Snape straightened his robes and strode purposefully toward Moody at the
head table. The two had a short conference. Then Snape sat down at the
table, and Moody headed off toward the cluster of witches. He said
something to them, and they left the Great Hall.
Things appeared to be settling down, so Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table, along with Neville and Ginny.
"I wonder where all these beautiful women are coming from," Harry said.
"What beautiful women?" said Neville, who didn't seem to have eyes for any girl but Ginny.
Harry again felt a twinge of jealousy, and he looked away. His eyes landed on the Slytherin table, and he saw Draco Malfoy sitting with Crabbe and Goyle and a girl Harry didn't recognize. She must be the girl from the train, Harry thought. She was exactly as Hermione described her, with body piercings and black clothes and makeup. But despite her strange appearance, she was really very beautiful. Harry noticed that Malfoy didn't seem to mind the attention from this new girl, and he also saw that Pansy Parkinson was sitting a few seats away and looking rather miserable.
The buzzing of chatting students died down as the teachers took their places at the head table and Professor Dumbledore entered the Great Hall and went to the table.
"And so, another year at Hogwarts begins," Dumbledore said. "Before we begin the sorting, I have an announcement for you. We have several exchange students this year, and . . . oh . . ." Dumbledore's voice trailed off as McGonagall leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"Well, it seems I was mistaken," Dumbledore resumed. "We do not have any exchange students. So let us begin the sorting."
The doors to the Great Hall opened, and the group of nervous-looking first- years entered. McGonagall brought out the Sorting Hat and stool, and called the first student up to be sorted.
"It looks like there are a lot fewer of them than I noticed getting off the train," Hermione said. "I wonder why that is."
"Must've been the lighting," Ron said. "It was dark outside. Maybe you were seeing shadows or something."
When the sorting was over, Professor McGonagall took the Sorting Hat and stool from the hall, and Dumbledore stood up again.
"Now, before the feast begins, I would like to announce a few staffing changes for this year," Dumbledore said. "As you know, we again needed a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. That, coupled with some recent, er, developments has convinced Alastor Moody to come out of retirement, this time for real, to teach at Hogwarts."
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny applauded wildly. They had gotten to know the non-imposter Moody through the Order of the Phoenix, and they couldn't think of a better teacher.
"Now, our second new teacher is for Ancient Runes," Dumbledore said. "May I introduce . . . Professor Greenleaf!"
Hermione slid off her seat to the floor in a dead faint.
**** A/N: Yes, Professor Greenleaf is a bit of an homage to the infamous and classic Sparklypoo House comic.
And sorry about the delay in telling you about snoggarts. I had planned it for the second chapter, but now it looks like that section will come in chapter five. (If you think about it, I bet you can guess what they are. You've already seen some snoggarts.)
Things appeared to be settling down, so Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table, along with Neville and Ginny.
"I wonder where all these beautiful women are coming from," Harry said.
"What beautiful women?" said Neville, who didn't seem to have eyes for any girl but Ginny.
Harry again felt a twinge of jealousy, and he looked away. His eyes landed on the Slytherin table, and he saw Draco Malfoy sitting with Crabbe and Goyle and a girl Harry didn't recognize. She must be the girl from the train, Harry thought. She was exactly as Hermione described her, with body piercings and black clothes and makeup. But despite her strange appearance, she was really very beautiful. Harry noticed that Malfoy didn't seem to mind the attention from this new girl, and he also saw that Pansy Parkinson was sitting a few seats away and looking rather miserable.
The buzzing of chatting students died down as the teachers took their places at the head table and Professor Dumbledore entered the Great Hall and went to the table.
"And so, another year at Hogwarts begins," Dumbledore said. "Before we begin the sorting, I have an announcement for you. We have several exchange students this year, and . . . oh . . ." Dumbledore's voice trailed off as McGonagall leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"Well, it seems I was mistaken," Dumbledore resumed. "We do not have any exchange students. So let us begin the sorting."
The doors to the Great Hall opened, and the group of nervous-looking first- years entered. McGonagall brought out the Sorting Hat and stool, and called the first student up to be sorted.
"It looks like there are a lot fewer of them than I noticed getting off the train," Hermione said. "I wonder why that is."
"Must've been the lighting," Ron said. "It was dark outside. Maybe you were seeing shadows or something."
When the sorting was over, Professor McGonagall took the Sorting Hat and stool from the hall, and Dumbledore stood up again.
"Now, before the feast begins, I would like to announce a few staffing changes for this year," Dumbledore said. "As you know, we again needed a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. That, coupled with some recent, er, developments has convinced Alastor Moody to come out of retirement, this time for real, to teach at Hogwarts."
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny applauded wildly. They had gotten to know the non-imposter Moody through the Order of the Phoenix, and they couldn't think of a better teacher.
"Now, our second new teacher is for Ancient Runes," Dumbledore said. "May I introduce . . . Professor Greenleaf!"
Hermione slid off her seat to the floor in a dead faint.
**** A/N: Yes, Professor Greenleaf is a bit of an homage to the infamous and classic Sparklypoo House comic.
And sorry about the delay in telling you about snoggarts. I had planned it for the second chapter, but now it looks like that section will come in chapter five. (If you think about it, I bet you can guess what they are. You've already seen some snoggarts.)