AN: Okay note to self, promise a new chapter will come the next day when you have half of it written and it isn't a holiday. Anyway here is the next chapter. The first meeting of Hermoine and Daniel will be underwhelming I won't lie. All the scenes that I wrote between the two of them came out really crappy. So it is brief and not that great. Anyway without further ado, here is the next chapter of The Champion of Ravenclaw!
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," Hermione asked in a bossy voice.
"Sorry," Daniel said shaking his head and shrugging. "We've just been in here."
Harry and Ron responded by nodding along with what Daniel had said, but that didn't seem to satisfy the girl. Hermione sighed and pushed into the cart rolling her eyes. She looked around and seemed to be giving the compartment a thorough glance over as if the boys had given her.
"Hey, we said that we hadn't seen the bloody thing!" Ron shouted throwing his arms out indignantly.
"I'm just being sure!" Hermione insisted.
Ron rolled his eyes and looked to Harry mouthing something Daniel couldn't see, but made Harry laugh. Daniel chuckled at the reaction and looked back to Hermione shaking his head at the girl's actions.
"We weren't lying," Daniel said more amused than annoyed.
Hermione glared at him anyway and turned up her nose as she walked away.
As far as first impressions go, Daniel thought as Hermione slammed the door of the cabin, I've definitely done worse.
He looked to Harry and Ron and flashed them a thin smile. "Well, she seems great."
Daniel breathed out a heavy sigh of nervousness as he and the others were led into the Great Hall. He pulled at the stiff collar of his shirt, his eyes glancing around at the other first years. They were walking, glancing around and wide-eyed at the enchanted ceiling and floating candles. Some waved at older siblings, though he noticed Ron kept his head down avoiding looking over at his siblings.
The group followed McGonagall toward the front of the Great Hall. A stool and the dusty old sorting hat stood on their own. An excited fluttering was in his stomach, he smiled and looked to Harry who seemed to match his excitement and nervousness.
They came to a stop just shy of the stool and McGonagall went to the hat for a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"
The hall burst into applause and Daniel saw the hat bow to all four of the houses. In his mind, he began to remember certain details. It had been so long, so many years, since he had read any of the books that the information was beyond fuzzy. But being in the hall, certain things came back to him slowly.
He heard Ron curse his brothers as he realized that all that was required was to simply put on a hat. Daniel laughed and looked over the four tables seeing the smiling and excited faces of the students as McGonagall began to call names for sorting.
He listened, trying to remember the names and which houses they went to. It seemed in order but Daniel made a mental note to try and write down everything he remembered about the story before he went to bed that evening.
"Lovage, Daniel!" McGonagall called out from her list.
Daniel looked over to Harry and flashed a smile. He raised a fist and Harry nodded bumping it with his own fist. Daniel walked forward, smiling at the chair and the hat that McGonagall held. He closed his eyes and felt the hat get draped over his head.
"Hmmm, interesting, very interesting. You seem to have a touch of the Founders in you boy." Daniel swallowed nervously as he heard the hat whisper into his ear. "You've got talent, and a touch of destiny. Hmmm, I wish to put you in Gryffindor, but you bear a mark…"
The har trailed off and Daniel furrowed his eyebrows as he fidgeted in the seat.
"Yes… yes… You must go to," the hat paused and then shouted, "Ravenclaw!"
He felt his heart leap and smiled as the hat was pulled off. Daniel looked at Harry and nodded before rushing off to the cheering table. He felt many pats on the shoulder and heard so many people congratulate him.
Taking his seat by the other sorted Ravenclaw first years he noted several nods and shy smiles. He returned them quickly before looking back to the sorting and waiting for it to continue.
Malfoy went to Slytherin. Harry and Ron. to Gryffindor. The rest Daniel didn't pay too much attention to. Except when a Ravenclaw was called out and he would stand and cheer with the rest of his new Housemates.
Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.
"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!"
Food sprang into being onto the dishes before him. The plates were stacked high with all manner of meals, from roast beef to roast potatoes. Daniel grinned at all of it before him and licked his lips before he began to select an assortment from what was presented.
He glanced around the table and saw the young faces of the first years. The boy next to him seemed to glance around a bit timidly and nibbled on the small portion of food he had served himself. He looked up at Daniel and smiled shyly, which Daniel returned before offering his hand.
