Chapter 15
The Welcome Feast
The air was crisp and there was the faint smell of autumn in it as Harry, Neville and Ginny walked towards the empty carriages that would take them to the castle. Ron and Hermione had hurried off to help with some first years who appeared to be home sick. One of them, a tiny girl with curly brown hair had been clinging to her 4th year brother and upon being told that she would have to leave him and join Hagrid, promptly burst into tears.
Harry was a little surprised: The first years were always a little apprehensive their first day of Hogwartsâ”he him had been terrified, but he had never seen someone break down and cry before.
âOhhh, poor girl,â said Ginny, her freckled face full of concern as they walked by the little girl, âitâs got to be hard leaving your family with the war going on.â
As they climbed into the carriage Dean Thomas came running to the door.
âThere you are Ginny. ErâŚcan I ride with you?â Dean asked tentatively.
âOf course. I was wondering when youâd show up,â Ginny smiled, scooting over on the seat to make room.
âHey Harry, Neville,â Dean said as he climbed in and sat down. He looked around for a little bit, then turned to Ginny and said nervously, âErâŚhow was your summer?â
âOh you know, nothing I didnât already write to you about,â she replied. An awkward silence ensued. Dean looked like he was struggling to find something to say, then asked stiffly, âSo, umâŚare you happy to be back at school?â Ginny laughed.
Harry was confused at first as he watched the two interact; he couldnât understand why Dean was acting so weird. Ginny was acting completely normal, but Dean seemed nervous and talked to Ginny like they had never met. Then he rememberedâ”they were going out. During the train ride home last year she had mentioned it to Ron, who hadnât seemed too pleased. In fact, she had broken up with her previous boyfriend, who was now going out with Cho ChangâŚ
The thought of Cho Chang had surprisingly little effect on Harry. He found it hard to believe, almost funny even, that he had once cared so much about impressing a girl. It seemed like a life-time ago. What with the war, the prophecy, and everything else going on he didnât have time to think about girls, and remembering all the grief and frustration Cho had caused him, he wasnât even sure he wanted to. Watching Dean only reinforced this feelingâ”here was Ginny, one of the easiest people to talk to, and he was fumbling around for something clever to say and coming across like a complete idiot.
Shaking his head at the disgusting display in front of him, Harry silently resolved that he would never waste time on another girl as long as he was at Hogwarts.
Soon the carriage lurched to a halt, announcing their arrival at the castle. Ginny and Dean melted into the crowd walking towards the castle as Harry and Neville exited the carriage.
âUhâŚare Dean and Ginny going out?â Neville asked confusedly as they joined the throng walking towards the main doors.
âYeah. Waste of time if you ask me,â Harry replied absent-mindedly.
They were just about to the front doors when Ron caught up with them. âI canât believe it, first day back and already thereâs whining first years and Hermioneâs mad at me,â he said, shaking his head. âAll I did was say that Skidrack the Mountain Troll eats little girls who cry.â
âYou told that girl that Skidrack the Mountain Troll would eat her if she didnât stop crying?â Harry asked, trying to suppress a laugh.
âWell yeah,â Ron said defensively. âFred and George used to tell me that all the time. I thought everyone said thatâŚâ Ron mumbled the last few words to his shoes, then looked up again.
âOh yeah, and Hagrid wants to talk with you before you go to the feast.â he said, pointing behind him with his thumb. âI donât know what itâs about. I got to go, Iâll save you a seat.â
Harry looked back over the crowd and saw Hagridâs gigantic form towards the end of the queue, bent over and showing something to Hermione. Harry pushed his way against the crowd, getting the occasional âHey Harry!â and âLook, itâs Potter!â, as he made his way.
He got there just in time to catch the end of their conversation.
âThatâs great, Hagrid. Really wonderful. Look, Iâve got to go, theyâll be expecting me in the Great Hall any minute now. Look, thereâs Harry!â Hermione gave an overenthusiastic grin as she ran off.
âHarry, good to see ya,â Hagrid said as he clapped Harry painfully on the shoulder. He gave a giant grin that revealed several missing teeth, and Harry couldnât help but notice a large purple bruise over his right eye. This was actually pretty good for Hagrid, who had spent most of the previous year looking like he had been trampled by Madame Maximeâs giant horses.
âSorry I didân make it to yer birthday party, had another project keepân me busy. Speakin of which,â here Hagrid reached into his giant mole-skin coat and pulled out a small piece of paper, âI got somethinâ to show ya. Look at this!â
Hagrid held it up. It was a photograph, but he couldnât quite tell what it was of in the dark. It looked like a large boulder bobbing up and down against a backdrop of trees. Stepping closer to get a better look he realized the boulder was actually a personâs headâ”a very large personâs headâŚ
Grawp.
