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Aurora Areli
THE AIR INSIDE THE worn-down house was warm, and a draft was lifting the ends of my hair as I climbed the staircase, which creaked with every step. As I looked up through the bluish haze, I could hear the sound of muffled voices that seemed to be arguing. Something about "Peter" and "rat" and "betrayal".
Once I reached the top of the stairs, I came face to face with a door. Just as I was about to push it open, wanting to see who the voices belonged to, I heard someone say my name.
"Rory!" they shouted. "Rory, wake up!"
What?
As my eyes fluttered open, I was greeted with Hermione's face leaning over me.
"For heaven's sake, Rory," she said, "it's nearly ten o'clock."
"All right, all right, I'm awake," I said, sitting up and trying as hard as I could to keep my eyes open. I then stumbled over to my trunk and picked out a pair of denim shorts and one of Mrs Weasley's jumpers to change into before heading to the bathroom.
When I came out, still running my fingers through my messy red mane, Hermione and Ginny were sitting on one of the beds, talking. After coaxing Jupiter back into his cage, the three of us gathered our trunks and headed downstairs for breakfast.
"There you are, good morning girls," Mrs Weasley greeted us. "I hope you're all packed — oh Rory, you poor dear, what are you going to do with all that hair?"
I smiled weakly as I sat down at the table next to Hermione. Mrs Weasley took it upon herself to run a brush through my hair, telling us about the time she made a Love Potion when she was younger. She had just tied off my braid when Harry and Ron entered the room and sat down across from us.
After we ate, all of us piled our trunks near the door, with Hedwig, Jupiter, and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.
"It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."
"You won't," Ron snapped. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"
He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.
Mr Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.
"They're here," he said. "Harry, come on."
Harry looked to me and I shrugged, leaving him to follow Mr Weasley out to the cars. A few minutes later, some official-looking people came in to collect our trunks, and Mrs Weasley ushered us all outside.
"All right, come on, you lot," Mr Weasley said, gesturing for us to get into the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars.
I got into the back of the car next to Harry, followed by Hermione, Ron and, to Ron's disgust, Percy.
Compared to last year, the journey to King's Cross was very uneventful and didn't take nearly as long as I had anticipated. We arrived with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found us trolleys, unloaded our trunks, touched their hats to Mr Weasley and drove away.
I walked with Hermione, who was trying her best to keep Crookshanks calm, all the way to the station.
"Right then," Mr Weasley said, glancing around at us. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."
The two of them went discreetly through the barrier, and when we were sure no Muggles were paying attention, Hermione and I followed briskly behind them. Once we had crossed the barrier, I looked up to see the Hogwarts Express puffing over the platform that was packed with countless witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train.
Percy and Ginny appeared behind us, panting, apparently having taken the barrier at a run.
"Ah, there's Penelope!" Percy announced, smoothing his hair and going pink. I exchanged amused glances with Harry before we both looked away to hide our laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.
Once the remaining Weasleys and Atticus joined us, Harry and Mr Weasley led the way up to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. We loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig, Jupiter, and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr and Mrs Weasley.
I couldn't help but blush slightly when Mrs Weasley, after kissing all her other children, Hermione, and Harry, kissed me and pulled me into a hug. I smiled at the happy look on Harry's face when Mrs Weasley gave him another one.
"Do take care, won't you, Harry?" she said. Then, she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron . . . no, they're not corned beef . . . Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are, dear . . ."
"Harry," Mr Weasley said so quietly, I barely caught what he was saying, "come here a moment."
He jerked his head towards a pillar, and I watched as Harry followed him behind it, leaving the rest of us crowded around Mrs Weasley.
"Come on, Rory," Ginny said, tugging on my sleeve, "we're going to board now."
"Right, sorry," I said, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.
Atticus was soon whisked away by some of his Slytherin friends, Fred and George went to go find Lee Jordan, and Percy went off to his Head Boy compartment or something, leaving Ron, Hermione, Ginny and I to wait for Harry by the door.
After a minute or two, he came running over to the train just as it started to move. I threw open the door and stood back to let him on. We leant out of the window and waved at Mr and Mrs Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.
"I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Ron, Hermione and I as the train picked up speed.
"Is this about what we heard at the Leaky Cauldron?" I asked him quietly, earning a nod in response.
"Go away, Ginny," Ron said.
"Oh, that's nice," Ginny said huffily, and she stalked off.
