The Ambitions Of Rebekah Potter

Chapter Ninety seven

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"The very best of evenings to you!" Dumbledore began his speech as he usually did, swinging his arms out wide as though to embrace the whole room.

Astoria looked confused. "What happened to his hand? It's all rotten and black."

Whispers of questions were caught between the mumbles of other comments. Dumbledore just smiled and hid his hand with his purple and gold sleeve. "Nothing to worry about. Now... to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of Magical education awaits you..."

Rebekah picked at the rim of her goblet. "His hand was like that when I saw him over the summer. Would've thought he would have healed it by now."

"Probably caused by a curse then," Daphne said. "One of the things that can't be healed so easily."

"...and Mr Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise." Dumbledore continued. "We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

"Potions?"

"Potions?"

The word echoed all over the Hall as people wondered whether they had heard right.

The Crown didn't speak at that part, already being told by Rebekah that Dumbledore had asked her to convince Slughorn to take the position.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," Dumbledore raised his voice so that it carried over all the muttering, "will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Dumbledore cleared his throat as the whole hall had been involved in the buzz of conversation of the news that Snape finally got the position he wanted. The headmaster waited a few seconds to ensure that the silence was absolute before continuing.

"Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."

The silence seemed to strain as Dumbledore spoke, many students looking to the Slytherin table where the sixth year now sat near the end, only a couple feet from the end where the Seventh year sat.

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's Magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them — in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of bed after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety."

Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over the students before he smiled once more.

"But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"

With the usual deafening scraping noise, the benches were moved back and the hundreds of students began to file out of the Great Hall toward their dormitories.