Amelia Clearwater, Isabell Bluesky and Olivia Dragonheart were at Kings Cross Station, waiting for the time to hit eleven o’clock. 

‘We’re never this early,’ Olivia said, checking her black watch. 

The time was twenty minutes to eleven. They decided to go through the wall between platforms 9 and 10 so that they would find a nice compartment in the train. Isabell went first. Mocha, her brown pet owl, hooted happily as Isabell jogged towards the wall and vanished in a second. Amelia went second as Bianca, her snow white owl, looked at the wall in curiosity. Amelia had soon vanished as well, which left Olivia. She quickly ran towards that wall and went through, her pet cat, Twilight, accompanying her. 

They saw the Hogwarts Express, yet its red paint was wearing off. They all went inside the train and found a pleasant compartment to settle in. The pets were placed in a corner. 

‘I just found out that I was a prefect by the way,’ Olivia said, smiling.

‘Great!’ Amelia spoke, laughing. ‘You better not give me detention.’

Olivia laughed as she turned to Isabell, who looked slightly angry. Olivia gulped. 

‘So… I have to leave to do prefect work…’ said Olivia slowly, turning to look at Amelia.

‘Alright,’ Isabell grunted, not looking at her. 

Olivia walked out of the compartment, slowly closing the door behind her as she exited. She bumped into a boy with dark ginger hair, bright hazel eyes and a well structured face. The boy was about to yell when he realised who he’d bumped into.

‘Oh, sorry,’ he said hastily.

‘No worries, Albert,’ Olivia replied. 

‘Are you a pr-’ but he broke off, for he saw the badge pinned on her right top side of her cloak. 

‘You better change and go to the front of the train,’ Olivia said, looking at Albert’s Muggle clothing. 

He nodded as he entered a compartment. A minute later, he came out, wearing his uniform, cloak, and his hands in his pockets. The blue badge was noticeable on his black cloak. They went together to the front of the train. 

Amelia and Isabell were sitting in the compartment.

‘Dumbledore’s the one who picks the prefects, isn’t he?’ Isabell asked in a cold tone.

‘Yes, but-’

‘He favours Olivia, I tell you.’

‘No, but-’

‘I know what you’re going to say. And my answer is no. Prefects are overrated, anyways. Dad expected me to be one, but of course, Dumbledore had to pick Olivia. Smart ol’ Olivia.’

Amelia went silent. She then looked out of the window. They both sat in silence for an hour or so until the compartment door opened and Olivia came in again, along with someone else. Albert. Isabell spotted the badge on his cloak and huffed, then looked away.

‘What’s wrong with her?’ Albert questioned, looking from Olivia to Amelia back and forth.

Amelia shrugged as she continued looking out of the window. A minute later, someone else entered. 

Draco Malfoy.

‘Get out, Draco,’ said Amelia fiercely, frowning, as she stood up.

‘Tsk… tsk. Haven’t you heard that I’m a prefect and, unlike you, have the authority to give detentions and take points away from people who misbehave?’

‘Uh, no sorry. I haven’t heard.’

‘Ten points from R-’

‘Excuse me, Draco. I am a prefect too and could take away as many points as I want from Crabbe and Goyle for nothing!’ Olivia snapped. 

Draco glared at her as he, followed by Crabbe and Goyle, exited the compartment, shutting the door sharply behind him.

‘Draco’s been bullying first years with his”prefect power”,’ Albert said angrily. ‘No one in their right mind would make Draco a prefect!’

‘Well, if you’re done talking about prefects-’ began Isabell angrily.

‘Anything from the trolley, dears?’ an elderly witch said, appearing from the door of the compartment and holding a trolley which was full of sweets.

‘Four pumpkin pasties, please,’ said Olivia, taking out her sack of gold. ‘And one cauldron cake.’

‘You really don’t have to-’ Albert started.

Olivia took the four pumpkin pasties from the witch at the trolley and handed one to Amelia then one to Albert. 

‘No thanks,’ said Isabell coldly as Olivia was about to give her one.

‘Suit yourself.’ 

