" Link. I see you have made it safely." The older voice of Dumbledore spoke. Link looked at the man sitting behind his desk.
" Yes I have, and so has Harry. I have Nirus flying over his carriage and keeping an eye on him." Link explained.
" Good, good. I heard of the incident at the game, but I would prefer to hear it from you." Dumbledore requested with a smile.
Link began the explanation of what had happened. About how he had been keeping watch when he heard the screams and smelled the smoke, about how Mr. Weasley ran off and Fred, George and Ginny had too. He told him about meeting up with Draco in the forest, about hearing the strange footsteps and the deep voice calling out the Dark Mark spell and told him about finding Winky in the forest, unconscious and with Harry's wand in her hands.
" I knew it was a good idea to teach you the removal spell for a Dark Mark, but what worries me is the voice you had heard in the forest. You are sure that it was a male voice?" Dumbledore inquired.
" As sure as the fact that the Potter boy has a scar on his forehead. I even distinctly heard the pop of disapperation as well Dumbledore, and you know that my hearing is much better then anyone else in this school." Link answered.
" I do indeed know that, which is what worries me because I know that what you told me is completely true. However, you know what this means." The headmaster spoke gravely.
" I'll be keeping a closer eye on the boy and have Nirus follow his every move when I can't." Link promised.
" Good. Now, shall we head downstairs to the Great Hall?" Dumbledore asked with a slight smile as he stood and walked around his desk.
"Very well." Link answered.
They walked together down the gargoyle spiral staircase and through the corridors of the castle. Dumbledore led Link to the back doors of the Great Hall, where students had yet to gather inside. Most of the other teachers were there though. Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, Professor Sprout, Professor Trelawney, Professor Hooch, and Professor Snape were all gathered and each one knew of the sixteen-year-old teacher teaching a class at Hogwarts, but that didn't mean that they all liked it. None of the teachers were sitting yet, so when McGonagall saw them she hurried over with a welcoming smile on her face.
" You must be the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher here at Hogwarts this year, Professor Link." The Transfiguration teacher said holding out her hand.
" I am, and you must be Professor McGonagall?" the Hylian asked as he shook her hand.
" Indeed." She answered spoke. In a lower voice, Link heard her mutter," Dragon Snapple."
Dumbledore clapped his hands twice and the teachers quieted.
" Let us sit and allow the students to come in from the cold weather outside, shall we?" Dumbledore said cheerfully. They all took their seats where they were assigned, except for Professor McGonagall who went out to help with the new students. Link was seated at the left of Dumbledore's chair, though the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher usually sits further down on the left.
The ghosts came into the Hall as the doors opened and allow the students to pour in. The Hall was immediately filled with noise as students sat, talked and greeting each other after their summer break. Link's eyes scanned the crowd briefly before finding the heads of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
" Hiya Harry!" Link's ears picked up Harry's conversation even through the noise of the crowd.
" Hi, Colin." The boy answered. Link straightened a bit, remembering the Colin from his own village in Hyrule.
His own Colin was like a little brother to him, a little brother who he missed dearly.
" Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!" Colin said excitedly.
" Er-good." Harry answered a little awkwardly.
" He's really excited! I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed eh, Harry?" Colin asked grinning.
" Er-yeah, all right." Harry agreed before Link saw him turn in his seat back to his friends.
" Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses, don't they?" he asked his friends.
" Oh no, not necessarily. Parvati Patil's twin is in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?" Hermione answered. Harry looked to the staff table at that moment and caught Link looking to them.
Link read Harry's lips as they spelled out the question,'what's going on this year?'.
Link allowed himself a small smile. He shook his head to them and relaxed back in his seat. Soon after Ron and Hermione saw him. Hermione whispered something to Ron and the red head mouthed to Link,'isn't Moody suppose to be there? Where is he?' Link just shrugged slightly.
" Yes I do wonder too where Professor Moody is." Dumbledore agreed. Link looked to him and Dumbledore gave him one of his knowing, kind smiles.
" I give you less credit then you should have Professor." Link finally decided, the corner of his lips twitching upward as well.
" Most people do." Dumbledore winked. Then the door opened and silence immediately spread over the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall entered, with wet, dripping students behind her. One of them was wrapped in the over coat Link had seen on Hagrid before.
The new students filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school. Link saw McGonagall, through the line of first years, place a three-legged stool in front of them, with an old, dirty, patched wizards hat. There was a long silence as everyone stared at it before, suddenly, it seemed to open a mouth, and sing,
A thousand years or more ago, when I was newly sewn, there lived four wizards of renown, whose names are still well known:
Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream, they hatched a daring plan, to educate young sorcerers,
Thus Hogwarts School began
Now each of these four founders, formed their own house for each, did value different virtues, in the ones they had to teach,
By Gryffindor, the bravest were prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw the cleverest, would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff hard workers were most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide their favorites from the throng, yet how to pick the worthy ones when they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way, he whipped me off his head, the founders put some brains in me,
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind, and tell you where you belong!
The hat sung. The teachers and students erupted into applause at the end.
" A different song every year. You always wonder what is the next one." Dumbledore said to Link with a twinkle in his eyes.
" A very interesting way to sort people." Link agreed.
" Yes, yes it is." Dumbledore said before looking back to the hat.
Professor McGonagall then unrolled a parchment and said," When I call out your name, you will put on the hat, and sit on the stool, when the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table. Ackerley, Stewart!" a boy walked forwards, visibly trembling from head to foot, and put the hat on and sat down.
" RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted. The entire Ravenclaw table erupted into cheers as he sat down. Then went onto the next girl, a girl named Cora Zabrinski, who was sorted into Ravenclaw too. That table erupted into cheers once more, and so the sorting continued. Colin's brother, Dennis, was eventually called up and was sorted into Gryffindor.
