Chapter Two

The Dueling Competition

            That evening was to be the Sorting. Dillan, Terry, Chloe, Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all standing outside the doors of the Great Hall along with the other students, who were chatting amongst themselves. The first years had all huddled together on one side, staring in awe at their new surroundings. Dillan turned to Terry, "What's going on? Why aren't we going into the Great Hall? I'm starving." His stomach then gave a short rumble as if speaking for itself.

            Terry shrugged, "Beats me. I heard a couple of seventh years up front muttering about the door being locked."

            Harry looked puzzled, an almost mirror reflection of Ron and Hermione's faces, "Why would it be locked? They did expect us today, didn't they?"

            Marshmallow cooed in Chloe's arms, "She's hungry and so am I. I wish they'd hurry." And almost as if someone were answering her wish, a large click was heard on the other side of the Great Hall's doors, and then they creaked open. Out stepped a rather proud woman, judging from her expressionless face, wearing rectangle-framed spectacles. Her hair, with a few slivers of gray, was pulled back into a tight bun on top of her head and she wore dark emerald robes, covered by a dark gray cloak. She took out her wand and pointed it in the air; a loud BANG was heard, followed by a flash of green sparks. Everyone hushed one another and turned to her direction.

            "Thank you for your attention. I am Professor McGonnagal to those of who do not know me." She placed her wand inside her robes, "You all are probably wondering why the doors to the Great Hall have been locked." Everyone broke out into murmurs. "Ahem. We've been planning last minute decisions due to a new event this year."

            "Wow, when they bring new events to the school, they're usually something else," Harry whispered excitedly.

            Professor McGonnagal continued, "When you enter please move swiftly to your House tables and everything will be explained by Professor Dumbledore. Move along now." She gestured for everyone to enter the Great Hall.

            As Evan and Hermione passed McGonnagal, she said "Miss Granger, Mister McGregor, if you please I would like a word with you both." Then she bustled them down the hall while everyone else walked into the Great Hall.

            Inside was a sight to behold. Four long tables stretched vertically along the middle of the room, a fifth sat the opposite way at the head of the room. In midair hung enchanted candles burning brightly yet the wax did not melt. The ceiling was the most intriguing. It was displaying the sky outside as if there were a skylight, which there wasn't. The sky was a deep purple as the sun had set.

            Everyone went towards his or her respective tables once inside. Dillan, Terry, and Chloe waved to Ron and Harry as the moved to the left towards the Ravenclaw table. Ron and Harry to the right.

            "Hi, Dillan," a small, gentle voice greeted him as he took a seat. It was Cho Chang, the seventh year Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

            "Hey there, Cho," Dillan smiled, then looked up at the teachers' table. On the left end sat little Professor Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House. He sat in his chair perched upon a stack of cushions. To his left sat Professor Vector, the Arithmancy teacher. Beside her was Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. He sat there, dwarfing all the other professors, being nearly two heads above them all (four above Flitwick). His bushy hair and beard concealed much of his face. You only knew when he smiled because his beetle black eyes would narrow.

            To Hagrid's left sat Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher, her four sizes too large glasses magnifying her eyes tremendously. She adorned many beaded necklaces and heavily jeweled rings and a colorful shawl around her shoulders. On her left sat an empty chair, supposedly for Professor McGonnagal, who taught Transfiguration. In the center of the table was Professor Albus Dumbledore, his long silvery-white hair and beard standing out most of all. He wore half moon spectacles upon his rather crooked nose. His robes were a brilliant blue embroidered with golden suns and moons.

            Next to Dumbledore sat the Potions teacher Professor Snape, a sallow faced man with oily black hair. His gaze was looking down to his far left, at the end of the staff's table, on a new Professor who Dillan didn't recognize.

            "Hey who's that?" Chloe pointed out the old wizard at whom Professor Snape was glowering.

            Terry and Dillan both shrugged. Just then Dumbledore got to his feet and the chattering among the tables ceased instantly.

            "Good evening to you all! Welcome to another glorious year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore bellowed cheerfully. Everyone applauded. He held up a solitary hand to quiet them.

