“To Hogwarts we go.  To Hogwarts we go!  Hi-ho, the dereooo – to Hogwarts we go!”

“Stop that silly racket, you infernal human.”

Harry laughed at Hedwig’s remark, causing those around him to blink at him.

“What’s so funny, Harry?” asked Fred.

Harry – still laughing – pointed at his wrist then at the happily skipping Niamh.  The twins and Ron frowned but Ginny and Hermione grinned.

“What’d Hedwig say?” asked Ginny, nudging Harry in the side.

Jardin chortled and cried, < ‘Stop that silly racket, you infernal human’! >

“I heard that, Jardin!” yelled Niamh over her shoulder, causing everyone behind her to burst out laughing.  They only laughed more when she turned around and asked, “What’s so funny?”  When no one answered her, she scowled at them then vanished through the wall hiding Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters.

Harry, still chuckling madly, followed quickly, catching an arm about her shoulders and pulling her close.

“Come on, Ni.  Don’t be like that.”

“Well, what was so funny?”

“You.  And Hed.  Hed mostly.”

Niamh nodded slowly and said even slower, “I see.”

Harry chuckled and, placing a Levitation Charm on his trunk, stacked it on top of Niamh’s.  Then, placing the same charm on both trunks, he steered them onto the luggage car as he steered Niamh towards one of the passenger cars.

They found an unoccupied cab and settled there, waiting.  Soon enough, Ron and Hermione appeared, Ginny, in tow.  The two Gryffindors sat on the other side of the car as Ginny plunked herself down besides Niamh.

The dark-haired girl grinned at her friends then broke into song again.

“To Hogwarts we go!  To – ”

Hermione mercily put an end to that quickly by placing a Silencing Charm on Niamh, who sat sullenly in her seat until Harry and Ginny began to tickle her, whereupon she fell out of her seat onto the floor, causing more laughter.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

< It’s raining.  Again. >

Jardin sat sullenly in Harry’s arms, feathers fluffed up and eyes closed to slits.  Harry watched rain pour off the brim of his hat in rivulets and said to the raven, Well, at least its not sleet.

< Shut up. >

“Hey, at least you’ve got some cover,” complained Niamh.  Water ran down her cheeks and into her eyes and her short, dark hair was plastered to her skull.  “I don’t even have a hat.”

“Serves you right for trying to charm it to catch alight when placed on Malfoy’s head,” said Ginny.

“I was trying to figure out how to charm his hat to do that.  I didn’t know I’d burn mine in the process!”

“Oh stop complaining, the lot of you,” scolded Hermione.  A muffled meow came from her cloak and Crookshanks poked out his flattened face to look hungrily at Jardin.  The raven fluffed his feathers again and glared at the cat.

< I am not your next meal, fuzz ball, so don’t get any thoughts. >

Harry rolled his eyes as Niamh waved at the massive shape of Hagrid through the rain.  Ron grumbled something, holding Pigwidgeon’s still robe-covered cage out in front of him as he headed for one of the carriages.  As they scrambled inside, Neville dashed by them, looking even more soaked than they were.

“Trevor!”

Harry, being the last one to get in, handed Jardin over to Niamh, then looked down to see a toad trying to hop up his leg.  He picked up the creature then called out to its owner.

“Oy, Neville!  Here his is!”

Neville turned and ran back to Harry, grinning brightly as he took the toad.

“Thanks, Harry.  I can’t see him in this muck.”

“Your welcome, Nev.  C’mon.  You can ride with us.”

Neville peered beyond Harry at the crowd in the carriage.

“Er…you think we’ll all fit?”

“Sure!  You should be more worried about if the carriage can carry us all in this mess than if we’ll all fit.”  As Neville looked alarmed, he laughed.  “I’m kidding.  Now, get on.  It’s colder than a bloody block of ice out here.”

Neville nodded and scrambled into the carriage, followed by Harry.  As soon as he was inside, the door snapped shut, and the carried jolted forward.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

As soon as their carriage stopped before the stone steps that led up to the massive oak front doors, the six human occupants of the carriage gathered up their various animals and dashed up the steps, only looking up when they’d reached the cavernous warmth of the entrance hall.

“If this keeps up, the lake’s going to overflow,” remarked Niamh.

“Yeah” said Ron.  “And I’m soak – ARRGH!”

A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron’s head and exploded.  Sputtering, Ron staggered into Niamh just as a second balloon dropped – this one exploding at Harry’s feet and causing a wave of chilling water to run over his sneakers into his socks.  Around them, other students shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire.  Harry scanned the room, then looked up and saw Peeves the Poltergeist hovering twenty feet above them.  The little man grinned maliciously as he took aim again.  Harry’s eyes narrowed as Niamh growled under her breath, “I should have known…”

“PEEVES!  Peeves, come down here at ONCE!”

