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by M V Stevens This story contains Charactors and places which were created by J.K.Rowling and is Fan Fiction. Chapter 1 Of Ghosts and Cats. Tobius Wright sat in his seat quietly listening to the hypnotic 'clackety clack' of the train wheels as the old steam Engine chugged along it's tracks. Three other kids his age had joined him in the compartment and for a while they were almost as quiet as he was. One however seemed the nervous type and finally started asking the others questions in an obvious attempt to get a conversation going. Toby didn't need to talk to help settle his nerves he wasn't nervous, but he could feal the others emotions clearly enough to know why they were chatting away like Jay birds with each other. When it got to be his turn to tell them about himself, he told them, "Me mum's a witch and me dad's dead. I never knew him so I don't feel bad about it. I've been to muggle schools so I don't know too much about magic, only what me mum's taught me, and that's been mostly about potions. Me mum's really good at brewing up potions for all kinds of ailments and such." One of the two girls informed them, "My brother says that the potions teacher is really mean. My name is Samantha Whitby but everyone calls me Sam, and I like it so please call me Sam. My family is magical back for ages, and most have all gone to Hagwarts. Most of us have been Hufflepuff so I expect to be too. Hard work and dedication that my family's motto." The other girl had already told them her name but she spoke so fast that Toby wasn't sure what her last name was. Charla was a thin dark skinned girl who's ancestry was clearly mixed. She was the nervous one, very quick movements and she changed subjects so quickly Toby wasn't sure what she was ever talking about. "My family's all been Ravenclaw. I'm sure I will be too." But she said it so fast that it almost sounded like one word. Zack was the other boy, but he said very little. "My family has always been in Slytherin, and I know I will be too." He informed them loftily his expression disdainful and pinched as if it hurt him to even speak to them. The two girls looked away from Zack and didn't look back at him for the rest of the trip. "What about you Toby what house do you think you'll be in?" Sam asked him curiously. "Well me mum was in Hufflepuff, she told me about the sorting hat and all. But I don't know much about me dad. Seems he worked for the Ministry of Magic, all hush, hush sort of thing. No one ever says much about him so I don't know what house he was in, or anything else about him." Charla voiced a quick "Weird." Then they were all silent for a while. A very nice witch came to their compartment door and asked if they wanted anything off the trolley. Charla bought several sweets and so did Zack, but Sam only bought one pumpkin pasty. Toby would have liked to try the sweets but he knew he dare not. Finally he settled for two apples and two pears. He knew Sam was hungry so he got out his pocket knife and carefully cut the apples into many slices. He was careful to offer slices to everyone, but neither Zack or Charla wanted any, they were too busy with their sweets. Sam ended up taking several slices, and when he said he couldn't eat his second pear she took it and ate it hungrily. Charla wanted to know, "Why can't you eat sweets Toby?" "It makes me hyper. When I was in muggle school the teachers would never allow me to eat the sweets the other kids got. I'm used to it now. It's just one of those things some boys have a problem with. I'm just glad they never had to make me take any of those drugs. Of course me mum had a potion I had to drink every day when I was little. Now it's not so bad. I hardly ever get hyper anymore. Me mum says I'll grow out of it some day, and then it won't bother me anymore. Sometimes I wish I could eat the sweets like the other kids, but I know better so I don't. Oh well." he shrugged his shoulders in resignation. They chatted back and forth the rest of the afternoon and Toby was always careful to include Zack in their conversations, even though he acted as if he didn't care Toby could feel that he did want to be part of their group. It was growing dark as the Hogwarts Express began to slow, The nice Witch came by, and told them to get their things together, and get ready to get off the train. "Now you first years stay together. Hagrid will be waiting for you so you be sure to go with him. Don't worry about your trunks or pets. They will be taken up to the school for you." She let them know as she moved on to tell others. Sam told them quickly. "Hagrid is a half-Giant so we won't have any trouble seeing him. He teaches 'Care of Magical Creatures'." Once the train had stopped they filed out of their compartment, and then