chapter 27

The carriages finally stopped, allowing the students to step out onto the courtyard in front of Hogwarts. Harry saw everyone hurried up the stone steps and in through the massive oak doors leading to the castles entrance hall.

Like the other students, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Hermione, and Luna – she had introduced herself after Harry had asked – ran up the stairs, trying to avoid the rain. Luna almost slipped on one of the stone steps, but Ron managed to grab onto her arm before she fell. "Be careful," Ron said loudly at her, but he only received a smile from Luna.

They got continued up the stairs and into chaos. People were letting out screams and running around shielding their heads. Harry's head snapped up to see Peeves floating above them. in one hand he had a small sack full of something and in the other he had a small colorful ball. Harry watched as Peeves threw the bright yellow ball at a few fifth years, his eyes following the ball, and saw it exploding with water upon impact. Water balloons! The fifth years scream and shout in outrage as they run into the Great Hall.

Harry's eyes came back up to Peeves and made eye contact. Peeves stared at Harry for a second before aiming another water balloon towards them now. The balloon is coming at them before anything could be said and hit… Hermione! Her scream as the water hit her made Harry's ears hurt.

Peeves laughter and the students screams must have alerted the professors, because suddenly McGonagall came running into the entrance hall. "PEEVES! Come down here at ONCE!" she screamed at the poltergeist who only laughed in return. She skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling. "Ouch, sorry, Miss Granger."

"That's alright, Professor!" Hermione gasped, massaging her throat.

"Peeves, get down here NOW!" barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles.

"Not doing nothing!" cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!" And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived.

"I shall call the headmaster!" shouted Professor McGonagall. "I'm warning you, Peeves!"

Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw one at her, hitting her squarely on the head. Hermione was so furious that she left the entrance hall, stomping through the big doors on the right into the Great Hall. Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Luna stay and continue to watch.

Peeves continue to throw balloon after balloon, the sack he is holding seemed to have an endless supply of them. After a few throws Peeves made eye contact with Harry again, much to Harry's terror, but Peeves just turned and threw at a group of seven-year boys. Harry's eyes continued to meet Peeves, but he never threw any water balloons at them. It was only when almost everyone had left the entrance hall and Peeves finally ran out of balloons that he zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.

McGonagall who had been standing there shouting at Peeves even in her newly wet state huffed loudly in irritation. "Well, move along, then!" said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. "Into the Great Hall, come on!" She waved her wand, drying herself instantly, before turning on her heel and walking into the Great Hall.

They split off from Luna, as she is a Ravenclaw, and made their way to the Gryffindor table. Harry could see Hermione further up the table, but they found some seats at the end of the table, away from her. Harry could just see her beginning to rise up from her seat when McGonagall came leading the new first years. Even Hermione had the decency to stay seated.

"Are there usually that many? Our year is probably less than a quarter of that," Harry quietly asked when McGonagall had reached the teacher's table and there were still children coming through the doors.

"Oh yeah! You haven't seen any of the Sortings since our own!" Ron said, "These are the years that were born just after the war, so…" Harry nodded, that was a logical conclusion. He could remember they talked about generations in school back when he was seven years old. After the second world war there was a baby boom, something like that would logically happen after a wizen war, too.

"The war was dangerous, and -"

"-most wizen didn't want to have children -"

"-while there was no end in sight. After -"

"-the war ended there was a baby boom," Fred and George unintentionally said what Harry had just been thinking. Harry just nodded.

While they had been talking the Sorting Hat had finished its song and the Sorting had begun. One after the other McGonagall called their names and they went up to the three-legged stool and had the Sorting Hat placed over their heads. Shouts of "Hufflepuff", "Gryffindor", "Ravenclaw", and "Slytherin" were called, and the children went to their new house table.

"Foooood!! I'm sooooo hungry!!!" Ron whisper-shouted after some twenty children was sorted, the last one being sorted into Hufflepuff. Fred and George just quietly laughed at their brother, while Harry just pat his shoulder in sympathy. Ron continued to complain quietly to himself. Harry did have to agree with him, this was taking frustratingly long.

After ten more children, they began to amuse themselves with guessing the house the child sat on the stool would get. After a little a few children Harry noticed something, "The Hat is going off magical signature!" he whispered at the other. At their confused looks Harry explained, "The Hat feels the magical signature of the child while talking to them, seeing the magics reactions. And that is how it chooses where a child goes!" Harry theorized aloud for Fred, George, and Ron to hear.

"Wait, you can see magical signatures?" Ron asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Oh, yeah, I can. Did I forget to tell you?" Harry awkwardly smiled, lifting his hand to rub his neck. "Oops?" he laughed. Ron actually slapped himself on the forehead, making Harry laugh harder.

