Dark Hogwarts

Ah, at Hogwarts, children are deprived of all freedoms.

Ah, at Hogwarts, manners and customs are terrible.

Ah, idiots suffer in it,

Ah, no love there, no care,

Ah, die young there,

Ah, die young there.

***

September 1st.

— Ginny, honey, we love you so much, — Molly Weasley hugged her slightly confused, worried daughter and continued to coo, — everything will be fine, you're smart and beautiful.. Study well and don't forget that... That they're waiting for you at home," Mrs. Weasley eventually burst into tears, and her husband began to calm her down.

Ginny once again looked thoughtfully at our entire procession, picked up her suitcase with her belongings and climbed into the carriage.

— That's it, guys, it's time for you to get on the Hogwarts Express too, - Arthur Weasley told us, — Ron, Kyle, Harry, you have cars eight and nine. Well, you," he nodded to Ron's older brothers, —already know everything. Keep an eye on Ron, and you don't need to pull your pranks at school. Fred, George — this concerns you.

— Yes, Dad, we know where we're going. And what will happen to Ronchik... One of the twins drawled with a grin.

"Even if he loses some of his parts, they'll sew a new one on him," another twin brother joined in the conversation.

— This is not funny at all! — Arthur replied menacingly to his children, shaking his fist.

Ron tensed his cheekbones and clenched his fists. Sometimes Fred and George's jokes crossed the line: I knew perfectly well that my friend was still painfully aware of the fact that the boy's left arm was an alien implant from another person.

And if the twins did not react to the remark of the father of the family in any way, continuing to laugh in their silly manner, then after Molly Weasley turned to them and showed her furious look, the brothers did not feel like joking at all.

— Uh-uh... Ron, forgive us fools,— Fred the twin raised his hands above himself and began to retreat. It was unclear if he was being a fool, or if he was seriously scared.

— We are not angry. We must have been bewitched by tongues," George the twin joined in, grabbing the handles of two suitcases and walking away after his brother. And now everything has become clear.

— FRED! GEORGE! Molly Weasley barked at the entire platform, attracting the attention of the other wizards.

— Yes, Mom! One of the retreating brothers shouted.

— We love you too! — the second twin echoed him.

— And we will miss you very much too!

The twins hurriedly climbed into their carriage while we were watching this performance.

"We'll probably go too, Mrs. Weasley," I broke the ominous silence in our company, "otherwise the departure will be soon, and we'd like to take an empty compartment."..

It seemed that my words brought the furious mother of the Weasley family to reason, who, right up to the words I said, still continued to stare furiously into the distance, where she had last seen the twins.

She really didn't like it when the subject of Ron's implanted hand was brought up. And the twins knew it.

- yes... — Molly closed her eyes, and opened them with a completely new person, looking at us with a warm smile, — go to your cars, have a good school year, Kyle, Harry. It was very nice to meet you. If you wish to stay with us next year, we will be only glad!

— Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, we really enjoyed your place too! Harry exclaimed happily when he found out that he would be able to visit his friend's family next vacation. Harry Potter was really excited about how he spent the summer at the Weasleys, even more so than I was.

— Yes, thank you. It will be seen towards the end of the year. Fortunately, now Ron has the opportunity to send letters," I pointed to the cage with the boy's brown owl, which Harry bought for him.

However, Ron had to fork out for this and spend almost all the points remaining at the end of the previous school year to pay for the presence of a pet and access to the owlet.

According to my information from Filch, we all took red coins with us for the holidays. For example, my almost two hundred plus points have been resting in my old suitcase for these two months. It's also a good thing that I remembered about them at the last moment and transferred the coins to the new enchanted luggage just before leaving.

So thanks to this, I had to start the new school year with a decent supply of funds for all sorts of castle purchases.

—Ron, hold on to your friends," Arthur Weasley whispered to the boy one last time.

— Oh, yeah, good... He replied absently.

Meanwhile, Percy went to the beginning of the train, and the three of us climbed into car number eight.

The Ravenclaw boys were found in the first compartment: Stefan, Anthony, Terry and Roger.

— Hi, Roger, — I greeted the boy, ignoring the others, — let's go on, it's busy here, — I said to Harry and Ron, and then closed the salon door.

