The Arrivals

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

November 22nd, 1992, 6:45 PM

Susan, stoic as ever with her 'eternal' poker face, enters the Hogwarts' Great Hall floating through one of its walls. She looks around and notices that the other three Ghostly Council members are already there, floating a few meters above each of their tables. Susan takes her position above the Ravenclaw table and continues to look around. Besides the Ghostly Council members, she sees few other ghosts around. The students are still pouring in the Great Hall, but they are in their majority already there, each going to their house's table and taking a seat. The staff members are there too, at least in their majority, still missing the castle's mediwitch, the meddling old goat of a Headmaster, and the dungeon's bat of a Professor. Nothing new about that… After all, it seems that old goats like to have dungeon's bats as pets. And the mediwitch has her responsibilities.

Finally, it seems that all students have arrived at the Great Hall, at least the able ones. The little Gryffindor is still petrified in the Medical Wing of the castle. The castle's mediwitch finally arrives, and goes to the main table.

Ten minutes to the seven, the last of the staff enters the Great Hall, like they are the owners of the place, and Susan almost lets a smirk out, imagining the rude awakening that the goat and bat pair will have.

Albus 'too-many-middle-names' Dumbledore was confused. He was sucking one of his favorite candies, lemon drops, savoring the mix of sourness and sweetness, and reading some parchment work in his office, seated on his desk just after a wonderful lunch, when the bell chimed. That bell shook his very core, his very being, and worst of all, he didn't know the meaning of it. The portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts around him on the walls woke up. Some looked around not knowing what was that, some others clapping and happy, and the minimal rest, looking at the current headmaster with heavy looks, like he just got effed up. Fawkes, the beautiful phoenix, let a happy and content trill from where he was sleeping.

Observing the portraits, the Headmaster couldn't hold himself and asked.

"Gentleman and gentlewoman, what was that bell? Some of you seem to know it."

The portraits that I didn't know stood quiet, looking at the ones that seemed happy and the ones that were looking at the current Headmaster with pity in their looks.

"The Lord is coming!"

Said one portly old looking Headmistress. The other happy ones agreed with her with head nods, and didn't say anything more. The current Headmaster, still confused with what he heard, asked again.

"The Lord is coming? What is the meaning of it?"

Another portrait of an old Headmaster, one of the ones that had pity in their eyes answered him.

"It means exactly what she said. And it means too that you effed up in a phenomenal way."

"Phineas! You know the rules!"

Growled another portrait to the one now identified as Phineas. 'Now that was information.' Thought Headmaster Dumbledore. Observing the portrait of Headmaster Black, that just gave the other portrait that reprimanded him a shrug of his shoulders and went back to sit straight in his painted chair, not saying anything more.

"Headmaster Black, please answer, who is the Lord that is coming?"

The portrait of Headmaster Black gave another look of pity directed at him but didn't answer his question. Headmaster Dumbledore went into a bad mood. Something, or better, someone was coming, and he didn't know who he or she was, but the looks that few of the old Headmasters were giving to him were not a good thing, at least for his person.

One hour after, and still without managing to get an answer from the portraits, the Headmaster heard a knock in his door. Still up in the middle of his office and looking at the portraits while addressing his beard with one of his hands, Headmaster Dumbledore invited the person at the door to enter the office.

"Come on in."

The door opened and he saw his Deputy-Headmistress enter his office. Her face didn't look good. Well, at least for him it didn't look good. After more than 40 years working together as his right hand woman, he could say that he could differentiate the faces of Minerva McGonagall, Deputy-Headmistress of Hogwarts School, Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration Mistress of the castle.

"Albus, what is the meaning of this unscheduled feast today?"

She asked him. He just gave her an inquisitive look and answered.

"Minerva, I fear that I don't know what you are talking about."

A little more put out, Minerva extended a piece of half parchment to him. Albus picked the parchment and read it. It was a notice that this night the castle would have a feast, and that the attendance of all able Hogwarts' population were obligatory. Frowning at the notice, he addressed her Deputy.

"I still don't know what this is about. Where did you get this, Minerva?"

"It is in all the notice boards in the castle, and when I say all, I mean all of them. Even in the one in the staff room. They are permanently affixed with Notice-Me charms on it. They can be copied, but not removed from the notice boards."