"Try it out!" Fred and George said at the same time, subtly pointing at the newest child in the stool.

Harry turned back to the Sorting, and subsequently the teacher's table. He made eye contact with Severus for a second, and Harry saw the subtle hints of a smile. He smiled back before directing his attention to the child wearing the Sorting Hat. He just managed to see the magic around the child spike in curiosity. "Ravenclaw," Harry said at the same time as the Hat.

"Cool!" Ron exclaimed. "Again?" he asked excitedly. Fred and George nodded along, just as excited. Harry proceeded to get almost every guess right. The Hat obviously had more experience than Harry and took some different choices than Harry.

The time past much faster than before and soon the last child was sorted, and McGonagall took the Hat and stool away. Dumbledore – who Harry had intentionally not looked at – rose from his seat (read: throne) and Harry prepared himself for a speech. "I only have two words to say to you. Tuck in!" and with that, the food appeared.

Ron had already thrown himself over the food, stuffing his face, when Harry began filling his plate. They ate and talked happily, and they were halfway through the meal when the doors into the Great Hall slammed open. The whole hall turned as one to look, in the entryway stood a man in a cloak. Everyone watched as he slowly began walking up between the tables, every other step came as a dull thud. The silence continued until the man made his way up to the table, "Dumbledore," a gruff voice said, and Harry suspected he was the only one, apart from the teachers, that heard the man.

Dumbledore, once again, rose from his throne, "Alastor, so good to see you!" he said loudly, so everyone could hear. "This is Professor Moody," he addressed the hall of students, "He will be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year." Dumbledore and Hagrid were the only ones that applauded. Moody just grunted, before walking slowly to the only open seat at the teacher's table, next to Severus. The hall was silently watching Moody, transfixed by his bizarre appearance.

He had taken of his hood, showing a face full of scars, and only half a nose. But the most bizarre thing had to be his right eye. It was bigger than the other and an electric blue that even Harry on the other side of the Great Hall could see. Harry also saw the wooden leg when Moody sat down. "That's Mad-Eye Moody!" Ron whispered, "Dad talked about him yesterday! Had to help him out with intruders, turned out it was a false alarm," he whispered to Harry. Understand the name… "He was the best Auror before he retired," Ron said on an afterthought. Harry just nodded as Ron began eating again. Slowly, the tension that Moody's arrival had caused eased, and people began eating and chatting again.

The dinner disappeared and the dessert appeared, and soon the dessert disappeared, too. Dumbledore, once again, rose from his seat and cleared his throat. "Now that we're all fed and watered. I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices." He clapped his hands together and smiled down at the students. "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on ground is out-of-bounds t students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year." Harry heard a few sighs as Dumbledore continued, "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office if anybody would like to check it." Another round of sighs sounded and a huff from Mr. Flich.

Then came the most devastating news, "It is also my painful duty to inform you the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year." Outrage! Harry was one of many to protest. "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts," he stopped, dragging out the suspense, "the Triwizard Tournament will take place!"

"You're JOKING!" Fred and George shouted loudly. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. Harry smiled at them, and Ron laughed. They themselves were smiling and laughing, but Harry could see the faintly pink ears between red locks.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," he said, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament...well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation and allow their attention to wander freely. The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued," Dumbledore explained.

"How much you guys betting I somehow end up competing?" Harry suddenly asked, much to the horror of the surrounding students, and Ron, apparently.

"We are not betting on something like that!" He whisper-yelled at Harry.

"No, Ron…" Fred began.

"The probability of Harry ending -"

"-up competing is way too high," they looked at Ron like they were disappointed, but their facade quickly dropped, and they began to snicker. Ron's face was a mix of confusion and outrage for a few seconds before facepalming again.

"Yeah, you're bloody right…" Ron sighed.

"Fuck…" Harry sighed into his hands. He had been half joking, but he had to admit it was very possible. Harry did have to admit that the horror the surrounding people had on their faces was kind of funny.

Dumbledore had continued to talk even and as they tuned him out. When they began listening again Dumbledore talked, "Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age - that is to say, seventeen years or older - will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This -" Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, "-is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion."

"Yeah, no. That probability just skyrocketed," Harry said. The people around them had began to whisper with each other. Some were freaking out, while others were calling him arrogant.

"Yeah… As soon as something is 'not allowed' the probability that you – and by extension us – get involved becomes 100%," Ron said with a sigh.

"The other schools will arrive in October and will remain with us for most of the year. For now, bedtime!" Dumbledore finished, and the scramble to get out of the Great Hall began.