The chilly wind blew around the small line of students that were stumbling down a slippery path, trying to keep their balance as they followed Hagrid's huge lantern that seemed to shine the way ahead. They shivered, but nevertheless, kept up the pace, while a few of them slipped a few times.
Sakura herself was shivering, and wrapped her robes more tightly around her, hoping to find even the slightest bit of warmth as she tramped down the path, with Eriol beside her while Li and Touya followed her quietly, shooting glares at each other. Li, though, had the upper hand as Nakuru was still hanging on to Touya's neck.
"Nakuru," Sakura heard her brother hiss as he tried his best not to slip off the path. His brownish black eyes were flashing angrily at her as she clung on even harder to him. "Let go of me. And I mean NOW."
"No, Touya-kun! I've waited for you for one year already; can't you at least give me the chance to stick close to you? Besides, you've nothing to worry about"
A few students cast curious looks at them, watching with much interest as Touya tried to pry Nakuru off, but failed miserably. Sakura sweatdropped, watching as more and more curious eyes were focused on the pair.
"AnoEriol-kun, can you do something about Nakuru-san? I don't think oniichan is enjoying the attention," she whispered, making him raise an amused eyebrow at their direction.
A small smile formed on the corners of his lips, which twitched as he stifled a chuckle. Sakura was right; Nakuru was glomping Touya as if the world was about to end tomorrow. He had to sympathize with Touya, anyway, as he was Sakura's brother
"Nakuru, stop antagonizing Touya," he spoke, his voice ringing clear through the night. A few curious onlookers stopped to watch what would happen, but had to continue moving as they were jostled down further onto the path. "NAKURU."
She frowned, releasing Touya as a pout immediately appeared on her face. Touya, on the other hand, was more than glad to have her strong grip off his neck for once since the beginning of the day and gave a sigh of relief. Mumbling an almost inaudible "Thanks" to the young sorcerer who was walking in front of him, he went back to glaring at Li, who glared back hotly.
Sakura, unfortunately, had some problems to herself, though. The darkness of this road seemed to create frightening hallucinations in her mind - was that a skulking figure she saw on her right? -and just to be safe, she inched closer to Eriol, who could only, as usual, smile.
"Don't worry," he told her, putting on his most comforting smile as he noticed the expression on her face. "There're no ghosts out here- at least, not yet. It's just the trees- I think. It'll be fine."
She nodded, wishing somehow that she could have such courage as he had, and that she wasn't so afraid of ghosts and whatnots. Still, she kept close to him, just in case something was to suddenly leap out at her. There was some sense in keeping safe, wasn't there?
Furthermore, it was abnormally and eerily quiet here, compared to the din back at the platform. The only thing that she could hear while walking down this path was the faintest of whispers and the loud cricket chirps that seemed to echo through the night.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts jus' round this bend here," Hagrid's voice suddenly boomed out in the darkness, making her jump. A murmur swept through the crowd as they kept their eyes trained on the bend, not wanting to miss this memorable moment.
At that very moment, she almost slipped, only to be caught by a very worried looking Li, who seemed to linger over her longer than necessary. This made Touya snarl, his eyes flashing furiously at the boy.
"Watch it, brat," he growled under his breath as he clenched his fists tightly as they rounded the corner, one by one. "One step closer to my sister, and I promise you, you'll be dead meat. Got that?"
Li was about to retort, but was stunned when he realized where they were. They were now standing on the shore of a large, black lake, and on the other side of the lake- was Hogwarts, the school that they had heard so much about.
Perched on top of a high mountain on the other side of the lake, was a gigantic castle with many towers and turrets. Each of the towers had windows that sparkled like the stars in the night sky, as light shone through them. It was indeed, a most magnificent sight to behold.
The mere sight of Hogwarts enchanted Sakura herself, as the school seemed to project some type of strong power from its very depths. In fact, the castle was an astounding sight, surrounded by millions of shining stars that twinkled up in the dark night sky.
"Wow," she whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from the castle. The sight of the school was just like one out of those old storybooks- it looked simply magical and indeed, very legendary. "Eriol-kun, is that Hogwarts?"
He smiled, nodding as he felt a sense of pride welling up in him. He was proud- and not afraid to admit it- that he had once schooled in Hogwarts, the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the entire world. After all, it wasn't every day that you could be accepted in Hogwarts.
It was then that he caught sight of Li's mouth that was hanging wide open, and he chuckled silently to himself. It seemed as if Li himself was taken in by the mere sight of Hogwarts, he reflected, hiding a knowing smile as he turned his attention to the lake that stretched in front of them.
