Chapter nine
My trunk rattled behind me as I rushed through the train station. The sounds of children crying and train conductors shouting made my heart race with anxiety. All I had to do was get through this crowd, then I would be in the clear. My skin prickled with sweat. I swerved through a family standing in the middle of the walkway and cursed myself for not waking up earlier.
Platform 9 ¾ is only a few steps away. I can make it.
I leapt through the barrier. The sounds of muggle families barking orders washed away. I was embraced by the sounds of screeching owls in cages, wizard parents telling their children to be on their best behavior, and the whistle of the Hogwarts Express.
I still had a few minutes before the train took off. I maneuvered past the other families who were running late and made my way onto the train. First years crowded the corridor while older students were already situated in their seats, ready to get this trip on with already. I squeezed past the children and began my search for a seat.
Most of them were already filled and as I passed by a compartment full of Hufflepuffs, I wished I had gotten here sooner. Finally, at the front of the train, I found a nearly empty compartment I didn’t mind joining.
“Mind if I sit here?”
Luna Lovegood, Susan Bones, and Neville Longbottom looked up from their conversation,
Luna stared at me blankly, Susan nodded, and Neville looked back out the window without a response.
“Thanks,” I breathed as I took the seat beside Neville.
While I wasn’t close with Neville or Luna, Susan and I have spent plenty of time together in the Hufflepuff common room.
“I don’t know, Neville, you should really think about freeing up some space in your schedule.” Susan said, presumably continuing the conversation they were having before I entered.
“My Gran says a full schedule looks good for graduation,” he responded, to which Susan rolled her eyes.
“He’s taking triple Herbology,” Susan said to me this time.
“I didn’t even know that was possible.”
As much as I loved Professor Sprout, I can’t imagine being in her class for that long.
Neville blushed. “Professor Sprout had to get it specially approved for me.”
“That’s impressive,” I said.
“No, it’s stupid. No one should be taking that many classes their seventh year.” Susan said.
There was a brief silence as Neville contemplated Susan’s words.
“So, what did you do this summer, Heather?” Susan asked. All eyes turned onto me. Although Luna hadn’t stopped staring at me since I entered the compartment.
“Oh, not much. I had an internship with the Ministry, which took up most of my time.”
“Really?” Susan’s eyes lit up and she leaned forward in her seat. “How was it? I wish I would have done it. But my parents thought I should spend my last summer travelling.” Susan rolled her eyes.
How was it that Susan Bones, whose family is notorious in the Ministry, didn’t force her into this internship, and yet my mother did?
“It was… fine. I would have preferred travelling, that’s for sure.”
“Who did you get to work with?” Susan asked. She was much too interested in this.
“Uh, the Department of International Magical Cooperation.”
Susan’s mouth dropped open. “No way. That is so cool. What did you work on?”
“Just paperwork, filing, stuff. Nothing exciting,” I stammered.
Susan looked a bit deflated. She was expecting a much more exciting answer, I’m sure. Before she could respond, a quiet, dreamy voice interrupted.
“I don’t think it will matter much what classes we take this year,” Luna said, apparently continuing our conversation from ten minutes ago.
“Why do you say that?” Susan asked. She didn’t seem phased by Luna’s strange behavior, and neither did Neville. If anything, he seemed much more interested in what she had to say than the previous convo.
“Because of what’s happening this year, of course,” Luna continued.
My neck practically snapped with how quickly I looked at her. Susan and Neville had confused looks on their faces, while Luna was altogether calm.
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
“I’m surprised you don’t know,” she said, looking directly at me.
“Why would you say that?” I asked, leaning back in my seat.
“You must have heard it around the Ministry.”
Susan and I met eyes, both of us completely lost.
“Well, spit it out,” Susan threatened.
“I guess they do want to keep it a secret. There sure were a lot of foreign wizarding governments at the Ministry this summer, so they must know too. But they must not want to cause a panic,” Luna said, oblivious to how confused we all were.
“Luna—”
“It’s okay if you haven’t heard about the Great Flood. We all will soon. My father is already building our boat,” she continued.
Susan, Neville, and I all looked at one another.
“I really don’t know what you’re talking about now,” Susan said with a huff.
Neville began asking her questions about the flood, but Luna was now reading her book, ignoring him.
Despite my confusion, I was just relieved she wasn’t talking about the Tournament. While I’m sure there have already been plenty of leaks in the Ministry about this big secret, I wasn’t going to risk spilling the secret. I wouldn’t be surprised if Malfoy was currently telling all his Slytherin friends everything we were supposed to keep secret.
I shivered at the thought of Malfoy. I coughed and readjusted in my seat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in the small space. I wish that I at least had the window seat, so I could distract myself with the blurry scenery. Instead, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. This was going to be a long train ride.
By the time the train stopped, there was a torrential downpour outside. The first years hustled their way out of the train, unsure of where to go, while the rest of us trudged towards the carriages. Luna made another comment about the flood she was so worried about, then climbed into her carriage.
As we made our way towards the castle, thunder rumbled in the distance. By the time we made it inside the front hall, we were all soaked.
Even if I wasn’t escaping the downpour outside, I felt an immense relief stepping inside Hogwarts castle. While I am far from the best student here, I can’t deny the comfort that this school brings. There’s no place like Hogwarts, after all.
I took my seat in the Great Hall along with the other Hufflepuffs. Matt caught my eye before I could avoid him. He gave me a small smile, which I interpreted as his sad attempt at an apology. I smiled back, then quickly looked anywhere else.