At the end of the year, it so happened that our course was divided into two camps: those who agreed to participate in the trial, and those who refused. Neither I nor the other guys who went through Dumbledore's idea were tempted to continue to communicate with cowards as if nothing had happened. Roger Malone was an exception in this case.

After all, the vast majority of us have distanced ourselves from the refuseniks. It was the easiest thing for Gryffindor, because we were tested by the whole faculty. The trio of Hufflepuff Megan-Jack-Jerry, friends Hannah and Susan, as well as Ravenclaw Michael, along with Hufflepuff Wayne, followed us in announcing a boycott of the rest of the badger guys. Padma and Roger continued to communicate, as they were in the minority at their faculty and already had friendly relations with other crows there. Sophie hadn't talked to any of them before, and no one cared about Draco after his antics at Snape's trial.

The most insulting thing was that we risked our lives, experienced shocks, overcame all difficulties and lost classmates, and in the end, the cowards who refused did not suffer any punishment for their fear. It was unfair, although it was not quite right to think so. Dumbledore may have said that participation was voluntary, but it seemed to me until the very end of the school year that cowardly first-year students would eventually face some kind of dirty trick, as it was in Professor Sprout's first lesson.

But it didn't happen, which only further aggravated our cool attitude towards classmates on the other side.

Meanwhile, the second compartment turned out to be empty, and we all fell into it. Ron's parents waved at him through the compartment window, but he only covered his side with a curtain.

— It would be better to cook more food, — he muttered with displeasure, — they could have stocked up on goodies, with such and such suitcases...

— Ron, don't forget — we are the winning faculty, our meals should be improved, like last year at the ravens, — I encouraged my eternally voracious friend. — Yes, and Harry and I still have quite a lot of points. We won't starve, I guarantee.

Ron cheered up a little after my words. I do not exclude that the reason for his discontent was not in the food at all, but in fear. We were about to enter the unfriendly walls of Hogwarts again, and of the three of us, Ron didn't like it the most.

While the boy ignored his parents behind the curtain, Harry and I, on the other side of the window, on the contrary, looked at the arriving groups of wizards and their children. Last year's farewell scenes were repeated in the direction of the first-year wagons, but the older courses were seen off much more restrained. Apparently it's true: the more a student has already studied at school, the higher the chance of his successful return. At least, from last year's graduates, I knew only about one death of a certain Zoey, who was Riona's guardian during Halloween and died after her ward.

We also met familiar faces of our classmates on the platform:

— Look, Seamus! Harry exclaimed, "shall we go meet him?"

- of course. Ron, will you stay here so that others don't take our places?

—Yeah,— he waved away and began rummaging in his suitcase, taking out the sandwiches Mrs. Weasley had prepared, "I'll have a bite for now, but you come back as soon as possible.

Harry and I quickly left the compartment and then the carriage to meet our good friend.

— Kyle! Harry! — he rushed to us and greeted us warmly, — have you already occupied the compartment?

— Yes, Ron is already waiting for us there. There he is," I pointed to the window where Ron was waving at Seamus with his cheeks full.

— Ha! He just got on the train and is already eating... I recognize our Ron," Seamus said cheerfully.

— Well, shall we go to the carriage? Departure is coming soon.

— Yes, em... Bye, Ma," Seamus walked up to his beautiful mother, after which she hugged him tightly and whispered something in his ear.

"Behave yourselves, boys, and don't encourage my son to take any adventures," she waved her finger at us as Seamus was already climbing into the carriage.

— Well, Mom, the guys had nothing to do with it, — said Seamus from the vestibule, embarrassed, — all our guys participated there, and anyway, Kyle saved me!

Apparently, they were referring to the trials at the end of the year, when Seamus was almost devoured by a sentient monster plant.

— I know, I know... It was a joke. Thank you, Kyle," she suddenly came up to me and hugged me just as tightly, "keep him alive this year, okay? Mrs. Finnigan whispered to me softly.

— Em... I will definitely keep it," I nodded to her, discouraged, since the sorceress's chest was still resting against my right ear.

— Ma-a-am! Seamus shouted in an indignant tone.

— That's it, that's it... Go on, have a good school year," Mrs. Finnigan finally let me go, after which I staggered towards my carriage to Harry's chuckles.

Molly Weasley said similar words to me yesterday. Apparently, the parents of the students saw in me something more than a simple Muggle-born Hogwarts student, which is why they voiced such a significant request: to help their children survive the school year.