Hagridâs giant half-brother sat at a small table (it looked small next to Grawp anywayâ”it could have been as big as one of the house tables in the Great Hall for all Harry knew), holding an enormous mug. He swung his head stupidly from side to side and looked around. A white napkin was tucked into the collar of his tunic like a bib, and the table was set with a large teapot, a plate of biscuits, and a vase with gaudy flowers on top of a white tablecloth.
âGrawpyâs first tea!â Hagrid bellowed out, a sentimental tone in his voice like a parent showing his childâs first step.
Harry was filled simultaneously with disbelief and an urge to laugh out loud: He knew that Hagrid wanted to prove that giants could mix with wizards, but the sight of Grawp at tea was one of the most ridiculous things he had ever seen. It reminded him of when his Aunt Marge used to dress her bulldog up in a little tuxedo outfit.
âThatâs amazing, Hagrid.â
âYou wouldân believe it Harry! Heâs come a long wayâ”heâs talkinâ with me, told me a little bit about the other giants, even built himself a shelter to sleep under. I reckon Iâve almost gotten him entirely trainedâ”hasnât taken a swing at me in nearly a month!â
A little apprehensive, Harry pointed towards the large black bruise on Hagridâs face. âErâŚHowâd you get that then?â
âOh, well Grawpy didnât really like the flash from the camera, so he threw his mug at me after I took it. Reckon it scared âim a bit.â Hagrid replied unconcernedly. âReally was my own fault though, shouldâa told him it was comin. Heâs doin great though Harry, just great. I can wait to show him to yeh.â
Harry nodded. Though not nearly as enthusiastic for the meeting as Hagrid appeared to be, he couldnât help but be impressedâ”the last time he had seen Grawp he had been in a raging temper and was throwing Centaurs around the forest like they were chess pieces.
âThat really is amazing, Hagrid. How did you do it?â
Hagrid spent the next twenty minutes explaining the various methods he had used to discipline Grawp. He was just about to explain how he had convinced Snape to brew an extra-strength submissiveness potion when he cut off.
âBut listen to me ramblinâ on when you should be inside at the feast! Come to think of it, I should too. Youâll have to drop by soon as you have a break, Harry. Grawpy would love to see you. Well, best get goinâ.â
Harry took a quick right once they had entered the castle and made his way to the back end of the Great Hall. Apparently it was about half-way through the sorting as a line of quaking first years stood facing Harry at the far end of the hall and the sorting hat suddenly yelled out, âRavenclaw!â. This was followed by a cheer from the Ravenclaw table as they welcomed their newest member. Harry did his best to get to the Gryffindor table without being noticed, and took a seat next to Ron.
âWhat was that all about?â Ron asked as Professor McGonagall read out the next name, Locksley, Quinton.
âRemember we told you about Grawp? Hagridâs giant?â Ron looked confused for a second, then answered, âOh yeah. What about him?â
âWell, weâve just been invited to tea.â
Just then Hagrid entered through a door in the far end of the hall behind the staff table. He nodded at Professor Sprout as he sat down between her and Professor Flitwick, both of him he towered over by at least five feet even as he was sitting. Next to Flitwick was Professor Vector, and next to her was an older, grizzled looking witch Harry had never seen before.
As the sorting continued Harry couldnât help but notice that the atmosphere in the Great Hall was more subdued than usual. Usually at the start of year feast each table erupted in cheers every time a first year was sorted into their house. Tonight the houses gave only a half-hearted applause, as if everyone was waiting for the ceremony to get over. There was very little of the light-hearted chatter that had always been present at the beginning of the year, and many of the students had anxious, distracted faces. What surprised him the most, however, was the sight of eight or nine people at the Hufflepuff table wearing blood red uniforms and three people wearing silky, powder blue ones half-way along the Ravenclaw table. The sight immediately took him back to his fourth-year when students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had spent a year at Hogwarts for the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
He was just about to point them out to Ron when the last first year, Darnell Clearwater, was sorted into Slytherin, and Dumbledore arose. A hush came over the students.
âWelcome, first-year students, to Hogwarts,â the headmaster smiled warmly at the first-years as Professor McGonagall removed the sorting hat from its stool. âTo our older students, welcome back. I would like to begin with a few items of business before we start our wonderful feast. I realize, of course, that this is a break from tradition, but I feel we will all eat better once certain issues have been dealt with. I have found that the things people wish to discuss the least are often the things that need to be discussed the most.