Isabell stared at the cakes longingly. They began eating in silence as minutes…or maybe hours, passed. Amelia and Isabell went into another compartment and changed into their Hogwarts robes. 

‘So, do you believe that’s You-Know-Who’s actually back?’ said Albert.

Olivia nodded.

‘If Harry and Dumbledore say he’s back, he’s back,’ Olivia said.

‘Did you know the ministry had ordered a hearing on Harry because he used magic in front of his cousin Dudley?’ Isabell blurted out as she and Amelia re-entered the compartment.

They all stared at her with surprised looks on their faces. She cleared her throat.

‘Don’t mind me.’

‘It was really unfair,’ Albert said, continuing the conversation. ‘I thought we were allowed to use magic outside of school if we were in life threatening situations!’

‘Who do you think sent those dementors anyway…?’ Amelia mumbled hesitantly.

They all looked at each other, dreading the answer. 

‘This year we have our O.W.Ls,’ Isabell groaned. 

‘What are-’ Albert began.

‘O.W.L.s are standardised subject-specific tests taken during your fifth year. These exams are administered by the Wizarding Examinations Authority and are really important, they affect the jobs you can apply for and everything. The score you got on a particular O.W.L. test can determine whether or not you would be able to continue taking the subject in your sixth and seventh year,’ explained Olivia. ‘And the reason Isabell is groaning is because they require a lot of studying.’

The train began slowing down then finally made a stop as students began filling out of their compartments, making the corridor crowded. 

‘Wonder who our fifth Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher will be,’ said Amelia as they exited the compartment.

Everyone exited the train. 

‘Let me tell you one thing, that teacher will only last this year. Quirrell died in our first year. Lockhart acted like a chimpanzee and made himself forget literally everything. Lupin, the best teacher so far in my opinion (Amelia, Albert and Olivia nodded in agreement), Mad-Eye, who turned out to be Barty Crouch Jr, and god knows what will happen to this year’s teacher. Maybe they will fall in lava, or maybe, they will jump off the Astronomy tower. Or even possibly… they can die of embarrassment because their pants or skirt weren’t tightened enough and everyone got to see their unde-’ Isabell said, blabbering off about the teachers. 

‘Let’s just go greet Hagrid,’ Olivia said, laughing nervously. 

The trio and Albert walked to the place where they would normally find Hagrid leading first years into boats that led to the castle, but instead, they found a thin, elderly woman with short, straight and greying hair. 

‘Excuse me, who are you and where’s Hagrid?’ Albert asked.

‘I am Professor Grubbly-Plank and I am the substitute Care of Magical Creatures professor. Hagrid is away for now,’ she replied. 

They took the carriages to the castle and entered the great hall. As usual, they sat down at the Ravenclaw table. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts and the faces of the students talking eagerly, exchanging news, like talking about Voldemort’s return, or shouting greetings at friends from other houses.

‘Where do you think Hagrid went?’ asked Olivia.

‘Probably on a mission for Dumbledore. They have to do everything to stop You-Know-Who from getting more followers, because Fudge the minister doesn’t exactly believe that You-Know-Who is back,’ replied Amelia as they looked up at the teachers table.

‘Wait, who’s that new teacher-’ Albert said.

They followed Albert’s eyes and looked at each chair at the teachers table. In the middle there was Dumbledore, with his long white beard and half-moon spectacles. On his right was Professor Mcgonagall and the other heads of houses (Snape, Flitwick and Sprout). But then next to them was someone else. She was a squat witch, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair with a fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. She turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet and they saw a pallid, toad-like face and a pair of pouchy eyes. Her face resembled a frog, while the black bow on her hair resembled a fly. 

‘The new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, probably,’ Isabell responded; it seemed like she had forgotten about being mad at Olivia and Albert for being prefects.

‘The sorting will begin now,’ Dumbledore said as everyone went quiet.

Professor Mcgonagall took the sorting hat from the caretaker, Argus Filch, and placed it on a stool in front of the great hall. The whole school waited, not even breathing. The rip near the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into singing:

‘In times of old when I was new

 And Hogwarts barely started

The founders of our noble school

Thought never to be parted:

United by a common goal,

They had the selfsame yearning,

To make the world's best magic school

And pass along their learning.