off the train. Sure enough emerging out of the steam from the Engine came a huge man. His beard went every which way and he wore a tremendous over coat. Toby was sure he could feel the ground shake as each of the mans high toped boots thumped to the ground. "First Years, First Years, all First Years come with me." He bellowed thunderously. They lined up behind Hagrid and he lead them down from the platform and off into the dark. His lantern their only light. They ended up at a beach were small boats were lined up in a row waiting for them. "Four to a boat." Hagrid told them "Only four to a boat." Zack, Sam, Charla, and Toby climbed into one boat, and waited as Hagrid had to find places for several of the kids. "Some kids just never listen." Charla sputtered. Hagrid the Half-Giant finally got everyone into the boats, then he sat down in one boat all by himself, and pulled a very dilapidated umbrella out of his coat and waving it he muttered something and all the boats headed out onto the lake from the beach. They formed a long line and slid quietly out across the lake. It was so quiet that Toby could hear frogs crocking, and he watched in fascination as fireflies flew everywhere above the black water. They could see the School lit up like a Fairy Tail Castle the lights twinkling almost hypnotically. Toby had never been out on water before but he found the feeling of gliding motion stimulating not scary. Something splashed near their boat so Toby looked over the side into the water. There swimming along almost under them was a huge squid. Toby had seen pictures of Squids before but never a real one. It swam along beside them making ripples in the water occasionally as it jetted along. To be polite Toby waved to the Squid and to his surprise it waved back at him. "My name is Toby." He told it as they continued along. The Squid wobbled up and down as if nodding. "Who are you talking too?" Charla demanded looking at him suspiciously. "The Squid that's swimming beside us." Toby told her still watching the Squid which had now come up to the surface, It's big glowing eyes now even with the side of the boat watching him curiously. Charla screamed and Zack stood up in fear. Their boat started to flip over but the Squid grabbed it and steadied it until Zack and Charla sat back down. "Make it go away, make it go away!" Both Zack and Charla demanded together. "I guess you're making them scared." Toby told the Squid apologetically. "I think things would go better if you didn't swim so close to our boat. I mean it's Ok by me but they're scared of you." The Squid hissed at Charla and Zack "Sisssome Peoplessss... Sssseee yousss Tobiussss." Toby thought that was very friendly of the Squid so he shouted after it, "I'll come visit you when I can. See ya." Still he wondered how did it know his full name was Tobius? Hadn't he told it his name was Toby? Sam had sat beside him without a word the whole time. She looked at Zack and Charla discussedly. "The Squid has lived here for so long that nobody remembers when he came. My brother says the Weasley twins tickle its tentacles and play with it all the time. You shouldn't get scared so easily. There are lots of strange and wonderful things we are going to learn about here at Hogwarts. My brother says the things in the Forbidden Forest are the worst. But were not allowed to go in there anyway." Toby decided he liked Sam. She didn't get all excited or scream and jump about. And most of all she seemed to know a whole lot more about stuff than he did. He decided he'd stay as close to her as he could if only so she could answer the questions so he wouldn't look so stupid. As their boat followed Hagrid along with the others Toby watched as the School came closer and closer. As they were almost to the walls of the Castle Hagrid bellowed out, "Watch ur heads, it's a mite low right here." They all ducked as their boat followed Hagrid's under a ivy covered archway and into a dark tunnel. It was colder and very damp inside the tunnel, but they quickly came to a bumping stop on a beach under the School. "Wow this is cool." Sam exclaimed looking about as they followed the rest of the First Years up a stairway and into a entry way. Hagrid pounded on a heavy wooden door and it quickly open. "I brought the First Years Professor McGonagall. They're all ur's now." A tall very prim older Witch stood in the doorway looking them over. "Very good Hagrid, I'll take them from here. Follow me please and stay together. No talking please." They were lead down a short hall into a large room. "Wait here until I come for you. As soon as they are ready I will lead you through those door where you will meet your fellow classmates. You will be sorted into one of four houses, where you will reside for the next seven years while you are here at