As we set off down the corridor in search for an empty compartment, I spotted a familiar Hufflepuff heading towards us.
"Hey, Cedric," I said, waving.
"Rory, hi," he greeted, smiling. "How was your holiday?"
"Pretty uneventful, for the most part," I shrugged. "How was yours?"
"Great, actually," Cedric said. "My dad showed me this really cool —"
"Rory, are you coming?" Hermione called, and I noticed that she, Harry and Ron were well ahead of me by now.
"Yeah, sorry!" I responded, before turning back to Cedric. "I actually have to go right now, can we talk once we get to school?"
"Sure, no problem," he agreed. "See you then?"
"Definitely," I said, before waving once again and jogging back over to my friends, who were entering a compartment at the very end of the train.
"Who d'you reckon he is?" I heard Ron hiss once I finally made it to the compartment. I slid the door shut behind me and sat down in the empty seat next to Harry.
The man he was asking about was wearing extremely shabby robes which had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though he seemed quite young, his light-brown hair was flecked with grey — I recognized him at once.
"Uncle Remus?" I whispered, confused as to why he would be on the Hogwarts Express.
"Uncle who now?" Ron said, seeming equally as confused.
"Uncle Remus," I repeated. "He's good friends with my parents, and he used to come round for Christmas and Easter and birthdays. Mum says he stopped because he had to work too much, and he was sick all the time. I wonder why he's here," I added.
"He's a Professor," Hermione said.
"How d'you know that?" Ron asked.
"It's on his case," Hermione replied, pointing at the luggage rack over Uncle Remus' head. There was a small, battered case held together by a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.
"Wonder what he teaches," Ron said, frowning at Uncle Remus' pallid profile. I did too — I couldn't remember him looking that sickly the last time I saw him.
"That's obvious," Hermione whispered. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Well, I hope he's up to it," Ron said doubtfully. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway . . ." he turned to Harry, "what were you going to tell us?"
Harry explained all about Mr and Mrs Weasley's argument and the warning Mr Weasley had just given him. When he finished, I remained quiet, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth. She finally lowered them to say, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry . . . you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry . . ."
"I don't go looking for trouble," Harry said, seeming slightly miffed. "Trouble usually finds me."
"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" Ron said shakily.
Ron and Hermione weren't taking the news very well; they seemed to be more frightened of Black than Harry was, and he had the mass-murderer himself after him.
"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," Ron said uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner, too."
"Wow, Ron," I said, rolling my eyes. "Way to lighten the mood."
"But they'll catch him, won't they?" Hermione said earnestly, ignoring me. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him, too . . ."
"What's that noise?" Ron suddenly asked.
We all looked around for the source of the faint whistling noise.
"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," Ron said, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack. A moment later he had pulled out a Pocket Sneakoscope, which was spinning very fast and glowing brilliantly in the palm of Ron's hand.
"Is that a Sneakoscope?" Hermione asked interestedly, standing up for a better look.
"Yeah . . . mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."
"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" Hermione questioned shrewdly.
"No!" Ron said indignantly. "Well . . . I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys . . . but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"
"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised, as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up."
Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of socks, which deadened the sound, then closed the lid of the trunk on it.
"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," Ron said, sitting back down. "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."
"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain —"
"Yeah, I think it is," Ron said offhandedly, "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"
"What's that?" Hermione asked.
"It's this sweetshop," Ron said dreamily, "where they've got everything . . . Pepper Imps — they make you smoke at the mouth — and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills which you can suck on in class and just look like you're thinking about what to write next —"
"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly, and I nodded. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain —"
"— and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," Ron said, plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.
Harry caught my eye, and we both smiled before looking away. I could feel my face begin to heat up.
"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?" Hermione said.
"'Spect it will," Harry said heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."
"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning.
"I can't go," Harry said. "The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't, either."
Ron looked horrified.
"You're not allowed to come?" he said in disbelief. "But — no way — McGonagall or someone will give you permission —"
Harry gave a hollow laugh.
"— or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle —"
"Ron!" Hermione said sharply. "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of school with Black on the loose —"
"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask for permission," Harry said bitterly.
"But if we're with him," Ron said spiritedly to Hermione, "Black wouldn't dare —"
"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," Hermione snapped. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street. Do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"
She was fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks' basket as she spoke.
"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.
"Get out of it!"
"Ron, don't!" Hermione said angrily.
