When the shining gold dishes were suddenly piling with food, she put the sanity of her new Headmaster on the backburner for now. She was very hungry, but fortunately there was more food on the Ravenclaw table than what Dudley and her uncle ate in a year. Roast beef, roast chicken, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, fish, eggs, and some other meals she wasn't able to name as she hadn't seen them before in her life.
The Dursleys had never managed to starve Alexandra, but she would lie if she said she had been able to grab the quantity of food she wanted for every meal in some fashion or another. If they ate every day like this, she thought she could very well adapt to Hogwarts. Well, she would have exercise a lot to not become fat, but it would be worth it.
Frowning while eating a large piece of beef, she wondered if it was the "every day" part which was going to cause problems. Watching the length of the Ravenclaw table, she was instantly able to divide her new House into three categories: the ones who watched her with fear, the ones who watched her with anger and hate, and the ones who looked completely indifferent or curious about her.
But that last category was an endangered species, she remarked sadly. Most who had watched her in an innocent manner were her fellow first-years, and if their faces as the dinner passed were a clue, the upper-years were doing a nice turn to turn them against her. It looked like it was going to be Saint Gregory's all over again, only this time it would not be only Dudley and his gang leading the hunt but witches and wizards.
She was going to be in danger, she realised internally a bit too calmly as the desserts appeared, dozens of puddings, ice-creams, tarts, chocolates and doughnuts to finish this copious dinner. If she judged correctly the situation and the threatening looks some Ravenclaws threw her, she was not going to last the week unharmed. In fact, she realised she would be lucky if they didn't attack her before she went to bed tonight. The whispers between some students looked really bad, and they didn't look like people who were discussing their holidays. More like a punitive expedition or a murder, and she as the black sheep of Hogwarts was the enemy number 1 on their list.
The only advantage she saw was that these older students ignored she had practised magic. They ignored everything of her magical skills, of course the reverse was also true. If she defeated them badly in the first skirmish, there was a probability they would back down for a time, giving her the opportunity to learn more powerful magic to defend herself. Probably. Hopefully.
Lost in these not-comforting thoughts, she nearly missed the moment when the remains of the food faded from the plates (and the disappointed cry of Ronald Weasley who appeared to be an even worse case at dinner than Dudley Dursley), the puddings and the rest of the desserts disappeared and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The Hall fell silent.
"Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.
First-years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."
Formidable, she thought. Had the man learnt nothing? Knowing from experience at her former school and Dudley's activities, the best way to make sure a kid would do something is to tell him it's forbidden. The more she heard from the Headmaster, the less she appreciated the man.
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.
"I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.
Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.
And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
This time Alexandra couldn't avoid laughing. The man was officially either mad or an imbecile. She didn't know how things worked out in the magical world, but in the non-magical, a teacher or a headmaster speaking like that was retired immediately if he was lucky. Already, she saw some kids at the Gryffindor table discussing if they would go, giving an idea that this warning had been perceived as a challenge.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" affirmed enthusiastically Dumbledore. Alexandra noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become frosty, if not outright frigid. The man with the greasy hair looked like he was about to vomit.
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words.
"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"
And to the horror of Alexandra the school shouted in a voice able to wake up the dead:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,