When Myths Meet Magic || 4

5|| Jason

The sorting crawled by. Jason swore that the sorting hat was taking a half hour per student, when finally the last student ("Whitby, Kevin") joined Hufflepuff's cheering table. Jason caught sight of Frank's welcoming face as he scooted over to make room for the first year and grinned.

"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight," Nearly Headless Nick said mournfully as Jason swallowed an overly large chunk of steak. He coughed and tried chugging some pumpkin juice to ease the pain, only succeeding in overwhelming his throat.

"What happened?" Annabeth asked, since everyone else was too focused on food to ask.

"Peeves, of course." Nick shook his head which wobbled dangerously. "The usual argument. He wanted to attend the feast-- an obvious answer to that. We held a ghosts council and wisely, the Bloody Baron put his foot down."

"Sounds like a very lovely meeting," Nico grumbled. "Were you all plotting to sneak out another few souls?" Even though he had been around the ghosts for four years now, Nico still harbors a bit of resentment. It was a crime in his eyes, and unfair to other mortal souls. If Bianca couldn't come back as a ghost, why should they get to?

Nick had long since stopped treading lightly around Nico, and shrugged.

"Anyways," he went on. "He went into the kitchens, wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits--"

A loud spluttering sound cut him off. Hermione had just sipped at her goblet of pumpkin juice, but she now choked and the fluid came rushing out of her mouth, staining the white tablecloth.

"There are house elves here?" She asked after mopping up her mouth. "Here at Hogwarts?"

"Skip that section in Hogwarts, a History, Hermione?" Ron asked. Hermione shot him a withering glare which she had learned from Thalia. Ron was suddenly more interested in his food than normal.

"Certainly there are house elves." Nick looked thoughtful. "The largest number in Britain I believe. Over a hundred."

Hermione pushed away her plate, looking sick.

"Slave labor," she said, breathing heavily through her nose. "That's what made this dinner. Slave labor."

And she refused to eat another bite. Nico, unperturbed by the news, helped himself to Hermione's full plate.

Then the desserts appeared, and Dumbledore stood up.

"So!" He said, beaming around at the students. "Now that we are all fed and watered--" ("Hmf," grunted Hermione.) "--I must ask once more for your attention. As ever, the forbidden forest is out-of-bounds to all students, as well as Hogsmeade to all under the third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not be taking place this year--"

"What?" Harry gasped. Annabeth was just as stunned, and a quick glance around the Great Hall told her that Piper had elbowed her plate off the table, the Weasley twins were gaping at Dumbledore, and Wood looked as if he were told that he had failed all of Hogwarts exams and had to start back as a first year.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in a October, and continuing through the school year. But I am sure all of you will enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts--"

At that moment, the front doors opened with a bang, such force in them that Jason would not have been surprised to find out that they were blasted open with a cannon. The man that stood there was slightly disturbing, to say the very least.

Jason studied him as he clomped gracelessly down the aisle. Jason adjusted his glasses and his face contorted in surprise. The newcomers face was covered in them. Scars. Everywhere. From his stringy receding hairline to his collarbone, where Jason was sure robes hid more. But the thing that caught everyone's attention were his eyes. One was normal, if a bit sunken, and fixed on Dumbledore in front of him. The other was what everyone was staring at.

It was massive, perfectly round, electric blue, and constantly moving. It was unnatural. Jason snorted. Any perfectly round eye was unnatural.

The snort did not go unnoticed by the man, whose creepy eye flickered to Jason. It was only a brief moment, but it was enough to make the hairs on Jason's arm stand up.

But then his gaze passed on to the high table as he reached it, shaking hands with Dumbledore before circling around to the empty Defense Against the Dark Arts seat. Jason watched as he pulled a plate of sausages nearer and scooped some on his own plate, eyeing them before eating. The act was so simple, natural, that Jason was drawn from his stupor.

"Allow me to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody," Dumbledore announced. Normally the announcement was met with applause, but everyone was too stunned to clap. Hagrid began, but stopped quite abruptly as the sound faded dismally in the crowd.

"He sure looks moody," Nico observed.

"You're one to talk," Thalia shot back.

"What happened to him?" Hermione asked, aghast. "What happened to his face?"

"Must be a brave fellow to get that many scars," Harry noted, impressed.

"A fine line between bravery and stupidity," Annabeth said as her eyes narrowed. "That many scars just shows that he can't defend himself properly, and is probably always picking fights that aren't his."

"He was an auror," Ron defended. "And you can't really dodge a spell..."

"Sure you can," Hermione tore her eyes away from Moody's disfigured face. "It's just hard for people lacking in athletics as yourself."

Thalia didn't try to hide her laugh, and once more, Moody's eye flickered to their group. His weird eye. The normal one was fixed hungrily on the sausages before him. Percy could relate.

Dumbledore cleared his throat in the silence. "As I was saying," he continued with a rather forced smile. "We are to have the honor of hosting a rather exciting event over the coming months, which has not been held for over a century. It is my pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

(Poll closed)
So that was kinda short, I was pressed on time. Also I narrowed down the demigod representative to:

Percy

Annabeth

Or Nico