Seeing Fred

Back in School

Alright, so she's back in school. Not sitting behind the desk herself, listening to the teachers drone on and on about math or whatever. She was helping Hermione put the last finishing touches in her classroom as the kids would be arriving at the castle in about an hour. The twins had just left the castle and went to clean up the mess the kids made in the shop that morning. Kids from all ages convinced their parents to stop by WWW before they would go to the train station. Leaving the twins, Verity and Lee with exploding heads, they simultaneously fell the floor exhausted when the last Hogwarts students left. They closed the shop for the rest of the day and went to help and say goodbye and good luck to their girls, before heading back to Diagon Alley.

"Your class looks great, Professor Granger." Leah smirked and a smile appeared on Hermione's lips.

"That needs some getting used to." She straightened a pile of books and looked around her class. "Let's go to the great hall, or I'm going to keep finding things to change." She chuckled and locked her arm with Leah's as they made their way to the dining hall.

Most of the professors were already sitting at the long teachers table at the back of the great hall. Derek waved them over as he reserved to seats next to him for them. They smiled at the young professor as they walked up and sat down next to them, talking about what's to come the next year and Hermione finding her parents and successfully restored their memories. Leah had just taken a sip of her wine when she heard the voices and laughter of the students come closer. Then kids all dressed in black robes and pointy hats walked in. When she looked closer, she saw the colours of the houses, all dispersing and sitting at their own table. The kids' whispers followed soon as they saw her and Hermione sitting at the teachers' table. After everyone was seated, Minerva rose from her chair and walked to a little door at the far back of the room. Hermione leaned closer and whispered.

"The first years come by boat. They are waiting behind those doors; they'll be sorted in a few minutes."

Leah nodded while her gaze was fixed on the door Minerva disappeared through. After a few minutes, the door opened again, and the headmistress walked out, followed by tiny and scrawny ickle first years, that all looked afraid or mesmerized around the loud and crowed room.

"They look like pigs on their way to the slaughter." Leah chuckled.

"It is quite frightening when you come here." Hermione nodded her head as she thought back of her first year.

Minerva stopped in front of the raised platform and looked out to the young students. "You'll be sorted in your house in a minute. When I call your name, come forward and take a seat on the stool. Arren, Margot." She called out and a petite young witch with green eyes like sorcerers, trembled as she walked up. Leah watched intrigued at the process. Of course, the teachers, Harry and the whole Weasley clan informed her of the sorting, but still she found it interesting to say the least. Minerva placed the hat on the young girl's head and only after a few seconds it called out. GRYFFINDOR. Leah and the other teachers all clapped as the girl hopped off the chair and walked at the red filled table.

"This one went fast, but sometimes it can take a while. Harry sat there for at least three minutes." Hermione informed her.

And a few students later, she found out she was right. A boy with stark white hair, sat on that stool for almost five minutes, before the hat called out Ravenclaw. After everyone was sorted the large amount of food appeared on the tables and everyone started to dig in. Leah ate in silence as her eyes scanned the crowd. The boy David, who she had met before summer, caught her eye and waved at her from the table. She smiled and waved back, other curious students turned to look between her and the boy. Her eyes drifted further, and she enjoyed watching the kids talk, laugh, tease each other. It all made her feel... at home. Even though she missed the twins, she knew she would never get bored here. But seeing all the smiling faces of the kids, she wondered if her help was really needed at the school. But that's when she saw a boy at the Slytherin table, one who had just been sorted, sitting alone on the corner of the table, his eyes cast down. That's when she knew, she could be of use here. It may take a while for the students to warm up to her, to get to know her. Especially since Hogwarts never had a guidance counsel or sorts in its history. But we'll see how it goes, she shrugged internally and saw in the corner of her eye, that Minerva had rose from the middle seat of the table and walk to the little stand in front of them.