The Olive Tree
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(the reason why it's called "The Olive Tree" is because that's what the name Olivia means.)
Disclaimer: Please note that I own NOTHING! All copyrights go to J.K. Rowling, her publishers, and WB. The only things I own is Olivia Cromwell, any of the Cromwells, and any other characters you don't reconize. I don't make any money off of my stories, this is all just for fun. Thank you!
This story was inspired by a dream I once had a few years ago, I didn't have the confidence to share it online, just to one friend. But I thought I would share and see what all of you think of it. I hope you like it, please enjoy and review at the end.
Thank you for your time! Now on with the story! - OliviaCromwell001
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Olivia Cromwell sat on her bed and took on last look at her room. Today she would be leaving for England with her parents, though it's not as if this would be the last time she would see it, it would just be the last time it was her's. Her older brother Jason was getting the house, he was several years older than she, he was 18 while she was only 10. She almost didn't want to think of leaving Kauai, Hawaii.
Her father was got an offer from St. Mungo's Hopital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Her father was a pure-blood wizard, he was originally from England, but can hide his accent very well. He used to work at St. Iwone's Hopital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, but St. Mungo's gave him a better offer.
"Olivia, darling. Are you ready to go now?" Her mother asked kindly. Her mother Samantha Cromwell was a beautiful woman at that. She had long wavy blonde hair that fell to the middle of her back, kind chocolate brown eyes, but was bestly known for her beautiful wide kind smile. Which Olivia was thankful for inheriting. Her mother was a Muggle-born witch from Pennsylvania, her mother also had started her own business, (business' name here), she had two of them, one in the muggle world and one in the wizarding world. Both of them where bakeries, her mother just loved to cook.
Olivia looked a lot like her mother, it seems the only thing she inherited from her father was her bright blue eyes. Though Olivia was a metamorphagus, she could change her physical appearance at will, though Olivia would rarely do that, she was happy with what she looked like... on some days.
"Yeah mom," Olivia answered, hopping off her bed. She stood back while her mother shrank her last suite case, along with her furniture, and put them in a her superman backpack that had her name Olivia Eirena Cromwell written on it. As she and her mother walked out of her room she gave one more longing glance at her room. "good-bye," she said softly.
"All right than, we all ready?" Her father said smiling as they came into the living room. Her father was a handsome man, he had blue eyes that she had inherited, and a nice smile, and premature silver grey hair. Her brother always like to joke around and describe him as "tall, grey and handsome."
"I guess so..." Olivia replied, she said as she leand against the wall.
"Now, now, Olivia. Come on darling, cheer up," Samantha said coming up and gave her a hug. "You'll like it there, trust me. And think of it this way You'll get to spend more time with your Grandma C."
"It'll be a new life for us, sweetheart." William said, giving her a hug as well. She looked up at them and gave a little smile.
"Yo, when are you all going to Grandma C's?" Jason asked strolling up. Her brother looked more like a blonde haired and brown eyed version of her father. His blonde hair sticking to his forehead, probably just got done surfing, she and her brother loved the ocean, there wasn't a day that went by that they weren't found in the ocean.
They where going to stay at her grandmother's house of a year, at least until they get enough money to get a house of their own in England.
"Now son, are you that anxious to get us out?" William laughed while walking up to the fire place. It was uncommon to see a fire place at a peach house in Hawaii, but this family only used it for the floo networks.
"All right, your mother will go first, than you, and I will be right behind you," William told Olivia. "Remember to speak very clearly, dear."
Olivia nodded and watch her mother take some Floo powder, step up to the fire place, threw the powder into the flames, with a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Samantha, who stepped right into it, who shouted, "Cromwell Manor!" and vanised.
"Okay Olivia, your turn," her father said gently, holding the flower pot that held the Floo Powder near her. With shaky hands, Olivia took her floo powder, stepped up to the fire... she paused... looked back at her father who had gotten three bags in his hands ready, and smilied at her. "Cromwell Manor!"
It felt as though she was being sucked down a drain. The roaring in her ears was deafening, squinting she saw blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of rooms beyond, finally she saw her mother in a fireplace ahead of her. She closed her eyes again and wish it would stop...
When she opened her eyes again she was in a rather large room, it looked as if it was the sitting room, her mother was talking to her Grandmother, Clarisse Cromwell. Clarisse even for her age looked rather young for a 53 year old woman. She and light brown hair and dark blue eyes.