"Be quiet!" I hissed when Uncle Remus stirred. "You're going to wake him up!" We watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.
The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened. People were running backwards and forwards past our compartment, and Crookshanks had settled in an empty seat, yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket.
At one o'clock the plump witch with the food trolley arrived at the compartment door.
"D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly, nodding towards Uncle Remus. "He looks like he could do with some food."
"I can try," I shrugged, before rising and approaching him carefully. "Er, Uncle Remus?" He didn't move. "Uncle Remus?" When there was still no response, I sighed, and walked over to the food trolley myself to buy a couple of pumpkin pasties and cauldron cakes. "I'll just get some extra for him."
"Don't worry, dear," the witch said. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."
"I suppose he is asleep?" Ron said quietly, as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean — he hasn't died, has he?"
"No, he's still breathing," I laughed, and smiled at Harry when he handed me a Chocolate Frog.
Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, I heard footsteps in the corridor again, and our three least favourite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.
"Well, look who it is," Malfoy said in his usual lazy drawl as he pulled open the compartment door. "Potty, Potty's girlfriend, and the Weasel."
I glared at the three Slytherins as Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly.
"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," Malfoy said. "Did your mother die of shock?"
Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks' basket to the floor. Uncle Remus gave a snort.
"Who's that?" Malfoy said, taking an automatic step backwards when he spotted him.
"New teacher," Harry said, standing up, probably to hold back Ron if needed. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"
Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose.
"C'mon," he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared.
Harry and Ron sat down, Ron massaging his knuckles.
"I'm not going to take any rubbish from Malfoy this year," he said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and —"
He made a violent gesture in mid-air.
"Ron," Hermione hissed, pointing at Uncle Remus, "be careful . . ."
The rain thickened as the train sped yet further north; the sky outside darkened until the lanterns flickered to life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. Despite the rain and wind rattling the train, Uncle Remus remained asleep.
"We must be nearly there," Ron said, leaning forward to look past Uncle Remus at the now completely black window.
The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.
"Brilliant," Ron said, getting up and walking carefully past Uncle Remus to try and see outside. "I'm starving, I want to get to the feast . . ."
"We can't be there yet," Hermione said, checking her watch.
"So why're we stopping?" I asked, frowning.
The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.
Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. The train came to a stop with a jolt and distant thuds and bangs told me that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and we were plunged into darkness.
"What's going on?" Ron asked.
"Ouch!" Hermione gasped. "Ron, that was my foot!"
I felt Harry sit back down next to me.
"D'you think we've broken down?" he asked.
"Dunno . . ." Ron answered.
There was a squeaking sound, and I saw the dim black outline of Ron wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out of it.
"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard . . ."
The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over my legs.
"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry —"
"Ow, hello, Neville," I said, and Harry helped pull him off of me.
"Rory! Is that you? What's happening?"
"No idea," I said. "Come sit down —"
There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain that told me Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.
"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. I felt her pass me, heard the door slide open again and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.
"Who's that?"
"Who's that?"
"Ginny?"
"Hermione?"
"What are you doing?"
"I was looking for Ron —"
"Come in and sit down —"
"Not here!" I said hurriedly when I felt someone — most likely Ginny — try and sit on my lap. "I'm here!"
"Ouch!" said Neville.
"Quiet!" a hoarse voice said suddenly.
Uncle Remus appeared to have woken up at last. I could hear movements in his corner. None of us spoke.
There was a soft, crackling noise and a shivering light filled the compartment. Uncle Remus appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired grey face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.
"Stay where you are," he told us, and slowly got to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.
But the door slid open before he could reach it.
Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Uncle Remus' hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. I looked downward, and saw a glistening, greyish, slimy-looking and scabbed hand, like something that had decayed in water.
A Dementor.
The hand was only visible for a second, before it was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of the black material.
Then, beneath the hood, the Dementor drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it was trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.
An intense cold swept over us all. I felt my breath catch in my chest, and I took hold of Harry's hand.
It was like every single unpleasant feeling that I had ever felt in my life came crashing over me at once. Anger, sadness, jealousy, hurt, fear. I felt like I was drowning, like the air around me had turned into water.
Harry's hand went limp, and I looked over to see him fall out of his seat, out cold. Fear, fear, fear. I felt sick to my stomach.
"None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks," I heard Uncle Remus say. "Go."
