FLIPPED - harry potter

༺ 24 - tournaments and tricks. ༻

❀✿❀

| TOURNAMENTS AND TRICKS |

"You're JOKING—"

❀✿❀

THROUGH THE GATES, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying alarmingly in what was fast becoming a gale. Her tired eyes still heavy, Alora turned her head to look at Hogwarts as it came nearer. Lighting flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a sharp halt.

People who had occupied some of the carriages at the front, hurried up the stone steps to the castle; Harry, Alora, Ron and Hermione jumped from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit Entrance Hall.

"Blimey," said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, "if that keeps up, the lake's going to overflow. I'm soaking—ARGH!"

A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron's head, and burst. Drenched and spluttering, Ron staggered sideways over to Harry and Alora, just as the second balloon dropped — narrowly missing Hermione, who got a tug of the arm by Alora.

It landed at Harry's feet, sending a wave of cold water over his trainers and socks. People all around began to shriek, pushing each other out of the line of fire. Alora looked up, and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the poltergeist, a wide malicious smile took over his face.

"PEEVES!" yelled an outraged voice. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"

Professor McGonagall, had come dashing from the Great Hall, her face entwined in an angry knot; she skidded across the wet floor, and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself falling.

"Ouch — sorry, Miss Granger—"

"That's all right, Professor!" Hermione gasped, massaging her neck with a groan. Alora stood watching with a laugh.

"Peeves, get down here NOW!" barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upwards through her square-rimmed spectacles.

"Not doing nothing!" cackled Peeves, lobbing a water balloon at several fifth-year girls, who squealed and dived into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeeee!" he aimed another bomb at some second years who had just arrived.

"I shall call the Headmaster!" shouted Professor McGonagall, "I'm warning you, Peeves—!"

Peeves simply stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water balloons into the air, and zoomed off up the staircase, cackling maniacally.

"Well, move along, then!" said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. "Into the Great Hall, come on!"

Harry, Alora, Ron and Hermione slipped and slid across the Entrance Hall and through the double doors on the right, Ron muttered furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair from his face.

The Great Hall looked like its usual grand self, decorated for the annual start-of-term feast. Furnished with golden plates and goblets gleamed by the lights of hundreds of candles, floating over the tables. The four long house tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table facing their students.