Hogwarts. If you do well you can earn points for your house and at the end of the year your house could win the House cup. If on the other hand you break the rules you will lose points for your house and you could be the reason that your house loses the house cup." She gave them all a good look then turned and left them. "I wonder if we'll see any of the ghosts?" Sam whispered to them. "Ghost!?" Charla exclaimed shuddering. "No body told me anything about any ghost!" "Shush." Sam whispered loudly. "All the houses have a teacher as head of house and a ghost. Most of the ghosts are very helpful if you get lost or need to know where something is. But watch out for Peeves. My brother says he's terrible and does terrible things to First Years. If you meet him never ask him how to find anything cus he will never tell you the right way." The other student were grumbling and whispering amongst themselves as they waited. Twice ghostly heads stuck out the wall between them and the Great Hall and looked them all over. Toby had the feeling that one of the ghosts looked right at him and nodded, but keeping the lesson of the Squid in mind he merely smiled but didn't say anything. He had no idea what the other kids would think of him if he talked to both Squids and Ghosts. The Prim Witch returned and told them. "Follow me please into the Great Hall, and up the central aisle to the front then stay in line until I call your name." As they trooped through the tall double doors into the Great Hall Toby was thrilled to see the complex magic displayed in the room. Candles floating in the air high above the tables. The ceiling of the hall looked just like the out doors. But there were more subtle magics in use in the room. The tables, the dishes set on the tables the walls everything about the Great Hall spoke to Toby of magics so old that some of them were long forgotten. The room was alive with magic. He stood in line in a daze listening to the stories embedded in the stones of the Hall. He barely heard the Sorting Hat sing it's song. He saw none of the First Years in front of him sorted into there houses, only Professor McGonagall calling his name for the third time did he come out of his transfixed state. Slowly he walked up to the stool and climbed up on it. Professor McGonagall was starring at him strangely as she lowered the old floppy hat upon his head. "Hummm." Said a voice in his head. "You are going to be a challange. Well Tobius you have qualities that could qualify you for any of the houses. I could put you in Slytherin." "No thank you Mr. Hat." Toby thought back. "They don't strike me as being very nice. I like Sam. She is very nice and smart too. I'd like to be in her house Mr. Hat if you please." "Are you quite sure?" The hat thought back at him. "After all you could be in Gryfindore where they would help you find much glory and fame." The Hat asked him. "I do not think I would like glory all that much Mr. Hat. No thank you." He responded politely to the Hat. "In Ravenclaw then." The Hat suggested. "Where the very quickest and the brightest go." "Sam is very smart did you put her in Ravenclaw?" Toby asked curiously. "No she belongs in Hofflepuff." The Hat assured him. "Then perhaps quickness and brightness are a bit over rated." Toby reasoned. "Charla is very quick, but I think Sam is much smarter than she is. Did you put Charla in Ravenclaw?" "Yes she belongs in Ravenclaw." The Hat informed him. Toby waited quietly for the Hat to make up it's mind. "Your sure about this decision of yours then?" The Hat asked one more time testing him. Toby knew now that the hat had been measuring him in some strange way. "Yes Mr. Hat." Toby decided firmly. "I wish to be in Sam's house." "Then you shall be in HOFFLEPUFF!" The Hat cried out loudly for all to hear. The Hat was lifted form his head. Every eye in the Great Hall was on him as he climbed down off the stool. Toby didn't know what to do now he just stood there looking back at everyone. "Over there Tibius." Professor McGonagall pointed to a table. She was looking at him even more strangely than before. Toby headed over to the Hofflepuff table and spotted Sam waving to him to hurry and sit beside her. "What took so long?" She whispered as the next First Year was sorted. "You were under the hat for ever so long." "The Hat was asking me questions about which house I wanted to be in. I kept telling him that I wanted to be in your house so he finally let me. I think he was testing me some how. Did he ask you all sorts of questions too?" Toby wondered. Sam smiled with pleasure at his insistence to be with her, but she told him. "No, it didn't say a word to me. I don't think it spoke to my brother either. But when I get the chance I'll ask him about it. He's a Prefect this year so he's up at the other end of the