But if you are so committed to the life and health of your offspring, what prevents you from preparing them yourself?!

This duality of magical parents simply amazed me. That is, all children should study and learn them on their own, but asking for help from a classmate who himself is in exactly the same risk zone is in the order of things for them. Still, these wizards are strange people. For I have no idea how exactly they come to such contradictory conclusions.

After sitting down in my compartment, I was released pretty quickly. During the children's chatter about the summer spent with Seamus, the behavior of adult wizards stopped bothering me: after all, I won't see them for a whole year now, not counting the professors, which means it's worth focusing on thoughts about something else, so as not to bother once again.

When the train started, along with this event, the veil of carelessness that had surrounded me for these two months fell away.

The safe holiday is over, it's time for new school dangers.

***

The Hogwarts Express raced north, passing the picturesque landscapes of England over and over again. And if at the beginning of the journey the bright light of the warm summer sun made its way through the window of our compartment, then the further we drove away from the capital, the more cloudy and gloomy the weather became. It was as if the gradual approach to Hogwarts was slightly removing light tones from the world and inexorably coloring reality in dark gray colors.

The changing weather outside the window also had an invisible effect on the mood of all passengers.

In the first hours of the journey, we enthusiastically set off on a journey through other compartments, joyfully welcoming some freshmen and studiously ignoring others.

The four of us spent some time in Megan, Jack and Jerry's compartment, sharing our impressions and stories about the carefree summer months. Then we stopped briefly to chat with Susan and Hannah in another compartment, and after them we found our four Gryffindor girls: Lavender, Parvati, Sally-Ann and Faye.

Sally-Ann shared about her stay with Gilderoy Lockhart, and judging by her brand-new clothes and exactly the same suitcase as ours, her guardian pampered her and did not offend at all. The girl has changed quite a lot this summer: at least, she stopped being as unsociable and harsh as she was in her first year. She was very sorry that she could not take her faithful pet Kabarashka with her, since the girl did not yet have enough points to pay for his accommodation at Hogwarts as a pet. However, Sally Ann was determined to save up the necessary amount before Christmas and bring him to school after the holidays.

So far, such a valuable stone creature continued to live with Lockhart, who gave her his word that he would take care of him and try to help her get the necessary permission. According to the girl, when they were separated, the Kabarashek should stop "shedding stone", which was unprofitable for the guardian himself, so I did not see a catch in his words, according to my friend's story.

We also met Neville, who, along with Sophie and Hermione, occupied one of the last compartments of the ninth carriage. After exchanging a few words with the guys, we soon headed back, since Ron and Hermione were contraindicated to be in the same space due to the risk of a new conflict, which none of them needed at the beginning of the year.

The closer we got to school, the less we talked and became much more thoughtful. From the changing environment, it was possible to imagine that a dementor was about to burst into the train - so this change of mood contrasted with the joy at the beginning of the journey.

Finally, when it was already getting dark outside the window, and the sun could not be seen even from under thick clouds, the train slowed down, after which it stopped altogether.

— Freshmen! Everyone over here! Freshmen-and! — we heard Hagrid's voice when we got out of our carriage, who was at the exit from the platform towards the path leading to the lake.

— But they are going to sail in boats now! Ron realized, pointing at the freshmen, including his sister.

I quickly punched him in the ribs:

— Take your finger away and don't yell like that. Have you forgotten the rules? From now on, we are not allowed to communicate with freshmen. Let's not get into trouble when the school year hasn't even started yet," I said sternly, which made Ron look haggard and rest his eyes on the platform under his feet.

— Damn, I'm sorry Kyle, it's just... Well, you know, when I think about what Ginny's expecting right now, so.....

— Nothing, — I put my hand on his shoulder, — I understand. But you should get ready. The twins, vaughn, are also worried, but they keep themselves in check. Those are the rules, Ron.

— Yes, you're right... The boy agreed with me.

But despite the ban on communicating with freshmen, our stream did not prevent us from seeing off the frightened children with sympathetic and pitying glances.

Oh, they have yet to realize the whole terrible reality of Hogwarts...

The freshmen disappeared into the dark forest, and we followed the seniors in a large crowd, who were moving towards the harnessed carriages.

"In line, second year," a student in the shape of Slug flowers told us haughtily, "you're going last."