A fleet of small boats stood waiting near the sandbar while they bobbed on the surface of the water, lined up neatly. They seemed indeed very small, but Eriol knew that these boats, like everything else in Hogwarts, were enchanted by magic.
"No more 'n four in a boat!" Hagrid called out, climbing into one of these small boats which creaked under his weight, but nevertheless, remained steady as he watched the students clamber into the other boats.
Eriol himself took a boat together with Li, Sakura and Meilin while Touya, unfortunately got stuck in the same boat as Nakuru, who latched onto him as tightly as she could, despite the curious stares that she drew from the two other students that had climbed into their boat.
"Nakuru," he hissed, turning crimson both from the lack of oxygen and embarrassment as he tried his best to free himself. "Let go of me. And I mean RIGHT NOW."
Miraculously, he managed to extract one of her arms from his neck, but she simply clamped it around his already stiff neck and shook her head, not wanting to let go. He sighed in defeat, throwing a look of helplessness at Eriol, who had been watching the scene with much interest. It was to his luck that the young reincarnation of Clow Reed decided to take pity towards his plight.
"Nakuru," he warned as he rested his piercing, dark blue gaze on her, giving her a warning look. Immediately, his moon guardian released Sakura's brother, and almost pushed him overboard.
Touya leaned back slightly, somehow wishing that he had got into another boat. He would have more than gladly endured many curious stares than actually face Nakuru, especially when she was so hyper.
"Everyone in?" Hagrid called out, as he squinted in the darkness to see if everyone was in a boat already. "Right then- FORWARD!"
At his order, the boats glided smoothly over the lake. There was no noise except the swishing of the water against the boats' sides as everyone was too busy looking up at the castle that seemed to tower over them a they neared it by every second.
"Heads down!" Hagrid called out, seeing that the first boats had almost reached the cliff. Everyone ducked as they sailed through a thick curtain of ivy that hid an opening in the cliff. Next came a dark tunnel, where there was nothing but extreme darkness, causing Sakura to let out a soft whimper of fear, only to be comforted by a few well-whispered words from Eriol
Finally, the boats stopped at what seemed like a small harbour, and the students scrambled out, some of their faces green as they were seasick. Hagrid was checking the boats, inspecting if the students in the boats had left anything behind.
The inspection didn't take long; the students soon found themselves clambering up a passageway in the rock with Hagrid's lamp as a guide that led to the soft, damp grass right in the dark shadow of the castle.
From there, they marched up a flight of stone steps and crowded in front of the huge, oak door that seemed to be the front door leading into Hogwarts.
"Everyone 'ere?"
Hagrid raised a large fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
The door immediately swung open, and Sakura shrunk behind Eriol when she saw a tall, stern faced witch standing there. Her face was stern and for some reason, that seemed to frighten Sakura. She was dressed in an emerald green cloak, and Eriol smiled to himself. It was, of course, no other than Professor McGonagall, their deputy headmistress who had sent the letter to them.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid was saying to her as she nodded.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."
She pulled the door open, and the entire group of first years scrambled into the hall. Sakura gasped, looking around at the vast hall. Why, this was easily the biggest place she had ever seen in her life! It even seemed bigger than Tomoyo's house back in Tomoeda!
Flaming torches lit the stone walls, casting long shadows on the ground. For some reason, the ceiling was too high to make out, Sakura noticed as she craned her neck, trying to make out now high it was. Facing them was a magnificent marble staircase that led to the floors upstairs.
Slowly and silently, they trailed after Professor McGonagall, their shoes squeaking on the rough, stone floor. A few whispers darted here and there, but overall, the students remained quiet as they made their way across the floor.
A doorway leading to a room on their right seemed to be overwhelmed by the amount of noise inside the room. Li's first guess at that moment was that it was the Great Hall that Harry and Ron had told them about while they were on the train. Judging by the noise level, however, he would've said that the entire school (except the first years, of course), was already in the hall.
Instead of bringing them into the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall brought them into a small, empty chamber off the hall. There, she ushered the students in. They crowded together, some of them sweating profusely while others muttered nervously under their breath. Why were they here? Weren't they supposed to join the rest of the school in the hall?
After seeing that the last student was in the chamber, the tall witch turned and spoke to them, her voice unwavering and her eyes gazing sharply at each and every one of them.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she began, her eyes darting to where she had heard a whisper that was quickly muffled. "This is your first year here, and you will soon join the rest of the school in the start-of-term banquet, but before that, you shall be sorted into your respective houses."
She paused, letting her words sink in before she continued.
