Chapter 607: The Start-of-Term Feast
During the journey following the feast, apart from routine inspections of the train carriages, the conversations consistently circled back to Moody's attack and the Death Eaters.
Everyone speculated whether there would be a change in the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Would Sirius teach the subject alone this year? And if so, would he become a target for another attack?
The train steadily moved northward, with the weather remaining as erratic as ever. Rain began to fall again, the rhythmic tapping on the windows creating a drowsy atmosphere.
Suddenly, the carriage lights flickered on.
"We'd better change," Cho said, glancing out the rain-speckled window. "We should be there soon."
Fred and George began pulling on their robes, while Cedric opened the compartment door in preparation for their arrival.
The train eventually slowed, a cacophony of noise rising as students crowded the aisles, eager to disembark. Since Prefects were responsible for maintaining order, Kyle and the others were among the last to leave their compartment.
A man holding a lantern called for the first-year students to step forward, but the lantern was much lower than usual.
"That's not Hagrid," Fred noted, his brows furrowing. "Do you know who she is?"
It was a witch—not Hagrid's familiar, unkempt figure. Instead, she was neatly dressed, her hair impeccably styled as she organized the first-year students with practiced authority.
"She's Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank," Kyle said suddenly. "A renowned Magizoologist. She's written several articles on Unicorns."