When the train was about to pull into the station I desperately tried to get Pumpkin into his cat cage with not very good results. He refused to get in cage almost ripping my school robes, that I had changed in to, in the process. Jane tried to using the relaxing charm on him but that only made him more awake. Abby tried to scare him into the cage but all that did was made him stare at us from his safe position on top of the luggage rack. In the end I gave up and just carried Pumpkin in my arms. I used the shrinking charm on the cat cage and shoved it into my robe pocket.
When we finally got out onto the platform my ears filled with the bustling of students and Hagrid's voice shouting over it all. I could see a glimpse of Hugo's head of red hair through the crowd moving towards Hagrid. I called out to him but he didn't hear me. Not too far away from him the Lily's head of dark red hair could be seen between a group of first year girls.
"Oh, there's Hagrid!" Abby shouted over the noise. "Do you think he dyed his hair? It looks less grey now!"
She was right about Hagrid's hair, it was usually primarily grey with age but now it had a healthy brown to it. Good for him.
I could see Hagrid trying to pull Hugo into a hug. Hugo was clearly trying to swerve out of it.
"Come on!" I shouted over the noise. "Let's go say hi to him!"
"Yeah, we can ask about his fine looking hair!"
"Abby, we can't ask him that!" Jane said loudly. "It's rude!"
Abby clearly not getting Jane's point shrugged.
We pushed our way through the moving crowd almost getting trampled and suffocated by giant seventh years. When we reached the out-skirts of Hagrid's herd of first years we shouted and waved our greeting to Hagrid. Hagrid beamed brightly and waved back. We didn't have time for conversation or bone crunching hugs because we were quickly washed away by the oncoming crowd of older student towards the carriages.
Pumpkin was hissing in my arms throughout the whole ordeal. Well at least he didn't attack anyone. We were walking up a dirt trail surrounded by forestry towards carriages when Abby suddenly pulled Jane and me into a nearby bush. I yelped as I fell into the bush after her. It was one of those pickles bush almost like nettles, it was a sore fall.
"What?" I asked trying to pick leafs and twigs out Pumpkin's fur.
"Shhh." Abby shushed me sinking lower out of sight in the bush.
"What?" I repeated.
Jane understanding where Abby was at put a finger to her lips and pointed to group of Slytherins emerging from the shadows not far from where we were standing.
"Malfoy." I growled lowly.
"The prick from the prickest prick ville is about to go down." Abby whispered.
I reached for my wand lower myself deeper into the bush completely covering my face. I could feel the sharp, pointy branches tearing my skin but I didn't care, blondie was going down.
"We need a plan of action." Jane muttered.
"I have dungbombs." Abby suggested brightly.
"I'm going to use the slug vomiting charm on him so he'll know it's me." I decided. "You guys blow the place up with dungbomb."
"This is going to be brilliant!" Abby whispered fist pumping.
Jane lit her wand with Lumos to look inside Abby's bag for the dungbombs when,
"THAT'S THE BIGGEST FREAKING SPIDER!" Abby screamed.
I screamed along with Jane. It was the biggest, most terrorizing spider I had ever seen and believe me I have encountered my share of bathroom tarantulas.
"BLOODY HELL!" I screamed jumping out of the bush followed by Abby and Jane.
I dust my robes down nervous that there was another one in my robes (stuff of nightmares). Pumpkin fell out of my arms during the spider attack and was now sitting next to bush staring at. His black fur was making him completely invisible in the quickly darkening light making only his vibrant orange eyes visible.
"How did that big monster get in your bag?!" I asked Abby.
"I don't know." Said Abby mortified and shivering.
"How are we going to get your dungbombs now?" asked Jane. "I'm not touching that."
Laughter rang in my ears it was Malfoy's gang (brilliant) being annoying.
Then suddenly one of my five star ideas came to me.
I picked up wand that had fallen in front of the bush.
"Wingardium Leviosa." I said swishing and flicking me wand.
The spider started to float in the air directed by my wand. Abby and Jane huddled together in fear of the giant spider that could now fly. They caught on to my idea and stayed quiet watching and waiting for the magic (other magic!) to happen.
In the dark light it was very hard to see an equally dark spider which sent shivers of uncomfort down my spine but I swallow it and guided the invisible spider in the direction of the Malfoy.