            "There are a few things I need to discuss with you all before the start-of-term banquet is served. Number one, we have a new teacher among the staff this year," His eyes fell upon the old wizard at the end, whose beard matched the color of Dumbledore's but was nowhere near as long. It cut off after a few inches. "Please welcome Professor Aedius! He's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher!" Everyone burst into applause. Snape scowled, however. Everybody knew that Snape was longing for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and loathed anyone who got it except himself. Professor Aedius stood momentarily and bowed at his welcome. He was dressed in deep crimson, almost brick colored, robes and around his neck hung a golden chain, the end baring a small emerald medallion. He then sat again.

            Dumbledore went on, "Number two, I would like to inform all of you that this year a new tournament is taking place at Hogwarts," everyone sat in silence, eager to here what was in store, "This year is the Dueling Competition!"

            "Alright!", Dillan heard Ron shout, "I'm finally going to get to participate in a big event! Though I hope it's nothing like Professor Lockhart's dueling club. What a git he was." The entire Great Hall exploded into conversation and laughing. Dillan overheard a fourth year saying, "I wonder if we get to take on a teacher?" At the Hufflepuff table, a first year was sobbing, "I'm not ready for this!"

            Dumbledore spoke again, "Don't get too excited, please. To the disappointment of many, this competition is only held to sixth and seventh years, for they have the knowledge needed to complete the exercises at hand." Most of the cheering faded and became boos and exasperated sighs.

            "Wahoo!" Ron yelled, "Not disqualified! Yes!"

            Chloe shook her head, laughing, "That Ron is something else."

            Dumbledore still continued, "Now, there's no need to wait any longer! Let the Sorting begin! Then we will have the feast!"

            McGonnagal strode into the Great Hall carrying a three-legged stool baring a frail, worn hat on the top of it. Dillan looked around for signs of Evan or Hermione, but neither was present. McGonnagal then sat the stool at the front of the room and a rip near the brim automatically broke into song that echoed through the Great Hall:

It's been far more than a thousand years,

When I was made anew,

When four young wizards strode abroad,

Searching for a helpful clue,

They all thought the same in mind,

They shared an envision, true,

To educate young wizards and witches,

So the Magic world would always shine through,

Gryffindor was bold and brave,

Valued those of great will,

Wanted those of high virtue,

Not those with hearts to kill,

Ravenclaw, smart and cunning,

Sought out those of great mind,

Those adorned with knowledge and wit,

Were always wise and kind,

Hufflepuff, focused and determined,

Loved those with pure hearts,

All who showed large spirit,

Were bound to hold the mark,

Slytherin, always devious and sly,

Cared for those wanting more,

Admitted those wanting power,

Others were left at the door,

For I was chosen to solve the riddle,

Who would choose once they were gone?

I was then magicked by Gryffindor,

And able to sing this song,

Place me on your head real tight,

I'll tell you what you need to know,

Make sure I'm snug around your ears,

Where I can whisper where you ought to go!

            Once the Sorting Hat had finished, everyone broke into applause. Then Professor McGonnagal unrolled a piece of parchment and began calling off names.

            "This is gonna take a while," Terry sighed, slumping in his seat.

            "Albright, Barry!" McGonnagal called.

A small boy bounded from the line of first years that had gathered along the far wall, and took a seat on the stool, throwing the Sorting Hat over his head. A few seconds past then the hat bellowed, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The boy took the hat off and bounded over to the Hufflepuff Table, which began to cheer.

            McGonnagal read from the list, "Althorn, Claire!" Then a girl with brown pigtails went to the stool and threw the Sorting Hat that shouted from atop her head, "GRYFFINDOR!"

            The Gryffindor table all applauded.

            "Beagle, John!" became the next new Ravenclaw. Then, it seemed, the list became shorter as "Bergman, Mindy"…and…"Emerson, Hailey" were called. McGonnagal then breezed through, "Gaddy"…"Jordon"…"MacDouglas"…and "Noland, Gavin" became a new Slytherin. Once the final name, "Yeltzer, Helga" was called and made a Hufflepuff, McGonnagal took the Sorting Hat and left the Great Hall. Dumbledore rose again, "Now, let the feasting begin!"