table now." The sorting came to an end and Professor Mcgonagall took away the Sorting hat and the stool. Albus Dumbledore stood up and spoke to everyone. "Last year as most of you know one of our students was murdered by Lord Voltemort. The faculty and I have spent the Holidays working out new security measures for the school. We will have Quidich this year. However if there are any problems during the games we are prepared to cancel the games for this year. The Ministry of Magic will be assigning security personnel out here as well as the extra precautions that we will be taking in the School. The main point that all of you have to remember is simply this, NO student is to leave the school buildings unless accompanied by a member of the faculty. There will be no visits to Hogsmead at all by any students. Under no circumstance what so ever will any student leave his house common room or dormitories after hours. This rule will be strictly enforced. Any student found outside the School without an escort will be expelled immediately. Any student found out side his or her common room after hours will be expelled and sent home. There will be no exceptions. Prefects and the Head boy and Girl are not excepted, and they are expected to maintain order in their house. I do not want to lose another student this year. Especially not because of rules breaking. Your Prefects will go over the other rules changes with you when you get to your common rooms. Now let the feast begin." Toby didn't know anything about a student being killed, but his mother had told him about Lord Voltemort and how horrible he was. If the teachers and the Ministry were taking extra precautions to keep such a monster out of the school then Toby approved. He watched thrilled as the plates in front of him filled with food. He was sure he could feel the food coming from somewhere nearby but that didn't matter so much as the eating of the food. He was starved and it was obvious that so was Sam. Toby became aware that he was being watched. Sam was busy telling him all about Cedric Diggory and how he had been one of the school champions, how Harry Potter had gotten to be a school champion too when he shouldn't have and how in the end it had been Harry who had brought Cedric's body back from some kind of horrible rites where Cedric had been killed and Harry had been bled nearly to death and his leg broken as well. "They won't tell everything of course." Sam confided to him. "But my brothers says it was so horrible that Harry was in the school's infirmary for several day recovering. My brother says that Harry and Cedric helped each other to win, but for some reason Voltemort killed Cedric, then when he tried to kill Harry he couldn't." Out of the corner of his eyes Toby was keeping an eye on one of the Ghosts. It was watching him continuously. To keep the conversation going Toby ask Sam. "Why couldn't Voltemort kill Harry? I don't understand why he could kill one but not the other." "That's the question everyone has been asking for years. You see way back when Harry was a baby Lord Voltemort killed Harry's mom and dad. But when he tried to kill Harry too he couldn't the spell backfired and Lord Voltemort was almost killed. Many thought he was dead, but now we know he wasn't. Voltemort came to the school during Harry's first year here and tried to kill him again but he couldn't. Lord Voltemort has been trying to kill Harry ever since, but they say even Harry doesn't know why. All we know is that every time he's tried Harry has survived, and Voltemort has been made a fool of." "Which one is Harry?" "He's the dark headed boy at the next table with glasses on. "Sam pointed to him for Toby. Harry was looking straight at Toby when he found him at the other table. Their eyes meet and Toby nodded, Harry nodded back. They looked at each other a moment more then Toby looked back at Sam. "Can you keep a secret Sam? I mean really keep it?" Sam looked at the serious expression on Toby's face and nodded. "I can if you want me too Toby." Toby leaned forward and whispered to Sam. "Lord Voltemort killed my dad too. There was something only my dad could do and Voltemort wanted my dad to do it for him, but my dad refused and Voltemort killed him." ( actualy Voltemort didn't kill Toby's dad a group of Deatheaters did, but Toby doesn't know that yet ) "Oh Toby! