CHAPTER TWO

The sound of applause filled the Great Hall as the sorting concluded. Laurie clapped along, although her heart wasn't completely in it. Her eyes kept straying to her father, who sat at the front of the hall with the other teachers. Laurie loved her father but unfortunately, things had become a bit complicated. There had been times in her life when he had practically been a stranger.

Things were always bound to be complicated when your parents weren't together. Laurie was a result of a one night stand between Remus Lupin and Andrella Wilkins. Her parents were civil, for her sake, but it was difficult for Laurie to have a connection with her father when she only lived with her mother.

Her eyes were drawn to Harry Potter and his friend, Hermione Granger, as they entered the Great Hall late. Word of the Dementor attack spread fast and students whispered as he passed them and took a seat next to Ron Weasley. The chatter died down as Professor Dumbledore stood to speak.

"Welcome!" He began with a warm smile, "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..."

Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat before continuing, "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 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. 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 foul of the Dementors."

"I can't believe that they are allowing Dementors at Hogwarts!" A girl next to her whispered to a friend.

"At least we can be certain that Sirius Black won't kill us." Her friend commented and Laurie shivered at her words.

"On a happier note," Dumbledore continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. Firstly, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

The applause was scattered and unenthusiastic, with the exception of Harry Potter and his friends, who clapped heartily. Laurie's eyes were once again drawn to her father and she felt her heart pang painfully. She desperately wanted to get to know him properly but at the same time, she was afraid. Every time Laurie was around him, her walls would go up and she would distance herself from him as much as possible. Given that he was now her teacher, distance would prove to be a little bit tricky.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued, "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."

The applause was enthusiastic for Hagrid, who beamed.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance. Let the feast begin!" Dumbledore concluded and food appeared on the tables. Laurie grinned as she indulged in as much food as she could possibly eat.

"Save something for the rest of us, little fibber!" One of the Weasley twins called from down the table but Laurie just rolled her eyes and continued eating.

She had every intention of ignoring them, however, the urge to toy with them became too strong. When Laurie was certain that they were engrossed in their conversation with Lee, she grabbed a bread roll from her plate and threw it towards the twins. She watched in delight as it collided with George's ear before landing on his plate.

George swiveled around and shot her an accusatory look. Laurie gave him an innocent shrug and both twins narrowed their eyes at her. Her cheeks flushed red and she looked back down at her plate and continued eating. Her impulsivity was definitely going to get her pranked. Whether she liked it or not, Laurie was most certainly at the top of their hit list.

Laurie didn't linger in the Great Hall after the feast concluded. She saw her father stand and she bolted, wanting to avoid talking to him for as long as possible. She had no idea what he would say and the fear of the unknown caused her to run in the opposite direction.

She joined the other Gryffindors as they made their way up the marble staircase. The walk to the common room was tedious, spanning several corridors and many flights of stairs. When they reached the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower, 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!"

Laurie nearly tripped as everyone hurried through the portrait hole, shoving each other out the way to get through. She waited until the crowd had thinned before she finally stepped into the Gyffindor common room. She grinned when her eyes landed on the fireplace, which had already been lit and was warming up the space.

Laurie lingered in the common room, watching as the girls and boys divided towards their separate spiral staircases. When she heard the sound of laughter drawing close, she looked over her shoulder, watching the Weasley twins duck through the portrait hole. As they chuckled, she wondered if they were planning a prank on her. Laurie huffed at the thought and started to climb the stairs to the girls dormitories.