Ch. 2- The Sorting
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny joined the other Gryffindors at the Gryffindor table. They were talking about Quidditch and who the new captain would be since Angelina left, when the Great Hall doors opened and the first years, led by McGonagall, came in. At the back of the line were Jessica and Tara. Jessica waved at Harry as she passed.
They formed a long line at the front of the staff table, where a stool was placed and a hat sat upon the stool. Dumbledore stood up and all manner of talking died down.
"Welcome, students, to another year. I hope you all have been practicing your spells over the break. Yes, I am aware that you are not supposed to use magic outside of school, but in the dark of these days the Ministry has allowed you to practice them. We must all be on our guard.
"This year we have formed a new program. It is the Elixir of Life Transfer Student program. Two of those students we have here today. They are from America. Two more will come from Durmstrang, and two more will come from Beauxbatons.
"We will sort the first years first," he said and sat down. Professor McGonagall called each student forward and soon they had all been sorted and only Jessica and Tara remained.
"Chumney, Tara," McGonagall called.
Slowly, Tara went forward, placed the Sorting Hat on her head, and sat on the stool.
"Ah, yes. clever, smart, and brave. Brave in a many are not. You don't let people walk over you. You belong in . GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table erupted into applause as Tara made her way to the table. Ron moved over to allow her to sit next to him.
"Well, you got the house you wanted," he remarked making Tara blush. She looked back to the staff table were Jessica stood alone.
"Parham, Jessica," McGonagall called, and Jessica, her head high, went forward, sat on the stool, and placed the Sorting Hat on her head.
"You are brave, smart, and loyal to your friends and you have a great thirst to prove yourself. Surely that would be Gryffindor material?"
"Let me be in Slytherin, let me be in Slytherin."
"You want to be in Slytherin? Oh, of course. I see why you want to be in that house. You will be in. SLYTHERIN!" The table on the far right erupted into applause. A smug smile filtered on Jessica's face as she sat at the table, but the minute she sat down she wished she would've chosen a better seat.
"Well, you got in the best house there is in this place," came Malfoy's drawling voice. Jessica smiled.
"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, are you in this house?" she asked sarcastically. Malfoy nodded. "Well then, if we are going to see a lot of each other, I should tell you. most girls don't like guys with big heads." With that she took out a book and began reading it.
After the feast Dumbledore stood up. The Great Hall silenced, except for some Slytherins.
"Welcome again to a new year at Hogwarts. I give leave to the fifth year prefects to take the new first years to their dorms and the sixth year prefect boys in Slytherin and Gryffindor to take the transfer students around the castle and then to the dorms. Everyone else can be dismissed to bed."
"Well then," said Malfoy. "It seems that we have the entire evening to ourselves." It didn't sound like anything was meant by Malfoy's comment, but Jessica, who could see right through his stormy grey eyes, glared at him.
"Just because I'm new and short doesn't mean I'm easy prey. I know all about your sort and I'm telling you right now, you and I will never be in a situation like that. Understand?" She'd said all this in a whisper and the only ones who heard besides Malfoy were Crabbe and Goyle, but Jessica could already tell that they were too thick to know that one plus one equaled two. "No, you can give me a tour of this place, or I can get someone else to do it.
Malfoy, who seemed to think it would be fun to "tame" this American, said, "We could check out the lake." But Jessica glared. "Or we could check out the library."
"Much more like it," Jessica said and, leaving Crabbe and Goyle behind, they went to the library.
"So, Tara," Ron said, "I'm sure you are sorry to hear that I, and not Harry, am the Prefect." Tara shook her head.
"I'm not sorry," she said and then her cheeks flushed. "I mean, that is to say, I don't mind that it's you, and not Harry, that's the Prefect." Ron couldn't help but give Harry the "finally a girl who likes me instead of you" look.
"So. where would you like to go first?"
"Um., the"- she began and Ron smiled.
"Let me guess, the library?" Tara's eyes brightened as she nodded. Together they left, up to the library.
"Tara," Jessica called when she saw Ron and Tara enter the library over the top of her book. Malfoy had been staring at her while she read for the last ten minutes and she hadn't noticed, but now she did.
"If you don't stare at something else, like a book maybe, I will poke your eyes out and hang them over the Slytherin Common room. Get it?" Jessica asked and rolled her eyes. "Tara, Ron, over here.
Ron and Tara went to their table and sat down.
"And who's this, Weasley, a girlfriend?" Malfoy asked. Ron and Tara both grew as red as Ron's hair. Jessica punched Malfoy on the arm.
"Ow!" Malfoy exclaimed, rubbing his arm where Jessica had hit it. "What did you do that for?"
