The train ride back to Hogwarts passed without incident, other than Theodore Nott stopping by with Crabbe and Goyle. Nott glared around the compartment, then snarled, "You'd better watch your back, Romanov. I might not have been able to pull off anything on you or your sister last year, but this year will be different. And even if I fail, I know the Dark Lord will return someday and kill-"
"Theodore, what are you doing?" Caleb Selwyn asked, poking his head out of the compartment next door. "Didn't Mum and Dad tell you to behave yourself and stop causing more trouble?"
"Stay out of it, Caleb," Nott snapped. "This is none of your business."
"It is my business if you're causing trouble," Caleb replied. "Mum and Dad said that they didn't want you further disgracing the Nott family name after what happened with your father. I don't want to have to write to them and tell them about any misbehavior you might do."
"Then don't. Now, I suggest you stop sticking your nose in what I'm doing, or I'll hex it off for you."
"Mr. Nott, we do not threaten other students," said Vera, who was doing her patrol of the train and walked up just in time to Nott's comment. "I suggest you and your two friends return to your compartment and stop bothering the other students. Or do you really wish to be given detention or have Slytherin lose points before the term has even started?"
Nott bristled at this and retorted, "My cousin was just being annoying! Haven't you ever wanted to hex an annoying relative? Besides, what gives you the right to take points from Slytherin? Only teachers and Slytherin prefects can do so, and you're neither."
"You forget that the Head Boy and Girl can also deduct house points, and I happen to be the Head Girl." Vera gestured at the badge pinned on the chest of her school robes. "Not to mention that my brother also happens to be a Slytherin prefect and he could deduct points too, if I told him about this."
"Fine!" spat Nott, looking furious. "Come on, Crabbe and Goyle." He rudely pushed past Vera, who stopped him.
"Mr. Nott, you do not just push past someone without even saying a simple 'excuse me'. You will write 'I will not rudely push past people' a hundred times, to be handed in to me by Wednesday, and I will speak with Professor Snape about your behavior. Didn't you learn better after what happened last term?"
"I'm sorry," he said, but the apology didn't sound sincere at all. He then scowled and strode off, Crabbe and Goyle following him.
Vera shook her head and then poked her head in the compartment that the Gryffindor quintet was in. "Nott didn't bother you too much, did he?"
"He made a threat about getting back at Beth and me, or failing that, Riddle would return to power and do us in," Alex responded. "Caleb asked Nott what he was doing before he could say anything more, and then you showed up."
"Well, let me know if tries to do anything do you. Or you can tell Ivan and he can pass it on to Professor Snape."
Not long after that, the sunny weather turned to rain, and it looked distinctly bad as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station. "I feel sorry for the first-years, having to cross the lake in this weather," Hermione said.
"Hagrid will get them across safely," Ron assured her as the quintet got off the train.
Other than Peeves pelting people with water balloons until Professor McGonagall appeared and sent him away, the students were able to make it into the Great Hall without much incident. As the quintet was sitting down, a very excited Colin Creevy announced that his brother, Dennis, was starting Hogwarts this year and that he hoped his brother would be in Gryffindor as well.
"There's a good chance of that happening," Hermione remarked. "Being in one house can run in families. Though it's not always the case."
Alex and Beth knew that it was true, for it certainly happened in their family. Sure, Ivan and Jonas were both in Slytherin, but the same couldn't be said for the rest of the family. Their sister Vera was in Ravenclaw, and while David had also ended up there, his sister Cara was in Hufflepuff. As for the adults, only Uncle Tobias and Aunt Maria had ended up in the same house, Hufflepuff. Well, Aunt Sarah had been in Gryffindor with Ana, but she had married into the family.
"Didn't Mum tell you that Mad-Eye Moody was going to be our Defense teacher this year, Alex?" asked Ron, scanning the staff table. "I don't see him at all. All the other teachers are at the staff table, except for Professor McGonagall and Hagrid, who're busy with the first-years."
"Maybe he's running late," said Alex. "You told us earlier that your dad had to go out this morning and deal with Moody over his dustbins reacting to a supposed intruder last night. They're probably finishing things up."
Once all the first-years had entered the Great Hall, one of them wearing what looked to be Hagrid's overcoat (which looked like he was draped in a furry black circus tent, considering his small size) over his robes, the Sorting Hat began its song. When it finished, everyone clapped and the Sorting began. The small boy in Hagrid's overcoat turned out to be Dennis Creevy, and after he had been Sorted into Gryffindor, the reason for why he was wearing it became apparent. As Dennis sat down next to his brother, he excitedly revealed that he had fallen into the lake, but something had pushed him back onto the boat.
"Cool! It was probably the giant squid!" exclaimed Colin, just as excitedly.
The Sorting, unlike last year, didn't have anything of note happening, unless you counted the Sorting Hat having to take two or three minutes before deciding that Natalie McDonald belonged in Gryffindor (the longest Sorting that year). When it ended, Professor McGonagall picked up the Hat and stool and carried it away. Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. "I have only two words to say to you. Tuck in."
The empty dishes filled magically and everyone started filling their plates. It wasn't until after dessert ended and Professor Dumbledore was giving out the notices for the year that Professor Moody made his entrance. Since Alex and Beth had met Moody years ago, when Aunt Maria had taken them to visit the Ministry, they weren't that surprised by his appearance. However, the same couldn't be said for most of the other students, who just sat in silence as he walked up to Dumbledore, exchanged muttered words, and then sat down and suspiciously examined a plate of sausages before beginning to eat one. His normal eye was focused on the sausages, but his magical eye darted restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.
Nobody clapped when Professor Dumbledore introduced Moody as the new Defense teacher, with the exception of the Headmaster and Hagrid, but they stopped fairly quickly. Alex and Beth would have clapped as well, but they didn't want to single themselves out by doing so.
Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. He ignored the goblet of pumpkin juice in front of him and instead took a deep swig from a hip flask he removed from under his traveling cloak. Everyone kept staring at him, until Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued what he was going to say before he had been interrupted by Moody's arrival.
Professor Dumbledore proceeded to announce that the Triwizard Tournament was being held at Hogwarts this year, and explain the Tournament for those students that weren't knowledgeable about it. Fred and George exchanged excited looks and hissed that they were going to try out for it once they heard that it would involve a prize of one thousand Galleons to the winner (despite the fact that they didn't turn seventeen until April).
"You know how dangerous the Tournament is," Neville pointed out once Dumbledore had finished and dismissed everyone. "Why bother to compete?"
"It's not like we don't know the necessary spells," George answered. "And think of the prize money."
Fred nodded. "Sure, we have five hundred Galleons saved up for our joke shop, but having another thousand for it wouldn't hurt."
"What about the money you two won from Bagman?" asked Beth. "You bet over seventy Galleons, plus the five for the joke wand, and he gave you good odds. That ought to have netted you two or three hundred Galleons, if not more."
George scowled. "He paid us in the gold that the leprechauns had showered everyone in the stadium with."
"So?" asked Hermione. Then her eyes grew wide and she gasped. "Oh no! I remember reading that leprechaun gold disappears after a few hours. Is that what happened to you guys?"
Fred nodded, looking sour. "We think it might be a mistake, but we're not sure. George and I sent him a letter about it yesterday."
"So that's why you two were so distracted when David couldn't find his wand that morning," said Ron. "You discovered that your winnings had disappeared."
"Well, I hope it is a mistake and you get your money," Alex said sympathetically. "If not, I can-"
"You already gave up your share of the money from the sale of the basilisk parts to us," George interrupted. "You don't need to give us anything more, Alex."
"Actually, what I was going to say was that I can speak to Sirius about having him invest in your joke shop. He's already been thinking about it, and all he wants in return is to run some ideas for prank items by you two and have you sell them if they're marketable."
"That's great," Fred said enthusiastically. "Considering that he's one of the Marauders, he's bound to have some good ideas for prank items."
The Weasley twins then started talking about their planned joke shop to each other, and the Gryffindor quintet put up a spell to prevent eavesdropping before having a whispered conversation about what Professor Dumbledore might do to prevent Alex from being entered into the Tournament. Once they arrived at the Gryffindor common room, they removed the spell and split off to their respective dormitories. Alex, Ron, and Neville changed into their pajamas, brushed their teeth, and climbed into their beds, where they were soon asleep.