Woot!! Chapter Four!!! I, amazingly, have nothing to say, so Enjoy!!!
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, so the only things I own are my characters and my plot.
Chapter 4: First Lesson Fun
The next day, Snape was drinking his morning cup of tea while reading The Daily Prophet. It was peaceful in his house; he enjoyed the quiet. That, however, all changed when he was firecalled.
"Severus!" came the voice of Molly Weasley. Snape sighed and set his paper and teacup down. There went his peaceful morning. He walked into his study.
"Yes, Molly?" he asked.
"It's Sam."
Snape felt as though he'd been electrocuted. "What about her?"
"Well, we can't find her."
"What do you mean?"
"Just that; I went to wake her up around nine because it was time for breakfast, but she wasn't in her room! We've searched the whole house, and we can't find her!"
"I'll be right over." Snape hoped she hadn't decided to rob a store in the village. That would definitely not go over well with the Weasleys. He took a pinch of Floo powder from the pot on the fireplace, throwing it in the fire and shouting: "The Burrow!" He stepped in the flames, and a moment later he was standing in the Weasley's kitchen. He brushed himself off and saw that everyone in the house was gathered at the table, waiting for him.
"Thank goodness you've come, Severus," Molly said, sounding anxious and relieved at the same time. "We've searched the entire house from top to bottom, and she hasn't turned up anywhere!"
Snape sat himself at the table. "Well, I have a few ideas of where she might have gone, but I hope none of them are correct. May I go check her room to see if she left a note or something of the sort?"
Molly nodded, and Snape left, returning a moment later. "She did not leave a note, but I think she's close by."
"How can you tell, Professor?" asked Harry.
"Last night, her i-Pod was on her nightstand. It's no longer there. Therefore, she left and went somewhere, most likely close by, to listen to her music."
"What do you propose we do?" asked Arthur.
"I believe the best thing we can do is split up and search the area. If we find her, then we send up green sparks. If we do not find her within a half hour, we all return here to come up with another plan."
"Sounds good," stated Arthur, and soon every person in the house had gone outside to search for the girl. "She'd have better not gone to the village," thought Snape, going east.
Five minutes of searching for the girl had come up empty, although there was plenty of time left to search. Looking around, Snape thought he heard music, and headed to the source. Sure enough, there was Sam, sitting on the ground listening to her i-Pod, leaning against a tree and looking out on a pond. She didn't have her earbuds plugged in, and her i-Pod was playing from its own speakers. She was singing along with the music.
"Well, I'm terrified of these four walls.
These iron bars can't hold my soul in.
All I need is you
Come please I'm calling.
And, oh, I scream for you.
Hurry, I'm fallin'
I'm fallin'.
Show me what it's like
To be the last one standing.
And teach me wrong from right
And I'll show you what I can be.
And say it for me,
Say it to me.
And I'll leave this life behind me.
Say it if it's worth savin' me."
The music continued, and Snape could hear that she was enjoying the music. He hated to interrupt her, but he needed to. He sat down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her gasp loudly and whirl around to face him.
"Sorry," he said. Sam paused the music.
"S'okay. What's up?" she asked.
"Not much; what about you?"
"Nuthin'."
"You gave us quite a scare this morning, you know."
Sam looked startled. "What d'you mean?"
"Mrs. Weasley went to wake you up to tell you breakfast was ready, but you weren't in your room. We didn't know where you were."
"Oh. That scared you?"
"Yes. We didn't know what had happened to you. You could've been dead on the side of the road, for all we knew."
"I really didn't know anyone would be worried 'bout me. I'm so used to just leavin' whenever, I didn't even think 'bout that. I'm sorry for makin' you worry."
"It's fine; just don't do it again, alright? You nearly gave us all a heart attack."
"Alright."
Snape took his wand out, sending up green sparks.
"What was that?" asked Sam.
"That was a signal for everyone so they know I've found you."
"They were looking for me?"
Snape nodded. "Yes, we all were."
"Wow. I'll definitely remember not to leave again. Hey, do you wanna hear a song?"
"Why not?"
"Are you lost
In your lies?
Do you tell yourself
'I don't realize'?
Your crusade's a disguise.
Replace freedom with fear;
You trade money for lives.
I'm aware of what you've done.
No, no more sorrow.
I've paid for your mistakes.
