Et Serpens album

Part 7

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. Neville cursed his self-centred thought.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!" 

Neville didn't know whether to laugh or be confused, yes he grew up learning about Dumbledore eccentric personality but he wondered if his age is getting to him. 

"Is he -- a bit mad?" he asked Percy uncertainly.

"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Neville?" 

Neville nodded and stared at the food everything seemed so good he was about to take a bit of everything, "That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching  Neville reach for the stake. 

"Sorry, sir," Neville said to the poor ghost. 

 "I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower. "

I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you -- you're Nearly Headless Nick!" 

but fizzy-haired Hermione Granger interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted. 'Dear Merlin Hermione, you can't just ask why someone is nearly headless,' Neville thought 

 "Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased with the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So -- new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable -- he's the Slytherin ghost. "

 Neville looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Neville was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements. Vivienne was sitting beside him looking bored her green eyes don't shine like they used to. 

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus Finnigan with great interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

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 flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding. . .

As  Neville helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him. "

The others laughed.

"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced, all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here, they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad. "  Neville after telling the tale realized what he just said was a bit terrifying.