Demetria skipped up to the door of Professor Dumont's office and knocked a couple of times. She was so happy to be back at school and wanted to go visit all of the teachers and everybody. As she waited for him to open the door, the looked around at all of the Gryffindor pride around her.

Antonio was excited to have another office here at Hogwarts apart from his Muggle Studies office. This office was specifically for meetings with Gryffindor students or for business specifically related to Gryffindor House, and he liked the idea very much of having a place for that type of business. He would have more time to devote to any possible problems which Gryffindor students might have which was part of his role as HOH, after all.

And already there was someone here to visit him! My, that was unexpected, but Antonio was excited to have someone see the brand new red and gold office. "Welcome," he said, opening the door to a female Gryffindor student. He held the door open for the girl to enter. "Do you like it?", he asked excitedly. Indeed, he felt almost like a student again!

Demetria watched as the big door opened, and inside there was even more red and gold. Wowzers. "Hello, Professor." she smiled and entered his office. "Why yes, I do like it. So much Gryffindor spirit!" she gazed around his office. "I just wanted to come visit you and tell you how much I'm looking forward to this term. Hopefully, we won't have any Gryffindor's purposly losing points this term." she frowned a bit. It still boggled her mind that someone would do that. "Oh yes, and I brought you these." she remembered. Demetria pulled out a colorful tin box filled with her mum's pumpkin cookies. "I hope you like them." Alright, so she wasn't going to lie. She was sucking up to the Head of House, but only because she wanted to try her hardest to not get into any trouble and get good grades. It wasn't like she was trying to be a teacher's pet. Plus, there was nothing wrong with getting on the professor's good side.

Antonio smiled. "Yes, I hope not, either. Gryffindor is in the lead with house points right now, but we are only just into the term and you really can't go by that. It's what happens at the end that counts. But as long as everyone keeps motivated and does their homework and not get into trouble, I think we will all be fine. And oh yes, winning at quidditch doesn't help, either. Are you planning to try out or just cheer? Cheering is very important, too, it definitely keeps the team motivated to get the win."

Antonio stopped as he saw Demetria offer him some pumpkin cookies. They looked quite delicious, and freshly baked. "Why, thank you, Demetria, that's very kind of you. Pumpkin cookies happen to be one of my favorites."

Ellie knocked on Professor Dumont's door. She was upset and confused and lost and she wanted a grown up to talk to. She wished so much that her Mummy was here. She held a drawing of a Gryffindor lion which she had drawn the night before, and had decided to give it to Professor Dumont so he could stick it on his wall. She used to do that all the time at home, and Mummy had stuck loads of her drawings all over the kitchen cupboard. Ellie was very good at drawing, and she knew it. She wiped her tired eyes on her robes and waited patiently.

Chris Potter walked up tot the door where is head of House, Professor Dumont was supposed to be and he knocked. He thought that he should go visit him and say hello for the first time he had been back from the summer holidays. It would be good to see him.

Antonio heard a knock, and realized that he had a few more visitors. He was excited about being able to meet with the Gryffindor students this way, and went to answer the door. There was a young girl here who he didn't remember seeing before, but she looked lost and afraid. "Come on in," he said kindly. "Is there something wrong?"

Then Antonio saw Chris, the Gryffindor male prefect. "Hi, Chris, how are you doing? Are you ready for a new year at Hogwarts? I have a good feeling about this term, I really do." Antonio really did have a good feeling, and he thought there was a good chance Gryffindor could take the cup. He held the door open for the two newcomers, there was plenty of room in his office.

Oh no. Ellie wished that no one else was in Professor Dumot's office. There was Chris, the kind prefect who had spoken to her at the Welcome Feast. "Hi Professor," she said quietly. "Um, I have drawn a picture of the Gyrffindor lion." She handed it to him. "I miss Mummy," she said, so quiet that it was barely a whisper.

"Oh, I would love to see it," Antonio said, looking at the picture Ellie had handed to him. "This is very good," he said honestly. "You have a real talent for drawing, and I genuinely mean that." It was true. The picture was very well drawn and showed a definite flair, indicating there was definite artistic talent there. "I know," Antonio whispered softly. "I have a little girl at home, my daughter, and I miss her, too. But it is going to be okay. You have friends here, and we will make you feel at home. And your family will be right there for you, waiting for you. They'll always love you."

Ellie was glad Professor Dumont liked her drawing, and the little girl's misery decreased a little. His kind whispers helped her sorry heart, and she smiled weakly at him. "Thank you, Professor," she said. "I'd like to be an artist when I grow up, if I don't make it in the Ministry. I've got a whole sketch book full of them, I drew a picture of my owl on the train here." Hearing that her Head of House missed his daughter made her feel less alone. She didn't know what to say, but nodded. "Yes," she said. "Mummy and Daddy promised they would write to me lots. They will be proud that I am in Gryffindor. I...thank you." She hoped he understood her. She had just wanted to say it to someone. The little girl was finding being away from home hard, but she trusted Professor Dumont, and believed that he was right, she would settle in soon.

Chris flashed the Head of House and Muggle Studies Professor a smile. "Nice to see you Professor Dumont!" he walked into the room as he and the girl he had met at the feast were invited.

