" Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end."
" What do you think of this color?" Alyce held her hand palm up towards the overhead lights, giving greater affect to the intense lilac that coated her long nails.
" No, pink suits your complexion better." I threw at her, my voice low due to the amount of concentration I was applying to the notes in front of me.
I glanced up from the text, watching as she tapped her wand against her fingernails, turning them a light shade of pink. Her hair fell over her shoulder, spilling waves of gold down the front of her shirt down to her elbow. She always reminded me of a Greek goddess from the ancient legends. Perhaps she was an Aphrodite or maybe a Helen of Troy, bound to trouble by her glorious beauty.
" So, what's with the new look, Alyce?" I asked, my face masked of emotion. She smirked and leaned back in her seat, a wicked gleam in her eye.
" Well, lets just say that Amos Diggery has his eyes on me, and I would like more than just his eyes after dinner tonight."
I could feel my eyebrows rising in response; I couldn't help it.
" Wow. Your sluttiness amazes me more and more every day." We both tried to maintain a straight face, failing miserably as fits of giggles enraptured us both.
After the hours had passed and the windows tinted dark by night, Alyce helped me gather my books and return them all to their proper place in the library.
The hall was eerily quiet as we made our way to dinner, arm in arm; two pictures of beauty connected by a single link.
Amelia Bones leaned casually against the entrance of the Great Hall, watching us walk steadily towards her with a heavy lidded gaze. Where Alyce reminded me of the Sun, Amelia stirred thoughts of the mother earth. Her naturally dark looks gave her the appearance of an out-doorsy type girl, but really she was one of the biggest scholars in Hogwarts.
I met her sometime back in second year when we were competing for top spot in the potions class. I won, and with her being a Ravenclaw, and well…me not, it brought on a few passionate remarks and hated stares. But soon after our little tiff we became fast and tight friends.
" I was wondering what took you wankers so long. Cissy and Alex have been warding off horny pubescent geeks just to save our spots. Now, don't you feel so ashamed?"
Her brown eyes twinkled in good humor, though her lips never once quirked. Amelia Bones very rarely smiled, for such a creature as she was far too serious and studious of a person. She and Alyce were complete opposites, which many times led to civil differences between the two.
Amelia came around to my free side, taking my arm in her own just as Alyce had done.
" Now, m'ladies, shall we make our grand entrance for the evening?"
I smiled slightly and nodded towards the doors.
" Yes, I definitely agree with the idea."
Arms dropping casually to our sides we stepped into the noisy Hall, ignoring the hushed whispers and yearning stares that were being sent our way. I do not lie that we revel in the glory that is presented to us, for it is rightfully ours'.
Narcissa was seated somewhere at the end of the Hufflepuff table, Alexis beside her. Amelia hadn't been joking when she elaborated on the gang of boys. A group of fifth years were practically drooling over Alexis' shoulder. She turned to smile at me. It was sometimes shocking the family resemblance she shared with James Potter. Of course being cousins, I suppose that sort of thing might happen. I guess what gets me the most is her personality. She acts nothing like the arrogant prat that walked the halls like Hogwarts royalty.
She patted the empty seat beside her, a warm smile lighting up her flushed face. I slid onto the bench, turning my body so that I could face all four of my friends. Cissy shooed the pesky youth from around us, and we began to dig in to the feast that lay before us.
The pumpkin pie looked scrumptious, though pumpkin was never my favorite flavor. And then I remembered the Transfiguration spell I had learned to change it to blackberry pie. With a wave of my wand I muttered the appropriate incantation. And nothing happened.
I scrunched up my nose in aggravation and speared off a big chunk of the pie with my fork.
" You are not seriously going to eat that, are you?",
Alyce asked me in a horrified voice.
" It will go straight to you ass, you know."
Narcissa rolled her eyes, smiling at me apologetically.
" Don't listen to this weight freak, Lily. One piece of pie won't kill you…or blow your ass up like the stupid one seems to believe."
I shoved the fork into my mouth, grinning over the mouth full.
" May I please have your attention."
I, as well as the rest of the student body, was startled by this interruption to our meal. Only when important matters were at hand did Dumbledore ever break into a feast with a lecture.
He stood patiently, his blue eyes staring expectantly over his half moon spectacles at me. Then suddenly realization hit me that the hall was not quieting, merely filling with the echoes of enthusiastic whispers.
Climbing to my feet, I stepped atop my emptied spot on the wooden bench, facing the entire Great Hall. Murmuring a spell to carry my voice, I inhaled deeply.
" QUIET!" A masculine voice boomed across the Great Hall, first surprising me that it was not my own carrying throughout the room, and secondly that it belonged to James Potter.
I had not seen the bastard when we entered, not that I was looking of course. He stood erect on the other end of the Hall, an heir of superiority about him like a king before his kingdom.
The students immediately quieted, shrinking back into their seats beneath his burning gaze. I barely noticed when a sixth year boy was kind enough to help me down. Finally I managed to turn my attentions back to the Headmaster.
" I believe that the Sorting Hat has an important song he wishes for you all to hear. So listen carefully and heed his words. They may matter entirely in the end."
Dumbledore ended with a round of applause and he once more seated himself behind the staff's table. All attention was now focused on the musty old hat.
Almost like magic the faded felt was animated into a creature fit for the school. It took a few moments to fully wake up, but soon enough it cleared its raspy voice and sang out.
"A thousand years or more ago
when I was newly sewn,
there lived four wizards of renown,
whose names are still well known:
bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
Now I'm sure you're wondering
what tales I have to tell.
So listen close and heed my words
they'll likely do you well.
Never were such good friends found
In all the world to find
And such revelations shocking
As their bond quickly declined.
School ties were lost
As friendships fell
No longer trust
Filled Hogwarts halls
So sad a time it was to see
And makes me sad to say
Such horrors will soon befall you
As something wicked comes your way
Keep true to your friends and Houses
Soon severed are your ties
For those you once held faith in
Shall soon harm you out of spite."
The ballad ended with a stunned silence, and a wave of dread filled my heart. What the hell was that all about anyway? Keep true to your friends and houses… never in my seven years at Hogwarts had the Houses ever been segregated. We didn't even sit at our proper tables. Everyone was friends with whomever they desired, no matter the title of House.
Most just waved off the warning as a ridiculous waste of thought. And it would seem that my friends wished to appear that way as well, their happy-go-lucky smirks correctly in place. But as Narcissa turned her head, her gaze captured mine for a moment…and I saw the worry and caution that filled her gray orbs, almost like a warning meant especially for me. But as I leaned closer she turned her head once more, her expression guarded.
I should've ignored the warning just like everyone else. And yet, even as I told myself this, the ballad still played over again in my head.
As something wicked comes your way…
A/N: So how do you like it? I always have trouble starting off stories, but once I get writing, it flows really well. Im sorry it took me so long to post the next chapter. I was adding a bit to it everyday. Now, seeing as I have midterms this week, you might not get another chapter until the end of next week, im sorry to say. So, I hope you enjoy! Please leave me lots of comments.
XOXOXO
