Chapter Seven – The School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

Remus looked outside of the window. The night-sky engulfed all of the station.

He said, "This must be Hogsmede."

Rana looked out at the historical background "Yeah and there is the castle, it looks so much bigger in person."

The train screeched to a halt as a tall guy with a shiny badge started yelling "First years follow me! First years!"

Eila stood up and went behind the boy, and tugged his sleeve shyly "Uhh…who are you?"

The boy looked at her merrily, "I am Percival I. Gorke, head Hufflepuff boy. Follow me, and keep me and your friends close so you don't get lost."

Eila motioned towards the group as they got up and stepped off the train, where all the first years were met by the groundskeeper (Hagrid is actually the same age as them at this point) who silently lead them to the boats. Rana looked at the water untrustingly, "I sense death in these waters." She said eerily as she stepped into the boat.

Sirius looked at his sister and laughed "You're not afraid are you?"

Rana looked at him and smiled confidently, somewhat madly "No, not at all, I just saw your demise in here, that's it."

Sirius shuddered and also took a step onto the boat. Eila also followed and remarked "Wow! That is a big castle! Will we be living in that?"

Rana sat back against the prow of the boat "No, that is where you will be dieing; the goblins love to feed on flesh. 'Tis a great honor, in the wizarding world."

Eila gulped loudly as she clutched the side-port of the boat. "Really? Is that why they sent us here?"

"Of course, why else would they pick you, a nobody at an unknown orphanage, and me, an over-confident idiot brandishing a twig, nobody knows us, and it would be easier just to wipe us all away. Every one here is just merely rejects of society, unable to function as a part of it and the government feels as if we should not be able to integrate with the others." Rana returned, trying to keep a straight, serious face, until she finally broke into laughter.

Eila started laughing as she punched Rana on the shoulder.

As they landed on the high shores of the black lake, with its over looming walls of endless torrent like a restless sea. Rana looked back at the distant horizon.

"The moon rises full today,

The wolves come out to play.

Just as I, in responsibility must tell him,

To beware this monthly phase."

Eila looked at her friend strangely "Rana, are you okay? You don't seem your normal self."

Rana looked back and courtly replied "Yeah, this place is more eerie than I imagined though. Like a very sad story is being held here, one of restless pain and anguish, the dead cannot sleep here."

Eila shook her head and followed the rest into the castle. Rana remained there until James, peter, and Lupin got off the boats. Rana walked briskly beside Lupin and whispered quietly "Where are you going to change, wolf of the full moon, your master rises full this evening."

Lupin looked at Rana, and then at the setting sun, how did she figure out his secret, and why did she tell him? "I must not let her shake me, I have more important things to do, calm down Remus, you will be sorted and out the door in time. Thankfully, this is a cloudy night, and I won't see the moon until after this dreadful rain."

James called out over the rain mockingly "Hey Remus, You got yourself a girlfriend already?"

Remus snapped out of his trance and replied "No, of course not, she would never consider me her boyfriend, nor I my girlfriend, its just mutual tolerance, if you will."

James laughed again, "Well your mutual tolerance might just turn into something more, if you know what I mean."

"James," Remus smiled, "You know me, and I would never let my studies hindered by a girl I don't know. I-I'm not the romantic type."

"Suurrrreee." James chanted, while circling around Remus "Remmy's got a little crush on his mate's sister, Remmy's got a crush on Rana! Remmy and Rana sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Hey Remus, do you want some R&R?"

Lupin looked at James "R&R? What does that mean, dare I ask?"

James giggled as he blurted "Remus and Rana!"

Remus looked at him reproachfully "You're so immature, James."

James, now rolling in stitches said "Yeah, I know."

After the long, dreadful, rainy hike into the castle, they were met by a grand entranceway, with a grand staircase, that was rather thick, and branched off into two hallways. There was a single door, right in front of the staircase. A wide door that had four symbols on it. A snake, a lion, an eagle, and a badger. The doorframe had a huge "H" in the middle of the top, as well as two great pillars on the side. They went up the grand staircase. Then the door opened, and a tall witch with a long, beaklike nose, huge, round glasses and a kind look appeared out of it.

She looked at the student and announced "Welcome, all of you, to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall. Soon, you will enter through these doors to get sorted into your respective houses. Then you will join your classmates for the beginning-of- term feast."

