𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇

Chapter 5

Hogwarts was battered but unbowed. Harry gazed up at the sprawling building, noting the remains of the war on its blasted walls. So much had been repaired – windows, broken turrets, roof tiles – the worst of the damage, but the marks of destructive spells still remained. The grass was still burned and dead in places. So many trees and bushes were missing. The paths were uneven, the flagging broken.

Yet there was work being done, even as he and his friends stood and watched. Wizards and witches wearing the familiar ministry dark blue robes that signified maintenance were working diligently to return the school to its former glory. Harry smiled as a tiny witch levitated a pile of rubble and neatly mended the path leading to the rose garden.

“Let’s go,” Ron said. “I don’t want to miss the feast.” He tugged Hermione after him

and Harry followed, still noting the changes and the familiarity around him.

He thought about what he might do after he had finished here. Since fourth year he had wanted to be an auror, and he had told his friends that was still his ambition, but, as he walked into the main entrance and turned into the great hall, a warmth and serenity washed over him. Here was home. He couldn’t ever imagine being anywhere else. He hated Grimmauld Place, he had no desire to ever darken the door of Privet Drive again, and owning his own home seemed like too much trouble – at least for now.

Slowly the inkling of staying wormed into his mind. Why not? Why not teach?

He grinned to himself. The more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea became. Yes. It felt right. It felt good. He would stay here forever, in the first place he had ever called home.

“What are you smiling at?” Hermione asked.

“Nothing.” Harry hugged the revelation to himself for a while longer. He would tell them once he had thought about it a little more. Maybe he would speak to Professor McGonagall first.

They took their places at the Gryffindor table and Harry looked around the hall, seeing familiar and strange faces around him – including the tiny, scared-looking first years, all gathered together on a separate table. That was strange. Usually they waited outside for the sorting.

A flash of white-blond hair focused his gaze. Malfoy was alone at the top of the Slytherin table where the seventh years usually sat. Even the junior Slytherins seemed to avoid him. There was a gap of at least three feet between him and the nearest sixth year. It took Harry only a moment to notice that his earlier assessment on the train had been right. There were no other seventh year Slytherins.

“Poor Draco.” Luna’s dreamy voice came from his right. “He’s all alone. Maybe we should be friends with him.”

Ron snorted. “I hope he drops dead. What are you doing over here, Luna? Shouldn’t you be with the other Ravenclaws?”

“I like talking to you. You’re my friends.” Luna smiled at Ron. “The Ravenclaws are all right, but they give me funny looks and hide my things.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Ron sniggered into his pumpkin juice.

Hermione slapped his arm then smiled warmly at Luna. “You come and sit here whenever you want, Luna. We don’t mind, do we, Harry? Neville?”

“Not likely.” Neville grinned. Harry shook his head absently, still  eyeing Malfoy as the Slytherin slumped morosely over the table, eyes down. He looked beaten; as if he would rather be anywhere but here.

The sound of a wand tapping on crystal focussed everyone’s attention to the top table. Silence fell as Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.

“Welcome to another year at Hogwarts.” She looked around at the assembled pupils. “I have several announcements. The first of which is that there will be no sorting this year.”

Harry blinked and glanced at his friends as a buzz of surprise echoed around the hall.

“In future pupils will be sorted into houses at the beginning of their second year. Until

then, they will belong, collectively, to a new house that has been especially created for them. This new house will be known as Dumbledore.”

First there was a hall-wide intake of breath, then a spontaneous round of applause. Harry remembered Dumbledore once saying that he felt that Hogwarts sorted too soon. Obviously McGonagall felt the same way and had honoured the dead headmaster in a way that, Harry was sure, he would have approved.

McGonagall continued, “All first years will stay in the hall after the feast. I will explain your dormitory arrangements. Prefects are also to stay behind.”

McGonagall went through the usual notices. The forest was forbidden. Filch was no longer with them, having retired to spend his later years by the sea; but the new caretaker, a man known as Entwhistle Tubbs, was looking to be the new Filch with his long list of forbidden items. The pupils were not to disturb those who were putting the finishing touches to Hogwarts, although the work would be finished within the week. The new DADA teacher was appropriately named Professor Hexam. He stood, to a round of applause, and Harry regarded him with interest, wondering what this new teacher would be like. He was tall and thin, with long white hair, putting Harry in mind of Lucius Malfoy, yet, unlike the haughty elder Malfoy, he had a pleasant grin on his face. He gave a friendly wave to the hall in general, but Harry noticed that Hexam’s eyes found his in the assembly and held his gaze for a moment longer than was polite.

“Uh oh,” Harry muttered.

“What?” Neville heard him.

“I can’t decide if that new teacher’s going to be trouble or not.”

Neville gave the man a long look as the Professor re-seated himself. “Going by the last few we’ve had, I’d expect trouble.” He shrugged. “It saves time.”

Harry laughed.

McGonagall had obviously finished her announcements as she sat down and a moment later the plates on the tables were filled with delicious looking food. Harry fought Ron for the steak pie and settled down to the serious business of eating himself sick.