The name of the game
"Let's make a run for it." Shannon told Patrick as the carriages swept up to the stone steps that led up to the heavy oak front doors of the castle. The people in the carriages ahead of them had clearly had the same idea, running as quickly as they could manage in a attempt to get out of the driving rain and the howling wind that was building itself up into a gale.
"Okay." He took a firm grasp on Carter's cage, covering it with his cloak so that the eagle owl kept dry. The four ran for it, as Catalina's umbrella had been blown inside out within the first few seconds. They kept their heads down, and just charged, feeling the rain seep into every inch of their clothing in the two minute sprint.
Shannon sighed in relief when they reached the warmth of the enormous torch lit Entrance Hall "God I've never seen weather this bad in Britain," She exclaimed, swiping her sodden fringe out of her eyes.
"I'm just hoping there's some decent soup." Cedric responded "I'm freezing." He rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them up.
"We'd better get out of here. Peeves is on his way with a arsenal of water balloons." Catalina said, hearing the malicious thoughts of the poltergeist as easily as if they had been spoken aloud, the other three took her advice, walking into the Great Hall. She glanced back to see a water bomb explode on top of Ron Weasley's head.
Shannon was hailed by her fellow sixth years Julia Hargreaves and Frederick Upton as soon as they reached the Ravenclaw table "Are you coming Rory?" she asked, waving to the two who were sat at the far end.
"I'll see you in a minute." She replied, heading off with Cedric and Patrick to the Hufflepuff table. She preferred the atmosphere at her boyfriend's table, the Hufflepuffs had a unfair reputation for being a bunch of misfits, but they were the most friendly of all the houses.
Cedric and Catalina took their seats opposite Patrick and Jenny at the Hufflepuff table. The hundreds of candles floating in mid air above the long wooden tables flickered on the students' faces and warmed them slightly. The two both whipped out their wands, using a spell to dry out their drenched robes, by blowing hot air onto the fabric. Jenny looked just as soaked as they were, twisting the hem of her school robes between her fingers in a attempt to wring some of the rainwater out of the thick dark material. "I hope the sorting gets started soon." She grumbled. "I'm freezing and so hungry," Damnit I spent loads of money at the salon, trying to get my hair to look just right and now I probably resemble a drowned rat.
"It might be a while, McGonagall's supervising the cleaning up of Peeves's latest stunt," Nathaniel Havers said as he sat down next to Catalina. He was completely soaked to the skin, "How did you avoid the water bomb deluge?"
"Just got lucky I guess." Cedric said, not wanting the fifth year to know about Catalina's telepathic ability.
"How was your summer Nate?" Catalina asked, remembering that the younger boy had been to visit his relatives in Copenhagen.
"It was good," Nathaniel said "I went to some of the places you suggested..." he trailed off as the doors to the Great Hall swung open and silence fell over the assembled students. McGonagall led the first years through the hall to the top table, "Have they swum or sailed the lake?" he commented, a small smile twitching at his mouth.
"They look petrified, poor things." Catalina said softly. She could remember all too clearly the fear that she had felt during her own sorting, as the entire school watched. "Isn't April starting this year Eddie?" the fourth year Edward Seymour Jones sat on Jenny's other side and looked surprised that Catalina had recalled his sister's name. She was one of the few that actually listened to him, and she wasn't even in his house.
"Yeah. That's her next to the boy wearing Hagrid's overcoat." Edward replied, the other five glanced along the line, to see that April was a chubby faced blonde who had inherited her brother's soft hazel eyes and rosy cheeks. April waved to her brother, her excitement at finally being at Hogwarts bursting from her in waves. "I reckon she'll probably be in Ravenclaw, she's the brains of the family."
"We'll soon find out." Patrick said, as Professor McGonagall placed a three legged stool before the first years and then sat the Sorting Hat on top. It started singing through the rip at the top, describing how the school had come into being. "I hope that we get some decent kids this year. I'm tired of being called a duffer all the time,"
"We've always been the best house here, we're just not showy about it that's all." Cedric corrected him, before they joined in with the applause as the song ended. "Although Ravenclaw comes a close second." He flashed a smile at his girlfriend, who grinned back.
"Nice save Ced." She laughed. "I'd better go back to the Ravenclaws I guess." She noticed some of the strange looks that were being directed her way by other members of her house, as Stewart Ackerley was announced as the first new Ravenclaw. "Before I get blackballed for being too friendly with another house." The segregration between the houses had always bemused her, as she didn't see why it was so frowned upon to speak to other students.
"What's blackballing?" Eleanor Branstone, the first new Hufflepuff asked timidly as she took her seat next to Jenny.
"Oh I'm just being silly. Don't worry Eleanor," Catalina said hurriedly, not wanting the new girl to be scared about making friends outside of her house. "I'm Cat, this is Ced, and that's Paddy and Eddie." She pointed to each boy in turn, so that Eleanor knew which one was which.
"You can speak to who you want to, in Hogwarts, although some would warn you against Slytherin," Edward said, as Dennis Creevey joined the Gryffindor table.
"Which one's Slytherin?" Eleanor asked.
"That's Slytherin, the table that is closest to the door," Cedric said. "They've turned out quite a few Dark wizards and witches over the years,"
"That was years ago, you can't tar all of the current Slytherins with the same brush. Anna and Jed are both really nice people and they're Slytherins," Catalina objected, waving back to Anna who sat at the top end of the Slytherin table.