"Oh, I don't know. for making fun of my friends. And so what if they were going out? It's their business, not yours!" She got up, checked the book out, and came back. "Ok, show me to the dorms, Malfoy."
"How many times do I have to ask you to call me Draco?" Malfoy asked sweetly.
"At least a hundred times before I call you anything even close to your name. Bye Tara, bye Ron."
They left and a while later Ron and Tara left for Gryffindor tower.
At the same time, Jessica and Tara's heads hit their pillows, and both thought entirely different thoughts.
iI really like him, and it seems like he likes me. I should talk to Hermione though. I'd feel stupid if I told a guy I liked him and he already had a girlfriend./i
Miles out of earshot, in her four poster bed, her curtains closed around her except for a small crack that let a sliver of moonlight hit her bed, Jessica was deep in thought.
iI really hate guys, well, except for Harry and Ron. Malfoy is gorgeous and all, but he's so freaking arrogant. I'd like him better if he deflated his head a bit./i
Then she got an idea. Slowly, she tiptoed to her trunk and opened it. She shuffled through her stuff until she found the thing she was looking for. Her favorite book: iThe Newest and Latest Potions of Today. /i
Written by her father, she knew how to make all the potions in the book. Sitting on her bed she skimmed the book until she reached the page she'd been looking for: Chapter 16, The Personality Switch Potion. Slowly she read the page to make sure she'd gotten the right one.
centerbThe Personality Switch Potion/b/center
The Personality Switch Potion can turn any unattractive personality into a desirable one. People who are abusive can turn into the gentlest of people. Bigheaded and arrogant people will become thoughtful and generous, and they won't even lose any of there wit and humor.
While this potion may sound wonderful, it can also be quite dangerous. Do not give this to any who do not need it or it will leave horrible results. Use this potion wisely.
To concoct this potion it must be prepared on the twentieth of the month while the moon is in its full.
Ingredients needed: 1 tooth of an African fruit bat 2 feathers from the Australian Grey goose. 2 eyes from a Canadian Black crow 1 vile of rats' blood 1 pinch of sacrificial ash
Jessica bit her lip. The only way she could get the ingredients needed would be to steal them from the Potion Master's private stores and for that she would need. Hermione. She decided she would ask her the next day.
"Tomorrow," she told herself as she dog-eared the page and hid the book under her bed. She got into her four poster once more, covered up, and closed the curtains around her.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny joined the other Gryffindors at the Gryffindor table. They were talking about Quidditch and who the new captain would be since Angelina left, when the Great Hall doors opened and the first years, led by McGonagall, came in. At the back of the line were Jessica and Tara. Jessica waved at Harry as she passed.
They formed a long line at the front of the staff table, where a stool was placed and a hat sat upon the stool. Dumbledore stood up and all manner of talking died down.
"Welcome, students, to another year. I hope you all have been practicing your spells over the break. Yes, I am aware that you are not supposed to use magic outside of school, but in the dark of these days the Ministry has allowed you to practice them. We must all be on our guard.
"This year we have formed a new program. It is the Elixir of Life Transfer Student program. Two of those students we have here today. They are from America. Two more will come from Durmstrang, and two more will come from Beauxbatons.
"We will sort the first years first," he said and sat down. Professor McGonagall called each student forward and soon they had all been sorted and only Jessica and Tara remained.
"Chumney, Tara," McGonagall called.
Slowly, Tara went forward, placed the Sorting Hat on her head, and sat on the stool.
"Ah, yes. clever, smart, and brave. Brave in a many are not. You don't let people walk over you. You belong in . GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table erupted into applause as Tara made her way to the table. Ron moved over to allow her to sit next to him.
"Well, you got the house you wanted," he remarked making Tara blush. She looked back to the staff table were Jessica stood alone.
"Parham, Jessica," McGonagall called, and Jessica, her head high, went forward, sat on the stool, and placed the Sorting Hat on her head.
"You are brave, smart, and loyal to your friends and you have a great thirst to prove yourself. Surely that would be Gryffindor material?"
"Let me be in Slytherin, let me be in Slytherin."
"You want to be in Slytherin? Oh, of course. I see why you want to be in that house. You will be in. SLYTHERIN!" The table on the far right erupted into applause. A smug smile filtered on Jessica's face as she sat at the table, but the minute she sat down she wished she would've chosen a better seat.
"Well, you got in the best house there is in this place," came Malfoy's drawling voice. Jessica smiled.
"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, are you in this house?" she asked sarcastically. Malfoy nodded. "Well then, if we are going to see a lot of each other, I should tell you. most girls don't like guys with big heads." With that she took out a book and began reading it.
After the feast Dumbledore stood up. The Great Hall silenced, except for some Slytherins.