— Why is that? I asked the boy, who didn't look much older than us.

— Because the courses are sent to Hogwarts by seniority. You have something against it. Golden? He raised his eyebrow, and the other two boys stood behind him.

— I see you know me? But I don't know you," I said neutrally.

— Akimbo. Teach Akimbo. Third year, Slytherin," he replied after a moment.

— Well, Akimbo. Nice to meet you. And no, if that's the way it is, then I don't mind.

He nodded approvingly and the tension between our courses subsided noticeably. It was not enough to arrange a fight for some kind of stupidity. But his last name reminded me of something — I had already heard it somewhere, if only I could remember where exactly...

The nearest carriages were busy with senior students at a fast pace, so we had to walk a little more to go to the castle on the last carriages when other courses were already on the way.

— Ahhh! Finch-Fletchley suddenly shouted.

The guys were alarmed by the scream:

— What's in there?

"What are you yelling at, Fletchley?"

— T-t-there! He pointed towards the woods not far from the wagons.

That's when we noticed him. He was black, with smooth skin, a black mane and large webbed wings. Thestral.

He was looking at us with glowing eyes, and if it hadn't been for them, we wouldn't have been able to see him in such darkness.

"Are you scared of a thestral?" — Daphne Greengrass chuckled, - they are not aggressive, and, in fact, exactly the same animals are harnessed to carts. There, take a look for yourself.

Indeed, there were two thestrals behind all the carriages, it's just that we hadn't seen them before, since we were at a considerable distance from the wagons, and they themselves were turned towards us with their backs, thereby hiding the magical beasts.

"You're a coward, Finch-Fletchley,— said Ron.

And I was surprised to see such a creature myself.

"Thestrals can only be seen by those who have seen death," I remembered their description.

Haha, we've all seen death here, back at the very beginning of Hogwarts, when poor Kevin was eaten by that squid.

"Then why isn't he harnessed?" One of the boys behind me asked a question.

"Should he?" All the thestrals are in place, but this one is just walking through the woods. Stop suffering from nonsense, not little ones anymore," Daphne snorted towards the rest of the students and together with her friends went to one of the carriages.

Harry, Ron, Seamus, and I climbed into one of the wagons, after which the Thestrals set off. I wonder if if they take off, the carriage will follow them? Or are these carriages not designed for flying? Then why harness the winged creatures in them?

The journey was calm, even though the wagon was shaking on the uneven path. We left our luggage on the train again, as it was supposed to be moved to our rooms so that the students would immediately go to the Great Hall for a feast, and not scatter on their own in the living rooms before that. At least that's what Percy Weasley told us back on vacation.

A chain of carriages moved in the twilight towards the castle, which towered on a steep cliff. And somewhere out there, on the lake, new freshmen were now sailing, who were about to experience the cruel surprise of Hogwarts, although far from the last.

— Ron, how are you? Is everything okay? — I stopped my friend, — are you thinking about your sister?

- yes... But what if... Well, she's the one... — He said in a barely audible voice.

"You don't think much of her." I think Ginny will think of holding on to the boat tightly enough.

— I didn't figure it out... I managed to do it at the very last moment, when she was already starting to shake from side to side.

— And Kyle immediately advised us to hold on tight. Just before he sailed, he realized that Hagrid had said it for a reason. Do you remember, Kyle? Seamus chimed in, "I thought you were being paranoid with Dean, haha... Yes, with Dean...

— So, let's not mess around with fears and memories, — I cut off the depressive mood of the boys, — I understand — the mood is not so good and all that. How about adding some optimism?

—And you're right, Kyle! Optimism is for me," Seamus chuckled, wiping thoughts of his dead friend from his head.

— Ron, cheer up too. Very soon you will make sure that everything is fine with your sister, and then the feast will come, where we will finally fill our bellies. Everything that happens next is not so important now.

The carriage was bouncing over potholes, just like our emotions when approaching the castle. The positive mood was replaced by a gloomy one, which gave way to curiosity and everything was repeated from the very beginning. It's all because of nervousness.

As we drove up to the main gate of the castle, we saw empty carriages being driven by thestrals further down the road, and senior students entering the doors of Hogwarts on their way to the feast.

The castle hasn't changed a bit since I went on vacation. He was still as majestic and monumental, and the twilight of the night gave him, along with the memories of the events in the first year, a special gloom. The kind that makes goosebumps run down your back, and your brain tries to determine where to run, if anything, to escape from death. Even if it is useless to flee here.

