Hope amongst Ruins

Prologue:

Tom and Cindy joined the Creeveys in a compartment of the train. Certainly Dumbledore would soon tell them what the second stage in the healing process was? Only Fanny didn't join in the anticipation. She was too glad she could go to Hogwarts too! It would have been so embarrassing when she hadn't gotten her letter. But it didn't matter anymore. She had received it...

~~~

As the train neared Hogsmeade station they changed into their robes. Fanny's robes were still lacking a house crest, instead it was supporting the Hogwarts crest. She had never seen her brothers or her sister in their schoolrobes. She was impressed by how they looked. But she was more impressed by how Tom looked in his robes. She liked the green and silver colours of the Slytherin crest upon his robes. Cindy's yellow and black wasn't pretty at all. She had seen a girl walk by in blue and bronze... She liked those colours better than Cindy's but less than those of her brothers and sister.

~~~

At the station they were separated. Fanny went with Hagrid to the boats. Cindy patted a Thestral on the back before she turned to get inside the carriage. The Thestral looked back at her with it's dragonish face as if she had a Sugar Quill in her pocked and he wanted it! When they all got in and the carriage started to move...

~~~

In the Entrance Hall they were hailed by Professor McGonagall. They were to come to her room for a second.

"Professor Dumbledore, wanted to me to tell you the following," she began.

"You'll have special lessons with our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher to overcome the difficulties and problems you've experienced. Cindy has been having sessions with Madam Pomfrey about what happened to her. The rest of you will get them too! And now lets go back to dinner!"

Chapter one: Sorting wrong or right?

They entered the Great Hall with Professor McGonagall when the Sorting Hat said:

So put me on and I'll tell you

Where you ought to be!

"Cool, we haven't missed the sorting!" Dennis said.

Everyone of the group went to his or her own House table.

"CREEVEY, FANNY!" squeaked Professor Flitwick.

Fanny walked slowly, almost apprehensive to the stool that was placed there for the first years.

It was a while before the hat said anything. Her family were all Gryffindors, so genetically she was a Gryffindor, but her mind was otherwise inclined.

"SLYTHERIN!" the Hat shouted.

Colin, Dennis and Eleanor looked at each other in shock as Fanny went to sit next to Tom at the Slytherin Table.

"Why on earth is our sister put into Slytherin?" Dennis asked.

"Maybe she's too ambitious to become a Gryffindor!" Eleanor thought aloud.

"Nah, that can't be it. She was never too ambitious, but her favourite colour definitely is green, and not red..." Colin said thinking.

"Maybe this is another trial we have to go through..." Eleanor said.

"GRANGER, EMILY!" squeaked Professor Flitwick.

"Is she a sister of Hermione?" Colin asked.

"Yes, Ron told me, that Emily was going to be here..." said Ginny, who sat next to Colin.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat shouted.

Gryffindor table erupted in cheers for the new recruit.

The line shortened and shortened as time went on.

Mens-Mentis, Prudence became a Ravenclaw and Turner, Adriana became a Hufflepuff. There were only two people left now...

Eunice Waps became a Slytherin and Beatrice Zandrine became a Ravenclaw.

Professor Flitwick picked up the chair and hauled it out of the Great Hall.

Dumbledore stood up and all eyes turned to him.

"I'm proud to tell you that I've found a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor McKinnon!

"It's Louise!" Dennis exclaimed.

Few people applauded Louise. It were only the people that knew her that applauded. Dumbledore quickly silenced them.

"Further more, I we have an exchange student from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. She will be in Ravenclaw. She's a fifth-year... please welcome Matilda Wormwood!"

Everybody applauded. Colin blushed. He never thought he'd hear from Matilda this soon!

~~~

After dinner, Colin immediately went to his girlfriend. He wanted to know why she was here in the first place.

"Hi Matilda!" he said as he reached her.

"Hi Colin!" Matilda said and kissed Colin on his cheek.

Colin blushed.

"What have we here..." said a voice Colin dreated. It was Crabbe. Obviously he had failed his NEWTS and had to try again.

"Our love birds..." Goyle said. "We aren't good enough any more, are we?"

"Are these the two..." Matilda asked

Colin nodded.

Matilda send some sparks towards the ceiling of the Great Hall. Because the ceiling was bewitched to look like the sky outside it was like someone had opened a box of Weasley's Wildfire Whizzbangs... It was a signal to Louise.

Everyone said their Ooh's and Aah's. But Louise left her place at the Teachers table and went to the place where Colin and Matilda were confronted with Crabbe and Goyle.

"And who do we have here!" she asked.

"Hi Louise," Colin said. He gave a great sigh of relief. Now that Louise was here nothing could happen to them.

"I believe you haven't met Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle yet..." said Matilda.

Louise nodded to let Matilda and Colin know that she knew what Matilda implied.

"So, you two are the ones that were stupid enough to fail your NEWTs!" Louise said.

Crabbe and Goyle whimpered. Their best friend Malfoy had got his NEWTs and wasn't at school anymore. He had always been the brains of their little gang. They were lost without him.