A large group of Slytherins entered the hall. I scanned the crowd of black and green robes until my eyes landed on the familiar tall, sharply angled blonde. Standing in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by cronies who were eager for his attention. Malfoy didn’t even seem to be listening as Pansy talked at him. She stood much too close to him as they walked towards their table. I followed his movements with my eyes, the confident way he walks, the cocky wave of his hand as he motioned for an underclassman to move out of the seat he wanted, and the elegant way he finally sat down. Everyone else filled the seats around him.
He had the same bored look on his face that I remember seeing in all our meetings over the summer. There were at least three people vying for his attention and he couldn’t care less about any of them. I wondered what he was thinking about. A smile played at the corner of my lips as I recalled the way he acted the first day we met. He didn’t even bother remembering my name for the longest time. He pretends to be so tough.
His eyes flickered towards my table. I quickly averted my gaze, looking anywhere else in the room. My heart thudded in my chest. I didn’t dare look back at his table for the rest of the sorting ceremony. By the time dinner was served, I was able to focus more on the food than the embarrassment I felt.
I fielded more questions on my internship over the summer and tried to change the subject multiple times. I wasn’t eager to make up more lies on what I worked on, or who I worked on it with.
There were a few people discussing the rumors they heard over the summer on what was going to happen this year at Hogwarts. I couldn’t help but laugh at what I overheard.
“I heard they’re finally going to drain the lake!”
“Why would they do that?”
“Oh, I dunno.”
“My cousin’s sister’s boyfriend who graduated three years ago said that a curse from the 1700s is going to come alive this year on Halloween night! No, guys, I swear it’s real!"
Once the dessert plates were cleared and Dumbledore positioned himself behind the podium, all conversations died away. I turned in my seat to see him better, feeling just as excited as everyone else to hear what he had to say.
Right as he began, he was interrupted by a loud clap of lightning. At the same time, the doors to the Great Hall burst open. Every head in the room turned to look at the source of the noise. A grizzly looking man entered the Hall, his hair stringy and long across his face, a tall staff in his hands guiding him as he hobbled forward. A dull thud echoed with each step as he walked down the center aisle towards the top table. Another flash of lightning highlighted the man’s scarred and mangled face.
“May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher,” Dumbledore said, drawing everyone’s attention back to him, “Professor Alastor Moody.”
The Great Hall remained silent. I followed Moody’s movements as he stood behind the teacher’s table, not taking a seat. There was something about him that made me shiver. Dumbledore cleared his throat and began again.
“As I was saying,” he said with a smile, “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’re JOKING!” said someone from across the room.
The entire Great Hall burst into laughter, including Dumbledore. I, among the rest of the Hufflepuff table, tried to see who it was that made such an outburst.
“No, I am not joking,” Dumbledore said.
I glanced over at the Slytherin table to gauge their reactions. A beefy boy, either Crabbe or Goyle (I can never tell the difference) was leaning over in his seat to whisper something to Malfoy. Malfoy shrugged him off. I wondered if he was asking if Malfoy knew about this if Malfoy was going to enter.
“Only students who are of age — that is to say, seventeen years or older — will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration.”
Whatever else Dumbledore tried to say was cut off by the outcry from his announcement. I desperately wanted to look over at Malfoy and share a knowing glance, since this was the same sort of reaction that was given during every meeting over the summer when the age restriction was brought up. But whenever I glanced at him, he was thoroughly avoiding my eye contact.
“--is a measure we feel necessary,” Dumbledore continued.
He gave meaningful looks to certain members of the student body, those who were more likely to push the boundaries of these restrictions.
“The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be staying with us for the greater part of this year,” Dumbledore said. I winced at the memory of all the paperwork that went into their arrivals, “I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop Chop!”
Everyone rose from their tables, the Great Hall erupting with chatter as everyone discussed the news.
For the first time, I felt self-conscious as I went in the same direction as the Slytherins, since we both turned right out of the Great Hall and descended the same set of stairs towards the lower levels of the castle. As soon as they continued lower towards the dungeons, I could breathe normally again.
One by one, Hufflepuffs climbed through the barrel entrance into the common room. If entering Hogwarts gave me a comforting feeling, then entering the Hufflepuff basement felt like being wrapped inside a million warm blankets. There is no place on earth cozier than this.
The rounded room was filled with a glowing golden light. Plants hung from the ceilings and took up most of the free space on every surface. Overstuffed couches and plush chairs were centered around a fireplace, where everyone began to gather to continue gushing about the news of the Tournament. I debated staying but ended up heading straight to the dormitories instead. My familiar bed was a sight for sore eyes. Farthest from the door, it had the same quilted blanket on it that has been there since my first year. Sometimes I wonder if I’d be able to take this blanket with me when I graduate, but I imagine there are anti-theft charms on it for that reason.
My soaking wet trunk reminded me that it was still storming outside. Once inside the Hufflepuff basement, no matter how bad the weather is or what time of the day, there is an everlasting glow seeping through the windows. As a first year, I found it hard to adjust, as my brain always thought it was nearing sundown. But soon, I became so accustomed to it, I wished that all windows were like this. There is no better light than the golden hour between the sun going down and the moon rising.
I changed into my pajamas and snuggled underneath the giant quilt. I could still faintly hear the commotion of everyone in the common room, but it was a comforting sound. I was finally around people who were like me, people who I didn’t have to explain myself to or make excuses for. I knew these people as well as I know myself. They didn’t have devilish smirks that made me want to slap their face off. And they most certainly didn’t give mixed signals in a closet that still give me shivers even underneath this giant blanket.
I closed my eyes and tried to focus on sleep. Sleeping is what I need right now, and not another fantasy about all the things that could have happened in that dark, quiet, tucked away closet in the back of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. There would be some magical cooperation, alright, I thought with a chuckle.
Dammit, Heather, go to sleep!