Heads turned as a tall girl with almond eyes and short white-blonde hair walked into the
Grand Hall halfway through the feast. Harry and Ron didn't notice the stranger, due to the fact
that Harry was working on a large glass of something fizzy that tasted like strawberries, but was
covered in thick vertical green and white stripes, and Ron was intent on eating his drumstick at
Olympic speed. Well, they at least didn't notice her until she settled herself down at the
Gryffindor table, right next to Harry. She was wearing Gryffindor robes, but unlike everyone
else's sweaters, skirts or pants, and the occasional tie, a beach print tank top and a pair of short
denim shorts resided underneath. Her elegantly shaped eyebrows were pierced, twice on her
right and once on her left, and her ears were pierced once on each side as well. Harry, Ron, and
the majority of the remainder of the table stared as she cooly looked around her at the food, then
conjured up a leafy salad.
"Wh-what's your name?" Harry found his voice.
"I'm Noelani. It's Hawaiian. I lived there until this past July, when I moved here, to London with
my dad. I'm starting my fifth year here. You?" she replied easily.
"Same. By the way, I'm Harry. This is Ron, and Hermione, and that's Seamus, and Parvati next
to Lavender. Oh, and that there's Ginny, Ron's little sister. . . " He went on to name all the
people surrounding him at the table through mouthfuls of potatoes, surprised at how easily
everything came out, given that he was still in a state of minor shock/ beguilement. "This is my
fifth year here as well. I didn't know you could start mid-way through at Hogwarts," he finished.
"Well, I had five years of wizarding education already in Hawaii, actually, four, but I've learned
enough to be placed in fifth year here. I had to take a test. I passed with flying colors." Noelani
added this last thought after a mouthful of alfalfa sprouts, but managed to get it out casually,
without even the suggestion of a gloat. It just sounded like an innocent fact. Harry noted sub-
consciously that if Hermione had said the same thing (it was something just like her to say), it
would have sounded more than a little bit like she was bragging (which often she was).
Harry and Noelani continued talking throughout the feast. When Dumbledore finally
cleared the tables and sent them all to bed, the two walked together to the Gryffindor common
room, chatting non-stop as had been the same for the previous two hours or so. Just after they
had given the password to the Fat Lady (omnium-gatherum, this year) and climbed through the
portrait hole, Noelani came out of the blue with a question.
"Do you have quidditch at this school? It's one of the few things my dad forgot to clear with
Dumbledore. I played seeker on one of my school's teams in Hawaii. We won the tournament
the past three years, the three years since I started playing I'm said to be one of the best seekers
in Hawaii, of any age." Again, it sounded like only an innocent fact.
"Yeah." Harry replied bluntly. He didn't know weather to be happy that she shared his love of
quidditch, or worried that he might lose his spot on the Gryffindor team, as seeker. "I play on the
Gryffindor team."
"Really!? I'm going to have to speak to someone tomorrow about trying out," Noelani perked
up, delighted. "What position do you play?"
"Seeker," Harry answered dully.
"Oh.," she responded. "I'm sorry. Well, you must be a very good flyer."
"I guess."
Harry showed Noelani where her dormitory was, and shortly they had gone their separate
ways to bed.
Grand Hall halfway through the feast. Harry and Ron didn't notice the stranger, due to the fact
that Harry was working on a large glass of something fizzy that tasted like strawberries, but was
covered in thick vertical green and white stripes, and Ron was intent on eating his drumstick at
Olympic speed. Well, they at least didn't notice her until she settled herself down at the
Gryffindor table, right next to Harry. She was wearing Gryffindor robes, but unlike everyone
else's sweaters, skirts or pants, and the occasional tie, a beach print tank top and a pair of short
denim shorts resided underneath. Her elegantly shaped eyebrows were pierced, twice on her
right and once on her left, and her ears were pierced once on each side as well. Harry, Ron, and
the majority of the remainder of the table stared as she cooly looked around her at the food, then
conjured up a leafy salad.
"Wh-what's your name?" Harry found his voice.
"I'm Noelani. It's Hawaiian. I lived there until this past July, when I moved here, to London with
my dad. I'm starting my fifth year here. You?" she replied easily.
"Same. By the way, I'm Harry. This is Ron, and Hermione, and that's Seamus, and Parvati next
to Lavender. Oh, and that there's Ginny, Ron's little sister. . . " He went on to name all the
people surrounding him at the table through mouthfuls of potatoes, surprised at how easily
everything came out, given that he was still in a state of minor shock/ beguilement. "This is my
fifth year here as well. I didn't know you could start mid-way through at Hogwarts," he finished.
"Well, I had five years of wizarding education already in Hawaii, actually, four, but I've learned
enough to be placed in fifth year here. I had to take a test. I passed with flying colors." Noelani
added this last thought after a mouthful of alfalfa sprouts, but managed to get it out casually,
without even the suggestion of a gloat. It just sounded like an innocent fact. Harry noted sub-
consciously that if Hermione had said the same thing (it was something just like her to say), it
would have sounded more than a little bit like she was bragging (which often she was).
Harry and Noelani continued talking throughout the feast. When Dumbledore finally
cleared the tables and sent them all to bed, the two walked together to the Gryffindor common
room, chatting non-stop as had been the same for the previous two hours or so. Just after they
had given the password to the Fat Lady (omnium-gatherum, this year) and climbed through the
portrait hole, Noelani came out of the blue with a question.
"Do you have quidditch at this school? It's one of the few things my dad forgot to clear with
Dumbledore. I played seeker on one of my school's teams in Hawaii. We won the tournament
the past three years, the three years since I started playing I'm said to be one of the best seekers
in Hawaii, of any age." Again, it sounded like only an innocent fact.
"Yeah." Harry replied bluntly. He didn't know weather to be happy that she shared his love of
quidditch, or worried that he might lose his spot on the Gryffindor team, as seeker. "I play on the
Gryffindor team."
"Really!? I'm going to have to speak to someone tomorrow about trying out," Noelani perked
up, delighted. "What position do you play?"
"Seeker," Harry answered dully.
"Oh.," she responded. "I'm sorry. Well, you must be a very good flyer."
"I guess."
Harry showed Noelani where her dormitory was, and shortly they had gone their separate
ways to bed.