An: Hey everyone, it'me again. Finally. Moving is quite some work and is taking up quite some time, but I finally found time to write. To make up for the long break in chapters I wrote an extra long chapter with more than thousand words extra! I think you will like it, even though it actually is just the great feast and the announcment of the Triwizard Tournament. Either way, I hope you enjoy it. So read, vote and comment and tell me what you think about it^^

A smile made its way onto Alice's face. She was happy that her house turned out to be Hufflepuff, even though it was not the same house as the twins were in. She looked over to them. They seemed to be a bit disappointed that she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor but they, nonetheless, smiled at her. Professor Dumbledore clapped in his hands and walked over to her.

"How great. I can assure you, that the house of Hufflepuff is proud to have someone like you join them. Professor Sprout is the head of your house and also the Herbology teacher, so you will see her quite often." Alice smiled and nodded.

Then the Professor turned to the twins. "Now, as we still have some time left until the students arrive here at Hogwarts, I thought that it would be perfect, if you could lead Ms McIntire around Hogwarts a bit. If I'm not wrong, than it's you two who might know the parts of this school the best," he said with a chuckle.

"Of course we do, we would love to," said the twins grinning mischievously.

"That's perfect. Your luggage will be brought into your rooms, so you can just leave it here and go. I'll see you at the feast."

"Goodbye Professor Dumbledore. And thank you," said Alice and stood up. She placed the Hat onto the table and left the office together with the twins.

Fred and George suddenly took either of her arms and dragged her down the stairs.

"Oi, boys. Not so fast, please. I want to see the castle properly." The twins stopped upon her words.

"Okay," said Fred. "Then slowly it is."

"Thank you," said Alice and looked around.

The stone walls were full of different paintings, which, to Alice's surprise, were all moving from painting to painting and talking to one another. Then she looked at the staircases, which were also moving. Alice thought about standing on a staircase while it was moving and shivered. She did not want to do that, how would she even find her way back in a castle this big? Because she did not want to end up on a stair while it moved, Alice hurried after the twins to explore the castle. Behind each corner was a new door or a hidden way, that Fred and George showed her. She loved to learn those things about her new school, while it had not even started yet and she was happy that the twins were with her. Fred and George explained everything to her while showing her around, they even went outside, to show her the Greenhouses, the Whomping Willow, which ,she knew was the tree Harry and Ron had flewn into with a car back in their second school year, and Hagrid's Hut, the home of the giant Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Then they brought her to the forbidden forest, which looked really dark, even if it was bright day.

"Will we be going in there?" asked Alice and looked at the twins.

"No, not today, but maybe sometime this school year?" said George and grinned.

"You know, there are Unicorns in there," said Fred.

Alice's eyes went wide. "Unicorns? Real Unicorns?"

"Yep," said the twins.

"By Merlin, we really have to go in there!"

The twins laughed upon hearing her answer and then walked on. There was so much to be shown, but not enough time left to do so. The last thing they wanted to go to with her was the Quidditch pitch, because they knew how much Alice loved Quidditch. And it didn't come as a surprise as Alice was quite intrigued by it. She had been overjoyed during the Quidditch World Cup but to be standing on an actual Quidditch pitch made her so much happier. She smiled from ear to ear.

"You'll be playing here, right? I can't wait to see you two on the pitch," she said with her everlasting smile.

"Hey, now that you're a witch too, you can actually fly on a broom. Maybe you have a natural talent for Quidditch, like Harry, and we'll soon be playing against each other," said Fred thoughtfully.

"That sounds nice. I would love to be playing Quidditch, especially against you two," she said and grinned.

"Oi, what's that supposed to mean?" said George and Fred and Alice laughed.

They laughed and made fun of each other, while walking back to the castle, because it was time to enter the hall as the students began to arrive at the school. Alice entered the hall and was rendered speechless. The great hall did really deserve its name. It was a huge room with a ceiling that couldn't be seen. In fact, it was enchanted and looked like the sky outside, that Alice had just seen minutes ago. The large room was filled with four very long tables and benches next to it. Then, at the end of the room were more tables, behind which the teachers took place. Alice could see Professor Dumbledore. Then there was a large man who could only be Hagrid and a man with black hair, which looked like it was drenched with oil, and a long nose, who must have been Professor Snape, whom her sister very much hated. The potions teacher had not many fans, as Alice knew and she already started dreading the times she had to sit inside his classroom.

"You have to sit on this table," said Fred suddenly.

Alice was pulled out of her thoughts, as she looked at him confused.

"That table," he said, pointing to one of the four big ones, "is the Hufflepuff table. You have to sit there."

"Ah okay, thanks," she said and smiled. "Then, I guess I'll go and sit there."

With this she went to the table and took place, while the two boys sat down in front of the Gryffindor table. She was a bit nervous, as she was the only one to currently sit on the table, but soon more and more students came and sat down. They watched her curiously, as no one knew her. Alice felt like she wanted to crawl under the table and never come back, because of all the attention. She wasn't used to that and certainly didn't like it. To gloss over that, she smiled at everyone who looked at her, but that didn't really help either because now the students next to her started asking questions, which made Alice feel more awkward by the minute as she didn't know how to answer them. What should she say if they wanted to know where she came from? What should she answer if they wanted to know which school she attended beforehand? For the love of Merlin, she could not remember the name of the school Professor Dumbledore had said her, if she was asked just that. So she remained to the same answer over and over again, namely that everything would be explained by Professor Dumbledore, well, at least she hoped that it would be.

"Aren't you the one from the Quidditch Cup?" said a voice next to her.

Alice turned to her side, glad that it was a normal question and surprised that someone would recognise her here. On her right side sat a handsome boy with brown hair and grey eyes. Alice recognised him as Cedric Diggory and smiled.

"Yes, hello. You're Cedric, right?"

"Yep, that I am. Your name was Alice, right? We haven't had much time to talk during the World Cup," he said and held out his hand, which Alice took with a smile.

"Yes, it's a shame actually. I don't really know why Fred acted that way that time. Maybe he was still angry because of that Quidditch game last year," she said with a chuckle.

"Ah, you've heard of it. My dad is still talking about it, even though I keep telling him that Harry fell and that that's the reason why we won, but he won't stop."

Alice nodded, she had a good memory of Mr Diggory talking about nothing else than that game, while they had gone to the Cup together.

"Well, it doesn't matter now, I guess. I'm just happy that I know someone in my house," said Alice, sounding relieved.

"About that. I have to say that I was quite sure that you were a Muggle, I seem to recall that my Dad told me just that," said Cedric suddenly.

Alice began to play with her fingers nervously and didn't dare to look in his eyes. "Uhm...you just have to believe me there that I'm a witch, Cedric. I don't want to talk about it, with all the people around."

"But will you tell me what's going on after the feast? I mean, I can understand if you don't want to, though."

Alice met his eyes. They were sincere and she started to consider telling him. Cedric knew that she should be a Muggle and he seemed to be someone she could trust. She didn't really know why, it was just a feeling she had, so she nodded, which made him smile.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall entered the great hall together with a line of children, who Alice guessed were the first years, Ally had told her about. The first years looked like they swam over the lake, and not sailed over it by boat, how they should normally do it. They were shivering terribly and Alice felt very much for them, as they not only looked cold but upset too. Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first-years and, on top of it, the sorting hat. The first-years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment there was silence, but Alice knew that it would sing a song and she was growing more and more excited about it. Then a tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song:

A thousand years or more ago
When I was newly sewn,
There lived four wizards of renown,
Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
They hatched a daring plan
To educate young sorcerers
Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders
Formed their own house, for each
Did value different virtues
In the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide
Their favourites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?

Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!

The great hall rang with applause as the sorting hat finished. Alice was clapping loudly, as the song had been nothing like what she had expected. Then Professor McGonagall started enrolling a large scroll of parchment. She told everyone that she was going to call the first-years alphabetically and that the Hat would than sort them into their house. The list was quite long but Alice clapped every time someone joined their table. Then, finally, when the last person was called out and sorted into Hufflepuff, Professor McGonagall picked up the Hat and the stool and carried them away. Alice saw Professor Dumbledore got up to his feet and smiling around at the students, his arms open wide in welcome.

"I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the hall. "Tuck in."

With this the empty dishes that had been placed on the table filled with so much food, Alice had never seen in her life before. She knew how great the fests at Hogwarts were, but even in her wildest dreams she had not imagined that it would be this much. She suddenly realised how hungry she really was and loaded her plate with food, Cedric next to her doing the same. They were talking about minor things, while eating, mostly Quidditch. Alice watched the ghosts from time to time and was introduced to the Fat Friar by Cedric, the house ghost of Hufflepuff. After eating as much as never before in her life, she saw Professor Dumbledore standing up.

"So!" he said, smiling. "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."

Alice saw Dumbledore's mouth twitch and started smiling herself. She looked over to the twins and knew right away why those items would be banned. They were grinning in her direction and held up their thumbs, like they knew what she was thinking.

Then Dumbledore continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"What?" gasped Alice.

Quidditch was the one thing she had wanted to see the most and she had wanted to play it too. Next to her Cedric was throwing a tantrum. He was certainly shocked, and as the Quidditch Captain of Hufflepuff not happy about this decision.

"They can't do that. Can they? Why are they doing that?"

"Calm down, Cedric. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will explain everything," tried Alice to reason with him. Cedric looked at her, not looking very happy. He started to pout which made Alice laugh. She looked, again, over to the twins, who seemed to be speechless upon hearing this message.

Dumbledore continued, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts –"

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder, as it was raining and storming horribly outside, and the doors of the great hall opened. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black travelling cloak. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark grey hair, then began to walk up towards the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right and limped heavily towards Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling, illuminating his face. It was a face, Alice had never seen before. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred, which made him look so unnaturally and not human at all. His face showed only the faintest idea of a human face. But it was his eyes, that made Alice want to run out of the hall here and now. One was small, dark and beady, while the other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. It was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye – and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all that could be seen was whiteness. When he reached Professor Dumbledore, he shook his hand and sat down on a stool, on the right-side of the Professor. Professor Dumbledore then stood up to speak.

"May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody."

No one clapped, except for Dumbledore and Hagrid, but they stopped fairly quickly. The students were much too transfixed by the arrival of the new Professor. Alice remembered the morning when Mr Weasley had to go care for a Mad-Eye Moody, who seemed to be just that person. Now she understood why they had called him an old nutter. She was about to turn to Cedric to ask him something, when Professor Dumbledore continued his speech he had started beforehand.

"As I was saying, we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" sounded Fred's voice loudly through the hall.

The tension that had filled the hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke, as nearly everyone started to laugh. Then Professor Dumbledore started explaining everything about the Tournament, which turned out to be quite interesting. It was going to be a competition between the three largest European wizard schools – Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. There were three magical tasks, therefore the name TRIwizard, and the schools would host it once every five years. That is until the death toll was so high that it was discontinued. But now that they have worked hard to ensure that no one would face mortal danger, the Tournament was going to be continued. Apparently the two schools would be arriving in October and the three champions of the schools would be selected at Halloween. Only students of age could enter the Tournament, and upon hearing that, Alice could see some people looking really disappointed. Nonetheless the Tournament sounded interesting and exciting to her and she was quite eager for it to start.

"Now, I have one last thing to tell you," said Dumbledore. "We have one new student to welcome in our midst. Her name is Alice McIntire, as some of you might know her already. Please stand up Ms McIntire. She will join our house Hufflepuff and has transferred here from Ilvermorny , the school of witchcraft and wizardry in America. I hope you will welcome her nicely. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"
With this he sat down again and began to talk to Mad-Eye Moody.

Alice looked around awkwardly, as she was still standing. Slowly she sat down again, wishing to be swallowed by the ground. Cedric put his hand on his sympathetically on her shoulder, which helped just a little. Then she looked over to the twins, who were seemingly disappointed by something. She guessed that it was because of the rule that only those of age were allowed to enter the game. She knew that the twins would not turn seventeen until April the first.

"Should we go to the common room?" asked Cedric suddenly.

"Sure," said Alice, growing interested in what the Hufflepuff common room would look like.

On their way out of the hall, she stopped behind the twins at the Gryffindor table.

"Don't be sad, I know how you want to enter," she said, as the twins noticed her.

"You know that this is not going to stop us, though, right?" asked Fred.

"Sure I know. And I'm quite looking forward as to how you are going to manage entering it," she said with a grin.

"You know us to good," said George, grinning back.

"I'm going to the common room now, see you tomorrow boys."

"Yeah see yah," they said in unison as Alice left the hall together with Cedric.

"Why was she with that Diggory?" asked Fred, sounding annoyed all of a sudden. George chuckled.

"Well, he is in the same house as her. So maybe he wants to show her the way?"

"She could have asked anyone, though...," said Fred, slightly pouting.

Ally grinned at seeing him this way, knowing all too well why he was acting this way. She grinned to Ginny, who grinned back.

George then pulled his brother out of his thoughts as they started coming up with ideas to enter the tournament and how Dumbledore could prevent them from entering. Together they too, walked back to the Gryffindor common room then.