Masquerade

Masquerade

Chapter One: The Exchange

Harry, Ron, and Hermione wandered into the breakfast hall on the windy October morning tired and disheveled. Harry rubbed his eyes and yawned. The three of them were not ready for classes that morning. They had been up late talking about the events of the summer. The trio ate breakfast, barely noticing what they shoveled into their mouths, and trooped back upstairs for Transfiguration.

When they reached the class, Harry, Ron, and Hermione dumped their bags onto the floor and slumped into their seats. Professor McGonagall looked disapprovingly at Hermione. Never had the girl come into class in this state, in all of her five years at Hogwarts.

"Class, I have an announcement to make," started the Professor, after her lesson was finished. "Tonight an exchange trip from the Salem School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be arriving. A group of about twenty five sixth and seventh years shall be on the exchange and they will stay at Hogwarts until March when they will return to America." This caught the class's attention. Even the sleepy trio opened their eyes to listen. "Next year the same shall happen here. We shall send a group of our students to spend the majority of the year with the American students. Now, please show the students all the courtesy of Hogwarts."

"Professor, where will the students be staying?" asked Seamus.

"They shall be split into the houses, as they will be living at the school. Their professors will the returning to America as soon as they're settled." The bell sounded in the hall. "That's the bell. See you next Monday."

The class trooped into the crowded hallways of the school. All the talk was of the new exchange.

"I wonder if there will be any hot girls on the trip," wondered Ron dreamily.

"I'm sure there will," replied Harry expectantly.

"Boys..." muttered Hermione. "I hope they're nice."

"I'm sure they will be," replied Harry again.

"Maybe not the ones put in Slytherin," said Ron.

"Very true," said Hermione as they walked into their next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

After Defense Against the Dark Arts, the friends walked down to the Great Hall for lunch. Lunch was always jolly, for everyone was fully awake and chatting. After lunch, the Ron and Harry had no classes until two, when the three would join again for Herbology. Hermione bid them farewell and went off to Arithmency.

"I can't wait 'til tonight when I get to check out all the new girls," said Ron happily.

"Me either. We have some pretty good looking ones here, but there are some..." responded Harry.

"Not so good looking ones, yes I know."

"It should be a snog-fest extravaganza in Gryffindor!"

Ron laughed and replied, "I hope so. I really need some. Every since I broke up with Lavender..."

"Yes, I know the feeling," said Harry, thinking of the abrupt ending to the relationship he had had the past year with Cho.

The two boys continued talking as they got some homework out of the way in the Gryffindor common room.

"So, have you heard of the new exchange?" asked Fred.

"Yes," replied Ron shortly, still concentrating on his Herbology work, due in fifteen minutes.

"Oh I can't wait to see the girls!"

"Neither can we. Now, if you don't mind..."

"Yes, of course. Sorry dear boy," said Fred in an annoying voice sounding a great deal like Percy.

When the bell rang to signal end of the period, Ron and Harry left the Gryffindor common room for Herbology. They met Hermione down at the greenhouses, where talk was of nothing but the exchange.

"Hey Mione!" called Ron, interrupting her conversation with Lavender.

"Ron, that was rude," replied Hermione as she walked away with the two boys.

"So?" All three laughed. None of them really like the stuck up Lavender and Parvati was worse.

When Herbology was over, the friends walked back to the common room, still on about the exchange. When they reached the room, everyone was rushing out.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked Angelina.

"The exchange is here!"

The three dropped off their books and then ran after the group. Everyone had met in the entryway of the school, at the foot of the great staircase. Everyone, teachers and students, looked on expectantly for the arriving exchange. At four o'clock on the dot, the team of horseless carriages pulled up to the front door. It seemed the exchange had flown to London and then taken the Hogwarts Express from Kings Cross.

When the carriages stopped, the front carriages door opened and a tall, magnificent lady with shining white hair stepped out. Dumbledore walked to meet her and bowed and kissed her hand.

"Hello Allison, good to see you again."

"Hello Albus, and same to you!" The American headmaster smiled. She had an enchanting smile.

"Ok guys, you can get out of the carriages now," said Allison, referring to her students.

"Shall we all go to the Great Hall? Hogwarts students, lead the way."

The Hogwarts students sighed. They hadn't been able to see the new students. Then they turned and filed into the Great Hall. Everyone sat at their respective tables and looked expectantly at the doorway. Dumbledore and Allison walked in first and were followed by a flow of students. They all walked to the front of the hall at the teachers table, where and extra chair had been added beside Dumbledore's for Allison.

"Students of Hogwarts, may I introduce Ms. Allison and the students of the Salem School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in America?" The students cheered and clapped.

"Uh, since we've already decided who's to be in which house, I think I shall have my students introduce themselves," said Ms. Allison.

A tall, handsome boy stepped forward, "Hi, I'm Scott Simonson." He then walked over to the Ravenclaw table, which cheered.

"I like him," whispered Hermione.

A girl with brown, red, and gold curls and alluring green eyes stepped forward.

"Wow, she's gorgeous," Ron said, and Harry agreed. A murmur of appreciation from the male population went through the Hogwarts crowd.

The girl smiled and laughed, "Hey I'm Emily Gregg." She waved and then walked to join the Gryffindor table. She sat in the empty chair next to Hermione, across from Harry and Ron. She smiled, "Can I sit here?"

"Of course," Hermione replied.

The next was a short girl with blonde hair, cut in a cute new style. "Hey! I'm Bridget O'Donnell." She grinned and also joined the Gryffindor table.

"She's hot too," Harry whispered to Ron.

Emily laughed. "That's my best friend guys."

Harry and Ron blushed.

The next few people went to Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. The next Gryffindor was a tall, tan boy. "Hi. I'm David Fingerman." Hermione thought he was cute and told Emily and Bridget so. Emily laughed and said, "He's a sweetie but don't let him know you're ticklish." Hermione grinned.

There were some more Hufflepuffs, Slytherins, and Ravenclaws, all of the girls getting commentary from Ron and Harry. So far most of the girls had been very attractive.

"Hey. I'm Sky Pickren." The tall boy with spiked black hair and bright blue eyes came to join the Gryffindor table.

"Wow he's a hottie!" said Hermione.

"Yea, but he's kinda an ass," said Emily.

Bridget cracked up into deliberate laughter. "Kinda?! Em, he's a COMPLETE ass!" Everyone who heard laughed and Sky blushed. Obviously he had heard too.

There were some more Gryffindor students, one guy catching Hermione's eye. Hermione now straightened her hair everyday and was quite pretty. Emily and Bridget liked her instantly. His name was Mark and he was extremely good looking. He walked over and kissed Emily and Bridget on the cheek and sat next to them.

"Hey everyone! I'm Mark."

"We heard," said Hermione with a smile.

"What're your names?" he said, referring to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

"Pleasure."

The girls were Kieran, Griffin, and Taryn. They also came to sit with their

friends, along with David Fingerman. The group had a fabulous time at dinner and were all happy to meet each other.

"Attention," said Dumbledore. "Attention please. As you well know, we have guests staying with us. In honor of their arrival, we will be having a masquerade ball in two weeks time. That will give you all time to prepare. Please make our guests feel welcome and help them when they need it. Goodnight."

With that, everyone got up to exit the hall. The new Gryffindors chatted with Ron, Harry, and Mione on the way up to the dorm. When they reached the portrait of the fat lady and Harry had said the password, they were all exhausted. Harry and Ron led the guys up to their part of the dorm while Hermione took charge of the girls, promising to meet in the common room in the morning.