That was how, after nearly a thousand students and teachers had spent over an hour eating and drinking their fill in the Great Hall, the lavish opening feast finally came to an end.
Then, as was customary, Dumbledore gave a brief speech in his capacity as headmaster.
He mainly mentioned a few things to keep in mind: first-years weren't allowed in the Forbidden Forest; students shouldn't cast spells in the corridors between classes; Quidditch team tryouts would be held in the second week of term; and, lastly, students weren't allowed in the corridor on the right-hand side of the castle's fourth floor.
When he finished, whether the students had listened or not, a huge crowd hummed along beneath a long line of golden lyrics floating above the tables and sang the Hogwarts school song. Then the older students scattered, while the first-years set off for their respective common rooms, led by their Prefects.
Along the way, Annie was unusually well-behaved. She didn't even try to start trouble when Peeves showed up to cause a ruckus and taunt everyone.
Maybe it was because she'd gotten up so early that morning. Maybe there'd been too much noise from all the "eating and browsing" on the train to get any sleep.
Either way, she was getting a little sleepy again. And everyone knew that when it came to eating and sleeping, Her Majesty Queen Annie wasn't one to make a fuss.
So, just over ten minutes later, she followed Hermione and the others into the Gryffindor girls' common room, then climbed into her own bed in their dormitory.
"Annie!"
Hermione came in from outside their first-year girls' dormitory, wearing pajamas and slippers. With some effort, she tossed the bear onto Annie's bed, then caught her breath and said,
"Here!"
"Your teddy bear. Angelina