Even if he hadn't been testing out personas, the screech would have frightened the Friar into a jump, a jerk of the neck in the new Hufflepuff's direction. "I am a real ghost! Alfred. The Fat Friar!" he smiled before he could even think about, and continued, "And I am the Hufflepuff house ghost!" his jolliness was back.

Alfred frowned suddenly, and twist around to face her again. "I mean - of course I'm a ghost, what do you think I am?" Was that too mean? It was too mean. He felt bad.

Good one what? Alfred heard the new head boy's statement and only found it confusing. "I was having a great summer until all of you returned." He found himself saying.

It wasn't true; he missed the students when they weren't here, but this almost felt like acting, and seeing as the Friar had never before acted with such an attitude before, and he found it....kind of fun. It was a little invigorating, even if he felt slightly bad about it all.

"Of course I am!" he managed to say to this Hufflepuff. "I feel perfectly fine!"

Another new one. The Friar smiled at her and waved.

BUT HE WAS TRYING TO HAVE AN ATTITUDE.

Why was this so hard for him!? Merlin's socks!

And why was this one calling him a dog? He puffed up. "I am no canine, milady! I am a Friar, and my name is Alfred!" And if he were a man standing on the ground and not a ghost floating midair, he would have stomped his foot!

Alfred was feeling empowered at this point, but terrible. He hoped no one's feelings were seriously hurt. If they were, oh goodness! Maybe they would enjoy the new Friar. Maybe they would enjoy his "attitude."

"NO! This is the new me! The new Alfred!" he said sharply.

"I feel FINE!" he shouted. If he thought of this as acting, he could do it. He was acting like...like he was taking no more poops from people! No more! "I feel perfectly fine. I am just the NEW ALFRED. I will no longer be a pushover! I will no longer be the ghost that people forget."

She blinked at him now. He felt fine? But he was saying things like Punks! Not even around her siblings had she heard that word.... She knew it was an old muggle saying but....this was Hogwarts!

She jumped a little as he shouted. Why did he need to be a new Alfred? "What was wrong with old Alfred?" she asked her eyes widening a little. "I don't think you've ever been forgotten, even my dad knew of you last century! And he wasn't even in the Hufflepuff house. Why do you feel forgotten?"

Joy waved back at the Friar, visibly amused. So he was friendly! Still, he was showing an attitude with the other students at the table. Joy stifled a giggle as they all stared at the Friar incredulously. Alright, so the Hufflepuff house ghost did not normally act like this. That was good. Joy relaxed a little bit. There should be nothing to worry about this term. Her first year at Hogwarts would be just fine!

Alfred. Such a noble sounding name. And a Friar as well. That would explain what he was kind of wearing, and the bald patch on the top of his head. Her granddad had one of those too, but he was just old and losing his hair.

"It's really nice to meet you, Alfred. Can I call you Alfred instead of Fat Friar, because you're not really all that fat." Well, he was a bit. But it wasn't the kind of thing you said to people. Not even dead ones. She'd feel much better if she could call him by his proper name. Or maybe Mr Hufflepuff ghost, but the fact the house had one of it's own was really, really cool.

But then his cheery demeanour turned a bit frosty, and Dahlia frowned back at him as he snapped his question. "Well, I don't know. My brother has a thing that can project pictures, I thought maybe you were one of those."

She sniffed and turned to her fellow Hufflepuff (Henry), when she heard the Friar address some others the same way, and some students ask if he was alright. Did that mean he was being different to usual? Had she caught him on a bad day? "Umm, is he always like this?"

Joy was having so much fun at the feast. She couldn't wait to start exploring the rest of the castle and grounds! And was everyone always this friendly?

She sighed contentedly, stifling a yawn. All of this excitement was making her tired! Tired, in the best way she could imagine. For she was finally at Hogwarts, sorted into Hufflepuff, and among the friendly faces of her fellow housemates.

As she gazed dreamily around the Great Hall, her vision blurred as she felt an unexpected rush of tears welling up in her brown eyes. I'm really here, thought Joy, and it's more wonderful than I've ever imagined. This feels like home.

A tear slid down her freckled cheek, and she grabbed her napkin to wipe her eyes. Slightly embarrassed, and afraid that she was causing a scene, Joy adjusted herself in her seat and stared tearily at her hands.

"Hey, come on," Henry grinned and nudged Remy with his elbow when his best friend let out a sigh. "Last year is the best year, right? We're gonna make it that way. And then we'll have the whole world at our fingertips when we're done." He had to think of it that way or he might get mopey too, and he wasn't going to start out seventh year that way. Not when they were meant to rule the school this year.

Noticing another newly sorted first year (Joy), Henry gave her a wide, welcoming smile as she caught his eye. "Hi there, welcome to Hufflepuff! My name's Henry, I'm the Head Boy and Hufflepuff prefect, so if you need anything or have any questions, please feel free to ask me, okay?" She looked pretty excited to be here and that was always nice to see.

