At the Feast

The new students were all amazed by Dumbledore's incredible magic, but having long since been starving, they cared more about the delicious food before them than figuring out how the headmaster had done it.

Albert actually knew how it was done. Dumbledore used magic left behind by Hufflepuff to transport the food from the kitchens beneath the Great Hall, while Hufflepuff's Goblet, which later became Voldemort's Horcrux, had been the first vessel at Hogwarts to assist the house-elves in magically transporting food.

Naturally, Albert did not forget to test the prefect beside him on this matter. However, the other boy's mouth was stuffed with food, and he clearly had no intention of answering.

The feast was lavish.

It was not exactly refined, but it would certainly fill everyone's stomachs.

Albert served himself a steak and began cutting it slowly. He was not actually that hungry; he had been eating the whole way here.

Everyone else dug in with abandon. Across from him, Lee Jordan gnawed on a chicken leg in one hand, looking rather comical.

After the feast began, the ghosts appeared one after another, drifting out from all corners of the castle to greet the new students, causing quite a stir.

Gryffindor's ghost was a male nobleman, presumably the legendary Nearly Headless Nick.

"Mr. Ghost." Albert swallowed his beef and greeted Nearly Headless Nick.

"I think I would prefer it if you called me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington," the ghost said.

"Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington." Albert finished reciting the long name. He was rather impressed with his own instant memory for being able to remember Nick's name. "Can you take photographs? I mean, can you appear in photographs?"

"What? Child, I don't understand what you're talking about." Sir Nicholas was delighted that someone could say his name correctly. He hated it when newcomers called him "Nearly Headless Nick."

"Photography," Albert said. "Please make time someday to take a photograph with me."

"All right, child. If you want to do that... oh, take a photograph someday, you may come find me." Sir Nicholas agreed. He had taken quite a liking to this polite little fellow.

"May I ask another question?"

"Ask away, child."

"What are ghosts? The souls of the dead?"

"Wizards can leave their imprints in this world, drifting faintly through the places they once walked in life. But very few wizards choose this path." Sir Nicholas did not directly answer Albert's question.

"A memory? Not quite. So... it really is a soul?" Albert muttered to himself. He knew souls existed in the Wizarding World.

After all, Voldemort had chopped his own soul into eight pieces.

When he snapped out of his thoughts, he found that everyone nearby was staring at him.

"What is it?" Albert asked in confusion.

"Nothing." The others hurriedly looked away.

"I still think you should have been sorted into Ravenclaw," Fred said through a mouthful of food.

"Swallow before you talk," Albert said irritably.

"Why are you so curious about ghosts?" a new student asked.

"In the Muggle world, ghosts are not such a magical thing," Albert said calmly. "Now that I have the chance to learn about them, naturally I do not want to miss it. Oh, and it feels very cold when a ghost passes through you, so you'd better be careful in the future."

He had just secretly poked Nick with a finger. His finger had felt icy cold. Being passed through by one was probably like getting drenched in ice water.

That would definitely not be pleasant in winter.

"True, there are no ghosts in the Muggle world." A girl sitting two chairs away from Albert spoke up. Her name was Shanna Wilson.

"To be honest, when the letter arrived, my family thought it was a prank for a while. When Professor McGonagall came to visit, they nearly threw her out." Shanna Wilson found it rather amusing. "In fact, they did not really want me to come here."

"My situation was much the same. My mother nearly called the police to have Professor McGonagall arrested," Albert said with a smile. "People who live on the side of science are usually less capable of accepting the abnormal. They wanted me to attend Eton College."

"Eton College? That Eton College?" Shanna Wilson was astonished.

"What is that?" Lee Jordan asked, puzzled.

"It is one of the best schools in England," Shanna Wilson explained.

"Hogwarts is the best." George raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I know that. Since England has only one magic school, Hogwarts is naturally the best." Shanna Wilson could not help looking down on him. "Ordinary people—what you call Muggles—have tens of thousands of schools, and Eton College ranks among the top three. Do I really need to explain what that means?"

"Sounds impressive," George said dismissively. In truth, he really did not understand.

"Enough about us. Tell us about yourselves too." Albert changed the subject and looked at another girl.

"I'm half-and-half. My mother is a witch, and my father is a Muggle," Angelina Johnson said. "They told each other long ago. But we have always lived in the Muggle world. I had been exposed to magic since I was little, so my family was not too surprised when the invitation arrived."

Aaliyah Spinnet beside her said, "I was born into a wizarding family and had been exposed to magic since childhood, so there was nothing new about it. My family was quite happy when the letter arrived and bought me an owl."

After everyone had eaten their fill, the leftover food on the plates vanished, replaced by servings of dessert.

Albert took a pudding and listened to the new students tell amusing stories.

After the feast ended, the dishes on the tables were cleared again, as though Tom had licked them clean.

Professor Dumbledore rose again and announced to everyone, "I am delighted that the school has welcomed a new professor. Professor Burdock Broad will become the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

Scattered applause began to echo through the Great Hall.

Professor Burdock Broad was an elderly man.

"There are also several matters to announce." Dumbledore looked at all the students below. "First-year students, take note: students are strictly forbidden from entering the woods on the school grounds. In addition, the caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind everyone not to perform magic in the corridors between classes. Finally, Quidditch player trials will be held during the second week of this term. Any students wishing to join their House team should contact Madam Hooch."

"Why can't we enter the Forbidden Forest?"

"There is probably danger in the Forbidden Forest." Albert glanced at the eager twins.

"If you dare go into the Forbidden Forest, I'll write to Mum." Percy Weasley glared fiercely at his younger brothers. He knew their personalities all too well.

"We won't," the twins hurriedly promised.