Professor McGonagall dashed out of the Great Hall and skidded, nearly decapitating Hermione as she grabbed the girl about the neck to regain her balance.  Crookshanks issued a complaint and hissed at the professor.

“Ouch – sorry, Miss Granger - ”

“That’s all right, Professor!”

“Wish she’d fallen right on her ass,” hissed Niamh to Harry.  “That’d’ve set her right.”

“I doubt that,” remarked Harry, fingering his wand in its holster strapped to his forearm and eyes Peeves.  “Say, what do you think of summoning up the Baron?”

“Hmmm.  Nah, let’s leave Peeves for McGonagall to deal with.”

“Right-o.”

“Peeves, get down here NOW!”

Peeves shook his head and cackled, “Not doing nothing!  Already wet, aren’t they?  Little squirts!  Wheeeeeeeee!”  He lobbed another balloon at a group of second years who’d just dashed in.  Harry drew his wand and stopped the balloon before it hit the younger students.  He then took aim…

“I shall call the headmaster!  I’m warning you, Peeves - ”

A water balloon suddenly struck McGonagall in the back of the head and she whirled to glare at the students still standing about as Peeves threw the last of his water bombs at her then flew off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.

Hermione eyed Harry while the teen looked about innocently, avoiding McGonagall’s gaze by quickly walking into the Great Hall and heading for the Slytherin table.  Niamh and Ginny followed, quickly saying goodbye to Hermione and Ron as they headed for the Gryffindor table.

The three Slytherins were apparently having bad luck being as they ended up with Draco sitting right across from them.

“Well, well,” drawled the blond.  “Back again, are we?”

Harry pointedly ignored him and set to emptying his sneakers.  Deliberately doing it over Draco’s under the table.

“WHAT THE FUCK!”

“TEN POINTS FOR LANGUAGE, MR. MALFOY!” bellowed Sprout as she entered the Hall, looking like she’d come in from the greenhouses the way she was soaked.  Draco scowled at Harry as the other Slytherin put his sneakers back on and the other Slyth’s glared down at him.

“You’ll pay for that, Potter.”

“I haven’t the foggiest of what you are talking about, Malfoy.”

“Say, where’s the Dark Arts professor?” asked Niamh, nodding at the other empty chair at the Head Table besides McGonagall’s empty one of the left side of Dumbledore.

“Well,” said Ginny. “We know they got someone.”

“How do you know that, Weasel?” sneered Draco.

Ginny glared at him and replied, “Because its Mika’s father.”

“Oh, joy.  An Auror.  Won’t we learn so much?”

“Shut up, Malfoy,” spat Niamh as the soaked first years filed in.  Harry noted that the smallest one of the lot, a boy with mousy hair, was wrapped in Hagrid’s moleskin overcoat.  His jaw dropped when he saw the boy catch eyes with Colin Creevey at the Gryffindor table and give him a thumbs up as he mouthed what looked like I fell in the lake!

“Please don’t tell me that’s another Creevey,” groaned Harry.

“What?” said Niamh.

“Nothing,” mumbled Harry, watching as the Sorting Hat twitched and opened the tear near its brim.

“A thousand years or more ago,

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,

Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,

They hatched a daring plan

To educate young sorcerers

Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders

Formed their own house, for each

Did value different virtues

In the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were

Prized far beyond the rest;

For Ravenclaw, the cleverest

Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were

Most worthy of admission;

And power-hungry Slytherin

Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide

Their favorites from the throng,

Yet how to pick the worthy ones

When they were dead and gone?

‘Twas Gryffindor who found the way,

He whipped me off his head

The founders put some brains in me

So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,

I’ve never yet been wrong,

I’ll have a look inside your mind

And tell where you belong!”

Applause followed the hat’s song and Harry looked at Ginny as the girl said, “That’s not the song it sang when it Sorted me.”

“Sings a different one, every year,” said Harry.  “Hope she goes fast.”

“When I call out your name, you will pit on the hat and sit on the stool.  When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.

“Ackerley, Stewart!”

“RAVENCLAW!”

“Baddock, Malcolm!”

“SLYTHERIN!”

Harry, Niamh, and Ginny applauded as Baddock walked over to join them.

“Branstone, Eleanor!”

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

“Cauldwell, Owen!”

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

“Creevey, Dennis!”

Harry groaned and let his head hit the table.  “Not another one!”

“GRYFFINDOR!”

“At least he’s not with us,” said Niamh.

“How true,” remarked Ginny, shaking her head sadly as Hagrid sidled into the Hall through one of the door’s behind the teacher’s table.

“Dobbs, Emma!”

“RAVENCLAW!”

And it went onnnnn…

“Madley, Laura!”

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

“McDonald, Natalie!”

“GRYFFINDOR!”

“Pritchard, Graham!”

“SLYTHERINS!”

“Quirke, Orla!”

“RAVENCLAW!”

“Whitby, Kevin!”

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

As McGonagall carried away the hat and stool, Dumbledore stood.

