Cecil Ginger And The Key To Hogwarts

by Juliette4

Kind of like Harry Potter only a girl from Ravenclaw with different adventures. What does the key with S.S. on it mean? And why are Jonah and Cecil important to the future of Hogwarts? WIP.

A/N: Note, not all chapters will be this long. Please Read and Review! Thanks!

Juliette4

Cecil Ginger And The Key To Hogwarts.

"Cecil Ginger! I have been calling you and calling you! Where have you been all of this time? You have to pack your bags for Hogwarts!"

11 year old Cecil unfolded her clasped hands, and fixed her Mother with a stare. "I was meditating." She said in a slow, even voice.

Her Mother snorted. "Meditating! Why, you hardly even think before you speak! Now come on, we don't have all day. You are leaving tomorrow, remember."

Cecil pleaded and pleaded with her Mother, not to make her go, but to no avail. "Cecil," her Mother finally said, "you are going. And that is the end of this conversation."

Cecil did not, on any account, want to go to a school of magic. Especially not one called Hogwarts. "Mother, you do not know how much you are ruining my life!" Her Mother ignored her lamentations, and continued to pack her suitcase.

"Now your letter said that you needed robes. Now where did I put those robes that I bought you?"

Cecil rolled her eyes. "Mother, how many times do I have to tell you? You let me stay here, and everything will be just as good as it was before! And once Dad comes back..."

Her Mother packed a nightgown. "Cecil, your Father is not going to be coming back. When he left us; he left us for good."

Cecil sat on the bed. "But why did he leave us? Does he hate us?"

Mrs. Ginger brushed the hair off Cecil's forehead. "No, Cecil, no, he just said that he didn't want to be tied down to the responsibility of having a family."

Cecil looked down at her feet. "Dad never liked being tied down, did he?"

Mrs. Ginger sighed. "Sometimes I think you are far too mature for an 11 year old."

Cecil tucked her hair behind her ears. "I think I'm going to go for a walk." She mumbled.

Cecil walked along the shaded Avenue, and sighed. She was tired of everything going wrong. Not only did her Father not love her enough to be her Father, but also she had to leave the place she had always known, the place where she had been raised.

A boy with hair the exact shade of copper, ran up beside Cecil, and slid in the wet leaves on the ground. He almost fell, but captured his balance just in time.

"Hello!" He stuck out his hand. Cecil shook it, not exactly knowing who he was. "I'm Jonah Johnston."

Cecil managed a weak smile. "Hello."

He leaned closer to her, and whispered, "You're a witch, aren't you?"

Cecil was startled. How did he know?

He smiled at her. "I'm a wizard." He said, as if she had asked.

Cecil smiled politely.

He leaned toward her again. "You just have that look about you. I could tell you're a witch. In fact, I've known it for a long time."

Cecil continued walking.

He ran to catch up with her. "It's great knowing magic, isn't it? When I first got my letter a few months ago, I was really amazed. I thought magic was just something in fairy tales. But it's not. It's very real indeed. I've been studying up on it. It's been around for hundreds of years. Some wizards have even lived as long as magic has. Really makes you think doesn't it? And Quidditch! Now that's a sport to rival basketball!"

Cecil turned around. "Could you please leave me alone? I have better things to do then hang around you all day listening to talk of magic. Magic does not exist!"

Jonah nodded. "Yup, denial is always the first reaction."

"I am not in denial," Cecil muttered.

Jonah stopped walking, and let her walk ahead. "See you at Hogwarts!" He called.

The next day, Cecil was sitting glumly in the 3rd car, first compartment to the left, on the Hogwarts Express. She stared out of the window, and watched the trees fly by. If you stare at them long enough, She mused; it looks as though the trees are running from something. She sighed and rubbed her head. Going to a new school was going to be harder than she thought.

Just then a dark skinned, dark haired girl stepped into the compartment. "Hi."

Cecil didn't know what to say and just stared at her.

"I hope you're not going to live up to your reputation. You are Cecil Ginger aren't you?"

When Cecil still didn't answer.

The girl smiled, showing pearly white teeth and stuck out her hand."Hi.My name's Chelsea."

Cecil ignored her. "What have I got a reputation for?"

Chelsea's smile disappeared. "For being rude." She stood up abruptly and left.

