(A/N Sorry i took so long to update. This was a longer chapter than the rest and what with homework and school, i didn't have much time to type it. Like before, please review, teliing me what you think of it.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
"Why can't these carriages go any faster?" Rebecca grumbled angrily to herself, shivering in her seat. It had been a week or so since the events at the Quiddicth World Cup and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Rebecca were back at Hogwarts. The rain was beating down heavily around them as they got closer towards the castle.
"You won't have to wait much longer." Hermione said, shivering, yet smiling. The carriage had come to a stop and they quickly jumped off of it wand ran towards the inside of Hogwarts. They continued to run as they were inside of Hogwarts, however Rebecca walked. She was rather clumsy, and the wet floor combined with her clumsiness was not good. Rebecca could hear a splash of water and what sounded like Ron, screaming out in anger, She began to hurry up towards the Entrance Hall.
"What happe-" Rebecca began to say, but she stopped halfway. She had ran towards the Entrance Hall, which resulted in her beginning to fall. "Whoa, whoa." she called out, reaching for something to steady herself. However, nothing was nearby, so she fell to the ground with a thump.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, hearing the fall and turning to look at Rebecca.
Rebecca nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm okay." she said, starting to stand up. However, she spoke to soon, for at that moment, Peeves flew overhead and dropped one of his large, red water balloons on her head. She balled her hands into fists and closed her eyes as the water trickled down her neck. Rebecca slowly took her hands out of fists and opened her eyes. She reached out her arm and pulled on Hermione to stand up.
"PEEVES!" called out an angry Professor McGonagall who came running into the Entrance Hall. As she ran into the Entrance Hall, skidding slightly on the wet floor, she grabbed Hermione so as not to fall. As McGonagall shouted at Peeves, who continued to throw his water balloons at the nearby students, Rebecca groaned as she looked down at the state she was in.
"Ugh, I'm soaking wet." she said. She hurried into the Great Hall, pushing her wet hair out of her face, slipping and sliding all the way. Rebecca had to grab onto Hermione a few times so she wouldn't fall again. "Stupid Peeves." Rebecca muttered to herself after she had almost fallen again. As soon as Rebecca walked into the Great Hall, the warmness engulfed her along with the chattering of students. She walked along with her friends towards the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Hermione. Nearly Headless Nick floated over to them.
"Good evening." he said, smiling at the four of them.
"Says who?" Harry asked as he took of his shoes and emptied the water in them. "I hope they hurry up with the sorting. I'm starving." "Hi Harry!" called out a rather energetic voice. Rebecca recognized the voice instantly. It belonged to Colin Creevey, a third year who was rather obsessed with Harry, always trying to talk to him. "My brother Dennis is starting this year" Colin said. "I hope he's in Gryffindor." he said before walking away.
Harry then turned back to them and began to talk. Rebecca drummed her fingers on the table as she looked around the Great Hall at the many students talking amongst themselves. She looked over towards the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, the students at the table talking to each other about one thing or another. Her head turned towards the Slytherin table, where Draco Malfoy was talking to Crabbe and Goyle. Draco turned in her direction, apparently feeling her stare, and winked at her before turning back towards Crabbe and Goyle, a smirk appearing on his face. Rebecca scowled at him before turning back to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Suddenly, the doors to the Great Hall opened and the incessant chattering stopped. In walked Professor McGonagall, a long line of first years following her towards the front of the Great Hall. All of the first years were soaking wet and shivering from coldness, nervousness, or a combination of the two. McGonagall placed the three-legged stool on the floor and the old, worn-out hat that Rebecca had seen many times before on the stool. Everyone stared at the hat as the silence stretched out. The hat finally opened what Rebecca considered its mouth and began to sing.
A thousand years ago or more
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well know:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.
While still alive did divide
Their favorites from the throng,
Et how to puck the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong
Rebecca clapped along with the other students as the hat completed its song. Professor McGonagall took out the scroll of names as the applause died down. She began to call out the names. First years began to run towards the stool energetically, or walk towards it, nervously looking around. "RAVENCLAW, SLYTHERIN, HUFFLEPUFF, HUFFLEPUFF." the hat would call out, until finally it said, "GRYFFINDOR!" Rebecca looked up instantly as she heard Gryffindor to see a little boy running towards the table. The boy ran towards Colin.
That must be his brother, Rebecca thought to herself. Sure does act like him, she thought as she heard him talk energetically.
