Lani Riddle batted her eyes and smiled sweetly. Her head tilted to the side as she gave a light, soft sounding laugh.
"I absolutely love this school. I never imagined it would be so beautiful." She said with a smooth toothless smile.
"Too much." Morgan said shaking her head. "Don't say absolutely, and that tone you're using seems much to fake." Lani sighed impatiently.
"Well my tone seemed to work fine on Potter and his friends yesterday." She reminded her companion crossly.
"Maybe so, but Dumbledore is smarter than Harry Potter and his friends. He's the smartest and most talented wizard in the world." As soon as Morgan had said it, she wished she hadn't. Lani's eyes grew very dark.
"Dumbledore is a simpleminded old fool. My father had more power in his left pinky than that old wizard has in his entire body." She spat. Morgan most definitely disagreed with this, but certainly didn't say so, she knew better. Then again, she didn't agree either, something that Lani had noticed. Lani opened her mouth but Morgan was quicker.
"Of course I wasn't serious. I was just saying something someone at the school might say. It was for practice, a small test, and I might add you didn't pass." Lani glared at her stringy haired companion but said nothing. Even though Morgan was just covering herself she was right. Someone was bound to say something such as this at Hogwarts and Lani certainly couldn't respond the way she just had. She would have to work on that.
"Ladies? We've arrived." A man said stepping into the girl's compartment on the train.
"Oh good, thank you so much." Lani said flashing that man a warm smile. He gave her a polite bow of the head.
"My pleasure miss." He gave her an extra smile before exiting again.
"Well?" Lani demanded after the man had gone. Morgan nodded.
"Much better." Lani nodded and gave a small smile for her minor triumph.
"Good." When the train stopped, the two girls got off and were greeted by a very large man with a bushy black beard and scraggly looking long black hair. He smiled at them and introduced himself as Hagrid. Lani smiled back and said a few nice things. As they made their way to the actual building Lani continued to be courteous. She gave many compliments on the attractive appearance of the grounds and overall neatness it held. Morgan of course, said quiet unless Hagrid asked her a question directly, which he did only once. It was about their trip, which Morgan had replied was 'very enjoyable'. By the time the trio had reached the inside of the magnificent castle and were just outside Dumbledore's office Lani had had her fill of being polite. She could have gone her entire life with so much as a 'thanks' or a 'just lovely'. But of course the majority of her plan was based on her character, Lani Tonkett, the sweet caring and loving Irish girl who wanted nothing more than to fit in to her new surroundings. She would later "reveal" to Potter that the real reason for her transfer to Hogwarts was because the other students at her previous school were cruel and mean to her. They didn't treat her as an equal, but as a lesser being. That was the way that she intended to convince Dumbledore to allow her to enter Gryffendor. It was all arranged; hopefully her plan would go just as she intended; swift, efficient and without errors from a certain whiny pitiful girl who was essential to its accomplishment.
"Welcome ladies." Albus Dumbledore greeted the two young women who entered his office. He stood and shook the hand of Lani Tonkett and Morgan Grey. He smiled warmly but had a sudden sense of doubt. He shook it off immediately; he was just stressed over his inability to locate Voldemort. No matter how many wizards and sources he asked or contacted with, he could not find him. It made the old wizard very nervous.
"I'm very pleased to be allowed to attend Hogwarts so late in the schooling. It's a lovely school and I look forward to attending in a few weeks." Lani said with a warm smile. Well she seemed nice enough. Dumbledore thought, again having to shake off his doubt.
"I trust you had no problems getting your school supplies?" Dumbledore asked them politely.
"Oh no. We were fortunate enough to have help, three students that go here actually. Fifth years too. What were their names again Morgan?" Lani asked leaning in her chair and glancing at her companion.
"Uh, Ron Weasly, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter I believe." Morgan responded. Lani nodded.
"Yes that was it. Great people. They were very nice to us. It was nice…to meet nice people." Lani grew slightly pale and seemed to force a fake laugh. "It's so hard to meet nice people sometimes, especially when your…" Lani broke off her eyes instantly filled with tears and her bottom lip began to tremble. "Excuse me." She leapt up and tore from the room. Dumbledore was in complete shock. He tried to stand as the girl rushed out but she was long gone by the time he did so. Morgan sighed sadly.