Cecil clenched her fists in anger. She wasn't rude, just in a bad mood. She didn't feel like talking to any wizarding geeks. At least she hadn't met up with Jonah yet.

Just then a head, as bright as a brand new penny, appeared in the doorway. "Hello! I'm glad I saw you!" Jonah came and sat beside Cecil.

Cecil groaned inwardly as Jonah began talking of all the things that he had read in his magic schoolbooks. Books that Cecil hadn't even looked at yet.

"Spells I think are the best thing to learn. Potions and reading palms are worthless to me. I want to be a very famous wizard when I grow up."

Cecil stared at him. "Doesn't it bother you that your whole life has just changed? That everything is going to be different for you from now on? Your friends are all back home. You aren't going to have any new friends, nothing. All of what you had is gone."

He looked confused. "Not true, Cecil. I have a friend."

She looked at him. "Oh?"

He nodded. "Yup. You. You're my new friend!"

Cecil didn't know what to say. Of all the things that had been said to her, "You're my friend." Had never been one of them.

Jonah brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes and continued talking. "Potions are too messy. I've heard that the potions master here is really strict-"

"Jonah, can we please not talk about magic?"

Jonah looked at her. "What else is there to talk about?"

All through the rest of the train ride, Cecil heard nothing except things about magic. Jonah was a nice enough guy, she decided, but he was kind of annoying.

About halfway through the trip, someone had stopped by the compartment, offering an array of sweets, and some strange drink called pumpkin juice. Cecil wasn't brave enough to try it though. It wasn't as if she had any of the stupid wizarding money anyway. Jonah bought some though. He offered her a sip of pumpkin juice, but she refused it. After all, you never knew what could be poison.

When they arrived at the train station, after Cecil had gotten dressed in her school robes, the doors to the train opened up, and the students poured out. The wind was blowing hard, and Cecil was sure that the weather had something to do with all of this magic business.

Once in the school, Cecil sat down at the table in a small room, while they were waiting for someone to direct them to where they were supposed to go. She still didn't know what each of the houses represented, and which ones were good or bad. She made a note to ask Jonah later.

Jonah came and sat down beside her. She decided that now was her chance. "Which house do you want to be in?" She asked him, in a friendly tone.

He grinned. "Gryffindor. It's the best one."

"Why?"

"Why? Why, because not only are they the coolest, but the smartest in my opinion. Slytherin is all-bad. Nobody can get into that house and come out not being an evil witch or wizard."

Cecil thought; that if that was the case, then she definitely wanted to be in Gryffindor. Being a witch was bad enough, but being an evil witch was even worse.

Professor Mcgonagall came into the room, and ordered them to stand in a straight line. They all complied, some of them more nervous then they looked, and some looked as nervous as they felt. They marched, in their straight line, into the Great Hall.

Cecil looked up in wonder. What a huge place! She nudged Jonah. "There's no ceiling!" She whispered loudly.

Jonah stifled a laugh. "It's enchanted." He whispered back to her. "It's supposed to look like it does outside."

Cecil nodded, as if this is what she knew the whole time.

Professor Mcgonagall asked them to stand in a row, in front of what they called the long table. It was where all of the Professors sat.

Professor Mcgonagall stood up in front of the others, on a slightly raised stage. "Welcome to Hogwarts!" She said. "I will call your name, and when I do, you will come up here, and sit on this stool." She produced a small three-legged stool. "I will place the sorting hat on your head and it will sort you into your houses. Michelle Abler!"

While Michelle climbed up toward the stool, Jonah whispered to Cecil, "I bet she will be in Ravenclaw."

Sure enough, the old hat called out, "Ravenclaw!" After it had sat on Michelle's head for only a few seconds.

Cecil stared at Jonah. "How did you know that?"

Jonah smiled modestly. "She looked like a Ravenclaw. You know some people consider Ravenclaw to be the second best house next to Gryffindor."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yes. Hufflepuff is often said to be full of wimps. But they are also considered to be the kindest."

Cecil couldn't make up her mind, which house she wanted to be in.

The Professor had called out 3 more names, and then she called: "Cecil Ginger!"