He didn't see it coming all he could see was me faintly looking like a crazy people waving my wand around. I knew when I had hit my target when,
"AHHHH!"
I did better than I thought with my aim. The giant spider had landed on the back of Malfoy's slick blonde hair and fell into his robes (yay). I knew this because he was hysterically screaming while attacking the back of his neck and robes trying to kill the spider or whatever.
His cronies stood around him dumbfounded. Jane, Abby and I were beyond laughter. Abby ran behind the bush again to get her muggle camera from her now spider-free bag. With us all still laughing a blinding flash erupted from the camera filling the situation with light for a few seconds.
Malfoy goons by now had caught onto to what was going on primarily because Malfoy started to shout at them.
"THING! THERE'S A THING DOWN MY ROBES! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!"
Malfoy's goons could not figure out how to help Malfoy as he was twitching jumping all over the place. His yelping and scream almost matched by the sound of our howling laughter.
His screaming had attracted the attention of Professor Flitwick who hurried down the dirt path towards Malfoy.
"Mr Malfoy." Professor Flitwick called trying and failing to get Malfoy's attention. "Mr Malfoy!"
"MR MALFOY." Professor Flitwick shouted waving his hand.
At this Malfoy turned to him but didn't stop his twitching and random movements. It honestly looked like one of Abby's victory dances.
"Weasley put a creepy thing down my robes!" Malfoy panted pointing a shaking finger at me.
I held back my laughter and tried to look all innocent, but the laughter in my eyes kept cutting through thankfully it was dark.
Professor Flitwick looked at us briefly then he pointed his wand at Malfoy and said.
"Accio creepy thing."
Then the spider flew out the leg of Malfoy's pants pelting towards Professor Flitwick. He that dodged it with a squeal.
"Miss Weasley, Miss Templeton and Miss Sliver." Professor Flitwick turned to us. "Come over here."
We did as we were told trying to look like innocent little deer prancing over to Professor Flitwick.
"Yes, Professor Flitwick?" we chimed when we got over there.
Professor Flitwick lit the tip of his wand to see us better.
"What happened?"
I liked this about Professor Flitwick he didn't take side and treated everyone no matter their house fairly in situations like this. But right then I didn't care about being fair, I wished he would just automatically take our side since were his Ravenclaws and set the Slytherin's up in detention.
I could see Malfoy shooting me daggers in the wand light his eyes narrowing, his cheeks flushed from his screaming. I returned his glare almost going cross eyed.
"What happened?" repeated Professor Flitwick his eyes moving between Malfoy and me.
I, the civilianized person, started to explain the situation to Professor Flitwick my eyes still locked with Malfoy's. But my point didn't get through as Malfoy argued over me to point that over words were all jumbled together and we were screeching like banshee at each other.
A flustered Professor Flitwick stopped our argument before I could get my hand on Malfoy's throat and strangle him.
"Enough... Enough!"
Our rambling slowed to an eventually stop.
"I feel that I won't get the proper story from either of you and I don't want to take house points before term starts-"
Please leave me off! I crossed my fingers up the sleeves of my robes.
"So detention Mr Malfoy and Miss Weasley on Wednesday and the Monday after next in my office."
"But sir that's not fair it was Malfoy who started it not me!"
Malfoy groaned loudly and gave out a simpler plead.
Professor Flitwick shook his head.
"I'll give you something worse with house points taken if you don't move along."
Professor Flitwick walked off leaving us two groups on the dirt path.
"Weasley-" Malfoy started to say his teeth bared.
"Mr Malfoy, move along." Professor Flitwick called back.
"I'll get you for this." Malfoy hissed under his breath following Professor Flitwick up the dirt path.
We waited until Malfoy and his gang were out of sight to start moving.
"That was soooo unfair." I complained as we walked towards the carriages.
"Well you did put a giant spider down his robes." Jane said trying to be sensible.
"But Flitwick doesn't usually give two detentions for stuff like that."
"Yeah that was a bit rough for Flitwick."
"Somebody needs to get laid!" said Abby in a sing-song voice.
I burst out laughing.
"Abby?!" Jane exclaimed in shock looking around making sure Professor Flitwick wasn't going to jump out any of the nearby bushes.
