Ralph clapped and cheered with others but he didn't knew whether to laugh at Headmaster Snape or not.
"Don't you want to eat?" Bloody Baron asked as he sat beside him.
Ralph shook his head to bring himself out of his thoughts and looked at the table.
The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. There was roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy and ketchup.
He ate as much as he wanted, feeling something was off. He looked at the teacher's table. His eyes lit first upon Professor Snape, sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the centre of the long staff table, wearing his usual black robes.
Ralph blinked. Is it only me or he is looking younger than before?
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O and rice pudding.
At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Rose got to her feet. The hall fell silent.
"Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch."
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Rose.
She gave his wand a little flick, as if she was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.
"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Rose, "and off we go!"
And the school bellowed:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
"And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
Ralph waited for sometime, then stood up and followed the remaining students out of the Great Hall. He and his friends assembled later on the staircase where they usually met after dinner to talk.
"Did you see that Snape was smiling?" Viola asked.
"When?" Ralph, Altan and Sarnai asked together.
"When he was talking to Professor Rose. I don't know if it is true or not but I feel there is something peculiar about those two."
"Is it possible that they love each other? I mean I have seen them together a lots of time." Altan said.
"Ahh, then I would ship them." Sarnai said. "Snape and Rose. We would make a lovely couple."
An image raced past Ralph's mind, causing him to shudder with cringe of it.
"Great Merlin's pants!" he cried. "This is so gross."
"I am sorry if you think I offended anyone." Sarnai said, slightly alarmed at his reaction.
"No, it isn't your fault. It's just that you wouldn't want to imagine what I did. It was gross, cringy and next to impossible even though they love each other."
"I don't think they would even touch each other, let alone kiss." Altan commented.
Ralph and Viola looked at each other, realizing that their Mongolian friends were too pure for the world.
"Yeah, something close to that."
Sarnai yawned and decided to leave. Viola and Altan followed her to Gryffindor tower while Ralph dragged his heavy feet to the dungeons.
He walked deeper under the school and paused by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall.
"Crucio."
The stone door concealed in the wall slid open.
The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains.
A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs.
He ignored everyone and went to his room. Five four-posters hung with deep green, velvet curtains. His trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, he pulled on his pajamas and fell into bed.