I. social casualty | blaise zabini ✔️

SMILES

CHAPTER 22

SMILES

Lyra was right about the start of the year being stranger than the last four, which was saying something because it was Hogwarts and strange things happened all the time.

Still when she walked into the Great Hall she knew that things were really different now. First, Harry was getting the weirdest glances, which extended to all of the people around him; mostly the Weasleys, Lyra, Hermione, and Neville.

Then there was the bright pink professor, who resembled a toad and worked for the Ministry, according to Harry. Then it was Sorting Hat that had usually stuck to a song about the houses, but had gone for a story of the founders this year and a warning for the future.

"That was new," Lyra muttered to Ginny and the twins.

Ginny nodded, "Has it ever given a warning? Or advice?"

"No as long as we've been here." George muttered from beside them.

"What do you think it means?" Fred asked.

"Well, it's obviously something about coming together as a school and not letting our house differences come between us." Lyra responded and Fred sent her a pained look.

"It's gonna take a lot more than a hat's song to convince me to play nice with the Slytherins."

"They aren't all bad." Ginny muttered and Lyra nodded.

"Right, well when they stop treating the rest of us like scum, maybe we'll talk." George said, glaring towards the green table. Lyra followed his gaze and met the dark eyes she had constantly sought out, constantly thought about as well.

He quickly looked away after catching her eyes, turning to the sorting ceremony that Lyra had forgotten was happening. When it ended Dumbeldore stood

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

The houses cheered as the plates filled with food and quickly dug in. Lyra shoveled about four plates worth of food and had to unclip the top button of her skirt to breath properly.

"I still don't understand how you eat that much." Ginny said through a mouthful of pudding.

Lyra shrugged, "High metabolism, I reckon."

Soon the tables were cleared and Dumbledore rose again, "Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices. First years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too."

Ginny, the twins, and Lyra all turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione who smirked back at them.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door."

Lyra and the twins sniggered at that, knowing they had probably broken that rule so many times that Filch probably considered killing them multiple times.

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."