Together we will build and teach!

The four good friends decided

And never did they dream that they

Might someday be divided,

For were there such friends anywhere

As Slytherin and Gryffindor?

Unless it was the second pair

Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?

So how could it have gone so wrong?

How could such friendships fail?

Why, I was there and so can tell

The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, 'We'll teach just those

Whose ancestry is purest.'

Said Ravenclaw, 'We'll teach those whose

Intelligence is surest.'

Said Gryffindor, 'We'll teach all those

With brave deeds to their name,’

Said Hufflepuff, 'I'll teach the lot,

And treat them just the same.'

These differences caused little strife

When first they came to light,

For each of the four founders had

A house in which they might

Take only those they wanted, so,

For instance, Slytherin

Took only pure-blood wizards

Of great cunning, just like him,

And only those of sharpest mind

Were taught by Ravenclaw

While the bravest and the boldest

Went to daring Gryffindor.

Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,

And taught them all she knew,

Thus the houses and their founders

Retained friendships firm and true.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony

For several happy years,

But then discord crept among us

Feeding on our faults and fears.

The houses that, like pillars four

Had once held up our school,

Now turned upon each other and,

Divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school

Must meet an early end.

What with duelling and with fighting

And the clash of friend on friend

And at last there came a morning

When old Slytherin departed

And though the fighting then died out

He left us quite downhearted.

And never since the founders four

Were whittled down to three

Have the houses been united

As they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here

And you all know the score:

I sort you into houses

Because that is what I'm for,

But this year I'll go further,

Listen closely to my song:

Though condemned I am to split you

Still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfil my duty

And must quarter every year

Still I wonder whether Sorting

May not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,

The warning history shows,

For our Hogwarts is in danger

From external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her

Or we'll crumble from within

I have told you, I have warned you …

Let the Sorting now begin.’

New students were sorted (it took about half an hour) as Isabell kept groaning as she waited for the feast. The sorting was finally over and Dumbledore stood up.

'To our newcomers,' said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, 'Welcome! To our old students: welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!'

There was an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate. Food had appeared out of nowhere. Pies and dishes of vegetables, bread and sauces and flagons of pumpkin juice were just a few examples of the amazing food. Isabell mumbled hungrily as she took a bit of everything.

‘Oooh! Fifth years, are you?’ a recognisable voice said.

‘Yes, we are, Peeves,’ said Olivia, frowning at a floating man. ‘Now go away if you please.’

Peeves cackled as he threw some ketchup on Isabell’s face. 

‘HEY!’ she shrieked.

Peeves flew away, his black hair flowing behind him.

‘Did the hat ever give warnings before?’ the trio heard Harry ask.

‘I don’t-’ Hermione was about to reply.

'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 as everyone stopped their feasting. '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.' 

His eyes flashed in the direction of Fred and George.   

'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 list now stuck 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 Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.' 

There was a round of polite but unenthusiastic applause, during which Olivia, Amelia and Isabell exchanged slightly panicked looks; Dumbledore didn’t say whether Hagrid would be coming back. 

'Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on—' he broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. 

As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat.

'Hem, hem.'

 It became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech. Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as good at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows were raised and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as the trio had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking.

'Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome.' 

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and a little girlish. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ('hem, hem') and continued. 

'Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!' she said, smiling, and revealing very pointed teeth. 'And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!' 

None of the faces in the hall looked happy. Actually, they all looked rather taken-aback at being addressed as though they were three year olds.

'I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!' 

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins. Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ('hem, hem'), but when she continued, she sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull sound to them.

‘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 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.' 

Professor Umbridge paused here and bowed slightly to the staff members, none of whom bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had arched so that she looked annoyed, or even angry.

'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...' 

The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. The teachers, however, were still listening very closely, and Olivia seemed to be drinking every word Umbridge spoke, though, judging by her expression, she didn’t like what she was hearing.

'...because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. 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.' 

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Amelia noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been unaware that the speech had ended, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again. 

