Chapter 2: The Journey to Hogwarts and the Feast
Harry Potter walked through King's Cross absent-mindedly, headed for platform 9 3/4. The Dursleys, wanting to get rid of him as quickly as possible, had dropped him off at the station's front entrance. Before long, he was jogging happily into the wall between platforms nine and ten. After a split second, he was there. The whistle on the scarlet steam engine blew, and Harry stepped onto the train, walking along the corridor in search of Hermione and Ron's compartment. "Harry! Harry over here!" He heard Ron screaming from the compartment beside him.
"Hey, Ron. Hey Hermione. Did you have a good time in Bulgaria with Krum, Hermione?"
"It was wonderful! Oh, you should see their library! Hundreds of thousands of books! All on Dark Magic! -(Ron rolled his eyes)- It's always so cold in the mountains, but I suppose it's not too bad. There is only one thing for certain: I would never want to stay at Durmstrang. It's so depressing, even with Karkaroff gone."
"Well, at least you had a good time with Vickie. That's always great to know," Ron sneered. Hermione smiled at him sarcastically, showing her straightened teeth.
"Yes, I did have a good time, thank you very much! It was a lot more interesting to be there, than to be here listening to you whine!"
"Whining, am I?"
"Yes, you are -"
"Shut up, both of you!" Harry screamed from the corner. They'd obviously forgotten he was there, for when they looked around, looked as surprised as ever.
* * *
The time passed quickly after the fight. Fred and George walked quietly into the trio's compartment while Harry and Ron were playing Wizards Chess and lit a dung bomb. The twins laughed hysterically as they watched Ron and Harry jump up quickly - Hermione followed suit-and open the compartment door. They ran into the deserted hallway, and Harry watched in amazement as Ron did something that he half expected. He ran to the lunch trolley and bought a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. ("A Risk with Every Mouthful!") When Ron turned round to see Harry and Hermione watching him, he simply said, "I need something to take my mind off the smell." He shrugged quickly, and they walked back into their compartment quietly. Finally, Hermione spoke up.
"I wonder who our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher will be?" she asked aloud.
"I dunno," came Ron's muffled voice through a mouthful of beans, "but I hope their not another mad man." Ron was obviously referring to Mad-Eye Moody, who was their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher last year. He'd turned out to be an impostor under the Polyjuice Potion, however, so no telling what the real Moody was like, thought he was probably just as fidgety. Moody was an Auror, and held the bad habit of hexing people for no good reason. Moody'd even turned Draco Malfoy, Harry's arch-nemesis and least favourite person, into a white ferret once. Voldemort, Snape, The Dursleys, Voldemort, and Voldemort were just a few of his other least favourite people.
"We'd better put our robes on, as we're nearly there," Hermione said. They put on their black robes quietly and sat down. Hermione put on her pointed hat quietly.
"Hermione, you don't have to put that on yet," Ron said quietly.
"I know that, but I want to make a good impression."
Ron rolled his eyes and gave Harry a funny look. He knew that look well. That was the, "can-you-believe-her?" look that Ron always gave him.
* * *
They got off the train and walked through down the platform. Harry immediately noticed that Hagrid was not there to greet the students, and instead Professor McGonagall was taking first years to the enchanted boats.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked over towards the entrance to the Hogwarts Grounds, stepping up into a carriage quickly. It immediately started off. They didn't talk much along the way. Harry watched the Giant Squid as it swished the water with its tentacles, obviously trying to help move the boats on their way. The carriage travelled up the road, and the next thing they new, they were inside the Great Hall, enjoying the feast. After the first years were freshly sorted, Dumbledore stood up to give First Years few reminders.
"Students should note," he said loudly, "That the Dark Forest is forbidden to all, and that magic is not to be performed in the corridors. Mr. Filch would like to remind you all that he has extended the detention this year"- groans from the students - "to three hours instead of two. Thank you." He sat down, and Harry scanned the rest of the High Table curiously. He almost fell out of his seat when he looked beside Dumbledore. There was someone he knew quite well sitting there. Dumbledore saw him staring and stood up again.
"I would also," he said loudly, getting everyone's attention, "like to welcome Fleur Delacour into our Hogwarts family."- "Lost all his marbles, that one", Ron said quickly. - "She will be your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
Harry glanced over to Ron, who looked thunderstruck at the idea.
