Two girls broke into runs, aiming for eachother. The bystanders in their way had jumped to the side as the girls barrelled into eachother. Andrew Hulst and Riley McFreely collided.
Andrew was anything but average, what, with her stunning appearance and voice that tended to carry easily. She possessed wavy, ebony hair that fell down to the middle of her back, bunched together in a pony tail. Her bright brown eyes glimmered, the pools of liquid looking like they'd been glittered in the small amount of sunlight directed her way. She was a tall girl with a good, firm build. She was determined to become a professional basketball player, so she needed to stay fit. Her skin was sunkissed, so she looked like one of the vollyball-playing girls you'd see on television.
Her jeans were grass-stained and faded while her Michael Jordan T-shirt was loose and baggy. She had a midnight blue baseball cap on her head with the Patriots –an American football team- symbol on the front. Her sneakers were brand-new, looking like a sore thumb compared to the rest of her outfit. Hanging tightly around her neck was a necklace. It was leather lace with a bear claw hanging from it. It was put on so securely it clung to her throat, almost like a choaker.
Riley didn't stand out as much as Andrew, but was definitely pretty. Her blonde hair –the kind so naturally blonde it almost looked white- was cropped short, with a gentle curl at the end. Her bangs curled, too, but didn't fall into her cobalt eyes like most would. Her full lips seemed to always be curled into a soft smile, especially when she was with her friend. She was short and lankey- the type you'd easily imagine sitting by a fire and reading. She was definitely anything but athletic. She wanted to become a best-selling author. It was something Andrew and she would occasionally joke about. They'd both grow into their dream professions and spend weekend's together, meeting up at small cafes.
Riley also didn't dress as openly as Andrew did. Andrew dressed like she wanted to; her parents never really cared what she did. It was sad, to Riley. Riley's cream white blouse was tightly fitted on her, but since she didn't have a very large chest, she didn't feel very self-consious. Her skirt was like a flower, the bottom flowing around her at all times. Her graceful movements seemed to help the dancing skirt look even more mesmerizing. It was black with few lavender flowers decorating the hems. Her baby pink ballet flats looked a bit worn, but not ready to be thrown out, or even considered as tired or old. A pair of slightly large, colorful glass beaded earings dangled from her ears, almost reaching her shoulders. Her hair went just past her shoulders, so she couldn't put it up in any way without thinking it looked silly.
"Ready for a fantastic new year at a fantastic new school, my book loving amiga?" Andrew asked her friend excitedly. Riley smiled softly.
"Are you going to cause mischief again?" She asked as they began walking. Andrew laughed loudly. She was definitely not shy.
"That's such a stupid question I'm not even going to answer!" Andrew lightly punched Riley's shoulder. She looked around as they walked. "So where do you think Jakey and Micky are?"
"Most likely waiting for us in a compartment. You know how they prefer to be early to special events." After a pause, Riley allowed a snicker to escape her mouth. "Unlike you, who is always late. You're lucky I was there to wake you up, or you would've missed the train."
"Well excuse me for not waking up at the break of dawn!" Andrew laughed. They tugged their luggage onto the train and peered in nearly every compartment until they found their friends at the back of the train.
"Of course," Riley sighed, "you would choose a compartment in the very back or the train."
Andrew, however, shrieked happily. "Micky! Jakey!"
"What's up, Andy?" Mikael Ovric grinned, and next to him, Jakob Lawrence stood to give his bestie a bear hug.
"How've you been, Andy?" Jakob asked as she sat next to him. Riley sat over by Mikael, and Andy sighed.
"Bored!" Andrew nodded once, firmly, looking straight-faced.
"Oh," Jakob sighed, shaking his head. "That must be my fault. I didn't come visit you, so you were deprieved of my awesome self."
"Well, it isn't easy for a thirteen year old to get an airplane ticket from Terrassa, Spain to London, I suppose." Riley smiled. Jakob nodded vigorously.
"I really missed you!" Andrew huffed. "I get the whole airplane thing, but what about owling? Not a single letter to your bestest friend in the whole wide world! What was that about?"
"Sorry! My mom was going on about 'family bonding'. She didn't even let me touch my own owl!" To prove his point, Jakob placed a hand on his owl's head and stroaked it caringly.
Now would be the time to create a picture in your mind of Jakob and Mikael. They were –coincidentially- twins. Exactly alike. Why, the only people who could tell the two boys apart were their parents, their little brother Timothy, and they friends, Riley and Andrew. They had sparkling cobalt eyes and gravity defying ebony hair. They weren't short, but weren't tall, either. Their parents –Thomas Ovric and Mary Lawrence- were divorced, so while Jakob had been in Spain with his mother, Mikael had been in America with his father. Jakob originally lived in Spain and Mikael lived in America, however, they moved to London a few years ago. They got accepted to Hogwarts, and their parents decided to go back to their homelands –their mother, Spain, their father, America- until they came back, even for breaks.
"It's okay." Andrew shrugged, leaning back and grinning. "I'll let it slide for now. But, we need to think up an awesome prank for the entire hall to see when the hat is sorting."
"I've actually been thinking about that a bit." Mikael said. The three third-years turned to him expectantly; Andrew and Jakob looking excited and anxious while Riley looked slightly curious and exasperated. Mikael took a deep breath before launching into his idea. "So I've heard the sorting goes like this: first years get called, the hat is placed on their head, and then it shouts out their house. What do you think would happen if no one could understand the hat? And, I also think the hat's style is a bit out dated. Do you see where I'm going with this...?" Neither Andrew nor Jakob responded, staring at Mikael blankly. Riley giggled behind her hand.
"What I'm suggesting is that we change the hat's language and style. So, for example, change the language to something no one would know. And, possibly, change what kind of hat the sorting hat is." Mikael explained, and the sudden realization that dawned in Andrew and Jacob's eyes made Riley and Mikael burst into laughter.
"Oh, my God, Mikael!" Andrew yelped happily, oblivious to the reason of Riley and Mikael's laughter. "You're a genius! Pure genius!" She turned to Jakob, grinning. "Let's make it happen, bro!" Obviously, Jakob wasn't really her brother. But they were just that close. They huddled together, discussing how to make the plan go into action.