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"Deanna? Are you okay?" Pomona rested a hand on Deanna's shoulder.

Deanna jumped in surprise at the touch and she relaxed once she saw it was only Pomona. She had been on edge ever since seeing Voldemort the previous night. She couldn't sleep at all because she kept on thinking about how Voldemort got into Hogwarts. "Pommy, you surprised me."

"Are you okay, Dee?" Pomona said worriedly. "You're out of it today. Did something happen?"

"No, nothing." Deanna immediately answered while looking away from her. "I just... miss Hermione." At least, she didn't lie.

"You really like Miss Granger." Pomona laughed when Deanna's cheeks flushed red again. "I'm happy for you, Dee."

Deanna's eyes softened and she wrapped an arm around the head of her House. "Thank you, Pommy. I am happy." She checked the time. "Well, I have to go get ready now, Pommy. See you!"

"See you." Pomona watched her run off with a smile. She knew there was something else bothering Deanna, but talking about Hermione Granger seemed to take away those worries immediately. Deanna had a new light in her life in the form of Hermione, and she just hoped this light was here to stay because Deanna had gone through too much heartbreak already.

Deanna stopped at the Headmaster's office where the gargoyle automatically moved for her, not even waiting for the password. "Thank you, good sir." She winked at him and started her way up the stairs. "Pops, I'm here."

"Hello, love." Dumbledore smiled widely and kissed her on the cheek. "Have you eaten already?"

"Not yet, Pops. I wanted to eat with you." Deanna said cheerfully.

Dumbledore chuckled and stood up. "Then, let me get some from the kitchen, love. Stay here." He went out of the office, leaving Deanna to her thoughts. She wondered if she should tell Dumbledore about what happened the previous night. If she did tell him, he could do something to make Hogwarts more secure and prevent Voldemort from coming into the school, but she shook her head. It was better to keep it to herself for now.

"Love, I got your hotdogs." Dumbledore came in with plates in hand. Deanna cleared her mind and grinned, immediately digging into her food. Yes, this was for the better. It was a secret she must bear alone, and it was not like it was going to happen again... right?

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"Deanna?"

"Oh, Minnie." Deanna smiled widely and put down the newspaper she had been reading. She was reading to kill time while waiting for the Feast for the Start of the School Year. "Is it time?"

"Yes, dear. Come along now." Minerva held an arm out for the Hufflepuff who linked their arms cheerfully. They started their way to the Great Hall.

"Are you alright, Deanna? Did you sleep well last night?" Minerva asked upon seeing the bags under Deanna's eyes. Worry overcame her immediately because she had this instinct feeling that something happened.

"Yeah, Fawkes just kept on crying last night so I couldn't sleep right away." Deanna looked at Minerva's shoulder as she said that. She cursed herself mentally for making too many people worry already.

"I'm fine, Min." Deanna grinned at her and started pulling her along. "Now, come on. The first years might not get sorted because we're being too slow."

Minerva just chuckled and let the worry in her mind rest for a bit. Deanna was right. They were being too slow and she had lots of time to get the truth out of Deanna anyway. She didn't have to be a Legilimens to know that there was something on the Dumbledore's mind.

"We're here. I'll see you later, Minnie." Deanna squeezed her hand and went inside the open Great Hall. She held back the urge to roll her eyes when all attention went to her and some of them even started whispering to each other. Making her way to the Hufflepuff table, Deanna waved at her friends from Gryffindor and smiled softly at the Brightest Witch of their age. Indeed, Hermione was bright, in wits and in beauty.

As she passed by, Deanna squeezed Hermione's shoulder and sat down at the Hufflepuff table with her back to the Gryffindor. With a hitch of her breath at the gentle touch, Hermione looked back and saw Deanna was already catching up with the trio of younger Hufflepuffs. She felt her heart speeding up at the sight of the small smile on Deanna's face as if she knew her effect on Hermione. Ron's nudge and teasing grin made Hermione smack him and ask where Harry was.

"Jemina, Eleanor, Noah." Deanna shook their hands briefly. "Great to see you again." People then started crowding around her and she grinned when she saw they were her friends.

"Ernie, Justin, Hannah!" Deanna gave them quick hugs then turned to Susan whose smile looked a little dimmer than it had been last year. "Oh, Susan. It will be all right. All in time. We'll fight for her." Susan teared up at her words and hugged Deanna back just as tight. With this Daredevil by their side, all her worries were assured. They would definitely fight back.

The group of Hufflepuffs along with Jemina, Eleanor and Noah started catching up with each other through the Sorting, clapping whenever the Hat would shout out the House the first-years were sorted in.

"Hey, have you seen Harry?" Deanna asked Noah upon noticing the Boy Who Lived's absence. Noah looked around frantically at the question and frowned when Harry was really not there.

"He's probably fine." Deanna squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "He's – look, there he is." Her voice soon died down because she noticed Harry's face was covered with blood as he walked briskly to the Gryffindor table.

"He really is a bloody git." Noah muttered to himself.

Deanna noticed how Noah's frown grew and squeezed his hand. "Don't worry, Noah. I'll try talking to him later."

Noah smiled in appreciation and squeezed her hand back. They tuned in back to the conversation with the rest of the Hufflepuffs.

"Hey Deanna, you're Quidditch Captain, right?" Ernie suddenly asked. "If you're Captain, I'm going to try out. Definitely."