"Daniel Lovage," he said.
"Terry Boot!" Terry said shaking Daniels's hand enthusiastically.
"Grand to meet ya' Terry!"
"Same! It's exciting though, isn't it? Being here in Hogwarts finally!" Terry grinned as he glanced up at the high ceiling. "My brother always told me about this place, my dad too! But it's amazing actually being here! Do you have any siblings? What house were your parents?"
Daniel laughed at Terry's enthusiasm and shook his head. "No, my parents did come to Hogwarts. And I don't have any siblings."
Terry nodded. "Oh! So you're a Muggleborn then?"
"I am."
"Well, welcome to the wizarding world!" Terry laughed raising a cup.
"Thanks, Terry!" Daniel said clinking his glass to Terry's. Overhearing their introductions, the other first years began to make their own introductions.
"I'm a pure-blood myself," Stephen Cornfoot said with a grin. "My parents own an apothecary in Diagon Alley. Been in the family for years."
"Suppose you'll be grand at potions then," Terry pointed out.
"Wouldn't be so sure. My ma' always tried to teach me, the only thing I learned was how to melt cauldrons and blow things up." Stephen held up his right hand and showed that his palm was scared by multiple burns. "I never did get the hang of it all."
The others gawked at his scars and began asking a million and one questions as to what had happened to him. Stephen answered easily, laughing at some of the questions.
Michael Corner sat off beside Stephen, giving the boy a strange look and eyes the scars a bit warily before he shook his head.
"Well, I'm a half-blood too. My dad's the Wizard, he was a Ravenclaw, always wanted me to follow. Said it was the best house, no matter what the Gryffindor's said," Michael laughed and leaned forward. "If I'm being honest, I always knew I was gonna be in Ravenclaw. Brains are in my family's blood."
Daniel scoffed at that but kept his thoughts to himself. His mind couldn't come up with any useful information about Michael Corner so he kept his head down and mouth shut.
Slowly the feast went on. The first years continued to talk and laugh together, trading names and shaking hands. But slowly the feast and the chatter began to wind down. Eyes grew heavy and when the last of the deserts had been eaten Dumbledore stood up.
He spoke to the students, warning them of the Forbidden Forrest as well as the third-floor corridor. He had the students recite the school song which left the Ravenclaw first years laughing amongst themselves as the entire hall was off-key and finished at different times. With that, he whisked the students away sending them off to bed.
The older years in the hall got up first, many moving and shoving their way out of the hall.
"First years stay seated!" Daniel looked to his left. A taller blonde girl had stood up and shouted over the mass of students to stay seated. She wore a silver pin with a capital "P". "First years stay seated, once everyone's out I'll show you to Ravenclaw Tower!"
The crowd died as quickly as it had formed. The older prefect moved away from the table and beckoned the first years to do the same.
"Alright firsties, follow me!" she began to lead them through the corridors of the castle. Daniel looked around at the amazing space that surrounded them. The moving pictures, the moving marble staircases. They moved through several corridors, Daniel making mental notes as to which turns they took, trying to remember where the prefect was leading them too. He found them climbing a spiral staircase, the white marble tiles shining in the moonlight, let in by high windows. He could see the grounds around Hogwarts and gasped as he moved his legs.
Eventually, they came to the top of the staircase, to a large oak door. A bronze Eagle knocker sat affixed onto the door.
"Welcome first years," the blonde prefect said smiling. "Now my name is Penelope Clearwater. To start off, this is the entrance to our common room. Now unlike the other houses, we don't have a password to get into our common room. Instead, we have this."
Penelope motioned to the knocker and tapped it with her wand. The bronze eagle shifted and moved its head so its sapphire eyes gazed out at the students. It moved it's head to Penelope and opened its beak.
"Tear off one and scratch its head, what was once red, now black instead."
Penelope thought for a moment before smiling. "A matchstick."
The eagle shifted into a knocker once more and then the door opened. She motioned the first years into the common room. They glanced around at the wide circular room, moonlight flowing in through the high windows. Tapestries embroidered with the Eagle of Ravenclaw (Daniel had to wonder why Ravenclaw had not simply made her sigil a Raven) decorated the walls.