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you all that stuff about Cedric and Harry then, I'm really sorry!" Toby shook his head. "It's ok Sam I'm glad you did. Now I know that I'm not the only one, but Sam who is that ghost over at the far table that keeps staring at me?" Sam glance over in the direction Toby indicated. She shuddered. "He's the Slytherin ghost, they call him the Bloody Baron." "He's been staring at me from the time I sat down here. It's making me feal creepy." "Our house ghost is the Fat Friar. My Brother says he's really nice." Sam assured him. "How nice of you to say so." Said a voice right behind them. Both of them twisted around to see who was talking to them. The Ghost that floated behind them beamed at them in a fatherly way. "I was passing by when you mentioned me." He told them. "Your brother is a Prefect this year isn't he?" He asked Sam. "Yes sir he is. I'm Sam and this is Toby." Sam add. "Well how nice it is to meet both of you. I'm sure we will get on famously, and if you have any questions or there is anything I can help you with be sure to let me know." The Friar generously offered. "There is one thing Sir." Sam quickly asked before the Friar could float away. "The Bloody Baron keeps staring at Toby do you know why?" The Friar looked over at the Baron, and sure enough he was still staring at Toby. "I don't know why he would be so rude. I'll just float over and ask him politely to stop." A few minutes latter the Friar returned to them and he wasn't smiling. "Oh my, oh my." The Friar was wringing his hands. "The Baron was very rude to me, and told me to mind my own business. When I explained that he was upsetting you he laughed and said you should be upset. I don't know what has gotten into him being so rude to a student, but I believe that I will have a word with Dumbledore about this. With all the worry about Lord Voltemort and all we ghosts have been asked to keep a special watch over you students, and we certainly can't have a house ghost intimidating a student now can we?" Toby wasn't sure what all that meant but he certainly hoped the Baron wasn't mad at him or something, although for the life of him he couldn't think of anything he could have done to make a ghost mad at him. Especially one he didn't even know. "Thank you sir, but please I don't want to be any trouble to you." He told the Friar. "Oh no trouble don't worry I will be discreet, but still and all we must maintain our decorum before the students. It's bad enough with Peeves making so much trouble." With that the Ghost moved on down the table to talk with some of the other students. "I don't know what to think about all this." Sam told him quietly as she continued to eat. "Me either, but lets not worry about it. Ok? We will have enough to do to stay up with our school work and all. I don't think a ghost can do much anyway." Toby decided. "I hope your right Toby." Sam agreed. "Classes start tomorrow so we will need a good night's sleep." There wasn't much for desert that Toby could eat, but he didn't care he was so full from all the other good food that all he had were a few grapes and some strawberries. Then Dumbledore stood up and spoke to them again. "There will be some changes made in the classes and the schedules, you will all receive your revised schedules in the morning. We will have a new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher this year, but she isn't here this evening so I will introduce her in the morning. Again I must stress the importance of obeying the rules they are for your protection and I assure you they are very important. Now would the Prefects of each house lead your First Years to your common rooms. Allow them a few minutes to get there before the rest of you leave. Have a very good year." Sam's brother lead them out of the Great Hall and up a stairway and down another hall then they all walked up to a small closet. Sam's Brother whispered "Twidelsticks" and the back of the closet opened into a large room. The center of the room had a dozen or so tables with benches where Toby supposed they would study and do their homework. All around the walls were spaced large fireplaces, and grouped around each fireplace were a half a dozen overstuffed chairs. There were many portraits on the walls and lots of candle holders spaced all around the room for light. All in all the room was very homey looking. Sam grabbed Toby's hand and dragged him over to her brother. "Toby this is my brother Jayson and, Jay this is my new friend Toby." She introduced them to each other. Jay looked Toby over then smiled. "Well Sis I'm glade you found a friend already. Toby what do you think of Hogwarts so far?" "It is the most amazing place I have ever seen. To tell the truth I don't know what to think. Ghosts, a magical hall full of magical people, so much good food, and I already found a new friend. I think I'm going to like it here a lot." Toby told him enthusiasticly. "Good, you'll do just fine." Then Jay turned to the rest of the First Years and told them. "All of you First Years listen up! Girls dormitories are through the doors to the left and up the stairway. Boys are to the right and up that stairway. Each dorm has five beds and you will find your names posted outside of