Nightmare (Harry Potter OC Fic)

8. Professor Moody

There was an unexplainable excitement that went through Kei's body as she and Tiberius ran out of the rain towards the double doors of Hogwarts. All summer she had been looking forward to going back to Hogwarts and spending time with her friends again. She quickly spotted Silas Burke in a spot closest to the doors of the Great Hall while Gina and Vic Lestrange were closer to the middle of the Slytherin table near Jaqen and Lonnie Carrow.

Tiberius and Kei split and went to their own tables, Tiberius sitting somewhere in between Silas and the Lestranges and Carrows. Kei followed suit and sat in the spot across from Tiberius at the Hufflepuff table as she gave Shiloh Bones a small smile. It had felt like years until the first years finished their sorting and everyone had eaten. Between bites, Kei spoke with the second and third years they had befriended the previous years and turned around to Tiberius,

"Where's Alastor?"

The pair glanced from each other to the empty chair and back to one another.

"I reckon he's running late?" he answered in more a question. "Odd. . ."

Once dinner was eaten and the tables were magically cleaned, Kei watched Professor Dumbledore present his usual spiel about the upcoming year. Just as he had cancelled quidditch, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black travelling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swivelled toward— Alastor. Kei instantly perked up and reached out to hit Tiberius' arm only to see he was already looking at his father. But his presence seemed to be a little less than welcomed as the Great Hall had been rendered speechless.

As he made his way towards the teachers' table, a dull clunk of his leg echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Quickly, Kei reached over and brushed her fingers over Tiberius' hand causing him to look up. They met his gaze with a soft smile trying to quietly calm him from the odd storm of the magical ceiling.

It took a few moments until Alastor settled himself into his seat for Dumbledore to introduce him as Hogwarts' new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Tiberius and Kei clapped wildly and laughed as the other students around the Hall clapped awkwardly. Alastor nor Dumbledore seemed to care as the Headmaster continued with his announcement. A giddy yet fearful feeling flew through her body as Professor Dumbledore introduced the Triwizard Tournament,

". . .well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities — until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued," Dumbledore looked over the entire Hall with eyes of wonder and knowledge as he continued,

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament; none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.