'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 next Friday. Now that you have eaten, I wish you a pleasant sleep. Off you go!' 

‘Great, another devil,’ Isabell groaned as they started to get up from their seats. ‘Sorry, I meant… Great, another devil that’s basically a frog.’ 

Olivia and Albert were supposed to lead first-years to the Ravenclaw Common Room, so they were ahead. Amelia and Isabell decided to follow the nervous-looking first year students. They all went up to the west side of the school and climbed up spiral staircases, so that their legs soon felt wobbly. 

‘Our emblem is the eagle, which soars where others cannot climb; our house colours are blue and bronze, and our common room is found at the top of Ravenclaw Tower, behind a door with an enchanted knocker. The arched windows set into the walls of our circular common room look down at the school grounds: the lake, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch and the Herbology gardens. No other house in the school has such stunning views!’ Olivia explained. 

‘That speech Umbridge made seemed like it had to be memorised,’ Amelia emphasised, arching her brows. 

Olivia nodded to Amelia to say that she was indeed correct. They finally reached the vast wooden door of the common room. The enchanted knocker was bronze and was shaped like an eagle. It acted as the tower’s guardian. The questions that the knocker asked typically had no straightforward answer, but required a level of reasoning or logic behind them that reflected the wisdom of the hopeful entrant to the tower. The knocker often complimented successful entrants for their skilful logic but tended to go quiet if the answer was incorrect. The question would remain the same until it was answered. The knocker would not let anyone in who did not know the answer to its question, though if someone else answered the question, one might enter with the help of another who answered correctly. The knocker would ask riddles that had no relevance to magic, but chances of receiving such questions were very rare. The eagle knocker started to talk in a cool, clear voice. 

‘What has one eye but cannot see?’

Isabell had the urge to answer, but Amelia forbade her. 

‘Let the first-years answer.’ 

A little girl with short dark brown hair and large, round electric blue eyes (as well as light freckles) answered the question, though she spoke hesitantly. 

‘A-a- a needle?’ the first-year girl said, her voice almost a quiet whisper. 

‘Correct, the top of a needle resembles an eye, though it cannot truly see. You may come in,’ the doorknob replied as the door slowly opened. 

The Ravenclaw common room was one of the airiest rooms at Hogwarts. In fact, it was the widest common room out of all the others. It was a wide, circular room with arched windows hung with blue and bronze silks that shined and glimmered when the sunlight beamed at them. There was a midnight blue carpet covered in stars and constellations, which was reflected onto the domed ceiling. The room was enhanced with tables, chairs, and bookcases; and by the door leading up to the dormitories stood a tall statue of Rowena Ravenclaw made of white marble. The statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, founder of the Ravenclaw house, had a diadem placed on top of her long hair. She looked beautiful, yet was austere-looking and intimidating, almost like Professor Mcgonagall. According to a previous prefect, Penelope, the sound of wind whistling around the windows of the tower was relaxing while going to sleep. There were two staircases leading to a higher level of the wide common room. The girls’ dormitory was on the right side, while the boys’ was the opposite position. Some of the first-year students rushed to their dormitories, distinctly excited for their first day of Hogwarts. Other students comforted themselves near the personal library, which was located in a niche. 

‘I don’t think this year will turn out to be good,’ Amelia said as she sat on one of the chairs, which were navy blue, near the library.

Isabell, Albert and Olivia joined her. 

‘What do you mean?’ Isabell questioned, her hands akimbo. 

‘Umbridge’s speech… it means that the Ministry is interfering with Hogwarts…’ 

Everybody was speechless. 

‘It can’t be that bad… can it?’ Olivia said, trying to sound calm. 

‘That frog will totally not try to get a philosopher’s stone to make her master regain a body, or be all fancy and sign books then lose her memory in the end. And she can't be an amazing teacher who in the end turns out to be a werewolf. And she can’t be a weird teacher who turns out to be a Death Eater,’ Isabell said, making the situation even worse than it already was. 

‘I’m out,’ Albert said, standing up. 

They watched him go up the stairs and up to the boys’ dormitory.