"Hello, dear," Clarissa said "would you like me to show you where your room will be?"
"Yes please," Olivia said smiling.
Olivia had never seen her grandmother's house before, all she knew is that it was somewhere in London, her brother had told her that only witches and wizards can see it. In her oppinion it was a pretty big place for one person to be living in all alone, her grandfather Christopher Cromwell had died before she was born.
"Ah, here we are," Clarissa said bringing Olivia out of her thoughts, stopping at two single big white doors. Olivia couldn't believe her eyes as she walked into the room, the walls were cover with white wallpaper that went all around the room, three big windows that seemed to go from floor to ceiling, the ceiling was bordered with designs and in the middle was a gold chandelier that had glass hanging from it in the shapes of small pine trees. A queen size bed to her right that looked as if it belonged to a priness, covered in white and tan, just like the rest of the room.
"Will it do?" Clarissa asked with a small smile.
"You mean this, is my room?" Olivia asked still in awe of the room.
"Well of course, dear. I did say I was going to show you to your room."
"Yes, thank you. Thank you very much grandma!" Olivia said running up and hugging her grandmother.
G~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A YEAR AND A HALF LATER IN JULY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
It had been a year and half since Olivia and her parents came to live with her grandmother in England, she had gotten her acceptance letter for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry yesterday and she could wait for today she would be going to Diagon Alley to get her school supplies.
Once again Olivia found herself infront of a fireplace, this time her father went first. She stepped up to the fire and shouted "Diagon Alley!" once her mother got through the fireplace they set off toward her first stop Gringotts. They walked up to a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. As they walked into Gringotts Olivia felt very unconfortable as the goblins bowed as they walked past them.
Olivia took in the site of inside Gringotts, It wasn't that much different from the wizarding bank in Kauai. It had a white marble floor, three shandeliers handing from the celing, and about a hundred or more goblins. Most were sitting on high stools behind a large counter on each side of her, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were shoing people in and out of these. Olivia and her parents made for the counter. And just like in Kauai they had to give the goblin a key.
"Excuse me," William Cromwell said smiling kindly to a free goblin. "Good afternoon, I'm William Cromwell, we've come to get some money out of my safe."
"Do you have you're key, sir?"
"Here you are," William said as he took out a tiny golden key out of his pocket.
Olivia watch as the goblin examined the key closely.
"That seems to be in order, I will have someone take you all down to the vault. Nibgit!"
Nibgit was yet another goblin. He was short with long fingers just like all the other goblins, he had very thin brown hair that he kept in a low pony tail. He led Olivia and her parents toward one of the doors leading off the hall. Nibgit held the door open for them, they were now in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. Olivia noticed that it sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Nibgit whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in and were off.
The cart moved so fast felt as if Olivia smiled it was almost like they were on a rollercoaster. At first they just hurtled thorugh a maze of twisting passages. Olivia looked at Nibgit and saw that he had not been steering at all, the rattling cart seemed to know its own way around.
Olivia closed her eyes tightly, as the cold air rushed past them stinging her eyes. They plunged even deeper, Olivia thought she heard water and squinted her eyes open a bit just in time to see them passing an underground lake where hug stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor just before they zoomed passed.
The cart finally stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, they got out and Nibgit unlocked the door, Olivia gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins, columns of siliver, and heaps of little bronze knuts. There were also different kind of gold and silver jewelry, cups, trophies that lined the wall.
William piled some of it into a brown leather bag and piled some in a black leather bag as well. One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts.
Sometime later after getting her uniform from Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occations, the supplies that she would need from the Apothecary shop, all her books from FLourish and Blotts, her cauldron, a scale for weighing her potion ingredients, and collapsible brass telescope, along with a quill that would take notes all on its own from Amanuensis Quills. Her father said that it would come in handy for her in her History of Magic class.
"Okay dear, all that is left is your animal and your wand," Samantha said while looking at the list.
"Let's go get your animal first," her father said putting a hand on her shoulder "Now what would you like? A cat, lizard, or an owl?"
"An owl, please," Olivia said smiling, she couldn't believe it. She was going to get her own owl!
Her mother and father lead her to Eeylops Owl Emporium. Inside there were many owls to chose from, Screech, Tawny, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Olivia made her way threw the aisle, looking at the different owls, when one coaught her eye. It was a tan barn owl, it had its head tucked in it's wing fast asleep. Her father bought her the owl and they made their way out of the shop, Olivia couldn't stop thanking her father as they got out of the shop.
