Mischief Managed (Discontinued)

CHAPTER TWO

Hogsmeade Station was jam-packed with a sea of black-robed students. Some students were yelling for others they had lost in the crowd, others were ordering kids in a line.

The usual deep voice was shouting, "First years, over here! First years over to me!" The huge Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid, whose warm, kind black eyes were only just visible over his tangled, bushy brown hair, was waving his hands in his direction for all to see. Remus waved at him, and Hagrid waved happily back.

As they made their slow and steady way up to the school, they heard some distinct calls from the crowd.

"Jean! Where are you?" yelled a third-year girl.

"Hi, Hagrid!" said a sixth-year boy.

"Terence! Guess what my mum got me for my birthday? An owl!" exclaimed a second-year boy excitedly.

As Remus, Peter, Sirius, and James walked toward the bright, gleaming light of the Entrance Hall, Sirius slipped his wand out of his pocket and twirled it between his fingers. His eyes were slightly unfocused, and he seemed to be thinking hard.

"You alright, Sirius?" asked James, watching him.

"Yeah, just - just wondering," replied Sirius flatly, in a tone that made James think he shouldn't ask more questions.

The students were gradually herded towards the Great Hall, the massive, cathedral-sized hall with four long tables representing each House. The group of friends walked quickly towards the Gryffindor table, the one at the end of the Hall, and sat down.

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, or Nearly-Headless Nick, glided down the long bench and through a few students, who shivered. It was a very uncomfortable sensation, having a ghost go through you. Like being dipped into a bucket of ice-cold water.

"So," said Nearly-Headless Nick, focusing on James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. "Going to get into trouble this year? You're in your 4th year now, you've got to step it up." He winked. The student he was sitting in shuddered and scooted down the bench a bit, away from the ghost.

James grinned. "That's the idea," he said. Remus rolled his eyes, but Sirius chuckled. Peter gave a small, shy smile.

After everyone in the Hall had taken a seat at any of the four House tables, James finally looked up at the Staff Table at the very front of the Hall. He saw tiny Professor Flitwick, sitting on a few cushions to bring himself to the height of everyone else. There was also Horace Slughorn, the kind, humorous Potions master.

James looked farther down. There was an empty seat next to the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, whose long white beard streaked with auburn went farther than his waist, and whose half-moon glasses glinted in the candlelight of the hundreds of candles floating magically above the tables. Next to the vacant chair sat Professor Pomona Sprout, the Herbology teacher. There was another empty seat next to her.

After taking a close look at every teacher at the table, James looked up, through the magically hovering candles, to the roof above. The sky outside was a clear, deep blue, and the few wisps of cloud were shining gold from the tiny bit of sun that still had to go down. The stars were starting to pop out, and the moon was just noticeable. It looked as though it were halfway to the full moon.

James glanced at Remus. He seemed to have noticed the moon, too, because he was very pale in the bright, golden candlelight. Peter's stomach was growling. Remus buried himself in his books once more. Sirius and James were talking excitedly to one another again, along with nearly the entire Great hall.

Finally, a thin, tall, strict-looking woman with her black hair pulled back in a bun came into the Hall with a three-legged stool and an old, ragged wizard's hat.