Draco's POV:

I saw Anderson throw herself at Emma. "Hey Zoe" Emma choked, she squeezed her while saying "why didn't you come sit with me?" demands Anderson.

"Mr Weasly told me and Harry to ride together for a reason I will tell you later." Figures she's still on good terms with the Weaslys.

"No you will not." I see Potter, glaring at them. I scowled, he messes up everything. "You told your friends." Emma says "now I  will tell mine." "I trust my friends" Potter informs her, she barks out a laugh "you think I don't trust mine?"

A shoulder nudges into me. "Watch it!" I sneered, looking at whoever bumped into me, it was Longbottom. "S-sorry" he squeakes. Pathetic, I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave? "D-did you hear?" he mumbles. "Speak up." I command, I heard him well enough. But it's fun. He repeats.

"Hear what?" asks Nicholas.

" Emma fainted.

The world stops. A million questions rocket in my brain: What happened? Is she fine? Did Potter do something? How did she faint?

 That dementor was bad, but...no one's fainted as far as I know. "I swear to Merlin, if your lying Longbottom--" I threaten. "I was there" he says softly, before going away.

"Emma!" 

Emma turn to see me and Nicholas moving towards them. "Is it what Longbottom saying true?" asked Nicholas "did you really faint?" 

"You fainted?" said Anderson sharply.

"Um...I-"

she was looking any where but at us.  "Emma" I said, warning in my voice "did you faint?"

she said nothing, she was too busy counting the leaves below us. I step closer, she stiffens.  My fingers tilt her face up,  we're so close I could see every fleck of raindrop in her hair. "I'll ask one more time, nicely." I said softly "or I'll figure it out myself. And I'll be telling the professors. And my father." she stays silent. I know Emma, she can pretend to be perfectly confident even if she's crying inside.

"Let go of my sister, Malfoy." 

I had forgotten we had an audience. Emma seemed to realise it too, with a sigh of relife. "Shove off Potter" I snapped. 

"Let go of her!"

"Get lost!"

"LET HER GO!" he says stepping closer.

"shut it." I snarled "I was there for her when you weren't. I don't get to pretend you care about her now!"

"I am not preten--"

 "Emma"  I said, looking at her again "did you faint?"

"Yes" she sighed "but I'm fine it's fine!" I scoff, as I return my hands to my pocket. "When" I said "in the name of Merlin have you fainted and a somewhat near death experience hasn't followed?"

She had nothing to say to that, but she had that stubborn expression on her face which said she wasn't budging. I sighed and said "let's go."

Emma's POV:

The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; I followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchantedceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight, when a voice called,"Ms Potter! I want to see you!" 

I turned around, surprised. ProfessorMcGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of GryffindorHouse my old 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 wereframed with square spectacles. Harry and Hermione stood beside her.

I fought my way over to herwith a feeling of foreboding: Professor McGonagall had a way ofmaking me feel I must have done something wrong. 

"There's no need to look so worried — I just want a word in myoffice," she told  me. "Move along there, Malfoy, Tallow, Ms Anderson."

 They stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Me, Harry and Hermione away from the chattering crowd; we accompaniedher across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along acorridor.

 Once we were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned Me, Harry and Hermione to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and saidabruptly, "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you weretaken ill on the train, Potters." 

Before Harry or I could reply, there was a soft knock on the door andMadam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in. 

I felt myself going red in the face. It was bad enough that I'd passed out, or whatever I had done, without everyone making all this fuss. 

"we're fine," Harry said, "we don't need anything —" 

"Oh, it's you both, is it?" said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring this andbending down to stare closely at him and me. "I suppose you've been doingsomething dangerous again?"

 "It was a dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall.

 They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly."Setting dementors around a school," she muttered, pushingback Harry's hair and feeling his forehead, before moving onto mine. "They won't be the lastones who collapse. Yes, they're all clammy. Terrible things, they are,and the effect they have on people who are already delicate —" 

"I'm not delicate!" I said crossly.

 "Of course you're not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly,now taking my pulse."What do they need?" said Professor McGonagall crisply. "Bedrest? Should they perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"

"Well, they should have some chocolate, at the very least," saidMadam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into my eyes. 

we've already had some," said Harry. "Professor Lupin gave us some. He gave it to all of us." 

"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows hisremedies?" 

"Are you sure you feel all right, Potters?" Professor McGonagallsaid sharply.

 "Yes," said Harry. 

"Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word withMiss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down tothe feast together."

 Harry and I went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, wholeft for the hospital wing, muttering to herself. He had to wait onlya few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy aboutsomething, followed by Professor McGonagall, and the 4 of us made their way back down the marble staircase to the GreatHall.

 It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tableswas lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light ofthousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock ofwhite hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool outof the hall. 

"Oh," said Hermione softly, "we've missed the Sorting!" 

New students at Hogwarts were sorted into Houses by trying onthe Sorting Hat, which shouted out the House they were bestsuited to (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin). Professor McGonagall strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table,and Harry and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietlyas possible, toward the Gryffindor table. I made my way to the Slytherin table.

People looked around at us as we passed along the back of the hall, and a few of thempointed at Harry and me. Had the story of us collapsing in front of the dementor traveled that fast?

I  sat down beside, who hadsaved me a seat."What was all that about?" she muttered to me I started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment theheadmaster stood up to speak, and I broke off. 

Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair andbeard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. Hewas often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn'twhy I respected him. 

You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as I watched him beaming around at the students, I felt really calm for the first time since the dementor hadentered the train compartment.

 "Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering onhis beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a fewthings to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I thinkit best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by ourexcellent feast. . . ."Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, 

"As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school ispresently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, whoare here on Ministry of Magic business." 

He paused, and Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had saidabout Dumbledore not being happy with the dementors guardingthe school.

 "They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plainthat nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors arenot to be fooled by tricks or disguises — or even InvisibilityCloaks," he added blandly, and I glanced at  the Gryffindors. 

"It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleadingor excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give themno reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new HeadBoy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors," he said

. Dumbledorepaused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobodymoved or made a sound. 

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcometwo new teachers to our ranks this year."First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the postof Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." 

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Onlythose who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, me among them. Professor Lupinlooked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in theirbest robes.

"Look at Snape" whispered Nicholas.

Professor Snape, the Potions master and head of my house, was staring along the stafftable at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snapewanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even I,who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin,sallow face. It was beyond anger: it was loathing. I knew thatexpression only too well; it was the look Snape wore every time heset eyes on Harry.

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

 I stared at one another, stunned.Then I joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous atthe Gryffindor table in particular. I leaned forward to seeHagrid, 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!" Draco said, smirking "Whoelse would have assigned us a biting book?" 

."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 drink. I, suddenly ravenous, helped myself toeverything I could reach and began to eat. 

It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, andthe clatter of knives and forks. I, however, were eager for it to finish so that I could talk to Hagrid. I knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him.Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled fromHogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed.

 Ithad been Me, Harry, Ron, and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid'sname last year.At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had meltedfrom the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it wastime for us all to go to bed, and I got my chance. 

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" I squealed as they reachedthe teachers' table.

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

Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, andProfessor McGonagall shooed me away.

I followed the Slytherins to the dungeons where Adrian Pucey says "Fortuna Major." the wall slides to our common room , thegirls and boys divided toward their separate staircases. I climbedthe spiral stair with no thought in my. head except how glad I wasto be back. We reached their familiar, circular dormitory with itsfive four-poster beds, and I, looked around, felt he was homeat last.