"Hermione, calm down." Neville whispered in my ear.
"I am calm." I replied, which was totally a lie.
"No you're not. Your shaking so much people in Africa can feel it." He said in a disbelieving voice, with a hint of amusement.
"Africa's not that far." I retorted while playing with my fingers and looking up at the sorting hat. Not a moment ago we had walked into the Great Hall to get sorted, every eye on us. Professor McGonagall introduced us to the Sorting Hat, and it sang its song. Now we were all waiting for the Professor to start roll call.
Draco had separated from us when we got off the train, saying he better find his oaf friends, Crabbe and Goyle, before they pester him about where he was. Before he left he said goodbye, shook Neville's hand, gave me a hug, and wished us luck. When he was about to leave he added, "If you guys are in Gryffindor and I end up in Slytherin, maybe we can be the first to make a friendship in those two houses. Hopefully."
"Most definitely." I said while Neville nodded in agreement.
Draco. God, I wish he was here next to me instead of with those oafs. It's a sure good thing I got Neville, or else I probably would have peed my pants already. I turned to see Neville with a smile on his face while shaking his head.
"Wow Hermione, just wow." He said laughingly. Right when I was about to reply, Professor McGonagall started roll call.
"Hannah Abbott." She called out. A blond girl nervously went to the stool and had the hat placed on her head.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat yelled out a minute later. The Hufflepuff table cheered loudly, their cheers echoing through the hall. Hannah happily bounced over to the Hufflepuff table.
"Susan Bones." Next a red head girl, redder than that Weasley boy, shakily made her way to the stool. The hat was placed on her head and fell over her eyes.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat yelled out. The girl shyly rushed to sit next to Hannah as the table once again burst with cheers.
"Hermione Granger." Neville patted me on the back as I let out a small wimper, making my way up to the stool.
As I sat down, I looked up at McGonagall who gave me a small, warm smile before putting the hat on my head. Hmm, the hat started in my head. Lets see, very brave and cares much about your independence, much like a Gryffindor. But then again, you have the most intelligent mind I've ever seen in a first year muggleborn, perfect for Ravenclaw. So where to put you…
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat called out. The Gryffindor table exploded with cheers for their first new Gryffindor. Before I walked over I looked at Draco, who gave me two thumbs up when he saw me looking his way. I rushed to the Gryffindor table and sat next to the oldest Weasley boy, that I saw earlier on the train, while everyone near me gave me pats on the back in welcome.
When we settled down the next name was called.
"Draco Malfoy." Draco walked calmly to the stool and sat down. He looked over at me and I smiled warmly at him and he smiled back. Professor McGonagall went to put the hat on his head, but the hat barely touched him before it yelled, "SLYTHERIN!" the Slytherin cheered just as loudly as Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, and he made his way over to take a seat next to a boy that looked like a troll in fourth year.
"Ronald Weasley." The Weasley boy walked up to the stool and sat down. Not a second later the hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" The Weasley's cheered above everyone else. The one I was sitting next to, was yelling, "That's my brother!" until Ron was sitting across from me.
"Neville Longbottom." Neville tripped on his way up to the stool, causing the hall to laugh and Neville to go red. He sat on the stool and the hat was placed on his head.
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat announced. I swear, I was the loudest one cheering. Neville jumped off the stool and ran all the way to the table, forgetting the hat was still on his head. Halfway there he seemed to remember and ran back, once again tripping, to return the hat and ran back to the Gryffindor table to sit beside me. His face was beat red, almost as red as Ron's hair.
"Don't worry Neville." I whispered to him and he gave me a small smile. The sorting continued on.
"Daphne Greengrass."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Padma Patil"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Parvati Patil."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Pansy Parkinson."
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Dean Thomas."
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Harry Potter" The hall was dead quiet at this name. he walked calmly to the stool and sat down. The Professor placed the hat on his head. This sorting was the longest out of all of them, and three minutes later the hat had came to a conclusion.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindors all cheered louder than the roars of a thousand lions together. We all chanted, "We got Potter, we got Potter!" until he reached his seat next to Ron.
The sorting continued for another twenty minutes before ending with Blaise Zabini who was sorted into Slytherin. Before he got up he looked straight at me, than at Neville, than to Draco, before looking back at me, and nodding. Almost as if it was in…approval? I didn't have a chance to think about it as he was already next to a scrawny brown haired boy, Theodore Nott I think, at Slytherin table.
When everyone was settled down, Dumbledore stood to talk. "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: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" With that said he sat down, and food appeared on the table.
I was very amazed by this, still getting use to the whole magic thing. I looked across the hall and met eyes with Draco. So, want to form the first Slytherin/Gryffindor friendship? He mouthed to me. I could see the hope in his eyes. I looked at Neville who was looking between me and Draco. When he saw I was looking at him he nodded to me excitedly. I turned back to Draco and mouthed, Most definitely. His face broke into a grin, as did mine, and he nodded.
