Chapter 2
Back at Hogwarts
A sunken-eyed, worn-out, bruised Harry Potter slowly made his way to the Howarts Express to find his friends. He passed three compartments till he found an empty one, got in, and threw himself on the seat. He started to drift off when Hermione and Ron came in.
"Hey, mate," greeted Ron, as he sat down.
"Harry, what's wrong with you? You look like you hadn't slept in a week," said Hermione worriedly, looking at the cuts and bruises on him.
Harry looked at her with a little smile and said, "It had been three weeks, Hermione."
Hermione's eyes widened, and Harry thought they might fall out if she won't shut them, so he quickly added, "I've had a three-week training with Moody and Snape, to improve my Occlumency and duelling skills, you know."
"Oh, that must have been fascinating."
They chatted for a while, then she told Harry to sleep and she opened a heavy-looking book and started to read, so Harry turned to the window and closed his eyes.
It was nearly 4 pm when he opened them again therefore they pulled on their Hogwarts cloaks and chatted until the train started to slow down. They saw and waved to Hagrid and a few students and went into the Great Hall where they found Neville and the twins already sitting. They chattered and slowly quietend as the Sorting stared. The Sorting Hat sucked in a deep breath and started to sing.
When it was over, everyone was gaping and staring silently at the Hat. It had recommended to unite. Word by word it sang,
"Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within."
The Headmaster was stunned. Still, he was the first to recover from his stupor. He blinked once, then stood straight and clapped, his eyes twinkling annoyingly and his smile growing wider.
Everyone clapped and McGonagall started to read out loud the names on her long parchment.
"Abercrombie, Euan."
"Gryffindor!"
The Gryffindors beamed at the new little lion who shyly took a seat at the end of the table. The last girl was sorted into Hufflepuff and Dumbledore stood up again.
"I am delighted to introduce Proffesor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
He clapped a little less enhusiastically while a giant toad dressed in bright pink stood up with an expression which she might have thought would be charming and kind, but most students were looking a bit scared or green.
The Feast finally started and Harry chatted with his friends happily. Harry and Hermione waited for Ron to finish his dessert, and then they departed, as Ron and Hermione had to help the first years, and Harry went to the Griffindor Tower and sat down on an armchair to wait for his friends. After twenty minutes Hermione came in and sat down on the opposite armchair to Harry.
"Hey, do you know our timetable?"
"Of course I know it, don't ask silly questions."
Said she as she handed a parchment to him. History of Magic, double Potions, Divination and double Defence would be held the next day. Harry went to his dorm to take out his books. He already had more knowledge in Defence Against the Dark Arts than most of the seventh year students, and he studied his Potions book in the summer, the other two would just pass. He could always lie about what he saw in those stupid crystal balls, couldn't he? The woman would accept any anwser that contained death and sorrow.
So Harry grabbed his Invisibilty Cloak and the Marauders' Map and headed down to the Room of Requirements to practice. He didn't care that he was tired, he had to practice in case he wanted to be powerful enought to defeat Voldemort.
He walked in the room and sport clothes appeared on a small table in the corner. He quickly changed and the room seemed to change with him - gone was the fireplace, the couch, the rug in the middle of the floor; instead, Muggle and wizarding sports equipments appeared.
Harry walked over to the one closest to him - it was a magical tool which he had never seen, - and started doing what the little parchment glued to the tool said.
For one and a half hours he was excercising like a beast, he seemed to have forgotten about time. It was only when a Muggle clock appeared on the wall and started playing a tune, was that he realized he should go back to the Tower. The Room of Requirements changed itself to a bathroom and after a quick shower, Harry was on his way to the dormitories under the cloak.
The fifth year boys' dormitory was already dark and he could hear Neville snoring. He silently put his cloak and map in his trunk and changed his clothes to pajamas.
"Harry, mate, just what were you doing in the dead of night?"
"Bloody hell, Ron, you scared me. Otherwise, I'll tell you tomorrow when 'Mione can hear it too."
Ron was disappointed, but went back to sleep for it was half past 1 in the morning.
Chapter 2