"Poor girl." She muttered.
"Is she all right?" Dumbledore asked his voice filled with concern.
"Oh I suppose she will be, with time." Morgan shook her head and leaned closer to Dumbledore's desk. "You see, we had a very hard time at our previous school in Ireland. I'm adopted you know, by Lani's mother and well, she isn't very well. Mrs. Tonkett I mean. She's…well…a bit crazy. We grew up there and everyone knew about it. They all teased us, especially Lani since she is of the same blood. Everyone said she was crazy as well, and she isn't you know. But no one cares. Sometimes, they would trap her closets and take her wand, and when she arrived to class late they would make up lies about what she had been doing. The teachers were very wary of her, some even thought she was crazy as well. There were other things done as well, things I wouldn't dare tell you, they're just too terrible. Anyway, that's the real reason we came to England, to start fresh and new. Poor Lani has been through so much." Here Morgan sighed heavily. "She was so happy when those three students helped us yesterday. She's been talking about them all day. It's been a long time since anyone has been kind to her." Dumbledore sat back in his chair and shook his head slowly.
"That's all very unfortunate." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, now smiling. "I have an idea."
"What?" Morgan asked curiously.
"I could arrange it so that you and Ms. Tonkett were in Gryffendor. That way you could both be with Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasly, and Miss Granger."
"Really?" Morgan broke out into a huge grin. "That would be wonderful! I'm sure Lani would absolutely love it. It would make our transition so much easier if we all ready knew people in our house, and were on good terms as well." Dumbledore smiled again.
"Then it's settled. You may go, and tell Ms. Tonkett. Hagrid will escort you both back to the train. I look forward to seeing you both in a few weeks."
"So do we Professor. And thank you so much." Dumbledore waved his hand.
"There is no need. You came here to be placed and I did just that." After thanking him several more times, Miss Grey left Dumbledore's office smiling brightly. Dumbledore was glad he could do such a tiny thing and make two people so happy. Well at least he could do one thing right.
Lani stood in the hall tapping her foot trying to fight off her impatience but not succeeding very well. Moments later, Morgan walked down the stairs and hurried to her.
"Well?" Lani demanded. "How did it go? Did you say what I told you? Did he buy it? Did you mention being placed directly into Gryffindor? He hasn't sent you to fetch me to wear the stupid hat has he?" Lani fired off quickly. Morgan took a large breath.
"Well. Yes. Yes. No. And no." Morgan answered. Lani glared, then shook her head. Sometimes Morgan was just too much. Lani tried to remember the order in which she had asked her questions.
"Okay so, it went well…you didn't screw up…he bought it…I don't have to wear the hat… and you didn't mention being placed into Gryffindor." Lani glared yet again. "What is the matter with you Moron? Asking to be put into Gryffindor is the most important part of the plan." Morgan shook her head, ignoring the fact that she had just done Lani a huge favor yet her she was calling her 'Moron'.
"I didn't have to. He suggested it himself."
"Really?" Lani said her eyebrows rising. She laughed. "The smartest wizard in the world indeed. He played perfectly into my plan. Good."
"You know Lani, you should probably keep up the Irish accent even when we're alone, what if someone over hears you?" Morgan didn't need to fake an Irish accent seeing as she really was from Ireland. Lani glowered at her. But yet again Morgan was quicker to speak. "I'm only trying to help. This isn't my plan you know." Lani sighed angrily. Yet again the girl was right.
"Fine." Lani said now using the Irish accent. "So we're in Gryffindor, good. Phase two complete." She smiled and turned. "Let's go." Morgan prepared to follow but Lani stopped. Without turning to face her companion she said: "Good job Morgan. Well done." With that she continued. Morgan couldn't contain a broad smile and a sense of pride and happiness, even though she had just lied to someone who had never wrong her in her life just to get back at someone who had also, never wronged her in her life. She shrugged. There were worse things she could be doing, and she did owe Lani everything.