𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, fred weasley

˗ˋ 89

CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE
✧
-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH SHE INTERRUPTS

. . .

With Rose Zeller finally being sorted into Hufflepuff, Elodie's first and only experience watching and participating in one of Hogwarts' Sortings. Which was actually quite fun, despite the boring initial appearance of it all - given that nobody but the person under which the Hat was sat could hear what it was saying, it was rather disappointing at first.

Then reassuring, because Elodie figured that she wasn't particularly interested in having McGonagall hear whatever it was saying to her, and the rather scared looking first years seemed to have the same thought - and they were facing the entirety of Hogwarts' student body.

The gratitude that Elodie had felt to the Hat and the joy that came with being Sorted had faded by the time that the song had been sung. It was just so omminous and not something that you really wanted to hear on your first day at the school.

Something was going to happen at Hogwarts that year. And it wasn't something like the Triwizard Tournament, which seemed so fun and exciting. Instead, it seemed as if something innately evil in the school.

And if it wasn't the woman wearing all pink, who looked a bit like a frog and had a cardigan on that if Beauxbatons' saw it would kick her else, Elodie didn't know what else it could be. 

The Beaumont girl had kept her eye on her all the way through the Sorting, unable to comprehend what she was looking at. It was just so much pink. Too much pink. 

All the while, Fred and George had indulged themselves in playing a guessing game of sorts. Every time a first year stepped forward, they would pick a house out for them to be sorted into. Whether it was random or not, they seemed to clap louder than anyone else if their gueses had been right - even if the student was being sorted into Slytherin. 

"You see, the Hat feels itself honor-bound to give the school due warning whenever it feels -" Nearly-Headless Nick was aying, only to be cut off by the sight of Dumbledore rising to his feet amongst the flood of students still voicing their worries. The Gryffindor ghost rushed away from the table, floated would perhaps be a better term, to the side of the Hall, waiting for Dumbledore to begin. 

"To our newcomers," Dumbledore began in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, as if he hadn't been discredited in every single edition of the Daily Prophet and other such newspapers since the claims of Voldemort's return, "Welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak ofapplause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate — for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints of meat and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and flagons of pumpkin juice.

"Wow." Elodie's eyes widened at the sight of all of the food. It was completely different to what had been served at Beauxbatons, but even after several months of eating the food at Hogwarts, Elodie was still shocked by just how much there was - and how homely it felt. 

Fred grinned at the sight of her, beginning to load her plate with several of the things he believed and remembered she would like best. The appreciative look on her face seemed to be the best thing he had seen all day when he slid under her nose and turned to his own plate, the entirety of the Hall tucking into their meals.

Savoury dishes dissolved into sweet, and before anyone knew it they had stuffed themselves full of the house-elf made dishes and it was fading away in front of them, dirty plates replaced by the glossy wooden surface, only the small bowl of peppermints dotted up and down lengths of the table remaining.

"Out done themselves, again." George relaxed in his seat, elbow slumped down on the table. "I suggest we pay them a visit tomorrow and-" But he didn't get to finish, Dumbledore standing up once again.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices." Dumbledore began. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now too."

Fred and George had no sense of embarassment as they leaned over the table and high-fived.

"Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr Filch's office door." The caretaker nodded at Dumbledore's words, glaring threateningly at any student who dared look his way.

"Ah, my favourite haunt." Fred had acquired his old man voice again, a grin spreading across his features. "So our plans for tomorrow now include a visit to the lovely house-elves, but also go and find out what exactly we need to purchase to piss old Filchy off even more."

"We have had two changes in staffing this year." Dumbledore pushed on. "We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Dumbledore seemed polite as he said it, but the reaction from the students wasn't as enthusiastic.

"What happened to 'agrid?" Elodie turned to look at the twins, only recieving shrugs. "Ah, he was so nice to the Abraxan."

Dumbledore, who seemed to want to let them get to bed just as much as the students did, continued. "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-" He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, "Hem,hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

"Hold on - no, Quidditch is the best part of this speech." Fred protested, and he wasn't the only one, concern coming from all of the students.

From what Elodie knew, nobody interrupted Dumbledore.

✧

a/n
idk what to do with
this book bc im losing
motivation so i might
unpublish all chapters
in act two and replace it
with an long epilogue just so i
can have it over with