Harry Potter and the New Gryffindor

Chapter 3- Meetings

As Harry and the others got off the train they recognized the massive form of Hagrid, the groundskeeper and waved to him while he gathered the new students for the traditional crossing of the lake. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny managed to get a carriage to themselves for the short trip up to the castle. Hermione was unusually excited. "I wonder who else in our year are prefects."

Harry looked at his friend as she brushed some of her bushy brown locks out of her face. "Actually I forgot to tell you guys that Dumbledore made me a prefect for Gryffindor."

Hermione was ecstatic; Ginny looked at him with admiration and Ron merely said, "Well done, mate. I mean who else would have gotten it, right?" Harry thought he heard a twinge of jealously in his voice but dismissed it.

"If you're a prefect Harry then where's your badge?"

"It's sorta in my trunk Herm."

"Some prefect," commented Ron as they got out in front of the school.

Hermione scolded Harry but he had no time to bother with this since the transfiguration teacher Professor McGonagall came up to speak with the Gryffindor prefects. Naturally he received a second scolding when the stern woman heard what he told Hermione. Finally they made it to the Great Hall where most of the students were waiting as well as the teachers. Harry gazed at them seeing who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was. He nearly missed the bench when he saw who it was. Ron threw him a questioning look as Hermione whispered, "Ooo, she must be the DADA teacher, I wonder what her name is."

"Her name is Mrs, uh Professor Figg."

"How d'you know that 'Arry?"

"You guys aren't going to believe this, but she use to watch me when the Dursleys went anywhere. She's had a ton of cats, but I had no idea she was a witch. She seemed so Muggle-like, but then again I haven't been sent to her place since I found out I was a wizard." Harry's thoughts flew to his dad's letter about how help comes in mysterious ways and wondered if this coincidence was one of them. Before either Ron or Hermione could say anything McGonagall entered with the first years and the sorting ceremony began.

As the sorting proceeded Harry noticed the new Gryffindors were pointing at him and whispering. Figures, he thought, yes here's famous Harry Potter with his scar, let's all stare and gawk at him. Harry's eyes then wandered over to the other Gryffindors. He stopped as he reached Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. They stopped whispering when he looked at them and they started giggling. Harry wondered why girls acted so strangely and ignored them.

He looked at the head table and saw that Professor Dumbledore wasn't quite paying attention to the sorting; he seemed to be looking for something or someone. That's odd Harry thought, but he continued to gaze around the room. His eyes fell upon a Slytherin boy. His prefect badge gleamed brightly, which seemed to go better with Slytherin green than Gryffindor red. Apparently his arch nemesis Draco Malfoy had grown as well; it looked as if Malfoy's height could rival his own. Harry also noticed that his platinum hair was not slicked back like it is usually, but allowed to fall naturally, which Harry had to admit made him look less of a git.

He was about to make a comment about Dumbledore's behavior when the sorting finished and Professor McGonagall was about to put the hat and stool away when Professor Dumbledore spoke "Wait Minerva, the sorting is not over, there is a student who has not been sorted yet." Everyone was silent.

"But Professor I have gone through the list and everyone has been sorted."

"I know, but I was not sure until yesterday if this new student would be coming or not. While we wait for the student I'll introduce our new addition to the staff. This is Professor Arabella Figg, the school's new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, please make her welcome."

After a brief and polite round of clapping another period of silence ensued until it was broken by faint noises outside the Hall that seemed to be approaching the doors. Professor Dumbledore resumed his seat, eyes twinkling like always. Everyone stayed rooted and Harry figured that everyone was wondering like himself what was going on. The doors magically burst open and in flew a hooded figured on a broomstick followed by some enormous creature.

"It's a gargoyle," said Hermione loud enough for Harry and Ron to hear.

Whoever the figure was he or she was an amazing flyer Harry had to admit. At one point the hood fell off to reveal a cascade of long, slightly wavy dark brown hair. The figure was a girl and the gargoyle seemed intent on ripping her apart hotly pursued her. As everyone watched the girl, whom Harry figured was definitely not in first year, pulled a spectacular maneuver and now had ended up behind the gargoyle and pulled out her wand. She stood up upon her broom in a stance suggesting she was going to jump. To everyone's amazement she did and landed on top of the gargoyle. Everyone was fascinated as she yelled out something and the creature began to shrink.

