The sorting had come to an end as Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away.
Renevia saw Ron seizing his knife and fork ,looking expectantly at his golden plate. Then she proceeded to look up to Professor Dumbledore who had gotten to his feet, smiling around at the students, his arms opened wode in welcome.
"I have only two words to say to you," he told them, deep voice echoing around the Hall, "Tuck in."
Harry and Ron loudly answered,"hear,hear!" As the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes. Renevia shook her head at their antic, as her hand loaded her plate.
"Aaah, 'at's be'er,"said Ron, with his mouth full of mashed potato. Renevia paid no attention to him as her and hermione talking a lot 'bout their upcoming classes.
Clang.
Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet as she heard Nearly Headless Nick talk about Peeves and house-elves, which nearly caused Renevia to scream out of shock.
"There are house-elves here?" She said, staring horror struck at Nearly Heady Nick." Here at Hogwarts?"
"Certainly," said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. "The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe . Over a hundred."
"I've never seen one!" Said Hermione.
"Well, that's because they stay in the kitchen and hardly ever leave and are only out at night to do a bit of cleaning…,"said Renevia, chewing on some fried chicken.
"How do you know? Why don't you tell me?" Asked Hermione, demanding to know the answer.
"Easy there—,mione. If you go to the Hogwarts kitchen, there is the answer."
Hermione didn't answer, instead she turned her next question to Nearly Headless Nick,,"but they get paid?"She said ,"They get holidays, don't they? And—and sick leave, pensions and everything?"
Renevia quickly averted her eyes to Nearly Headless Nick, and saw him chortled, his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck. She scrunched her nose at the sight, it was really horrible to see it happen realistically.
"Sick leave and pensions?" He said, pushing his head back into his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. "House elves don't want sick leave and pensions!"
Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food and Renevia's ,then put her knife and fork down before grabbing Renevia's, and pushing their plate away from them. Renevia, who was dumbfounded, just let Hermione do the things before Ron's mouthed voice snapped her out of it.
"Oh c'mon, 'er-my-knee," said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding, "opps, sorry—,'arry—" He swallowed," You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself and sacrificing Rene's appetite!"
"Slave labor," said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose."That's what made this dinner. Slave Labor."
And she refused to eat another bite while Renevia sorrowfully looked at her plate. Harry carefully shoved her spoon of food while looking out at Hermione who was deeply in thought.
Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling in the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.
"So!" Said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered," Renevia could be heard humming at the speech beside her, "I must once more ask for your attention while I give out a few notices."
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker has asked me to tell you the list of objects forbidden inside 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."
The corner of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued,'' As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forests on the grounds are out of bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year students."
"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
"What?"Harry gasped. Fred and George were also mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak . Dumbledore went on," 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—"
At the moment, there was a deafening rumble and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. Renevia scoffed at the sound, he really knew how to make an entrance.
She swept her head toward the doorway while rolling her eyes, there a man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in the black traveling cloak. For a moment, Renevia could be fooled like others into thinking that actually the real Mad-Eye Moody. Renevia saw him lowered his hood and shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. As others still have their focus on the bloody death eater in disguise, Renevia was gazing at Dumbledore.
Once again, she scoffed, this time was a lot louder than the first one, which caused several heads turn at her but she just stared at Dumbledore as he shook hands with the fake one. Both of them muttering and replied in an undertone before Dumbledore nodded and gestured the 'Moody' to the empty seat on his right hand side.
Barty sat down and shook his mane of dark gray hair in the form of Mad-Eye out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left to his nose and sniffed it. Renevia eyed his every move as he took a small knife out of his pocket , speared a sausage on the end of it and began to eat it. His blue eyes were still darting f restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and students.
"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody,"
Now Renevia is getting Moody hearing it.
None of the staff or students clapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid who both put their hands together and applauded but the sound echoed dismally into the silence and they stopped fairly quickly.
Renevia just stared at 'Moody' silently and out of nowhere, his blue eyes stopped at her. He might remember her for the Dark Mark incident. Both of them holding the icy gazes just before Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"As i was saying,"he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad Eye Moody," we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly.
The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.
" I am not joking , Mr Weasley,"he said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a bag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar…"
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.
"Er — but maybe this is not the time … no…"said Dumbledore, " where was it? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament. . . Well,some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.
" The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and
Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities — until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.”
“Death toll?” Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, except Renevia who wouldn't care less about the Tournament. There is something more important that she needs to focus on this year.
“There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament,” Dumbledore continued, “none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. "
“The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place on Halloween. An impartial
the judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.”
“I’m going for it!” Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion.
Renevia looked at Fred, who was two people away from her, and guiltily said, "uh—I don't mean to spoil your dream—Fred."
As soon as she said that, not only Fred but others who sat near to her,shifted their attention to Renevia.
"What do you mean by that, love?" Asked Fred with genuine curiosity, without minding the nickname that he just blurted which caused several heads turn to him this time including his twin who silently glaring.
Renevia nudged her head to Professor Dumbledore who spoke again.
“Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts,” he said, “the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age — that is to say, seventeen years or older — will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This” — A slightly raised tone in his speech, and Renevia saw the twins looking outraged as well as several people who just now imagined their glory upon hearing the tournament.
“is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champions.”
Renevia mentally sneered. It can be prevented if he doesn't open a death gate for Harry by inviting a death eater to Hogwarts.
“I therefore beg you not to waste
your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen."
“The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime!
Chop chop!”
Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to 'Mad-Eye Moody'. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall.
“They can’t do that!” said George Weasley, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. “We’re seventeen in April, why can’t we have a shot?”
“They’re not stopping me from entering,” said Fred stubbornly, also scowling at the top table. “The champions ll get to do all sorts of stuff you’d never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!”
“Yeah,” said Ron, a faraway look on his face. “Yeah, a thousand Galleons . . .”
"You better drop the idea ,boys, especially you two,Freddie and Georgie," she warned in a motherly tone. "Now, excuse me, " —then she got up to leave the Great Hall without minding what the Twins might have said.
"Hey ,where are you going?—" asked Ron who eventually got up from his seat, followed by his brothers and Harry and Hermione.
"Somewhere inside this castle" she answered without looking back.