Thinking about what he had just heard from his Deputy, Albus Dumbledore linked some dots.

"I'm afraid that I still don't have a complete answer to you, Minerva. But I deduced that it has something to do with the bell chim that happened just after lunch hours. The only information that I managed to get is that some Lord will visit the castle, and by the notice, it seems that the feast is to welcome him…"

Albus Dumbledore said, still thinking about who was coming. Minerva waited for him to say more, awaiting instructions. Giving a last look to the silent portraits, he went back to his chair and continued.

"... And it seems that we will have to wait for tonights' feast to know more about the identity of this mysterious Lord. If anyone asks about the feast, just say that it's to welcome a guest."

Recognizing the dismissal, the Deputy-Headmistress retired to her office to finish parchmentwork. And watching his Deputy depart, the Headmaster went back to his own parchment work, popping another lemon drop in his mouth.

Now entering the Great Hall accompanied by Severus, who just before was asking him the same things that Minerva asked and got the same answers, he approached the main table, where the rest of the staff was reunited and talking.

Seeing the Headmaster's arrival, the staff waited for him and Professor Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master of the castle, to sit, and started to ask questions about the unscheduled feast. Being 'bombarded' by questions from his staff, the Headmaster makes gestures so that his staff can quiet a little so he can talk.

"Gentlemans, if you asked Minerva about it, then you know about it as much as I know. Probably the only thing that I can add is that the person visiting is a Lord. His name or what his Lordship is, I don't know, but I think that we will know in the next few minutes."

Managing to calm the castle's staff a little, they return to small talks between them, but this time the possible identity of said Lord is the main topic, together with the mysterious bell chim earlier.

Few minutes before the promised time, 7PM, the Great Hall welcomes the arrival of another person. Or better, another ghost. Professor Cuthbert Binns, History Master of the castle, enters the Great Hall floating through the wall behind the staff table. His arrival seems to be noticed by some students and ghosts. After taking place beside the staff table, Professor Binns seemed to stop and wait.

His colleagues, taking notice of his presence, appear shocked, because for them it is the first time that they see the ghostly Professor participate in one feast. Either way, the staff welcomes him.

"Cuthbert, how nice to see you joining us for today's dinner!"

Says Professor Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House and Herbology Mistress of the castle, smiling welcomingly to the ghost.

"Oh yes, Master Sprout, would not miss the Lord's arrival for nothing in this world."

The other Professors and staff seemed shocked about that. Professor Binns, the one that 'lives' only for his classes, seems excited about this Lord's arrival. The Headmaster wanted to ask him about the Lord's identity, but was cut before he could ask by another question of Professor Fillius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House and Charms Master of the castle.

"Cuthbert, as a historian, do you know anything about the bell chim that was heard earlier today at the castle?"

"If I know about it? Of course that I know! Any good historian would know about it. It was written in the books about Hogwarts. "The Castle's Heartbeat will bring it's Lord back.""

Said the ghostly Professor, feeling proud about that tiny bit of information.

The other professors, still shocked, tried to ask more, but were interrupted. At that exact moment the clock turned 7PM, and the bell, now identified as the castle's heartbeat, chimed again and the Great Hall went silent.

*DONG*

With the final of the chim, or beat, an eight meters wide dark blue magic circle appeared a few centimeters above the floor between the four house tables and the great hall entrance doors that went out of the castle. The magic circle was just like the one that was used by the Ghostly Council for the summons. It was circular (duh?!) and had two squares inside of it dislocated 45º from each other, followed by a 10 points star. The circle had a lot of small runes etched on its borders and four big ones in each cardinal direction. In its center, standing proudly, was a big 'H' with a raven, a badger, a lion and a serpent beside each leg of the 'H".

Four bright white light spots appeared in the middle of the magic circle, and started to solidify. Just a few seconds later, the white light starts to rapidly fade together with the dark blue magic circle, leaving in its place four people. One grinning man, and three grinning women.

The entirety of the Great Hall was in silence. There, appearing after the light show stopped, was one the most handsome men and three of the most beautiful women they have ever seen, at least in the opinion of most of the girls/women and boys/men respectively. Even the muggle-raised and muggleborn ones thought that, and they have access to television at home.

But for the ghosts that know about them, they were Lord and Lady Ravenclaw and their entourage.

And for the ghost known as Susan, they were family.