Ginny and Ron, in a fit of pique, sat on opposite diagonal corners, completely ignoring each other.
The others wisely steered clear of the sibling squabble, but thankfully, Luna managed to steer the conversation back to sumr holidays and the new Hogwarts professors, preventing the compartnt from turning into an icy wasteland.
Still, Ginny wouldn't utter a word to Ron, not even casting a glance in his direction.
"Who do you think will co after Professor Moody resigned?" Neville's round face was etched with confusion. "I an... everyone knows that post is cursed..."
"A champion from the Ministry of Magic," Cohen declared. "Everyone knows about the terrible relationship between the Ministry and Dumbledore right now, so it's highly likely Fudge's lover will be sent."
"Pffftahahahahaha—" Luna burst into an exaggerated fit of giggles, trembling all over like a bush with a squirrel trapped inside. "Fudge's... lover—hahahahaha!"
They soon understood why Luna found it so hilarious. She'd been clutching a copy of The Quibbler, and the third page of that issue featured an article titled, "Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge and the Goblins: A Secret Love Affair."
The article exposed Fudge's secret identity as a "Goblin Slayer" and was accompanied by a drawing of Fudge throttling a goblin. Mr. Lovegood had also included a section explaining "why goblins are still allowed to operate Gringotts," revealing a scandalous underground romance between Fudge and a rather well-endowed female goblin. It was supposedly her influence that tempered Fudge's murderous urges towards goblins after he beca Minister for Magic.
"I'd actually be quite willing to believe that's a true report," Cohen remarked after borrowing the magazine and finishing the article. "Fudge's taste might really be exactly like that."
"That female goblin looks like a pink toad," Harry said, peering over.
"Who doesn't love a pink toad?" Ron said, stifling a laugh. "Imagine, Fudge needing to find a warty, pink-dress-wearing goblin every day, telling that goblin in his room, 'Hurry up and tell I'm the most accomplished Minister for Magic in history!'"
---
### Arrival at Hogwarts
As evening drew near, they finally caught sight of the distant Hogwarts Castle. As dusk settled, the train gradually slowed. Students on board beca boisterous, everyone scrambling to gather their luggage and pets.
Cohen and Hermione had to go maintain order, so they left the compartnt early.
"Oi, oi! Hats belong on your head, not your backside!" Cohen admonished a first-year. "Stand up straight!"
"I rember you doing that when you first started," Hermione chuckled.
"Which ans I'm now perfectly qualified to criticize them!" Cohen said with satisfaction. "Professor McGonagall certainly criticized back then – and you! Yellow-haired boy, no kissing girls!"
"She's my sister!" the little yellow-haired boy retorted. "And I wasn't kissing her; she kissed !"
"Even worse, that's practically incest!" Cohen declared. "Be careful, or I'll drag you off to Azkaban when we get off the train!"
"Oh, for heaven's sake..." Hermione sighed, turning to another section where it seed two first-years were getting into a fight.
By the ti the train fully stopped, Cohen had already caught two arguing students, four fighting, and three first-years trying to jump off the train early to secure their spot at Hogwarts.
"You lot are far too restless. If you're in Gryffindor, I'll definitely sort you out," Cohen said nacingly to the group of children. "I'll feed all of you to the Dentors."
"What are Dentors?" asked the yellow-haired boy who had kissed his sister, curiously.
"They're black cloaked monsters! They eat people!" another boy in the group shrieked in terror.
"Don't be silly, Flick. Dentors eat happiness and souls; my dad told ," a bespectacled boy explained to the terrified Flick.
"Flick?" Cohen frowned.
That na sounded familiar. Like a dying old man...
Wait a minute—
Phrick!
Cohen rembered: the leader of the "Love Snake TV" in the Greek temple, the retired priest, Phrick.
"What's your na?" Cohen asked the little Flick.
"G-Godfrey, Godfrey Phrick," little Phrick stamred, unsure of Cohen's intentions, reporting his na timidly.
"Do you have a grandfather who just ca to Britain from Greece over the sumr?" Cohen asked.
"Uh... how did you know?" Little Phrick asked.
"I t him when I was traveling in Greece. He seed like a decent fellow," Cohen replied. "You can ntion that you t Cohen next ti you write ho."
This way, he could keep real-ti tabs on when that old water snake would be going to its last supper.
After disembarking, the prefects needed to lead these students to the teacher in charge of the boats – usually it was Hagrid, but he hadn't returned from France yet. So, they saw a new, unfamiliar teacher.
It was a witch, with a prominent chin and impeccably trimd hair.
"You're..." Hermione frowned.
"Your new Care of Magical Creatures professor. Just call Professor Grubbly-Plank," Professor Grubbly-Plank said curtly.
"First years! Line up here! All first years, follow !"
Once the first-years had been taken away by Professor Grubbly-Plank, Cohen and Hermione finally had a mont to search for an unoccupied carriage.
Harry and the others were waiting for Cohen and Hermione by a carriage pulled by Thestrals.
"Who was that lady teacher?" Harry quickly asked Cohen and Hermione. "Hasn't Hagrid co back from France yet—he hasn't settled there, has he...?"
"No, he must have sothing important to do in France," Hermione said, recalling that Dumbledore had missed dinner that day because he "had to go to France." It seed Hagrid's mission in France wasn't going smoothly. "That lady teacher is Professor Grubbly-Plank; she'll be teaching Care of Magical Creatures while Hagrid's away."
"Don't lick my hand—I'm loosening your reins!" Cohen swatted away the Thestral that was stretching its head towards his hand.
After getting into the carriage, it creaked along the road. The shadow of Hogwarts Castle grew closer, the towering turrets appearing even blacker in the darkness – though occasionally, lights would flicker on, perhaps house-elves doing their final cleaning for the students' arrival.
Arriving at Hogwarts Castle, they flowed with the crowd into the Entrance Hall, crossed the flagstone floor, and entered the brightly lit Great Hall.
They could imdiately see the pearly-white ghosts floating by, and the professors sitting in a row at the staff table.
"Look, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor!" Lavender Brown, standing behind them, pointed in a direction.
Reviews
All reviews (0)