A.J RYAN IN THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Chapter Six - Hogwarts

Arriving in the coaches with Simon, we rushed up the stone steps with his friends. I let everyone go in before I marched across the flagged stone floor of the Entrance Hall. I waited with Professor McGonagall until almost all the echoing footsteps had stopped.

She was a stern looking woman with a matching stern voice. I had met her at the Order meetings, so as she was fully aware of the plan, she said rather loudly.

"Congratulations you made Gryffindor. Go take a seat at the table over there." Her lips twitched slightly. She had walked me to the double doors that were the entrance to the Great Hall and indicated the far table near the wall. A few people at the ends of the other house tables looked up when they heard her speaking. They started whispering to their neighbours, I distinctly heard "Who's she?" and "Look at the transfer student". I gave a grim smile to Professor McGonagall and I headed past all the other tables to the right one.

I went and sat about a third of the way down the table near some girls that looked close to my age. They smiled in greeting before turning back to their conversation. I immediately spotted Harry by Ron's flaming red hair beside him, and the Ghost of Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington shinning in the candlelight on his other side.

After locating him, I turned to look around the hall. The pictures really hadn't done the place justice.

The ceiling was dark and starless, the same as the sky when you looked out of the high windows. There were hundreds of candles floating mid-air above the tables providing the source of light.

While looking along the other tables, Simon caught my eye and waved from two tables over. I waved back.

"So, Gryffindor?" He mouthed to me.

I did a sort of confused nod, shrug, and smile all at the same time.

He grinned before a friend beside him called his attention.

I spotted a smiling face on the Slytherin table on the other side of the hall who didn't look away abruptly. Terence gave me a wink. I smiled and darted my eyes away shyly. When I looked along the Gryffindor table towards the front, I spotted Fred and George – I couldn't tell them apart from this distance, I'd have to work on that. They had followed my gaze from the Slytherin table and were now staring at me with sceptical expressions.

I ignored them and continued my tour of the hall.

The four longhouse tables faced another table that run along the top wall of the Hall. Dumbledore was sitting in the middle of the table on a high-backed golden chair, surrounded by the other teachers.

It looked like the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher appointed by the Ministry of Magic was here.

They had passed a new legislation on August thirtieth. Educational Decree Number Twenty-two ensured that if the current Headmaster was unable to find a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry could select an appropriate person.

There was a broad flabby faced witch with short curly hair and round bulging eyes.

I had met with Dumbledore a few nights ago to discuss final matters before arriving at Hogwarts. One matter was his suspicions about the Dark Arts teacher to be placed here.

He had shown me her photo from an article in the Daily Prophet. She was standing beside the Minister for Magic in front of a bunch of reporters. The line underneath the photo stated: Minister for Magic – Cornelius Fudge, and Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, Dolores Umbridge.

The noise in the Great Hall died down as Professor McGonagall marched through the doors from the Entrance Hall with a bunch of tiny frightened first-years following her.