Harry Potter walked through King's Cross absent-mindedly, headed for platform 9 3/4. The Dursleys, wanting to get rid of him as quickly as possible, had dropped him off at the station's front entrance. Before long, he was jogging happily into the wall between platforms nine and ten. After a split second, he was there. The whistle on the scarlet steam engine blew, and Harry stepped onto the train, walking along the corridor in search of Hermione and Ron's compartment. "Harry! Harry over here!" He heard Ron screaming from the compartment beside him.
"Hey, Ron. Hey Hermione. Did you have a good time in Bulgaria with Krum, Hermione?"
"It was wonderful! Oh, you should see their library! Hundreds of thousands of books! All on Dark Magic! -(Ron rolled his eyes)- It's always so cold in the mountains, but I suppose it's not too bad. There is only one thing for certain: I would never want to stay at Durmstrang. It's so depressing, even with Karkaroff gone."
"Well, at least you had a good time with Vickie. That's always great to know," Ron sneered. Hermione smiled at him sarcastically, showing her straightened teeth.
"Yes, I did have a good time, thank you very much! It was a lot more interesting to be there, than to be here listening to you whine!"
"Whining, am I?"
"Yes, you are -"
"Shut up, both of you!" Harry screamed from the corner. They'd obviously forgotten he was there, for when they looked around, looked as surprised as ever.
* * *
The time passed quickly after the fight. Fred and George walked quietly into the trio's compartment while Harry and Ron were playing Wizards Chess and lit a dung bomb. The twins laughed hysterically as they watched Ron and Harry jump up quickly - Hermione followed suit-and open the compartment door. They ran into the deserted hallway, and Harry watched in amazement as Ron did something that he half expected. He ran to the lunch trolley and bought a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. ("A Risk with Every Mouthful!") When Ron turned round to see Harry and Hermione watching him, he simply said, "I need something to take my mind off the smell." He shrugged quickly, and they walked back into their compartment quietly. Finally, Hermione spoke up.
"I wonder who our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher will be?" she asked aloud.
"I dunno," came Ron's muffled voice through a mouthful of beans, "but I hope their not another mad man." Ron was obviously referring to Mad-Eye Moody, who was their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher last year. He'd turned out to be an impostor under the Polyjuice Potion, however, so no telling what the real Moody was like, thought he was probably just as fidgety. Moody was an Auror, and held the bad habit of hexing people for no good reason. Moody'd even turned Draco Malfoy, Harry's arch-nemesis and least favourite person, into a white ferret once. Voldemort, Snape, The Dursleys, Voldemort, and Voldemort were just a few of his other least favourite people.
"We'd better put our robes on, as we're nearly there," Hermione said. They put on their black robes quietly and sat down. Hermione put on her pointed hat quietly.
"Hermione, you don't have to put that on yet," Ron said quietly.
"I know that, but I want to make a good impression."
Ron rolled his eyes and gave Harry a funny look. He knew that look well. That was the, "can-you-believe-her?" look that Ron always gave him.
* * *
They got off the train and walked through down the platform. Harry immediately noticed that Hagrid was not there to greet the students, and instead Professor McGonagall was taking first years to the enchanted boats.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked over towards the entrance to the Hogwarts Grounds, stepping up into a carriage quickly. It immediately started off. They didn't talk much along the way. Harry watched the Giant Squid as it swished the water with its tentacles, obviously trying to help move the boats on their way. The carriage travelled up the road, and the next thing they new, they were inside the Great Hall, enjoying the feast. After the first years were freshly sorted, Dumbledore stood up to give First Years few reminders.
"Students should note," he said loudly, "That the Dark Forest is forbidden to all, and that magic is not to be performed in the corridors. Mr. Filch would like to remind you all that he has extended the detention this year"- groans from the students - "to three hours instead of two. Thank you." He sat down, and Harry scanned the rest of the High Table curiously. He almost fell out of his seat when he looked beside Dumbledore. There was someone he knew quite well sitting there. Dumbledore saw him staring and stood up again.
"I would also," he said loudly, getting everyone's attention, "like to welcome Fleur Delacour into our Hogwarts family."- "Lost all his marbles, that one", Ron said quickly. - "She will be your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
Harry glanced over to Ron, who looked thunderstruck at the idea.