"Don't mention it, Livi, darling," her father laughed. "Okay now, it seems its time to get your wand now."
Olivia couldn't believe that she was finally going to get a wand of her own.
The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands sinces 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cusion in the dusty window.
A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Samantha sat on to wait with her husband standing right beside her. Olivia looked around at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up the the ceiling. The back of her neck prickled, the very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.
"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Olivia jumped. An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
"Hello," said Olivia politely with a small smile and a tiny wave.
"William! William Cromwell! How nice to see you again. . . . Ebony, fifteen inches, rather swishy, isn't it?" Mr. Ollivander said as he saw her father.
"Yes sir it is. It's good to see you again too," her father said brightly smiling at Mr. Ollivander.
"Well, now - Miss Cromwell. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"
"I'm right-handed," said Olivia.
"Hold out your arm. That's it," He measured Olivia from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, kee to armit and round the head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Ms. Cromwell. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."
Olivia watched Mr. Ollivander as he was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.
"That will do," he said, and the tape meaure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Miss Cromwell. Try this one. Oak and Unicorn hair. Thirteen inches. Swishy."
Olivia took the wand and waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.
"Willow and phoenix feather. Nine inches. Quite whippy. Try -"
Olivia tried. And tried. And every time she did he would snatch the wand back. She had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was looking for. The pile of the wands that she had tired was mounting higher, but it seemed the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled form the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.
"Tricky customer, huh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combination - Mahongany and Pegasus feather, fifteen inches." Olivia took the wand. She feld a sudden warmth in her fingers. She raised the wand above her head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and streaming red and blue sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on the walls. Mr. and Mrs. Cromwell clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good." He put Olivia's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper.
"Um - Mr. Ollivander, sir," Olivia said "Doesn't it say outside that you only use Dragon heartstring, Phoenix feather, and Unicorn tail hair?"
"Ah, yes, you see this one is the only one I made with a Pegasus feather," said as he was wrapping the wand box up in brown wrapping paper. Her father paid seven gold Galleons for her wand and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.
"One more question, Mr. Ollivander," She stopped as she made her way out. "Why did I have to try so many wands?"
"Ah, you see it not the wizard that chooses the wand, it is the wand that chooses the wizard my dear." Mr. Ollivander told her with a small smile.
With that she said her thanks for her wand and bid him a good day. Olivia walked with her parents, her mother had unshrunk her superman packback that she had in her purse, which just like her mother's purse had a Undetectable Extension Charm on it. Her mother it seemed was addicted to Undetectable Extension Charms for she used them on any of the bags that she and her children had, and Olivia put all her school supplies inside inside her backpack. They took the long way home, soon as night fell Olivia climbed into her bed her mind drifting to what it would be like at Hogwarts, boy she couldn't wait for September first. And with a small smile she fell asleep.
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~September First~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~G
Finally the day had come, September first. The day couldn't come fast enough for Olivia, she jumped out of her bed and ran to one of her lounging chairs that was in her massive room. She got dressed and looked in the mirror, she was dressed in a blue x-men shirt that had Wolverine, Jean Grey, Storm, Cyclops, and Colossus; It was one of her favorite Muggle T.V. showes. She put on her light blue shorts and white tenna-shoes on.
She ate her breakfast as fast as she could, much to her parents dissmay and had to keep telling her to slow down. She hugged and kissed her grandmother goodbye and that she would see her at Christmas, she jumped into the back seat of her mother and father's car with her owl that she named Ottabellelisa, which she nicknamed Lisa for short, she had many emotions running through her. She was happy beond belief she couldn't believe she was going to the school her father's family had been going to for generations, with a big smile she looked out the window at the passing cars and buildings.
"Hey, dad," Olivia said as she looked at the back of her fathers grey head. "What house were you in when you went to Hogwarts?"
"Gryffindor, sweatheart."
"What about grandma?"
"Gryffindor."
"And grandpa?"
"Gryffindor," he said as his smile got bigger.
"Was all of your family sorted into Gryffindor?" Samantha asked with a small laugh.
"No, there were a least a few that were sorted into Ravenclaw, two that were sorted into Slytherin, and one that was sorted into Hufflepuff." he said with another small smile.
"What house do you think I'll be sorted into?" Olivia asked excitedly.
"That's a good question. You are a very brave girl, the quality of Gryffindor. Very, very smart so you could be a Ravenclaw. As loyal as any Hufflepuff. And defently as cunning as a Slytherin." William said looking back as often as he could in the rear view mirror. "But sweetheart, it doesn't matter what house you're in, do you understand me."