"Welcome again to a new year at Hogwarts. I give leave to the fifth year prefects to take the new first years to their dorms and the sixth year prefect boys in Slytherin and Gryffindor to take the transfer students around the castle and then to the dorms. Everyone else can be dismissed to bed."
"Well then," said Malfoy. "It seems that we have the entire evening to ourselves." It didn't sound like anything was meant by Malfoy's comment, but Jessica, who could see right through his stormy grey eyes, glared at him.
"Just because I'm new and short doesn't mean I'm easy prey. I know all about your sort and I'm telling you right now, you and I will never be in a situation like that. Understand?" She'd said all this in a whisper and the only ones who heard besides Malfoy were Crabbe and Goyle, but Jessica could already tell that they were too thick to know that one plus one equaled two. "No, you can give me a tour of this place, or I can get someone else to do it.
Malfoy, who seemed to think it would be fun to "tame" this American, said, "We could check out the lake." But Jessica glared. "Or we could check out the library."
"Much more like it," Jessica said and, leaving Crabbe and Goyle behind, they went to the library.
"So, Tara," Ron said, "I'm sure you are sorry to hear that I, and not Harry, am the Prefect." Tara shook her head.
"I'm not sorry," she said and then her cheeks flushed. "I mean, that is to say, I don't mind that it's you, and not Harry, that's the Prefect." Ron couldn't help but give Harry the "finally a girl who likes me instead of you" look.
"So. where would you like to go first?"
"Um., the"- she began and Ron smiled.
"Let me guess, the library?" Tara's eyes brightened as she nodded. Together they left, up to the library.
"Tara," Jessica called when she saw Ron and Tara enter the library over the top of her book. Malfoy had been staring at her while she read for the last ten minutes and she hadn't noticed, but now she did.
"If you don't stare at something else, like a book maybe, I will poke your eyes out and hang them over the Slytherin Common room. Get it?" Jessica asked and rolled her eyes. "Tara, Ron, over here.
Ron and Tara went to their table and sat down.
"And who's this, Weasley, a girlfriend?" Malfoy asked. Ron and Tara both grew as red as Ron's hair. Jessica punched Malfoy on the arm.
"Ow!" Malfoy exclaimed, rubbing his arm where Jessica had hit it. "What did you do that for?"
"Oh, I don't know. for making fun of my friends. And so what if they were going out? It's their business, not yours!" She got up, checked the book out, and came back. "Ok, show me to the dorms, Malfoy."
"How many times do I have to ask you to call me Draco?" Malfoy asked sweetly.
"At least a hundred times before I call you anything even close to your name. Bye Tara, bye Ron."
They left and a while later Ron and Tara left for Gryffindor tower.
At the same time, Jessica and Tara's heads hit their pillows, and both thought entirely different thoughts.
iI really like him, and it seems like he likes me. I should talk to Hermione though. I'd feel stupid if I told a guy I liked him and he already had a girlfriend./i
Miles out of earshot, in her four poster bed, her curtains closed around her except for a small crack that let a sliver of moonlight hit her bed, Jessica was deep in thought.
iI really hate guys, well, except for Harry and Ron. Malfoy is gorgeous and all, but he's so freaking arrogant. I'd like him better if he deflated his head a bit./i
Then she got an idea. Slowly, she tiptoed to her trunk and opened it. She shuffled through her stuff until she found the thing she was looking for. Her favorite book: iThe Newest and Latest Potions of Today. /i
Written by her father, she knew how to make all the potions in the book. Sitting on her bed she skimmed the book until she reached the page she'd been looking for: Chapter 16, The Personality Switch Potion. Slowly she read the page to make sure she'd gotten the right one.
centerbThe Personality Switch Potion/b/center
The Personality Switch Potion can turn any unattractive personality into a desirable one. People who are abusive can turn into the gentlest of people. Bigheaded and arrogant people will become thoughtful and generous, and they won't even lose any of there wit and humor.
While this potion may sound wonderful, it can also be quite dangerous. Do not give this to any who do not need it or it will leave horrible results. Use this potion wisely.
To concoct this potion it must be prepared on the twentieth of the month while the moon is in its full.
Ingredients needed: 1 tooth of an African fruit bat 2 feathers from the Australian Grey goose. 2 eyes from a Canadian Black crow 1 vile of rats' blood 1 pinch of sacrificial ash
Jessica bit her lip. The only way she could get the ingredients needed would be to steal them from the Potion Master's private stores and for that she would need. Hermione. She decided she would ask her the next day.
"Tomorrow," she told herself as she dog-eared the page and hid the book under her bed. She got into her four poster once more, covered up, and closed the curtains around her.