The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 10

Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the window, Delilah watched the rain blast down on the carriages as Hogwarts came nearer. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Delilah, George, Lee, and Fred hopped out and dashed up the stairs, slipping through the crowd into the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase.

"If this keeps up the lake's going to overflow!" Fred exclaimed.

"At least Peeves is having fun," George commented, pointing up at the floating man.

Peeves the Poltergeist was a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie. His wide malicious face was currently contorted with concentration as he threw a large, red, water balloon at someone who looked suspiciously like Ron. He took aim again and Midnight slithered closer to Delilah's neck.

"PEEVES!" yelled an angry voice. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"

Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor, barely grabbing a student to stop herself from falling.

"Peeves, get down here NOW!" barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles.

"Not doing nothing!" cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!" And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived.

"I shall call the headmaster!" shouted Professor McGonagall. "I'm warning you, Peeves —"

Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.

"Well, move along, then!" said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. "Into the Great Hall, come on!"

Delilah, Fred, George, and Lee slipped and slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors.

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here. Delilah slipped next to Draco.

"Hello, how was your break?" she asked. They hadn't written as often since the World Cup.

"Meh, I'm glad to be back," he said, shooting her a small grin, his eyes evaluating how much she had grown. "You look nice."

Delilah smiled.

"Oh, thanks. You too."

Indeed he did look good. Despite seeing him at the World Cup, she hadn't seen how tall he had gotten or how his face matured.

"Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving," Draco said, breaking the silence.

Delilah nodded. "Me too."

The Sorting of the new students into Houses took place at the start of every school year, and the only thing that was really different was the hat's song.

Delilah looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be more empty seats than usual. Hagrid was, of course, still fighting his way across the lake with the first years; Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the entrance hall floor, and the Defense Against the Dark Arts chair was empty.