“I have only two words to say to you.  Tuck in.”

“Hear, hear!” cried Ron loudly from the Gryffindor table as the empty dishes filled themselves.

“Mu’ be’er,” said Niamh as she piled her plate high.

“You eat like a pig, O’Feir,” remarked Draco.

“And you eat like stork, Malfoy.”

Harry sighed and shook his head.  As long as they didn’t kill each other and Malfoy made no remarks that pissed him off, he could tolerate the other Slytherin’s presence.  Almost.

Clang.

Harry and Ginny peered over at the Gryffindor table to see Hermione turn pale and gape at Nearly Headless Nick.  She said something but neither of them could tell what it was.

“What do you thinks going on?” asked Ginny as she shoveled a mound of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

“No idea,” replied Harry.  “But we’ll probably be hearing about it soon enough.”  He then turned back to his plate and dug in.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“So!” said Dumbledore after everyone was done eating.  “Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.”

“Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle had this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-Yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs.  The full lists 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.”

“Like anyone will,” remarked Niamh quietly.

“As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.”

“It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.”

“WHAT?!” shrieked Niamh at the same time as Fred and George.  Harry looked at Dumbledore in surprise as Niamh went on to rant, “And this was my year!  I was gonna be Chaser this year!”

“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 – ”

Before he could finish, the doors of the Great Hall banged open and a man shrouded in a black traveling cloak entered.  Every head turned towards him as a fork of sudden lightning illuminated the Hall.  He threw back his hood, shook back a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up towards the Head Table.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step.  He reached the end of the top table, turned, and limped heavily towards Dumbledore.  Another flash of lightning made half the Hall gasp.

The flash threw the man’s face into sharp relief.  The face looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces were supposed to look like and had been none too skilled with a chisel.  Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred, the mouth was a diagonal gash, and there was a large chunk missing from the nose.

Then there were the eyes.

One eyes was small, dark, and beady, whilst the other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue.  The blue eye roved endlessly, without blinking, seemingly quite independent of the other eye.

The man reached Dumbledore and reached out with a hand as scarred as his face.  The two exchanged words no one could hear before Dumbledore gestured at the empty seat at the end of the table.  As the man turned, his eyes lit on Snape, who stiffened and scowled.  They both glared at each other for a few moments before the man limped down to the end of the table, sat heavily down, and continued to scowl down at Snape, who was now pointedly ignoring him.

While most of everyone was staring in fear at the man, Niamh and Harry were staring in shock.  They looked at each other and instantly the same thought passed through their minds just as Dumbledore spoke again.

“May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers?  Professor Moody.”

Niamh fell out of her chair and Ginny’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.  She gasped, “Mika’s.  Dad.  Is.  Moody?”

“Davids?” spat Draco, earning a sharp glare from Harry.

“Moody,” breathed Niamh as she climbed back into her chair.  “The Mad-Eye Moody.  The bloody Auror himself.  Teaching us.  US!  Bloody hell.  And Mik’s da?  Sheesh.  Whatta twist, aye, Harry?”

Harry nodded slightly then listened as Dumbledore began to speak again.

“As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century.  It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.”

“You’re JOKING!” exclaimed Fred loudly.

Nearly everyone in the Hall laughed, breaking the tense silence that had fallen after Moody had entered.

“I am not joking, Mr. Weasley.  Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar…”

McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

“Er – but maybe this is not the time…no…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 every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nations – until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.”

“There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament, none of which has been very successful.  However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt.  We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.”

“The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween.  An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.”

“Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, 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 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.  I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself you are under seventeen.”

“Fred and George are going for it,” said Ginny, looking at her brothers.

“Let’s just hope they don’t kill anyone,” remarked Niamh.

“The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year.  I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give you whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected.  And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning.  Bedtime!  Chop chop!”

Harry, Niamh, and Ginny rose and left, meeting up with Ron, Hermione, and a plotting pair of twins when they got reached the door.  Niamh and Ginny shook their heads at their planning while Hermione went through the ways it wouldn’t work.

They all said goodnight as they reached the point where the three Slytherins had to separate from the group.  The twins were still plotting how to get past the judge when Harry and Niamh helped a suddenly very tired Ginny to her feet.

“Sorry…” mumbled the younger girl as Harry nearly bent double to get her arm about his shoulder.

“S’alright, Gin,” said Harry.  “Your tired.  Now look, this isn’t going to work.  Ni, you let her go and I’ll carry her.”

Niamh let go and Harry swept the ginger-haired girl up into his arms, striding down to the dungeons with Niamh behind him.  They were one of the first few in the common room, so there was no one to say anything about Harry carrying Ginny into her dorm.  He quickly laid her on her bed, said goodnight to both girls, then quickly left.  Niamh stayed long enough to take off the younger girl’s shoes and cover her before she retreated to her own dormitory and the warm bed awaiting her.