After comforting Cedric Diggory, Charlie turned his head to look at the staff table at the front of the Great Hall.
There were several empty seats at the table.
Hagrid and Professor McGonagall were still outside welcoming the new students, and the seat for the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor remained empty.
After Lupin resigned last term, it was still unknown who it would be this semester; hopefully, they hadn't failed to find a teacher.
Dumbledore rested his chin on his hands, his eyes closed as he rested; it was quite a late night for an old man.
The main doors were pushed open, and a gust of cold wind blew into the Great Hall.
The first-year students walked in, led by Professor McGonagall.
They were soaked to the bone, with their hair plastered against their faces.
Cold and nervous, they were shivering all over.
There was a hint of sympathy in Professor McGonagall's eyes as she waved her wand, wrapping each new student in a warm current of air.
The moisture on them evaporated instantly, and their soaked robes became dry again.
Seeing that the new students no longer felt cold, Professor McGonagall said sternly, "Line up quickly."
The new students hurried to form a line, though a few were still shivering from nerves.
The Sorting Hat was placed on a stool and began to sing that ancient song.
Charlie had no interest in listening and swept his gaze across the staff table.
Snape sat in the corner, staring expressionlessly at the Gryffindor table, looking somewhat disappointed.
Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout were whispering about something.
The sorting began.
Professor McGonagall called out the first name, and a small, thin boy walked forward and put on the Sorting Hat.
"Ravenclaw!"
The Ravenclaw table erupted in applause.
The next few students went to Gryffindor and Slytherin respectively. When the fifth new student was sorted into Hufflepuff, enthusiastic cheers erupted from the table.
It was a round-faced girl who looked incredibly nervous.
Cedric Diggory led the applause, and other senior students waved for her to come over.
The girl sat down, blushing, and the senior student next to her immediately started chatting with her to ease her nerves.
Two more new students were sorted into Hufflepuff. One was a black-haired boy, and the other was a girl covered in freckles. They found seats at the long table, looking relieved.
The black-haired boy asked, "Senior, is there something in the Black Lake? I saw someone fall into the lake, but something pushed them back onto the boat."
Several senior students nearby laughed.
Cedric Diggory said gently, "That is the Giant Squid. It lives at the bottom of the lake, but you don't need to worry; it never hurts anyone. If a student falls into the water, it will help push them back onto the boat."
Soon, the sorting was over.
Dumbledore stood up, spread his arms, and wore a gentle smile on his face.
He didn't give a long speech, simply saying two words: "Eat!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the long tables were instantly piled high with food.
Charlie had been hungry for a while and began helping himself to food without hesitation.
Ernie and Justin, who were sitting nearby, were just as unreserved, and the three of them focused intently on tackling the food in front of them.
Over at the Gryffindor table, Ron was grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, burying his head and devouring them.
Grease dripped down his chin, and he couldn't be bothered to wipe it off.
Nearly Headless Nick floated nearby, chuckling, "Eat slowly, Ron. Hogwarts never lets its students go hungry."
Ron mumbled a reply and continued gnawing on the chicken legs.
Nick turned his head to look at Hermione sitting next to him.
She sat there with an empty plate in front of her, staring at the table full of food with a furrowed brow.
"Aren't you eating?" Nick asked.
Hermione pursed her lips, her voice somewhat low, "These... are all made by House-elves, right?"
Nick paused for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, there are hundreds of House-elves in the Hogwarts kitchens. They are responsible for preparing all the food."
Hermione's expression grew even worse.
She remembered Winky, whom she had seen at the World Cup during the summer holidays. She was dressed in rags, skeletal, and her eyes were full of fear and submission.
Now, an image appeared in her mind: in the underground kitchens of Hogwarts, countless House-elves were working day and night in a dim environment. They were so tired they couldn't stand straight, but they dared not stop, because if they stopped, they would be punished.
She imagined them weeping in front of the stoves, trembling while kneading dough, and getting burned while serving dishes...
Her stomach churned.
Hermione turned to Nick, her voice tense, "They don't get paid, and they don't get holidays, right?"
Nick paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, laughing so hard his head almost fell off.
"Pay? Holidays?" Nick said while laughing, adjusting his head, "Hermione, House-elves don't need those things."
Hermione felt even less like eating and pushed her plate away.
Ron, his mouth full of food, saw this and mumbled, "Even if you starve yourself to death, they won't get paid or get holidays."
As he spoke, a few bits of food debris sprayed out of his mouth.
Hermione cast a disgusted glance at him and scooted to the side, "Just eat your food."
Soon, the dinner ended.
The food on the plates had completely disappeared, and the students were all satisfied.
Dumbledore stood up, and the noise in the Great Hall gradually died down.
"Everyone has eaten and drunk their fill," Dumbledore said gently, "Next, I have a few notices to announce."
He first repeated the rules that the older students were tired of hearing—the Forbidden Forest remained out of bounds, and magical items, such as flying swords, were not allowed to be used in the corridors.
Mr. Filch had submitted another list, detailing the newly banned items for this year.
"The specific details have been posted on the door of Filch's office," Dumbledore said, "Students who are interested can go take a look."
The Weasley Twins exchanged glances, a gleam of excitement flashing in their eyes.
Dumbledore paused, then continued, "In addition, the Quidditch tournament will be suspended this year."
The Great Hall instantly erupted in gasps.
"What?!" Harry stood up abruptly, his voice drowning out the surrounding clamor.
Not letting Harry play Quidditch was practically the same as taking his life.
Dumbledore raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
"This is because Hogwarts will be hosting a major event this year that will last the entire year and will take up the time for the Quidditch tournament. This event is the Triwizard Tournament!"
Just then, the Great Hall doors were suddenly slammed open. "Bang!"
With a loud noise, everyone's gaze turned to the door.
A man stood at the door, leaning on a cane, soaked to the bone. Lightning streaked across the sky behind him, illuminating his silhouette.
Dumbledore helplessly lowered his excited hands; damn it! He'd been upstaged!
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