From Ash to Fire

Chapter 3: First week

The food at the feast was as always amazing. On one side of me were Luna Lovegood who actually was one of my only friends in my house except for Padma Patil. On the other side were Lisa Turpin, a girl from my year. I gazed over at the Gryffindor table, jealous over not sitting beside my best friends. "Are you okay?" A dreamy voice asked me. I looked up at Luna. "Yeah i'm just... You know..." I answered. "I don't know," she said. I sighed. "I'm just a little sad," I said. "Okay," she returned to breaking over the bones from the chicken and eating the marrow. I looked confused at her. "Doesn't it get bad luck to break the bones?" I asked her. "No it's totally misunderstood, it helps keep away the nargles," she answered. I shook my head. Suddenly Dumbledore stood up to talk. Everybody became quiet. "Welcome, welcome, old students, new students. Before we all get to bed I just want to say a few words. The Ministry of Magic has decided that Hogwarts is going to be patrolled by the guards of Azkaban. Some of you met them on the train..." He kept talking about the danger of the dementors. "I will welcome our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Lupin." "Hey Ash," I heard someone say behind me when my dad stood up and everybody began clapping. I looked and Lee whispered to me: "Isn't that your dad?" I nodded. "...Kettleburn has retired," Dumbledore continued. "Our grounds keeper Rubeus Hagrid has now agreed to take over the post as Care of Magical Creatures." I clapped my hands as hard as I could. "Now, sleep well." We clapped again and then walked towards the common room.

I walked up the stairs, the bronze eagle moved and with a hoarse voice I said: "Feed me and I live. Give me a drink and I die. What am i?" I took a moment to think then I said: "A fire." "Excellent." The eagle said. Behind me I heard one of the prefects explaining to the first years how it worked. I remembered that I once couldn't answer the riddle and I needed to wait for one from my house. When I walked into my dorm and saw that all of my roommates were already there. My trunk laid in the bed beside Padma's. "Hi Ash," she said. I smiled at her, "Hey, you had a good train ride?" "Yeah no dementors, I heard that Harry Potter fainted." "I'm not surprised, they're horribly creatures." "Have you seen how hot Harry got over the summer?" She asked me. I shook my head, "not even one day have passed by Pads and you're already talking about boys." She blushed, but giggled a bit. I laid down in the bed. "This is gonna be a good year," I said. "Good night Pads." I didn't even hear answering before I went to sleep.

My dream was amazing. I was flying on a broom, not my usual Cleansweep 11. It was a brand new Firebolt. I flew over a big yellow marsh. Suddenly a big black dog ran after me. The dog wagged its tail happily. Playfully it jumped up trying to reach me. I flew around it, and finally I landed on the ground. I reached for the dog, shyly it nudged to my hand with its nose. I stroked it and it barked happily. Suddenly it talked with Padma's voice: "Ash get up." "Mhmm..." I grunted. Then i realised it wasn't my dream. I opened my eyes, "what's wrong?" "Get up." She leaned over my bed and pushed me. "We have breakfast." Not pleased with getting up this early, I grunted again and nearly threw all my bagage out on the floor before I found my school robes.

At breakfast Flitwick handed out timetables. "Well you look grumpy," he said when he handed me mine. I said a dissatisfied sound and looked at the parchment.

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("I know this is a very short chapter.")