Trouble Times Two (A Harry Potter fan fiction)

The Feast

Grace's stomach rumbled. "How long untill we can eat?" She asked Fred, who was seated at the table next to them.

"Pretty soon." Fred grinned. "Dumbledore has to say a few words, yada yada yada,"

"He says a few words. We clap and cheer," said George.

"And we're rewarded with food."

Grace nodded. Then, as if on cue, Dumbledore stood up.

"Welcome!" Dumbledore beamed down at them all. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat back down, and everyone clapped. Grace grinned, although all she could wonder was how the food was going to get on her plate. Maybe there was a door, and they all lined up to go get food, or maybe like those movies Butlers brought them in. Although Grace couldn't see Hogwarts having butlers. Maybe Fairies.

"Is he- a big mad?" Harry asked Percy uncertainly.

"Mad? No! He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But I guess he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes?" Percy held out a bowl full off potatoes. Grace scrunched up her nose and shook her head, before realizing there was food.

She looked over at Fred and George who were waiting for her reaction. "How?" She laughed picking up a steak and plopping it down on her plate.

The twins just laughed and shrugged before digging into the potatoes.

Grace grinned putting some peas and fries down on her plate, and sprinkled more than a littke vinigar over it all.

"Don't put too much on, there's still desert." Fred grinned looking at the pile of food on her plate.

Grace grinned taping her forehead. She dove into her food. This was more food than she had ever seen! As Grace was cutting her perfectly cooked, juicy steak, the ghost from earlier- the one wearing the ruff - spoke.

"That does all look rather good." He said eyeing Harry's steak.

"Can't you-" Harry began before the gost cut him off.

"I haven't eaten in nearley five hundred years. I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" Ron quickly exclaimed. "My brothers told me about you- you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly Headless?" Seamus Finnigan asked.

"It's not that hard." Grace said turning to him. "His head was probably allmost all the way off."

"I'll show you." said Nearly Headless Nick irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if on a hinge. Someone had tried to behead him, but no done it properly. Obviously pleasee with the stunned looks on their faces, he swung his head back up. "So- New Gryffindor's! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have won it six years in a row now! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."

Harry and Grace both had to turn around to look at the Slytherin table. There was a shimering silver ghost, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face and robes stained with silvery blood. He was right next to Malfoy, who didn't look to pleased to be sitting next to him.

"Well he doesn't seem to be such a bad guy." Grace said tilting her head.

"Are you kidding? Don't you see all that blood on him?" Ron asked.