Never Is Our Always

Triwizard Tournament! 4

(Minnie pov)

Lightning flashed across the sky as our carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps.

People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Fred, George, Lee and I dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase.

"Blimey," I said, shaking my head and sending water everywhere, "if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak- ARRGH!"

A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto my  head and exploded. Drenched and sputtering, I staggered sideways into Fred, just as a second water bomb dropped, narrowly missing him, it burst against the wall and the water trickled everywhere.

"Are you all right?" Fred asks as he held me.

"I can't see..." Fred helped me stand and then he pushes my soaking wet hair out of my face. "Thanks." He nods and I step slightly away from him.

People all around us shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire. I looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above us, Peeves the Poltergeist, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again.

"PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"

Professor McGonagall had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed me around the neck to stop herself from falling.

"Ouch- sorry, Miss Jordan-"

"That's all right, Professor!" I gasped, massaging my throat.

"Peeves, get down here NOW!" Professor McGonagall barked, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward.

"Not doing nothing!" Peeves cackled, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!" And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived.

"I shall call the headmaster!" Professor McGonagall shouted. "I'm warning you, Peeves-"

Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.

"Well, move along, then!" Professor McGonagall said sharply to the bedraggled crowd. "Into the Great Hall, come on!"

The four of us slipped and slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors on the right, I muttering furiously under my breath as I pushed my sopping hair off my face.

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair.

The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here.

"Good evening," Sir Nicholas said, beaming at us.

"Says who?" Harry and I said, Harry was taking off his sneakers and emptying them of water. "Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving."

"I second that," I grumble, George grabbed my arm and helped me sit down in the chair in between him and Fred.

The Sorting of the new students into Houses took place at the start of every school year, we all wanted it over and done with because let's face it? Who cares? We're cold and hungry.