Silver Hourglass

The Unforgivable Feast Chapter 31

Harry and Draco made their way into the Great Hall, along with the rest of the students as the Sorting Hat sang his song to the first years. Harry clapped along with the rest of Slytherin to their new Housemates. The ceiling about them was a raging thunderstorm, dark purple clouds and lightning struck as they ate their feast. The four Slytherins spent their time talking about their summers, Blaise and Theo talking excitingly about their time as "muggles." After they were stuffed with food, Dumbledore stood up and Harry looked over at the staff table for the first time. He saw the staff table mostly filled, an empty chair next to Snape that Harry guessed was for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He still didn't know who their new professor was yet. "So," Dumbledore said smiling 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 this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprise 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." The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. Harry could see Dumbledore's eyes shift to the Weasley twins for a quick moment before continuing, "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."

"What!?" Harry and Draco gasped, looking at each other shocked. He looked around and saw similar shock and outraged from his fellow Slytherin Quidditch members, and the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Dumbledore held up his hand and said "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teacher's time and energy—but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts—"

At that moment there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall turned towards this man as he walked up the Hall, his staff making a heavy 'clunk' sound with each step. He lowered his hood and shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair. He reached the end of the staff table, turned right, and limped heavily towards Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning illuminated his face and Harry heard Parkinson sneer in disgust. His face looked like it was carved out of weathered wood by a blind man, scars peppering his face everywhere. His mouth was like a diagonal gash, and a large chuck of his nose was missing, but it was the man's eye that was most frightening. One was small, dark and beady while the other was large, and a vivid electric blue, moving independently on it's own.

The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was just as badly scarred as his face and Dumbledore shook it, patting the stranger on the back and saying words Harry couldn't hear. The stranger sat down in the empty chair Dumbledore gestured to and took out a flask, drinking it. "May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Dumbledore said brightly, "Professor Moody."

The hall was silent, except for the sound of Dumbledore's and Hagrid's clapping. The students and teachers too transfixed on the new professor's strange behavior. "Moody?" Theo whispered. "As in Mad-Eye Moody?"

"Yes, that's him." Blaise whispered.

"Who is he?" Harry asked.

"Retired Auror," Draco said. "He was good, too good according to father. Said he's gone crazy with paranoia, thinking that one day a convict will get him."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and said "As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year! Some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely."