103 Chapter 103: "Golden Mishaps at the Feast"

As everyone arrived at the Great Hall, they quickly dispersed to their respective house tables. Soon, almost all the seats were taken, leaving just a few spots open for the incoming first-year students.

Harry glanced around, his eyes settling on the staff table. He noticed that all the professors were there except for Professor McGonagall. His attention then shifted to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, who looked even less reliable than Fletcher had.

Harry had a sinking feeling about the quality of the classes to come and sympathized with the OWL and NEWT students wondering how they were going to manage their exams with such teaching.

There was also a new face for Muggle Studies. Professor Quirrell, who normally taught the class, had taken a sabbatical to supposedly tour the world for a year. Harry, however, knew the real reason behind Quirrell's leave wasn't as harmless as a world tour.

Quirrell was actually on a quest to find Voldemort—not to revive him or anything like that, but to learn something from him so that he could be something in his life and not be laughed at ever again.

It was a fool's errand. Quirrell's quest was doomed to failure, and Harry knew that next year he would return, with Voldemort latched on to the back of his head, effectively starting a fatal countdown for himself.

As soon as Professor McGonagall walked in with the new first years in tow, the Great Hall quieted down for the Sorting Hat's annual song.

The sorting ceremony unfolded quickly, with a group of students about the same size as Harry's year. Among the newcomers was Cho Chang, a name Harry noted. He had no idea if Cedric would end up falling for her, but one thing Harry was sure of: he wouldn't let Cedric die young. In his vision, Cedric was destined to have a family and grow old.

The sorting continued, with other notable students including Katie Bell, Cormac McLaggen, Fay Dunbar, and Marietta Edgecombe, whom Harry decided to keep at arm's length. Given her future betrayal involving her mother at the Ministry, he planned to steer clear of her to prevent any secrets from leaking.

Once the sorting wrapped up, Professor Dumbledore stood up. "It's wonderful to see both familiar and new faces tonight. Before we begin the feast, I'd like to introduce Professor Cross, who will take over as your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, replacing Professor Salt."

The announcement was met with groans from many students, who had been fond of the previous temporary professor's commitment to teaching.

Professor Cross, seemingly unfazed by the lukewarm reception, stood up and offered a half-hearted wave to the crowd.

Dumbledore continued, "I would also like to welcome Professor Arif Sikander, who will be replacing Professor Quirrell as your Muggle Studies professor." Professor Sikander, with a friendly demeanor, stood and waved back at the students, who responded with applause.

With the introductions over, Dumbledore went over the school rules and concluded, "Alright, that's enough from this old man. Let's get to what everyone has been waiting for. Let the feast begin!"

At that, dishes filled with delicious food materialized on the tables, and the students, famished after a long day, eagerly started to eat.

As everyone was nearly done with their feast, Roger leaned back in his seat, patting his stomach. "That was a good meal. What's up with the Weasley twins? Do you think they are going to pull something?"

Harry considered for a moment, glancing towards where the twins were sitting. "They're probably too busy eating right now. If they're planning anything, it'll likely happen after the feast."

Reggy, curious, chimed in. "What do you reckon they're up to?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I'd guess the other two Marauders want to outdo Padfoot's performance from last year. They might have passed on some tricks to the twins."

Reggy seemed a bit reassured by this. "So, it should be harmless, then?"

Harry's expression was less certain. "I'm not sure. Padfoot has calmed down a bit after living with Grandfather. He knows where to draw the line now. I'm not sure if the others have started acting like grown-ups yet."

Roger nodded, half-joking, half-serious. "Well, I'll be ready to duck just in case."

Dumbledore was about to stand up and speak to all the students when the Weasley twins suddenly jumped into action. They ran to the front of the Great Hall.

Professor McGonagall quickly stood up, looking alarmed. "What are you doing, Mr. Weasleys? Get back to your seats right now," she ordered, her voice firm and commanding.

But the twins ignored her and quickly placed a mysterious box right in front of Dumbledore and ran back towards their seats, calling out, "Sorry, Professor! It's a task from our masters—we can't disappoint them!"

McGonagall's expression grew even more serious. "The Headmaster has made it clear—no pranks during the feast. I'm going to take that away," she said, walking towards the box.

Fred called out in a worried voice as he moved away, "Please, Professor, don't touch it! If you do, our masters will disown us!"