Link watched as the Gryffindor House went wild with applause and congratulations for him. Then after a while longer, the sorting was finished, signified when Professor McGonagall took away the hat and stool and soon sat at her own chair.
Professor Dumbledore got to his feet, and stood, smiling and said," I have only two words to say to you.Tuck in."
Harry and Ron cried," Here Here!" As the once empty dishes filled before their eyes.
Professor Dumbledore sat back down as all the students and teachers began to eat. Link, who was never really picky, ate everything on his plate. You learn not to be picky when you're outside on a cold night starving from lack of food in the desert.
" I'm glad you are enjoying it Link." Dumbledore smiled. Then he leaned closer to the Hylian and whispered," I had a few of the House elves create a few more Hyrulian like dishes."
" Thank you Professor Dumbledore. The food is very good." Link told him, grateful. He heard a clang from the Gryffindor table and looked up to see that Hermione had knocked over her goblet in shock. Then he heard why.
" There are house-elves here? Here at Hogwarts?" she asked horror-struck as she looked at the ghost Link recognized as Nearly Headless Nick.
Link barely listened, though it was hard to ignore with Hermione's near yelling, horrified tone, and it wasn't long before the plates cleaned themselves and dessert appeared.
Link continued to eat with along with the other teachers as he listened to Ron's failed attempts to get Hermione to eat more. Later, when all of the desserts had been finished and Dumbledore stood once more, the chatter in the Great Hall ceased almost immediately.
" So! Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." the corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched as he continued.
" As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmead to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year." Link heard Harry's gasp of disbelief mingled in with the rest of the students.
" This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy-but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-" but at the moment a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged opened.
A man stood in the door way covered in shadows as the lightning flashed, but Link's eyes managed to see that the figure was none other then Mad-Eye Moody himself.
He walked through, his false legs clinking against the tiled floor. Then he walked up to Dumbledore, and shook hands with the man, muttering a few words Link didn't to hear about, before sitting down.
Moody pulled a plate of sausages towards him, raised it to the left of his nose, and sniffed it. Then he took out a small knife out of his pocket, speared the sausage on the end of it, and began to eat.
" Now, to the introductions. May I introduce your Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Link, and his assistant Professor Moody." Dumbledore introduced as if nothing had happened.
The students locked their eyes on the unknown Hylian and that of the new comer. Only Hagrid's and Dumbledore's clapping echoed lonely through the Great Hall as a few murmurs went up about the two new teachers.
Dumbledore then cleared his throat and continued," As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
" You're JOKING!" Fred Weasley yelled out loudly. The once tension now broke as nearly everyone laughed and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.
" I am not joking Mr. Weasley. Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar...-" Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.
" Er- but maybe this is not the time… no…. where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament… well some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely." Dumbledore explained.
Then he explained to the students all about the Triwizard Tournament. He mentioned about how the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang's would be arriving later as visiting schools so that their students would participate as well in the Tournament.
"-and now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" Dumbledore sat down again.
As the students began to stand up and pile out, he turned to Link, and said," It could've gone better."
Link looked to the headmaster as the Great Hall began to empty and said," I don't think it could've gone better if we used magic Dumbledore."
Dumbledore chuckled at the response. After all the students had gone, the teachers dispersed until the only teachers there were professor McGonagall, Head Master Dumbledore, and Link.
" Minerva, could you show Link to where he will be staying?" Dumbledore asked politely to the Professor.
" Of course Head Master." McGonagall answered.
" If you need anything Link, you know the password to my office." Dumbledore told him and Link just nodded in response.
" Good." The older Wizard smile, tapping the side of his nose once with a wink before leaving.
" This way Link." The transfiguration Professor said after he left. Link followed her out of the now empty Hall and down the Hogwarts corridors to the Defense Against The Dark Arts room.
It was a good-sized room with a short staircase in one corner leading up to a door.
" Up there is where your things are waiting Link. Moody will be situated somewhere else, so the entire room will be to yourself. If you need anything just come see me or the Head Master." McGonagall told him.
" Thank you." Link responded. The Professor nodded with a small smile as she left. Once she was gone Link took a good glance around the main classroom before walking up the stairs and through the heavy door.
The room itself was around the size of his home in Ordon Village and in a circular shape too.
To his left was fireplace with a desk standing almost in the middle of the room next to it and bookshelves lined with books on either side. A large, warm looking circular carpet covered the floor and there were candles situated around the room, already lit, with decently sized window almost directly opposite him. A big four posted dark wood bed with curtains around the edges was against the wall to his right. At the foot of the bed was his trunk, still closed, and sitting on the back of the chair behind the desk, was Nirus.
The owl cooed and flew up to land on Link's shoulder as said person closed the door.
" Good job on looking after Harry." Link murmured as he scratched Nirus. The barn owl leaned into Link's hand in response.
As he flew back to his previous position on the chair Link stripped to his underwear, leaving his clothes lying on the floor. He climbed into the bed, taking his wand with him, and waved it once so his things would begin to unpack himself, the dirty clothes he left on the floor folding themselves neatly to land on the top of the trunk when it closed.
As the items moved across the room to their proper position, he put his wand on the end table and Nirus cooed out again softly. Instead of just stopping, Nirus continued the tune, turning it into a soft, calming song.
It made Link's lack of sleep noticeable to him, and his eyes began to droop close in weariness. Nirus's song echoed through the room as the Hylian's eyes closed finally, laying his head on his pillow.
" Thank you, Nirus. Wake me if there's anything wrong." he murmured, half asleep. Nirus didn't answer, but simply continued the song as the Hylian's breathing slowed, and the Hero of Twilight fell into a deep, sound sleep graced to him by the Goddesses.