Chapter 322

We're no strangers to love. You know the rules and so do I. 1 chapter/day, but NW took yesterday all my time... Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down.

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The time passed unnoticed while doing homework and talking about summer. The weather outside the train window wasn't constant, and by the end of the trip, when it was getting dark, rare drops of rain began covering the windows, but in Hogsmeade, the weather again became cloudless, albeit dark. The moonless sky didn't please us at all with lighting, and the already familiar picture was broken by a woman with a flashlight who met the first years instead of Hagrid. Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank, if my memory serves me right. An elderly woman, but still a cheerful, lively, and strict lady. However, I don't really know her because I don't attend Care of Magical Creatures.

Senior courses went to the carriages, and Hermione and I had the opportunity to see an amazing picture – Potter was trying to prove to Ron that the carriages were harnessed, in his words, with "strange, scary horses." Hermione shook her head dejectedly.

"He goes to Care of Magical Creatures, reads books, but doesn't know about thestrals."

I don't remember Hermione saying last year that she can see them... But I do remember how she looked at thestrals.

Quickly took seats in the same carriage with Lavender, Parvati, and Seamus, we peacefully and calmly rolled to Hogwarts while talking about all sorts of stuff, the summer, who had been where, and what we had seen.

"Lavender," Hermione suddenly looked at the blonde seriously. "Would you like to be a prefect?"

"Oh, of course!" Brown almost jumped in place, beaming. "There is so much you can do! True, it is also much you have to ... But, it's great! And if you show yourself well, then you can get a good position in the Ministry."

"Excellent!" Hermione pulled out the prefect's badge in one motion. "I don't want to. Let's go to Professor McGonagall today and explain the situation."

"Oh! But …" Lavender looked at each of us somewhat confusedly. "We can't do it that way…."

Lavender thought about it for a couple of seconds and then beamed again.

"Excellent! Let's tell McGonagall! We won't be afraid of difficulties!"

Having reached the castle, we joined the general stream of students and went to the Great Hall to await sorting and a feast. As always, there were many burning candles in the air above the tables, and the illusion of the night sky above Hogwarts flaunted on the ceiling.

As soon as we sat down at the tables, a sluggish, but at the same time, paradoxically lively conversation began about whether Potter was lying or not.

"What do you think?" Seamus turned to me. "My mom believes in newspaper articles. I also believe, but I saw with my own eyes what was happening there".

The question asked by Seamus attracted the eyes of others to me.

"I'll say so," I looked at everyone. "No one introduced himself to me. No one spoke to me. An Avada was thrown at me…."

The kids shuddered.

"… But after being protected by the transfiguration, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I saw how Potter entered into a magical confrontation with some fearful man, and around – wizards in the clothes of Death Eaters. Then you saw everything. Based on those events, I can neither confirm nor deny the information about the rebirth of You-Know-Who".

"Well," Seamus nodded with a serious face and looked at Dean. "I thought so."

"That's not all."

The guys around just wanted to turn away, returning to their conversations but were forced to listen again.

"During the summer I visited many places, saw many people. I cannot go into details, but among those acquitted in the past and other supporters of the policy of the Dark Lord, all kinds of radicals, and so on, there is accurate and reliable information that he has returned. The Death Eaters have marks on their left hand. They noticed long ago that the stronger the Dark Lord, the brighter the mark. Now it is as bright as it was during his lifetime. But this is all circumstantial evidence …."

"And what to do?" Dean asked, clearly concerned.

"Working theory – The Dark Lord has been reborn. We will prepare for the worst, and if this turns out to be not true, we will be very happy".

"But this is nonsense …" Lavender wanted to be indignant, but all conversations were interrupted by McGonagall, who entered the hall. She was followed by first years in single file, frightened, worried, confused, and cheerful at the same time. An amazing combination of emotions for poor children.

The hat sang its song for a long time this year. Its message was clear – there is a threat above us, get up, great country! I was frankly too lazy to look for a deeper meaning. Of course, the hat's song was followed by the sorting of first years, and then Dumbledore made a speech after rising from his massive headmaster's chair.

"Our newcomers," the headmaster spoke loudly, beaming with a smile and opening his arms wide, "welcome! To our old guard – welcome back to the nest! The time will come for speeches, but now is the time for something else. Enjoy your dinner!"

The headmaster's short speech drew laughter and approving applause, and he sat down neatly and slung his long beard over his shoulder to keep it out of the plate. Food immediately appeared on all tables in great abundance and variety: meat, pies, vegetable dishes, bread, sauces, and jugs of juices.