Moody sat down and pulled out a plate of sausages, drinking from a flask.
Everyone knew Moody was paranoid, but I couldn't help wondering what he was actually drinking — it could just as easily be pumpkin juice as one of the strongest types of alcohol.
"As for the rules," Dumbledore began, "first-years must know that it is strictly forbidden for all students to enter the Forbidden Forest. Older students would do well to remember that too."
He also reminded us of the rules regarding banned spells and prohibited items, the full list of which could be found near Filch's office.
"You should also be aware," he continued, "that there will be no Quidditch competition this year."
I immediately covered my ears, knowing full well that 90% of the students were about to protest.
"A little silence, please," Dumbledore said calmly. "There will be no competition because this year, our school has the immense privilege of hosting the Triwizard Tournament."
"Is this a joke?"
George and Fred exclaimed at the same time.
"No, it's not a joke, Mr. Weasley. But if you want, I do have a good one — a goblin, a centaur, and an elf walk into a bar—"
It was clearly the start of a very inappropriate joke, but thankfully, he was cut off by Professor McGonagall's stern glare.
Dumbledore then began to explain the rules of the competition. When he finished talking about the age limit, the students once again voiced their frustration.
Hermione, Marie, and I exchanged deadpan looks, wondering when exactly anyone thought participating in this tournament was a good idea.
Even the first-years wanted to take part, despite having no knowledge or preparation. That level of recklessness should automatically sort them all into Gryffindor, if you ask me.
Dumbledore finished by informing us that the selection would take place on October 31, and that the delegations from other schools would arrive on October 30.
"On that note, I believe it's time for everyone to return to their dormitories and get some rest."
It was finally time for me to step into my role as prefect.
"First-years, gather around, please."
They huddled together, looking a mix of nervous and excited. I led them down a quiet corridor and into a nearby empty classroom.
"This place should be peaceful enough to talk. First of all—welcome to Hogwarts! I'm Evelyn Longbottom, your prefect, and this is my fellow prefect, X" — I paused, realizing I had completely forgotten to introduce them properly — "who will help guide you through your first year."
I gave them a brief introduction to the castle, explaining that it held many secret passages and mysteries. I also told them that a special map was being developed to help first-years find their way more easily—it's quite the challenge at first.
"We're going to take a short tour of the castle… Well, more of a detour, actually. Since our common room is located far from the Entrance Hall, you'll be visiting quite a bit of the castle just to get there. So I'm warning you now—get used to walking, climbing, and retracing your steps. The path can be exhausting, especially if you're unfamiliar with the layout."
As we passed various classrooms, I made sure to point them out. It struck me again how absurdly large this castle is—even for a place with so many empty classrooms.
"Over here," I said, gesturing to a corridor on the left, "you'll find the girls' bathroom. But just a word of warning—there's a ghost in there named Moaning Myrtle. She's… let's say a little sensitive. Try not to upset her if you can help it."
I continued the tour, showing them secret passageways and hidden doors, though I wasn't sure if they'd remember even half of it. It's overwhelming at first.
Eventually, we arrived at the entrance to our common room.
"Unlike the other houses, we don't use a password. Instead, we have to solve a riddle to enter. There are ten possible riddles in total, and they rotate every month."
I turned to them with a knowing smile. "My advice? Try to solve it yourselves rather than wait for someone else to do it. It helps you learn—and besides, some of the riddles are actually fun."
When one of the students stepped forward, the door presented a familiar riddle—the famous sphinx riddle.
"Oh, this one's a classic," I said. "Muggle-borns might recognize it—it's iconic and comes from a well-known Greek myth."