"What you saw was the entrance to our common room. It's a riddle that you must answer. If not, you can't come into the common room until someone opens the door from inside or another person comes along to answer the riddle. Which is why I recommend that all of your travel in pairs. Better chances of you not being stranded outside all night. Now I recommend that you all go off and get a good night's rest. Tomorrow is a big day and you're all going need as much energy as you can get. The entrance to your dormitories is just past the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw herself."
Penelope motioned towards the back and the first years all turned their heads. A tall statue of Romena Ravenclaw stood by itself. Daniel smiled as he saw that it was amazingly accurate. He had always remembered the woman that had spoken to him when he was dead. He had seen her occasionally in his dreams, though it had been near two years since that had happened.
Daniel moved toward the dormitory, chatting amicably with Terry Boot. They both spoke about their excitement on coming to Hogwarts. Terry seemed absolutely eager to start Transfiguration. But as they drew closer they began to fight yawns.
It wasn't long before they had collapsed on their beds, sleeping soundly, their adventure about to begin.
The Great Hall was noisy with chatter, it seemed strange for it being so early in the morning. Daniel sat next to Terry, both eating their breakfast slowly as more and more students filtered into the Hall.
Penelope Clearwater had instructed the first years to remain at the table until Professor Flitwick had come to them and given them their timetables.
So, there they all sat, talking amongst themselves and waiting for breakfast to end.
Daniel had noticed Michael Corner sitting off to the side with two of the other Ravenclaw boys that he had met the night previous. Kevin Entwhistle and Anthony Goldstein. The boys sat together and seemed to be getting along, though it appeared that they were already closed off from the others in their year.
Hierarchies and cliques, Daniel thought. Just as in the orphanages they seemed to form rapidly.
"So what class are you most excited about?" Terry asked before gulping down his glass of pumpkin juice. Daniel grimaced and pushed his own glass away. It was far too sweet for his taste.
"I think charms," Daniel said. "I mean, all the different things we'll be able to do with them. It's almost unreal."
Terry laughed and nodded his head. "I know! I mean I grew up with my dad always doing magic and it still always blows me away."
"Muggles," Daniel and Terry whipped their heads around and saw Michael Corner laughing at whatever it was that had been said between him, Anthony, and Kevin. He narrowed his eyes but kept his mouth shut, turning around and looking back at Terry.
"Don't worry about it," Stephen said pushing his plate forward and leaning over toward the two. "They just think they're funny. Give it some time and they'll be alright. My dad said that's how it was when he went. Most people would make fun of the muggles but not really mean it. He said it was harmless for the most part. 'Xcept when it was Slytherins."
"I'm not even muggle-born," Terry said shrugging. "I'm half and half."
Daniel shrugged as well. Unable to reply as Professor Flitwick had arrived carrying with him a box filled with slips of parchment.
"Greeting Frist years," he squeaked out, setting the box on the table bench before climbing up himself. He stood and cleared his throat clasping his hands behind his back. "I am Professor Flitwick your head of house, and I would like to welcome all of you into Ravenclaw. I understand that it might be difficult to transition from being at home to being here. So, I would like to assure all of you that my door is always open should you require anything at all. Now I do believe that you will need your schedules if you are to know what classes you are to take."
He dug through the box, handing out schedules to the students. Daniel grinned as he clasped his hands around his. He skimmed through, seeing who he had classes with. In his mind, he noticed some changes. He noticed that the classes seemed to be mixed for the most part. Charms, Herbology, Transfiguration, they all seemed to be with a mixture of all the houses rather than being only two at a time. His eyes skimmed to potions where he noticed that the class seemed to be the only one he shared exclusively with Hufflepuffs.
He supposed it made sense. Potions were rather dangerous if the burn marks on Stephen Cornfoots hands were anything to go by. Most likely it was separated for the extra supervision.
Standing up the first years thanked Professor Flitwick and he sent them off to find their classes.
Looking over at Terry Daniel smiled and patted the boy's shoulder, the two of them going off into the castle, eager to begin their magical journey.
AN: Okay thanks for making it through. I hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a review! Also, the first two years are gonna go by rather quickly, but I will be covering them. Probably two or three chapters each for first and second year. Anyway, thanks for reading! Review!
