If you want to read by 20+ Chapters from here you can visit my Patre-on.
[P] [A] [T] [R] [E] [O] [N]
[email protected]/Makimafic
••••••
A young French witch indeed, and the crossing of the Channel was not normal if the rumours spreading at lightning's speed with Hogwarts Mill were exact.
The sorting ended with "Ginevra Weasley!" being sent to "GRYFFINDOR!" and joining the rest of her family in the Lions pride. Red hair, red banners. Overall, this Sorting had presented no surprise.
While Professor McGonagall was taking the Sorting Hat on its stool away, Headmaster Dumbledore rose from his throne-seat, his silver hair and beard strangely luminescent at the light of the Great Hall candles. Alexandra felt deeply the waves of magic pouring out of the old man, strangely emanating an impression of calm and confidence.
"Welcome!" Said the old wizard looking like more than ever to a copy of Merlin or Gandalf. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things..."
The venerable Headmaster of Hogwarts had not the time to say one more word. A loud, car-like noise thundered from above, and over the stunned expressions of the entire Hogwarts population, the enchanted ceiling reflected the passage of a true, red-flashing, Flying Car over their heads with a student in Hogwarts robes hanging on to the car trunk for dear life. With stupefaction, Alexandra recognised the black, disorganised hair of Leo Black, and the red hair of Ronal Weasley trying to put an acrobatic manoeuvre with the passenger door to save the Black Heir.
That's an entrance, acknowledged a little part of Alexandra's mind in the few seconds the Car stayed in view before disappearing.
The silence in the great Hall was absolute. Then a loud, awful noise of crash resonated, evident sign the Flying Car had finished its course somewhere. A second crash echoed, and many in the assistance winced. Contact with the ground had not been a delicate affair, if the noise was any indication.
It was as if someone had lightened a fire, as conversations spiralled from every student's mouth.
"I thought Longbottom, Weasley and Black couldn't act more stupidly than last year." Snarled a Ravenclaw on her left. "I was wrong."
"Ten Galleons they are going to get away with it!" Exclaimed another boy.
Seeing the murderous face of Professor Snape as the Potions Senior Professor rushed out the Great Hall with his black robes billowing like a hell-bat, Alexandra wasn't so sure. Professor McGonagall who was following him in a series of long strides looked positively furious too. The rest of the professors at the head table, minus Lockhart and the new woman, were varying from irritated to enraged. Even Dumbledore was radiating in anger, a sort of magical violet magical aura forming around him. The three Gryffindor were clearly not going to pass a good moment.
In the chaos unleashed by this unexpected arrival, the Headmaster had to launch a few spells with his wand to restore order.
"Ahem. As I was saying before being interrupted, I am pleased to welcome two new Professors in this prestigious school this year.
Firstly, Professor Reed, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Junior Professor for the Defence Against the Dark Arts."
The brown-haired witch stood up, waved her hand and saluted and sat down, meeting a fairly warm welcome of the Hogwarts students.
"Secondly, please welcome Professor Gilderoy Lockhart who will be the Senior Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts this year."
This declaration was met with giggles, cheers and countless cry of delight made by the majority of the female population. Embarrassingly and to Alexandra's consternation, Hermione's was among them.
But the horror had not really begun. Gilderoy Lockhart then stood up and began to talk. Of this welcoming speech, Alexandra had to be honest, she would never be able to remember a single sentence without breaking violently something in the vicinity. Lockhart began by talking about himself, his smile, his skills, his smile, his fame, himself, his hair, his new book, his old books, himself, his hair and in the end...himself.
By the time this unbearable litany was over, Alexandra was ready to murder someone and by the looks of it, about half of the male Hogwarts students were ready to follow her in this endeavour.
"Well, I think everything of importance has been said for the evening!" Said Dumbledore in a crisped voice, which proved even the Headmaster, veteran and survivor of endless pointless speeches, had badly tolerated Lockhart's voice during these endless minutes. "Let the feast begin!"
Immediately, the goblets and the plates in the four tables began to fill themselves of delicious foods and drinks. Alexandra, more hungry than ever, began to serve herself a large part of meat and potatoes, stopping the complaints of her abused stomach, which had been forced to endure a long wait and the ramblings of Lockhart.
Glancing once from the spectacle of her dinner when the meals such as meat and vegetables disappeared to let place to the desserts, she noticed Dumbledore had disappeared from the professor's table, and that Professors Snape and McGonagall still hadn't returned. Longbottom had ruffled quite a few feathers this evening, hadn't he?
Grabbing a part of chocolate tart, she noticed the red-haired girl directly facing her was studying her attentively. After a few seconds, Alexandra remembered her name: Morag MacDougal, one of her year-mates. But with the isolation Alexandra had endured during her first year at Hogwarts, the green-eyed child could not remember having talked to her in more than five occasions. Probably less.
"I really hope I did not left chocolate on my face." She joked.
"Sorry," the other just Ravenclaw girl said. "I just wanted to see..."
"If I was going to curse you because you stared at me too many times? If I did that, I would be forced to curse all the school from dusk till dawn."Alexandra said ironically, finishing her tart.
Morag frowned. "There are rumours about you..."
"Hogwarts is full of rumours. Some of them have some basis in reality. The rest are pure fantasy, invented by students who have way too much free time and an impressive imagination."