Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter Sixty Two

When they arrived to the castle, it seemed rather gloomy as the night settled in and the rain clouds gave an even darker appearance. Dementors had boarded the train from what Kefira learned from Neville, but she had no idea what they were. Seamus said they were the ones that guarded the wizarding prison of Azkaban but it only left Kefira with more questions than answers. She hoped the school would shed some light after the sorting.

She entered the Great Hall behind her friends and immediately her eyes fell upon the head table where all the professors were gathering to sit. She thought against approaching Professor Snape as he seemed to be hiding behind his hair that evening. So instead, she sat down with her friends listening to everyone discuss what they saw on the train. Neville had told her what it felt like to be approached by a dementor. To feel all the happiness leaving your body, and she shivered at the thought. Harry looked a bit pale and shook up where he sat down the table.

"Are you alright, Harry?" she asked the boy during the sorting ceremony.

He glanced up and before he could answer, Hermione smiled in Kefira's direction. 

"He's fine."

"I wasn't asking you. I was asking him." Kefira said allowing the smile to fade off Hermione's face.

Harry looked at her and nodded his head. "I'm fine. Thank you."

Turning her attention back to Neville after the ceremony came to an end, she saw that he looked slightly nervous.

"Oh come on, Neville, Trevor is going to be fine." she told him with a bright smile.

Trevor was part of the choir that would be singing that evening to start off the good year on a note. Trevor would be participating in Land on a Quintet of Toads.

"I'm just nervous for him, I don't want him to mess up."

Kefira laughed. "I'm sure he'll do just fine."

As the choir opened up the hall of students and faculty listened. Neville seemed like a proud parent as Trevor sang along the others.

"Awww. He's doing great!" Kefira said giving Neville's arm a shake.

"He is, isn't he?" Neville grinned.

When the songs finished Neville cheered on Trevor loudly making Kefira giggle before Dumbledore arose to start the feast.

"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say, before we become befuddled by our excellent feast. I myself am particularly looking forward to the flaming kiwi cups, which, while somewhat treacherous for those of us with facial hair...."

"Flaming kiwi cups?!" Kefira repeated. "That sounds awesome!"

McGonagall put Dumbledore back on track, clearing her throat.

"Mm. Yes. First, I'm pleased to welcome Professor R.J. Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Good luck to you,Professor."

Kefira recognized the man from the train.

"He's the one who gave us chocolate." Neville whispered to her.

"I ran into him too." Kefira said. "I thought he looked a bit old to be a student."

"As some of you may know," Dumbledore continued, " Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher for many years, has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be filled by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid!"

"Alright!" Kefira clapped her hands together. "I'm so pumped for this year!"

But  Dumbledore's speech took a rather dark turn as he began to discuss the dementors.

"Finally, on a more disquieting note, Hogwarts ...at the request of the Ministry of Magic will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban."

Whispering immediately erupted at all four tables.

"The Dementors will be stationed at the entrances to the grounds. While they are under strict orders not to enter the castle itself, you will on occasion see them as you go about your daily activities. Under no circumstances are you to approach them. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving."

"I don't understand," Kefira whispered to Faye, " why are dementors here?"

"I'm sure it has to do with Sirius Black." Faye whispered back.

"Who's that?"

Faye was about to question how Kefira could be so out of the loop when she remembered that Kefira's family did not hear about wizarding news. She began explaining what she knew of the murderer to Kefira and while she expected Kefira to freak out just a little bit, Kefira's reaction was quite calm.

"I knew this year wasn't going to be boring!"

"Oh Kefi." Faye chuckled. "It's never boring with you around."

Remus Lupin was seated in the Great Hall at the head table among the other professors. He made polite talk with the majority of them, but it was obvious he was slightly uncomfortable among them. Especially knowing a former classmate was seated far from him. That made it awkward to begin with as they were far from friends.

To distract himself, he looked out to the sea of students that were hanging about. His eyes scanned over the Slytherin Table and the Ravenclaw table. When they scanned over the Hufflepuff table, he paused for a moment as he saw one girl piling up food on her plate, while the girl beside her was wide eyed and knitting. He suppressed a chuckle and glanced over to the Gryffindor table.

He saw Harry Potter sitting at the table, the striking image of James. Stealing a glance, he could see that Severus was looking in the same direction, but Remus was sure that his focus wasn't on Harry at the moment, but the girl who sat near him.

She said something before standing up on the bench and calling something to the Slytherin table that caused the Gryffindor table to roar with laughter.

Suddenly, McGonagall leaned into him.

"Prepare yourself for that one."