your dorm. You will keep the same dorm for the next seven years so get used to it. At the landing on the second floor are the baths, toilets and stores. You will find cupboards with pajamas and for the girls nightgowns. There are all sizes so you don't have to worry about that. Everyone is to take a bath every night, brush your teeth and wash your hair as often as needed. You are expected to put on clean pajamas every night and clean clothes every morning. The house elves will take care of your laundry and will mend your clothes as needed. They are very good and very reliable. No one is to go to breakfast in dirty clothing. You will lose our house points if one of the teachers or a prefect or the Head boy or girl catch you, and you will be sent back to your dormitory to change. Personal hygiene is mandatory. All of your needs will be provided for you here at Hogwarts so never be negligent about taking care of your selves. Tamara Clearwater is our girl Prefect she will take you girls up to your dormitories, and make sure you know where everything is. I will take you boys up our stairs and make sure each of you finds your bed and knows were everything is, now girls fallow Tammy and boys fallow me." Toby's dormitory only had three other boys in it. "Sometimes this happens. The Sorting Hat puts students where they belong so this year there will be only four of you. Now get to know each other and get along. Remember take a bath and brush your teeth. I'll see all of you in the morning. Toby's Dormmates were a mixed lot. Toby got the bed furthest from the door, and next to him a boy from Hampshire named Orion Holum. Next to Orion was a dark skinned boy of African ancestry name Guy West. The bed next to him was taken by a boy of Asian ancestry named Tie Chie. They all hurried down to the bath room and showered and brushed their teeth as instructed. Then they hurried back up the three flights of stairs to their dorm. Back in their room Toby saw that his trunk was now at the foot of his bed. On top of his trunk in her cage was his pet Ocelot Sheba. He quickly opened the cage and let her out. The other boys stepped back and watched cautiously. She stepped out and stretched, then looked up at him curiously. He knew what she wanted and told her. "There are sand boxes on every floor Sheba, so take your pick. Someone has put out bowls of water and dried food too, and I'm sure that in the morning we can get some meat for you as well. Orion watched Sheba out the door a half scared look on his face. He asked Toby. "Is she safe? I mean she won't bit us or anything will she?" "Nope. Sheba has never bitten or scratched a kid in the five years that I've had her. But once a muggle burglar broke into our home, and they had to take him to the hospital to stitch him back together. My mom wouldn't do any magic to heal him either. She said it served him right for breaking into our home. She won't hurt owls or other pets either, but she hates pests, and she is better than any guard dog." They sat around and talked for a few minutes until Sheba returned then Guy asked. "Can I pet her, she looks so sleek and smooth." Sheba had jumped up on the bed with Toby and was laying half on and half off of his legs. "Sure she loves to be petted, and her ears scratched too." Guy came over and tentatively reached out to pet Sheba. She arched her head up to rub against his hand and purred loudly. "She is friendly, and she does feel smooth her fur is just like satin, She purrs so loud too it buzzes my hand." Guy laughed. The others had to come over and take a turn petting Sheba each of them curious to see what so big a cat would feel like. Ten minutes latter they all climbed into bed and Tie turned out the lights. Sheba snuggled up beside Toby and purred contentedly. The last thing Toby thought before he drifted off was, 'would Sam like Sheba?' He hoped so. Sometime during the night Toby woke up, to a different sound from Sheba. She was growling deep in her throat. Looking up to see what had her so mad Toby saw the ghost called the Baron above him staring at him again. Sheba stood up and her fur rose up and spiked up as she expressed her anger at the ghost disturbing them. As her hair stood on end it began to glow with blue fox-fire. In seconds Sheba had turned completely blue. Then suddenly she hissed and spit at the ghost. Blue fire shot upwards and hit the ghost full in the face. Pooooofff ! The ghost disappeared. Toby looked out of his curtains to make sure the ghost had really left, Sheba stuck her head out too looking around to be sure as well. "Good girl." He told her as they settled back down. "That darn ghost will think twice before he comes back to mess with us." Sheba snorted contemptuously then went back to her purring.
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