Through All the Pain // N. Longbottom

Fourth Year // Chapter 4

"There she is!" He called as he jumped over Seamus's head and greeted me with open arms. 

"Hello, boys!" I said whilst hugging Dean. After him, I gave Seamus a quick hug before hugging Neville once more. "How was your summer?"

"Quite boring, besides the World Cup," Dean said. "That wasn't just amazing ... it was quite scary!" 

"Oh yeah! They do target Muggleborns don't they?" I said.

"Yeah, what freaked me out the most was they were tossing around the Muggles running the local inn!" Dean said while shivering. "It bothers me to even think about it." I squeezed his shoulder and motioned for us to get into a carriage before we were left behind. 

Once we had arrived we were walking around before heading to the Great Hall for the sorting ceremony. While walking near the greenhouses when we heard sounds and chattering. "What is going on?" Dean asked as we approached the group.

"I dunno," Seamus replied but then we saw. A number of large Abraxan winged horses flew into the school grounds with a large golden carriage trailing behind them. The sun was bouncing off the golden carriage casting a golden light on all of our faces. Hagrid was helping them land and had to jump out of the way.

"That's something you don't see every day!" George spoke, along with Lee and Fred followed behind us.

"Look!" Shouted a female voice from a few feet away. We all turned to see a colossal ship emerge out of the Black Lake. The ship had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck from the bottom of the ocean. It was sloshing around until it finally started gliding towards the bank. Professors started running over to get us all inside but we were able to hear an anchor being thrown into the water and the sound of a gangplank hitting the wooden dock.

"People are disembarking!" George shouted as we were entering the castle. We could make out a bunch of people walking down the plank, dressed in shaggy matted fur coats, even though it wasn't even that cold out. I tried to get a better look, to hopefully figure out where they were from. Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall was shoving all of us students inside towards the Great Hall for the welcoming feast.

"Wonder who they are!" Lee said as we sat down at the Gryffindor table. "Rarely get visitors from unknown places, ya know."

"Of course we know Lee! We've only been going here for six bloody years!" Fred replied. "To repeat what Alicia said last year 'No wonder you aren't in Ravenclaw!'"

"Oh shut it!" Lee snapped. 

I giggled while overhearing their conversation, that was until my group had a similar conversation. 

"You don't think, were getting overrun do you?" Neville said. "I-I mean, you don't think they're bad wizards, right?"

"Nev, I highly doubt that we are getting overrun by evil wizards. Even with what happened at the Quidditch World Cup." Seamus responded. I nodded about to continue reassuring Neville, but Dumbledore got up and began to speak.

"Welcome, back ladies, gentlemen, ghosts, staff, to another splendid year at Hogwarts! This year will definitely be a year to remember, for many reasons, but more on that later." He said in his normal cheerful, soft, airy voice. "Now. There is, quite a nasty rumor going around already that Quidditch will not be played this year. That rumor, I'm here to tell you ... is sadly absolutely true." Everyone started shouting, mainly from the Slytherin table which was actually resorting to making gestures at Dumbledore.

"Rubbish!" Ron remarked from his seat. "This year going to be boring without Quidditch!"

"SILENCE! Now, I am sorry if Quidditch makes or breaks your school year. However, it is canceled only because of a very exciting event that is taking place here at Hogwarts this year." He started once again. "This castle will not only be our home this year but the home to some very special guests as well. Hogwarts has been chosen to host -" Right as he was about to announce clearly something huge, Filch came running into the Great Hall. He was huffing and puffing up a storm running between the Hufflepuff table and the Gryffindor table. Once he got to Dumbledore he was out of breath and only saying about half the words he probably intended to say.