I watched as rain fell heavily from the gray sky, people were running trying to cover their heads with papers or pulling their black cloaks up farther, calling to one another over the rumbling of the clouds, lightening occasionally bathing everything in a white flash of light. My eyes then landed on Seamus who was standing in the rain holding open the door to the carriage, watching me.
“Sophie! Come on, it’s only rain!” Seamus yelled to me.
I shook my head, it was the first day back and I didn’t want everyone to see me with puffy, snarled hair. “No!”
“I’ll come get you!” He shouted, a group of Slytherin girls ran by screaming.
I shook my head again, thanking the roof of the Hogsmeade train station for covering me from the down pour; my heart went out to the first years that’d have to be crossing the lake in the rain.
“I’m coming to get you!” Seamus yelled and then ran toward me, splashing through puddles of water and then tackling me, wrapping his arms around my waist and throwing me over his shoulder.
I screamed, drawing attention to us as he jogged back to the carriage, me flailing in his arms trying to cover my curls from the rain.
He set me down on the steps of the carriage and I climbed in quickly, trying my best to regain control of my hair and heart that was beating hard, the feeling of Seamus’ arms stilled lingered. I waited until Seamus took a seat across from Lavender who had saved the carriage for us and then sat down on his lap, letting his arms slip around my waist.
The carriage jerked harshly, pulling us up a bumpy slope toward the hidden castle. I leaned toward the carriage window to see the towers and turrets of Hogwarts, Lavender was annoyingly jabbering on about her trip to Paris over the summer, angry looks from her were flung my way, her eyes darting to Seamus’ arm and back. As she began explaining her day at the Eiffel Tower we came to a halt in front of large, cream, marble steps leading up to the main entrance hall.
As the door magically opened itself I jumped out, running as fast as I could up the slippery steps without falling, my eyes trained on the large oak doors of the entrance hall, warmth and safety laid only a few strides away. Only as I slid into the great room did I relax, plucking at my curls delicately so as not to make them frizz up or knot together.
A few feet away Ron Weasley was complaining loudly: “…if it keeps up the lake’s going to overflow. I’m soak – ARRGH!”
I watched in shock as a large, round, red water balloon exploded on his head, drenching him even more in water. He stumbled in shock, falling into Harry who had jumped to avoid getting wet himself.
Involuntarily I giggled at Ron, smiling as warmly as possible, Ron’s ears grew red and he adverted his eyes, trying not to blush. I suddenly felt myself blush as well so laughing and turned away only to run into Seamus’ chest. I glanced up at him to see him glaring at Ron and then me, suddenly he walked away, leaving me in the entrance hall as he strode in the Great Hall, anger seemingly radiating off him.
I quickly scurried after him, leaving Professor McGonagall shouting at Peeves behind.
It didn’t take me long to catch up and grab his arm, “What? What’s wrong with you?” I asked, anger slightly flaring up in myself, upset that he’d be so stupid to get pissy over me laughing.
“You were flirting with Ron, right in front of me even!” he snapped, pulling his arm away so he could take a seat next to Dean.
I plopped down in the seat next to him, shocked, “What? No I wasn’t! I laughed, Seamus, am I not allowed to laugh?”
Seamus then glared at me again, “Just forget it,” he turned away from me and pulled off his Irish rosette that still tiredly squeaked the names of the team.
“Don’t be such a prat,” I murmured under my breath, glaring at the wall across from me.
I sat fuming through the sorting; only clapping when the hat finished its song or called out “Gryffindor!” Ignoring Seamus when he tried talking to me about why there wasn’t a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher up there, even though I was really curious myself, Dumbledore wouldn’t drop the class just like that, Snape has wanted that job for ages, and if he’d take DADA than someone else could teach Potions.
Finally Dumbledore rose from the head table as Professor McGonagall swept the stool and hat away, “I have only two words to say to you, tuck in,” he said, outstretching his arms and smiling down at everyone. Dumbledore was like a grandfather to many of us, he was kind, wise and cared for everyone, whether or not they deserved it.
The golden empty plates before us suddenly filled with food, my stomach grumbled and I began grabbing whatever I could reach. Seamus gave up on talking to me half way through dinner; obviously he’d finally got the hint that I wasn’t ready to forgive him yet. Instead I kept my eyes on the enchanted ceiling or what I was eating, watching as the gold plates would illuminate with every flash of lightening from above.
People were stuffing themselves full and only came to a halt halfway through the desserts and then the Hall filled with the sound of chatter and less sounds of forks against plates.
Once food one plates began to fade away, I turned my attention to Dumbledore, who had risen to his feet; the hall fell into a hushed silence in respect for our Headmaster. He began with the usual notices as every year: banned objects, no magic in the corridors, forbidden forest being out-of-bounds, and who qualified for the Hogsmeade trip. And then he announced that quidditch has been cancelled for the year.
The Hall exploded with angry remarks, some people had jumped to their feet in protest while some, like me, sat just gapping at Dumbledore, wondering if he’d finally gone around the bend for the last time.
He raised his hand and the hall again fell silent, but Oliver Wood was still flushed ruby red, “This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year,” he said, smiling mischievously. He opened his mouth to continue but was only interrupted by a loud explosion the back of the Great Hall.
Everyone turned to see what it was. A man in a black cloak, leaning on a long staff stood in the doorway, soaking from head to peg leg? No one said a word as he walked up to the head table, the hall echoing with every step he made, clunk, clunk, clunk. There was a flash of lightening, and despite what had been said between us earlier, I grabbed onto Seamus’ arm in fright. The man’s face was scarred, and he had one small beady black eye, the other was electric blue and was spinning endlessly around the hall, never blinking. We watched as the man crossed to the head table and shook hands with Dumbledore. He hand was also covered in pale pink scars. The two men exchanged a few words, and finally the stranger sat down at the empty DADA seat, a plate of sausages magically appeared, and he began eating greedily.
I never took my eyes away from him, even as Dumbledore turned back to address the students, he smiled and gestured to the man, “May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody.”
Few applauded, this didn’t seem to bother Moody at all, but my mind was somewhere else, I leaned toward Seamus and whispered, “Moody? As in Mad-Eye Moody the old, retired Auror? Dad talks about him, says he’s off his rocker, thinks everything is the cause of Dark Magic, it explains the scars….”
Seamus glanced at me and smirked, “Talking to me again are we? I’d think so, how many Moodys can there be with eyes like that one, it has to be the same guy.”
I nodded and looked back toward Dumbledore, he was picking up where he had left off before, about what will be happening this year at Hogwarts, “As I was saying, 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.”
I suddenly smiled and squealed, the Triwizard Tournament was far better than any old quidditch match, I clapped wildly with other students, only hushing as Dumbledore began explaining what it was and the new regulations for safety that were being installed since it had last been cancelled.
Although there were a few protests about the age limit, I was still glad to know that Seamus would be out of the contest, I’d never want him to compete, I couldn’t bear watching him go up against horrific tasks, it would kill me from the inside out.
If this year wasn’t bound to be interesting, then I don’t know what would. The last thought I had as we climbed to the Gryffindor commons and readied for bed was who was going to be our champion, hopefully someone from Gryffindor.