A/N: This is in no way my best chapter, and a lot is taken from the books, so I apologise in advance. But still let me know what you think!
Also, thanks to Lazerraider, DdrrPepper, SJ Iolanthe, DHKroeger18, Moon Lantern, rosiehorgan7, Devarios and the guest for reviewing/favouriting/following! I am so happy people are enjoying this!
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," Dumbledore started. "First-years ought to know that the Forbidden Forest is out-of-bounds to students – and a few of the older students ought to know by now, too."
'Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr Filch's office door.
'We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubby-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was a round of polite, but fairly unenthusiastic applause before Dumbledore carried on.
"Tryouts for the new Quidditch teams will take place on the–"
No one realised why Dumbledore had broken off until a small 'hem, hem' came from the corner where Professor Umbridge, a small lady dressed from head to foot in fluffy pink, stood up.
Dumbledore looked taken aback for only a moment before he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbrige as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not so adept at hiding their surprise, making Ariella think that maybe it wasn't a normal thing to interrupt the Headmaster's speech.
"Thank you, Headmaster," she simpered. "For those kind words of welcome." Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish. Ariella found herself disliking her already. "Hem, hem, well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me."
Ariella looked around to see no one was smiling. In fact, it looked like half of them, including herself, were very annoyed at being spoken to like they were five-year-olds.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll all be very good friends."
Ariella pulled a face of disgust at this, making Lottie burst into a fit of giggles. Further along the table, more girlish giggling could be heard before Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again and continued.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down to the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching. Hem, hem. Every Headmaster and Headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be no stagnation and decay. There again, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be restrained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effective-ness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be pre-served, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Ariella noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held…"
Ariella stopped listening, she was only a first year, Harry had been the only one to make the team whilst in his first year. Instead, Ariella gazed round at the Hall, spotting her sister whispering something rapidly to Ron and Harry. She was so engrossed in trying to lip read what her sister was saying that she jumped when Lottie nudged her and told her that they had been dismissed.
"Hey – hey, you lot! Midgets!" she heard Ron calling and pulled Lottie and Arcturus towards him, all the while glaring at him for calling them midgets.
"I'm not that small," she said indignantly as Hermione called to the rest of the first-years.
"Sorry, Ella. You lot just look so tiny. I could swear we weren't that small when we were first-years."
Ariella turned away from him in a playful huff, only to see Harry walk away, glancing sadly at Euan and another boy, who were cowering away from him. She caught his gaze and gave him a reassuring smile before frowning at the two boys.
"Come on, Ella, is it okay to call you that?" Lottie asked.
"Yes, I would prefer it actually," she replied and followed her sister and Ron out of the Great Hall and up several flights of stairs. Several flights of stairs that seemed to keep moving.
"Is it just me seeing things, or did that staircase above us just swing round?" Lottie asked.
"No, I think I read about it somewhere in 'Hogwarts: A History'. We're going to have to be careful they don't swing when we're on it!" Arcturus put in as they reached a huge portrait of a very large lady.
"Minmbulus mimbletonia," Hermione said, and the portrait swung open to reveal a hole in the wall in which they all clambered through. "This is the Gryffindor Common Room. To get in, you tell the Fat Lady the password and she will swing open for you. This is where you can spend your free time. Your luggage will be in your dormitories. Girls, this is the way to yours, boys, yours is to the left."
The ten students split up and headed each set of stairs to their dormitories, feeling rather tired. But when the five girls opened the door to their room, they got the shock of their lives. Five magnificent four poster beds, downed in red and gold, stood waiting for them. Each had a pile of luggage and trunks beside it and a dark wooden chest of drawers.
"Wow," Ariella said, finding her own bed. "I never thought they'd be so…"
"Amazing?" said a girl with very dark hair as she looked around the room in wonder.
"Yeah…"
"I'm Evangeline by the way. Evangeline Wood. But I'd prefer it if you called me Eva. Why don't we all introduce ourselves seeing as though we're all going to be sharing a dorm for the next seven years?"
"Alright," Ariella said. "I'm Ariella Granger, but I go by Ella."
"I'm Charlotte Hill, but everybody always calls me Lottie."
"It seems as though I'm the only one who goes by my full name, which is Scarlet Fairchild," put in a girl with short, dirty blonde hair from over the other side of the room.
"Not quite, Esme can't be shortened either. I'm Esme Johnson," a dark girl said, unpacking her trunk next to Scarlet.
"Come on, girls, you need to go to bed," came Hermione's voice from the doorway. "You have a long day ahead of you. Trust me when I say you'll need the sleep."
"Fine, we're going," Ariella sighed, rolling her eyes.
"You can't speak to her like that, she's a prefect!" piped up Eva, looking worriedly at Hermione.
"Yes she can, they're sisters," Lottie told her.
"You're sisters with one of Harry Potter's friends?" Her face was a mask of complete and utter shock and suddenly Ariella felt shy.
"Yeah," she admitted quietly.
"That's so cool!"
Ariella smiled at her, unsure of what to say. Luckily, Hermione came to the rescue.
"Well, good night. Breakfast is at seven thirty," she added before walking out and shutting the door behind her.
A few minutes later, all five girls had washed and changed into their pyjamas. In fact, Ariella was the last to slip between the warm covers and the last to fall asleep on the soft pillow, dreaming about Hogwarts, broomsticks and spells.