Filch was standing at the entrance to the castle hall, urging on the other students:

— Hurry up! Move on, the freshmen will arrive soon, and they have enough worries without you, hehe. We go into the hall, come in... Golden, why is your course so sluggish? Relaxed over the summer, huh? Well, we'll fix it quickly, hehe," the caretaker grinned, causing some girls to squeak with his rotten teeth and crazy eyes.

— No, Mr. Filch. We are assembled and ready for training," I replied to the caretaker, "let's hurry up, guys," I turned to the other classmates for show, since the caretaker focused his attention on me. In case he decides that I should be punished for the sluggishness of the other students. Fuck me, fuck me.

— Good old Filch, right? Harry asked me quietly as we walked into the Great Hall and began to sit down at empty tables.

— Old? Yes. Kind? I wouldn't be so categorical in my judgments," I joked, making Harry smile.

The teachers were all in their places, and no new professors were noticeable. In the center, as usual, sat Director Dumbledore, who was talking about something with Snape. McGonagall, as soon as the students were seated, went to the exit to pick up the first year from Hagrid.

— Neville, where did you sit? — I told the boy that I was one of the last to enter and settled in a familiar place, — did you want to go back to the first year? Move over to us, the new ones will be getting in there.

— Oh, — the chubby boy jumped up, — I just got used to being behind this place, so I forgot...

There were chuckles from the third year, and Ron also snickered at Neville's stupidity. He was confused and awkwardly moved to his new seat. No longer at the end of the hall, but closer — where the sophomores are sitting.

All over the hall, the students were talking quietly and waiting for the first year to finally arrive and they could eat and go to bed.

Now the third year, who was in our place last year, did not ignore our company, but quite amicably communicated and got to know each other. All last year we sat at tables very close, constantly crossed paths in the living room or corridors and were already used to being ignored, so this innovation felt quite new and unusual.

— I'm Richard Coote, this is Cormac McLaggen and Angus Matlock, nice to meet you, — said the third—year student who was sitting closest to us, - we know you, we have already heard about the "Deeds of the Little Ones" that gave us the School Cup last year. Respect.

"Thank you, Richard, we're glad to meet you too," I answered for everyone.

— You can just call Richie, — he waved his hand, — that's what everyone calls me.

Of the Gryffindors from the third year, Richie turned out to be the most sociable. Cormac looked like he shouldn't be talking to the younger ones, and Angus looked modest enough not to get involved in the conversation. By the way, I remember the last one. This is exactly the boy whom I questioned on my first day of school at Hogwarts, having met him in the washbasin.

— Well, is the first year coming soon, or what? Ron asked impatiently, feeling noticeably tense from worrying about his sister.

—Relax," Richie replied, "we've been waiting for you longer, and we were told exactly the same thing a year ago. So we'll have to wait a little longer.

And in this Richie Coote turned out to be right, as the waiting for the distribution dragged on for a full half hour.

During this time, we talked a lot with each other and even managed to ask the third year about our upcoming classes, which, compared to last year, will hardly change. Now we will not have household magic and flying on broomsticks, but instead there will be additional classes called "Magical races" and "Magical creatures of increased danger". And they will be led, that's a surprise, Hagrid.

— Who is who?! — exclaimed a terrified Harry, who I personally diagnosed with the most real hagridophobia, — but does he teach?

— There are no basic and specialized subjects, — Richie shrugged his shoulders, — but he conducts additional classes for the second and fifth years, and even helps Professor Kettleburn sometimes in full-fledged lessons on magical creatures.

— And what is the difference between Hagrid's classes and Professor Kettleburn's profile lessons? — I asked the boy the question I was interested in.

— Well, as we were told, Hagrid tells and shows how to behave in dealing with intelligent races and how to act when meeting dangerous creatures. It demonstrates everything that is most basic and necessary for any magician, so to speak. Well, the profile lesson already specifically studies each species: whether it is dangerous or harmless, reasonable or brainless — it doesn't matter.

When the topics for conversation had finally dried up, and the sound of the students' rumbling bellies could be made into a symphony, the closed oak door to the Great Hall finally opened.

This time, Professor McGonagall herself led the students to the distribution platform. Whether there were no new freshmen among whom she could entrust such a procession, or whether we were the exception is unknown.

