Emma POV

The next morning, I woke up to a thump coming from next door. I rubbed my eyes, got up, trying to not wake Hermione, and tiptoed across the room to the door. I walked next door and saw Ron in Harry's room. Without a shirt on may I add.

"The sooner we get on the train, the better, hey em" he said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. WAIT EMMA!?" He screamed and pulled a sweater over his head.

 I rolled my eyes, "Its fine Ronald, now why's Percy more mad at you?"

 "He's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron continued and grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy..."

"There you are Em," Hermione yawned, 

"I've got something to tell you," Harry began, but he was interrupted by Fred and George, who had looked in to congratulate Ron on infuriating Percy again.

"Come on, don't you think you've caused him enough pain?" Hermione muttered.

"Come on Boring Granger, be more like Evangeline, Fun Granger" George said walking around them. She rolled her eyes.

After getting ready, we headed down to breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow and Mrs. Weasley was telling  Ginny about a love potion she'd made as a young girl. Both of them were rather giggly.

"What were you saying?" I asked Harry as they sat down.

"Later," Harry muttered as Percy stormed in.

For the next hour or so, no one spoke to another, we were too busy heaving all our trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Hedwig, Athena, and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.

"It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."

"You won't," snapped Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"

He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.

Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.

"They're here, he said. " Come on."

Mr. Weasley marched us across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.

"In you get," said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.

We all piled into the car, but to Ron's disgust, Percy was there as well.

The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful. The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary, not quite Mum and Dads, but its okay. We reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found us trolleys, unloaded our trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.

"Right then," he said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."

"I guess we're next," I said to Mione. 

"Hey do you think I could go with one of you?" Ron said nervously, looking at Percy. 

"Go with George, Ron. I'll go with Evangeline." Fred said, rolling his eyes. 

I shrugged and fast walked through the barrier.

I suddenly got that blast of familiarness. Soon, the rest of the Weasley's and Hermione appeared.

"Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. I caught Harry's eye, and we both turned away to hide our laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.

Harry and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. We loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig, Athena, and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione and me, and finally Harry. 

 Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron...no, they're not corned beef... Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are dear..."

I sat in the compartment and saw Mr. Weasley talking to Harry. "Third year here we come," Ron said looking for Scabbers. Ginny rolled her eyes. 

"Guys, the trains starting and Harry's not here" Hermione said, cautiously.

Steam was billowing from the train it had started to move. Harry ran to the compartment door and Ron threw it open and stood back to let him on. We leaned out of the window and waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.

"I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Ron, me, and Hermione as the train picked up speed.

"Go away, Ginny," said Ron.

"Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.

We set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train.

This one had a man in it. The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart.

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as we sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." whispered Hermione at once.

"How'd you know that?"

"It's on his case," she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.

"Wonder what he teaches?" said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile.

"That's obvious," I whispered. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

We had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, both of whom had lasted only one year. There were rumors that the job was jinxed.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway..." he turned to Harry, "what were you going to tell us?"

Harry explained all about Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's argument and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. When he'd finished, my head was spinning and I was shocked, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth. She finally lowered them to say, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry...you'll have to be really, really careful. don't go looking for trouble, Harry..."

"I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds me."

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily.

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" I said earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too...."

"What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly.

A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. We looked all around the compartment.

"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," I said, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack. A moment later I had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of my hand and glowing brilliantly.

"Is that a Sneakoscope?" said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look.

"Yeah...mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?"  I asked shrewdly.

"No! Well...I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys...but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?" Ron stuttered.

"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up."

He nodded toward Professor Lupin. I stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks, which deadened the sound, then closed the lid of the trunk on it.

"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain --"

"Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way. "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"

"What's that?" I asked.

"It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything...Pepper Imps -- they make you smoke at the mouth -- and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next"

"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain --"

"and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.

I looked around at Harry.

"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"

"'Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."

"What d'you mean?" said Ron.

"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."

Ron looked horrified.

"You're not allowed to come? But -- no way -- McGonagall or someone will give you permission --

Harry gave a hollow laugh.

"or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle --" I continued.

"Guys!" said Hermione sharply. "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of the school with Black on the loose --"

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask of permission," said Harry bitterly.

"But if we're with him," I said spiritedly to Hermione. "Black wouldn't dare --"

"Oh, Em, don't talk rubbish," snapped Hermione. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street, do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"

She was fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks's basket as she spoke.

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.

"Get out of it!"

"Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.

Ron was about to answer back when Professor Lupin stirred. We watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.

The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks had now settled in an empty seat, his squashed face turned towards Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket.

At one o'clock the plump witch with the food cart arrived at the compartment door.

D'you think we should wake him up?" I asked awkwardly, nodding towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food."

Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously.

"Er -- Professor?" she said. "Excuse me -- Professor?"

He didn't move.

"Don't worry, dear," said the witch, as she handed us a large stack of cauldron cakes. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."

"I suppose he is asleep?" said Ron quietly, as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean -- he hasn't died, has he?"

"No, no, he's breathing," I whispered, taking the cauldron cake Harry passed me.

Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, we heard footsteps outside in the corridor again, and our three least favorite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

"Well, look who it is," said Malfoy in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel."

Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly.

"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," said Malfoy. "Did your mother die of shock?"

Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks's basket to the floor. Professor Lupin gave a snort.

"Who's that?" said Malfoy, taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin.

"New teacher," said Harry, who got to his feet too. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"

Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose.

"C'mon," he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared.

Harry and Ron sat down again, Ron massaging his knuckles.

"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," he said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and --"

Ron made a violent gesture in midair.

"Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, "be careful..."

But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.

"We must be nearly there," I said, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left when the train started to slow down.

"Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.

"So why're we stopping?"

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and we were plunged into total darkness.

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice from behind Harry.

There was a huge pain in my foot  suddenly.

"Ouch!" I said frustrated, "Ron, that was my foot!"

"D'you think we've broken down?"

"Dunno..."

There was a squeaking sound, and I saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

The compartment door suddenly opened and there was a loud sound.

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry --" said a familiar voice.

"Hullo, Neville," said Harry, 

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea! Sit down --"

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. 

"I'll come too Mione" I said to her.  As as walked out, we bumped into another figure.

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron --"

"Come in and sit down --"

"Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"

"Ouch!" said Neville.

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. 

No one spoke.

There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

"Stay where you are." he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.

But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water....

And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold swept over us all. All of my emotions felt so small. My whole body was paralyzed.

Then, we saw Harry fall to the ground. He started twitching and it looked like a seizure.

Professor Lupin stood up and said "'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go." but the thing didn't budge.  Professor Lupin, with and annoyed look on his face whispered something and this silvery light appeared. The black thing left and it suddenly become warmer.

After a couple of minutes,  the train started moving again.

"Harry! Harry! Are you all right?" I said slapping his face.

"W-what?" he muttered.

Harry opened his eyes

Ron and I heaved him back onto his seat.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.

"Yeah," said Harry, looking quickly toward the door. The hooded creature had vanished. "What happened? Where's that -- that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed," said Hermione, more nervously still.

Harry looked around the bright compartment. Ginny and Neville looked back at him, both very pale.

"But I heard screaming --"

I touched his shoulder, "Harry, no one screamed."

A loud snap made us all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.

"Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."

Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it.

"What was that thing?" he asked Lupin.

"A Dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to all of us. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban."

We all stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."

He strolled past Harry and disappeared into the corridor.

"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" said Hermione, watching Harry anxiously.

"I don't get it ... what happened?" said Harry, wiping more sweat off his face.

"Well -- that thing -- the Dementor -- stood there and looked around,I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face, -- and you -- you --"  Hermione whimpered.

"I thought you were having a fit or something," I said, still worried. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching --"

"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the Dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Ron, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away..."

"It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," I said, shifting my shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."

Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.

"But didn't any of you -- fall off your seats?" said Harry awkwardly.

"No," said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though..."

Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

I took a bite, and all my happiness warmed my body.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin. "Are you all right, Harry?"

"Fine," he muttered, embarrassed.

We didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.

"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. We all turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

"All right, you four?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. We waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. We followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students.

On the coach ride, i looked over at Harry occasionally, worried about him.

As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, I saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. 

At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Hermione, Ron, and I got out.

As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice filled the air.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"

Malfoy elbowed past me to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.

"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, whose jaw was clenched.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly. "Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"

I was about to talk when I was interrupted.

"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.

Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no -- er -- Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.

I prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the four of us joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right, I was lost in my thought when a voice called, "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!"

Harry and Hermione turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles.

"There's no need to look so worried -- I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, Weasley. You too Granger."

Ron and I stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry and Hermione away from the chattering crowd.

"Where do you think they're going?" Ron asked. 

"I have no idea" I said slowly. Suddenly a big orange figure ran in their direction. 

"Crookshanks! Come back here" I said, grabbing up the cat. I noticed that Ron had run away.

I was on my way up to the dorms to put Crookshanks in ours, when I ran into a familiar blonde.

"Oh well if it isn't Granger Number 2," Malfoy sneered.

"What do you want Malfoy," I said rolling my eyes.

"Watch your attitude Granger, after all, what all can you do, Mud-"

"what were you saying Malfoy?" a voice came from behind. I turned, it was the twins. "You know, saying words against peers earns you a detention," George said.

"Well I don't see any teachers here, do you Weasels?" he sneered. 

"Well, prefects can give detentions," Fred said matter of factly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a prefect badge. Malfoy slowly walked away.

"Thanks guys, but where'd you get the badge" I said, but when I turned, they were gone.

I put Crookshanks in the dorm. The Fat Lady let me in without a password surprisingly. By the time I made it back, the Sorting was done and I sat by Ron who saved me a seat. Harry and Hermione walked in almost immediately after.

"What was all that about?" I whispered to them

Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and he broke off.

Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. 

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises -- or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.

Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from us, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively. Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he continued, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.

"Look at Snape!" Ron hissed,

Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. I was a bit startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. it was beyond anger: it was loathing. \

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I stared at one another, stunned. Then we joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. I leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.

"We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

We were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

The golden plates and goblets before us filled suddenly with food and drinks.

It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks.  however, I knew Harry, Ron, and Hermione were eager for it to finish so that they could talk to Hagrid, like me. I knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been us 4 who had cleared Hagrid's name last year.

At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for us all to go to bed, and we got their chance.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as we reached the teachers' table.

"All down ter you four," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them. "Can' believe it...great man, Dumbledore...came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough...It's what I always wanted..."

Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed us away.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower, where a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress asked them, "Password?"

"Coming through, coming through!" Percy called from behind the crowd. "The new password's Fortuna Major!"

"Oh no," said Neville Longbottom sadly. He always had trouble remembering the passwords.

Through the portrait hole and across the common room, the girls and boys divided toward their separate staircases. I went up to my dorm, and saw Crookshanks, still where I left him, sleeping away. I walked over to the window and looked at the dementors. I hoped I never had an encounter with them again. What I would soon realize, is that I was so very wrong.

-=~=-

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