"Yes, dad," she said with still smiling as big as her mouth could let her. "I hope I'm in Gryffindor." she whispered to herself, even though her parents heard her and shared a smile.
They reached King's Cross at half past ten. William loaded Olivia's cart and wheeled it into the station leading them to the platform. Finally they stopped, facing the platforms nine and ten.
"Okay, Olivia get up here," William said to his daughter, continuing when she was right beside him. "take the cart, and I want you to go straight threw the numbers nine and ten. Got it?"
"But, Dad! I'll crash!" Olivia said looking at her father with her blue eyes wide as they could go.
"No, sweetheart, you won't," he said smiling down at her. "And you can run if you're nervous."
Olivia hesitated, run straight threw a brick wall? Was her father insaine..
"Trust me darling, you'll be fine." William said noticing his daughter's hesitation.
Olivia nodded and started to walk toward the brick wall with nine and ten above it. She was going to smash right into that wall and then she'll be in trouble - leaning forward on her cart, she broke into a heavy run - the wall coming nearer and nearer - she wouldn't be able to stop - the cart was out of control - she was a foot away - she closed her eyes, her father better be right!
She waited for the crash - but it never came... she kept running... she opened her bright blue eyes.
A scarlet steam engin was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Olivia looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. She had done it, her father was right.
Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.
The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their family, some fighting over seats. Olivia and her parents pushed her cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. She passed a red-haired family, "Now you two - I want you to behave yourselves. I don't want to get an owl telling me you've - you've blown up a statue -"
"Blown up a statue? We would never blow up a statue." one of the twins said.
"Great idea though, thanks, Mum." the other said, smiling.
"It's not funny."
Olivia smiled, 'they seemed like an interesting family'. Passing on she and her parents found her an empty compartment.
"Now, dear. I want you to behave," Samantha said hugging her daughter.
"Yes, mother. As good as I can be."
"Livi, I want you to have fun and at least owl us one and awhile. It's not like we're strangers," William said doing the same. Olivia loved when her family called her Livi.
"Yes, daddy," Olivia replied with a small laugh.
William helped load her trunk and stood outside her compartment window along with her mother. Olivia smiled at them, promising to write as often as she can, and with a whistle the train was off. She looked out the window at her parents dissapear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Olivia's excitment came back bigger than ever.
The door of the compartment slid open and two of the read-headed twins that she saw on the platform came in.
"Oy, anyone sitting there?" the first one asked, pointing at the seat opposite Olivia.
"Everywhere else is full," the second twin finished. Olivia shook her head and the twins sat down.
"We're Fred and George Weasley," chorused the twins.
"Olivia Cromwell," she introduced her self putting her hand out.
"You have a funny accent," said the one she assumed was George.
"Really? Well for me it's all of you who have the "funny accent"," she said laughing finishing with a very good inpression of a british accent.
"You're American?" Fred asked.
"Yeah, I was born here, moved to Hawaii when I was about two, and because of my father got a job at St. Mungo's we had to move back," Olivia explained.
"Hawaii?" the twins chorused.
"Wow, I didn't know there was an echo in this compartment," Olivia laughed while looking around the compartment.
"So why are you so pale, if you lived in Hawaii?" George asked.
"Well I moved here a year ago, and I guess my tan went away faster than expected," Olivia lied, though it wasn't a complete lie. She just really wasn't ready for anyone outside the family to know she was a Metamorphmagus.
They continued to talk about different things, Quidditch, what house they thought they would be put in, ect. While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.
Around half past twelve there as a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back the their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"
Olivia lept to her feet, but the twins ears went pink and they muttered that they had brought sandwiches. Olivia went out to the corridor, had her small brown bag filled still with Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts she was ready to buy as many sweets she could carry, anyone that really knew Olivia knew she had a sweet tooth, though she wouldn't eat all her sweets in one day at least. Olivia looked at the cart, she saw somethings that looked familiar like the pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes and licorice wands, but other didn't look so familiar. She got a few of each and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze knuts.
Fred and George stared as Olivia brought it all back in to the compartment, and dumped all on the seat next to her.
"Hungry, are you?" the choursed.
"A little," She said smiling big.
Fred and George both took out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. They pulled one of them apart and sighed, "dry, how about you Fred?"
"Same," Fred said with the same look his brother had.