Harry noticed that it was not only shrinking but also changing shape. But as soon as the gargoyle lost its wing the girl seemed to realize her problem as gravity came upon with a vengeance. She began to plummet as she grabbed what was left of the gargoyle. No one made a move to help; everyone still seemed dazed and surprised at this wholly unexpected event.

Apparently the girl didn't lose her head and said something Harry couldn't quite catch and she seemed to grow wings, which she used to stop fall. She flew over to the head table and touched the floor and got rid of her wings. Never had Harry heard the Great Hall so silent. The silence wasn't broken until the girl spoke. "Hi Professor, sorry I'm late, but I have a perfectly good reason." Harry thought she had a nice voice, but from where he was sitting he was sure what she looked like.

"Oh, here sir, I've brought you a present- a toadstool you can you use it as a paperweight!" she giggled as she placed the transfigured gargoyle on the table in front of Dumbledore.

"Why are you late Deianira? And why didn't arrive on the train?" said an amused Dumbledore.

"I've got a good reason. You see it was all David's fault, sir. He persuaded me to go to the Welcoming Feast yesterday, but what he didn't tell me that he, Mark and Nick had persuaded Madame Maxine to make it a farewell feast for me, much to the annoyance of the Crocs. It was smashing and David gave a terrific and awfully sweet speech and that got me going. A whole brunch of people said a few words including the headmistress. By the time I realized what time it was I had already missed the train to the Channel. The guys volunteered to escort me to the Channel so we headed off on our brooms. On the way we started dueling and one of Mark' spells misfired and caused a gargoyle statue on some country chateau to come alive and well, it started chasing me. I supposed it preferred witches to wizards since nothing the guys did fazed it. So you see sir this is entirely not my fault! Besides my trunk arrived by train and I managed to make it without any serious injury although I took a dip in the Channel. It's super cold! You won't tell Grandmama, will you?"

"No, I think I'll let it go this time," said Dumbledore with his eyes sparkling and a smile on his face, "but I expect everyone is hungry and no one can eat until the sorting ceremony is over so you must be sorted quickly."

"But I don't need to be sorted, I mean it's so obvious what house I belong to. Couldn't I just go sit at the table?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Oh, alright. I suppose that is Professor McGonagall holding the hat, right? Hang on isn't that the same sorting hat the Hogwarts four originally used? Wicked!" She sat on the stool and the stunned Professor placed the hat on her head.

Harry had now a chance to see what she looked like. She was beautiful Harry thought. "She's hot!" Ron whispered, echoing Harry's thought. Fellow fifth year Gryffindors Seamus and Dean nodded their heads in agreement, as Hermione threw them a look and muttered "Boys!"

A long silence had passed and the hat hadn't done anything, in fact to Harry it seemed that a silent conversation was going on between them. Then the weirdest thing happened the hat burst into another song, one Harry never heard before and she sang along laughing. All the students and most of the teachers were surprised. Eventually they stopped and Dumbledore asked that the hat to do the sorting as everyone was hungry. She nodded and poked the hat. After a moment the hat yelled "Gryffindor!" Usually the Gryffindor table would applaud enthusiastically to welcome a new student, but no one knew quite what to do.

"Well done Deianira. I have a few things to say before you sit down. First I received the letters from your previous teachers and will speak to the appropriate teachers. Next, Madame Maxine and I had a discussion about a matter of certain importance concerning you. As I understand from her you would have become a prefect if you had stayed at Beauxbatons, but she persuaded me to do something that has yet to be done here at Hogwarts. I'm going to bend the rule and this year grant Gryffindor house the privilege of having a third prefect for the fifth year. You will receive your badge tomorrow and I'm sure the other prefects will tell you what you need to know. Lastly, welcome to Hogwarts Deianira."

With that she got up and walked to the Gryffindor table and Dumbledore went on to say the usual things and finally the feast began. Harry was so hungry that he just piled the food on his plate. So the new girl was in Gryffindor and she's in her fifth year as an added bonus. Bonus, some voice said in his head, now why would that be a bonus? As he speculated upon these thoughts and ate his food a voice over his shoulder asked, "Is this seat taken?"

He swallowed his food and turned around, it was her standing almost right behind him.