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Part Three / Chapter Sixty-Eight
Venus entered an empty, hollow version of what Hogwarts used to be.
The candles that glistened throughout the halls and shadowed the walls with orange hues had been long extinguished. This cast the entire castle into a cruel darkness. The sorting hat was gone. Vanishing before the commencement of the sorting of first-years who were greeted with small waves instead of loud shouts of adoration that would echo throughout the hall. Returning students couldn't reconnect with the their housemates, instead they were instructed to remain silent or recieve punishment.
Besides the Slytherins, of course, who were the only ones allowed to talk. The Great Hall resembled the darkness of the halls. It was shuddersome seeing Snape hovering at the front of the tables. All of the teachers stood behind him, two new ghoulish faces stood at either side of the new Headmaster.
All of the houses settled down into their tables, many sending quick whispers to their neighbors or eyeing the new teachers anxiously. They shut up whenever a menacing guard stomped by, itching to snatch someone and drag them to their inevitable fate. Eyes anxiously looked up at the new Headmaster who rose from his chair.
"Welcome back, students," Snape groused. "We have some new additions to our staff. Alecto and Amycus Carrow, your new Muggle Studies and Dark Arts teachers."
Doesn't he mean Defense against the Dark Arts?
"Dark Arts?" Venus whispered urgently.
"I'm guessing they've changed it." Ginny said obviously.
Dinner was a dreadful two hours. The Great Hall had been flooded with silence from the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. The only students who seemed to be in the mood to chat up a storm were the Slytherins. Venus glanced over to their table, there were two students who didn't share the same enthusiasm with their housemates: Draco and Blaise. Venus looked back toward the stage, McGonagall ate cautiously eyeing Snape from across the table sneakily.
"Not feeling hungry, are we, Mr. Finnigan?" Snape's voice exclaimed at the silent Gryffindor table.
Like overlapping waves, heads turned to Seamus who looked green over his empty plate.
"N-no, Professor."
"Then, why haven't you grabbed some food that was made just ... for ... you, Mr. Finnigan?" Snape continued to pry.
Seamus' hands clenched onto the wooden table. Multiple students, including Venus, were shaking their heads at him. He was going to get snarky as usual. Trembling and scared for her housemate, Venus silently urged Seamus to calm down as his face continued to light up red.
