Hidden Wings - Part I

And year four begins

The Great Hall was bustling with noise, the students sitting at their House tables and enjoying the good food. The new first-years kept staring around in wonder, pointing at the ghosts and the flying torches.
The ceiling was filled with grey storm clouds and crackling lightning bolts, imitating the storm outside which had approached.

Mioha smiled as she watched Erica take a shy looking girl under her wing, and popped another piece of bread into her mouth.

Esma was enjoying another slice of steak- how a small bird could have developed such an appetite as her was a mystery to Mioha- as well as the attention from other first-year Slytherins.

"Hello! You have a very pretty bird!", a voice suddenly said, causing Mioha to look up.

A small first-year Gryffindor stood before her, beaming at her with his mouse brown hair standing in all directions.

"Thank you", Mioha grinned at him.
"What's your name?"

"Dennis Creevey", the Gryffindor said proudly and pointed over his shoulder at the Gryffindor table.
"I'm Colin's brother. He's in Harry Potter's House. Can you believe it? Colin told me all about Harry and I was so excited to get here after I got my letter. My parents are muggles, you see. And Colin also told me all about you, that you healed him from the Basilisk and you are really cool with animals and you have a blackbird on your shoulder and an osprey that sometimes comes to visit. And-"

"Dennis!", Colin called, "come meet George and Fred!"

Dennis immediately forgot what he was talking about and bounced off excitedly to his brother, his next flood of words directed to the red-haired twins.

Mioha and Esma exchanged an amused look.
"You've got an admirer", Mioha teased the blackbird.

Esma just shook her head and muttered something like: "Don't need another one."

When the desert had been devoured, every last muffin and scone gone off the plates, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.

"So!" said Professor Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.
Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

The corners of Professor Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students."

He gave Mioha an inconspicuous wink.

"As is the village Hogsmeade to all students below third year.
It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."