Your time is borrowed.
Your time has come to be replaced.
I see pain; I see need.
I see liars and thieves
Abuse power with greed.
I had hope; I believed.
But I'm beginning to think that I've been deceived.
You will pay for what you've done!
No, no more sorrow.
I've paid for your mistakes.
Your time is borrowed.
Your time has come to be replaced!"
The song continued, but Sam had to pause it when she saw everyone coming at them. They were all running to get to her. Mrs. Weasley, upon seeing her okay, knelt down and gave her a bone-crushing hug, startling the teen.
"Oh, Sam!" Mrs. Weasley said, on the verge of tears. "We were so worried! We didn't know what had happened to you! We thought something horrible had happened!"
"Um, Mrs. Weasley, I kinda cant' breathe right now." Mrs. Weasley released her. "Why would you think somethin' bad happened to me? I wasn't even very far away from your house."
"It doesn't matter how far away you were, the point is; we didn't know where you were, and in these times we need to know."
"What d'you mean, 'these times'? What's goin' on?"
"I won't explain it here, let's get back to the Burrow and we'll explain it there."
"Okay?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked over to Sam, walking back to the Burrow with her, although Snape kept an arm around her shoulders, making sure she didn't leave his sight. When they got to the Burrow, everyone once again went to the kitchen table, Snape seating himself next to Sam. He was feeling oddly protective of her since that morning.
"Okay, so," Sam started, "what's goin' on here? What d'you mean by 'these times'? Why did me goin' to the pond freak everyone out so much?"
No one answered at first, so Harry answered. "We're at war, Sam."
"At war? With who?"
"A wizard named Voldemort and his followers; they're called Death Eaters."
"So, it's just one guy? Shouldn't he be easy to stop?"
Arthur took over. "He's not just any wizard, Sam; he's a very powerful one. He's what Muggles call a terrorist."
Sam's eyes widened. "A terrorist? Like Saddam Hussein?"
Everyone looked confused. "Who?"
Sam looked shocked. "You don't know who he is? Oh, my God, none of you do?"
All the Weasleys shook their heads. Hermione, however, had an idea.
"I think I remember something about him being on the news. Didn't he attack America or something like that?" she asked.
That made Harry remember. "Oh, now I remember. I heard something about that when the Dursleys were watching television. They said it was good that someone had brought them down a notch."
Sam pounded a fist on the table. "Bastards," she spat.
"Sam." Snape's voice had a warning tone to it.
"Sorry, but if you say that a country being attacked is a good thing, then you are one. I don't care who you are; you don't say that."
"So what happened?" asked Hermione.
"Back in two thousand one, he had people in three different planes hijack them and make them crash-land. They were commercial planes, so there were normal people on board. One crashed in the middle of nowhere, and it didn't hit a city, but most people on the plane died. One crashed into the Pentagon, which is an important building for the government in Washington, DC. Tons of people were hurt in that crash, because it was during work hours."
She stopped, and Hermione asked about the third plane. "What about the other plane? What happened to it?"
Sam looked like she would cry. "It hit New York City. It crashed into one of the Twin Towers, also known as the World Trade Center. The blast from the tower that got hit made the other one fall." A few tears fell, and she wiped hem away before continuing. "So many people died from that plane. I had a friend; we were the best of friends at the time. She'd lived in Rockledge 'till we were six, then she moved to New York 'cause of her dad's job. We were in first grade when it happened. We were talking on our cell phones. She and her parents were on a bus. They were at a red light next to the Towers when the plane hit." She started crying. "I could hear the plane hit. They never had a chance."
Instantly everyone at the table was standing up and comforting her. There were so many people crowding around her, patting her shoulders and rubbing her back, a few hugging her that she started to feel claustrophobic. She straightened up and wiped her eyes.
"I'm okay," she said, indicating that she wanted them to get away from her. Once they'd gone back to their seats, she continued. "So, we got off track a bit; this Voldemort dude's a terrorist?"
"Yes, and he's very powerful, too. He can actually do what he says, which a lot of people can't do," answered Arthur. Harry stayed silent, not wanting to discuss Voldemort much anymore.
"So, why did you worry the second I left?"
"Because, he's not like Muggle terrorists. He could be anywhere, and we would never know until it was too late. We didn't know if his followers had kidnapped you or not. They could've even killed you, and we never would've known."