But the Dementor didn't move. Uncle Remus took out his wand, muttered some kind of spell, and a bright silvery light erupted from his wand. Finally, the Dementor went away.
As soon as it was gone, I could breathe again. I took a deep breath and shook my head, trying to rid myself of all the horrible memories that had flooded my mind.
When I opened them, I saw Harry unconscious on the floor of the compartment.
"Harry!" I said, staggering up from my seat to kneel next to him. "Oh no . . ."
Hermione and Ron joined me on either side. The pistons outside hissed and the compartment gave a jolt, telling me the train had restarted its route to Hogwarts.
"Harry?" I said worriedly, grabbing his shoulders and giving them a gentle shake. "Harry? Are you all right?"
He groaned, and tried to say something that sounded like my name, but I must've been hearing things.
"I'm really sorry, Harry," I said quietly, before raising my hand and slapping his face. I winced, and Ron and Hermione gaped at me in shock.
"W-what?"
Harry opened his eyes, squinting at the bright light. Ron and I helped him back onto his seat.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.
"Yeah," Harry said, glancing towards the door. "What happened? Where's that — that thing? Who screamed?"
"No one screamed," Ron told him.
Harry looked at me, as if silently asking if I had heard it too. I shook my head slowly.
"But I heard screaming —"
A loud snap made us all jump. Uncle Remus was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces. I almost smiled. Leave it to him to always have chocolate on hand.
"Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."
"What was that thing?" Harry asked Uncle Remus.
"A Dementor," Uncle Remus said as he handed me a piece. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban."
We all stared at him. After he had handed out chocolate to everyone, Uncle Remus crumpled up the empty wrapper and put it in his pocket.
"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me . . ."
He gave me a pat on the shoulder before strolling past us and out into the corridor.
"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" Hermione asked, watching him nervously.
"I don't get it . . . what happened?" Harry said.
"Well — that thing — the Dementor — stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) — and you — you —"
"I thought you were having a fit or something," Ron said, still looking very scared. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching —"
"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked towards the Dementor, and pulled out his wand," Hermione said. "And he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned round and sort of glided away . . ."
"It was horrible," Neville said, voice higher than usual. "Did you feel how cold it went when it came in?"
"I felt weird," Ron said, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again . . ."
Ginny, who was huddled in a corner, let out a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.
"But didn't any of you — fall off your seats?" Harry said awkwardly.
"No," Ron said, shaking his head. "But Rory looked like she was about to pass out, and Ginny was shaking like mad . . ."
I tried to ignore the eyes that were now on me, instead taking a large bite out of my chocolate.
Then Uncle Remus came back. He paused as he entered, looked around and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know . . ."
I leaned back in my seat, suddenly realizing how tired I was as the warmth from the chocolate spread throughout my body.
"We'll be a Hogwarts in ten minutes," Uncle Remus said. "Are you all right, Harry?"
"Fine," Harry muttered, seeming embarrassed.
"And you, Rory?" Uncle Remus asked. "You look a bit pale."
"Yeah, I'm okay," I nodded, giving a small, forced smile.
We didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get out. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.
"Bye, Uncle Remus," I called, waving at the tired-looking man. He returned the gesture.
"Firs'-years this way!" shouted a familiar voice. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.
"All righ', you four?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. We waved at him, but didn't get the chance to speak to him because the mass of people around us was shunting us away along the platform.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and I followed the rest of the school out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited us. I tried not to look at the black, skeletal-looking horses as we boarded — those creatures were haunting to look at. Once we were inside and shut the door, the coach set off, bumping and swaying in procession.
The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. I could tell that Harry still felt weak — even I did — but I made sure not to look at him too much, since Ron and Hermione were already doing so, and not very subtly.
As we neared a pair of magnificent wrought-iron gates, I saw two more towering, hooded Dementors standing guard on either side. Harry leant back in his seat and closed his eyes as we passed, looking like he was about to be sick.
I nudged his shoulder with mine, as if to ask if he was okay. Harry opened his eyes and upon seeing my questioning look, gave a small smile.
At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and I followed Hermione and Ron outside. Just as Harry had stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice called out.
"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"
I resisted the urge to groan as Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.
"Oh, would you just shove off for once, Malfoy?" I snapped, annoyed.
"Did you faint as well, Areli?" Malfoy said, smirking. "Bet Potty here wasn't too happy that he was too scared to protect his little girlfriend, eh?"