"Thank you, Ernie." Deanna laughed at his enthusiasm. "I'll be sure to arrange tryouts soon."

"I'm sure we're going to win this year." Justin gushed. "We've got the Daredevil Deanna with us."

Deanna groaned loudly at that while her friends laughed. "Who told you that? Was it Peeves? Or the Fat Friar?"

Hannah controlled her laughter to reply. "No, it was actually the Bloody Baron." And all control was lost because the group of Hufflepuffs laughed even louder at the betrayed expression on Deanna's face.

Deanna looked at the Slytherin table for Alexander, but to her surprise, she was met by two people looking at her. One glum-looking Draco Malfoy and one frowning Pansy Parkinson. She waved to them and turned back to her laughing friends with a pout before laughing along with them. Deanna did not see how someone from the Gryffindor table was smiling softly at the sight of joy on the badger's face. She must have saved someone in her previous life to witness the smile of a phoenix. That smile that could make hearts race and faces red. That Deanna Dumbledore smile.

Dumbledore then stood up, making everyone silent. "The very best of evenings to you!"

Deanna smiled softly. This was definitely better than last year. No toad to think of, no Zacharias Smith near them. Yes, this was what the Hogwarts welcoming feasts should be like.

"What happened to his hand?" Jemina whispered worriedly behind her.

"It looks... dead." Eleanor exchanged glances with Jemina and Noah in worry. Ernie, Justin, Susan and Hannah were looking at Deanna's back with the same worry. Deanna masked the worry on her face with a straight look.

Dumbledore seemed to notice their gazes and covered his hand with his sleeve. "Nothing to worry about. Now... to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you and Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes..."

Deanna rolled her eyes at that and she looked back to see all her friends looking at her with worry. She smiled slightly at them. "Don't worry. He's fine. It'll get healed in no time." They seemed to relax, making Deanna's smile grow wider. A familiar hand squeezed Deanna's hand reassuringly, but it somehow made Deanna feel more than reassurance. It made shivers run through her body and her breath hitch so suddenly. She looked behind her and saw the eyes and smile of an angel.

"Are you okay?" Hermione whispered worriedly.

"I am now." Deanna breathed out, making Hermione blush once more. The two of them were too absorbed in their own world that they couldn't see how their friends were smiling at each other knowingly. Deanna was the one who broke down their staredown, giving Hermione's hand one last squeeze before turning back to Dumbledore and leaving slight disappointment and cold in both of their hearts.

"Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual." Dumbledore continued but his smile grew wider upon seeing the interaction between Deanna and Hermione. "We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise. We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

"Potions?"

"Potions?"

Professor Slughorn stood up and waved at Deanna who waved back just as energetic at him. She ignored all the whispers about Professor Slughorn's post and held in her smile, knowing just how good of a Potions Master he was. They were all in for a shock then when the Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts would be revealed.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising his voice so that it carried over all the muttering, "will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"No!" Harry said loudly, making a lot of people turning towards him. Deanna wondered slightly why he didn't know that Slughorn would be their Potions professor when he already saw Deanna taking out a Potions kit from his house. She realized Noah was right. Harry was really oblivious.

"He finally got the job." Hannah murmured.

"But doesn't the job have a curse?" Ernie said in a tone of slight fear and a hint of happiness. "Maybe he'll be having a different job next year."

"Hopeful now, are we, Ernie?" Susan said teasingly.

"It's not like anyone would miss him if that happens." Justin's remark made them all laugh and agree with that. Deanna just smiled slightly and glanced at the table where Snape looked the happiest in the time Deanna had known him. She wondered why Dumbledore had never given him the job before, but then again, her father was always a step ahead.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and after a few seconds, there was silence in the Great Hall. "Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."

Deanna clenched her fists and let them fall to her side, the memory of last night coming into her mind. Hermione had instinctively looked behind her and saw how Deanna's fists clenched, making worry rise in her. Did something happen? Nonetheless, she held Deanna's hand and unclenched it, drawing circles on the back of the Dumbledore's hand.

Deanna froze for a split second, but she immediately relaxed at Hermione's touch, intertwining their fingers. All anger and worry flew out of her at Hermione's touch, and she was fine. She would be fine. It was probably a one time thing... right? It was nothing to worry about. Hermione continued drawing circles on the back of Deanna's hand, her heart soaring at the fact that she helped Deanna relax a little.

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them — in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of bed after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety."

Blue met blue and Deanna smiled slightly to tell her father she had no promises, but she would try her best to follow the rules. Try... That was enough for Dumbledore and he smiled once more. "But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be wellrested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"

"Thank you." Deanna said quietly to Hermione with a soft smile on her face.

Hermione was about to say something when Ron nudged her. "Sorry to break your sweet moment, but Hermione, the first years?" Deanna laughed loudly when Hermione glared at Ron, and Hermione would glare at Ron more if it meant hearing that musical laughter.

"It's alright, I'll talk to you guys later tomorrow then." Deanna waved at the two Prefects and started on her way out.

"Couldn't you lead the first years?" Hermione sulked, making Ron laugh at her attitude.

"Let's go." Ron wrapped an arm around her and led her out of the Great Hall.

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Hey, everyone! It's been a long time since the last update, and I apologize for that. I've missed you all a lot so I decided to update. I am so excited with the surprises and secrets that will be revealed in the next chapters of Salvation, and I hope you all are as well uwu. Anyways, I hope you all are doing well, and until next time!

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