Chapter 685: Dumbledore Has Something to Say
Chapter 685: Dumbledore Has Something to Say
The train finally arrived at Hogsmeade Station.
As soon as the students disembarked, they were greeted by the cold rain, sending shivers down their spines.
Damn it! Even in December, the weather wasn't usually this chilly.
As he stepped off the train, Albert felt the chill and found himself exhaling a puff of warm air. However, he had come prepared, donning a thick cloak and an overcoat, with his wand in hand to conjure an umbrella to shield himself from the downpour.
Those damn Dementors! Their presence must be the reason for this unseasonably cold weather. Otherwise, the platform wouldn't be icy underfoot.
Damn it! Do wizards have a natural resistance to the cold?
How come no one seems to be catching a cold after being drenched like this?
"First-years over here!"
At one end of the platform stood Hagrid, lantern in hand, beckoning to the bewildered new students and preparing to lead them on the traditional lake-crossing journey.
The rest of the students huddled together, shivering, and made their way through the rain towards the carriages waiting on the street. They were eager to climb aboard and head towards the warmth of Hogwarts Castle.
Albert easily spotted Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who had mastered the trick of using their wands to conjure umbrellas. They were waiting for him at the edge of the platform, their bright umbrellas making them stand out in the shivering crowd.
"Oh my, you certainly came prepared," Fred, George, and Lee Jordan exclaimed, their eyes widening at Albert's comprehensive gear.
"I had a hunch that the Dementors would mess with the weather like this," Albert said, lifting a finger and gesturing upward.
Through the curtain of rain, they could vaguely make out the silhouettes of Dementors hovering above, keeping watch over the station.
"Azkaban must be a scary place!" George muttered under his breath.
"Come on, let's not fall behind," said Albert.
They made their way along the rough, muddy path until they reached the carriages on the Hogsmeade street. Students hurried towards their chosen carriages and quickly climbed inside, eager to shut out the rain and cold.
Once inside their carriage, Albert and his friends breathed a sigh of relief. Even with their umbrellas, parts of their robes had gotten wet, and they could only imagine the plight of those who had been thoroughly drenched—probably huddling in a corner of their carriage, shivering.
"This is brutal!"
Fred shivered as he sniffed the musty smell of damp straw filling the carriage.
Albert waved his wand, drying the damp patches on his friends' robes, and said, "You guys should learn this spell too. Some magic is really useful, and you can even invent similar magical gadgets in the future. I think most students would be willing to pay for something like this, especially during the rainy season at the start of the school year."
"You're right," Fred and George agreed, seeing the potential for profit. Sales meant money, after all.
As the carriage made its way towards the castle, they passed through the Hogwarts school gates, and Albert spotted two tall, cloaked figures standing guard on either side—Dementors.
A chill crept into the carriage, but Fred, George, and Lee Jordan seemed oblivious, pointing and whispering about the Dementors outside. Perhaps Albert's presence beside them gave them courage.
The carriage continued along the long, sloping driveway and finally came to a stop in front of the castle.
The four of them alighted, umbrellas in hand, and joined the throng of students hurrying up the stone steps.
It was only after passing through the massive oak doors that the chill in the air was dispelled by the flickering torches on the walls.
Albert followed the crowd into the Great Hall, his eyes drifting upwards to the floating candles. These enchanted candles were magically treated to prevent wax from dripping onto those below—otherwise, that would have been an interesting sight! Albert found a seat and looked up at the staff table. He noticed something interesting—their Potions Master, Severus Snape, was glaring at the newly appointed Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. On his gaunt, sallow face, there was a clear expression of twisted anger and hatred.
"Look at the staff table," Albert said quietly. "It seems our Potions Master knows the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor..."
"It's not just about the position being taken from him," Fred said, looking rather gleeful at Snape's discomfort. Their pleasure seemed to come from his displeasure.
"I suspect they have a grudge," George whispered.
"Maybe Snape had a girlfriend who was stolen by the other guy," Lee Jordan maliciously speculated. "Otherwise, there wouldn't be such deep-seated hatred."
"You think Snape could find a girlfriend?" Fred and George expressed their doubts.
"Don't forget, Snape did receive a Valentine's Day chocolate," Albert kindly reminded them.
This statement shut them up immediately, as they were afraid they'd burst out laughing and attract Snape's attention.
"Ahem, I wonder where Professor McGonagall is," Fred said, changing the subject as he spotted Professor Flitwick entering the hall with an ancient hat and a three-legged stool.
"Probably... taking Harry to the school hospital," George guessed, having noticed the empty space next to Ron where Harry Potter was noticeably absent.
"Shh, the Sorting Ceremony is about to begin."
Albert quietly watched the ancient hat on the three-legged stool, recalling his own Sorting experience.
Gryffindor.
There was nothing wrong with that.
Albert hadn't been particularly concerned about his house assignment. He was feeling a bit hungry now, regretting that he hadn't snacked earlier.
Most of the students in the Great Hall probably shared his sentiment, wishing they could skip the tedious Sorting Ceremony and get straight to the feast.
Finally, it was over.
Albert breathed a sigh of relief as the Sorting Ceremony concluded. However, he soon heard whispers behind him and turned to see that everyone was looking at Harry, discussing the famous Harry Potter's fainting spell in front of the Dementors.