âLord Voldemort,â there was a collective shudder throughout the hall at the name, âhas returned and we are at war. Dark days are ahead of us. There are some in this room whose lives have already been affected by Voldemort. Before this war is over all of us will have.â
âWow, heâs not beating around the bush this year, is he?â said Ron, looking surprised and impressed at the same time. Most of the other students looked similarly startled, though they seemed more scared than impressed.
âWhile it is a time of fear and uncertainty, you may trust me when I say this: You are safe at Hogwarts. Now on to business.
âThe first item deals with the closing of Gringotts. Because of the sudden change of attitude on behalf of the goblins, many of you are not prepared with all the supplies you will need for the upcoming year. We have prepared for such an eventuality and have been stocking supplies ever since his return more than a year ago. While we may have to stretch a bit, we should have enough to get us through the year.â
There was an excited murmuring at this bit of news, and the tension in the room seemed to lighten a little.
âSecondly, I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Grishelda Grendenhall.â The weathered old witch Harry had noticed stood up and gave a strange imitation of a curtsey as the students clapped. Even from this distance Harry could see that she had seen a bit of wear over the yearsâ”her face was tan and immensely wrinkled, and thin wispy gray hair sprouted from her head. She had a wry, sardonic smile, as if she found the sight of hundreds of teenagers applauding her amusing.
âProfessor Grendenhall is an Auror who has a good deal of experience dealing with the Dark Arts. She is also a good friend of mine and has agreed to come out of retirement to assist us in our time of need. I am confident that you will find her very capable and helpful in your studies this year.â
âReminds me of a female Mad-Eye Moody,â Ron muttered. to Harry.
âNext, I would like to extend a warm greeting to our foreign friends visiting us this evening. Some of you have undoubtedly noticed by now, but for those of you who havenât, some of the pupils from Beauxbatons Academy and the Durmstrang Institute will be joining us for school this year. I would encourage you to go out of your way to make them feel welcome.
Apparently quite a few people hadnât noticed, as Dumbledoreâs comment was followed by a good deal of talking.
âDurmstrang and Beauxbatons? Whatâre they doing here?â Seamus asked as weaved his head back and forth, trying to get a better view.
âThey must need protection,â Hermione answered smartly. âDonât you remember the end of our fourth-year? Dumbledore said that Hogwartsâs doors would always be open to them in a time of need. My guess is that they are in danger and Hogwarts is the safest place.â
âJust as long as Vickyâs not with them,â Harry heard Ron mutter under his breath.
âFinally, it is my pleasure to announce that this year the Halloween feast will be followed by a Halloween Ball, open to all students.â As he said this a number of students, mainly girls, gasped and began whispering excitedly to each other.
Harry looked at the headmaster while everyone around him talked. A Halloween Ball? They had never had a Halloween Ball before. In fact, the last Ball they had had was the Yule-Ball during his fourth year, and that hadnât been fun at all. Harry was glad that he had sworn off girls and wouldnât have to worry about getting a partner.
Dumbledore smiled and held his hands up for silence.
âSome may be wondering why we have arranged this. The answer is simple: We must continue living our lives. Although it is a time of darkness and uncertainty, we must not let fear dictate how we live our lives. If we do then Voldemort has already won.â the headmasterâs voice grew stronger as he spoke, and the students were looking at him in awe. âBecause of this we will do our best not only to protect ourselves against danger, but to enjoy life while we are doing it. There is much good in life. It is up to us to defend it, to fight for it, and to sacrifice for it.
âWhile some try to hide from their trials and others attempt to flee, you will learn that the best way to deal with trouble in your life is to face it. We will face what is coming to us, and we will do it with wand in hand and our heads held high.â By now every pair of eyes in the room was riveted to the ancient headmaster, who seemed to be radiating an unseen power.
âWe will face the darkness, and we will win. We will face Lord Voldemort and we will be victorious!â
Harry looked at Hermione, who looked back at him and smiled brightly. The change in the atmosphere of the room was almost tangible. It was as if someone had thrown open a window full of light in a dark and dreary room. The anxiety and tension that had hung over them all had disappeared, replaced with a warm feeling of hope.
âNow, without further adoâ”Tucker in!â
The rest of the feast passed happily. The food was excellent, as usual, and by the time Harry finished his third helping of treacle tart his eyelids began to get heavy. Sleepily he and Ron trudged up the many staircases to their dormitory. Dean, Seamus and Neville were already there, talking about what Dumbledore had said while they unpacked.
Dean looked up at Ron nervously and made a valiant attempt at casual conversation.
âHey Ron. ErâŚdid you have a good summer?â
Ron, who was also sleepy, only glowered back at him. Without a word he climbed into his four-poster bed and pulled his curtains shut.
Dean, completely shocked, looked at Harry, who simply shrugged back and climbed into his own bed. It looked like it was going to be an interesting year in more ways than one.