The events of the Quidditch World Cup were a serious, far-reaching matter for adult wizards. But for the students of Hogwarts, it was just a small diversion, a brief change of pace in their lives. After all, not every young witch or wizard thinks about their future before they graduate. To them, it wasn't nearly as exciting as what was going to happen two days later.
In two days, Hogwarts would be starting a new term. Now that Harry and his friends were in their fourth year, they were officially halfway through their time at the school.
The castle in Godric's Hollow was once again left in the care of the two old wizards, Peppil and Rosie. They had officially become the castle's butlers and planned to spend the rest of their lives in semi-retirement there. After a lifetime of wandering, a stable and comfortable home was a great choice for them.
After packing their schoolbooks and all the things they would need, the students arrived punctually at the familiar King's Cross Station. This time, the wall didn't close unexpectedly, no house-elf tried to stop them, and there were no Dementors to attack them on the way. They arrived at the Hogwarts station without a hitch.
They climbed into the carriages that only second-year students and above were allowed to ride, heading toward the castle. This time, in addition to the usual group of six, there was an extra witch with a very spacey aura: Luna Lovegood. She was the barefoot witch they had encountered wandering around the castle late one night in their second year.
She had now passed her test and become a member of the Disciplinary Committee. She was in a discussion with Hermione, but from the sound of their conversation, it wasn't a very pleasant one. Hermione was a thorough logician; she started with facts and evidence for everything. For example, to catch a criminal, she would use evidence. Luna, on the other hand, was an intuitionist; she was a firm believer in her feelings and followed them to solve problems, often just naming a criminal based on her instincts.
Fortunately, their different approaches didn't affect their friendship. The bullying they both experienced at Hogwarts had laid a solid foundation for their bond. They were the best of friends (of the same gender, of course).
The carriages were pulled by a magical creature called a Thestral. They have a special trait: only those who have seen death can see them. Because of this, they were once thought to be an ominous sign that brought terrible misfortune. In reality, the ominousness and misfortune had nothing to do with Thestrals; they were purely a misunderstanding, much like the Pokémon Absol.
Thestrals are skeletal, dragon-headed, black flying horses with huge bat-like wings. Dudley, to be fair, thought they had a unique kind of beauty. Though they looked like nothing but bone, they were much stronger than a normal horse, even a Hippogriff. Unfortunately, even a Thestral couldn't fly with Dudley alone. The carriage he was riding in required five Thestrals to pull, while the others only needed one. Even so, their carriage was a bit slower than the others.
By the time they arrived at Hogwarts, it was quite late. Besides the first years, they were the last older students to arrive. The castle corridors were soaking wet. Since the floor was made of smooth stone, it was easy to slip.
It was Peeves. The poltergeist was throwing water balloons everywhere. It was a typical prank, one of his favourites. Professor McGonagall was yelling at him, but there wasn't much she could do.
"Stop it! Stop it! The new first-year students will be here any minute!"
But what was Peeves's deal? He would never abandon a prank for some first-year students. The thing is, Peeves is a bizarre entity. He's not a person, not a ghost, and not a magical creature. He's one of the most mysterious beings at Hogwarts, as old as the castle itself. Sometimes, you can treat him like a ghost; a simple spell can stop him. Other times, not even Dumbledore can do anything, as long as he chooses not to listen. He's like a cheater in a game.
He was the most troublesome being in all of Hogwarts for a reason.
It was clear that today, Peeves had an "invincibility" buff on. Professor McGonagall was completely helpless against him.
Peeves landed a perfect water balloon attack, soaking a young witch in the distance. Her soaked appearance made him cackle with glee. Thankfully, he wasn't a pervert; to him, male and female students were all the same.
Just as Peeves was about to throw another water balloon, a voice called out from behind him.
"Mr. Peeves, what are you doing?"
Peeves was startled and instinctively hid the water balloon behind his back. But since his body was transparent and the water balloon was so big, there was no hiding it.
"Oh, Mr. Dursley."
"Nothing, nothing at all..." Peeves said sheepishly.
Dudley didn't waste any time. He got straight to the point. "That's enough pranking for now, isn't it, Mr. Peeves?"
"Everyone likes a well-behaved Peeves."
"All right... all right, if Mr. Dursley says so."
A flicker of resentment crossed Peeves's face, but he still obeyed Dudley. Dudley's words were even more effective on Peeves than the Bloody Baron's, and many students wanted to know why, but Dudley had never told anyone.
Peeves reluctantly released the water balloon, which fell straight down and landed right on Ron's face as he craned his neck to watch the scene unfold.
Poor kid. He just wanted to watch the show but ended up soaked himself.
Ron: "???"
What the...
I thought you said no more pranks?!
Peeves promised not to cause any more trouble, and a relieved Professor McGonagall let out a sigh. She chose to ignore what had happened to Ron; it was his fault for standing right under Peeves. She waved her wand, cleaned up the water on the floor, and walked to the entrance to wait for the new students.
The Great Hall was as magnificent as ever. Hundreds of lit candles floated in the air, and the transparent ceiling showed the beautiful night sky. However, there was a noticeable empty spot at the professors' table. The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was not there.
When Professor Lupin announced last year that he wouldn't be returning, many students were disappointed. After all, he was the most reliable Defence Against the Dark Arts professor they had had in the past three years.
Well... except for their substitute teacher, Dudley, of course.