Bad Reputation - Harry Potter Fanfic

Chapter Three

A table at the end of the hall burst into cheers and I stood up, looking at the hat. "Are you sure?" I asked it, not moving towards the table.

"Very, Mr. Malfoy."

I stared for a moment before shrugging a shoulder and headed off towards the table who had, in fact, stopped cheering as they waited for me. Well, I probably should find out what got me put there before I decide that I'm not a Slytherin . . . I guess.

Without skipping a beat, I shook the hand of a rather trollish looking male with a fake ass smile.

"Welcome to Slytherin, Malfoy," he said to me. "I'm Marcus Flint."

"Pleasure," I responded, not sure if it were a pleasure or not. Draco's stories I'd listened to about Hogwarts had told me that this person, Marcus Flint, was very easily manipulated - he was quite dim in other words. I didn't want to be dim by association - if I was going to be dim it had better be of my own fault.

"You went to Durmstrang before, right?" Flint asked.

"Yes."

"Why'd you leave?" he asked me.

Well I thought that telling him that I was expelled would make me well liked by this Marcus Flint. "I got disowned and I changed my schooling arrangement because the Dark Arts can kill people, Flint," I told him the truth in the most unimpressed tone of voice.

He appeared to struggle for a response. He opened his mouth to speak but then the room fell into silence and he looked up, an annoyed face over my shoulder. I turned my head towards the distraction - if the reports of a stupid crooked nose were correct, that was to be Albus Dumbledore.

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his long as heck beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business." There was a pause. "They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises — or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, I wonder who had an invisibility cloak, otherwise that was a very strange inclusivity. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.

Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. "First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a polite applause. He looked shabby, tired and ready to collapse, he was already seated so at least he had something to fall back on.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."