"There are four houses altogether in Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. You will be sorted by your nature and behaviour, and will mix with others of your kind. Throughout your stay in Hogwarts, your houses will act as a family for you, as you are to spend most of your time in your house. You are to sleep in your house dormitory, attend classes with the rest of your house, and spend your free time in your house common room. Do you understand me so far?"
A few murmurs of agreement swept through the crowd as they turned back instantly as the teacher cleared her throat with a sharp sound.
At the back, a worried expression appeared on Sakura's face as she glanced around, her leaf green eyes clouded over by the anxiety that she was feeling at that very moment.
"Does that mean that you might not be in the same house as us?" she whispered to Eriol, who nodded as a reply before turning his attention back to the tall witch in front.
"Each and every house has its own proud and noble history, and indeed, have produced many outstanding wizards and witches throughout the years. During your stay in Hogwarts, every triumph and success will earn your house some house points. Likewise, any rule breaking and disobedience will cause points to be deducted from your house. Is that understood?"
"At the end of the year, the house points will be summed up, and the house cup is awarded to the house with the most points. This house cup is a great honour to whichever house that receives it. I do hope that all of you shall be of some credit to your house points," she ended, fixing her hawk-like stare on the students, making some of them shift and squirm uncomfortably in their places.
"The Sorting shall start in a few minutes. Meanwhile, I suggest that you tidy yourself while waiting," she spoke, her gaze resting on someone's untidy cloak and another student's unfastened collar. "I shall return in a few minute's time. Please wait quietly."
With that, she left the chamber, leaving them. A sea of murmurs immediately flooded the room as the students tried desperately to tidy themselves after the long trip. There was someone smoothing their hair here, and someone fastening their cloak properly there.
Sakura was blinking anxiously, her heart hammering in her chest as she inhaled. She hoped that she'd placed in the same house as either Eriol or Li. After all, she hardly knew anything about this school, and by what she had heard from Ron and Harry, things did seem a little scary
Suddenly, she let out an ear piercing shriek, making everyone turn around in shock. There, floating through the door, were about twenty ghosts, assembling just behind her. She turned pale on the spot and backed away, only to bump into Eriol.
"Eriol-kun, were these the ghosts Harry was talking about?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly as she watched the ghosts talk to each other, as if they weren't there. Sweat drenched her forehead, and Eriol placed his hands on her shoulders comfortingly.
"As I told you before, Sakura-chan, the ghosts here are harmless, except Peeves. There's nothing to be afraid of," he coaxed, not taking his dark blue eyes off the pearly-white and slightly transparent apparitions. After all, he did recognize some of them.
"D." she stammered, her eyes growing wider and wider in horror by the minute. It was enough that she had heard so many ghost stories (courtesy of Naoko), now she had to run into more than twenty ghosts too!
A ghost that had silver blood over its robes seemed to acknowledge her stare as it suddenly turned, gazing straight at her. Sakura cowered further into the crowd, bumping into some people in the process.
"Wellnew students! About to be Sorted? Hope you get into Slytherin; the other houses are nothing compared to ours," the Bloody Baron spoke, its eyes darting to another ghost who was wearing ruffles and tights. "Especially Gryffindor."
"My dear Baron, I do believe that you shouldn't give that sort of impression to them," Nearly Headless Nick was saying with a most disapproving look. "After all, we did win the house cup three years in a row"
"Yes, but Slytherin DID win the house cup for six years in a row before that Potter boy came along," barked the Bloody Baron as his eyes narrowed into slits. "You mark my words: Slytherin will get the house cup this year!"
Sakura blinked, forgetting her fright of ghosts for a moment. Had that ghost said Potter? As in Harry Potter?
"Harry's in Gryffindor," Eriol explained, as if he could read her mind. "That ghost over there is Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, while the Bloody Baron is the Slytherin resident ghost. Don't you worry, you'll get all of this sooner or later!"
"Of course she will," a low voice spoke from behind them, making her jump up in fright before spinning around. Behind her were three figures: one, a petite girl that was almost Sakura's height, a small cat-like animal that looked somewhat like Spinel (who had gladly wrenched himself out of Nakuru's bag), and last but not least, was a tall, frowning man with flowing silvery white hair.
Sakura's green eyes widened in surprise as she recognized who these three figures were. The first, was nonetheless, her best friend from Tomoeda, Tomoyo, the second her sun guardian, Cerberus (or rather known as Kero) and the last was her moon guardian, Yue.
"Newhat are you three doing here? Tomoyo-chan, you mean you have magic?" she sputtered. Unfortunately, this was the time when Professor McGonagall returned, so her questions were left unanswered as the tall witch clapped her hands to draw the crowd's attention.