"What?" Abby said. "The sixth's years on the train were saying it and it seemed pretty funny."
"James said that once." I told them. "About Aunt Audrey to her face and got a slap across the face from her."
That was a hilarious family get together.
By now we were approaching the carriages pull by the invisible thestrals. There was one left, the second last one with Malfoy and his gang was had already pulled out of sight (thank Merlin!).
"Awww." I cooed moving to the front of the carriage where the thestral was positioned. I out stretched my hand feeling the bony smooth body of the Thestral.
Jane followed suit followed by a confused/shocked/excited Abby. When we reached the head Abby said.
"Wow, wow! I thought Hagrid was just making the whole invisible centaur thing up."
"Please stop calling thestrals that." Jane said.
I reached out to stoke the thestral's head we all jumped at a sudden snort and then…
ACHOO!
We all screamed as low and behold I was cover in thestral snot.
Abby and Jane had taken some of the blow too, but I was square on covered.
I stared in disgust at the greyish green slime covering me.
"I thought invisible centaur thing's bogeys would be invisible." Said Abby weakly staring at the mess.
"You were thinking about thestral bogies." I asked bewildered.
"I think about a lot of things."
Jane pulled a face of disgust produced her wand from her robes pockets.
I did too so did Abby we each cleaned the snot off ourselves with a quick charm.
"Come on," said Jane fixing her hair. "let's go before we miss the feast all together."
We each climbed into the carriage to find Pumpkin was already asleep in there (so clever). When we sat down the carriage began to move towards Hogwarts, taking us on a scenic journey to the castle.
When we got to the door of the castle we ran in there fearing it had already started. Thankfully even though nearly missed it and everyone was seated, we just about made it taking seats at the end of Ravenclaw table just as the first years came through the door with Neville.
I waved at Lily and Hugo who waved back there red head faces filled with excitement and nerves (mostly Lily).
The Sorting Hat burst into song to my distasted. Abby made the most of it by clapping along getting a good few students and Hagrid to join in with her, along with Jane and me.
It finally ended and the sorting commences. I phased out waiting for Hugo and Lily to be called.
"Potter, Lily." Neville called out I held my breath and saw out of the corner of my ear at the Gryffindor table James' head perk up.
The Sorting Hat sat on her head for about two minutes in deep conversation with her then it yelled out,
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Lily smiled widely and ran over to Gryffindor table.
I stood up at the Ravenclaw table clapping along with the Gryffindor's. I could see Albus at the Slytherin table clapping quietly.
Six names later and it was Hugo's time to shine.
"Weasley, Hugo."
My heart jumped at his name. I sat on the edge of my seat excitedly.
The Sorting Hat was merely placed on his head for a couple of brief second before it belted out.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
I stood up again clapping along with the Gryffindor table. As Hugo made his way over to the Gryffindor table he gave me a thumbs up smiling broadly. He sat down next to Lily shaking hands with the Gryffindor prefects and getting patted on the back by a bouncing James.
Soon afterwards the sorting ended and Headmistress McGonagall made her usual start of term announcement and welcome back speech. I was more than ready to stuff myself waiting hungrily for the feast to magically appear on the plates.
Finally Headmistress McGonagall said the words I've been craving.
"Now let's enjoy our fantastic feast."
I grabbed my knife and fork grabbing food off the plate the moment it appeared earning me a few looks for Eric Longford and his group of Ravenclaw boys. But who cares what they think! The food is way too good!
After shovelling so much dinner and desert that I probably doubled my weight hobbled up the unpredictable Grand Staircase with Jane an Abby. This time luckily there was no near death experiences. We walked up the staircase behind the Ravenclaw first years. The riddle to get into the common room was already answered. I really want to answer it but I was soooo tired and full, a bit like a bear going into hibernation.
We went up to our dorm that now had 'second year' written on the door. We went in there to find Pumpkin in there snoozing on my bed (once again he is beyond clever, he can probably read minds!). I changed into my pyjamas and greeted Violet and Angela. I gently nudged Pumpkin to the bottom corner of my bed. He was taking up the whole freaking bed, including my pillow! As soon as I managed to find some space in bed for myself I went into deep sleep feeling cosy and warm from the food and excitement.
I couldn't wait for classes tomorrow!
