Disclaimer: As you may have guess, I am not JK Rowling. Therefore, I do not own Hjarry Potter or anything that Rowling has created. I only claim the things that have spawned from the void I like to call my brain. Now, on with the fiction!
Harry Potter and the Legend of the Golden Snidget
Chapter 1: And You Would Be…?
Harry just couldn't help it. He was too excited. They only had a week left before they went back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He and his friends will be Gryffindor fifth years. Harry was especially excited about the Quidditch season. He is the youngest seeker in a century and plays for the Gryffindor house team.
Harry had spent the last two weeks with his fiery redheaded friend Ron Weasley. Today they were in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions getting fitted for their new robes because the ones from last year were a little too small. Mrs. Weasley was out buying their books, ink, parchment, and quills.
"I can't believe we're finally going back," sighed Ron.
"I wonder who's going to take Oliver's place as keeper this season?" Harry asked.
"I dunno. Who's going to be the new captain?"
"I'm not sure…OUCH!" Harry yelled.
"Sorry, dear," the tailor apologized for stabbing him in the side with a straight pin.
"Whoa! Harry! Check her out!"
Harry craned his neck in the direction that Ron was looking in and almost fell off the stool at what he saw. A beautiful girl getting fitted for robes. She had shoulder length light brown hair and dark, deep brown eyes. Harry definitely noticed how very pretty she was.
"Harry, are you okay?"
"Huh? What?" Harry snapped back to reality.
"Are you okay?" Ron repeated the question.
"Err…yea. I'm fine," he flushed slightly.
Ron was about to say something about this when their friend Hermione Granger walked in.
"Hullo Harry! Hullo Ron!"
"Hullo Hermione," the two said in unison.
"I just finished our new Transfiguration book!" Hermione beamed.
Ron rolled his eyes.
"It was quiet interesting. So, how was your summer vacation?"
"Harry stayed with us."
"Yea. Fred and George finally managed to achieve their goal," Harry said.
"Really? What's that?" Hermione asked.
"They managed to blow up their room!" Ron laughed.
Hermione went on fussing. But Harry wasn't listening. He was watching that girl. She was finished being fitted and was counting out sickles and knuts to pay for her robes.
I wonder who she is? Harry thought. I've never seen her before.
She walked to the door with her packaged robes under her arm. A middle-aged woman greeted her outside. Harry assumed that this must be the girl's mum because she too had those dark deep, brown eyes. The mother and daughter disappeared into the crowded street of Diagon Alley with bundles of packages.
"All done, dears," the tailor said.
Harry and Ron stepped off the stools and went to the counter to pay for their new robes. Then the three friends walked to Flourish and Blotts to meet Mrs. Weasley.
"Why, hullo Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley grinned.
"Hullo Mrs. Weasley."
"Have a good summer then?"
"Oh, yes, ma`am. I did."
"That's nice. Well we best be off, boys." Mrs. Weasley started to walk away.
"Bye Hermione!" Ron and Harry called out.
"Bye! I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express!" Hermione waved.
Ron, Harry, and Mrs. Weasley set off for the Leaky Cauldron.
"We better get home and make sure Fred and George didn't blow up the rest of the house," Mrs. Weasley fussed.
~*~*~
"Come on! We don't want to be late!" Mr. Weasley was leading the four redheaded Weasley children and Harry to Platform 9 ¾.
"Alright then. Fred, you first. George, you go with Ginny. And now you two."
Harry and Ron walked into the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, which hid the entrance to Platform 9 ¾. Harry and Ron were joined by Mr. Weasley not too long.
"Alright. Let's load up," Mr. Weasley said, walking toward the Hogwarts Express. Harry handed an attendant his snowy owl Hedwig's cage and joined Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny.
"You kids behave. Don't blow up Hogwarts! I've got to go. Ya'll have fun," Mr. Weasley said goodbye to them all and then Disapparated.
"Harry look!" Ron pointed a little ways down the platform. There was the girl from Madam Malkin's. She was hugging her mum.
"It's your girlfriend, Harry!" Ron started making kissy noises.
"Shut up, Ron!" Harry smiled. "We better get on the train."
"Yea. Change the subject!" Ron followed Harry onto the train and all the way to the very last compartment. They were soon joined by Hermione. When the trolley came by they bought Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes, licorice wands…you name it, they had it! The compartment door slid open and in came Fred and George.
"Hullo, chaps!" Fred called cheerfully.
"Jolly good train ride, wouldn't you say?" George said.
"Want a chocolate frog?" Ron asked with a mouth full of Bertie Bott's.
"Thanks. So, ya'll looking forward to becoming fifth years?" George asked taking a frog from Ron.
"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Who do you think is going to take Oliver's place as keeper?" Harry asked.
"Haven't a clue. McGonagall will tell us though." Fred said.
"Off the subject. Is it just me or does Malfoy's nose look even pointier than last year?" George laughed.
"Yea. Stupid little git tripped poor Neville as we were getting on the train. I feel sorry for that girl he's sitting with." Fred looked sympathetic.
"Girl? What girl?" Ron asked. "Tell me someone's not stupid enough to go out with Malfoy!"
"Oh no. He's more or less just following her around," George explained.
"And she looks pretty ticked about it too," Fred added. "Real pretty though. Beautiful dark brown eyes."
Harry looked up. It's that girl. Ron noticed the expression on Harry's face.
"Oh. That's Harry's girlfriend!" Ron joked.
"Ron!" Harry yelled.