"You going to eat?" a voice said in front of me. I looked slightly to my left to find two pair of eyes on identical bodies looking at me.
"Umm, yes, of course." I said shyly, starting to put food on my plate.
"It's Hermione right? Hermione Granger?" the same twin asked me. I looked up at him and nodded. "I'm George, and my dashing mirror over here is Fred. My partner in crime, the peanut to my jelly, the orange to my hair, the—"
"She gets it, Georgie." Fred said in a laughing tone.
"Just making sure, you know. You can never be too safe." He said, smiling at me. I heard Neville laughing quietly beside me, and I turned to see that he was laughing at the twins. I smiled at him before turning back to the twins, who were watching us with smiles. Fred turned to Neville and asked, "Longbottom, right? Neville Longbottom?"
"Yeah." He said shyly, spooning some mashed potatoes in his mouth. The twins leaned in slightly so that only Neville and I could hear what they were saying.
"So…" Fred started.
"A little birdie told us…" George continued.
"That the two of you…"
"Were seen…"
"On the train…"
"Sitting with…"
"The one…"
"And only…"
"Draco Malfoy." They finished, with their eyebrows raised. I leaned in just like them so I was eye level with them, faces inches apart. Not wanting to feel left out, Neville copied my moves, his head right next to mine.
"Would this be little birdie be little twin birdies, perhaps with red feathers?" I asked in a innocently, sweet voice.
They exchanged a look before turning back to us. "Maybe." They said in union with identical smirks. I backed away, Neville following my lead.
"Well, anyways, why does it matter if we were?" I asked, eating some chicken on my plate.
"Nothing, nothing at all," George responded. "It's just, Malfoys are known to be muggle haters, and seeing as you're a muggleborn, it's kind of…unusual to see him be so nice." He said cautiously, not wanting to offend or upset me. I noticed this and let a small smile creep on my face, seeing him visibly relax.
"Don't worry; I already talked to him about that. He says that's what his father believes in but not him. His father has tried to brainwash him with these thoughts but apparently he's too smart for him. I guess we'll find out this year how different he is." I said matter-of-factly.
"Well then this should be a good and interesting year." Fred said while shaking his head, with a slight smile. We all nodded in agreement. "Oh and by the way, now that you've talked to us, and we know your names, there's no getting rid of us. Right Georgie?" he said with a smirk.
"Right you are, Freddie boy, right you are." He said with an identical smirk.
"Oh, yay!" I said in a sarcastic tone. The boys and Neville snickered at my fake enthusiasm. I turned my head towards the Slytherin table. As is sensing my eyes, Draco looked up from talking to a bulky girl, Millicent Bulstrode was her name, and met my eyes. He smiled and winked at me. I repeated the process and he laughed before turning back to Millicent.
"We saw that." Identical voices sang. I turned my head to roll my eyes at them and playfully smack Neville's arm, who was laughing.
"This is gonna be a long year." I mumbled to myself before finally eating some food.
About an hour later of talking and eating, the tables were cleared, and Dumbledore stood to make a speech. "Welcome back, and to first years, welcome. Just a few beginning-of-the-year notices. Anyone wishing to try out for your house Quidditch team this year, your captains will let you know the dates. As usual the Forbidden Forest is, well, forbidden." He looked directly at the twins as he said this, who smiled innocently. "Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you that the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death." At this everyone went silent. "Now before I depart you to your sleep, I wish for everyone to stand, and sing the school song with me. Pick your favorite tune!" a magical scroll was in the air and music started the lyrics on the scroll.
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald,
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling,
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
When the song ended the twins kept going on a high, long note. When they finished, Dumbledore stood up again. "Thank you Mr. Weasleys for your spirit in the song. Now I wish you all a goodnight, and sweet dreams!" with that said everyone started to file out while first years followed the prefects.
"See you two tomorrow!" the twins yelled at me and Neville as we walked by. We waved to them before they disappeared. I looked around the hall for Draco but didn't spot him.
"Looking for me?" a sly voice said behind us. Neville and I turned to see Draco standing behind us with a smile on his face.
"Yeah, just wanted to say goodnight." Neville answered. I nodded before going up to him and hugging him, which he returned.
"Goodnight. Good luck with the Slytherins." I said in his ear.
"Goodnight. Good luck with the Gryffindors." He said in my ear. We broke away and he turned to Neville. "Night, Neville."
"Night, Draco." Draco gave us both a smile before turning to catch up with his prefect, while we did the same.
Once we got to the common room I said goodnight to Neville and gave him a hug before going up to the girls dorm, and crashing onto my bed, not even bothering to change. This was a good day, new friends, new life, but many adventures to come. And for these to happen I'll need all the sleep I can get.
A/N: You like? Will people judge the friendship of the three first years? Will the twins accept it and even become part of it? Where does Harry, Ron, and Blaise come in? What about Draco's dad? Well I'll keep updating so read and find out! Remember to review! Olivia