"Oh. I'll remember that. I don't wanna make you guys worry 'bout me. That's just not right."
"I'm glad you think so. Just remember to let us know where you're going next time, okay?"
"Alright."
"And also, Hogwarts will be the safest place for you to be when you go there. Dumbledore, the headmaster, is the only person You-Know-Who has ever feared. The castle has also been made almost impenetrable during the school year."
"Alright, thanks for letting me know."
"No problem; anytime."
"There's something I wanna know, though. If I'm goin' to this school, how am I supposed to know what the he—heck I'm doin'? I've never done anythin' like this before."
Snape answered her. "That's why you're here, Sam; there're plenty of people to train you here. You'll be taught everything that you'll need to know to stay with your class once school starts."
"Oh, I get it."
There was a moment of silence where no one quite knew what to say. Finally, the twins got an idea.
"Hey Sam, have you-,"
"Ever played Quidditch before?" they asked.
"Played what?"
"That's a no, then," said Fred.
"It's a wizard sport, played on brooms," said George.
"Really? Cool!"
The twins looked at each other, excited at her reaction.
"D'you wanna play a game?" they asked in unison.
"Yeah, of course! Just lemme go change first; I kinda didn't before I left."
"Okay, meet us all out back, okay?"
"Alright."
A few minutes later, Sam went outside, meeting Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, and Percy by the back door.
"Woah," Ron said, looking at her clothes. "What are you wearing?"
Sam looked down at her outfit, wondering what was so strange. She was wearing white skinny jeans, a navy blue V-neck shirt with little puff sleeves, and a red vest. She had silver star earrings in, and she was wearing a silver bracelet and red shoes with star cut-outs in them. She was even wearing a skinny red headband, although it was more for show than anything else.
"What? Do I look funny?"
"No, I was just wondering what was with this sudden change in wardrobe."
"Oh, I don't wear things like this much. It's the Fourth of July, that's the only reason I'm wearing this."
"What's so special about the Fourth of July? And how did you know that that was today?"
"It's pretty much programmed into every American's brain. We all know when it is; that's the way we are. The Fourth of July is our Independence Day; the day we declared our independence from Great Britain and their tyranny."
"Tyrrany? What did we do?"
"I don't know, you really think I actually paid attention in U.S. History? I dunno, apparently they made us mad and we rebelled. That's all I know. So, what's this game you were talkin' about?"
Harry answered her. "It's called Quidditch. It's really big in the Wizarding world; everyone follows it. I don't know exactly what that would be like in America."
"Um, everyone either follows football or baseball."
"So, like baseball, then. Basically, it's a sport played on broomsticks. There are seven players to each team. Three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker. The Chasers fly around with a red ball called the Quaffle, which they try to throw through hoops for ten points each. Got it so far?"
Sam nodded. "Good. The Keeper tries to keep the Chasers from scoring goals; he defends the three hoops. The Beaters use bats to keep the two black balls called Bludgers from hitting their teammates. They're supposed to hit it into the other team. The Bludgers are charmed to fly around and try to hit people. Understand?"
Again Sam nodded. "Alright. The last player is the Seeker. Their job is to try to spot and catch the Golden Snitch, which is a little walnut-sized flying ball. The game can't end until the Snitch has been captured. The team who caught the Snitch gets three hundred and fifty points. And that's about it. D'you understand?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah, it sounds fun! But we don't have fourteen players. What do we do?"
Ron answered her. "Well, we have enough players for one Chaser, one Beater, one Keeper and a Seeker per team, so that's what we'll do. Usually when we play like this, the Beater is also a Chaser."
"Cool, so do we need a referee? We don't have anyone to do that if we're all playing."
"I'll be the referee."
Everyone turned around to see Snape standing at the back door. Sam smiled. "Awesome, so how do you use a broom?"
Fred and George smiled. "We have them in the shed, come on."
The little group went to the shed, the Weasleys picking up their brooms while Harry, Hermione, and Sam took the three spares. The Weasleys showed Sam how to mount it, and gave her a few pointers before letting her try.
"Alright, Sam," said Fred, "On three, I want you to kick off hard and go up about a meter. Then hover for a few seconds and touch down. Got it?"
The girl looked confused. "Um, how far is a meter?" she asked.
"What?"