"I'll swap you for one of those, for anything in the pile," Olivia said with a small smile.
"You don't want these -"
"They're corned beef -"
"Dry corned beef. She hasn't got much time," Fred said quickly.
"You know with the six of us."
"Oh just take something all ready!" Olivia said with smile.
G~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
Time passed and it had gotten dark outside, Olivia expeceted them to be there soon. She got her uniform and went to go change. When she came back the boys were dressed in their robes as well.
A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in a few minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Olivia's stomach lurched with nerves and the twins, she saw, looked pale under their freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor and Olivia made sure she kept with the twins.
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Olivia shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbiing over the heads of students, there stood the tallest man she had ever seen in her life, he looked heavy-set with shaggy black hair and a beard that covered most of his face. His voice could be heard over all the others.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" He waited until all the first years were near him until he continued "C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Slipping and stumbling, they followed the man down what seemed to be a steep narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Olivia thought there must be some thick trees there. Nobody spoke much.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain of the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. It was one of the most beautiful, breath taking sights Olivia had seen.
"No more'n four to a boat!" The large man called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. George, Olivia and Fred were followed into their boat by a boy named Lee Jordan.
"Everyone in?" shouted the large man, who Olivia noticed had a boat all to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as theysailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled the tall man as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a whide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles. They climbered up a passageway in the rock after the large man's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and croded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here?" The man looked around at them, raising a gigantic fist, he knocked three times on the castle door.
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~G
The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She ahd a very stern face, Olivia frowned, she had seen that woman in some of her grandmother's photographs. Margall, Martin, the woman's name slipped Olivia's mind.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the large man.
'Minerva McGonagall that was her name!' Olivia thought to herself.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit Olivia's old house in Hawaii in there. The stone walls were lit with flmaing torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase faceing them led to the upper floors.
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Olivia could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer than they would usually have done, perring about nervously.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into you Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.
"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hugglepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, While any rule breaking will lose House the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.
The Sorting Ceremoney will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."
Her eyes lingered for amoment on some other students, one had his robe lopsided, another's socks where uneven. Olivia ran her fingers through her wavy dirty blonde hair.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."
She left the chamber. Olivia could hear a lot of kids swallowing loadly and asking.
"How exactly do they sort us into the Houses?"
"What House do you think I'll be in?"
Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air - several people behind her screamed.
"Ghosts, they're -" a young girl with blonde hair muttered.
Several people around her gasped. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little munk was saying "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to gibe him a second chance -"
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.
"We're first years, about to be sorted." Olivia said, many of the kids looked at her shocked that she answered.
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "Hope to see a lot of you in Hufflepuff! My old House, you know."
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The sorting Ceremony's about to start."
Olivia whipped around, and there was Professor McGonagall. One by one, the ghosts floated away throug the opposite wall.
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told them (the first years), "and follow me."
Olivia stood behind Fred and in front of George, letting her feet lead her, they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.
Olivia couldn't believe her eyes, before her eyes was once again one of the most splended sights. The place was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting at four long tables. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the front of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so they came to a halt in a line facing the teachers, with the other students behind them. Olivia looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She heard her father tell her something about it in the car, saying how it was supposed to be betwitched to look like the night sky. It had to be one of Olivia's favorite feature of the school, she had to ask her parents if they could do that to her room.
Olivia brought her attention back to Professor McGonagall, who had silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she placed a pointed old wizard's hat.
Olivia noted that everyone in the Great Hall was staring at the hat, she stared at it, too. For a few seconds, ther was complete silence. The the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like mouth - and the hat began to sing. Once the song was over, the whole hall burst into applause. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.
"So we've just got to try on that hat?" Fred whipered.
"Sounds easy enough," George said.
"But where's the fun in that?" they said together.
Olivia smiled at them, leave it to them to want to have a duel or something dangerous to get into Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Anderson, Travis!"
A dark haired boy stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over his eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause - "Ravenclaw!" shouted the hat.
The table on the left cheered and clapped as Travis went to sit down at the Ravenclaw table. Olivia smiled as she saw him shake some hands with some of the other Ravenclaws sitting at that table.
"Beecham, Julie."
"RAVENCLAW!" the had souted as soon as it hit the girl's head.
Again table from the left cheered; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Julie as she joined them.
"Bendix, Tom" was another Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Faye" became the first Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers.
"Backmann, Randy" then became the first Slytherin. Was it just Olivia's imagination or did they not look all that friendly, she just hoped she wasn't in that House.
