Bab 77: Year Four - Chapter Four
The Train to Hogwarts, that beautiful instrument that would lead me once more to my destiny, was a place of happiness and friendship. If only I hadn't spent the entire month of August overcharging my friendship batteries, I would have enjoyed it even more. As things were, I was inches away from snapping into a sour grouch-like being. I was a people's persons, but only as long as I got to pick the way of engagement, and I wasn't forced to stick with them for every day of a whole week, or of a whole month.
I wanted my Hall of Shadows private time. Still, as I enjoyed the comfortable and warm seat, the whispers around me stopped abruptly.
"Shade? Are you asleep?" Megan asked, but I merely grunted something in reply, my eyes closed.
"Poor bloke has to be tired," Wayne said, "You ran him ragged."
"I did not," Megan hissed back. "He never complained."
"You ever think that Shade doesn't think we're at his level?" Amanda whispered, much to my suddenly vivid interest.
"We aren't at the level of an Order of Merlin," Wayne said, quite frankly. "You forget he's the reason the House Cup stalled for three years. First year, it was the Philosopher Stone's theft, but second year the bloke here defeated a Basilisk." His voice barely grew a tone that both Amanda and Megan shushed him.
"Well, but if he managed, then so can we, no?" Amanda retorted.
"I don't think it works that way, Mandy," Megan acquiesced. "The Daily Prophet's been talking for ages about Dumbledore's apprentice."
"You think that's why he sometimes disappears in the afternoon? He's training with the headmaster?" Amanda asked, "That's so cool," she whispered.
"And probably the reason he needs his sleep," Wayne sighed. "Let the guy rest, all right?"
There were a few murmurs of agreement. If only I had wider arms, I'd hug all three of them and cuddle them, while whispering just what kind and good boys and girls they were. These weren't just my friends, these were cuddly-cute lovable dorks that needed hugs and head pats.
It had to be my tiredness talking, because I was gently poked awake a short distance away from reaching the end of the line, and as I hastily got my robes on, and readied myself for the Thestral carriages, I yawned one last time.
"Thanks for letting me sleep," I muttered to the trio, who smiled back.
The arrival for the start of the year feast had everyone in a slight, eye-twitching uproar. The eyes of pretty much everyone settled on me, and as I quietly took my spot at the Ravenclaw table, I had a feeling daggers were being pointed at my neck, and back.
"I did nothing. I plead innocent until proven guilty. I know curses and I am not afraid to initiate MAD protocols," I blurted out quite quickly. Some grumbled, but said nothing more. Once the first years got through their sorting procedure, and the Sorting Hat's silly song, Dumbledore took the word to allow us to feast. After dinner, and after the battle saw me once more first to reach the best parts of the dessert, the word was taken for the end of the feast announcements.
"This year, as everyone has apparently discovered, the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year," he raised both arms to acquire silence, even as the school itself booed in my general direction. I glared and made 'I am watching you' gestures right back, "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-"
And as he was about to say it, the doors of Hogwarts rattled open to allow Alastor Moody inside, having arrived fashionably late.
"Oh in the name of God all mighty!" I all but snarled to myself as Alastor stepped in, much to Amanda's sudden jolting at the anger in my voice. I bit down on my knuckles, my eyes narrowed. How in the seven kingdoms of hell had Crouch Junior managed to escape and gotten his hands on Alastor Moody?
Fine! Whatever fate, or destiny, or whatever had decided this was going to be a trend would be soon served a good dose of me handing more than a dozen stunners in the general direction of a renowned Death Eater.
The Headmaster coughed, "As I was saying," he continued, not bothering to present Alastor, since he had already been there for six months already, and I challenged Barty Junior to avoid being discovered when I went to him with knowledge only the real one would know. "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've got to be joking!" the red-haired Weasley blurted out from the Gryffindor table, and I exhaled in relief as everything then went as I vaguely remembered. The rules were laid down, the two schools of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons mentioned, and how everything would be decided on the thirty of October and the thirty-first.
Now, the split-second Alastor did a lesson on the Unforgivables, I was going to curse his ass seven ways to Heaven and then drag his chained Death-Eater self in front of Dumbledore. What did I have to do to ensure peace of mind?
That night, as the tempest raged outside the Ravenclaw tower's window, I quietly went to bed with my wand clasped tightly in my hand. "Know that I have the knowledge to remove bones from your limbs," I said as amiably as possible. "Try anything funny and my revenge will be swift, and merciless."
"Yeash," Anthony Goldstein said, both hands raised in front of him. "I'm not that suicidal."
With a Cold War-like feeling, I went under the bed sheets and sighed blissfully at the feeling of the warming pans laid beneath the mattress.
Nothing like Hogwarts' bed to make me feel at home...
...and nothing like Care of the Magical Creatures with the Blasted Ended Skrewts to make me want to go back to the orphanage.
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