The Weasley of Slytherin: The Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 8: Feast

"Did everyone see that Grubbly-Plank woman?" asked Ginny. "What's she doing back here? Hagrid can't have left, can he?"

"I'll be quite glad if he has," said Luna. "He isn't a very good teacher, is he?"

"Yes, he is!" said Harry, Ron, and Ginny angrily.

"Yeah he's not the worst." I added.

Harry glared at Hermione; she cleared her throat and quickly said, "Erm . . . yes . . . he's very good."

"Well, we think he's a bit of a joke in Ravenclaw," said Luna, unfazed.

He sort of is. Although his ability with dangerous creatures can't be denied.

"You've got a rubbish sense of humor then," Ron snapped, as the wheels below them creaked into motion.

Luna did not seem perturbed by Ron's rudeness; on the contrary, she simply watched him for a while as though he were a mildly interesting television program, before plopping her head on my shoulder.

Rattling and swaying, the carriages moved in convoy up the road. Soon we were passing between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars on either side of the gates to the school grounds as Hogwarts Castle loomed ever closer: a towering mass of turrets, jet-black against the dark sky, here and there a window blazing fiery bright above us.

The carriages jingled to a halt near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors and Harry got out of the carriage first.

"Here." I said offering my hand to Luna as I stepped out of the carriage. With a smile Luna took it and as she stepped onto the ground I pulled her into a tight hug.

"Are you coming or what?" said Ron. I turned around to see that Harry was still standing by the carriage, staring at the horses.

"Oh . . . yeah," said Harry quickly, and we joined the crowd hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.

The entrance hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with foot-steps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.

The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky we could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other Houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes.

I said my farewells to the others, walking Luna to the Ravenclaw table, giving her a quick kiss before heading over to the Slytherin table. Once I'd taken my seat I looked up at the staff table to find Hagrid wasn't there either.

I scanned the rest of the table starting with Professor Dumbledore, who was sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the center of the long staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat.

Then I saw Sprout talking to Flitwick, Snape sitting near the end of the table looking sullen like usual, then I found Edgar on the other side of the table. He gave me a quick wave, before glaring at another witch at the table.

"Must be the new DADA teacher." I thought.

She doesn't look like much. Not to mention she's wearing a sickening amount of pink.

She looked like somebody's maiden aunt: squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. Then she turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet and I saw a pallid, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.