The first-years had been assigned to the four houses by the Sorting Hat. The students were obviously in a good mood, maybe because of the expected excellent meal which should magically appear on the tables. Today they had to wait a little longer for the banquet. Professor Dumbledore got up and all heads turned towards him.
"I'd like to start our new term together with the announcement of two news: a great festivity and a trainee program. Concerning the first: all students from third grade on are allowed to leave for Hogsmeade the Saturday after next because the popular meeting place the Three Broomsticks will celebrate its 400th anniversary. The landlord has planned a major dance festivity so you're allowed to dress up as much as would be undesirable at our school. And concerning the second: For the next two weeks all of our teachers," all teachers seemed considerably amazed, "will have to work twice as much for they are asked not only to impart the subject matter to the students but also to give trainees profound insight in our workday routine. It is true that the trainees are to assist the teachers but here I have to fix an unchanging boundary since the trainees are still undergoing academic training - but at another institute. So I can't permit them to work any magic here. I ask all of you to watch out for tasks that can only be handled with magic should not be assigned to the trainees. Professor McGonagall?"
McGonagall got up and beckoned Ene and Lil to come forward; the two had been standing like paralyzed on the right behind the teachers' table. Slowly the two not-witches in their black cloaks came forward.
McGonagall continued: These two ladies will undergo the mentioned trainee program here. Ene-Rys Walim," Ene nodded very leisurely, "and Lil-Wen Ceslas," Lil insinuated a bonsai bow. "Tomorrow I will give them an introduction to our school, then they will be assigned to different teachers and will attend the respective lessons. For they do not belong to any houses the ladies will be accommodated in guest rooms, but here they should better eat with the students. I hope there will be two more seats at the tables."
From far behind Hermione waved her hand.
Professor McGonagall showed the hint of a smile: "Miss Walim, Miss Ceslas, apparently you're already expected. Please," and she pointed at the Gryffindor table. Ene and Lil walked as carefully as if they had to blaze their trail through precious crystal vases down the pedestal and to the back to Hermione.
"I was pretty sure we could eat together, that's why I saved two seats," Hermione said with a radiant smile.
Ene and Lil sat opposite to Hermione and Ron, besides sat Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. The common greeting was swamped by Dumbledore's words: "May this festive occasion bring as much joy to all our hearts as we hope for the whole school year!"
And with this the most marvellous dishes and beverages appeared on all the tables.
Ron helped himself without hesitation and Neville did the same. Lil reached for a pitcher with juice.
"Lokrimeberry juice, easily digestible and fitting to almost everything, like a good wine. Did you have that at your school, too?" Hermione asked.
"Not as far as I can remember," Lil replied and poured some juice into her glass.
All filled up their plates, only Lil just drank and eyed the dishes closely.
"Mhm, Lil, this is suitable for you," Ene said and showed to Lil the filled pastry she had bitten into. "Look, only vegetable filling."
"Thanks," Lil answered and took two similar pieces of pastry from the big plate before her.
"He?" Ron said with his mouth full.
"Are you a vegetarian?" Harry asked.
"Vege-what?" sounded Ron.
Hermione sighed. "Vegetarian, Ron, she doesn't eat meat."
"I couldn't do that," Neville said and reached for a cutlet.
"I just said the same," Lil said, "but it's quite simple. I also cured myself of having tea, coffee, and alcohol. You just have to want it."
"Why does anyone want that?" Ron asked disbelievingly.
"Let her eat in peace, Ron, you can ask her a lot during the next two weeks," Hermione reprimanded him, and to Ene and Lil she said: "You have to tell me where your rooms are so I can visit you. You are not allowed to know the password for our tower."
Ene nodded and said: "Yes, when we will know for ourselves where we're gonna stay. There hasn't been enough time, yet. We'll get our rooms after dinner."
Suddenly, Neville started to cough and stared at his plate dumbfoundedly. There was a small hillock of little round whitely balls – and apparently this hillock had been quite bigger a moment ago.
Neville moaned: "I forgot! I cannot take rabitzes! Is Madam Pomfrey already in the hospital wing?"
"How bad is it? Will it produce immediate effect?" Ene asked. "Wouldn't it suffice if you went to the toilet and stuck your finger in your throat?"
Neville gave her a puzzled look.
"Well, I mean, let the food keep running through your head again and flush it away."
Laughing, Ron spluttered pumpkin juice out of his nose.
"Yeah," Neville drawled, "that might work." Then he sprang up and hurried out of the hall.
Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Lil laughed and Ene said: "I don't know anyone else who forgets the possibility to barf."
After the meal, the hall cleared noticeably. Neville had been away for a short time only; apparently he had relieved himself and suffered no damage.
Suddenly, Professor McGonagall came to their table and said: "May I ask the ladies to follow me, now? There are a few things to be settled before night's rest."
She headed for the door and Ene and Lil waved to their neighbours at table and followed the professor out of the hall.
"They're nice," Neville said.
"And funny," Harry added.
Professor McGonagall led Ene and Lil to the ground floor where she assigned to them two rooms situated side by side. Their luggage was already there.
"Hey," Ene called, "here's even a bathroom unit with a shower!"
McGonagall lifted her head a little higher: "I do not know what you expected, but even witches and wizards do no longer live as in the Dark Ages, anymore. Strictly speaking, even in the Dark Ages we had much more modern conveniences than Muggles. In your cupboards you will find a substitute magic cloak and – just for decoration, one might say – a wand which is of no use to you. You don't have to wear the school uniform for you are no Hogwarts students but please attach importance to sober colors. This shouldn't be hard for you, Miss Walim. How do Muggles call this style?"
"Gothic," Ene answered.
Casually, McGonagall explained a jumble of school rules: when you're allowed to leave the building, when there are lessons and mealtimes, where in no case you should dare to go to and so on. She ended remarking: "Tomorrow after breakfast I'll meet you in the hall and question you; you see, this evening you will occupy yourselves with the books lying on the tables in your rooms. In these books you will find the basics of magic and this school. For your own safety you should internalize the texts because what might happen to you in the contrary case – well... I wish you a good night!"
"Thanks, the same to you," Ene and Lil answered dryly who both had become very pale.
Ene moaned: "Lil, now look at these thick old books! The night would have to last at least eighty hours for us to read all this."
The four voluminous books seemed to be older than a hundred years.
"So," Lil said, "I'll go to my bower and start studying. But first I'll have a shower – today I surely sweated blood and water."
Ene grinned. "Not just you. Well then, read and sleep well! Till tomorrow!"
"Yep," Lil answered and stepped out of the door, "and to you the same."