The school year had started back up again and all the students were filling into the hall after a seven hour journey from London to Scotland, they all managed to catch up with their friends and talk about their holidays which was nice for a change, Harry and his friends were wondering what was going to happen this year as since third year something always happened.
Otiz was back to being himself after taking most of summer to get back to where he was even with magic flowing into him it still took five weeks of healing and so he was back to being in his animal for while he gathered up more magic to help him stay in his human form for longer than ten minutes.
As they sat down they all finally noticed the change to the hall, yes they saw it at the end of las year but still it looked impressive it really did, the tables were now proper chairs and not benches were they had to sit squished up to each other the tables were longer to have more room for the chairs, there was now colourful cutlery that matched the house they were placed on, they also had runners on them with tiny snakes, eagles, badgers and lions running all over them but with their house colours as a back ground.
In the middle of the floor was the Hogwarts crest which had a anti scuff spell on it so then it wouldn't get ruined, the staff table was moved forward and behind that was a round table where the founders were sitting talking quietly waiting for everyone to sit down so then they can start the Opening Feast.
Harry and his friends all moved to the Slytherin table those including Luna, Neville and the twins joined but the Founders got up and Rowena asked them to sit at their house tables, the following day they could sit with their friends this year was the year that everyone could sit and different tables unless there was a feast of some sort.
"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts" said Godric who was cheerfully waving to everyone, the other Founders sighed he hadn't changed at all.
"Yes welcome to a brand new year of Hogwarts, I am Lady Rowena Ravenclaw a pleasure to meet all of you, allow me to introduce you to the other three beside me, the overly cheerful one is Lord Godric Gryffindor, Lady Helga Hufflepuff and lastly Lord Salazar Slytherin" she smiled.
"Yes hello to all of you" said Helga to everyone.
"Greetings to all of students and staff of our precious school that is known as Lady Hogwarts that combines all magic together from the four corners of the British Isles" said Salazar, as each founder spoke you could tell that each one came from a different part of the United Kingdom: Godric was British, Rowena was Irish, Helga was Scottish and Salazar was Welsh all their accents were thick.
The Founders all sat down and let Minerva start the sorting like normal and in total there was twenty four new students, so six a piece which was a good number this year for them which made the castle sing and hum more, Harry felt it more as he was Heir to Hogwarts and they had given him a ring on his fifteenth birthday it had come in the male via Fawkes of all things it was a beautiful piece of work, a sliver band with four small diamonds in it each one for the houses that he was Heir to meaning all four houses.
As the students were finally sorted Helga got up to do a full welcoming speech but someone dressed in pink pretended to cough but it sounded like 'hem hem' which had the Founders all looking at her annoyed.
She stood up and smiled a sickly sweet smile to all the students but it looked like she was searching for someone and when her eyes landed on the Slytherin table she was surprised to see Harry sitting there, her eyes narrowed on him and then they went big when she saw Otiz sitting there in his own seat, you couldn't miss a blue fox even if you tried
"Hello boys and girls and welcome, I am Professor Delores Umbridge I am the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, a pleasure, now the Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance...there again, progress for progress' sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering... 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 smiled again but didn't hear Godric say about cursing her because she had interrupted Helga and that was bad, the other Founders shook their heads they would watch and wait to see what they could do for the time being Hogwarts was under the control of the blasted Ministry.
"Dray why did she look around and then when she... I think she saw me she smiled in a strange way, like she knew something bad was going to happen to me" he was getting worried again.
"I don't know Hadrian but I'll say this now it's not good that the Ministry is involved in all of this they never told father and he is Head of the School Governors and he works in the Ministry and I bet he didn't even know about this" replied Draco to him while he pet Otiz who was hungry.
After Umbridge said what she had to say Helga looked like she wanted to hex the toad but she just got back up and smiled.
"Thank you Madam Umbridge for that lovely speech mind you it would of been nice to be told that the Ministry was taking charge of our lovely school before hand" and she gave her a smile that didn't reach her eyes at all.
"Eep Helga is mad, save me Ro Ro" said Godric this made the students laugh at the Gryffindor Founder at the way he was acting while Salazar just paled at his friend.
"No matter what has been said we the Four Founders will keep this school running even if you have to protect our staff and students from the likes of the Ministry" said Helga as the hum of Hogwarts got stronger backing up what Helga had said.
Harry felt the whole thing and his Heir ring glowed along with the hum the magic wrapping around him like a hug making Harry smile at the feeling.
Harry looked around the hall and saw a mopey Hermione who looked like she was wearing some type of collar but when he asked Draco and his friends they couldn't see anything he wondered if he as going crazy, he hoped not enough things happened around it as it was he didn't need at add that to the list and so left it but the Founders and Otiz all saw his look knowing that he had seen the submissive collar that Hermione wore.
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i dont mean to sound mean about the collar or anything ok it's just to keep her out of trouble it is linked to fenrir and he will know if she does something wrong, its not meant in a sexual way or anything ok, its more behavioural than anything else