Harry Potter and the Hidden Treasure (Volume 3)

Chapter 509 The Early Years

"Well done, Evan," exclaimed Professor McGonagall, who had received the news and rushed out of the Great Hall. She slid on the wet floor and grabbed a student by the collar to stop herself from falling. Adjusting her pointed hat, she firmly addressed the water-soaked crowd, "I will take care of the rest. Proceed into the Great Hall, let's go!"

Along with the crowd, Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped and slid through the hallway and passed through the double doors on the right, while Ron muttered angrily under his breath as he pushed his soaked hair away from his face.

The Great Hall looked splendid as usual, adorned for the start-of-term feast.

Golden plates and cups shimmered in the light of hundreds of candles floating above the tables in the air.

The four long house tables were filled with chattering students.

At the top of the Hall, the teachers sat along one side of a fifth table, gazing at their pupils.

Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione passed by the Slytherins, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs, and sat with the rest of the Gryffindors at the opposite end of the hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost.

Clad in pearly white and semi-transparent, Nick sported his usual doublet tonight but with an unusually large ruff collar, adding an extra festive touch and ensuring his head did not wobble too much on his partially severed neck.

"Good evening," he greeted them with a smile, "How was your summer?"

"Not bad," replied Evan, lightly tapping his school robes with his wand. The water on them instantly evaporated, and his attire dried up again.

"I saw the latest issue of Magical Hogwarts. You've done a great job, Evan!" proud Nick remarked. "Many ghosts have been asking about you. They know I have the best relationship with you."

For the Magical Hogwarts, Evan needed Nick's assistance in many things. The news sources provided by ghosts in various parts of Great Britain had become the newspaper's most prominent feature and were highly popular.

There were ample opportunities for contact between Evan and Nick. Among all the young wizards at the school, the relationship between the two was the strongest.

They barely exchanged a few words when Colin approached them in his robes.

"Evan, you're already in, it's pouring rain outside!" said Colin, removing his shoes and pouring out the water. "I was in the entrance hall for a while, trying to see my brother crossing the lake. But I couldn't see a thing in the darkness."

His younger brother, Dennis Creevey, was on the train newly, and Evan had met him.

The young boy had brown hair and looked smaller than Colin but more energetic.

Obviously, Colin had already told him a lot about Hogwarts and had greatly praised Evan in front of him. As soon as the little one saw Evan, he got so excited that he almost ran out of breath recounting his great feats!

It seemed like a replay of what happened when Colin met Harry before.

"I really hope they speed up the sorting, I can't wait!" said Colin, almost jumping in his seat. "I just hope they assign him to Gryffindor! Evan, can you pray for him with me?! Cross your fingers, right, Harry?"

"No problem," Evan nodded.

Harry agreed as well, and the conversation shifted to whether siblings usually went to the same houses.

Judging by the Weasleys, that was true, and their seven children had been assigned to Gryffindor.

But this was not always the case. Hermione cited the example of Parvati Patil. She was in Gryffindor, and her twin, Padma, was in Ravenclaw; even though they were identical. Even from a personality perspective, there was no difference at all.

There was also the case of Sirius Black. All members of the Black family used to be assigned to Slytherin, but he was the only one sorted into Gryffindor.

This made Colin nervous, and he kept his fingers crossed, praying for Dennis to be assigned to Gryffindor.

Evan's eyes moved to the center of the Great Hall. Since entering the school, he hadn't witnessed the Sorting Ceremony in person due to many setbacks. It seemed that this year, at least, he wouldn't miss it.

At the faculty table, there seemed to be more empty seats than usual.

Hagrid, of course, was still struggling to cross the lake with the first-years. Professor McGonagall was in the entrance hall supervising the floor drying, and preventing Peeves from causing more trouble. Professor Snape was absent.

Only Dumbledore was seated there as usual, with his silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent green robes embroidered with stars and moons. Dumbledore's long, slender fingers were interlocked and he rested his chin on them, gazing at the ceiling through his half-moon glasses as if lost in his thoughts.

For a long time, it seemed like he felt Evan's gaze. He lowered his head, smiling, and winked his blue eyes.

Next to Dumbledore, the diminutive Professor Flitwick was seated on a large pile of cushions, sipping a red drink.

Beside him was Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew on her gray unkempt hair. She was conversing with Professor Sinistra from the Astronomy Department.

After a while, just before the ceremony began, Snape appeared, with a pale face, aquiline nose, and greasy hair.

He entered the Great Hall in his dark robes, his steps making no sound.

Snape seemed to have an invisible aura, one that made all the young witches and wizards unconsciously fall silent as he passed by.

His cold, disdainful eyes briefly paused on Evan and Harry, then quickly averted.

"Look at the faculty table, there's still one empty chair!" said Harry, following Snape's steps to the faculty table. "It's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Why hasn't he arrived yet? I don't know who it will be."

They had never had a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor last more than a year, and that position was cursed.

Evan knew that this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was going to be Mad-Eye Moody.

To be precise, it was a fake Moody, impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr. He didn't know what he was doing and still hadn't shown up.

"I don't know who he is, but I wish he would hurry up, I'm hungry!" said Ron.

The words had barely left his mouth when the doors of the Great Hall swung open and silence fell.

Professor McGonagall led a long line of first-years up to the top of the Hall, where everyone looked.

If Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were wet before, it was nothing compared to how these first-years looked. They seemed to have swum across the lake rather than sailed.

They marched along the faculty table and stopped in a line facing the rest of the school.

Everyone was shivering from cold and nerves, except the smallest of them all.

It was Colin's younger brother, Dennis, and the boy was wrapped in Hagrid's moleskin coat. The coat was so large on him that he looked like he was wrapped in a black circus tent. His small face peeked out above the collar, looking almost painfully excited.

When he lined up with his classmates, he caught the eyes of Colin and Evan, raised both thumbs, and excitedly whispered, "I fell in the lake!" He was absolutely delighted about it!