Partners in Crime || PJOxHP || Marauders' Era

Owlery

Albus Dumbledore finally stood up. He smiled cordially at the students, his eyes twinkling in the candlelight. He cleared his throat, and at once, the whole Hall went silent. Students looked up from their talks, their eyes focused on the Headmaster. 

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts, and to our old hands, welcome back! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Bumbershoot! Titter! Whippersnapper! Foppish! Thank you!" He sat back down. 

Everybody clapped and cheered. 

Lily didn't know whether to laugh or not. "Is he– a bit mad?" she asked Jessica uncertainly.

"Mad?" said Jessica. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But I do think he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Lily?" 

Lily's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lambchops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, for some strange reason, mint humbugs. 

Jessica wasn't surprised as much as Lily. She already knew that this would happen, thanks to her dad.

James piled his plate until it seemed like a mountain and began to eat. It was all delicious. 

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Jessica cut up her steak.

"Can't you –?" Sirius began.

"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 Marlene suddenly. "My dad told me about you – you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy–" the ghost began stiffly, but Lily 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. "Like this," he said irritably. 

He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell on to his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly.

"Ooh," Jessica frowned. "Not a good picture."

Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back on to his neck, coughed and said, "So – new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Hufflepuff have got the cup three years in a row! The Fat Friar's becoming almost unbearable – he's the Hufflepuff ghost."

"Nick?" Jessica asked. 

"Hmm?"

"How'd you become a ghost?"

"I don't know," Nick said delicately. "And even if I knew, I don't think it would be a good thing to tell little children such as yourselves." 

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 puddings appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding... 

As Jessica helped herself to a piece of pie, the talk turned to their families. "I'm half and half," said Remus. "My mum's Muggle. Dad told her right after they'd dated for three years. Bit of nasty shock, really. She still can't get over it."