"We use a different unit system in America. It's all feet and yards there. I have no idea how far a meter is."
"Oh. That's strange. A meter is a little bit above my head."
"Alright, about six feet, then. Okay, I'm ready."
"One, two, three!"
Sam pushed off the ground, rising to a point just above everyone's heads, looking ecstatic. She leaned forward on the broom, and it shot forward, going about thirty yards away from the group. She then pulled up on the nose, and went straight up until she was about a hundred feet above the ground. Dimly she heard the Weasleys shouting for her to go back, and she did so with a smile.
She pushed the nose of the broom down until she was going in a nose dive, making everyone present shout in alarm. Just before she crashed into the ground, she pulled up and headed towards the group, her toes skimming the top of the grass. She stopped about three feet away from the group, who rushed to her anxiously. She dismounted and laughed.
"Oh, my God, that was the most fun I've had in forever! I can't believe I never did this before!"
Harry, who was reminded of his first time on a broom, smiled. "Everyone gets that feeling when they first ride. Are you okay, though? You were pretty high up."
Hermione looked at him oddly. "Yes, and this is coming from the one who took a fifteen-meter dive after Neville's Remembrall of all things in first year; which, coincidentally, was your first time on a broom also."
Harry looked sheepish. "Well, that was different."
Ron laughed. "Not really, mate."
Sam interrupted the trio's nostalgia trip with a question that got everyone excited.
"So, are we gonna play or what?"
Fifteen minutes later, the eight players had been divided into two teams; Harry, Fred, Percy, and Hermione on one, and Sam, George, Ginny, and Ron on the other. They'd had a problem deciding who would be the second Seeker until Sam said that she wanted to go against Harry. After that, the teams were decided quickly.
Snape stepped to the middle, a whistle around his neck. He made Harry and Sam, who'd been decided team captains because they were the Seekers, shake hands while he made the traditional referee's speech.
"I want a fair game from all of you," he said, having a look about him that said, "Or else." "Mount your brooms." After everyone did so, he blew the whistle, sending everyone into the air.
As soon as she reached a height of about fifty feet, Sam started searching for the Snitch. She desperately wanted to find it before Harry did; she was an extremely competitive person. A flash of gold caught her eye; it was the Snitch, and the game wasn't even a minute over. She darted off at an angle slightly to the right, chasing the little ball. Harry hadn't noticed her yet, and she was glad for it. She chased the Snitch to the edge of a forest, and then caught it against a tree, smashing her hand against it. She held up the little golden ball, smiling triumphantly.
"I got it!" she shouted.
Everyone turned to look at her holding up the Snitch, Harry's mouth wide open in shock. He hadn't even seen it. Sam landed and handed the ball to Snape, who took it.
"Three hundred and fifty points to Sam's team," he said quietly, though he was bursting with pride.
"Yes!" Sam shouted, looking triumphant. Ron, George, and Ginny landed and ran over to her, checking to make sure the Snitch was real before whooping and patting Sam on the back.
It was then Sam noticed she had a hand full of splinters.
"Dammit," she cursed, grasping her right hand with her left. She tried to use her fingernails to pull some of the pieces of wood out, but it didn't work. Everyone was by her side in a second. Snape stepped forward, grabbing her right wrist and bringing it toward him.
"What happened?" he asked.
"When I was chasing the Snitch, it was about to go in the forest, so I pinned it against a tree."
Snape took out his wand, muttering a few spells so that the splinters came out of her hand without hurting her. He then muttered another spell, which conjured bandages. He took them and wrapped them around her hand, tying the ends.
"There you are."
"Thanks."
The teens crowded around her, making sure she was alright. "Yeah, I'm fine, I've gotten more before. Believe me, it's not fun trying to get them out the Muggle way. This was so much better."
"Well, if you're sure… Want to play another match?"
"You know it!"
A couple hours later found the little group making their way back to the Burrow for a late lunch. They made it back just in time. Mrs. Weasley was just setting plates down for everyone when they got in.
After lunch, Mr. Weasley gave Sam her first lesson in magic; she was borrowing Hermione's wand. After she'd performed most first year spells, Mr. Weasley ended the lesson. Sam then went and hung out with the Weasley children, who told her about living in a Wizarding house and all of the different things that they had.
