By Ron Potter
Chapter 3: The First Week
Penelope, now in her seventh year, got off the train with her usual ravenclaws and heading down to the horse carriages. Almost every night she had weird dreams of a red headed girl she knew as Lily Potter and another boy James Potter. Every time her friend Cho was there to snap her out of it. But they continued in the carriage to the marvelous Hogwarts Castle.
"You girls ready for the N.E.W.T.s this year?" I asked.
"I studied for days and still can't get down human transfiguration and dark creatures," Cho replied. "Then again you have a big advantage…your boyfriend, Percy Weasley scored the highest on the N.E.W.T.s last year. Then again I have O.W.L.'s this year."
"I don't have the N.E.W.T.s yet," Padma said. "I still have to take my O.W.L.'s this year."
A little brown haired girl in pigtails nudged Padma's shoulder.
"Oh girls…this is Orla Quirke," Padma added. "She's starting Hogwarts this year even though she's twelve."
"Any of you know who the new dark arts teacher is?" I asked.
"You know Dumbledore never tells before the first day," Padma said; Orla getting really confused. "Oh Hogwarts has a bad reputation for not keeping defense against the dark arts teachers. I wish so much Professor Lupin came back. I don't even care that he's a werewolf."
"Yeah we did have fun," I said.
The carriage stopped now in front of the stone steps leading up to the castle. Just as I stepped out Padma pulled me back saying young ones should go first. Then her and Parvati stepped out leading Orla, Natalie McDonald, Joanna Davies and Lilia Turpin into the Great Hall. Then Cho, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell and me stepped out and into the Great Hall. Cho and I took seats at the Ravenclaw table. Angelina and Katie took Gryffindor seats.
All the little first years gathered in the front of the hall while everyone else watched the sorting. One little boy who I know lives on my street named Dennis Creevey was soaking wet with Hagrid's big fur coat. There was one spot open at the staff table…the teacher of the dark arts.
"Settle down," Dumbledore called. "It is time for the sorting of our new students. Professor McGonnagall shall proceed with calling out all the first year's names."
"Orla Quirke," McGonnagall called.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted as McGonnagall pulled the hat off Orla's head.
"Malcolm Braddock," McGonnagall continued.
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted as Malcolm made his way to the Slytherins.
"Graham Pritchard," McGonnagall continued.
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted as Graham Pritchard too made his way to the cheering slytherins.
"Eleanor Bradstone," McGonnagall continued.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted as Eleanor made her way to the Hufflepuffs.
"Lilia Turpin," McGonnagall continued.
This time the hat took a little time. Lisa Turpin down the table was holding her breath waiting for the truth. "GRYFFINDOR!" Lisa Turpin sighed deeply, even Lilia seemed sad.
"Joanna Davies," McGonnagall called.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted as Roger Davies cheered loudly.
"Dennis Creevey," McGonnagall called.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted.
"Natalie McDonald," McGonnagall continued.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted.
All the ravenclaws sat dead quiet for a moment. We got the least amount of new first years. Only about 15% of all the first years were sorted into Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff got about 35% of all the first years. Unfortunately no one else seemed to notice so the feast lived on.
"I have a very important announcement," Dumbledore called. "Quidditch is cancelled this year due to a Triwizard tournament taking place. The heads of Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts have worked all summer on the tasks. Allow me to explain…the Triwizard tournament started hundreds of years ago between the three only Wizarding schools of the time: Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts. It used to be held every four years. Then it was stopped for a long time because of the high death toll. There have been many attempts to bring it back yet all have failed."
"But our very own ministry of magic has decided to give it another shot," McGonnagall interrupted. "There will be three tasks throughout the year that the champion of each school will face. The winner gets 1,000 galleons and no final exams. The champion must be at least seventeen years of age to submit their name and school. On October 31, the goblet of fire shall choose the three champions. On October 15, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving so I want each and every one of you to be on your best behavior."
A lot of moans and groans filled the Great Hall but soon disappeared into thin air as the food appeared. The slytherins ate through their food without any manners. Gryffindors carefully chose their foods then ate quickly for second helpings. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws ate very delicately like mature adults.
BANG!
A weird looking old man no older than 60 stormed in. He had an old raggy black cloak, a wooden leg clonking as he made his way to the seat next to Dumbledore, long shaggy hair, and an eye that zoomed crazily over the Great Hall.
"Is that how you greet your new dark arts teacher?" Dumbledore laughed. "Give a hand to Professor Alastor Moody who gratefully accepted his new position."
