"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! For those of you who have just arrived for your very first year, I am Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of this school, and I beg you to forgive me for delaying your delicious feast just one moment longer, as I have a few announcements."
Professor Dumbledore had this air about him. It took very little effort to listen to him speak, and although Peter suspected that it would last a long minute or two, he didn't mind in the slightest. Dumbledore emanated warmth and good cheer, two very welcome feelings. Peter felt so comforted, he began to wonder if Dumbledore's speech was enchanted in some subtle way. No reason to wonder too much, Peter thought to himself. Just enjoy it.
"First off, I must tell you all of a rather new and dangerous tree that Hogwarts is honored to host near the Forbidden Forest this year. (And yes, that forest is forbidden. I hope that its name is sufficiently self-explanatory.) As I was saying, this fascinating tree, as Professor Moonwort will undoubtedly explain during your first Herbology lesson, is named the Whomping Willow. I would hope that the tree's name would prove to be just as self-explanatory as the name of the forest. However, I shall elaborate for those of you who prefer to ignore the words of your elders and learn by the hands-on approach. The Whomping Willow, as beautiful a tree as it is, is also highly dangerous. If you walk too close to this grouchy greenery, it will most likely curl one of its branches around your leg and toss you a wee bit too violently, resulting in either granting your life a permanent injury or shortly ending it."
Many students exchanged looks of surprise. Peter heard Lily whispering "Why plant something so dangerous at a school?" and couldn't help noticing the mischievous look exchanged by Potter and Black. Well, Peter knew one thing for sure. He would most certainly take Dumbledore's advice on this one. Nothing and no one would get him near that tree this year, or the following.
The stern expression left Dumbledore's face almost as quickly as it had arrived. Smiling enthusiastically again, Dumbledore continued.
"Oh, yes. And Mr. Filch would like me to remind you all that any mischief making will be punished."
"Severely punished! Severely, Headmaster!" hissed the bent over, middle-aged man who had suddenly appeared at Dumbledore's elbow. Dumbledore chuckled. Peter didn't find the creepy caretaker's passionate insistence half as funny.
"Aside from the Forbidden Forest and the wily and warlike Whomping Willow, I am fairly sure that no further announcement is, at the present, necessary. So…tuck in! I dare say I would love to start filling my belly with delectables as well! Mmmm…I do love chicken legs!" Dumbledore began humming to himself as food miraculously appeared in front of everyone.
Peter jumped in surprise as the empty dishes in front of him overflowed with food as well.
"Wicked!" Sirius and James's cried simultaneously, reaching for the plates that were closest to them.
"I find that, for once, I must agree with you!" Lily exclaimed, looking about the table delightedly. Peter watched as the inner struggle between Lily's self restraint and ravenous hunger came to an end. Lily grabbed the potatoes and helped herself to a gargantuan glob.
"You heard him, Peter! Tuck in! Ah…and please pass the steak. It looks fantastic!" Peter passed Remus the indicated dish and then helped himself to some as well.
"Good?" Lily asked Molly doubtfully as she tried a rather unusual looking soup that had been hidden between two larger dishes. "Mmph!" Molly replied around a mouthful of the soup in question, nodding happily. Lily poured some into her own bowl, watching the steam rise and magically shape itself into various geometric shapes before dissipating.
Suddenly, ablob of mashed pumpkin flew from above and landed only inches from where Lily was sitting. Screams and yelps of indignation could be heard all across the Great Hall. Candles flickered wildly as something swooped about, but it moved too fast for Peter to see what it was.
"PEEVES!" Filch roared, glaring up at the devilish-looking little man sitting among the rafters above them. "Headmaster, I thought yew said Professor Circe had built that charmed barrier 'round the hall so the devil couldn't git in!" A short woman sitting at the teacher's table bit her lip and began apologizing profusely. Dumbledore gave her an understanding half smile and then looked up at Peeves sternly.
"Now, Peeves. Haven't I already spoken to you about this? Perhaps you find your stay at Hogwarts unpleasant, and you wish to make mischief elsewhere. We would be more than happy to give you a jubilant send-off, if you wish to depart immediately."
The poltergeist looked at Dumbledore with a mix of insolence and obedience and answered in a whiny, rather obnoxious voice. "No, no! I understand, headmaster. I won't make any more mischief…AFTER THIS!" Cackling, Peeves dove downwards towards the Hufflepuff table and knocked over at least a dozen cups and soup bowls.
"PEEVES!" Dumbledore's sudden change of tone was astounding. He was no longer the cheerful, compassionate headmaster that Peter had listened to before the feast. This Dumbledore held a dangerous air of authority, and Peter suspected that few wizards would cross him if they could help it.
The poltergeist flinched, bowed, muttered a garbled apology, and vanished. Calmed, Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in amusement. "I doubt we'll see him again tonight. My apologies." A scattered applause could be heard from the crowd as Dumbledore nodded and sat himself down once more.
Sirius sighed. "I kind of liked that Peeves…" he mused as he returned to his mountain of food.
"You'd be singing a different tune if he'd thrown pumpkin at you." Lily replied, sweeping the orange clump sitting next to her off the seat with a napkin.
James nodded. "Yeah, Sirius. Lovely Lily was under fierce attack, here!" Lily frowned, but Sirius just smirked. Although others might interpret such a remark as sarcasm, and perhaps sarcasm was intended, Peter knew James was flirting with her.
"Oh, yes. Of course. Merlin forbid that such a beauty be besmirched with such loathsome muck! Pumpkin, Evans?" Sirius offered Lily the bowl of mashed pumpkin with an evil grin, which she in turn shoved back violently. Her voice was seething with stilted politeness when she replied, however.
"No thank you, Black. I believe that I've had quite enough for one night."
James gave Sirius a look that clearly said "Why did you have to annoy her? I meant well and you turn it into a joke!" Sirius didn'tseem even remotely apologetic as he helped himself to the string beans.
The rest of the feast was fairly uneventful in comparison to Peeve's outburst. Uneventful so far as Hogwarts life goes, that is. They were rather surprised when the ghosts blew by, leaving them all shivering with goose bumps, and Peter nearly fell off his chair in surprise when Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, proudly displayed how he got his nickname.
Eventually Dumbledore dismissed them all, and their house Prefects led them off to their dormitories. Sirius, James, Remus, Peter and a few other boys followed a tall brown-haired boy up many flights of stairs until they reached a portrait of a rather voluptuous woman. "Heliopath", said the Prefect, and theFat Ladyallowed them to pass through the portrait hole.
There was a lot of laughter and pillow throwing in the Gryffindor boy's dormitory, of course, but Peter was too tired to join in. As he brushed his teeth, he could hear James and Sirius laughing about that Slytherin boy again asRemus repeatedly tried to change the subject to what classes they had the next day.
The moment Peter's head hit the pillow, he fell sound asleep. James and Sirius snuck up to his bedside, unbeknownst to him, but Remus merely ushered them away. After all, it wouldn't be kind to wake him with a splash water after such an exhausting day. If they did it at all, Remus explained, it would be best done in the morning. James and Sirius agreed reluctantly, but swore that they'd use it tomorrow, bright and early. At that moment, Peter snorted in his sleep, leaving James, Sirius, and Remus fighting back laughter as they climbed into their beds.
Author's Note:
If you're wondering if I've fogotten that Voldemort is growing in power at this time, I haven't. ;) He'll most definetly be mentioned in the next few chapters. More than mentioned after another seven or eight chapters, actually.
And, as usual, read and review. Suggestions welcome. Corrections even more welcome!