However, everyone soon became preoccupied and the topic of Harry Potter was dropped.
At the staff table, the headmaster stood up to address the students.
"Welcome!"
Dumbledore spread his arms wide in his customary gesture and said, "Welcome back to Hogwarts for a new year! Welcome to our returning students, and before you fill your bellies to your hearts' content, I have a very serious matter to address with you all."
All the whispering ceased, and the Great Hall fell silent.
It was unusual for Dumbledore to speak at length before the start of the feast, so when he did, it was clear that the matter was of great importance.
"The Dementors from Azkaban will be at Hogwarts, carrying out official duties on behalf of the Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore cleared his throat and warned sternly. "While they are here, no one is permitted to leave the school grounds without authorization."
"Do not attempt to meddle with the Dementors, nor try to deceive them with disguises, not even with an Invisibility Cloak. They are inherently impervious to pleas or excuses," Dumbledore added, glancing briefly in Harry's direction. "I expect the prefects, as well as our newly appointed Head Boy and Head Girl, to ensure that no student gets into any sort of conflict with the Dementors."
"Please do not give the Dementors any reason to harm you, understood?"
When Dumbledore mentioned the Head Boy and Head Girl, Percy couldn't help but puff out his chest, as if to make sure everyone noticed the badge of office on his chest.
"I think Dumbledore was talking about you," George elbowed Albert in the ribs and whispered with a smile, "He looked over here just now."
"You're imagining things," Albert replied calmly.
"Someone can't help but cast a Patronus at the first sign of a Dementor."
"I think you'd do the same if you encountered Dementors in Hogsmeade. You'd probably just summon your Patronus to chase them away," Lee Jordan chimed in with a knowing look.
"Don't be ridiculous," Albert disagreed without hiding his disdain for the creatures. He was certain that no one could like those monsters. "I'm sure the school will assign professors to keep an eye on Hogsmeade this year to prevent any incidents."
"...We have two new additions to our staff this year," Dumbledore continued. "The first is Professor Lupin, who has graciously agreed to fill the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"Speaking of which, is there anyone brave enough these days to take on the job of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"Perhaps he needs a decent job, and Professor Lupin doesn't seem to be very well-off," Albert analyzed calmly. "If his teaching skills are good but he can't find a job, then that would be quite suspicious."
"What's so suspicious about that?"
"His identity."
"His identity? Do you think Professor Lupin is suspicious because he might actually be Sirius Black in disguise?"
"Probably not, or else Dumbledore would have noticed something amiss."
"...Rubeus Hagrid will be filling the other vacancy, agreeing to take on the role of teacher in addition to his duties as gamekeeper."
"Don't get too excited yet," Albert poured cold water on his friends' enthusiasm as he saw the three of them clapping. "Hagrid may know a lot about magical creatures, but he's definitely not a qualified professor."
"That book that tried to bite me was definitely sketchy!" Fred muttered.
"Just think about all the cute creatures Hagrid has raised. Who knows what might show up in his class," George added.
"A three-headed dog."
"A fire-breathing dragon."
"A giant spider with eight eyes."
"Oh, Merlin, this doesn't sound like a good idea at all," Fred whispered, his face paling at the thought. "Do you think he'll actually bring that giant spider to class?"
He hated those massive spiders.
"Probably not."
Surely no one would bring an eight-eyed giant spider to class.
"Thankfully, we're past that stage now and don't have to take Care of Magical Creatures anymore."
"...And now, let the feast begin!"
As Dumbledore finished speaking, the golden plates and goblets in front of them suddenly filled with food and drinks, and the tables seemed to groan under the weight.
As Albert cut into his steak, the ghost of Nearly Headless Nick floated over and said with a smile, "Congratulations on becoming a prefect."
"Thank you."
"Professor McGonagall asked me to tell you the password: 'Shooting Stars'."
"That's one of the perks of being a prefect," Lee Jordan teased.
"Shut it, and eat your potatoes."
After everyone had eaten their fill, the noise level in the Great Hall gradually rose. Dumbledore made a few closing remarks before dismissing the students to their common rooms.
"See you later," Albert bid farewell to Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, then made his way to the end of the Gryffindor table and called out, "First-years, follow me!"
This time, Albert and Sandra didn't take any shortcuts. They exited the Great Hall and climbed the marble staircase, heading the same route Percy had taken them on during their first year.
Albert led the new students through the hidden door concealed behind the sliding panel and hanging tapestries, then trudged up many flights of stairs until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady at the end of the corridor.
"Password?"
"Shooting Stars."
"This is the Gryffindor common room," Albert introduced to the new students. "You'll be living here from now on."
"I'll take the girls from here," he said to Sandra.
"Alright," Sandra turned to the girls and said, "Follow me, girls."
Albert then led the boys to their dormitory. If it weren't for Percy mentioning it on the train, he wouldn't have known where the first-year dormitory was located.
Finally, after finishing his duties, Albert returned to his dormitory, feeling exhausted.
As he opened the door, he saw a fat cat sitting on the table, staring at him with mournful eyes that seemed to say, "I'm hungry."
(End of Chapter)
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