~Chapter 1~
"Southwick, Allie."
I took a deep breath as I turned toward the small wooden stool that sat at the front of the Great Hall, glancing over at my cousin, Ryan. He had just gotten sorted and was now seated at the Slytherin table, sitting next a blonde boy. My mum had been in Ravenclaw and my dad was in Gryffindor. If I get sorted into Slytherin with Ryan… Geez. I hope they wouldn't disinherit me.
Bloody hell. Bloody hell.
I walked toward Professor McGonagall and the old, worn, Sorting Hat. I looked back over at the Slytherin table and made eye contact with Ryan, who grinned and gave and gave me a thumbs up. I made a face at him.
McGonagall pointed at the wooden stool in front of me as I sat down and placed the Sorting Hat on my head. It nearly surpassed my eyebrows. I'm pretty sure I looked like I was going to throw up. I felt like it, too.
"Hmm…" said a small voice in my ear, "Where to put you… Certain disregard for the rules- not a bad mind either…"
I gripped the edges of the stool with my sweaty hands. Bloody hell.
"Better be…. SLYTHERIN!"
The Great Hall broke out in applause, just like they did for every other first year, as I hopped off the stool and stumbled down the steps to the Slytherin table to my right.
Ryan was waiting with a joyful look on his face. "This is going to be brilliant, Al!"
I stuck my tongue out at him, punching him in the arm.
"Oi- watch it!"
"Don't call me 'Al' then." I replied.
I wish he would call me something else. Anything but Al.
I sat down next to him and loosened my tie, swinging my legs around over the bench. Ties were so constricting.
The blonde boy looked at me. I raised my eyebrows at him. "Hey."
"Scorpius Malfoy." He said, holding a hand out to shake mine- what are we? Adults?
"I'm Allie Southwick. This prat…" I said, gesturing at Ryan, (who elbowed me), "Is my cousin."
Scorpius grinned at me. "Right."
"I hope we eat soon." Ryan said loudly over our conversation.
I exhaled. "Me too."
I really was INCREDIBLY hungry. The chocolate frogs on the train earlier seemed like days ago.
"Zimmerman, Lucy!"
A girl I recognized from the train with long red hair walked up and the hat was placed on her head.
A few seconds later, the Sorting Hat opened it's mouth (what mouth?), and shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
The old looking wizard at the huge table in front, stood up. "Good evening and welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To all those who do not know me, I am Professor Larrus Cassidy, headmaster. And I'm sure you are all very hungry… So! Let us eat!"
I swear he was looking straight at me and Ry. Scary.
"Hear, hear!" Ryan said loudly as food disappeared on the tables out of thin air.
"Finally." Scorpius said as he shoveled mashed potatoes and chicken onto his plate. "You gonna try out for the house Quidditch team?"
"Cab whe pla?" Ryan said with his mouth full of bean stew.
"What?"
He swallowed. "Can we play? I thought first years weren't allowed."
"I hope so." I said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice from the silver goblet in front of me.
"You play?" Scorpius asked me, with a confused look on his face.
"Of course I do." I replied, grinning.
"She's a bloody good keeper." Ryan added.
My dad played when he went to Hogwarts and then went and became a beater for the Pride of Portree. Holidays were spent flying around the countryside, beating the crap out of each other. Ryan's family would always come and join in- it was all in good fun, even though I was always the one breaking something.
"Of course I am." I replied, smiling cockily at him.
"Her dad played for the Pride of Portree." Ryan added.
"Blimey! Really?" Scorpius's eyes were nearly bulging out of his head. It was quite funny.
"Yep."
"With a dad like that- you better be good at Quidditch."
I laughed. "Are you any good?"
"I reckon I am." He said, looking around, "We'll see."
A little while later, Cassidy called for all of the prefects to collect the first years and head over to the common rooms for bed. A tall girl with black hair and a boy with striking blue eyes led the first year Slytherins towards the dungeons. I walked with Scorpius and Ryan and another boy they had met on the train, who I didn't recognize- his name was Keith Owen. They led us through a large tapestry with snakes all over it, after giving a password (Pure-blood).
"Girls are this way," the tall girl, pointing to her right, "And the boys are this way." She said, pointing to her left. "Your trunks and belongings have already been brought up. Breakfast begins at 6am and classes start at 9."
"Wait for me in the morning so we can all go to breakfast together." I said to Ryan, as I climbed the stairs to the girls dormitory.
"Sure Al, see you."
I walked up to the room with cozy four-poster bed and jumped onto it, falling into a deep sleep.
Quidditch tryouts were the following week. Luckily, first years were allowed to try out.
Ryan, Scorpius, Keith and I all headed down to the Quidditch pitch with our brooms and robes. I had a Nimbus 2002, my dad's old broom from his prime.
"Hi guys!" Gabe Madden said, once we were all gathered around him. He was the captain of the team.
A few people mumbled back.
"First of all- just because you made the team last year, doesn't guarantee you a spot this year. Is that clear?" A few people nodded. "Second, if you aren't a Slytherin, I'd suggest you leave. Now."
A small Hufflepuff boy walked away, blushing furiously.
"The way tryouts are going to work is as follows: You'll get in groups to do a few laps around the field, just to see if you can fly. Next, I'll put you in teams to see how you do. Then we'll go from there."
We all mounted our broomsticks and started flying around the pitch. This was a good call on Gabe's part, seeing as half of the students couldn't fly to save their lives.
The wind whipped my hair around and my broomstick reacted to the slightest touch. The Black Lake shimmered as the sun set. Stars were slightly visible in the almost-dark sky and the moon was just rising behind the farthest tree of the Forbidden Forest.
Gabe called us down and dismissed the others who completely failed.
He put us in two teams depending on our desired position and we set off. I took my place in front of the three large hoops and he released the balls.
The list of who had made the team was posted the day after. And guess what? All four of us had made the team.