Henry blinked as the even more excitable first year (Maddie) jumped to her feet when talking to him. Uhhh... what? "Fairy godfather?" He gave Olivia a quizzical look since apparently she was the one who told her that? What exactly was she telling people? "Um, no," he chuckled, turning back to the first year. "I did ride in a carriage up to the castle, but it wasn't a pumpkin and I didn't ride with Etta. But we're good friends and we make a great team." He turned to Olivia again, smiling as she said she had a good summer. He'd figured as much. "Yeah, my summer was good too. Busy as usual, and last year on the U17 team." That part made him a little sad, but no dwelling on those feelings right now. "Oh, thanks!" he grinned in response to her congratulations.

Turning back to Remy, he noticed that he was looking down one end of the table and Henry followed his line of vision. Ah, Miranda and Rian. Henry gave both girls a smile and wave, seeing as they were too far to really have a conversation without shouting. And even then he wouldn't be sure that they'd hear him, as loud as it already was here. But he was glad to see that Miranda made it back to school this term. And he chuckled hearing Remy's comment. "Bigger than it already is? I'll try..." He was joking though, knowing he didn't have that much of a big head. Or at least he didn't think so.

Oh..... maybe the Friar wasn't joking. The smile on Henry's face faded a bit at the ghost's insinuation that he wasn't glad to see them. And he blinked, startled a bit, as the ghost began shouting. This wasn't like the friendly ghost at all and Henry wondered if he was having a bad day or if something else was going on. "I'm sorry if someone treated you that way, Friar... But I think you can stand up for yourself without being loud and rude, you know?" He understood the feeling like a doormat thing, having felt that way at times, but he wasn't sure he was ever so nasty in rebuttal. Well, maybe he was. But he wasn't sure this was the time for this. It wasn't exactly welcoming to the new students or even the returning ones.

He gave the first year girl (Dahlia) who turned to him a reassuring smile. "Uh, no.. he's usually quite friendly and welcoming. Bad day, maybe," he added with a shrug as he lowered his voice so the ghost's feelings wouldn't be hurt. Everyone had bad days, even ghosts he supposed.

Ah, finally, the Headmistress's speech. Henry listened as attentively as he could, but he was really just thankful that food was in his very near future. He was starving as usual.

Joy looked up again as an older student spoke to her.

"Oh, hello!" she said cheerfully, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "Oh, you're the Head Boy! How wonderful. It's so great to meet you. I'm Joy Williams. I hope I can be Head Girl one day. Or at least a prefect."

A loose strand of curly hair covered her face as she talked. She brushed it quickly out of the way.

"I don't have any questions yet," she continued, "Well, actually, I'm sure I've got loads of questions, but I'm just too excited to think of any right now! And I'm quite anxious too. I really hope I make enough friends here." She gave Henry a small grin.

Smirking at Henry, the Welshman nodded in agreement. ”I know it like we know Quidditch!” He laughed and nudged the older boy in the ribs, that grin on his face was great to see. This year was going to be great, and their future would be even better.

When Rian and Miranda caught his gaze, he gave them both a cheeky grin and a playful wink down the table. They both looked sad, so he’d have to give them both cuddles later. Honestly, obviously, that was the only cure for it.

The seventh year wasn’t sure what was happening with the Friar… but if the man hadn’t already been dead he would have assumed someone had poisoned the ghost. Especially since the ghost in front of him was nothing like the usual house ghost that they got to talk to on a daily basis….He couldn’t help the slight frown that appeared on his face from the attitude the Friar was taking with some of his fellow students. They were only trying to be nice!

And then the Friar shouted and him! WELL. He definitely was only trying to be nice.

Frowning deeply, the Hufflepuff snapped back at their House Ghost after he was not so kindly informed that he was fine. ”Well the new Alfred needs to remember not to shout inside. It isn’t necessary! We can all hear you just FINE.” Honestly. Rolling his eyes at the ghost- whom he had never had any problems with in the past - he sighed. Loudly. ”Honestly, you aren’t a pushover Friar!” He paused. Okay, maybe he was. ”But even if you were - you don’t have to be nasty now. Just stop it. Stand up for yourself. And stop shouting.”

Did he understand that it just wasn’t necessary to shout to not be a push over?

Sighing dramatically, he murmered a ”Thank Merlin,” as he stopped listening to the Friar and listened to the Headmistress instead. Blahblahblah. Welcome back. Yeahyeahyeah, teachers evolving. Where was the fooooood? SIIIGGGGHHH. He was trying to pay atten-- Remy sat up a bit straighter at the announcement regarding the schools extracurriculars and he grinned. Wide.

Not even the Friar’s foul mood could influence his own now.

Hopefully, that meant some new training opportunities. With that thought, he tucked into the food piling his plate high, thinking about what he hoped would be coming back.