Dumbledore's start of term address
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slipping_away01 September 1997. The Great Hall.
After finishing his spotted pudding and raspberries with cream, Albus Dumbledore rose from his seat at the faculty table on the dais and walked around it to the gilded owl-shaped lectern. With a graceful wave of his wand, he slightly lowered the flames on the many candles and lanterns throughout the great hall, except the ones surrounding him. His long, silver hair and beard gleamed, and his gold half-moon glasses glinted and glimmered in the candlelight. He raised his arms wide and spoke.
"Welcome," he said, "to another enjoyable and enlightening year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To our newcomers, I greet you warmly and hope you find your new home hospitable; to our familiar faces I welcome you home.
"As always, I must remind you that the Forbidden Forest is, in fact, still forbidden, and that Mr Filch has vowed to continue his ban on joke items produced by Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, alongside several hundred other items, a list of which is viewable outside his office for anyone interested. Quidditch hopefuls should discuss tryouts with their Heads of House, and we are pleased to continue our experiment with our enchanted journals, which did much last year to further inter-house unity and academic communication.
"I remind you that anything you write will be visible to every being in the school unless you specifically notate otherwise. As before, your Heads of House and myself have the authority to view all content, regardless of privacy charms, so do consider your words before you put them in writing. The journal project begins anew now," said Dumbledore. He waved his wand neatly to establish the link before moving on.
"And now I should like to announce some changes in our faculty, but first I ask that we have a moment or two of silence as we remember Professor Pomona Sprout, who died bravely at the end of our last term." Dumbledore bowed his head slightly, and most of the room stilled and became silent. After a lengthy pause, Dumbledore continued.
"Professor Sprout was a gifted and honourable witch, possessed of a kindness and strength of character to which we should all strive to achieve. She will be greatly missed, but we must move forward, and as such, we have appointed Professor Bathsheda Babbling as Head of Hufflepuff." Babbling bowed her head solemnly in acknowledgement, and one or two Hufflepuffs applauded weakly. Many of the people seated at the Hufflepuff table were wiping tears from their faces.
"Joining us this year as Professor of Herbology is Angelique Epine-Vinette, a brilliant Magical Botanist coming to us from Provence, France. Do help me in making her feel welcome," he said, leading a polite round of applause. Epine-Vinette nodded toward Dumbledore for his kind words, and smiled at the students warmly.
"Our other new addition has agreed to take on the role of Potions Master following Professor Slughorn's re-retirement. He is Doctor Rukminesh Gupta, a celebrated potioneer who we are honoured to welcome." Gupta, wearing a thin black jumper, bowed slightly from his seat as the headmaster led another round of applause.
"Sadly, I needn't remind you that we are living in very dangerous times. As our year progresses, I ask anyone who becomes aware of any possible threat to the safety of Hogwarts, its students, and faculty, to go to their Head of House or myself to report their concerns, no matter how insignificant they may seem. We have instituted more powerful magical wards than ever before, but our own vigilance and precaution will always be more effective than even the strongest magic.
"And now, fed, watered, and welcomed, I believe it is time for you to be off to bed. Rest well!" Dumbledore raised the light in the room again, and as the students began rising and filing out of the Great hall, stepped away from the golden lectern toward Professor Babbling, with whom he had been chatting before his address.
After finishing his spotted pudding and raspberries with cream, Albus Dumbledore rose from his seat at the faculty table on the dais and walked around it to the gilded owl-shaped lectern. With a graceful wave of his wand, he slightly lowered the flames on the many candles and lanterns throughout the great hall, except the ones surrounding him. His long, silver hair and beard gleamed, and his gold half-moon glasses glinted and glimmered in the candlelight. He raised his arms wide and spoke.
"Welcome," he said, "to another enjoyable and enlightening year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To our newcomers, I greet you warmly and hope you find your new home hospitable; to our familiar faces I welcome you home.
"As always, I must remind you that the Forbidden Forest is, in fact, still forbidden, and that Mr Filch has vowed to continue his ban on joke items produced by Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, alongside several hundred other items, a list of which is viewable outside his office for anyone interested. Quidditch hopefuls should discuss tryouts with their Heads of House, and we are pleased to continue our experiment with our enchanted journals, which did much last year to further inter-house unity and academic communication.
"I remind you that anything you write will be visible to every being in the school unless you specifically notate otherwise. As before, your Heads of House and myself have the authority to view all content, regardless of privacy charms, so do consider your words before you put them in writing. The journal project begins anew now," said Dumbledore. He waved his wand neatly to establish the link before moving on.
"And now I should like to announce some changes in our faculty, but first I ask that we have a moment or two of silence as we remember Professor Pomona Sprout, who died bravely at the end of our last term." Dumbledore bowed his head slightly, and most of the room stilled and became silent. After a lengthy pause, Dumbledore continued.
"Professor Sprout was a gifted and honourable witch, possessed of a kindness and strength of character to which we should all strive to achieve. She will be greatly missed, but we must move forward, and as such, we have appointed Professor Bathsheda Babbling as Head of Hufflepuff." Babbling bowed her head solemnly in acknowledgement, and one or two Hufflepuffs applauded weakly. Many of the people seated at the Hufflepuff table were wiping tears from their faces.
"Joining us this year as Professor of Herbology is Angelique Epine-Vinette, a brilliant Magical Botanist coming to us from Provence, France. Do help me in making her feel welcome," he said, leading a polite round of applause. Epine-Vinette nodded toward Dumbledore for his kind words, and smiled at the students warmly.
"Our other new addition has agreed to take on the role of Potions Master following Professor Slughorn's re-retirement. He is Doctor Rukminesh Gupta, a celebrated potioneer who we are honoured to welcome." Gupta, wearing a thin black jumper, bowed slightly from his seat as the headmaster led another round of applause.
"Sadly, I needn't remind you that we are living in very dangerous times. As our year progresses, I ask anyone who becomes aware of any possible threat to the safety of Hogwarts, its students, and faculty, to go to their Head of House or myself to report their concerns, no matter how insignificant they may seem. We have instituted more powerful magical wards than ever before, but our own vigilance and precaution will always be more effective than even the strongest magic.
"And now, fed, watered, and welcomed, I believe it is time for you to be off to bed. Rest well!" Dumbledore raised the light in the room again, and as the students began rising and filing out of the Great hall, stepped away from the golden lectern toward Professor Babbling, with whom he had been chatting before his address.