"Now, move along," she told the ghosts, who obediently floated through a wall, making Sakura tremble even worse, drawing more and more curious stares to her shaking form. Professor McGonagall seemed oblivious of this, though as she turned to look at the sea of faces in front of her.
"Form a line and follow me. The Sorting is about to start."
Sakura (who was still trembling) got into the line behind Nakuru shakily, inhaling deep breaths of air as she stared ahead mutely. This was it. She hadn't any idea of what the Sorting was about, for Harry and the others hadn't told them about it.
"Ne, Tomoyo-chan," she whispered to the girl behind her. "What are you doing here?"
Tomoyo herself simply smiled, giving Sakura a slight push as the line in front of her began to move. Sakura herself simply followed blindly as the long line trudged out of the chamber, into the outer hall before entering the Great Hall through the double doors.
A magnificent sight rose up to greet them as they stepped into the vast hall. There were no lights in the Great Hall; it was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that floated magically above the table, lighting the four main tables in the hall, which all had golden plates and goblets lined up neatly on them.
At the top of the hall was another long table that the teachers were sitting at. Eriol recognized several people that sat there, including Professor Dumbledore and of course, Hagrid. He didn't know that others; they were probably some teachers that had entered the school later.
Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, where they could now see the sea of faces that stretched out beyond them in the hall. They squirmed uncomfortably, some sweating profusely as they gazed back at the students that sat on the benches. Her and there, the ghosts that had entered the chamber earlier could be seen, in between the students.
Li could feel beads of sweat practically trickling down his neck as he gazed back at the curious faces. Sakura, on the other hand, looked up, trying to distract herself by looking at the ceiling that was dotted with stars on a black night sky, just like how the sky had seemed like before they had entered the castle. Indeed, it was a wondrous sight.
Silently, Professor McGonagall placed a four legged stool in front of the first years before carefully a rather old and untidy pointed wizard's hat. Threads stuck out here and there from the frays, making the hat look rather dirty, and Tomoyo fidgeted, trying not to think of how she could've made a new hat like that.
There was a thundering silence in the hall as everyone's attention was focused on this hat. It was then that the hat twitched, and the rip near the brim opened, just like a mouth, and the hat began to sing a song to the silenced hall.
A loud round of applause echoed trough the hall as the Sorting Hat finished its song. It seemed to bow (at least from Sakura's point of view) to them before straightening up and becoming as still and stationary as before.
Sakura could feel her stomach churning as she watched Professor McGonagall step forward, holding a long piece of parchment. Sweat beaded Sakura's forehead, and she bit her lip. For some reason, she never liked being in front of a stage, what more to face so many eyes that were fixed on her and the other first years. Tomoyo, on the other hand, seemed to be nonchalant, as she had much experience in these things. She had, after all, sang in many concerts and this was merely another one.
"When I call your name, you will put the hat on and sit on the stool," Professor McGonagall spoke, her eyes not straying away from the parchment that she was holding at that moment. "Akizuki, Nakuru!"
Nakuru ran forward, putting on the Sorting Hat that immediately fell over her eyes as she sat down on the stool. The crowd held their breath, as they waited for the hat's decision.
Meanwhile, the Sorting Hat seemed to be having a little chat with Nakuru inside her head.
"Well, well, I see there's much loyalty here," a small voice spoke in Nakuru's ear and she smiled inwardly, knowing that the Sorting Hat was talking to her. "And yes, much courage but also very playful and careless. Where should I put you?"
Anywhere, but not Slytherin, Nakuru thought as she recalled the bitter memories of the many times that she had to endure Snape's wrath before.
"Oh? Am I sensing hate here? Not Slytherin? Are you sure? Slytherin could help you- no? Well, better be HUFFLEPUFF!"
The last word echoed throughout the hall and the Hufflepuff table erupted into loud cheers as she flashed them a grin and placed the hat back on the stool before jogging down to the table and joining her fellow Hufflepuffs who were proudly patting her back.
"Brownstone, Stuart!"
A tall, gangly boy with short, blond hair stumbled forward out of the line and jammed on the Sorting Hat as he sat down on the chair. There was a few seconds of silence, then-
"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.
Sakura watched as the boy took the hat off and placed it carefully onto the stool once more before jogging down to the Ravenclaw table. There were loud cheers from the Ravenclaws while some of them patted his back when he sat down shakily beside a tall, serious looking girl.
"Bulstrode, Millicent!"
A minute's pause-
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Cathurst, Ursula!"
A petite freckled girl with long, brown hair stepped forward, visibly shaking as she placed the Sorting Hat on her head and sat down on the stool. It fell over her eyes, and there was another moment of silence-
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat called out again, and this time, the Hufflepuff table (the table on the right) erupted in cheers once more.
