A/N: Here's another chapter. Enjoy :)
Chapter 58: Back to school
Dumbledore chuckled "I'm not kidding at all boys." A lot of people in the room looked confused, including Harry. Mostly the muggleborns.
"Now, for those who know what the Triwizard Tournament is, please excuse my short explanation for the others." He made sure to highlight the fact that there were actual deaths in the Tournament. "…and after many unsuccesful attempts at reviving it, this year we have finally managed to make it safe, so no one could actually die. But," he said when all the whispers started and a lot of people started saying they would want to enter "for your safety, the Ministry and the headmasters decided to put an age limit this year. To make it more interesting and accesible for more people, not only the ones of age can participate. Still, no student under the age of sixteen can sign up. An impartial judge will choose the champions for each school and please don't attempt to fool it, because you can't." He said, looking at the twins. "Now, our guests will arr-"
He was interrupted by a lound thunder, when the sky-ceiling darkened and the doors of the Great Hall slammed open and a cloaked bulky figure stood in the doorway, starting to walk towards the Head Table. The stranger must have been Moody, Dumbledore's old friend, because the headmaster said he'll come to teach DADA this year.
I wasn't necessarily happy, since some people said he was nuts, but Dumbledore trusted him. Though, I have never seen him before, mostly because Severus didn't want me to meet the man who almost sent him to Azkaban, so when a lightning revealed his face when he was talking to Dumbledore, I was terrified. His face had deep cuts, the most visible being the one starting at the left top of his forehead and ending in the middle of his left cheek. It probably destroyed his eye, since he had a seemingly magical blue one which, in contrast to his normal brown right one, was bigger, and was constantly moving, to the left, right, up and down and to the back of his head. It gave me goosebumps. But the second creepiest thing on his face, more like what was missing from it, was a part of his nose. I was curious how he lost it.
It was obvious this man fought a lot and suffered, and the prospect of him giving us DADA lessons was alarming, since it looked more like he wanted to fight anyone who aproached him at a shorter distance than ten feet.
Only when Dumbledore started talking and the murmur in the Great Hall stopped I realized there was talking. People were asking who this was or what he was doing here.
"I would like to introduce to you your newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, professor Moody." Well, the whispering started again, and I was already sick of this repeating over and over again, like a badly rehearsed school play. Moody sat down at the Head Table on Dumbledore's right.
"Now, as I was saying, our guests will arrive in october and will stay here most of the year. Now, it is late, so I think you should sleep now. Of you go! Trot trot!"
"How could you…"
"…keep this from us? And the age limit is…"
"…ridiculous. We'll be sixteen in a couple months."
"You shouldn't try to enter. Didn't you hear Dumbledore, what he said about lethal cases? People died in this tournament."
"Hermione is right boys. They made it safe, but they have to be sure you know at least the spells taught until sixth year. That way, there won't be complications."
"I wonder who the impartial judge is. Maybe…"
"…we can fool him and get into it." They continued as if not hearing us.
"Don't bother. First, you can't fool it. Second, it chooses the one who is the most suitable from each school. You won't get in."
"Yeah? We'll show…"
"…you we can." They left for the dungeons. These two were something…
"You know what I thought of?" Ron said after the twins' departure.
"What ?"
"Well, it would've actually been better if Malfoy had actually gone to Durmstrang. Aside from the fact that he would've been away from us."
"Really Ronald? And how is that?"
"Well, it is supposed to be in the North, isn't it? Just imagine how easy would it be to give him a slight push off an iceberg and it would look like an accident."
"Don't be mean Ron. He isn't the kindest person but really, that's too far."
"Not the kindest person? Well that's a stretch. How he acts towards Harry especially. I mean, how could you defend someone who's acting like that towards your brother?"
"Just like that. Lets change the subject 'kay? I don't like it. What do you think about Moody?"
"He seems…experienced." Hermione answered.
"Of course he is. Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. I bet half the Slytherins had their parents imprisoned by him. I wouldn't be surprised if any of them attempts to hex him by Christmas."
"What about you Harry? What do you think?"
"Well, he looks creepy. But I think it would be cool to have someone experienced teach us DADA. Not like Remus wasn't an awesome teacher, it just seems like this guy fought a lot against Dark wizards."
"He did. Just a warning though. Some say he's mad. So just be careful when with him."
When we finally went to sleep that night, something in the wards of the castle felt off. I shook that thought off and went to sleep. Tomorrow we would be starting classes and our new electives.
"Look, McGonagall's giving the schedules."
All the classes on my schedule today were core classes, so we would be having them together, except for Divination maybe.
"Guys, any of you took Divination?"
"All of us did."
"Great. Other electives?"
"I and Harry took Care of Magical Creatures too."
"We all took it last year. It was expected for this year. Give those to me." I said, it was faster if one person compared all the schedules at once. I scanned all four and gave them back.
"Great, we all took Divination and Care of Magical Creatures again, but Hermione and I also took Muggle Studies and she took Runes."
"Isn't that a little too much Hermione?"
"It is not Ronald, they have a short curriculum, therefore I practically have only two more hours weekly compared to you. But Selene, I really thought you were going to take Runes too. You seemed interested by it this summer while looking over the textbooks."
"Exactly, I have always liked the subject, hence studied it for a few years because I had too much spare time. And now I can use that time productively. But Muggle Studies sounds interesting and I would really like to take a subject where I can put my apparently useless extensive knowledge of them to use. You too I'm sure. Also, professor Burbage gives little to no homework. It's a fun class I bet."
"At least you'll get rid of Slytherins an hour a week."
"What do you mean Ron?"
"C'mon now, no Slytherin would take Muggle Studies."
"If you say so, we have it tomorrow after Care of Magical creatures. We'll see then." I said and we went to class.
Next day, at lunch Fred and George plopped down next to me as we were chatting about Divination.
"She's a loon, you can't deny it."
"She's not, just because you don't happen to like her."
"Come on Ronald, inner eye? It's ridiculous."
"Had the first…"
"…class with Trelawney?"
"That obvious?"
"As always. So, who's…"
"….dying this year?"
"Harry and I. Doubled up this year appaently. What about you two?"
"Moody. Man, he's…"
"…brlliant. We had a practical lesson."
"I already like him." Ron said, or tried to, through all the food shoved in his mouth.
"Close your mouth."
"Yeah, Ronniekiens, Granger's right, you look like…" Fred started and, for the first time, George seemed not to expect it, but he finished his twin's sentence nevertheless.
"…an overfilled suitcase."
After I finnished eating, I dragged George out of the Great Hall with me, leaving a bewildered Fred at the table.
"Ok, spit it out."
"My lunch? Well, it wouldn't be the best sight." He laughed.
"You know what I'm talking about. What's up with Fred. You're the only one who spends more time with him than I do."
"Oh, so you noticed it too." He was musing all of a sudden.
"When did it start?"
"After the World Cup he started getting weird."
"I wonder why. You think he fancies someone?"
"Maybe, but he's never acted like that other times."
"Perhaps it's more serious this time."
"Hmm, I'll se what I can get out of him."
"If he does fancy someone, maybe we can help him."
"Whoah, slow down, matchmaker, let's find out first, okay?"
"Okay."
I couldn't wait to find out, but I really hoped it was something like this and not something bad. Like George said, Fred never acted this way before.
A/N: Hope you liked it.
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