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"Okay, phoenix, are you ready?" said Dumbledore, holding his arm out.

"That I am, Headmaster," Deanna giggled and took his arm. The two of them walked out of the Headmaster's office and down the stairs. It was finally the first of September and Deanna couldn't wait to study at Hogwarts again. She knew it would be quite different since times have changed, but even that couldn't bring down her mood. She was surprised though when the Daily Prophet had not released an article yet about her, but she then realized it was probably because publishing her story would be publishing Voldemort's return, and they did not want that.

"How are you feeling, love?" Dumbledore asked her.

"Excited, Pops, like the first time. I wonder what house would I be in this time around?"

"Any House would be happy to have you, phoenix. Aha, here is Minerva," said Dumbledore as Minerva came walking to them.

"You look beautiful in those robes, Deanna," said Minerva, smiling at her.

"Thank you, Min, and you look striking in those robes." Deanna grinned at her. Minerva chuckled lightly and led the way to the hall.

Dumbledore kissed the top of her head. "Good luck, love. I'll be cheering for you."

"Thanks, Pops," said Deanna as Dumbledore went into the hall, leaving her and Minerva outside.

"How are you feeling, Deanna?" said Minerva in a motherly voice. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine, Minnie or should I say, Professor McGonagall," said Deanna, smiling at her. "I do hope that I get into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff this time."

"Oh, please. As if you'd call me Professor after spending a week with me. We've actually got a bet on what House you would be sorted in."

"Really?" Deanna said, amused. "What House is winning?"

"There's Hufflepuff in the lead, followed by Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and then Slytherin. Severus bet you'd get into his house," said Minerva, and the two of them laughed. The cynical Snape betting for Deanna to get in his House? That was surprising indeed.

"I'll have to go and meet the first years, Deanna, could you wait for me right there by the stairs?"

"Got it, Minnie," said Deanna before she went over to the stairs. She watched from there as students came in and smiled slightly when she saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Fred and George. She was about to call out to them but decided to surprise them instead. Deanna stayed in her position for a long time and heard the shouts of the Sorting Hat and the applause and cheers from the students.

"Deanna." Minerva said as she came out of the Hall and waved Deanna over. Deanna walked over to her and her father's voice rang out

"To our newcomers, welcome!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "To our old hands – welcome back! Now, I know you're all hungry, but before we start, there is someone else I must introduce. May I welcome back Deanna Dumbledore?"

Deanna walked in after Minerva, hearing the whispers of the students around her and feeling the stares on her. She sent a wink at her friends at the Gryffindor table and smiled at her father. Dumbledore nodded proudly at her as she sat down on the stool. Minerva smiled at her motherly and set the Hat on her head.

'Hello, Sir Sorting Hat, isn't it nice to be on my head once more?'

The Sorting Hat laughed loudly, which made the spectators look at them curiously. 'Indeed, Miss Dumbledore, though I think I'm tired of looking into your mind. The last time, I spent seven minutes on you, and it looks like they're all going to eat you for dinner if we don't hurry up.'

'I would be quite delicious, wouldn't I? But I just got back so I'd stick with being well and alive for now. So, what do you think? Where do I belong?'

'I don't think you'd want to be a Slytherin this time.'

Deanna smiled bitterly at the thought of the heir of Slytherin. 'I don't really want to, Sir Hat, sir. Think you can take that into consideration?'

The others were watching Deanna's sorting very thoroughly. Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione. "How many minutes has it been?"

"4. Just a few seconds until she becomes a Hatstall," said Hermione, watching Deanna intently. Her expression changed constantly. She had a smile on her face then she looked sad as if she had remembered something bad. Why? Was the Sorting Hat making bad memories come into her mind? She checked the time again. Deanna was now a Hatstall.

'Your wish is my command, Miss Dumbledore. Still not a Ravenclaw, you are. So, where shall you go? In Gryffindor or Hufflepuff? Since it's your second time, I'll let you pick, little phoenix.'

'Oi, I can't do that. It's like asking me to choose between my first love and my first dream.'

'Oh boy, you're giving me the hard task again?'

'As if you haven't chosen yet.'

