Luck of Nines

59

Time ticked past and none of them made a move.

     Snape still sat stiffly. The Gryffindors glared restlessly. And Chipper braced to flee.

The standstill was interrupted as the doors fell open again, "Ah! Happy Holidays all!" The Hufflepuff's bright spirits feel a little as they caught onto the tense atmosphere, Professor Sprout had seemed nervous already, but now she seemed downright ill, one of the remaining three Hufflepuffs, an older student like the Gryffindors attempted to keep up the other two's cheer as the Hufflepuffs took seats on the opposite side of the table.

     Lynette, the only one he recognized, glanced nervously about the table before shyly waving at him, smiling and mouthing something. Harry nodded back a greeting, his eyes only briefly leaving the Gryffindors to determine the newcomers were not a threat. The third Hufflepuff looked about midway through Hogwarts and terrified of the Gryffindors, she leaned down, speaking quietly to Lynette. A rebuke and warning. He heard Lynette stiffen, "Harry didn't do anything to deserve this.  He's not any different from me."  She whispered back louder and indignantly. A few of the closer Gryffindor heads swung, her way, although they didn't seem to have heard anything damning. Perhaps they only caught his name.

     Either way, Sprout seemed equally nervous to prevent from displeasing the board, nervously encouraging 'holiday spirit' which prompted Dodge to mention Dumbledore, Witlock to sneer something, Mcgonagall to mention possible improvements and a new argument to begin.

     "Rather late, aren't they?" Witlock finally sniffed as he checked his watch for the thousandth time, the pocket watch making an annoyingly sharp click that caused Harry to have to stifle his jump as it opened up and again as it shut and was stuffed back in Witlock's pocket.

     "Well it's only now the official start of breakfast," Sprout nervously soothed, "First day of break I'm sure the Ravenclaws just wanted to sleep in a little extra."

       Witlock sniffed, "All this school has is break, nothing efficient whatsoever-"

       "Sorry, sorry, we're here," Flitwick dashed in, ushering two Ravenclaws behind him, both not glancing up from the textbooks they were reading, "I hope we haven't kept you waiting?" He stared expectantly, nervously wiping sweat from his forehead.

      "Well." Witlock said, and Flitwick flinched at the tone in unison with the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff heads of house.

      "We can begin now, of course," Dodge cut in, "Dumbeldore always did post these announcement since no one wants to worry about timeliness on the first day of break, but given the unfortunate state Hogwarts finds itself in as we all enter this time, we wanted to-"

      "Ah, good to see I made it; I'm here too, pardon me, not too late am I?"  Hagrid, hustled in as well, his good cheer falling flat as his eyes narrowed upon Chipper, but eventually he made his way over to the remaining empty seat between Professor Sprout and  the Gryffindors almost at the corner diagonally across the table from the corner where Chipper sat. He used the position to glare darkly over at Chipper and Chipper instinctually felt his muscles tense, ready to run.

"As Dodge was saying," Witlock happily broke in, "The rules are not up for negotiations, students are to remain in their dorms from the hours of six in the evening until eight thirty in the morning-" immediately the Gryffindors erupted into outrage. They wanted more time to search the castle for their missing cohorts, and generally curfew was ignored during break.

Witlock angrily cleared his throat, and the three nervous teachers rushed to silence those who protested. "You must report here during the usual lunch period everyday for attendance and check in with your head of house every evening at least five minutes prior to the start of curfew."