Hero's Return?

Once everyone was sorted, Dumbeldore stands from his seat and addresses everyone, declaring that the Forbidden Forest is, well, forbidden. He goes on to mention a huge list of items that are now banned, most likely in response to the loudly giggling pair of gingers at the Gryffindor table, especially with how Dumbledore glances at them with every new item.

He then goes on to declare the Third Floor Corridor(Harry had no idea which one) off-limits, unless trespassers wished to face a very painful death... Of course, this only makes Harry more interested in discovering whatever the Headmaster was hiding there. The fact that he'd announce such a thing to the whole school was already suspect, but taking anything, even something worthless from the old man was good enough in Harry's books.

"Now, without further adieu, let the feast begin!" Dumbledore declares, waving his hand which somehow causes a huge amount of food to suddenly transport itself to each table. It as all basic British cuisine, with regular unexotic vegetables, meats, starches, etc.

Harry had thought a magical school would call for magical meals, but he supposed any of his expectations should've been dropped the moment he saw the Leaky Cauldron. Regardless, he idly fills his plate and begins eating while sending glances over at Dumbledore.

"He casually conjured or summoned all of this food without a wand, Kali..." Harry mentally remarks, somewhat taken aback by the show of magical strength.

"It wasn't him, master. I sensed other creatures transporting the food here, I suspect it's those House-Elves we heard about."

"The Imps?" he questions, Grindelwald's description of House-Elves matched quite closely with the weak demons known as Imps, strange given that demons shouldn't have accessed this realm since Merlin's time.

"Not fully, impure descendants of Imps that have lost any link they had with their patron. I imagine they'd return to their full glory if given another however." she states before hopping down from his shoulder and onto the table where Nanthisk had been trying to swallow a roast chicken whole. "Now, be a dear and prepare me something, my wings are hardly designed for grasping utensils."

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Marcus Flint, a Fifth Year Slytherin, leans forwards next to Draco as they and many others at the Slytherin table observe the Boy-Who-Lived. The boy who was currently feeding his bat-familiar spoonfuls of gravy-covered roar chicken as if he was attending a baby... "So Malfoy, what do you think of our new member?"

"Clearly, he doesn't respect his betters. He almost had his snake attack me on the train in defence of some Mudblood, he might be a Parseltongue but he's no Slytherin." the silver-blonde-haired boy states.

"That the truth? Or are you just saying that because he had you running scared?" Lucian Bole, a Fourth Year asks.

Crabb and Goyle pause from shovelling food into their mouths and look up at him due to the 'perceived threat'.

"I'd watch what you say, Bole, we all might be pure but old leads the young. A word to my father and your family would be moving in next to the Weasleys." Draco warns.

"Aren't the Boles already pretty pore? What difference would it make?" Pansy Parkinson adds, causing an angry flush to move up from Lucian's neck to his face.

"This is all great, but did you learn anything about him while you ran?" Daphne Greengrass inquires from further down the table, her best friend and Half-Blood Tracy Davis also looking curious in the seat next to her.

Draco stifles his reactionary response, the Greengrass family was technically older than the Malfoy's despite what their less lucrative businesses might suggest, "Other than him being a Parseltongue? Not much... I did notice him reading a book, something to do with Transfiguration called Halford's." he shrugs, not remembering exactly what it was.

Daphne crooks a brow at that, "That's a Fourth-Year book, isn't it?"

"Fourth? Maybe he's already studied up to that." Tracy adds speculatively.

Draco shakes his head, "No, he was probably just trying to show off to the Mudblood." he decides with finality.

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Hermione found herself alone and in the midst of rapid discussions between most of the Gryffindor table. The subject of most conversations being one thing, Harry Potter. She was actually becoming quite irritable by their words, most of them all but declaring her Train-Companion the new 'Dark Lord' despite never having met him.

Parvati was in a nearby seat giving her own experiences with the boy, trying to quell some of the rising rumours, but it was like trying to swim against rapids. She soon had to admit that she hadn't known Harry long enough to get a proper impression of him, only the facade people show to be personable in initial meetings.

"I don't like it Percy, that snake is definitely up to something, I can feel it..." a Ron Weasley states to his older brother who just happened to be Gryffindor's prefect.

"Nonsense brother, you're just upset about him pranking us back at Nine and Three-Quarters." Fred, or maybe George, one of the Weasley twins chuckles.

"It was pretty good wasn't it, maybe we should use it next time Filch catches us? 'What are you two doing here again!?', Por favor?" the other twin says, both speaking the foreign phrase simultaneously before bursting into laughter along with some others, apparently finding Harry's earlier antics hilarious...

"I actually sat with Harry for the entire train ride. He was very nice, and his snake even let me pet it once or twice!" Hermione voices slightly louder than she'd initially anticipated.

Ron shakes his head and extracts the now fleshless chicken wing from his maw, "Naw, he's a Slytherin, don't you know that means dark? You-Know-Who and most of his people come from there!"

"And so does Merlin, what's your point?" Hermione retorts with folded arms.

"Hmph! What would you know? You've only been in the magical world a day, let the folks who've lived here all their lives tell you what's what." Ron stubbornly states.

"Only if you can answer a question of mine... Have you ever fully read a book? Not a magazine or pamphlet, but an actual book." Hermione questions.

Ron pauses before shrugging, "Obviously." he says, but it was clear with the way his eyes moved that he was either leaving something out or straight up lying.

"You've started reading Ronnikins!?" Fred or George exclaims, "Brother of mine, check if the sky is falling, quickly!"

"We can see it from here fine." the other twin points up at the projected night sky, "That means someone else must be impersonating our youngest brother!"

...

"Should we do anything?"

"No, I like him better this way!"

"Oh, screw off you two!" Ron angrily retorts.