The Sorting Hat chuckled again. "Right you are, Miss Dumbledore. Better be... HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff table erupted in cheers and applause as groans came from the other tables. Pomona smiled proudly at Deanna as she took off the hat. Deanna smiled back and looked at the staff table to see Minerva and the others were clapping loudly for her. Snape had his usual sneer, and Umbridge had her arms crossed. Dumbledore was beaming at his daughter, who winked at him.

Deanna got off the stool and waved at her Gryffindor friends, who were waving back at her. She sat down with the Hufflepuffs, who started introducing themselves to her. There were Ernie MacMillan, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley and so much more. Deanna grinned when she saw some resemblances with other people she knew from her time, but she kept it to herself for now. She was still aware of the stares and whispers, but she knew it was better to ignore them, but she frowned when she saw that there were a few empty seats around where Harry, Ron and Hermione sat. It was probably due to that wretched Prophet.

"There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

Deanna chuckled lightly at her father, who sat down and moved his beard away. Food had appeared out of nowhere, and Deanna's eyes twinkled when she saw her favorite hotdogs and bread in front of her.

"You like the food, Deanna?" said Ernie, chuckling at the excitement of her face.

"Very much so," said Deanna cheerfully. She piled her plate with her hotdogs and toast and set aside the glass of chocolate milk that had appeared in front of her, courtesy of the house elves, who she had been meeting with during the past week. "Oh, dear Friar. I'm sorry I didn't see you there a while ago."

"It's fine, Deanna," said The Fat Friar, chuckling. "Congratulations on being a badger once more."

"I thought you'd be a lion this time around," said a mellow voice from behind them. Deanna turned around and smiled when she saw that Sir Nicholas, the Bloody Baron and Helena Ravenclaw there. The students were staring at her again, wondering why she was so friendly with the ghosts. Justin, Susan, Ernie and Hannah were even gaping at her, but Deanna was too focused on her old friends to notice that.

"Why, Helena?" said Deanna, pouting. "Don't you think I could be an eagle?"

"Maybe, a serpent, you could," said the Bloody Baron, and Deanna's face fell. The ghosts exchanged looks and glared at the Bloody Baron, who simply shrugged.

"Well, you certainly fit being a badger, a boisterous one at that," said Sir Nicholas, and that seemed to break the tension because the House Ghosts and Deanna started laughing again. When Deanna excused herself to eat her food once more, the ghosts flew away and started whispering amongst themselves.

"You saw how she reacted, Alexander," said the Fat Friar, frowning. "You knew she loved the Heir of Slytherin." Once again, Helena's breath hitched as if she had remembered something bad but the three ghosts were too busy fighting to notice her. No, not again, she thought to herself, not when he had endangered my friend.

Deanna listened to her new Hufflepuff friends talk about themselves while eating her food. She caught the eye of a girl, who was staring at her from the Slytherin table. Deanna smiled at the Slytherin, whose pale face turned a shade of red as she looked away from Deanna. Deanna frowned, thinking if she had done something wrong when...

"How come you just started studying now?" asked Zacharias Smith in a rude tone.

"Zach," said Ernie warningly. Zacharias raised his eyebrow at the prefect, who shook his head.

"I could tell you, but are you sure you want to hear it?" said Deanna, crossing her arms. Ernie, Susan, Hannah, Justin and Zacharias, now turning pink in shame, all stared at her. "Would you be ready to hear of things you might not want to hear? Of things that may plague one with nightmares? There are some questions that may be easy for you to ask and hard for others to answer."

"N-No. S-Sorry, Miss Dumbledore," mumbled Zacharias, looking down in shame. To his surprise, he heard a chuckle and he looked up to see Deanna smiling at him.

"It's fine, Zacharias," said Deanna gently, remembering the grandfather of Zacharias Smith, Lorenzo Smith, who had also been rude with her once. "There are just some questions that must be answered at the right time. And please, call me Deanna. Helga's mushrooms, I didn't mean to scare you. I mean, I'm a badger after all, and badgers don't bite, eh?" The five Hufflepuffs laughed with her, thankful for the change of mood. Deanna Dumbledore was kind, but there were lines drawn around her that couldn't be crossed. And her five new friends would be sure to remember that.

