After a speech from Dumbledore, food appeared on these giant platters on the table. We piled our plates high--except me, because I had enough brains to figure that the food would last.

About half an hour later, all the people at our table stood up. Shrugging, we stood up and followed them. We walked through the school, up staircases and (for some odd reason) down. Finally we stopped in front of a painting of a fat lady--her name: the Fat Lady.

"Is this McGonagall's mom? All hail McGonagall's mom!" Sirius said. Everyone laughed. The lady looked shocked.

"No," replied a tall girl with pretty golden hair, "this is the entrance to our dorm."

"Oh, I see." He tried to walk through the painting, unsuccessfully. The lady looked bruised.

"Inkblotter."

"Huh?" Clueless.

The painting slid forward, and I thought I heard the Fat Lady sigh as we all climbed through.

We entered a huge room with blue-green carpet and huge cranberry colored couches and armchairs. Before I could sink into one, the tall girl explained that this was our common room. She told us to remember that 'Inkblotter' was the password to get in. We could do homework, play games, or just hang out here. I went for hang out.

"Sort of like the student union," Peter whispered from next to me. I nearly jumped; I had forgotten that he was standing next to me. I gave his hand a squeeze.

A tall boy with dark brown hair continued. He told us that the staircase to the left went to the boys' dorm and the one on the right went to the girls'. The doors went in order of year, and each year the room shifted up one spot by itself at the beginning of the next year. He reminded us that there weren't any signs on any of the doors.

Then there was silence. I looked around at the other people; lots of them who I was probably taller than. Lots of girls who were probably girly-girls. I rolled my eyes and closed them as I sighed.