FINITE | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [4]

𝘅𝘃 | 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆

Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars and up the sweeping path the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the window with Harry, Gwen would see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain.

  Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a half before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. Students who had already left their carriages were hurrying up the stone steps and into the castle.

  Gwen, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch lit entrance hall with the magnificent marble staircase.

  'Blimey,' said Ron, shaking his head and spraying rain water over the others, 'if it continues like that the lake will overflow-- ARGH!'

  A large red water balloon had dropped from the ceiling and onto Ron's head, exploding. Drenched once more and sputtering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry, just as a second water bomb dropped-- directly onto Gwen's head.

  Orion started squawking in his cage, angry that he had been splashed, and Gwen, too focused on calming him down, barely noticed the carnage that ensued. Students were shrieking and shoving each other in their efforts to get out of the line of fire. Someone kicked Gwen in the back as they scrambled to get away from the downpour of water balloons.

  'PEEVES!' yelled an angry voice. 'Peeves, come down here, at ONCE!'

  Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling.

  'Ouch-- sorry, Miss Granger--'

  'That's alright, Professor!' Hermione gasped, massaging her throat.

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

  'Not doing nothing!' cackled Peeves, lobbing another water bomb at a group of fifth year girls who screamed and dashed into the Great Hall. 'Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeee!' And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived.

  'I shall call the Headmaster!' shouted Professor McGonagall. 'I'm warning you, Peeves--!'

  Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackly madly.

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

  Gwen opened Orion's cage and let him fly out, leaving it with the rest of the luggage in the entrance hall, and slipped and slid as she followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione into the Great Hall. Ron muttered furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair off his face.