The Goblet of Fire | Hermione Granger x Male Reader (Book Four)

9. The Triwizard Tournament

Y/N's POV

We arrived at Hogwarts as scheduled and made our way to where the carriages were. Once me, Harry, Ron and Hermione had gotten into a carriage the Thestrals lead us towards to castle. Once we got there we made our way to the Great Hall so we could watch the new first years get sorted.

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. We walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost.

I looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be rather more empty seats there than usual. Hagrid, of course, was still fighting his way across the lake with the first years, Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the entrance hall floor, but there was another empty chair too.

"Where's the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?" I asked.

We had never yet had a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who had lasted more than three terms. My favourite by far had been Professor Lupin, who had resigned last year.

"Maybe they couldn't get anyone!" said Hermione, looking anxious.

I scanned the table more carefully. Professor Flitwick was sitting beside beside Professor Sprout. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was the Potions master, Snape - my least favourite Professor at Hogwarts. Snape hated me, a hatred which had intensified since last year, when I had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's nose. Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own school days.

On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which I guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very centre of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore.

Then, the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they walked towards the front and formed a line.

The sorting began but my hunger made it hard for my to concentrate.

Finally, after Kevin Whitby (who was sorted into Hufflepuff), the sorting was finished and finally, it was time for food.

Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.

"I have only two words to say to you," he told us, "tuck in."

"Hear, hear!" said Ron loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before our eyes.

"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know," said Nearly Headless Nick, "there was trouble in the kitchens earlier."

"Why? What happened?" I asked whilst grabbing some potatoes.

"Peeves, of course," said Nearly Headless Nick, shaking his head, which wobbled dangerously.

"What did he do in the kitchens?" asked Ron.

"Oh the usual," said Nearly Headless Nick, shrugging, "wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits-"

"There are house-elves here?" Hermione said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. "Here at Hogwarts?"

"Certainly," said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction, "the largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred."