Fortune of Fate (A female Harry Potter fanfiction)

[15]

  Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

  ''Welcome!'' he said. ''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. Everyone clapped and cheered. Rose didn't know whether to laugh or not.

  ''Is he - a bit mad?'' she asked Percy uncertainly with a hint of amusement hidden in her tone.

  ''Mad?'' said Percy airily. ''He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Rose?''

  Rose's mouth fell open.

   The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

  The Dursleys had never exactly starved rose, but she'd never been allowed to eat as much as she liked. Dudley had always taken anything that Rose really wanted, even if it made him sick. Rose piled her plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.

  ''That does look good,'' said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Rose cut up her steak.

   ''Can't you-?''

  ''I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years,'' said the ghost. ''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!'' said Ron suddenly. ''My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!''

''I would prefer you call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy - '' the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted. ''Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?'' Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted. 

  Rose looked at the boy awkwardly, ''Isn't that kind of rude to ask..?'' She questioned. Of course, Rose had no idea if it was rude, all she knew is that the ghost looked uncomfortable, so she wanted to help him out.

  ''No, it's no trouble at all, don't worry. Like this,'' he said irritably. 

  He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge.

   Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. 

  Looking pleased with the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back to his neck, coughed, and said, ''So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year. Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the Cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost.''

  Rose looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who Rose wasn't pleased to see.