collision with a gaggle of Hufflepuffs just inside the doorway.

"What's got into her?" Ron asked.

"Dunno," Harry said, eating the last bite of his French toast. Seamus and Neville simply shrugged; they didn't know Tonks as well as Harry and Ron did, and thus had nothing to compare her current behavior to.

Charlie dropped his napkin beside his plate. "I have to go too," he said. "I have Ravenclaw third years coming by this morning, so I need to get ready for them."

"Will you be around before supper?" Ron asked.

Charlie grinned. "Sure, if I'm not in the hut I'll be in the barn. Bring Ginny if you want. You can help muck out stalls."

"Lovely," Ron said with a scowl as Charlie clapped him on the shoulder and left.

"We should go soon as well," Harry said, pouring one last gobletful of pumpkin juice. "Don't want to be late for Charms." Ron, Seamus and Neville all nodded and made motions to leave.

"Harry? Ron?"

Harry turned to see Katie Bell standing behind him. "Hi, Katie," he said.

"Any word on when you'll be holding Quidditch tryouts?"

Harry turned back to Ron, who shook his head. "No, we haven't really talked about it. Guess we'll have to schedule them soon, though." Then something hit him. "Wait a minute, why aren't you captain this year?"

She smiled brightly at him. "I told McGonagall last spring I didn't want it. Too much responsibility. Besides, you and Ron'll be at Hogwarts another year, and we agreed it'd be better for the team not to keep changing captains year after year."

"Good thinking," Seamus said.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Well, be sure to let me know when you schedule tryouts."

"Yeah, we will," Harry said.

Students were beginning to gather up their school things and filter out of the Great Hall. Harry drained the last of his pumpkin juice and stood up. "C'mon, mates, let's go," he said.

Ron and Neville joined him with a chorus of groans and complaints, but Seamus remained seated, determinedly not looking up at them. "I'll catch you lot up later," he mumbled to his empty plate.

"What's the matter?" Ron asked. "You're not skiving off already?" Seamus merely shook his head.

"He didn't get an O.W.L. in Charms," Neville said softly.

"You're kidding me!" Harry said, looking at Seamus, whose face was growing steadily redder. "Isn't that part of the core curriculum?"

"Yeah," Ron said, following Harry and Neville out of the Great Hall. "Charms, Transfiguration and Potions."

"So what happens if you don't get an O.W.L.?" Harry asked.

"You still have lessons, just not at N.E.W.T. level. Pretty basic stuff, from what I hear." He looked back in the direction they'd come from; Harry could see Seamus still seated at the Gryffindor table through the open doors. "Poor bloke. He must've really botched the exam, not to get an O.W.L. Even Fred and George passed."

The three of them followed the stream of students through the corridors to the Charms classroom. When they got there, Harry was surprised to see that it was filled with sixth-year students from all four houses; in previous years, he'd only ever had Charms with his fellow Gryffindors. On the other hand, he was relieved to realize that Seamus was not the only sixth year not to pass the Charms O.W.L. He and Ron claimed seats off to the side, beneath a large window, while Neville sat in front of them, next to Anthony Goldstein.

"All right there?" Anthony asked them. He gave a thumbs-up when they responded in kind. "Good to hear. Listen, Potter, d'you plan on doing the D.A. again this year?"

Harry exchanged looks with Ron and Neville. "Dunno yet, but probably. I want to wait and see how things'll be with Defense first."

"Excellent plan," Anthony said with another thumbs-up. "Weasley here can tell me at the next prefects' meeting what you decide. I've had several Ravenclaws express an interest in getting on board."

"That's good to know," Harry said, taking out his parchment, quill and ink bottle. At the head of the classroom he could see tiny Professor Flitwick clambering up on his footstool so his voice would carry to the back of the crowded classroom. "We can talk more about it later."

"Excellent," Anthony said, turning back to his desk.

"Welcome back!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "I'm sure you're all very excited to begin Advanced Charms this year. For the next several weeks, we will be studying medical charms." He rubbed his hands together. "Would anyone care to play the part of my patient today?"