The weather was the worst we had ever had for a first of September since I've been here.
I pity all the first-years — they probably won't want to see rain or water again for the next few days.
"Your charm is really effective, Evelyn."
"I figured it would be a shame to be soaked on the first day, even if we wouldn't stand out from all the others who will be. Now that I think about it… we might actually stand out because we're dry."
"No, look — almost every seventh-year is using it."
"Older than we seem, huh? It's been a long time since I was seen that way. Don't worry — you get used to it with time."
We rushed toward the carriages, and I could see Neville's unease.
"You know, you don't have to worry about the Thestrals — they won't bite, even if they look scary."
Only Ginny didn't understand what we were talking about, so we explained it to her.
"Neville and I saw our grandfather after he died."
"I saw my mother die."
"I'd rather not talk about it."
Even though I've been dating Marie for two years, she still won't tell me who she saw die.
I can see in her more pain than in many who have lost loved ones — as if she had watched her entire family die one after the other.
The rest of the journey was silent; the atmosphere had turned heavy after talking about death.
When we arrived, I felt my instincts flare up — but Evelyn was already standing in front of me… holding a water balloon?
"Take this to the face, Peeves!"
She wrapped the magical balloon and threw it at the poltergeist, who was carrying a whole load of water balloons.
When he got hit in the face, he dropped the ones in his arms — and I quickly used a Levitation Charm to stop them from falling to the ground.
"Peeves, get out of here and stop this nonsense right now!"
Professor McGonagall arrived, furious at Peeves.
Struck by Marie's attack, he vanished without saying a word.
"Nice throw."
"We made such an effort to stay dry, it's not to end up soaked by someone as annoying as him."
The water balloons, still levitating, were thrown outside and burst magically.
We made our way to our table, leaving Ginny and Neville behind.
Hermione arrived a few minutes later, looking completely mentally exhausted.
"Why did you leave me alone with those two idiots?"
"Because I couldn't stand them. And you showing up to drag me away wouldn't have helped anything, so… sorry. If you want, I'll buy you a drink during the next Hogsmeade weekend."
She suddenly seemed much happier, and I noticed Mary's eyes shining with a strange, unsettling gleam.
About five minutes later, the first-years entered, and one of the students — the wettest of them all — was wearing Hagrid's coat.
It's strange, but I feel like Neville could have been in that position if he were a first-year.
As usual: the Sorting Hat's song, the Sorting Ceremony, and finally the feast.
While we were eating, Helena appeared to start a conversation.
"Congratulations on your promotion."
"Thanks, but I would've preferred not to be made a prefect. It leaves me with even less time for my own work. I already have so much to do."
At the same moment, Marie was trying to offer me a delicious-looking beef stew.
"You're lucky to be able to eat."
"What happened — did we all almost die?"
"No, Peeves made a mess in the kitchens. The house-elves were in a panic trying to get him out. In the end, the Bloody Baron had to step in."
"What? There are house-elves in this castle?"
Oh no — I had completely forgotten how strongly she felt about the treatment of house-elves.
Hermione suddenly lost her appetite and pushed her plate away.
"You should eat, Hermione."
"I won't eat a meal that supports slavery."
"As I've told you before, it's more complicated than that. Besides, they're very well treated in the castle, and they're never forced to do impossible tasks."
"Yes, but it's still slavery."
So stubborn…
"I agree in principle, but refusing to eat is like spitting on the efforts of those poor elves. They poured their hearts into this feast — the least we can do is show them our gratitude. Every chef wants their guests to leave with a smile."
It seemed like I had managed to convince her, though she ate with much less joy and far more slowly than usual.
Author's note: I totally forgot about Hermione's whole house-elf thing XD — so don't worry if this part feels a bit inconsistent.
Once we had finished, Dumbledore was about to begin his speech when the doors suddenly opened and someone walked in.
His face was covered in scar tissue, part of his nose was missing, and one of his eyes was constantly moving in every direction.
There was no doubt — it was Moody, the ex-Auror.
"I'd like you to meet Professor Alastor Moody, who will be in charge of the Defence Against the Dark Arts class."
There's potential. Professor Lupin's lessons were interesting, but mostly focused on the basics of dealing with magical creatures. With Moody, we might get something much more exciting.