Professor Snape, who had been observing everything with a frown, grumbled, "I don't care about your masters." He pointed his wand at the box, probably trying to make it disappear or destroy it. However, his spell ended up causing something unexpected.

The box burst into a cloud of red smoke when Snape's spell hit it. Suddenly, a howler popped out, looking normal but filled with an unexpected voice.

James Potter's voice filled the hall, booming loudly, "Thanks, Snivellus, for starting our show! We couldn't have done it without you. The twins couldn't master the spell for remote activation because of the rules against underage magic."

He laughed and added, "I heard about Padfoot's show last year and how he got a lot of new fans here. I couldn't let him get all the attention, right? So, kids, enjoy this show we've put together for you!"

Then, Remus Lupin's voice came through, sounding regretful, "Professor Dumbledore, I tried to stop him. But he was too excited about Padfoot's fame and the fans, and I couldn't stop him. I'm really sorry."

As Remus's apology ended, the music picked up, leading into a stunning fireworks display. The Great Hall lit up with a cascade of colors and patterns, a visual treat of fireworks that filled the room with bursts of brilliance.

Harry, despite his reservations, had to admit the display was impressively beautiful. It looked like the marauders had learned how to create pranks that were enchanting without causing trouble—or at least that's what Harry initially thought.

As the smoke from the fireworks began to clear, Harry spotted a large, ominous-looking ball hovering in the middle of the hall. His gut told him this wasn't good. "Hide!" he yelled suddenly.

At first, the students were puzzled, still mesmerized by the fireworks display. But seeing Harry's urgent dive under the table, his friends quickly followed suit, ducking for cover. Several other quick-thinking students did the same.

Just seconds later, the ball exploded, releasing a flood of bright golden paint that splashed everywhere. It covered everything—students, professors, and even the enchanted ceiling above.

The hall quickly turned into a sea of gold. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick had managed to protect themselves, either through fast reflexes or protective spells. Harry's friends were also spared from the mess because they had listened to Harry's warning.

In the midst of the chaos, Professor Snape stood, completely drenched in gold paint, his face dark with fury. He pointed his wand toward where the Weasley twins had been, though they had already disappeared.

Harry wondered why Snape hadn't dodged the paint. What he didn't know was that James had tweaked the fireworks to ensure Snape couldn't react in time.

"Minus one hundred points from Gryffindor for this… this… abomination! And one month detention with me, Fred and George Weasley!" Snape thundered, determined to regain control.

As everyone started to realize the extent of the mess, the initial amusement turned into annoyance. Everyone was covered in a thick, glittering layer of golden paint. The enchanted ceiling added a sparkle to their predicament, making it clear that this prank would require more than a simple cleaning spell.

The professors and students now faced the prospect of a lengthy cleanup. They would need to return to their dormitories or find a bathroom to try and scrub off the stubborn paint, uncertain if it would easily wash away.

The Great Hall was buzzing with murmurs of annoyance as students expressed their frustration over having to clean themselves up before they could even think about resting. The cheerful atmosphere from the feast had fizzled out, leaving behind the dread of dealing with an untimely mess on their first night back at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore's firm voice rose above the noise. "This is exactly why we discourage such pranks! Now, please head to your common rooms to clean up. Prefects, assist the first years."

Without the usual enthusiasm for the Hogwarts song, Dumbledore concluded the evening, signaling it was time to head out.

As the students slowly made their way out, Harry looked around at the crowd of unhappy faces. His friends were somewhat spared from the worst of the paint splatter thanks to his quick warning, but they hadn't avoided it entirely. They tugged at their robes, now dotted with paint, discussing how best to tackle the sticky mess. They also had to navigate through the paint-smeared floors.

Cedric, trying to lighten the mood, cracked a joke. "Well, at least we're all shining brightly for the start of the school year?"

Harry responded with a playful jab, "You should not have ducked, Cedric. You would have really looked like the Golden Boy of Hufflepuff then."

This quip brought a brief moment of laughter from Harry's friends, though they quickly quieted down under the stern looks from other students.

Harry exhaled deeply, realizing that the days of prank shows might be over at Hogwarts. Even those students who had been thrilled by Sirius's display last year were likely disillusioned now.

He also felt a twinge of sympathy for the Weasley twins. This stunt might make things tough for them with their peers, and Harry hoped it would dissuade them from pursuing the prank war they'd proposed on the train.

All in all, this year was starting off with a bang—a messy, glittering bang that no one was particularly thrilled about.