Disclaimer: The world of Hogwarts and any recognisable characters, descriptions, scenarios etc, belong to JKR and the concept and some dialogues of the character Wicked Witch belong to the makers of Gossip Girl
Halfway through the incredible welcoming feast the atmosphere at Hogwarts could not have been more positive. Especially with the lack of Wicked Witch blasts- the train ride for all, especially the on-coming fifth years had been rather torturous as this was the year they officially fell under the radar of the infamous gossiper. While it was a blessing that you were someone worth knowing in school, it was a curse for every move you made would be shamelessly broadcasted for the entire Hogwarts population to see and judge. It was always the same, Wicked Witch would study you for the first four years of your Hogwarts career to deem you worthy or unworthy and then for the next three mercilessly attack you socially, though some fifth years had been awarded with prior speculation, the privileged few as Wicked Witch called them. The lack of embarrassing summer stories was a welcome change, for usually halfway through Dumbledore's welcoming speech a howler would fly by accompanied by a massive poster with carefully selected and wittily captioned pictures to back up the stories being narrated. The result would be total distraction from the start of term notices, lack of order and the entire evening for mot to be a debacle of their nightmares. But so far, nothing, perhaps Wicked Witch had been a 7th Year last year which would mean that the students were now free of the embarrassment so cruelly inflicted upon them by this unknown phenomenon.
'I don't know if I'm glad for the lack of scandals, if she's really gone it means that we won't get caught nearly as many times as we did before, but admittedly it was a good way to leave a mark', Sirius Black said as he shoved the last of his dessert into his mouth. He was carelessly handsome with shaggy black hair that fell into his eyes with an unknown grace, stormy grey eyes and a lean tall muscular build. He was by all means, a vision to behold.
'We were like her favourite people, it's supposed to be about fifth years and above but she focused so much on us', replied James, pushing his empty dessert bowl away from himself. 'Not that I'm complaining, she established a reputation for us, on the train I was walking back from the toilets when I heard this first year say "that's James Potter, you don't want to get on the wrong foot with him and his friends, my brother told me, apparently some Wicked Witch said so". I'm quite appreciative of Wicked Witch'. James, Sirius' best friend may as well have been his twin, personality wise at least. James' eyes were shimmering hazel, and his hair, though as black as Sirius' could never achieve the eye-veil effect, instead his was a 'suggestive mess of bed-hair' as Wicked Witch had put on her first Marauder blast.
'But will we really miss her?' mused Peter, looking seriously at his two friends that were sat opposite from him. True it would be a breath of fresh air to get away from the constant speculation, but their reputations, their popularity would have been uncemented, if not non-existent, without Wicked Witch and her constant targeting of her 'favourite four'. Peter was the frequently questionable character in the group of four, perhaps it was simply because of his luck of being in the same dormitory or he was some form of genius unknown to all but his three friends. He had strawberry blonde hair and big baby blue eyes that shone on his round, plump face. He was short, chubby and was remarkably unimpressive in appearance, while the other three had an aura of majesty- Peter sufficiently lacked that flamboyance.
'I'm assuming she's really gone, Dumbledore's getting up to make his "off to bed speech", though I'll welcome the peace and privacy with open arms, I'll miss the amount of information she gave about everyone worth knowing at Hogwarts, I loved it.' James offered his opinion as he looked up at Dumbledore who had now begun his brief bedtime announcement.
'I know what you mean', voiced Remus Lupin, the last quarter of the infamous group, pausing for a bit to seemingly listen to Dumbledore conclude his 'now you are all well fed and in need of a good rest, classes start tomorrow' talk. Remus was the conscience of the group, the voice of reason, while, Sirius and James brought fun and excitement alongside recklessness, and Remus brought the analytical brain. On first sight he looked frail, often tired and usually supporting some scars, he had a mature sense about him that made his sandy hair and amber eyes appear not as ordinary as they would have been on any one else.
As student's slowly began to shuffle up from their seats, Remus gestured, looking up at the charmed ceiling to his friends saying: 'Actually, I don't think you'll miss her after all'. The signature self-delivered red envelope flew from the great double doors and the charmed ceiling changed from the dark night sky to two entwined W's in gold calligraphy. All the returning students immediately sat down in knowing expectation and the unknowing first years craned their necks up in confusion as the candles of the great hall dimmed and then the howler ripped itself open and the clear, feminine voice erupted around the hall…
'Wicked Witch here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Hogwarts elite, as for my delay, forget a grand entrance, everyone knows it's the exit they'll remember. It may be late, but wakey wakey Hogwarts, summer's over and I'm starved for a dish so send me the details as you get them. As for the holidays, surely I won't bid you all good night without a bedtime story starting with my favourite, now fifth years, four as for them pranks and scandal never take a vacation, instead they head to Godric's Hollow to the Potters where Black has taken permanent residence (and there flashed up in the charmed ceiling replacing the WW logo, a picture of Sirius holding his belongings in front of James' open door captioned: Potter's charity case. Seems the Black family has severed ends with their misfit and vice versa). As the muggle writer Shakespeare said 'all's well that ends well', but in these cases it just ends. It seems friendships, neither relationships nor family seem to last forever for the purebloods. Also shown by the sixth year Ravenclaw BFFs, the Stanford twins (and flashed on the night sky replacing Sirius' picture was that of Gabrielle Stanford chucking a cup of some steaming hot drink at her sister Julianne, splashing her in the face. It was captioned: 'That's what you get for being the other woman for your sister's boyfriend Jules. Don't mess with the Gabby'). Also, I always thought that the new head boy and girl Amos Diggory and Jane Bones had been the most boring Hogwart's couple, but they've proven to be more interesting, especially when they're supposed to be with other people. Was that glass shattering? Nope, it's a break-up (and the photograph in the ceiling changed once more, this time to show Amos and Jane asleep together in some hotel room with pictures of them with their significant others on either side all with a small caption reading: Who wants nice? Naughty is SO much more interesting). It seems that while breaking up seems to be in season, the Hogwarts seniors take trends to heart. Who would have thought that after four years Evans and McKinnon, Gryffindor's beloved girlfriends would come to an end (and flashed up a picture of Lily and Marlene laughing at something ripped from the middle, it was the only uncaptioned picture, shown tonight)? I do love a good catfight girlies, RAWR. Though sadly there are no juicy stories on the cause yet. Term is yet to start, but these two girls (a spot light illuminated Lily and Marlene who were with their other Gryffindor friends between them and they were displayed on the ceiling for all to see as they sat there with perfectly composed faces, neither looking up at the ceiling- betraying nothing) have set out for me this school year's first enquiry. So here's an announcement for any one who wants to be worth anything under this roof: send me the details. Who am I? That's a secret I'll never tell. (The ceiling began to mimic the narrative in writing) You know you love me. XOXO Wicked Witch'
In the immediate aftermath of the howler ripping itself was shocked silence, aside from Jane Bones' soft sobs as her boyfriend confronted her and the loud slap Diggory received from his girlfriend. But in the following few seconds the noise slowly escalated starting with comments like 'So the family finally threw the embarrassment out' meant for Sirius from the Slytherin table that resulted in the outbreak of hexes, to decent one's like 'Lily, Marlene why are you fighting?' which the girls, now clearly apparent that they were in argument with each other chose to ignore with the background noise provided by the Stanford twins screaming abuses at each other.
Half an hour later, the students were escorted to their common rooms and dormitories, preceded by a massive interference form the heads of houses as they strived to control their students, while peers egged each other on. Wicked Witch had been right, forget the entrance, it's the exit people remembered and remembered well.
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