Not too much later, they were all seated at the dinner table, eating one of Mrs. Weasley's meals. There was lots of talking and laughing; the atmosphere was pleasant. It made Sam think of the few family dinner's she'd had. She could remember the last one they'd had. It hadn't turned out well for her at all. She'd spent a few days in the wardrobe after that dinner.
The memories of that trip into the wardrobe brought about old fears; her father had come home a lot more often back then. The combination of memories and fears, mostly tied into one, forced a few tears to escape her eyes. She quickly wiped them away; she didn't want anyone to see them, for if they did they would surely ask her why she was crying. She really didn't want to ruin the positive atmosphere of the room.
Snape had seen her wipe the tears away, and placed a hand on her back, catching her eye. She looked back and smiled, indicating to him that there was nothing to worry about. The man nodded and went back to his conversation with Percy about advanced potions, though he kept an eye on her.
All too soon it was time for the children to go to bed, and Snape said good-bye to Sam, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys, as it was getting late.
"Wait, so are you comin' back?" Sam asked, sounding a bit worried.
"Maybe not tomorrow, but I will visit from time to time," Snape reassured her.
"Oh. Alright, then."
"Good-bye, Sam." He reached a hand out and gently ruffled her hair.
"'Bye, Mr. Snape." Sam didn't wait for anyone else as she turned around and headed up the stairs and to her room, wanting to be alone.
The rest of the summer passed similarly, Sam learning more and more about the Wizarding world as the days went by. Harry's birthday came and went, with a celebration that Mrs. Weasley insisted upon. Sam's birthday, also, passed by; the only reason anyone knew it was because of Snape, who'd heard it from Dumbledore. The Weasleys threw her a surprise party, since she didn't know that they knew when it was. She came inside after a day of flying to find a celebration waiting for her. Needless to say, she was equally parts surprised and excited. She hadn't had a birthday party since the one when she was eight, and even then they hadn't been so spirited.
Soon the last weeks of August had come, and everyone had made their annual trip to Diagon Alley. Sam had been extremely excited to see all of the things that were unique to the Wizarding world; she was especially happy to receive her first wand (ten inches ebony with dragon heartstring). They bought all her remaining supplies, and as soon as they got back to the Burrow she opened her Defense Against the Dark Arts book and started reading it.
"Merlin, I hope she's not another Hermione," Ron remarked quietly to Harry.
September first came sooner than anyone expected, and soon Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sam were sitting in a carriage together on the Hogwarts Express, heading to Hogwarts. Sam was looking around the carriage and out the window nervously; she couldn't sit still.
"Sam, are you alright?" asked Hermione, worried that she was feeling claustrophobic.
"Yeah, fine. I've just never been on a train before."
"Really?"
"Yep, this is my first time. Trains aren't really that popular in America."
"Ah. Do you want to walk around for a bit?"
Sam smiled gratefully. "Yeah, that would be great."
The two girls got up and left, shutting the door behind them. Not long after, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle opened the door and walked in.
"Potter, Weasley," Malfoy stated.
The two boys were instantly alert.
"Malfoy," they replied.
"I hope you weren't ready for another Lupin; he's not coming back. His kind aren't allowed anymore. Or were you getting your hopes up for a miracle?"
"Shove off, Malfoy," Ron spat. "What are you here for?"
"Not much, really. I was just wondering who that was with you dear friend Granger. I've never seen her before. Is she a charity case; you would know all about those, Potter."
"Shut up, Malfoy, she's a new student; you'd better not mess with her or you'll be sorry."
"I'm shaking in my robes. New student? In fourth year? Don't make me laugh. She's the transfer student; I already know everything about her. Are you trying to make friends? I bet you don't know the first thing about her."
Ron stood up, angry. "Shut the hell up, Malfoy, you don't know anything about her. So don't give me that crap."
Just then Hermione and Sam showed up.
"Hey, guys, s'up?" Sam asked, completely ignoring Malfoy and sitting down in her seat. "Ron, why're you standing? I hear it's a pretty long ride; there are seats, you know. Sit down."
Ron looked at Malfoy, and then slowly sat down. Sam brought her knees up to her chest, pulling her i-Pod out of her pocket.
"Oh, Ron, did I tell you? Your dad helped me get my i-Pod, my laptop, and my cell phone to work off of magic. Isn't that sweet? Now I can use 'em at school."
"Really?" Hermione asked. "How'd he do that?"
