20 Chapter 20: At the banquet

The freshmen were all amazed by Dumbledore's magic, but they were already starving and were more concerned about the delicious food in front of them, rather than studying how the principal did it.

Albert knew how this was done. The food was prepared by elves in the kitchens and laid onto four replica tables, directly below the actual house tables in the Great Hall. The food was then magically transported to the tables.

Albert naturally did not forget to take this matter to test the prefect beside him, but the other party's mouth was full of food, obviously not intending to answer this question.

The dinner was very rich, it was enough to fill everyone's stomachs.

Albert bought himself a steak and sliced ​​it slowly. He was not very hungry. He has been eating all the time along the way.

The others opened their stomachs and ate. Lee Jordan, who was sitting opposite, was chewing on a chicken leg in one hand, he looked contented. 

After the banquet began, ghosts also appeared one after another, emerging from all over the castle, greeting the freshmen, and causing a commotion.

The ghost of Gryffindor was a male nobleman, and it was the legendary Nick who was almost headless.

"Mr. Ghost," Albert swallowed the beef and greeted Nick, who was almost headless.

"I think, I prefer you to call me Sir Nicolas de Mincy-Popington," said the ghost.

"Sir Nicolas de Mincy-Popington," Albert finished the long name. He could remember Nick's name and admired his instant memory for this. "Can you take pictures, I mean, Can you appear in the photo?"

"What? Boy, I don't understand what you are talking about?" Sir Nicholas was very happy that someone could pronounce his name. He hated the newcomer calling himself "Nick the Almost Headless."

"Photograph," Albert said, "Please take time to take a photo with me another day."

 "Well boys, if you think about that day, oh, if you wanted to take a picture, you can come to me," Sir Nicholas agreed, he had a great affection for this polite little guy.

"Can I ask another question?"

"Ask my child."

"What is a ghost? A soul after death?"

"Wizards can leave their mark on the world, and they can walk vaguely where they walked before, but only a few wizards choose this path," Sir Nicholas did not answer Albert's question directly.

"Is it a memory? It doesn't look like it. So...is it really a soul?" Albert muttered to himself, knowing that the magical world had a concept of soul as well. 

After all, Voldemort had smashed his soul.

When he recovered from thinking, he found that everyone nearby was staring at him?

"What's wrong?" Albert asked suspiciously.

"Nothing?" The others quickly retracted their eyes.

"I still think you should be assigned to Ravenclaw," Fred said bluntly.

"Swallow and don't talk," Albert said angrily.

"Why are you so curious?" a freshman asked.

"In the world of Muggles, there is no such magical existence as ghosts," Albert said calmly. 

"Now I have the chance to learn about it. I don't want to miss it. By the way, it will feel very cold to be crossed by a ghost. Be careful."

He just tried to poke Nick with his finger secretly, and he realized that his finger had turned icy. Passing through them might be equivalent to being covered with ice water.

This was definitely not a pleasant thing in winter.

"Indeed, there are no ghosts in the Muggle world," A girl who was two chairs away from Albert spoke up. Her name was Shanna Wilson.

"To be honest, when I received the letter, my family thought it was a prank. When Professor McGonagall came to visit, they almost kicked her out," Shanna Wilson thought it was funny. "In fact, they didn't want me to come here."

"My situation is similar. My mother almost called the police and had them arrest Professor McGonagall," Albert said with a smile. "People who live on the scientific side are usually less capable of accepting abnormalities. They wanted me to go to Eton and learn."

"Eton College, is it that Eton College?" Shanna Wilson was surprised.

"What is that?" Lee Jordan asked puzzledly.

"That is one of the best schools in the UK," Shanna Wilson explained.

"Hogwarts is the best," George raised his eyebrows.

"Of course I know, because there is only one magic school in the UK, Hogwarts is naturally the best," Shanna Wilson couldn't help but be irritated, "For ordinary people, you call Muggles, there are thousands of them. There are thousands of schools, and Eton College is ranked in the top three. I don't need to say what this means!"

"It seems very powerful," George said, but in fact, he really couldn't understand what Shanna said. 

"Let's not just talk about us, but also talk about others as well," Albert turned off the subject and looked at the other girl.

"I'm half-human and a half wizard, my mother is a wizard, and my father is a Muggle," Angelina Johnson, a girl beside Shanna Wilson said, "They confessed to each other very early. However, we have always lived in the Muggle world. I have been exposed to magic since I was a child, and my family was not too surprised when I received the invitation."

 Alicia Spinnet next to her said, "I was born in a wizarding family, and I have been exposed to magic since I was a child as well. There is nothing novel about it. When I received the letter, my family was very happy and bought me an owl."

After everyone was full, the remaining food on the plate disappeared, replaced by desserts.

Albert took a pudding and listened to the new students telling interesting things

After the banquet, the plates on the table were emptied again, like the plates Tom had licked.

Professor Dumbledore stood up again and announced to everyone, "I am very happy that the school has welcomed a new professor, and Professor Bud Brod will become the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

There was sparse applause in the auditorium.

Professor Bud Brod was an elderly man.

"There are a few more things to inform everyone," Dumbledore looked at all the students below and said, "Please note that the first-year students are prohibited from entering the woods near campus. Besides, the caretaker, Mr. Filch, wants me to remind Everyone, don't use magic in the hallway between classes. Finally, the review of Quidditch players will be held in the second week of this semester. Anyone interested in joining the college team, please contact Mrs. Hooch."

"Why can't you enter the forbidden forest?"

"Probably there is danger in the forbidden forest," Albert said, glanced at the eager twins.

"If you dare to go to the Forbidden Forest, I will write to tell mom," Percy Weasley stared at his brothers fiercely. He knew their personalities too well.

"We won't," The twins quickly promised.