At the Hufflepuff table, third-year Dora Tonks - she decided to stick with this shortened name and everyone accepted it - felt like groaning. Great, just when I was happy with the new uniform no longer making me look like I'm wearing a potato sack, I'm reminded of her.
Dora's experience with Myrtle in her first year had been worse than that of other girls, as she'd used the very toilet Myrtle had retreated into for one of her moaning sessions. This had resulted in Myrtle following her for almost two hours to complain to her for being peed and shat upon, for many to hear. Dora never before had felt so humiliated, and perhaps that was what Myrtle had aimed for.
What did she expect, spending her time in a toilet? she thought.
Thankfully, the sorting proceeded without any problem and nothing of of the ordinary happened, apart from the fact that the Sorting Hat looked like it had been thoroughly cleaned and repaired. It certainly sounded happier when singing its song. There however was a difference when Dumbledore went to the announcements before the food arrived. Clearly, it had to be important.
To say that everyone was floored when hearing of all these changes was an understatement.
Having listened to all of it, both Wesley brothers couldn't help but to whisper. "Man, I'm glad to have no more Snape for two years. But Filch as school disciplinarian? Yikes!"
"Yes. And no more point system? That will take time to get used to. They are certainly turning the school inside-out- Boy, we do have to write Mum and Dad as fast as possible," Bill remarked.
At the Huffepuff table, Dora was floored as well. "Have I heard this all correctly?" she asked her friends.
Hearing the positive answers, Dora whistled. "OK, looks like we returned to quite a different Hogwarts than the one we left. I can't wait to write my parents and tell them what's going on. Or better, Uncle Sirius."
The starting feast then proceeded.
Hours went by.
At almost eleven in the night, activity happened. Sixth-year Samantha Rogers, wearing little more than a nightdress, felt that now it was late enough that no one else was awake in Gryffindor tower. Her boyfriend had promised to wait outside the door of his dorm room and she just would have to walk up the stairs to meet him - after all, he hardly could meet her at her door.
Walking downstairs, the common room was deserted, only bathed in the orange glow coming from the fireplace. Then walking up the stairs of the male side of the tower, she started to get a strange feeling, that she should not do so. Dismissing it as just nerves, she continued her track - at least, until suddenly the stairs transformed into a slide!
"What the #* §?!" she cursed while sliding down, before landing on her butt.
-riiiing riiiing riiiing-
"Uh-oh!" she gasped when hearing a bell going off, probably waking up the entire tower. She tried to get up, only to realize it was like her butt was glued to the floor.
It was several minutes later, and being surrounded by annoyed, cursing students who got pulled out of their sleep, that Professor McGonagall arrived. Judging by her dressing gown and hairnet, not to speak of her annoyed expression, she clearly was not in a good mood. Then, and only then, could the girl get off the floor.
"You didn't really think you could sneak into the boys' dormitories, do you, Miss Rogers?" McGonagall asked the girl.
"What happened? I thought...?" Rogers was unable to finish her thought.
McGonagall gave her a disappointed look. "That only the girls' side is protected against the other gender? Well, considering how often girls felt they could do the opposite, we decided to treat both genders equally. That, and we wanted to make sure the lesson sticks. Of course we didn't announce that. I'm not exactly happy being woken up by the bell right on the first night, so better prepare to meet Mr. Filch tomorrow for your punishment."
Samantha Rogers felt like bursting into tears at the thought.
It had been a relatively normal Monday in September at school, with nothing to make it different from any other Monday. Right at the moment Harry Potter walked out of his school after school was over. Second year was not too different from where the first year had let off, but his extra work over the summer clearly had paid off and improved his standing grade-wise.
Of course not everyone liked that - most certainly an overweight boy in his class - but Harry for now was glad he no longer felt he was lagging behind. Truth to be told, he couldn't care less what Dudley the bully was thinking of him, if not for the fact that the fat boy always was in the background like a menace only waiting to finally strike against him. This also had become part of the school experience, just not a good one.
However, as good as the day had been up to then, all good things had to come to an end at some point.
While walking home Harry noticed Dudley following him with an expression that spoke volumes - it was barely held back anger and frustration. Clearly, Dudley had become sick of Harry constantly evading him at school and now wanted to take his chances after school was over. While Dudley was on his own, this didn't make it any better.
"Oh, crud!" Harry gasped. Smelling the danger, Harry made a run for it and Dudley attempted to follow.
Why now? Why now? Harry thought in slight panic while trying to run as fast as he could.
Thing was, while Dudley was fat and slower than him, he got amazing reserves and could keep up his tempo for quite some time, while Harry already felt the first signs that he couldn't keep this up for too long. Harry simply was not a kid that liked sports too much, nor did he have strength reserves like Dudley did. Thus if nothing happened, Dudley would catch him before he could reach safe territory.
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