"I dunno, he looked at 'em for a couple days, then he said he put some spell on 'em. Now I can use 'em anywhere. Hey, ya'll wanna hear a popular song?"
Harry answered her. "Sure. What's it called?"
"Right Round. Actually, it's kinda old; it was popular last month."
"And that makes it old?"
Sam smiled. "You have no idea how fast music goes in and out of popularity. There are some songs where they're really popular for about a week or two, and then everyone hates them. It's kinda funny, actually. Alright, so here we go."
Sam had the volume turned all the way up and didn't have the earbuds plugged in, so everyone could hear the words clearly. Sam started singing with the music.
"You spin my head right round, right round
When you go down, when you go down down.
You spin my head right round, right round
When you go down, when you go down down.
Hey!
Walk out my house with my swagger.
Hop in that with dough, I got places to go!
People to see, time is precious.
I looked at my cotty, are ya outta control.
Just like my mind where I'm going.
No women, no shawties, no nothin' but clothes.
No stoppin' now, my Pirellis on role.
I like my jewelry, that's always on whoa.
I know the storm is comin'.
my pockets keep tellin me it's gonna shower.
Call up my homies it's all,
Then pop in the next 'cause this mix'll be ours.
We keep a fade away shot 'cuz we ballin'.
It's platinum patron that be ours.
Li'l mama, I owe you just like the flowers.
Girl you drink with all that goodie power.
You spin my head right round, right round
When you go down, when you go down down.
You spin my head right round, right round
When you go down, when you go down down."
She stopped singing, but let the music play. "Sorry, I'm not a good singer. This song just has funny memories."
"Like what?" Hermione asked. Malfoy and company were still there, Malfoy shocked that she was ignoring him.
"Like this one time my friends and I crashed a school dance. That was so fun. We snuck in 'cause we didn't buy tickets; we trashed the gym. This song was playing when we got there."
She started laughing, and Harry and Ron smiled; Hermione looked scandalized. Malfoy left, Crabbe and Goyle following him.
"Wow, Sam, how'd you do that?" Ron asked, referring to how Malfoy had just left.
"Do what?"
"Make Malfoy leave like that. He's never done that before."
Sam looked genuinely confused. "Who? I honestly didn't see anyone."
Ron looked skeptical, but let the subject drop. The rest of the trip was spent talking, laughing, and listening to music. When they got to the platform, the four friends waited a bit before they got off the train. When they did, though, they didn't get to go far, as Professor McGonagall came up to them.
"Samantha Biluxy?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's me," Sam answered. "Could you call me Sam, please?"
The professor looked at her. "Sam, then. All four of you, follow me. We are going to Sort you before everyone else, so we must hurry."
Sam paled. "In front of everyone?"
"No, we will do it in Professor Dumbledore's office, which is why we must hurry."
The four teens followed the professor to a carriage that took them to the front of the castle. They got out, and Professor McGonagall led them to Dumbledore's office. When they got to the gargoyle, she gave it the password, which was 'Lemon Drop'. They went up the stairs, stopping at a door, which the professor knocked three times on.
"Come in," called a voice from inside.
The five stepped inside to find four people inside. Harry, Ron, and Hermione recognized everyone present; Professors Dumbledore, Sprout, Flitwick, and Snape. Sam, however, only recognized Snape, and her face lit up because of it. He hadn't been to the Burrow in a few weeks in preparation for the upcoming year.
"Hello, Samantha," Dumbledore said, smiling warmly. "Or would you rather me call you Sam?"
"Sam, please."
"Very well, Sam. Welcome to Hogwarts. I would inform you of some of the start-of-the-year traditions, but I am sure Harry, Ron, and Hermione have already done that. I did not think that you would enjoy being Sorted in front of the whole student body, so we are going to do that here and now. Minerva, if you please."
Professor McGonagall came forward, holding the Sorting Hat, placing it on Sam's head. The old hat almost covered her eyes, but it didn't, just barely. Nothing happened for a moment, then:
"Hello, Samantha," the Hat said in her ear.
Sam whipped the hat off her head, startled. "Holy sh—No one told me it talked!"
Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, it sometimes does that."
Sam nodded, then shakily placed the Hat back on her head.
"Well, someone has a dirty mouth."
"Shut up, I didn't… Wait, you read my mind?"
