Window into the Past

🌙53🌙

I sat up on the carriage with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron was still pissed off at Malfoy so he was sulking for the whole carriage ride.

It was lashing rain so I held my cloak over my head as we ran into the Entrance Hall. "Blimey, the weather's horrible," I muttered. "I'm surprised that...ARGH! WHY?!"

Peeves thought it would hilarious to drop a huge water balloon on my head, soaking me. "DAMN YOU, PEEVES!" I shrieked, shaking the water off me. 

"Revenge, Jonesy, revenge!" he sang. "PEEVES!" McGonagall yelled. "Come down here! NOW! I'll be telling the headmaster!"

Peeves blew a raspberry at her and whizzed off. "I'm gonna kill him," I grumbled, cold as hell.

Hermione took out her wand and muttered a drying spell. "Thanks, Mione," I muttered. We went into the Great Hall and sat down.

The Sorting Ceremony was about to begin and I looked up at the staff table to see Tia there.

"Hiya, Harry!" Colin Creevey greeted him. Colin Creevey was Harry's biggest fanboy. "Guess what Harry? Guess what? My brother is here! Dennis!"

"Uh, that's nice," Harry mumbled. "Fingers crossed he's in Gryffindor!" Colin said excitedly before running back to the third years.

Harry looked to us. "Siblings usually get sorted into the same house right?"

"No, Parvati's twin is in Ravenclaw," Hermione told him. "My mum was in Hufflepuff and my aunt was in Ravenclaw," I added.

"Wish your dad was still teaching," Ron sighed. "So do I, Ron, so do I," I sighed. "Now my aunt is here, bloody hell," I muttered. "Next year I'm going to find out that I had a twin all along."

Ron burst out laughing while Hermione shook her head. "Honestly, Joy," she rolled her eyes. Harry looked at the staff table. "Joy, your aunt isn't teaching right?"

"Not that I know of," I shrugged. "She would rather die."

The Sorting Hat burst into song, meaning that in a few moments, we would be getting new members of the Gryffindor family.

***

"Tuck in!" Dumbledore announced and Ron dived towards the chicken. "Yes!"

I helped myself to the mashed potatoes. "So good," I drooled. "There nearly wasn't a feast," Nearly-Headless-Nick told me. "Peeves was causing a racket."

"He's more annoying than usual today," I muttered. "He frightened all the house elves too," Nick added.

"WHAT?!" Hermione yelped. "There are house-elves here?"

Nick nodded. "Yes, about a hundred."

"They're the ones who gave me food to take to Sirius, Mitzy is so sweet," I told her. "You paid them right?" Hermione interrogated me. "I offered but they said no so..." I told her. "JOY!" Hermione scolded me, not letting me finish.

"Hermione, house elves don't want to be paid!" Ron laid it out for her. "This is slave labour," she huffed and refused to eat another bite.

The second the feast was over, Dumbledore stood up for the start of year speech. "Attention please! Mr Filch would like me to remind you that Fanged Frisbees are now banned in the halls, there's a full list in his office if anyone would like to take a look." 

He let out a wry chuckle, knowing that no student would willingly go into Filch's office, unless they were pulling a prank.

"Secondly, I would like to remind you that students are prohibited from going into the Forbidden Forests and first and second years are forbidden to go to Hogsmeade. Thirdly, it pains me to inform you that the Quidditch Cup will not take place this year..."

My jaw dropped. No Quidditch? NO QUIDDITCH?!

"No!" I whined. Harry, Fred and George had the same pained expression on their faces.

"...this is due to an event starting in October, taking up all of our time and energy, I am sure you will all enjoy it, this year at Hogwarts we..."

Dumbledore was interrupted when the doors suddenly opened and a man walked in, with long grey hair and a huge staff. I caught a glimpse of his face, the fake eye and the scars were visible. "That's him, that's Mad-Eye Moody," I whispered to the others. "That's Mad-Eye Moody?!" Hermione gaped.

He walked right up to Dumbledore and they shook hands. "May I introduce Alastor Moody, who has kindly agreed to fill the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor."

I gaped. "Whoa."

"I'm just glad it's not Snape," Ron muttered. I noticed Moody taking a swig from a flask. I'm hoping that he isn't drunk on the job.

"As I was saying, this year at Hogwarts, we will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament!"

Everyone began cheering loudly. "Usually it occurs between three schools in Europe, which would be Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, each school would take turns hosting it every five years, although it was discontinued due to the rising death toll it would take," Dumbledore explained. "But the Tournament was reinstated. The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive with their short list of contenders in October. High Auror, Tatiana Jones will be in charge of organising the tasks. The selection of champions will occur on Halloween. The prize is one thousand Galleons!"

Everyone was gasping and talking excitedly. "I am aware how eager you all are to bring the cup to Hogwarts but the Ministry have brought in a rule that no student under seventeen can put their name forward."

Fred pouted. I just shrugged. If Dad or Sirius found out that I was doing this, they'd kill me themselves.

"So if you are under seventeen, do not put your name forward," Dumbledore told us.

***

"Joanna!" I heard my aunt teasingly call once I was getting ready to leave. "You want us to wait?" Hermione asked me. "No, go ahead," I muttered.

I turned around and walked up to my aunt. "Triwizard Tournament?"

"Yeah, it's why I'm here" she explained to me.

Tia was looking around everywhere. "My last year in Hogwarts was when you were only five years old," she told me. "Really?" I asked her. "You were only born in my second year," Tia told me. "I got an owl during breakfast telling me I was an auntie."

"That's sweet," I smiled. She walked me up to Gryffindor Tower where Harry was waiting. "I know you told us not to wait but you don't know the password, so..I uh..waited," Harry stuttered. "Thanks," I smiled at him.

Tia smiled at us and went back down the stairs. "Balderdash," Harry said to the Fat Lady and the portrait swung open. "Good night."

"Good night."