Chapter Nine: Start of Term.
The Hogwarts Express ground to a stop at Hogsmeade, in the dark.
It was, well, a dark and stormy night, thought Harry. He was momentarily glad he wasn't a first year. He felt immediately guilty about it.
"Harry, we need to go to a carriage" said Daphne. Which was apparently code for 'help me to get into a carriage as quickly as possible because it was raining.
Ron, Hermione and Luna crowded in. Luna was bone-dry.
"Luna, you're dry?" asked Harry.
"Oh. Water-repelling charm? Soory, did I miss something? Were we re-creating being underage?" asked Luna. "Ron, you could hose me down."
"Um." said Harry, and he started drying-charming everything, to have his wand-hand slapped down by Hermione.
"Don't!" she exclaimed "That make it extra frizzy."
Daphne sat quietly all the way up to Hogwarts, drying her hair one hank at a time with her wand. Ron dried himself off, then dried Hermione's shoes.
"Thanks Ron," she said. Harry felt his throat closing up with worry. He looked over at Daphne.
"Oh don't panic, dear" she said. "My shoes are charmed water-repelling."
As the carriage stopped at Hogwarts, someone – Dennis Creevy, Harry realised, stepped up onto the mounting-step and took a flash photo of the carriage. Harry could barely see for a little bit – just a big glowing blob in front of everything.
"Oh, blast him," said Hermione. "I can't bloody see!"
"Harry, I am displeased," said Daphne, then went quiet.
Harry helped her down out of the carriage, and she gave his hand a little squeeze, then walked off towards the doors. To get out of the rain.
Once he got inside, he started drying-charming everything in sight.
Filch, of all people was yelling "The bloody grout hasn't set yet! Don't get water on it you little shits!"
When Harry sat down at the end of the Gryffindor table farthest from the high table, he looked across at the Slytherin Table. Daphne was looking … pink-cheeked and cross.
Tracey patted her on the back, and she flinched.
Harry bit his lower lip. Bugger.
Flitwick led the First-years in, and they were… well there were loads of then, and they were all wet. Harry even hoped they'd stayed out of the front doorway, where the grout was, apparently, still wet.
After sorting – there were ten in each house at least, Professor McGonagall went to the golden lectern and cleared her throat.
"Good evening school. I am, for the benefit of the First years, Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts school for witchcraft and wizardry. For the benefit of the higher years, the first year has many children who could not attend Hogwarts last year, for one reason or another."
She looked around the room "I will try and keep this quick, so we can have supper." she said.
"Our werewolf defence professor, Remus Lupin who will NOT be using dark magic, and takes his wolfsbane so he's quite harmless. And his seventh years had the highest marks in NEWTs in the last twenty years."
"Madam Pomfrey reminds everyone that she had Dreamless sleep option if you are being troubled by nightmares. Anyone with persistent nightmares will be seen by a professional mind healer." said Professor McGonagall.
"Professor Firzene will be returning to teach divination, with Professor Trelawney only teaching Seers." said Professor McGonagall, her mouth looking, Harry thought, like a cats bum.
"Professor Hagrid will be teaching sixth and Seventh year Care of magical creatures, with lower years having Professor Charlie Weasley," said Professor McGonagall. "Who will be head of house for Gryffindor."
Harry looked over at the Slytherin table, where Tracey Davis was looking furious, and Daphne was casting charms quickly. That looked like a silencing charm, and that… a body bind. Tracey had been surprised then. She was wiggling and grimacing. Oh dear, he thought. Would not want to be Charlie.
"Professor Elphaba Flint will be teaching Potions" said Professor McGonagall and a witch with dark hair like Flint's nodded.
"And Professor Sinistra will be taking over as head of house for Slytherin house" said Professor McGonagall.
"Lastly, most of you will realise that many seventh year students, and others who had to flee Hogwarts have returned, including a number of quite famous people. Harassing them for autographs or because you don't like them, is not acceptable. All of them are adults, and do not need the irritation. Many of them have, like many returning students, lived through a war, and they do not like loud noises, and may react quite violently to spells cast near them. As magic is still prohibited in the halls, this should not be a problem. And finally, as a reminder, we have many twelve-year old first years, who missed their first year due to the war. Please welcome them to Hogwarts. We've had a tough few years, but this year will prove quite different."
"Now the Eight years are all adults, and I would ask that they try to keep the younger students from getting too practical an education in adult matters" said Professor McGonagall. Who was staring right at Harry, or so it seemed.
"And now, supper!" she said, and the table filled instantly with an entire feast.
"Oh god I'm hungry!" said Hermione, taking a drumstick and pointedly eating it in front of Ron. "One," she said between bites "at a time!"
"Sure," said Ron, taking roast beef instead.