"Cat thinks well of everyone." Patrick said, smiling softly at his friend. "It's sickening sometimes." Minevra McGonagall paused in reading the list, to give the affable boy a stern glance for talking during the sorting.
"Who is that?" Owen Cauldwell had been sorted right after Eleanor, and sounded very nervous as his eyes flickered between his fellow Hufflepuffs faces and that of Professor McGonagall. "She looks scary,"
"That's Professor McGonagall, she's head of Gryffindor and teaches Transfiguration." Catalina replied. "She's a bit stern but she's fair minded." She felt Edward's slight disappointment as his sister was not sorted into Hufflepuff but into Gryffindor. She took her place, sitting close to Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. Jenny engaged him in conversation straightaway, chatting about their different experiences of the World Cup, Edward had been quite a few rows below Jenny and Patrick.
She stayed at the Hufflepuff table, preferring to eat dinner with Cedric rather than her Ravenclaw friends. She couldn't help but smile slightly at the new students' startled gasps as the food magically appeared on the golden dishes before them. "How did that happen?" Laura Madley asked, glancing around as though she expected it to have been somebody standing behind her.
"It's the house elves." Cedric told them, as he spooned a large quantity of mashed potato onto his plate. He passed the dish to the first years and then took a piece of well done steak, and poured a lot of gravy over the top.
"We have house elves here too?" Owen Cauldwell asked curiously, as he started on his own steak and yorkshire pudding. "I thought they were tied to one family,"
"Well I suppose sometimes there's a exception. But there's about a hundred or so living in the kitchens." Jenny told the first years as she poured herself more pumpkin juice. Catalina relaxed, letting the conversation of the others wash over her as she ate her roast beef and yorkshire pudding, making room for the chocolate gateau that appeared with the other desserts as soon as the students were done with their main courses.
"We eat really well here don't we?" another first year, Marian Keywood said as she cut herself a large slice of apple pie, and poured cream all over it.
"Wait until Halloween, the elves always cook up something ultra special for holidays." Edward said, breaking away from his conversation with Jenny. Dumbledore stood up when everyone had finished eating, his bright blue eyes sparkling as he smiled, and the conversations all over the hall stilled at once, allowing the howling wind and the sound of the pattering rain to be the loudest sounds once again.
His speech took the usual format, telling the new students that the forest was out of bounds as was Hogsmeade for first and second years, and reminding people of Mr Filch's long list of forbidden items. Then he said something that Catalina had been half expecting "It is my painful duty to inform you that the inter house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year," She heard the gasps from several Quidditch players all over the hall, and their confused thoughts continued as Dumbledore told them "This is due to a event..."
I suppose they can't really keep the Cup going, when they're running the Tournament this year. There's a lot that goes into the tournament, according to dad. Cedric's thoughts distracted Catalina from Dumbledore's words, and then a rumble of thunder rolled through the Hall. The double doors of the Hall were banged open at almost the same moment, as though the shrouded male figure had wanted to make a big entrance.
Everyone turned to look as the mystery man removed his hood, shaking out his thick dark grey hair and slowly made his way across to the teacher's table. "Who is that?" Marian gasped out, as a bolt of lightning flashed across the man's face, throwing his heavily scarred features into the light. He looks so scary, how are his eyes doing that? Nobody answered her, as they were too busy staring transfixed by his strange appearance. He spoke softly to Dumbledore before sitting down and having some sausages, first assuring himself that they were safe to eat.
"That's Alastor Moody, he's going to be the new Defence against the dark arts teacher," Cedric said softly to Catalina.
"That explains why Amos mentioned him in the letter this morning," she murmured back. There was something odd about Moody, and it wasn't his physical appearance, she had seen people in worst physical condition than him in her travels with her father.
Her slight unease was broken though by Fred's sudden outburst after Dumbledore's confirmation that the Triwizard tournament was being held at Hogwarts. "You're JOKING!" Everyone started to laugh, at the same time as Dumbledore's slightly relieved chuckle rolled through the hall.
Dumbledore's attempt to tell a joke was quickly stifled by Professor McGonagall and he returned to his explanation of the tournament. Most of the students had not a clue what the tournament actually entailed and listened eagerly to the potted history that Dumbledore supplied. Catalina half listened, leaning against Cedric's side, as his fingers absently massaged the back of her neck just below her hair line. She already had a fair idea of what the tournament was all about, and only really tuned back in as Dumbledore said "Only students that are of age- that is to say seventeen years or older- will be able to put their names forward for consideration,"
"He must be joking! I'm going for it." Patrick's anger at this was obvious on his face. I'm just as capable as those that are of age. Why should I miss out because of a couple of months age difference?
Dumbledore raised his voice to be heard over the numerous angry whispers that had sprung up all over the hall. Catalina glanced over at the Gryffindor table to see that George and Fred were looking particularly annoyed. "I will personally be making sure that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champions." He looked over at the Weasley twins too, "I therefore beg you not to waste your time, submitting yourself if you're underage." He then informed them of the imminent arrival of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students and allowed them to go to bed.
"I wouldn't bother entering Patrick if I were you, it sounds far too dangerous." Jenny said as they joined the crowds slowly trickling out of the hall. "I mean people have died, didn't you hear Dumbledore?"
"That was hundreds of years ago," Catalina said, "It's bound to be safer now, he said that the Ministry were making sure of it." She seperated from the Hufflepuffs, as their common room was on the ground floor. Cedric kissed her lightly, before leading his house's first years off, following the Slytherins as their common rooms were in the same direction.