We stared with all our eyes at the students passing by, who timidly walked after the professor. They looked quite neat, but the expressions on the faces of the freshmen gave them away: the scenario on the lake was repeated, and this time there were also casualties.

— Out, Ron. Ginny's coming,— Harry whispered to his nervous friend.

— I told you: Don't underestimate your sister," I said to the boy, who visibly relaxed after seeing Ginny.

— When I say your name, you will come forward and sit on a stool. Start. Blishwick, Leonard! McGonagall began the distribution ceremony as the freshmen lined up at the dais.

"I wonder how many of them will get to Gryffindor," Lavender said, intrigued.

"My sister will definitely be here, don't doubt it,— Ron answered her with confidence.

— Are there fewer of them than there were of us? Neville suggested.

Our stream consisted of fifty students, including Kevin. Now there was a double line of forty—six people in front of the distribution hat-I counted it myself.

—Less, but not much," I told him.

— GRYFFINDOR! — the hat shouted, and Leonard, to the active applause of the Gryffindors, was the very first to go to our table.

"Just don't forget that you can't talk to freshmen," Richie Coote said from his seat, "or you'll get it from both undergraduates and the dean." It was checked two years ago.

It was unusual and even a little unpleasant to try not to pay attention to the lonely boy who was sitting very close to me - right in the very place where Neville mistakenly sat down upon arrival at the gym.

And after all, we will have to watch the future suffering of freshmen for a whole year, like our seniors, being unable to help or suggest anything to them.

No, of course, you can do it. But there is a high risk of being in the place of Olivia Riley, who was publicly "rewarded" with enchanted lashes after Halloween last year. And I tried my best to avoid this, which I plan to do later.

Among the distributed first—year students, there were names familiar to me according to the canon: I was already familiar with Ginny and she was expected to go to Gryffindor, Colin Creevey, a Muggle-born boy with a camera, joined her, and Luna Lovegood joined Ravenclaw.

And for the sake of my own conscience, I had to accept this order of things. Freshmen, no matter how sorry they are, do not exist for me.

***

The distribution and the subsequent feast went almost the same as it had a year ago. Only the guys and I were already on a higher course, which made us feel more confident and familiar, and Dumbledore did not say any mysterious sentences this time, just as he did not mention the third floor: since passing the tests, the entrance to that wing has become open and publicly accessible.

But Dumbledore does this every year... Who will be in his sights this time? And what awaits us on Halloween?

I hope the directors don't participate in sadistic games twice in a row. It would be cool if the second year was held as far away from any local nonsense as possible. That's enough, I've played enough.

At the end of the feast, well—fed and sleepy, we followed the seniors into the living room.

— Stairs... Those evil stairs again," Sally—Ann shared her thoughts, "that's exactly what I didn't miss, it was them.

"I don't think anyone would disagree with you," I replied, carefully looking at my feet and habitually looking for disappearing steps.

The freshmen did not react in time, and remained in their seats in the Great Hall when we left. The new prefects of the fifth year, apparently, did not dare to take last year's example from Olivia and did not suggest to them the need to go after their faculty. And when the children came to their senses, it was too late: we had already left the basement at that time, so it was not possible to catch up with us without knowing the location of the castle.

"Here you are, Hector and Aubrey, and you have to go and catch them all over the school after lights out," Dylan Blair, the newly minted head of the school, was saying loudly, "this is how it should work, without any hints there. They will receive their first punishment — they will get used to Hogwarts and its rules faster. Am I not right?

There were no disagreements with the influential seventh-year student at Gryffindor, so we continued to move up the floors towards our living room.

"So, we're not going to the bedrooms, we'll have a general meeting in the living room, we'll discuss this school year," Dylan informed everyone when the portrait with the dumb Fat lady opened, letting us into the Gryffindor apartments.

The full complement of six courses crammed into the living room. Chairs and sofas occupied the sixth and seventh courses, and even all the walls of the room were chosen by students of courses from the third to the fifth, so we involuntarily had to stand in the aisle right in the center.

— So, — Dylan clapped his hands, getting up from his seat, — the senior year has graduated, the younger one has joined us, — he nodded to our group, — let's greet our classmates who completed not only the first year, but also the tests of the director!

The living room was filled with applause, boos and cheers.

