No other unusual events occurred on the rest of the journey. The Hogwart's
Express finally arrived, and students poured off the train and began making
their way to the carriages.
Harry was relieved to see Hagrid directing the first-year students to the boats. Hermione, however, wasn't looking at Hagrid, but at the first-years.
"Is it just me, or are there a lot more first-years than usual?" Hermione said.
"Who cares?" Ron said, climbing into a carriage with Ginny and Neville. Harry shrugged, and he and Hermione followed Ron.
As the carriages moved toward the castle, Harry couldn't help but notice that Neville and Ginny seemed very friendly. And Harry was surprised to feel a little pang of jealousy. He brushed that thought aside and thought about Selena. She was very pretty and seemed nice. But she was so . . . wrong.
The carriages pulled to a stop in front of Hogwarts castle, and the students headed in for the feast.
"I wonder who they have for Defense Against the Dark Arts this year?" Harry said.
"It can't be worse than Umbridge, that's for sure," Ron said, and everyone else nodded.
The first thing that Harry noticed when they went into the Great Hall was that all the teachers seemed more preoccupied than usual. And there seemed to be many more teachers than he had remembered. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were bustling around talking to students and adults Harry didn't recognize. Harry noticed that Hermione also seemed interested. They watched as the professors pulled students away and escorted them out of the hall.
"Wow. This is going to be a great year!" Ron said suddenly.
Harry and Hermione turned to look at Ron, who had an expression of delight on his face. They followed Ron's gaze to the head table. Sitting at the table were nine witches they had never seen before. All of them were young, looking no older than thirty. And they were all extremely beautiful, with hair and eyes in a variety of colors.
"They must be new teachers," Ron said as Hermione scowled.
"Look! It's Moody," Harry said, pointing at the head table.
Mad-Eye Moody approached the witch at the far end of the table. Harry, Ron and Hermione couldn't hear what Moody said, but they watched as the witch with shiny, brown curls and a perfect body got a look of consternation on her face. Then she stood up and left.
Moody then walked up to the next at the table, a witch with long, flowing blond hair and violet eyes. He said something to her, and she too strode out of the hall.
"No! What's he doing?" Ron said.
Hermione glared at Ron and then Harry, Ron and Hermione watched as Moody did the same with the next four witches at the table. When Moody got to the seventh witch at the table, she got a look of rage on her face and stood up. Her eyes flashed, changing color from blue-green to red. She held up her hand and seemed to be speaking an incantation. Moody then said something else to her, and she turned on her heel and left the hall. The final two witches left, and Moody slumped into a chair and took a swig from his flask.
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged confused looks.
"Such a mess!" They turned and saw Professor McGonagall striding in their direction, muttering to herself.
"Need two defense teachers at this rate. What a mess! Don't know how Severus is ever going to deal with it."
They waited until McGonagall had passed them by before they said anything.
"Snape!" Harry said. "Where is he anyway?"
"What do you think McGonagall means 'Don't know how Severus is ever going to deal with it'?" Ron said. "Deal with what?"
Hermione was scanning the hall, searching for sight of Snape.
"Look!" she cried, pointing.
Harry and Ron looked to see a cluster of women and a few female students.
"But what does that have to do with Snape?" Harry said.
"Just watch!" Hermione said.
The group of women was moving as though someone was trying to get out of the center. Harry, Ron and Hermione watched as a harassed-looking Snape pushed his way out from the cluster of witches.
Harry was relieved to see Hagrid directing the first-year students to the boats. Hermione, however, wasn't looking at Hagrid, but at the first-years.
"Is it just me, or are there a lot more first-years than usual?" Hermione said.
"Who cares?" Ron said, climbing into a carriage with Ginny and Neville. Harry shrugged, and he and Hermione followed Ron.
As the carriages moved toward the castle, Harry couldn't help but notice that Neville and Ginny seemed very friendly. And Harry was surprised to feel a little pang of jealousy. He brushed that thought aside and thought about Selena. She was very pretty and seemed nice. But she was so . . . wrong.
The carriages pulled to a stop in front of Hogwarts castle, and the students headed in for the feast.
"I wonder who they have for Defense Against the Dark Arts this year?" Harry said.
"It can't be worse than Umbridge, that's for sure," Ron said, and everyone else nodded.
The first thing that Harry noticed when they went into the Great Hall was that all the teachers seemed more preoccupied than usual. And there seemed to be many more teachers than he had remembered. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were bustling around talking to students and adults Harry didn't recognize. Harry noticed that Hermione also seemed interested. They watched as the professors pulled students away and escorted them out of the hall.
"Wow. This is going to be a great year!" Ron said suddenly.
Harry and Hermione turned to look at Ron, who had an expression of delight on his face. They followed Ron's gaze to the head table. Sitting at the table were nine witches they had never seen before. All of them were young, looking no older than thirty. And they were all extremely beautiful, with hair and eyes in a variety of colors.
"They must be new teachers," Ron said as Hermione scowled.
"Look! It's Moody," Harry said, pointing at the head table.
Mad-Eye Moody approached the witch at the far end of the table. Harry, Ron and Hermione couldn't hear what Moody said, but they watched as the witch with shiny, brown curls and a perfect body got a look of consternation on her face. Then she stood up and left.
Moody then walked up to the next at the table, a witch with long, flowing blond hair and violet eyes. He said something to her, and she too strode out of the hall.
"No! What's he doing?" Ron said.
Hermione glared at Ron and then Harry, Ron and Hermione watched as Moody did the same with the next four witches at the table. When Moody got to the seventh witch at the table, she got a look of rage on her face and stood up. Her eyes flashed, changing color from blue-green to red. She held up her hand and seemed to be speaking an incantation. Moody then said something else to her, and she turned on her heel and left the hall. The final two witches left, and Moody slumped into a chair and took a swig from his flask.
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged confused looks.
"Such a mess!" They turned and saw Professor McGonagall striding in their direction, muttering to herself.
"Need two defense teachers at this rate. What a mess! Don't know how Severus is ever going to deal with it."
They waited until McGonagall had passed them by before they said anything.
"Snape!" Harry said. "Where is he anyway?"
"What do you think McGonagall means 'Don't know how Severus is ever going to deal with it'?" Ron said. "Deal with what?"
Hermione was scanning the hall, searching for sight of Snape.
"Look!" she cried, pointing.
Harry and Ron looked to see a cluster of women and a few female students.
"But what does that have to do with Snape?" Harry said.
"Just watch!" Hermione said.
The group of women was moving as though someone was trying to get out of the center. Harry, Ron and Hermione watched as a harassed-looking Snape pushed his way out from the cluster of witches.