I looked down at my golden plate, and suddenly realised how hungry I was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.
Professor Dumbledore got to his feet, beaming at everyone with his arms open wide as though nothing could please him more than to see us all here.
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"
He sat back down. Everybody around me clapped and cheered. I didn't know whether to laugh or not.
"Is he - a bit mad?" I asked the twins uncertainly.
"Mad?" one of them replied, laughing. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yeah. Potatoes, Millie?"
My mouth fell open. The dishes in front of me were now piled with food. I had never seen so many things I'd like to eat on one table; roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, mint humbugs. My face went from shock to pure glee.
I began piling my plate with a bit of everything, except the humbugs. Instead, I sneaked a few into my pocket for later. I looked up to find Harry's eyes glued to me. I winked as he shook his head, before beginning to eat - it was delicious.
"That does look good," said one of the ghosts, watching me cut up my steak.
"Can't you-"
"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor tower."
"I know who you are!" Ron exclaimed suddenly. "My brothers told me all about you- your nearly headless nick!"
I coughed and looked at Ron.
"Ron! Don't be so rude!" I said, glancing up at the ghost sympathetically.
"Rude? How am I being rude?"
"Thank you, young lady." The ghost said to me, then turned to Ron. "I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas-" the ghost continued stiffly, but Harry interrupted.
"nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?" I glared at him while Ron sniggered.
"Like this," he said irritability.
"Oh, you don't have to-" Mione began, but the ghost had already seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. I grimaced as he flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed and said, "So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row! The bloody barons becoming almost unbearable- he's the Slytherin ghost."
I looked over to the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, his robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy, who didn't look very happy. I giggled.
"What's funny?" Harry asked me, turning back around whilst everyone continued talking to Sir Nicholas. I stopped laughing at once.
"You shouldn't have asked him why he was nearly headless. He's clearly insecure," I said, staring at him.
"Insecure? Millie, he's been dead for more than five-hundred years!" Harry argued, imitating Nick's head being pulled off.
"Stop," I hissed, throwing a nervous look at the ghost.
"No," Harry replied, kicking my foot with his under the table.
"Do that again," I mumbled. His annoying smile only grew.
"Okay." He shrugged and kicked me again.
"You shouldn't have done that Potter."
"And why is that Donovan?"
Instantly, I lifted my foot and kicked him hard.
"Ouch!" Harry yelled, jumping up.
"I warned you," I said, shrugging and trying my best not to laugh.
"You're in for it Donovan," he muttered as he sat back down. Before I could reply, Mione's hand dived into my pocket and began emptying the mint humbugs back onto the table, earning a laugh from everyone around us.
When everyone had finished eating, the food disappeared, leaving the plates just as clean before. A moment later, the deserts appeared. I looked around, my mouth watering once again; apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs, jam donuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, ride pudding...
I helped myself to a treacle tart, and began talking to a boy called Seamus Finnagin.
"My mum is a Muggle, and my dad's a wizard," I told him.
"I'm half and half too," he said, grinning. "Me dads a muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."
"I can imagine," I said, raising my eyebrows.
"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.
"Well, my Gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville. "But my family thought I was all muggle for ages, because nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for tea and he was hanging me out of an up stairs window by the ankles when my great auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced all the way down the garden and into the road. They were really pleased, Gran was crying she was so happy. And you should have seen there faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to get in. Great uncle Algie was so happy he bought me my toad."
I also heard Hermione and Percy talking about lessons, but I began zoning out, as I felt warm and sleepy. I looked up at the high table again, where all the teachers were eating, drinking and talking.
Harry suddenly winced. clapping a hand to his forehead.
"What's wrong?" Ron asked.
"N-nothing." He said, his eyes flicking to the high table, where all the teachers were eating, sitting and talking. A man with long, greasy hair was staring at him.
"Percy, who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked Rons older brother.
"Oh, you know Quirrell already do you? Oh, no wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrells job. Knows an awful lot about the dark arts, Snape." Percy replied, nodding his head.
I watched Harry, who watched Snape - but Snape didn't look at him again.
At last, the deserts too disappeared and Dumbledore got to his feet again. The whole hall fell silent.
"Ahem - just a few start of term notices to give you..."
And so he did, listing things like how the forest is forbidden (I noticed him look at the Weasley twins when he said this), that no magic should be used In the corridors, quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term...
"... and finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."
I laughed quietly, along with just a few others. My smile dropped.
"He's not serious is he?" I muttered to Fred (I had asked his name when we were eating).
"Must be," he said, frowning. "It's weird because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere, like the forest - doesn't stop us, of course." He added, winking.
"And now before bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. I noticed that the other teachers smiled had become quite fixed.
I watched in awe as Dumbledore gave a little flick of his wand, and a long, golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose above the tables and twisted itself into words.
"Everyone choose there favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school began singing.
Everyone finished the song at different times until at last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral March, making me giggle.
Dumbledore conducted there last few lines with his wand, and when they finished, was one of the loudest to clap.
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here. And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"