"Really Professor? I feel the same way. I feel that this new bunch of Gryffindor first years can help us win it. Plus the hard work of us returning Lions." he nodded excitedly. "So how was your break, Professor?" he asked as he looked around the office maybe for a seat.

He smiled at the girl who had come into the office with him, she seemed upset. "Hello Ellie." he waved.

"That's good," Antonio said. "Drawing is a good hobby. Not a lot of people can draw that well, so you have a real talent there. And I'm sure your parents are going to write to you like they promised. I know they are proud of you, and that you are going to make them even prouder by what you accomplish here at Hogwarts. I just have that feeling, Ellie." He smiled.

"My break was really good," Antonio said. "I spent most of the summer with my daughter Antonia, I think you've probably heard me mention her before." Antonio was sure that Chris had heard Antonia mentioned on more than one occasion. "How was your summer?"

Chris smiled and said, "Well I'm glad you had a wonderful break Professor. We all sure diserved one after the events that took place last term!" he said with a grin. The flooding and merpeople weren't just hard on the students, the Porfessors had had the most work to do. "Oh yeah I've heard you mention your daughter. That must have been really nice getting to spend so much time with her. So how old is she now?" he asked as he looked around the office curiously. He knew Professor Dumont was the Muggle Studies Professor and Chris was fascinated with muggle things so maybe there would be something for him to see?

Then he heard him ask about his summer. "Oh I had a good time. Mostly satayed home and flew on my broom. I am trying out for the Quidditch Team this term. I got to play a back-up last term and fell in love with the game." he smiled. "But other than that my family and I went to the coast for a few weeks and we satyed in a cottage up there." he smiled.

Antonio listened carefully to what Chris had to say before answering. "Antonia will be five on June 14. Well, that's still a ways to go, but it seems so close all of a sudden. She is really growing up fast! And I wish you well on making the quidditch team. I think you will do well as a quidditch player." Antonio remembered playing quidditch years ago when he had been at Hogwarts, and thought he had a sense of what kind of person would make a good player. But, who really knew these things, there were always surprises. "What position would you like to play on the team?", he asked.

"Thank you, Professor," Ellie said. She was a bit more relaxed. She felt like she could tell Professor Dumont anything and everything, which was a big deal to the little girl. "I am going to try and make Mummy and Daddy proud. I have enjoyed my classes I've been to already." She waved to Chris. "Hi Chris," she said, feeling a little better now.

"Have you, Ellie? Well that's good, I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying your classes. I will be starting my first lesson soon, and I hope you will enjoy that one, as well. I teach Muggle Studies, you know." He laughed. He figured most of the students knew that, especially the Gryffindor ones. "I am sure your parents are going to be very proud of you. I just have that feeling."

Chris smiled. "Aww she will turn 5 soon? Man, I wish I had a youger brother or sister." he said grinning.

"Oh thanks Professor. I really hope I will make it." he said nodding "What position? Well I was thinking Chaser but Keeper would be good too." he said thinking about it.

"I am so looking forward to Muggle Studies, Professor Dumont!" Ellie said. "I don't know much at all about muggles at all, I want to learn all about them, I'm sure they are interesting!" She managed a smile, a real one. "Professor, thank you," she said. "May I go now? I'm feeling much better."

"Well, you never know," Antonio told Chris. "You might be surprised by what could happen one day. Sometimes when you least expect it..."

"Chaser and keeper are both very important positions," Antonio said. "You will be able to do great things from any position you play, really. They're all important."

"I hope you find the classes interesting. I try to make them as interesting as I can," Antonio said. "You're very welcome, and of course you may go now." He smiled.

Chris nodded, "Well I guess you are right. Maybe my parents will have another kid." he grinned, he had never really thought of that. It could happen.

"Yes I know," Chris said excitedly. "I really enjoy scoring the points but it's almost as fun sometimes when you get to be the one blocking them." he chuckled.

"That's true, you never know," Antonio told Chris with a smile. "I never expected Antonia to come along, and she has brought me so much joy. You just never know what is going to happen, you might be surprised."

Antonio listened to what Chris said about quidditch, and actually grinned. "Blocking the points is what I did best," he said proudly. "I played the position of beater, and I loved it. Like I said, every position is important. For a while, I thought the beater position wasn't that big a deal because you're not the one chalking up all the points, but it matters, too, as you are stopping the other team from scoring and sometimes actually taking points off of them. It's all a big deal."

Jasom comes to Professor DuMont's door. He knocks on the door. Jason feels it is important.

Antonio heard someone knocking on the door. He stood up and walked over to it, turning the knob to see who was there. "Jason, how are you? Long time no see," he said. "You were gone for some time, weren't you?" Come to think of it, Antonio hadn't seen Jason around for about two or three terms. He wondered what had been happening to him.

" I had beeen working with Excelscior on his Potato Chip Fame in SweetWater, Texas" Jason told Professor DuMont. I have an idea for Gryffindor, sir" Jason told him. " I am ytring to get th e students, encouraging them to go to classes and /or do homework so Gryffindor can win the house cup" Jason explained to him. " I am also trying to get all of them to root for our Quidditch team, too" Jason told Professor DuMont. " I thought because they do not want to listen to me because I have not been around for awhile even though I am a seventh year, you could get all the students and really help Gryffindor with your words" Jason further explained to the head of the Gryffindor household.