All the students had finished eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster. Deanna smiled up at him. He looked so dominant up there. He looked as if he belonged, and he deserved it.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now too." He looked directly at Deanna as he said this. Deanna smiled at him innocently, but her father smiled slightly, knowing that his little girl would try to behave this time around.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door. We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Deanna clapped politely and rolled her eyes at Umbridge's smug smile before she frowned. There it was again. Dumbledore hadn't said where was Rubeus, and how long he would be gone. Deanna missed her half-giant friend. He was always there to help her with Care of Magical Creatures.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —"

"Hem, hem." Deanna's eyes narrowed at the professor in pink. It was disrespect it was. Interrupting the headmaster in the middle of his speech. Even as she met her father's warning eyes as he sat down, Deanna knew that it would only take a matter of time before she would blow up at this woman. She looked at the staff table and saw Pomona and Minerva, shaking their heads subtly at her. Deanna nodded back just as subtle. She had to listen to this speech.

"Thank you, Headmaster for those kind words of welcome. Hem, hem. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled that wide toadlike smile. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me! I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

"That's likely," muttered Deanna and two voices behind her. There were giggles and chuckles all around them. She looked back and grinned when she saw that it was Thaddeus and Ignatius... Fred and George who had spoken. She winked at them and her face fell slightly, looking at Umbridge's pink face, but she wasn't sad about that. It was just the thought that she thought she was back with her old friends... She forgot for a moment that they were six feet underground.

"Hem, hem," Umbridge said in a formal tone. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching." Umbridge paused and bowed to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Deanna smiled slightly when she was Pomona and Minerva exchange exasperated looks.

"Hem, hem. Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation..."

While most of the students were whispering and giggling, Deanna listened attentively, frowning as she listened to every word. "...because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

And she finished at that. Dumbledore, the staff and Deanna clapped for only a few moments. Most of the students looked as if they hadn't known the speech ended, but before they could do anything, Dumbledore had stood up. "Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now — as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held..."

While Dumbledore continued his speech, Deanna pondered on Umbridge's. She understood the hidden messages behind them. It was indeed illuminating, and it was what they were all wary of. She knew that Pomona and Minerva also knew as they looked at Deanna with the same grave look she had. Progress for progress's sake... Pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited... It meant only one thing. The Ministry was interfering at Hogwarts.

"And good night to all," said Dumbledore. Deanna stood up and bid goodnight to the Hufflepuffs as she walked over to Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were still sitting down and talking together.

"Hey there," said Deanna, grinning as the three jumped.

"Deanna! So, you're a Hufflepuff, eh?" said Harry, smiling back at the girl.

"Indeed, Harry," said Deanna. "I was a badger then and a badger again."

"That's great, Deanna," said Hermione before she jumped up, "Ron, we're supposed to show the first years where to go!"

"You're prefects," said Deanna with surprise in her tone.

"Yeah, we are, were you one?" said Ron. 

"Nope, I got called too many times to the Headmaster's office." The four of them laughed loudly at that.

"Well- Oh, right," said Ron. "Hey — hey you lot! Midgets!"

"Ron!"

"Well, they are, they're titchy..."

"I know, but you can't call them midgets... First years!" Hermione called commandingly along the table. "This way, please! We'll see you tomorrow, Deanna."

"See you," said Deanna then she turned back to Harry. "So, I'll see you tomorrow too, Harry? I think my father needs me."

"Go on, Deanna, have a good night."

"You too, Harry."

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"Congratulations on being a badger once more, phoenix," said Dumbledore, smiling at his daughter.

"Thanks, Pops," said Deanna cheerfully.

"I'm very proud of you, Deanna, and I'll let you go turn in for the night, but I must tell you. Be careful with Umbridge, please."

Deanna frowned at him. "Why, Pops?"

"You heard her speech. And you understood what the hidden messages were, right?" Dumbledore said gravely. Deanna nodded. "Then, you must know she's going to target you, Deanna. Don't say or do anything that could make her expel you. You know she will."

"I'll do my best, Pops," said Deanna.

"That's enough for me. Good night, little phoenix," said Dumbledore, kissing her forehead.

"Night, Pops," said Deanna before going into her room. "Hey, Fawkes." She stroked the phoenix and lay down beside him, staring at the ceiling. The Ministry was watching her so she had to be careful, but Deanna knew that she wouldn't keep silent. Not if that Umbridge would start attacking her father.

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