The hall flooded with loud applause so loud it should please Dumbledore. The truth was that no one wanted to applaud mostly everyone just instinctively stay perfectly still.
"What took you so long?" Dumbledore asked.
"Rotten kids outside that levitated two unicorns and made a mockingbird go out of control," Moody explained.
"Can you identify them?" Snape asked who didn't seem rather fond of Moody.
Moody's magical eye turned still towards the greasy, oily Severus Snape. First time his magical stood still. Then his attention turned back to Dumbledore.
"Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, and Millicent Bulstrode," Moody said. "There were two other accomplices but I couldn't get a good glance at him."
Snape's eyes narrowed to the Slytherin where Malfoy and his gang were sitting. His eyes grew hard and disgusted. As if he was a lion and his baby lions went off killing zebras getting a bloody, nasty scar in the process. He was half scared for them and half disgusted.
Then Snape's cold, cruel lion eyes stared at Dumbledore knowing he'll tell Snape to punish them.
"Severus," Dumbledore said more frustrated than usual. "The fates of Mr. Malfoy, Miss Bulstrode, and Mr. Goyle aren't in your hands."
As soon as the last string of Dumbledore's cat like words came out, Dumbledore had become one of Snape's lion cubs that he was mad at for wandering off into the jungle.
"Albus…I am the house leader of Slytherin," Severus pleaded. "That means their fate is my hands."
"Not anymore," Dumbledore said defiantly. "They broke a school law that's been active for centuries not too mention a strict violation of the Beast Bill of Rights passed by Amos Diggory. Also they broke the treaty that tied together Hogwarts wizards to the Hogwarts creatures that held the peace and prevented any Hogwarts creature from coming onto the Hogwarts grounds without permission."
"Yes this is very serious," McGonnagall agreed. "Now the Hogwarts creatures can attack us and kill us all. So see Professor Dumbledore after the feast."
The feast continued as usual throughout the night until 9:30 when everyone had to go back to his or her towers. The Slytherins were the first to leave in embarrassment that the three troublemakers caused to the "good" name of Slytherin.
Finally the ravenclaws got up form the table heading back to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Since I am a prefect I was assigned to lead the first years up to the common room. I was suppose to take them up the stairs to the sixth floor then down a service staircase then through a tapestry up another flight of stairs then passed a gold suit of armor then through the door. But I decided to let them in on the shortcut.
I took the string of Ravenclaw first years up four flights of stairs to the fourth floor. Then we stood in front of the century-old grandfather clock next to the library.
"Delphi," I whispered to the grandfather clock.
The grandfather clock jumped forward as if springing to life. I let the first years pass through the now visible hallway then I went through to pull the grandfather clock back by saying "Ihpled". We continued up two more flights of stairs when we got to a small wooden door with no handle or keyhole. I then took off my Ravenclaw badge for a second to show it to the gold plaque in honor of Rowena Ravenclaw. The door then swung open allowing us to enter the warmly lit Ravenclaw Common Room.
The next morning Professor Flitwick, our house leader, woke me and the other ravenclaws up.
"Rise and shine ravenclaws!" Flitwick shouted using a 'Sonorus' charm. "Time to get up! Hufflepuff and Slytherin beat you down to the Great Hall fifteen minutes ago! Gryffindor beat you guys down ten minutes ago! Prefects must get down here now so I can assign you your first year buddies you'll stay with and show around."
Roger Davies, Violet Smith, Irene Fawcett, Su Li, Kevin Entwhistle, Lisa Turpin, and me came down rubbing our eyes and yawning tiredly as we each climbed into fluffy baby blue chairs and the gold-colored couch.
"I'll start with our pride and joy, the head girl…Violet Smith," Flitwick said.
I went to sleep in my armchair, as I was the last one to be assigned first years. Then I felt Irene Fawcett tug on my robes waking me up.
"Penelope Clearwater," Flitwick said looking at his list. "You get to show around Stewart Ackerley, Orla Quirke and Joanna Davies."
Professor Flitwick handed us our schedules and the schedule of our first years. We studied them for a moment then went down to the Great Hall with our first year buddies. I found Stewart Ackerley a bit more free spirited than everyone else and was harder to tame. So I warned him what Snape would do so he'll be a bit more tamed himself.
I settled my group down at the Ravenclaw table. I got Padma and Parvati to watch them for just a moment while I went to Professor Flitwick, who was three seats down from Dumbledore and finishing off an omelet.
"Professor Flitwick…I don't see any Ravenclaw traits in one of my first year buddies," I said.
"Which one is it?" Flitwick asked.
"Stewart Ackerley," I replied. "I think the sorting hat made a mistake."
