Percy Jackson and Harry Potter Halfblood Heroes (Book 6)

Chapter 3

"That's not saying much, seeing as you're already dead," Ron observed.

"Once again, you show all the sensitivity of a blunt axe," said Nearly Headless Nick in affrontedtones, and he rose into the air and glided back toward the far end of the Gryffindor table just asDumbledore got to his feet at the staff table. The talk and laughter echoing around the Hall diedaway almost instantly.

"The very best of evenings to you!" he said, smiling broadly, his arms opened wide as though toembrace the whole room.

"What happened to his hand?" gasped Hermione.

She was not the only one who had noticed. Dumbledore's right hand was blackened anddead-looking. Whispers litthe room; Dumbledore, interpreting them correctly, merely smiled and shook his purple-and-goldsleeve over his injury.

"Nothing to worry about," he said airily. "Now...to our new students, welcome, to our oldstudents, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you..."

"His hand was like that when I saw him over the summer," Harry whispered to Hermione. "Ithought he'd have cured it by now, though...or Madam Pomfrey would've done."

"It looks as if it's died," said Hermione, with a nauseated expression. "But there are some injuriesyou can't cure...old curses...and there are poisons without antidotes..."

"...and Mr Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any jokeitems bought at the shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Headsof House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year, Professor Slughorn"— Slughornstood up, his bald head gleaming in the candlelight, his big waistcoated belly casting the table intoshadow — "is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

"Potions?"

"Potions?"

The word echoed all over the Hall as people wondered wheel they had heard right.

"Potions?" said Percy, Ron and Hermione together, turning to stare Harry.

"But if Slughorn is the Potions teacher," Percy said. "Then isn't the DADA teacher. . . "

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising voice so that it carried over all themuttering, "will be taking the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"No!" said Harry, so loudly that many heads turned in his direction.

"But Harry, you said that Slughorn was going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts!"said Hermione.

"I thought he was!" said Harry

"He looks happy," Percy said

Snape, who was sitting on Dumbledore's right, did not stand up his mention of his name; hemerely raised a hand in lazy acknowledgement of the applause from the Slytherin table, yet Harry wassure he could detect a look of triumph on the features he loathed so much.

"Well, there's one good thing," Harry said savagely. "Snape'll be gone by the end of the year."

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

"That job's jinxed. No ones lasted more than a year...Quirrell actually died doingit...Personally, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for another death..."

"Harry!" said Hermione, shocked and reproachful.

"He might just go back to teaching Potions at the end of the year," said Ron reasonably. "ThatSlughorn bloke might not want to stay long-term. Moody didn't."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. Percy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were not the only ones who hadbeen talking; the whole Hall had erupted in a buzz of conversation at the news that Snape had finallyachieved his heart's desire.

"Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at largeand gaining in strength."

The silence seemed to tauten and strain as Dumbledore spoke.

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much careeach of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortificationshave been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but wemust still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. Iurge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that you teachers might impose upon you,however irksome you might find them — in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of afterhours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle,to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with theutmost regard for your own and others' safety."

Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over the students before he smiled once more.

"But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I knowthat your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night.Pip pip!"

With the usual deafening scraping noise, the benches moved back and the hundreds of studentsbegan to file out of the Great Hall toward their dormitories. Percy went to Professor McGonagall for the Gryffindor Tower's password and Harry and Ron walked towards the Gryffindor tower.