Harry Potter & the Wizards of Waverly Place Book 2: 7th Year at Hogwarts

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Now that the rumour mill was properly stoked, Harry suspected that this might be an area of concern for Professor McGonagall. Harry had been correct. McGonagall called Alex, Harry, and Hermione up to her office before the Sorting began.

"Well Harry. This certainly seems complicated. Normally it would be none of my concern how people engage with each other romantically..."

"But Professor..." Began Harry, who glanced sheepishly at Hermione and Alex. They were both fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Minerva! You're a Professor now Harry. Please address me as Minerva. In any case, don't even try to pull the wool over my eyes on this one. I can see as plain as day that you three are a Triune, not something as tawdry as a 'threesome' nor as banal as a 'love-triangle. But it certainly induces enough raging hormones to cause trouble for the young and unwary.' "

All three of them, Alex, Hermione, and Harry, stood there gaping at the Headmistress of Hogwarts who was beginning to frown.

"Never mind how I can tell for now. Suffice it to know that this will be extremely difficult to manage. Your feelings for each other will only continue to grow stronger. If you were all students, this wouldn't be an issue at all. It's none of my business. But now one of you is a professor-and some sort of professional decorum must be maintained."

"I'm afraid that I must ask that you all restrain yourselves from public displays of affection during class hours. I know how difficult that can be for a young Triune, but you must make a supreme effort. The demarcation between Student and Professor must be maintained. I can't really say what you do after class hours. You're all of age, and the standard rules were meant to prevent teachers from preying on students, not to prevent already ongoing relationships between the young. I just urge you all to use a bit of common sense about how you conduct yourself publicly."

"I understand Professor..." Harry began.

"Minerva!"

"Oh er... I understand, Minerva." The name felt strange on Harry's tongue, but he resigned himself to get used to it. "And I'll be sure not to play favourites either." Harry grinned, because Alex was batting her eyelashes at him right now, trying to distract him.

"Yes... yes. Be sure that you don't Harry. One last thing, you have the old DADA teacher's office-don't forget that its yours now. And here is a key to your private rooms." McGonagall chuckled at Harry's bewildered expression. "You didn't think you'd be sleeping in a dorm did you?"

~o0o~

Headmistress McGonagall greeted the students of Hogwarts warmly in the Great Hall. "Hello students, and welcome back from your summer holidays. Before we begin, let me introduce someone many of you already know, he will be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, Professor Harry Potter."

Harry, who was seated at the professor's table, looked uncomfortably around the Great Hall as it began buzzing with surprise. Some of the students who had been rude on the train averted their eyes guiltily when he spotted them. Hah, thought Harry a bit smugly. Feeling much better, he listened to Minerva continue addressing the students.

"I would also like to introduce two foreign exchange students from America this year, Alex Russo..." Alex tried to make herself look smaller when all eyes turned to her. She wished she could hide. But her embarrassment turned to shock when Professor McGonagall continued.

"...And also her brother, Max Russo."

Stunned, Alex whirled around and spotted Max standing with the first years about to be sorted.

"Max!" She hissed angrily "What are you doing here?"

"Ginny Weasley." Max said simply, with a big stupid grin. "She didn't want to leave me behind. So Mom and Dad figured, why not!? I think they thought that I might actually learn something." He snickered. "Maybe I will."

Alex rolled her eyes. It could have been worse she thought. Justin could have been there.

The sorting seemed kind of intense to Alex. If she had been 11, she would have been scared, but as it was, she was more curious than anything.

Alex held the grubby looking old wizard hat gingerly. Then sighing, she put it on her head. She could hear the hat talking to her.

"Potter... is that you? Oh, no... you're a girl. Sorry! Alright then..." said a disconcerted Sorting Hat. "Well, well, you have many of the same qualities as Potter-a disregard for the rules, quick with a silver-tongue, and cunning. You would do well in Slytherin too I think..."

Alex felt insulted.

"I've heard all about that House you stupid Hat. There's no way I'm hanging out with a bunch of little Nazis... Now put me in Gryffindor with Hermione before I throw you in that lake outside." Alex demanded. The Sorting Hat was shocked, It wasn't used to taking orders from students. But it thought better of arguing with Alex.

"Gryffindor" Shouted the Hat. Moments later, Max was also sorted into Gryffindor. He sat down between Alex and Hermione grinning.

"The hat almost put me in Hufflepuff. But then it said something like 'not another Russo' and sent me here." Max chuckled. Alex rolled her eyes and shoved him.

"Jerk. I came all the way to England to get away from you guys and now you're going to be all up in my stuff." She said with frustration.

"Wooah! Hold on Sis... Do whatever you want to do. I don't care. I got my own thing going on." Max nodded with his best "stupid face" smile.

"Yeah, well see that you stay out of my way." snapped Alex. "I don't want anyone to think I know you." She said glaring at Max. Hermione tried to suppress a giggle. She was reminded of the way Fred and George had reacted to Ron coming to Hogwarts.

Hermione looked up and down the Gryffindor table but didn't see Ron. But then she spotted him talking animatedly to a pale-faced blond boy who wasn't Draco at the Slytherin table. She frowned, wondering what that was all about.

Then Hermione was distracted by squeals of delight from Alex, and saw that the Feast had arrived.

"Oh my God... Real Food," said Alex, her eyes popping at the sight and smells. She was awed. This certainly wasn't Tribeca Prep food, or even Wiz-Tech food, which had managed to be even worse than her regular school's cafeteria food.

Alex piled up her plate with a ham slab, mashed potatoes, "loose" corn, and sausage rolls and dug in, while eyeing a delicious looking beef pie. She grabbed a slice of the pie before it was all gone. By the time dessert was over, Alex was groaning and holding her stomach.