Beautiful Disaster

seven.

Charlotte plopped down next to Draco, the closed umbrella was dripping as she handed it over to him. She was thankful that it had been raining, the water on her face hid the tears she had been crying. Draco looked at her as he took the umbrella and tapped it with his wand, causing it to disappear.

"Are you okay?" He whispered in her ear. She opened her mouth to speak but was silenced once the headmaster stood up. She just shook her head in response.

"Tuck in!" He exclaimed as every surface was covered in multiple varieties of food. Charlotte had forgotten how much she enjoyed the food at Hogwarts as she grabbed some nearby steak and kidney pie and pilled it on to her plate. As she started to eat, she noticed that the Gryffindor table kept looking her way. She shook her head and continued to eat until she felt someone nudge her right side.

"What happened outside?" Draco asked and Charlotte sighed before telling him.

"Seeing as all of the Gryffindors know, I guess there's no harm in telling you." She said, earning glances from Theo and Pansy as well. The entire table quieted down to listen to what she had to say.

"I broke up with Harry." She explained and the table just stared at her. She looked at Theo and saw sympathy rush across his face.

"Are you okay though, Char?" He asked, his eyes filled with concern. She just looked at him, anger brewing up inside her.

"Stop looking at me like that! I'm not a fragile little doll. I broke up with him, I'm fine!" She yelled and the table returned to their own conversations. The food cleared away and Professor Dumbledore stood up, bringing silence to the Great Hall. Charlotte ignored the people around her and turned her attention to the Headmaster.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." Charlotte rolled her eyes, knowing perfectly well that no one would willingly look that list over.

He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

Charlotte felt Draco tense up next to her and knew that he was unhappy about the arrangement. He wasn't alone, it seemed as if every Quidditch player in the Hall was upset. She patted his shoulder in a reassuring matter as Dumbledore continued.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -"

There was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

Every head in the Great Hall turned toward the stranger standing in the doorway. He shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.

A clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step and Charlotte noticed that one of his legs was made out of metal. She wondered how he lost it when he reached the end of the top table, turned, and limped toward Dumbledore.