"Did you not hear what she said?" Ron spat, his jaw clenched. "Or can you just not get it through your thick skull? She told you to shove off, Malfoy."
Malfoy only laughed cruelly. "Did you faint, Weasley? Did the scary old Dementor frighten you, too, Weasley?"
"Is there a problem?" a mild voice asked. Uncle Remus had just got out of the next carriage.
I frowned as Malfoy gave Uncle Remus an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, Malfoy said, "Oh, no — er — Professor." Then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle, and led them up the steps into the castle.
Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the four of us joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, and into the cavernous Entrance Hall.
We were about to enter the Great Hall, when a voice called, "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!"
We turned around, and I racked my brain for what they could have possibly done already. I exchanged confused looks with Harry before the four of us fought our way over through the crowd.
"There's no need to look so worried — I just want a word in my office," she told us. "Move along there, Weasley, Areli."
Ron and I watched in confusion as Professor McGonagall led Harry and Hermione away from the chattering crowd.
"I wonder what that was about," I said, as Ron and I made our way over to the Great Hall.
"Dunno," Ron shrugged. "It can't be that bad, though. We haven't had time to do anything wrong."
"Probably," I agreed, taking a seat at the Gryffindor table, making sure to save seats for Harry and Hermione. "Maybe it's about what happened on the train, or classes, or Hogsmeade or something."
It took about twenty minutes for Harry and Hermione to join us, and in that time, the new first-years had been sorted.
I was resting my head on my hand, trying my hardest not to fall asleep, when I felt someone brush against my right shoulder, making me jump in surprise. I exhaled slowly when I realized it was only Harry sitting down next to me.
"What was that about?" I heard Ron mutter.
Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment Professor Dumbledore stood up to speak.
"Welcome!" Dumbledore said, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it is best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast . . ."
Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "As you will all be aware after the search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."
He paused, and I remembered what Mr Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school.
"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises — or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Harry, Ron and I glanced at each other. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the Prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs foul of the Dementors."
Percy, who was sitting a few seats along from us, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively. Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the Hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.
"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.
"Firstly, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was some scattered, unenthusiastic applause. Only those of us who had been in the compartment on the train with him clapped hard. Uncle Remus looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.
"Look at Snape!" Ron hissed.
Professor Snape was staring along the staff table at Uncle Remus. It was common knowledge that Snape had wanted the DADA job for years now, and always failed to get it, but I was startled to see the expression he had on his face while looking at Uncle Remus. It was beyond anger: it was loathing.
"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued, as the tepid applause for Uncle Remus died away, "well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."
Harry, Ron, Hermione and I stared at each other, stunned. Then we joined in with the applause, which was especially loud at the Gryffindor table. I leant forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.
"We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have set us a biting book?"
Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were the last ones to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, I saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.
"Well, I think that's everything of importance," Dumbledore said. "Let the feast begin!"
The golden plates and goblets before us suddenly filled with food and drink. The four of us eagerly helped ourselves, and began to eat quickly so that we would have time to talk to Hagrid. We knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him.
At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for us all to go to bed, and we got our chance.
"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as we reached the teachers' table.
"All down ter you four," Hagrid said, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at us. "Can' believe it . . . great man, Dumbledore . . . came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough . . . it's what I always wanted . . ."
Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed us away. I waved to Uncle Remus as we went by.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and I joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase and along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower. The large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress asked us, "Password?"
"Coming through, coming through!" Percy called from behind the crowd. "The new password's Fortuna Major!"
"Oh no," Neville said sadly. He always had trouble remembering the passwords.
Through the portrait hole and across the common room, the girls and boys divided towards our separate staircases. Hermione and I bid the boys goodnight before we headed up to our dormitory.
Lavender and Parvati were already there, talking and giggling on Lavender's bed. They waved at us as we entered, and I waved back before flopping down onto my own bed, exhausted.
"Aren't you going to at least get changed?" Hermione asked me, shaking her head in slight amusement at my dramatics.
"Probably," I said, rolling over onto my stomach. "I'm sort of cold."
"Well, it's nearly ten o'clock, and you still need to unpack," she told me.
"All right, Mum," I joked, forcing myself off of the warm, inviting four-poster bed and over to my trunk.
Hermione just sighed. I couldn't blame her.
As I sat on the ground, sorting through my clothes and books to hang up or put away, I couldn't help but smile at how glad I was to be back.