            Suddenly, the golden plates and goblets filled instantaneously with things like rhubarb pie, chicken legs, buttered rolls, and cold pumpkin juice, all in which everybody indulged.

            "Ah, my stomach is finally soothed!" Chloe smiled, chewing, all the while feeding a piece of lettuce off her hamburger to Marshmallow. Now that its head was un-tucked from its feathers, Marshmallow revealed its flat, bright yellow beak as it snatched the lettuce from Chloe's fingers. "You were hungry too weren't you, Marsh?"

            "This is good!" Terry said in-between bites. Just then Dillan noticed Hermione and Evan entering the Great Hall. Evan walked over to the Ravenclaw table, taking an empty seat on Dillan's right side.

            "Hey, Evan, you missed the Sorting. What's up?" Dillan asked, chewing on a chicken leg.

            Evan looked smug, "Hermione and I have been made prefects, along with a couple other students. We all had to stay in McGonnagal's office while she went to announce the first years. Then she returned and explained the rules of a prefect and gave us our new House passwords privately."

            "Whoa, Ev, you're a prefect? That's really great!" Chloe exclaimed. "What's the new password?"

            "It's Doxy," Evan said.

            "That's a weird one," Terry said, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

            "It's a black hair covered creature which resembles a fairy, but with beetle-like wings and an extra pair of arms and legs. It bares sharp, gnashing teeth and loves causing mischief. Though, why it's a password I do not know," Evan stated flatly and began eating.

            Dillan took a swig of pumpkin juice, amazed once again by Evan's high intellect. Soon, the feast had ended and the food vanished from the plates leaving them sparkling clean.

            "Ahem," Dumbledore cleared his throat, "I see it fit that you all go to your common rooms now and go to bed." All the students then stood up and shuffled out of the Great Hall, the Ravenclaws taking the stairs up four floors.

            As Dillan, Terry, Chloe, and Evan walked along the corridors, they turned past eerie suits of armor and paintings in which the pictures moved. This was common in the Wizarding world, unlike in the Muggle world where paintings were stationary. One picture frame contained a herd of cows grazing and a small calf wandered from the frame into another picture with a rather rude Hag, which slapped the calf on it's rump to get back to its frame. They all soon came to a stop at a statue of the great wizard Merlin, his pointed wizard hat tilted to one side, clutching his staff in his right hand.

            Evan stepped up to it stating clearly, "Doxy." The Merlin statue bent his right arm, his staff tapping the stonewall behind him, and a passage opening in the wall. Chloe, Evan, Dillan, and Terry all clambered through with a few other Ravenclaws.

            Inside was a round room, the walls were a cold gray, the windows draped with blue curtains and bronze tiebacks, and on the floor was spread a bright blue carpet with a large bronze eagle in the center of it. Along the walls were round tables and bookshelves, which came to a stop at a still burning fireplace. Blue padded chairs sat in front of it. Some Ravenclaws went to a table and began chatting amongst themselves. Evan and Chloe, Marshmallow in arms, strode over to a bunch of Ravenclaws by the window to join in the conversation. Terry and Dillan went to sit by themselves at an empty table.

            "This is cool, the Dueling Competition! I'm definitely signing up! Aren't you, Dill?"

            "Of course I am!" Dillan pointed out as if it was a crime to consider him not. "I'm just wandering what the tasks will be. It's going to be a definite challenge since only sixth and seventh years can sign up."

            "Yeah, I know," Terry yawned. "Boy, I'm tired. I think I will head up to bed."

            "Yeah, me too," Dillan and Terry got up and headed for the staircase to the Boys' Dormitories.

            At the top of the staircase was a door with a sign that read: Sixth Years. Inside the room was as circular as the common room, but there were five four-poster beds around the walls. Dillan and Terry noticed their trunks had been brought up to their room already.

            "Hey, look Terry," Dillan pointed. "If Evan, you, and me are rooming here, who are the other two?"

            "I don't know and I don't care right now. I just want sleep," Then Terry plopped into bed and conked out.

            Dillan shrugged as he got into bed and shut the curtains on his four-poster, "G'night."