All of the newcomers turned to see this girl who had been dubbed "Rude." And to all of them, Cecil neither looked rude, nor acted rude. Cecil with her light brown straight hair, and tall, thin body and rosy complexion, looked nothing like someone who was snobby, and inconsiderate of other people's feelings.

Cecil climbed up the three steps to the stage and sat down on the little stool. It felt as though everyone's eyes were on her, like she was an important part of the sorting ceremony.

She sat and looked down at the rest of the new kids, feeling lonely and out of place. She found herself wishing that she were back at home with her Mother, deciding what to wear the next day to school.

Professor Mcgonagall put the sorting hat on Cecil's head, and stepped back to wait. The hat seemed to tighten; as if to fit her head. It whispered inside her head, "You are a special student, and I know just where to put you..."

So began a chain of accidents and incidents, to possibly change the future of Hogwarts.

"Hufflepuff!"

Cecil felt unhappy. This wasn't what she wanted. She wanted the very best. She wanted Gryffindor. Then she realized that the voice had only been in her head, and the hat had not declared which house she was going to be in yet. She waited with bated breath.

Jonah crossed his fingers. He wanted what was best for Cecil, of course, but two things that he also wanted was that she wouldn't be in Slytherin, and that she would be with him. She was the only friend that he had made so far, and he hoped that he was nice enough to be her friend too.

The hat was taking an extremely long time deciding Cecil's fate, and everyone was becoming more and more shocked. Professor Mcgonagall looked at her watch. Cecil's sorting had been going on for 15 minutes! She showed the time to Professor Dumbledore. He smiled at her.

"Ah. A new record."

The hat conversed with Cecil as it made its decision. Telling her about each house, and how it would be good for her. She got to the point where she didn't care which house she was in. She just wanted this to be over with! The hat all of a sudden became quiet, and its grip on Cecil's head loosened. It opened the gap in its brim and shouted out the name of Cecil's house.

"Ravenclaw!"

The applause that followed made Cecil smile. She had never been applauded before.

Jonah applauded too, but inside, he was a bit disappointed. Now, if he got his wish of them being in the same house, that would mean that he wouldn't be in the legendary Gryffindor.

Cecil smiled and ran off the 'stage.' She sat down at the table labeled 'Ravenclaw.' She sat down right next to the girl she had met on the train, Chelsea.

"Hello," the girl offered a friendly hand.

Cecil looked at her in surprise. "I didn't see you being sorted!" She said. Then, remembering her past experience, shook Chelsea's hand.

Chelsea smiled. "My last name is Burke. You must have just not noticed me."

Cecil nodded, and turned back to the sorting. It was now Jonah's turn. "Oh goodie!" She said. Then to Chelsea, she said, "He's my friend." She never felt anything like that before, saying to someone, that she had a friend. She had never had one before.

Chelsea grimaced. "Him? He's your friend?"

Cecil nodded. "Yeah, why?"

Chelsea raised her eyebrows. "I'll tell you later."

Cecil looked confused. "Ok."

She turned back to watch Jonah. Jonah had just put the hat on, and was now sitting rigid on the stool. The hat took only a moment to decide where to put Jonah.

"Ravenclaw!"

Cecil clapped hard for her new friend. When Jonah arrived at the table, Cecil stopped clapping. "I'm sorry that you didn't get to be in Gryffindor."

He grinned at her. "Don't worry about it. At least I'm with a pal."

She smiled back at him.

After the feast had started, Jonah whispered to Cecil, "I need to talk to you later about what the hat said."

She frowned. What had the hat said to Jonah that concerned her in any way?

"I have an appointment with Chelsea first." She told Jonah. "I will talk to you though. Don't worry."

He nodded and started eating his roast beef.

Cecil didn't know what to say. She hadn't even completed one day of being around magical people, and already she was feeling more at home then she had ever felt at home with her Father. She helped herself to a serving of blackberry cobbler. Was it possible that she was going to have fun here after all?

After everyone had finished eating, the groups were dismissed. The Ravenclaws followed a burly 7th year, named Andrew Selkirk, through the hallways, and up staircase after staircase after staircase. Cecil couldn't stop staring. There was just so much to look at! It was impossible to think that once she went back home, she wouldn't see all of these marvelous sights.