"Yes, I did. And I must say yours is interesting."
"Thanks?"
"Your welcome. Now, let me see; you enjoy crime, especially of the robbing sort. You don't like doing what adults say, you're generally untrusting, but you have a certain cunning when it comes to breaking the rules. Hmmm… It seems to me that you're best suited for Slytherin. What do you say?"
"Which one is that?"
"It's the one fabled to have produced every Dark witch and wizard ever lived. It will help you greatly on your path of crime."
"Which one are Harry, Ron, and Hermione in? The one with the red and gold stripes?"
"Ah, yes, Harry Potter. I remember him. They are all in Gryffindor."
"I want to be with them."
"Hmm… I'm not sure that's best for you. Although… Now I'm starting to see indecision in you. You're not sure whether to stray from your path or not. Come to think of it, Gryffindor would be best for you to make your choice… I do see that you're brave when it comes to your friends… I've made my decision."
"Gryffindor?"
"Yes. Would you like to tell them?"
"Yeah, thanks. 'Bye."
"I hope to speak with you soon."
Sam took off the Hat, handing it back to Professor McGonagall. "Well?" she asked.
"I'm in Gryffindor," Sam replied, smiling. Harry, Ron, and Hermione instantly surrounded her, Hermione giving her a hug.
"Good, job, Sam," they were saying.
"Well," said Dumbledore, "that's one mystery ended for tonight. Congratulations, Sam, you are now officially part of Hogwarts." He handed her a red-and-gold tie.
"Thanks." Sam took it and tied it loosely around her neck. She couldn't stand it being tied any tighter than that.
"Well, now it's on to the feast! Let us go."
Everyone started leaving, except for Snape, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sam. Sam went over to the Potions professor and smiled.
"Hey, Mr. Snape," she said.
"Hello, Sam. Did you have a good trip over?" Snape asked, ruffling her hair.
"Yep, it was pretty good."
"Good. Now, we must go. Come on, all of you."
The five went down, and just before they got to the Great Hall, Snape stopped Sam.
"Now, remember, Sam, when we're in class, call me 'Professor', alright?"
Sam nodded. "Alright."
Snape nodded, and he and Sam rejoined Harry, Ron, and Hermione. All five of them walked into the great Hall at the same, Snape splitting off from them at the door. While he headed for the Professor's table, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sam headed to the Gryffindor table. Whispers erupted at the sight of Sam; no one had been expecting a new Gryffindor who wouldn't be in first year. The four ignored them, though. They split off at the Gryffindor table, Harry and Ron sitting on one side of the table, Sam and Hermione sitting across from them.
Once the Sorting was over with, Dumbledore stood up for announcements. After he'd introduced the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Alastor Moody, he introduced Sam.
"As some of you may have noticed, we have a new student coming into the Fourth Year. This is Samantha Biluxy; she has transferred here from America. Samantha, if you would."
Sam stood up, raising a hand in hello. "Call me Sam," she said. Whispers broke out among the students as she sat back down. That was the end of the announcements, and the feast finally began. As soon as they were allowed to talk freely, Sam was bombarded with questions from everyone around her.
"Hi, Sam, where're you from?"
"Rockledge, Florida."
"Why're you coming here?"
"My mom apparently wrote a letter."
"What's it like in America?"
"If you're a kid, pretty cool. If you're an adult, then not so much, 'cause there're so many taxes you gotta pay."
"What's school like there?"
"I don't know what high school is like; I was supposed to be a freshman there this year."
"What about before this year?"
"I dunno, I skipped school most days."
It went on like this for the whole feast. Once it was over, Harry, Ron, and Hermione took Sam to the Common Room. They hung out there for a little while until it was time for bed. Hermione took Sam to the girls' dormitories, and they got ready for bed. Just when Sam was about to fall asleep, her phone vibrated; someone had texted her.
"hey sam, wots up? ill ttyl, k? byby, josh."
Sam smiled; Josh was thinking about her. "im about 2 go 2 bed. ill txt u in da mornin. nite. luv sam."
That night, Sam dreamt about her dad. It was a hellish nightmare, but then Snape came and saved her. She rolled over and sighed, her dreams protected by the people who cared about her.
That's it!! Did you like it? review and let me know!! Next up, Chapter five!! review plz!
Love ya'll!!!!!!!
~artyluvr
~(^_^)~