Sakura didn't have a very good feeling about this now. Although Eriol and Harry had told her earlier on that she had nothing to worry about, she could feel her stomach churning violently. What if she was Sorted into a house where she knew no one?
Tomoyo touched her shoulder lightly, giving her a small smile and a wink. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'm sure it'll be all right. Besides, Nakuru-san has just put the hat on and nothing's happened, ne?"
The card mistress nodded, her panic reducing slightly, yet she could still feel her heart pounding in her chest. She turned her attention back to the Sorting Hat who was now sorting 'Cervey, Hilda'.
Next was-
"Cerberus!"
An astonished murmur swept through the hall as the small sun guardian flew forward and suddenly changed into his original form. Tomoyo giggled from beside Sakura, watching as he marched up to Professor McGonagall who placed the hat on his furry head.
"I should have known that Kero-chan wouldn't stay in that form," she chuckled as she watched. "The Sorting Hat wouldn't fit him in that size." This lifted Sakura's spirits somehow, and she giggled softly alongside Tomoyo.
A whole minute passed, and the crowd waited with bated breath for the hat's decision. At last, it called out-
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table made such a noise that only could be quieted down by a swift, sharp piercing look from Professor McGonagall who then proceeded to call out, "Daidouji, Tomoyo!"
Tomoyo winked and stepped forward before she placed the old and worn Sorting Hat on her head and sat down on the stool. The hat slipped over her eyes as it had for Nakuru, and all she could see was the dark, black inside of the hat.
"Hmm," the Sorting Hat spoke in her ear, making her jump slightly in surprise. "Lots of talent, oh yes, my goodness. Plenty of courage, and not to mention cleverness too. Indeednow, where should I put you? Quite good hearted, I see. Oh? Not Hufflepuff? But I see some unwavering loyalty here- no? Then, better be in RAVENCLAW!"
Tomoyo laid down the hat and gratefully scurried off. To tell the truth, she hadn't quite wanted to be in Hufflepuff as Nakuru was there, and she had seen enough of how Eriol's moon guardian antagonized Touya to want to be stuck with her. She received a few warm pats on the back as the Ravenclaws greeted her warmly.
'Davidson, Julian' was made a Gryffindor next, just before 'Dinalle, Irene' was made a Slytherin. On and on the list went until-
"Hiiragizawa, Eriol!"
The young sorcerer strode forward confidently, his blue eyes shining, yet hiding some dark secret in its depths while his usual smile was pasted on his face. There were a few admiring sighs from the girls as they viewed his captivating dark blue eyes and his ever famous smile.
Setting the hat carefully on his head, he took his seat on the stool and waited. He didn't feel nervous at all, as he had gone through this once before. Actually, he had never been to Hogwarts. It was merely Clow Reed that had schooled here once when he was still alive, so Eriol knew what was about to happen next.
"I believe I have seen you around here before, have I not?" the Sorting Hat inquired in his ear. He smiled, knowing very well that the Sorting Hat knew whatever he was thinking about. " Hmm- difficult, very difficult indeed. A little evil too, but ahfor a good cause. Good hearted toobut more knowledge in herevery promising indeed. Well then, better be in RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaws rose up and clapped once more, with a smiling Tomoyo clapping the loudest of them all. She should have known that Eriol would be placed in Ravenclaw; he was after all, one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world and also one that was very gifted.
He flashed her a smile as he sat down beside her, and she could feel her face somehow turning red. Why did she suddenly feel so nervous when he was here?
Then, 'Jettison, Kim' 'Katson, Anna' 'Kinley, Dave' and at last, Professor McGonagall called out "Kinomoto, Sakura!"
Sakura stumbled forward, feeling indeed very nervous. Her palms were cold and clammy as she lifted up the hat and placed it on her head with shaking hands. It fell over her eyes, blocking everyone else from her sight, and she held her breath, waiting.
"Very brave indeed, and lots of pluck, I see. You seem caring and helpful, yet you're responsible and will do your best to help anyone whom needs it in any way. Talent, plenty, yesnow where should I put you? HmmRavenclaw doesn't seem quite right for you, I'm sorrydoesn't quite suit you"
She cast a horrified look at Slytherin, praying softly that she wouldn't have to end up there. She had seen Draco Malfoy earlier, and she definitely didn't want to get stuck with him. If she did
She shuddered, not wanting to even think about it.
"Not Slytherin? Why not? Slytherin could help you in many things and help you become a great person-no? If then, better be in GRYFFINDOR!"
