"A little rain?" asked Hermione as she gobbled down her treacle pudding at dinner. "If we got anymore rain, we would be living in a river."
"So! I'd rather live in a river than have to worry about Slytherin beating us for another week," snapped Harry.
"Are you going to eat your pudding?" asked Ron, who had not had food the day before because he was sick. He had accidentally said 'sickolerius' rather than 'psycholarius' and his wand back fired. Harry shook his head and Ron snatched it away before you could say 'gryffindor'. Harry had just noticed that the sorting hat was sitting on its stool on the stage but didn't give it a second thought.
"I just don't want them to have another week to get that slime ball Malfoy into shape. I hope he..." but Harry's voice was drained out by a crash of thunder. A gust of wind came through the Great Hall and blew all the candles out. But Dumbledore, with a swish of his wand, made the candles relight themselves before anyone started to scream.
"Forget it. He wouldn't be able to catch that golden snitch if his life depended on it," said Ron through another inhalation of pudding. He licked the cup dry and looked yearningly at the half full bowl of pudding Hermione was still spooning at.
* * * * *
Outside the castle a great storm roared. A dark figure came into view and got larger and larger and larger until it had formed the shape of the Hogwarts Express. A shadowy shape of a girl, a little bigger than Hermione, appeared carrying a basket with four little kittens in it. She had a long black cloak on, which had begun to sop up some of the rain that had formed a flood. She waited for another figure to appear, which came closer and closer to her. It was ... PROFESSOR McGONAGALL!!! She put her arm around the girl. The girl placed her basket of kittens on top of her wooden oak chest. A small white owl lagged behind them as they climbed the steps and entered the Great Hall. With this Dumbledore waved his wand to summon the whole hall to quiet down.
"Students, may I have your attention? We have a new student transferring here from Cathearts School of Witchcraft for Girls in the United States. She is top of her class three years running, captain of her champion quidditch team, and graduated her grammar school, Hogglty Pogglty Elementary School for the Great Wizards and Witches of Tommorrow or HPESGWWT, with honors from the United States Wizardess, Cornelia Horseylou, and is also the student president of Wizards and Witches for a More Magical Future. I know it she is a few weeks late to school and you are supposed to be sorted as a first year, but she is on the same level as all the third-years. So lets please welcome Anastasia Hart to be sorted," said Dumbledore, clapping his hands. Everyone else joined in after a second or two.
"That's the girl we met in town. She's really nice," said Hermione, to Ron and Harry.
"Shhhhhhhh," said Percy waiting for the hats' reaction.
"Well, well, well. You are a very honest and unique person. You are quite a Ravenclaw. But on the other hand you have a great mind and a real magical talent like a Slytherin. No! Look here. You are a quick thinker and very good at taking orders. Maybe Hufflepuff. Wait, wait, wait. I see here that you are a leader. A good one. You are all of these things combined," heard Ana. "Well, I guess I'll have to think hard on this one. I think ... GRYFFINDOR!" yelled the hat.
The whole table cheered.
"I expect the Gryffindor prefects to show our new third-year the castle and bring her to each class for the first day. Thank you for joining us Anastasia. Watch out for Hermione, our own top-of-her-class third year, is all the advice I have and everyone can go back to their dinners," said Dumbledore, over the cheers still coming from the Gryffindor table. Percy stood up and Ana walked over to him.
"Hello ... Anastasia," said Percy in his welcoming voice as he sat her next to a Gryffindor second-year.
"You can call me Ana. My friends do," replied Ana.
"So Ana, whats school like in America?" asked Percy.
"Same as here, I guess. It's a smaller castle and less people," she said. "What's it like here?"
"Oh, nothing exciting. Same classes and books. Eh, let me warn you against hanging out with Slytherins. Not that there's anything wrong with them. They just ... aren't the most friendly," said Percy glancing over at the table near the wall and all the students throwing food at each other. "What are your kittens names?"
"Lilac Ravenclaw, Iris Gryffindor, Rose Slytherin, and Daisy Hufflepuff. Those are the names of the houses at Cathearts so I decided as a memory type thing. Where are the dorms? I'm so tired and I need to unpack..." said Ana with a yawn.
"I'll show you," answered Percy getting up and helping Ana out of her chair. Ana picked up the basket and walked down the corridor behind Percy. Percy's girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, looked at him in a nasty way. He gave her a what-can-I-do look back. They reached the portrait hole.
"Cat...hearts," said Percy, getting a red look on his face.
"Cathearts is the password?" asked Ana with a chuckle.
"Yeah," said Percy in reply.
