A Different Halloween

Chapter 46

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When Harry, Hermione, Susan and Neville left the train at Hogsmead, Hagrid's instantly recognisable figure was standing with a lantern and calling for all first years to follow him. The four to a boat rule suited the friends just fine as they began the final stage of their journey to Hogwarts.

Some of the older students had obviously been frightening the newbies with wholly horrific and entirely inaccurate tales of how they would be lucky to all make the castle alive. Apparently the giant squid demanded a sacrifice every year for allowing them passage across the Black Lake, no one had yet unravelled how the giant creature made its seemingly random choice. Once the castle was in view, their apprehension shifted to the even more horrific and down right ludicrous methods that they would be forced to experience when being sorted into houses.

To the four, these conversations were a lot more palatable than the hatred the blond prick had been attempting to pollute the train with. Malfoy had reacted like a religious zealot, dropped into the middle of a sea of unbelievers. He just couldn't wait to begin converting everyone to the true faith, his own pureblood philosophy of course. On most occasions, his ramblings had fallen on deaf ears but more than one eyebrow had been raised in curiosity.

The pounce had gotten short shrift in their carriage. Thanks to this vile brand of bigotry, Susan and Dudley had both lost their parents while the Potters and Longbottoms narrowly escaped the same fate. That Malfoy escaped their carriage uncursed and unscathed was solely due to the four holding their tempers.

Hagrid was now the centre of attention as the firsties attempted to discover just what the sorting entailed, the Hogwarts gamekeeper though was sworn to secrecy on this issue. Telling them that all they needed to do was wear some old hat probably wouldn't have been believed anyway.

After leaving the boats and entering the castle proper, they were greeted by the Deputy Headmaster, Professor Flitwick. He gave a brief explanation of the personal attributes each of the four houses was looking for before leaving to see if the great hall was ready for them.

The diminutive professor had no sooner departed than the whining voice the four friends had already come to loathe started spouting forth his particular brand of poison again.

"Honestly, as if the uneducated oaf who brought us here in those ridiculous boats wasn't bad enough, we have to put up with that creature as a deputy headmaster. This place has certainly let the standards slip. This would never have been allowed if my father was still on the Hogwarts board of governors."

Neville had all he could stand of this idiot. He decided to say something now before the stupid arse started mouthing about those unworthy to be taught magic and Harry dealt with him. "Oh and just why did this great wizard you call father decide he no longer wished to serve on the school board? Could it possibly have something to do with all the travelling involved in going between Azkaban and Hogwarts? Right enough, Azkaban prison tends not to hand out weekend passes to convicted death eaters."

Draco had been raised on stories on how great a wizard his father was, a wizard who was willing to go to prison to stand up for his beliefs. As his son, Draco wasn't about to stand here and listen to his father's great name being tarnished. "Yes my father was wrongfully placed in prison but he'll be getting out soon. Then we'll see what happens, standards will certainly improve when all the political prisoners get released."

Susan exploded at that lie. "Political prisoners? Where did you hear shite like that? Death eaters were nothing more than cowardly murdering bastards. My parents were amongst the many they killed, and the Bones name is far older and more prevalent in our society than yours ever will be."