Sakura was half shaking as she made her way to the Gryffindor table that was cheering ever so loudly. She had stopped shaking like a leaf when she took her seat at the table right across Ron, who flashed a thumbs up at her while Harry, for some odd reason, turned away from her and began chatting nonstop to Hermione, making her blink and blurt out "Hoe?"
"Well done, Sakura, well done," Percy boomed pompously from behind her, making her jump slightly. She shot him a weak smile, and promptly turned her full attention back to the Sorting when she heard the name, "Kinomoto, Touya!" called out.
Unfortunately, to Touya's horror, he was made a Hufflepuff and as he trudged all the way to the Hufflepuff table amid the hearty cheers and applause, he grimaced at the sound of Nakuru's high pitched "TOUYA-KUN!!!" Why did he have to be stuck with her of all people?
At last-
"Li, Syaoran!"
Li took a step forward, now feeling very awkward as he gazed back at the thousands of expectant eyes that were watching him carefully. Jamming the hat on, he closed his eyes, praying that somehow, he could end up in Gryffindor, together with Sakura and not in Hufflepuff (with Touya and Nakuru) or Ravenclaw (with Eriol and Tomoyo).
"Oh? You don't want to go to Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw because of that Sakura girl? I see" the Sorting Hat spoke in his ear, making him turn tomato red as he looked down. How did this hat know what he was thinking about? Damn it
"You have courage, indeed, much of it. Stubborn you are, but you have a soft spot when it comes to things that touch your heart, especially that girl, Sakura. (Syaoran turned red again) You've got talent, and you'll be great, no doubt."
Li clutched the edge of his seat, biting his lip. Where was he going to be placed?
"Still, you don't have an evil streak (Li practically cheered inwardly- he had been shooting death glares at Malfoy since they had entered the hall) so as well go to GRYFFINDOR!"
He exhaled in delight, not noticing that he had been holding his breath the entire time. Jogging down to the Gryffindor table, he took a seat beside Sakura, who gave him a smile, making him blush all over again and turn crimson in the face.
Things were different over at the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables however. Touya was now shooting death glares at him once again, itching just to get his hands around Li's throat, and perhaps, if fate and Eriol permitted it, Nakuru's too. Eriol, on the other hand, looked genuinely pleased at the fact that his descendant had ended up in the same house as the new owner of the Sakura cards. It was, after all, known to him and Tomoyo that Li did like Sakura.
Next in line after Syaoran was-
"Li, Meilin!"
Meilin, stepped forward, her heart pounding faster than usual in her chest, jammed on the hat and sat, waiting breathlessly for the hat's decision. Where would she end up? She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the decision to come.
"You have a good heart, I see," the hat told her, and she could imagine it somehow squinting down on her as a small smile formed on her face. "A thirst to prove yourself, but nevertheless, very talented. Brave and helpful too. Now, where should I put you? Not Slytherin (Meilin grimaced at the thought)? Then better be GRYFFINDOR!"
There was life in her eyes as she took her seat beside Harry, who gave her a smile, making her turn red for a split second. She turned away immediately, feeling her face burn, making Ron, who had been sitting across the table from her, give Harry a look of surprise. What was wrong with her?
The list had grown shorter by now, with the list of the students waiting to be Sorted getting fewer by the minute. They were in the Ss now 'Sinclair, Kirk' a pair of twins, 'Sintride' and 'Sintride', and at last-
"Spinel Sun!"
Eriol's sun guardian, just like Kero, transformed into his real form and strode up, keeping still as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head. There was a silence and-
"RAVENCLAW!"
Spinel then transformed back into his usual form and hovered proudly before landing on the bench beside Eriol, who gave him a smile. "Well done, Spinel," he spoke as the small sun guardian bowed in return.
"Yue!"
The tall moon guardian strode forward silently, his footsteps practically inaudible. He placed the hat on his head delicately, and there was a thundering silence, only broken here and there by wondrous and admiring sighs from some fifth year girls that were goggling at him.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
'Zabini, Judy' became a Slytherin, and at last, Professor McGonagall rolled up the parchment she was holding and took the Sorting hat away. Kero was looking expectantly at the plate in front of him now (he had been given a special place at the table, just like Spinel), as if waiting for something.
Albus Dumbledore had now got to his feet and stretched out his arms warmly. "Welcome to a brand new year in Hogwarts! I only have two words to say to you: Eat up."
Sakura watched, astonished as the plates magically filled with food in front of her eyes. Kero, on the other hand, didn't waste any time and grabbed a leg of the roast chicken and began to munch delightfully on it.