Eila looked exited and eager as she looked at the old woman. After an old man announced them (Eila knew it was Dumbledore.) they walked through the middle of the great hall, which was lined with four tables with a row of tapestries above each. Each tapestry had one of the four animals on the door and a motto that read Dormiens Draco Nunquam Titillandus.

Eila looked up at the ceiling, where it portrayed the disgusting weather. She put up her hood in anticipation of rain, but nothing happened. She blushed and put down her hood.

They stopped in front of a musty old hat that suddenly burst into a song. After the song, Professor McGonagall called out names in alphabetical order.

"Rana Aries Black!" Professor McGonagall called out into the crowd of first years. Rana stepped out of the crowd and looked at the hat, sat down on the stool after McGonagall had raised it and placed it on Rana's head.

The sorting hat paused for a little bit

"Hmmm…Another Black, eh? Such conflict in your head, my dear. Your heart longs for one thing, but your head for another. Rather bold I see, but a very smart intellect. You have quite a possibility in Ravenclaw, but yet, your bloodline says you are in slytherin. But also, you have a lot of bravery and courage..."

Rana sighed "Must we do this psycho-analysis? It's kind of weirding me out, no offence."

The hat smiled (to the best a talking hat can do) "Alright, and none taken. GRYFFINDOR!"

Rana got up as the Gryffindors cheered as she sat down with a wide space in between them. She looked over at the slytherin table, where her cousins were. Bellatrix (the oldest, older than Sirius by five years) gave her a nasty look, as if she was going to kill Rana. The one in the middle was Andromeda, who actually liked Rana and Sirius merely smiled at her approvingly (she was three years older than Sirius). The other and youngest of the three was Narcissa, (Older by one year) who merely shuddered fearfully and looked away.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and announced "Sirius Orion Black!"

Sirius walked to the stool, and as soon as the hat touched his head it said "Gryffindor!"

Once again the Gryffindor table cheered, once again

"Eila Evendora Clough."said McGonagoll, looking off her clipboard. Eila shakily walked up to the stool and sat down as McGonagoll placed the old hat onto her head. It said, "Hmm, your mind brilliant, your blood pure, but your heart brave…Where, oh, where will you go?" The hat thought for a moment and finally yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table clapped as Eila walked to the table.

"Severous Snape!" McGonagall called. Severous walked up to her and sat on the stool. The hat immediatley yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"

"Lucious Malfoy!" she called. Lucious, like the others, sat on the stool and was sorted into Slytherin.

"Joanna Wutherwood." McGonagall called and she got sorted into Hufflepuff.

The rest were followed by other unimportant characters, which are so unimportant that will most likley never be seen again. Most of these were in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

These were followed by the rest of the future marauders (James, Remus, and Peter), they were sorted in Gryffindor and sat near Rana and Eila. Before the Beginning-of-the-Year feast, Dumbledore had some announcements to make: "Welcome, new students, and welcome back, old students. I have some announcements to make before you become befuddled in your meals. Quiddich try-outs will be held on Saturday at the Quiddich pitch. Gryffindor's will be from 1 'o Clock until thirty mintutes after two, followed by Ravenclaw right after, then Slytherin, then Hufflepuff. The Deuling team practice session for 2nd years and above will be held on Saturday, in the Dueling Hall from 3 'o Clock to 6 'o Clock. There will be more practice sessions for the next month every Tuesday, Thurday, Friday, and Saturday from thirty mintues after five unto 7 'o Clock. Also, Speed Flying try-outs will be held next Wedensday after classes in the Quiddich pitch. Thank you very much for listening, you may eat! " Dumbledore waved his large hands in the air as the delicous-looking food appeared onto each house table.

Rana asked her group of friends as she swallowed a large piece of chicken, "Are you guys going to try out for the Dueling team next year?"

"No, I think I'm going to go for the Quiddich team." Said James, shoveling food into his mouth.

Sirius replied, "I don't know. They both sound cool. What about you Eila?"

Eila shrugged, looking at her plate.

Sirius blinked and looked at Lupin, "How about you, Remus?"

Lupin said, "I think dueling sounds fun. I'm going to try-out next year."

The dinner was all delicous. The kids all walked back to their dormitory with great difficulty since they had eaten so much food, it was quite hard to move. They all picked their rooms: Eila, Rana, and a girl named Molly Prewett shared rooms. Sirius, James, Lupin, and Peter all shared the largest room in the boys' dormitory.

They all talked about many things for the next few hours, then finally fell asleep.

See? I promised it would get interesting! Just wait and see, you'll love it!