The sorting continued as more children were called , until finally that hat called out "HUFFLEPUFF!", and the sorting ended. As soon as McGonagall grabbed the hat and stool and carried them away, Ron picked up his knife and fork, ready to eat.
Professor Dumbledore stood up, smiling at the students, some, namely Ron, who were waiting for him to finish talking so they could eat. "I only have to words to say to you." Dumbledore said to the many faces around him. "Tuck in."
"Hear, hear!" called out Ron and Harry as the plates before them filled with food. The four of them began to load their plates, Ron immediately stuffing his face. Ron said something, however his mouth was full. Rebecca listened to Nearly Headless Nick who had began to talk. Apparently Peeves had caused some havoc in the kitchens. He had continued to talk until he was interrupted by a clanging sound, the result of Hermione knocking over her goblet.
"There are house-elves here?" Hermione asked, sounding rather shocked. "Here at Hogwarts?"
"Of course." Nearly Headless Nick said with a nod of the head. Hermione went into a rather angry rant, questioning Nearly Headless Nick about the house-elves.
"Slave labor." Rebecca heard Hermione say. "That's what made this dinner." And she refused to eat. Ron tried to convince her to eat, tempting her with the fine foods around her, but she continued to refuse. The rest of them continued to eat until the last of the crumbs faded off of their plates. Dumbledore stood up and began talking, a smile on his face. He told then all about the objects that were forbidden, the usual things he said. However, this time, he gave out rather shocking news to certain people.
"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-House Quidditch cup will not take place this year." he said.
"What?" asked Harry, along with a few other people. Fred and George looked too shocked to say anything.
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "It's not a big deal. It's just Quidditch." she said.
Harry looked at Rebecca, a shocked expression on his face, and then looked back at Dumbledore, shaking his head and muttering something that distinctly sound like, "Girls."
Dumbledore continued to talk, however he was interrupted by the sound of the door to the Great Hall banging open. A man stood in the doorway, a black traveling clock on him. The sound of the rain could be heard from behind him. As he walked, lightning flashed across the ceiling. One of the flashes of lightning lighted up his face, so Rebecca could see it clearly. She gasped as she saw the face, a chunk of his nose gone and his one vivid blue eye, the moved endlessly. The man continued to walk, either ignoring the gasps or not hearing them, up to Dumbledore. He sat down at one of the seats and the staff table.
"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Dumbledore said, rather cheerfully. "Professor Moody."
Instead of the usual applause, Mad-Eye-Moody was introduced with silence, the only sound being the clapping of Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both stopped. Everybody just stared at him. "He's going to be our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Rebecca asked rather shocked. Hermione nodded her head, also rather shocked by his appearance. "But, he looks like….that." Rebecca said as Dumbledore began to talk. She hoped that Mad-Eye wasn't going to be as tough and scary as he looked.
"It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year." Dumbledore said.
"You're JOKING!" called out Fred Weasley, sending the Great Hall into laughs.
Dumbledore continued to talk about the Triwizard Tournament, explaining what would happen. He then said something about a death toll. Hermione seemed rather worried about that, but Rebecca didn't mind much. Almost every year, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and her did something dangerous. He continued to talk, everyone listening intently. Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students of 17 or older are allowed to enter." Dumbledore said. This sent groans and noises of outrage throughout the Great Hall. Dumbledore continued to explain the rules. After a while, after which Rebecca had stopped listening, he finished. Every student got to their feet and began to rush out of the Great hall, towards the common rooms.
Rebecca walked along with Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Fred and George complaining all the way. Rebecca wasn't really sure why they wanted to join so badly. Sure there was money involved, but it was dangerous. "People have died!" Hermione said, voicing what Rebecca was thinking. However, Fred just replied as though it were no big deal and continued to talk. Rebecca rolled her eyes and turned to Hermione.
"Sometimes I wonder what goes through their minds." Rebecca said to Hermione. Hermione shrugged her shoulders.
"They act as though danger is nothing." she said as they walked up to the common room door. George said the password and they walked inside, Hermione glancing at the fire and muttering something under her breath. Rebecca rolled her eyes at Hermione, hearing her mutter slave labor. She turned to the boys, said goodnight, and walked up the stairs to the girls' dormitories behind Hermione.
Rebecca could still hear Hermione muttering under her breath. "Really Hermione. It's not that big of a deal. The house-elves like doing work. They don't want to be paid." she said.
"How do you know?" Hermione asked, rather angrily.
Rebecca just shook her head and got into bed. "Goodnight Hermione." she said over Hermione's rather loud muttering.