"Mmmalwhays liked Hogwharths fheast food," he spoke as he dropped the clean chicken bone on his plate and reached out for a scoop of mash potatoes. Yue, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow at his fellow guardian and didn't touch a plate (although he did consider transforming into Yukito for a split second but perishing the thought at last- what would Yukito think if he were to suddenly find himself in some unknown place filled with young witches and wizards?).
Sakura could see the High Table much clearer now. Her leaf green eyes trailed as she studied each teacher as Hermione pointed out each one of them, one by one.
"That one's Professor McGonagall," Hermione told her, pointing to the tall, stern looking witch. "I'm sure you know her already- she teaches Transfiguration. That's Professor Flitwick- he teaches Charms. And that's our headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, over there, sitting at the center of the table."
"What about that one?" Sakura asked, pointing towards a teacher who had sallow skin, a hooked nose and greasy black hair. He was eating quietly, but Sakura could see that he was somehow eyeing the empty seat beside him for some odd reason.
Fred Weasley's face loomed up beside her as he gave the teacher a dark look. "That's Snape- he teaches Potions. He's Head of the Slytherin house. Favours them too much, if you ask me. Mind you, keep away from him. He hates Gryffindors."
Li cast Snape a glowering look, and as if sensing Li's stare, the teacher looked up, and gazed straight into his eyes. This only made Li narrow his eyes, giving the teacher his usual fierce glare before turning back to his half finished steak.
"Come to think of it, who's our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Ron blurted out, chewing madly on a tough piece of his lamb chops. "I don't see anyone anywhere. Don't tell me Snape's got the job!"
"Nah," George cut in, forking some peas as he spoke. "Dumbledore won't let him. Still, I don't think that teacher's arrived yet,. Wonder who it'll be this year?"
"The teachers never do last for more than a term, do they?" Seamus Finnigan sighed, looking up from his dinner. "First, Quirrell. Then Lockheart, Lupin, and Moody. Wonder who it is this year round?"
When the plates were cleared of food (half of the Gryffindor table's feast had been demolished by Kero alone), their plates cleared magically, and this time, dessert appeared. Giving a squeal of delight, Kero took a big dollop of the jelly and began eating fast before stuffing himself full of chocolate cake.
Spinel, over at the Ravenclaw table, only stared at Kero distastefully. He never had liked sweet things (couldn't eat them, anyway, so what was the point?), and he only sat there, watching as his fellow Ravenclaws fed on the delicious sweet desserts that had been served on the plates in front of them.
At last, when the last piece of chocolate pudding had been eaten up, the crumbs faded off the plates, leaving them squeaky clean as before. Now, Albus Dumbledore had got to his feet once again, and a silence immediately fell over the hall.
"Now that I see that all of you are fed and watered, I have some announcements to hand out. Mr. Filch, our caretaker, would like me to tell you that our list of confiscatable items have been extended to Screaming Whistles, Ricocheting Quills and many other items. The entire list now holds at least five hundred and fifty-three items, I do believe, if anyone would care to check. This list is placed in front of Mr. Filch's office."
"Hoe" Sakura whispered, her eyes growing wider by the second as she turned to look at Harry. "There are such things around here?"
"If you know where to go," Fred whispered back, giving her a mischievous wink. "Zonko's would be a good start, though."
"This year, I would also like to announce the arrival of 10 special students to Hogwarts. They are: Sakura Kinomoto, Li Syaoran, Eriol Hiiragizawa, Touya Kinomoto, Tomoyo Daidouji, Li Meilin, Nakuru Akizuki (a.k.a. Ruby Moon), Spinel Sun, Cerberus and Yue. If it would not trouble you, could these students please come up here please?"
Muffling her loud "Hoe!", Sakura walked up the stage nervously, biting her lip harder than ever until it almost drew blood. Beside her, Li was clenching his fists, yet she could see a few beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. Eriol, however, seemed at ease, and was smiling at the students that were now staring back at them.
"Sakura, Syaoran, Meilin, Touya, Tomoyo, Eriol and Nakuru shall be joining the fifth year classes together with the other fifth years. Despite their age (there were several snickers now coming from the Slytherin table), they shall learn exactly the same syllabus as that taught by the teachers for the respective year. Spinel Sun, Cerberus and Yue, however, shall be assisting some teachers. It is a great pleasure to have them all here. Could you please give a big hand for them?"
A thundering sound of applause rang through the entire hall as each house (except Slytherin) clapped, cheering for their respective member of their houses. The entire group finally stepped down and scurried back to their places when the clapping finally died down and all eyes were focused on Dumbledore again.