"Thanks to these guys, we snatched the School Cup from the Badgers, so my warnings last year can be considered forgotten," he told us, "and even you, Faye Dunbar. Even though I got hurt last Halloween because of your injuries, but so be it, you're forgiven.

The girl was completely embarrassed when the entire faculty paid attention to her. She's used to being in the company of a gray mouse, but here it is...

— And since you earned so many points at the end of the year, and I know that you guessed to take them with you on vacation, then I have a question: how many of you have them with you now?

The thought crept into my mind that they would be taken away from us now.

— Well, let's start with you, Golden.

—Two hundred and fifteen,— I decided to answer the truth. I was too afraid to deceive the head of the school, who, quite possibly, could somehow track how many of them I took off last year.

— Did you guys hear that? Two hundred and fifteen! It wasn't that bad. And the others?

My classmates alternately named their number. Ron was most worried, as he still had to pay for a new owl, which he did not want to part with at all.

— So I'll say the following. Usually, the second and third courses do not shine with points, and what they save up is immediately poured into all sorts of improvements and chow. But since we have such unique people in the second year, and I am the head of the school, then here's my suggestion: the plan for this year is to improve the living room. Think for yourself — the School Cup is ours, which means that focusing on food is not so important. The small ones have the basic capital... Can we handle it, guys? Dylan looked back at the other students who were pondering his words.

— And... how much per course? — a student from the sixth or seventh year asked him.

— If ten thousand points for the living room, then... Al, how much will it take?

—One thousand six hundred and sixty—six points for the course," the same Al replied.

Someone whistled.

— Here are ten of you students from the second year. Can you chip in at one hundred and sixty-six points? At the end of the school year, of course.

— Em... Dylan, can I ask what it means to improve the living room in general? I asked, taking advantage of the guy's good—natured attitude.

— Oh, yes... In short, each living room can be improved for points: it will become wider, furniture and various cool pieces will be added. Now all faculties have the third level — the most average. If the faculty takes the last place in the school competition, then the next year the living room level decreases, and they need five thousand points to move from the second level to the third. And they want to cross over— trust me. We did it ourselves when we were the last, because it's not fun to spend time in such a cramped room with a couple of chairs. I suggest jumping straight to the fourth one — I'm trying for you, I've been studying for the last year and that's it. If successful, you will provide yourself with a much cooler living room for the next few years. What do you say?

— We are in favor, — said the guy who asked about the required number of points.

"So are we," a fifth—year girl followed him.

—And so are we," the twins said in unison.

"We're in favor, too," Richie Coote said.

All the attention turned to me.

— We are... — I looked at my friends and shrugged, — like most, for.

— That's wonderful! So we're saving up, guys, we're saving up," Dylan said, "and you, Golden, are good, judging by last year. He fit into Hogwarts like a native. Tomorrow you will receive invitations, and you will go to the Duel Club. Do you understand me?

—Extremely,— I nodded back.

A dueling club? It looks like Dylan has some plans for me. That's really what was missing...

"All right, Huck, Aubrey, go get the primates already. Lights out has come. The rest of us can go to our bedrooms. Although... No, wait, there's another unresolved issue here. Olivia?

Olivia Riley got up from the chair, which was turned away from us, which was why I couldn't see the girl before.

— Are you sure you want this? She asked Dylan.

— No, my friend. That's what you want, don't forget," the head of the school smiled.

Olivia sighed angrily and turned sharply in our direction with her wand at the ready:

— Ignis Tormentis! She shouted a spell that went straight to Hermione Granger.

The girl stumbled away from the enchantment that entered her, and looked at Olivia in surprise:

— What is it... Hermione didn't have time to finish, as all her clothes, her face and her hair suddenly burst into flames like a match, being absorbed by flames that came out of nowhere.

She screamed, and then screamed at all, rushing around the living room, trying to knock down the flames and scaring off other students with her condition.

— No one likes traitors. Remember this," Dylan Blair said calmly at the same time as the sounds of the girl's heart—rending screams, after which he sent a non-verbal spell towards Hermione, who was already rolling on the floor in unbearable pain.

Everything happened so quickly and unexpectedly that I didn't even have time to move from where I was standing.

The flame died out as quickly as it appeared. Only Hermione Granger remained.: with burnt hair, burnt and caked clothes, with a face disfigured by one continuous burn.