"Cromwell, Olivia."
There it was, her name. She took a big sigh, and walked up to the stool. She heard a lot of muttering from the Slytherin table, but did her best to ignore it. Olivia looked straight ahead, There sat the head master, Albus Dumbledore, he looked thin, with silver hair and beard so long that it looked like it coud be tucked into his belt. He had a very long and crooked nose that looked as if it had been broken at least twice, what caught her more by suprise was his soul-piercing blue eyes that twinkled with kindness and mischief.
Olivia took the hat in hand and sat on the stool, then placed the hat on her head that slid to a stop over her eyes, she waited.
"Hmm," said a voice in her ear. "a Cromwell, haven't seen one of you for a while. Plenty of courage, I see, yes plenty of courage. Not a bad mind either. Very loyal. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes. So where to put you? - Ah I know just the place. GRYFFINDOR!"
Olivia heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. She heard the Gryffindor table cheer for her as she took off the hat and walked toward the Gryffindor table, smiling as big as she could. Now all she had to do was wait for Fred and George, oh how she hoped they would be in the same house as her.
"Cohen"..., "Cooper"..., "Davis"..., "Edman"..., "Johnson, Angelina" who bacame a Gryffindor. "Jordon, Lee" who also became a Gryffindor. "Pavis" ..., "Spinnet, Alicia" another Gryffindor. "Smith, Madison" along with Alicia became a Gryffindor.
"Weasley, Fred" Olivia crossed her fingers under the table. "GRYFFINDOR!" she along with all the other Gryffindor cheered as Fred made his way to sit next to her.
"Weasley, George" again Olivia crossed her fingers under the table. "GRYFFINDOR!" and she again cheered along with the other Gryffindor's as George made his way to sit on her right.
Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.
Olivia relized just how hungry she was when she looked down at her gold plate. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago. She looked up at the head table and saw that Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the stutents, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitpick! Bubbles! Obsecratory! Tadpole! Thank you!"
He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Olivia laughing along with the crowd.
When she looked back down at the table that was once bare, now was filled with food that magically came out of nowhere. She didn't know what to take first. On her plate she ended up with a roast beef, roast potato and gravy, peas, carrot, and Yorkshire pudding. Unlike most kids Olivia didn't mind eating some of her vegetables.
At dinner she meet Fred and George's two brothers Percy and Charlie. Charlie was 17 a prefect and in his last year of Hogwarts, he was also the Captain of the Quidditch team and the Seeker for the team as well, he seemed very interested in a class called Care of Magical Creatures, more so dragons. Percy was 13 and in his third year of Hogwarts, in Olivia's oppinion seemed too into his studies, he probably should of been in Ravenclaw.
As Olivia started to eat she saw the ghost that was arguing with the Fat Friar, he looked at the food longingly. "Are you hungry?" Olivia asked kindly to him. The ghost looked at her and back at the food.
"No, not really." said the ghost "I haven't eaten in years. I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myslef? Sir Nicholas De Mimsy-Porpinton at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."
"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Olivia Cromwell." Olivia said with a smile. She would of stuck out her hand for a handshake, but thought twice since he was a ghost.
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, tarcle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding... the list went on. Olivia took two strawberrys and one chocolate eclair.
The desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.
"Ahem - just a few more words not that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that."
Olivia looked between the two Weasley twins who gave each other a smirk, they were defently going to check that out, no dought.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch.
"And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
Olivia, along with all the Gryffindor first years, followed Charlie through the chattering crods, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Olivia felt so very tired and full of food that she almost had a little bit of difficaltly keeping up with them, almost. Charlie led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, Olivia wondered just how much farther they had to go, when they came to a hault.
"Here we are," Charlie said as they came to the end of the corridor. There hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.
"Password?" she asked.
"Cauda Draconis," said Charlie, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.
Charlie directed the boys through the dormitory and the girls through another. At the top of the spiral staircase - it was abovious they were in one of the towers - they found their beds; five four-poster beds with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks already been brought up. Too tired to talk, Olivia and the girls put on their pajamas, said goodnight to her roommates and fell into bed.
Olivia looked at the top of her four-poster bed ceiling and sighed happily. She was in the same house as her father, grandparents, and most of her ancestors on her father's side of the family and she had two great new friends. She gave a small smile before she went to lay on her side, with the small smile planted on her face as she went to sleep dreaming of what tomorrow might bring.