"Girlfriend? What are you talking about?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"She was fitting for robes in Madam Malkin's. Harry was staring at her the whole time!"
"I was not!" Harry flushed.
"Oh sure. That's why you were drooling."
Harry looked down at his feet.
"I was not," he repeated.
"Don't worry about it Harry. Ron's just jealous because he'll never have a girlfriend," George teased. Ron's face went pink and he gave George the evil eye. George stuck out his tongue.
"Well, we've got to go. Almost at Hogwarts, I expect. Better change into your clothes. Cheers!" Fred and George left the compartment. Hermione followed. Harry looked out of the window and saw Hogwarts castle coming into view. He felt that he was finally coming back home. He could see the warmth of the lights in the castle windows. He couldn't wait until the feast and to see all his friends again. Yes, he felt like he was truly going home.
The train came to a halt and the young witches and wizards started to file out into the cool night air.
"First years! First years this way! C'mon! Follow me!" a familiar voice was yelling and waving a lamp to lead the first years forward. It was Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.
"Hullo Hagrid!" the three called out to him.
"Hullo you three! Well, I'll see you up at the school. Gotta get these first years to the boats."
First years travel across the lake in tiny boats to the castle.
"See you Hagrid!"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the students to the carriages that were drawn be invisible horses. As they were about to step into the carriage that they were to share with Neville Longbottom, Ron nudged Harry with his elbow. Harry followed his gaze and saw the girl from Madam Malkin's getting into one of the other carriages, Draco Malfoy and his goonies, Crabbe and Goyle, in tow. The aggravated look on her face was obvious to everyone besides Draco as he continued to talk about something that clearly didn't interest her.
"Come on you two." Hermione tugged on their robes.
It was warm inside the carriage despite the cool breeze outside. None of them said a word the whole ride to the castle. Harry spent the ride looking out the window up at Hog warts (and thinking of a certain brown eyed girl!) In no time did they arrive at the steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The students filed into the Great Hall and separated to their house tables. Ron and Hermione sat on either side of Harry.
"Hey, Harry! Your girlfriend's a Gryffindor!" Fred said as he sat across from him.
"She's not my girlfriend," Harry said.
"Well, it doesn't matter. She's not Slytherin and that's all that really matters."
"And Malfoy doesn't look to happy about it," George added.
Harry turned toward the Slytherin table and saw that Draco had a sort of disgusted look on his face.
"Look! They're bringing in the first years!" Hermione pointed at the stream of little witches and wizards approaching with looks of amazement on their faces. When they reached the front of the Great Hall an old wizard's hat was placed on a stool in front of them. It was the Sorting Hat. Immediately it broke into song:
O you may not think I'm pretty
But don't judge on what you see.
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see.
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor
Where dwell the brave at heart.
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart.
You might belong in Hufflepuff
Where they are just and loyal.
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil.
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning
Will always find their kind.
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your true friends.
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
The Great Hall burst into applause and cheers. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor house, stepped forward with a roll of parchment.
"When I call your names you will sit on the stool, I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses," she explained to the stunned first years. She unrolled the parchment and began.
"Arnold, Brad!" SLYTHERIN!
"Daniels, Gary!" HUFFLEPUFF!
"Fisher, Ben!" RAVENCLAW!
"Harrell, Todd!" SLYTHERIN!
"Hart, Roxy!" RAVENCLAW!
"Norton, Sarah!" GRYFFINDOR!
"Posey, Bridget!" GRYFFINDOR!
"Posey, Jared!" GRYFFINDOR!
"Roberts, Asela!" RAVENCLAW!
"Russell, Jessica!" SLYTHERIN!
"Skyes, Tristen!" GRYFFINDOR!
"Smith, Jenniffer!" RAVENCLAW!
"Watts, Stacey!" HUFFLEPUFF!
The tables roared each time its name was called out and the new student came and sat down. By the time the Sorting Ceremony was over everyone's hands were numb from clapping. Then Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, stood and the Hall fell silent.
"I welcome you all back to another year at Hogwarts. And first years, may you have a wonderful time. Now, let the feast begin!"
The plates magically filled with food. Everyone was eating and talking cheerfully. After Ron managed to eat his tenth Pumpkin pastry, the food (crumbs and all) wiped clean from the plates. Dumbledore stood once more.
"It is getting late. Perfects, lead your houses to their common rooms and off to bed."
Everyone started to exit the Great Hall and head for their common rooms. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were almost at the stairs when…
"Hermione Granger."
They turned around and saw Professor McGonagall.
"Hermione, may I speak to you for a moment, please?"
Hermione look at Ron and Harry, then back at Professor McGonagall.
"Err…yes, ma`am." she said and walked off with McGonagall.
"I hope she's not planning on taking all those classes like that one time," Ron said.
"Yea. That was a mess," Harry agreed.
They continued up the stairs until they reached the Fat Lady portrait.
"Password?" she asked.
"Err…I think its…um…oh yea! It's 'nogtail'." Harry said.
The portrait swung open to reveal the passage to the Gryffindor common room. It was empty except for a few people. Harry and Ron were too tired to stay up and wait for Hermione to ask was McGonagall wanted. So, they decide to wait and ask in the morning. They climbed up the spiral staircase to the sleeping quarters and changed into their pajamas. Harry climbed into bed, drew the blood red velvet curtains around, and settled under his soft warm blankets. Soon he was fast asleep, yet eagerly waiting for what would happen the next day.