Welcome Feast

A/N: If we reach 300 stones I'll upload an extra chapter

My head was still killing me as I made my way to the Ravenclaw table, forcing myself to focus through the pain. Even with my migraine I continued to keep track of the remaining sortings - forty-one students total in our year, breaking down into twelve Gryffindors, eleven Hufflepuffs, nine Slytherins, and nine Ravenclaws including myself.

The relatively small number was weird to me- with a castle this massive, why were there only around 280 students total if each year averaged the same? It seemed too little but then again I wasn't a teacher here so I couldn't really say.

I found myself seated between two boys - Roger Davies with his brown hair and eyes to my left, and Adrian Chen with similar coloring but darker hair to my right. Penelope Clearwater sat across from us, deep in conversation with Roger while I continued to massage my forehead, my head was seriously killing me.

"Hey you okay?" Adrian asked, noticing my discomfort.

I managed a weak "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks," while massaging my temples. I had no clue why it hurt so much no one else seemed to have a migraine from the hat, yet another reason for me to steal it.

Glancing around the hall, I spotted Bell at the Gryffindor table, she was talking, well writing with Kenneth Towler and Lucy Winterbourne. She seemed to be fitting in already, which eased some of my worry about her being the only deaf student at Hogwarts. At the Slytherin table, Drake had found his place among the other Sacred Twenty-Eight children, though our gazes met for a second where he threw me a worried glance before going back to his conversation.

"Hey man, are you sure you're okay?" Adrian pressed, but McGonagall's spoon against her goblet cut off my response.

"Your attention please," she called out, her voice carrying across the hall.

The room quieted at her words, and surprisingly, my migraine seemed to subside slightly. Dumbledore rose from his ornate chair, and I tried to focus, expecting some profound wisdom from the greatest wizard of our age.

"Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!" he announced cheerfully. "Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are, Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

"What?" I mumbled, caught off guard. "Did he just insult us?"

"What?" Adrian echoed beside me, equally confused.

"Yeah the dude just insulted us," I explained. "Nitwit means to fail or failing school, blubber means not having enough courage and falling apart, oddment - not fitting in, tweak - hating the school."

"Uhh."

"Yeah if I wasn't gonna steal the hat before I'm definitely doing it now."

"Uhhh."

"Hey my migraine is gone."

"Uhhh."

I turned to look at the boy. "Dude you okay?"

"Uhh."

Before I could try to snap Adrian out of his confusion, Dumbledore spoke again. "Now let the feast begin!"

Food suddenly materialized on our plates, and soon I was questioning this too. Wait, how was this possible? This was breaking one of the fundamental rules of transmutation - unless they were just apparating it from somewhere, but from where?

"Uhh," Adrian contributed to my theoretical musings.

"Oh did I say that aloud?"

He nodded, still looking dazed.

"Well then, let's dig in," I suggested, relieved that my headache was finally subsiding.

The feast was incredible although a little wasteful, platters upon platters of every food imaginable appearing before us. Through our meal, I learned that Adrian was Muggle-born, which got me thinking about blood status demographics in our year.

Purebloods were likely the minority now, especially since Drake had mentioned that around twenty of the twenty-eight sacred families had begun marrying Muggles to avoid inbreeding - though his family remained steadfastly pure-blooded.

After we'd eaten our fill, Dumbledore rose again for announcements.

"Ahem -- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

His eyes flashed quickly toward two redheaded twins at the Gryffindor table, who somehow managed to look both innocent and mischievous simultaneously.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this is Hogwarts - have fun!"

As we rose from our tables, I caught Bell's eye across the hall and we exchanged quick signs of "see you later" before our prefects, Chester Davies and Rebecca Clearwater, began herding us toward our respective common rooms.

The journey to Ravenclaw Tower took us up a winding spiral staircase from the fifth floor. At the top, we came face to face with a weird door - no handle or keyhole, just a single almost small bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle.

Chester Davies rapped the knocker, and to my increasing attention span, the eagle's eyes blinked to life. Here was yet another enchanted object to add to my study list, right after the Sorting Hat.

"I am something people love or hate," the eagle started. "I change people's appearances and thoughts. If a person takes care of themselves I will go up even higher. To some people, I will fool them. To others, I am a mystery. Some people might want to try and hide me but I will show. No matter how hard people try I will never go down. What am I?"

The other students fell into silence, however all I was wondering was how the hell was this enchanted first the hat now this, another thing to be stolen in my spare time. I also couldn't be bothered to solve the riddle, I mean we were in magic school not riddle school plus I had a ton of people already solving this for me.

An older girl finally spoke up, "You're age."

The door swung open to reveal our common room, and for a moment, I forgot all about magic. The circular space was magnificent - airy and open, with arched windows draped in blue and bronze silks. Stars twinkled in the midnight blue carpet, mirrored in the domed ceiling above. That one persistent star that had followed me since the Louise incident still shone brightest of all.

Bookshelves lined the walls, and a magnificent white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw stood guard by the dormitory entrance. A spiral staircase promised access to what appeared to be a rooftop terrace - perfect for stargazing and possibly testing any spells that might be frowned upon indoors.

"Okay, get yourself acquainted with your rooms - tomorrow you'll start classes," Rebecca announced as older students headed for their quarters. "Ravenclaws and Slytherins are the two houses that have single rooms, so come on, get to it."

I followed the other first-years up the stairs, pausing briefly to study Rowena's statue for any hidden magical properties. My room was everything I could have hoped for - a four-poster bed draped in house colors, personal library nook, and an eagle-emblazoned carpet. My magically expanded suitcase and guitar case had already been delivered, waiting to be unpacked.

"Home sweet home," I murmured, before opening up a window and feel the cold night air rush through it, I peeked my head out of the window looking up at the stars.

"What the Merlin is a Scribe?"

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