"No Stewart belongs in Ravenclaw," Flitwick said. "The sorting hat doesn't only see the qualities but also the destiny. It seems pretty well that Stewart Benjamin Ackerley has a destiny in Ravenclaw. That's what a lot of prefects said about Harry Potter two years ago that he belonged in Slytherin. But he did so many great things in Gryffindor."
"You see Miss Clearwater it is also the choices you make which affect the sorting hat," Dumbledore said leaning in to the conversation. "I told Harry this two years ago when he questioned his house placement. Young Harry said he asked to be placed there. Perhaps Stewart has some strong connection with Ravenclaw that he wanted to be in Ravenclaw so badly for."
"Do you know what that connection is Miss Clearwater?" Flitwick asked.
"Love," I answered. "I think he's in love with Orla."
"Or perhaps his family tie with Benjamin Ackerley his second cousin," Flitwick suggested. "You have your answer there. But what house do you think Stewart belongs in?"
"I think maybe more Hufflepuff or Slytherin with his free spirit," I said.
I walked back to the Ravenclaw table sort of pleased but still trying to make sense of Dumbledore and Flitwick's words. I sat back down between Joanna Davies and Orla Quirke. I looked over their schedule once again to think about the best route.
"All you have to do is go through the tapestry of an eagle saying where you want to go as a short cut," Padma said. "That's what Ginny and Parvati told me."
"Come on guys let's go to your first class," I said. "Let's see that's…transfiguration."
I took my group just outside the Great Hall. Instead of going up a flight of stairs we turned left going through a stone passage and making a right at the first wooden door, which lead to just outside the transfiguration classroom.
"This place is confusing," Stewart said examining the stone passage.
We went through the door and crawled under the bookshelf. From there I let them go off in the transfiguration classroom. Now I went off to astronomy in the North Tower. So I went through a tapestry of Godric Gryffindor charming Hogwarts from muggles and ended up in a cold damp stoned room. Just above the steps I climbed, was a portrait of Godric Gryffindor wearing old red robes with bloodstains.
"Aldrea Rowena Ravenclaw," I whispered for that was the name a Ravenclaw girl would say to get passed non-common room portraits.
The portrait slid open as I climbed out of it and into the brightly lit room outside astronomy. I ran as fats as I can, opening the door and taking a seat in the front next to the telescope.
"Welcome back seventh years," Sinistra greeted. "This week we'll be learning about Universal symbolism. Can someone tell me what Mars symbolizes? …Mr. Davies."
"Mars symbolizes war," Roger Davies replied.
"Good," Sinistra continued. "Mars was the Roman god of war. We won't move much farther than this topic. Some say that all the ones that have really noticed Mars have foreseen war and have therefore prevented or started war. So Friday night you will each meet back here to see Mars. Remember seeing Mars, you foresee war."
"Why do we have to get up in the middle of the night just to look at war?" Roger asked.
"So you can see Master Vol…war and hopefully start it…I mean prevent it," Sinistra said.
Sinistra was not the kind of person to want us to start war or even see war. She was peaceful when it came to arguments. Plus, didn't she almost say 'So you can see Master Voldemort'? Something was totally wrong.
Throughout the week I noticed lots of peculiar things with Sinistra. Like when I dropped off my first year buddies she took a drink from her coffee mug and she did afterwards too but she never took a drink during class not even when she was out of breath or her mouth was dry.
While everyone else was waiting in the entrance hall for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to arrive, I was in the library looking up Weird Wizarding Dilemmas. Trust me, you do not want to read or see this book. It has pictures of wizards and witches that got in the way of a bad charm and have sex with acromantula. It has disturbing pictures of half cat half humans.
"Penelope… let's go down to the entrance hall," Flitwick said grabbing me by the arm and pulling me down to the entrance hall.
Beauxbatons soon arrived by flying horse drawn carriage that landed only 50 feet from Hagrid's Hut. The students got out in fine silk dress robes trying to keep warm behind a very large woman. Cho whispered to me that she was half giant, which explains a lot.
" 'As Karkaroff arrived yet Dumbledore?" the big witch asked.
"No he hasn't Madam Maxime," Dumbledore replied.
"What is Karkaroff arriving in?" McGonnagall asked just realizing she didn't know what Durmstrang would come in.
Dumbledore didn't have time to speak. The water around Squid Lake was moving very fast and swirling around. Then a large ship appeared bearing the Durmstrang crest. A student wearing heavy overcoats and untidy brown hair let down the ramp to let Durmstrang off. First a young wizard only a few years older than Snape walked off the ship leading his students dressed in big heavy overcoats to Dumbledore.
