Very, very silent. Shade looked around and then looked at the Headmaster, ready for the speech yet again.

(who plays Dumbeldore?)

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

(i guess for now, anyone can play like ron and dumbledore and any other students since there's only a few people playing. you can also play other professors too.)

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[font=verdana]The Anxiety-Prone Gentlewoman
xoxo, LC
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(okay...i'm not sure how to start with him...)

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

(umm....)

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I know my stomach is yearning for food and I'm sure yours are too. Let the feast begin!"
All of a sudden, food filled up the tables, making them creak slightly under all the weight.
Harry turned to Ron and grinned. This was the best part of coming back to Hogwarts. The first feast. Harry grabbed some chicken legs and some chips. He asked Ron to pass him some rolls. He kept on piling food onto his plate until there was no room left.

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[font=verdana]The Anxiety-Prone Gentlewoman
xoxo, LC
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Hermione loaded up on food, still pondering why the headmasters speech was so short. She took some bites of her chicken and loaded up of potatoes.
"That's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Slughorn then?

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"Yeah. He was the teacher I went with Dumbledore to hire over the summer. He's an odd little fellow." Harry said in hushed tones.

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[font=verdana]The Anxiety-Prone Gentlewoman
xoxo, LC
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"He looks like it." Shade said, muttering as he took a drink. Ron nodded as he grabbed a roll.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Harry filled up on chicken, rolls and potatoes. He had many glasses of pumpkin juice. He could feel his stomach telling him that he couldn't take anymore food. He pushed his plate away and relaxed, listening to all the chatter of the Hogwarts students.

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[font=verdana]The Anxiety-Prone Gentlewoman
xoxo, LC
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"Lot's of first years this year..." Shade added, not done with his plate just yet.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

"Yeah. No wonder it's so loud in here. They are always loud and obnoxious." Harry said, grimacing a little as the roar of the talking got even louder.

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[font=verdana]The Anxiety-Prone Gentlewoman
xoxo, LC
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"Yes, there are. I'm a little suprised actually. I thought after, You-Know-Who is back in power that no one would want to come." Hermione said. She picked up her glass of pumpkin juice and took a drink. Hermione started to pick at the food on her plate, waiting for the dessert to come.

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Shade nodded. Ron filled up his fourth plate. "Hungry, Ron?" Shade asked and he just nodded. Shade laughed quietly and then had to push his tray away.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

"Ron, you're going to get sick." Hermione said eying the mound of food on his plate. Ron just glared at her and continued to eat. Hermione smirked knowingly.

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"Yeah." Harry said. He put his head down. With the mention of Voldemort, Harry suddenly felt a wave of emotion as he thought of his godfather, Sirius. He missed him so much. He wanted nothing but to get revenge. He looked up towards the front of the hall, where Dumbledore was gently tapping his glass with a fork to get everyone's attention. Ron looked very disappointed when all the food magically cleared off the tables.

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[font=verdana]The Anxiety-Prone Gentlewoman
xoxo, LC
[/font]

Shade looked at Ron and shook his head and then turned to see the Headmaster better.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Hermione gladly turned to the Headmaster for his speech--which he had not provided yet.

As Dumbledore stood up all the talking and laughter died away instantly.
"The very best of evenings to you!" He said smiling broadly, his arms open wide as though to embrace the whole room.
"Oh my... what happened to his hand!" Hermione gasped.
She was not the only one to notice. Dumbledore's right hand was blackened and dead-looking. Whispers swept the room; Dumbledore interpreting them correctly, merely smiled and shook his purple-and-gold sleeve over his injury.
"Nothing to worry about," He said airily, "Now...to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you with our outstanding staff! Now, please take notice first years, you may Never enter the Forbidden Forest!
Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items brought at the shop called Weaslys' Wizard Wheezes.
Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of Houses as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise.
We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn--" Slughorn stood up, his bald head gleaming in the candlelight, his big waistcoat belly casting the table below into shadow-- "is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."
"Potions?!"
"Potions?!"
The word echoed all over the Hall as people wondered if they had heard right.
"Potions?" Hermione and Ron said together, turning to stare at Harry. "But you said--"
"Professor Snape, meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising his voice so that it carried all over the muttering, "will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"NO!" Harry said loudly. Many heads turned in his direction. Harry didn't seem to care.
"How could Snape be given the DADA job after all this time? Hasn't it been widely known for years that Dumbledore doesn't trust him to do it?" Hermione said, "But Harry, you said Slughorn was going to be teaching DADA!"
Hermione looked to Shade and Ron, looking for any sort of answers.
"I thought he was!" said Harry.
Snape, who was sitting on Dumbledore's right, did not stand up at the mention of his name; rather, he lifted his hand lazily in an acknowledgment of the applause from the Slytherin table.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. Harry, Shade, Ron, and Hermione were not the only ones talking; the whole hall had erupted in a buzz of conversation at the news that Snape had finally acheived his hearts' desire. Seemingly oblivious to the sensational nature of the news he had just imparted, Dumbledore said nothing more about staff appointments, but waited a few secons to ensure that the silence was absolute before continuing.
"Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength.
The silence seemed to tauten and strain as Dumbledore spoke.
"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student of member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them-- in particular, the rule that you are not to bed after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediatly. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety."
Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over the students before he smiled once more.
"But now, your beds awiat, as warm and comfertable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say goodnight. Pip pip!"
With the ususal deafening scraping noise, the benches were moved back and the hundreds of students began to file out of the Great Hall toward their dormitories. Hermione darted forward to fulfill her prefect duties of sheparding the first years.
"First Years, this way!" She called over the noise.

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