"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. It was right after they all were finished eating. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices."
"Do you think we will finally find out what is going on this year?" Angelina who was sitting next to Rhea whispered to her. The girls, Angelina and Alicia managed to steal Rhea from the twins. Much to their dismay. But the girls needed to talk amongst themselves. And Alicia somehow found out about Rhea's little run away with Cedric Diggory and she needed details. That's how the girls spent most of the train ride to the school. Talking about everything, which was getting on Rhea's nerves but she didn't want to be mean to her friends.
"I would like to know too. My mum was dragging me through shops just to find me a formal dress..." Alicia groaned, rolling her eyes. The other two girls looked over at her with raised eyebrows. Alicia was the one that would be crazy about shopping. She loved it, if it could be proclaimed a new sport of Hogwarts, Alicia would be the Captain and the legend.
"Are you kidding?" Rhea asked in disbelief.
"No, it was terrible. I couldn't pick one and my mother clearly doesn't understand new trends." Alicia complained causing both girls to roll their eyes. That was more believable. Rhea didn't have the opportunity to go shop for a dress with anyone but her father told her that she shouldn't worry about that. So she suspected that he had something in mind already.
"Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." Rhea glanced over at the twins who high-fived. Proud smiles on their faces since they were the ones causing mayhem with those things last year. It was bound to get banned after what they did with it to Filch. Although he had to appear serious Rhea swore she saw the corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitch. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below the third year."
"It's the same old. I would have thought we would learn some shocking news by now." Lee complained from across from them. Dreadlocks pulled together in a ponytail to prevent them from falling into his face. The twins both agreed by nodding their heads while the girls just shrugged.
"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
"What?" Rhea could hear Harry gasp from a few seats away. They locked eyes, Rhea shaking her head in disbelief. She wanted to see Angelina in the spot of the captain. Although Rhea was originally offered the spot by Oliver she insisted he should give it to Angelina. It wasn't because Rhea would want the position but Angelina wanted it more. And since Flint was held back a year she didn't want to be dealing with that slimeball.
"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy, but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts..." But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black travelling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swivelled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of blonde almost white hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.
A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Rhea jumped slightly in her seat. Never been a fan of storms or lightning. The lightning had thrown some light onto the face of the man. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.
YOU ARE READING
Pranking Hearts
Fanfiction"And how else was I supposed to figure out what was wrong?" "By talking to me?! You know that is the thing that normal people do when there is an issue. They talk." "But you weren't talking to me!" "Because you were acting like a git!"
