A Hogwarts Legend: Chaos Begins [4] (SLOW UPDATES)

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen - "Just trying to diffuse the tension."

The rain is still drumming heavily against the high, dark windows. Another clap of thunder shakes the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashes, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanishes and are replaced, instantly, with puddings.

"Treacle tart, Hermione!" says Ron, deliberately wafting its smell towards her. "Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!"

Both Elinor and I laugh quietly. We're so immature.

When the puddings, too, have been demolished, and the last crumbs have faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore gets to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceases almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain can be heard.

"So!" says Dumbledore, smiling around at us all. "Now that we are all fed and watered" ("Hmph!" says Hermione), "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."

Yeah, totally want to do that.

He continues, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the Forest in 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."

"What?" I gasp. I look around at Harry, Fred and George. They're mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak.

Dumbledore continues, "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 -"

But at that moment, there's a deafening rumble of thunder, and the doors of the Great Hall bangs open.

A man stands in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swivels towards the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashes across the ceiling. He lowers his hood, shakes out a long mane of grizzled, dark grey hair, then begins to walk up towards the teachers' table.

A dull clunk echoes through the Hall on his every other step. He reaches the end of the top table, turns right and limps heavily towards Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crosses the ceiling. Hermione gasps.

The lightning has thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it's a face unlike any I've ever seen. It looks as though it has been carved out of weathered wood by someone who has only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and is none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seems to be scarred. The mouth looks like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose is missing. But it's the man's eyes that makes him frightening.

One of them is small, dark and beady. The other is large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye is moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and is rolling up, down and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolls right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all we can see is whiteness.

The stranger reaches Dumbledore. He stretches out a hand that's as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shakes it, muttering words I can't hear. He seems to be making some enquiry of the stranger, who shakes his head unsmilingly and replies in an undertone. Dumbledore nods, and gestures the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side.