After a few minutes, of walking, the Ravenclaws walked down a corridor filled with paintings of all kinds. But that's not what was amazing. The paintings were moving! She had never seen anything like it at all.

All of a sudden, she saw a glint of silver among the paintings, on one particular, unnoticeable, reasonably small painting of a wizard on a horse. She leaned closer to inspect the painting better, but when she was so close to it, the silver had disappeared. She stepped back, and saw it near the top of the painting. She leaned closer again, this time looking closer towards the frame.

There she saw it. On top of the frame, sat a little silver key, glinting mischievously in the bright lights.

Cecil picked up the key, and at that moment, she felt some sort of power surge through her. She almost dropped the key on the stairs below her. She tightened her grip, and ran to catch up with the rest of the Ravenclaws.

The group presently arrived at a large portrait of a pirate with a parrot on his shoulder. He was a moving portrait too. He smiled at them, showing them a mouthful of gold.

"Password?" He asked.

Cecil gasped. A talking painting!

Andrew scratched his head. "Uh...oh yeah! Pink Pants."

The Portrait opened to reveal a room full of cushy armchairs and a warm fire blazing in the hearth.

A few minutes later, Cecil sat by the fire, talking to Chelsea. Chelsea had been filing her fingernails, but had just then put down her filer.

"About Jonah." She said. Cecil squirmed nervously in her seat. Chelsea sat in a chair closer to Cecil. "He's really annoying." She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "He's trouble. I wouldn't be friends with him if you paid me."

Cecil was confused. Then she decided that Chelsea must have been making up rumors. "He's nice." She said.

Chelsea sighed. "Look, I've known Jonah Johnston for as long as I can remember. He's trouble. Big time. Not to mention he's totally doing it."

Cecil stared at her. "Doing what?"

Chelsea shrugged. "Doing what he always does. Becoming all friendly with you, and then all of a sudden, he finds a new friend, and you're left in the dust." She stood up and walked up a flight of stairs to the right, after her friend Antonia.

Cecil scratched her head and sighed. She got up and followed them, getting ready to go to bed.

Jonah popped up from behind the couch where they had been sitting, and sat down on it. "Why me?" He thought to himself. "I thought all that with Chelsea was terminated. Why does she still hate me for what I did?"

Cecil sat brushing her hair and then remembered that she was supposed to meet Jonah. She put her hairbrush down, and walked out of the girls' dormitories, down the stairs, and into the common room. Jonah was sitting in an armchair, staring into the fire. She walked up to him, and sat down in the chair across from him.

"Hey."

He looked up in surprise. "Hey! After all of that stuff Chelsea told you, I didn't think that you wanted to talk to me."

Cecil laughed. "How did you know what she told me?"

Jonah covered his mouth. "Oops."

Sensing that he didn't want to talk about it, Cecil leaned forward. "So what did the hat tell you?"

Jonah was confident that she didn't hate him, so he launched into his story. "Well after I went up and sat down on that little stool and Mcgonagall had put the sorting hat on my head, the hat talked to me."

Cecil nodded. "And?"

Jonah grinned. "It said something really weird."

"What did it say?"

"Well it told me that I should be in Ravenclaw with you."

Cecil looked confused. "But why would it say that?"

Jonah shrugged. "It just said that I should be in the same house, that it was important to the future of Hogwarts, that we be together."

Cecil looked shocked. "How strange."

Jonah nodded. "It is a bit odd." He said.

They both sat back and thought a moment. Then Cecil remembered the key that she had found. She was about to take it out to show Jonah, but all of a sudden, she saw Chelsea's head pop out of view on the staircase.

"Well I'd better go to bed now." She said.

Jonah stood up and stretched. "Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, you're probably right."

Cecil smiled. "Of course."

Jonah shook his finger at her. "Now we wouldn't want those rumors to come true, would we?"

She looked horrified. "Never!"

Jonah laughed. "Goodnight Cecil!"

"Goodnight Jonah."

After getting to the dormitory she sat down on her bed and thought.

The day's events had been...strange. First of all, She realized that she wouldn't have too much of a problem adjusting here after all. Then, there was the thing with what the hat had said to Jonah. She frowned. Was it possible that he had made it all up? But, if he did, why would he have done it? She shook her head, thoroughly confused. She was going to bed.