It was now that the double doors leading into the Great Hall creaked open, and a tall, red haired woman with matching fiery, red eyes entered, taking long strides as she approached the High Table. She looked cool and dignified, with her long flowing hair combed until it was sleek and shiny.
Sakura's mouth dropped open. Sputtering, she nudged Li who also seemed stunned by the sudden appearance of this seemingly familiar woman. Could it be?
"Li-kun, isn't that Mizuki-sensei?"
He nodded mutely, his mouth hanging wide open. What was she doing here? For all he might care, she should be frolicking all over England (with that reincarnation of his ancestor that is, if Eriol wasn't here), and not here, of all places. What was Kaho Mizuki doing in Hogwarts?
They watched as she approached Albus Dumbledore, whispered something to him before a huge smile stretched across the headmaster's face as he motioned for her to sit down.
"Nnani? What is she doing here?" Kero whispered, looking incredulous. His eyes never left the woman's liquid smooth motions as she sat down, casting a look at Eriol at the Ravenclaw table before turning to gaze at the group of them at Gryffindor (she avoided Touya's eyes from Hufflepuff, though).
"I would also like to announce the arrival or your new teacher for the subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Mizuki ("Professor?" Li whispered incredulously.)"
There was a loud round of applause, and the loud buzz of conversation immediately struck up. Some boys were gazing admiringly at her, taking in her composed, dignified appearance and practically swooning over her. There was indeed something about Kaho that made her special.
"I'll be betting that Eriol knows something about this," Li hissed, shooting a glare at him. "First, he doesn't tell us about the others joining. Now, he doesn't even breathe a word about Kaho becoming a teacher here. He's getting to be too much!"
Sakura had to practically grab his arm to restrain him from going over to the Ravenclaw table and strangling Eriol, who indeed, was watching the both of them with a very interested look in his eye.
"Calm down, Li-kun! I'm sure he didn't mean it!"
He inhaled, relaxing as he took his place once more, but not taking his eyes off the young reincarnation of Clow Reed. Muttering something under his breath, he turned back to the buzz of conversation that seemed to be taking place in the hall.
It was when Albus Dumbledore cleared his throat when the noise finally died down. His beaming smile hadn't disappeared, and indeed, was growing wider by each word.
"Now, just before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" he spoke, giving his wand a little flick. A long golden coloured ribbon seemed to flow out of it, and began to twist itself in a snakelike way, forming words.
"Everyone pick their favourite tune and off we go!"
Sakura didn't even have time to blink as the entire school began to sing, in different rhythms, melodies, harmonies and keys the school song that had been written in the air by the ribbon. Shrugging, she just joined in.
The most noticeable voice was of course Tomoyo's, which rang out clear and pure amid the din. Several people paused in their singing, listening to her angel like voice as she sang the school song following the melody of one of the songs that she had learnt before.
The song ended in different times, and when at last everyone had stopped singing, Albus Dumbledore wiped his eyes.
"Music!" he spoke. "A magic beyond what we teach here! And now, it's time for bed. Off you go! Chop chop!"
The Gryffindors were led by Percy (who seemed to get more and more pompous by the minute) out of the Great Hall. This time, Sakura was far too sleepy to gape at things like the talking portraits and moving knight suits, and even didn't scream loudly when they almost bumped into a ghost. She did feel rather sleepy after all that food, and now, all she wanted was a nice rest.
At last, they arrived in front of a portrait of a very fat lady in a silk dress.
"Password?" she said.
"Leprechaun gold," Percy spoke, and the painting swung forward, to reveal a round hole in the wall. All of them scrambled in through the hole- and they found themselves in the Gryffindor common room.
Percy directed the girls to through one door to their dormitory, and the boys through another. After mumbling a sleepy "Oyasumi" to Li, Sakura and Meilin dragged themselves up to the girl's dormitory, only pleased to find that their trunks had already been brought up.
Each of them had a four-poster bed; each hung with a deep red, velvety curtain. They changed into their pyjamas, too sleepy even to discuss the events of the day. Falling onto the bed, Sakura closed her eyes in bliss. It had been a tiring day after all. Tiring, but fun too, with many surprises.
Mumbling to herself, she was soon swept off to the
faraway land of dreams
Author's note:
Well, that's another chapter done! *stretches* Gomen
for taking such a long time to post this chapter, minna-san! I
was caught by a case of writer's block ^_^;;, so I had to erase
a few early attempts before finally coming up with this! And just
for you patient folks out there (who had to endure the results
of my terrible song- never was a poet), I made it nice and long,
so forgive my tardiness, OK? I'm going to impose a slightly stricter
rule this time: if I don't get at least 7 reviews for a chapter
, I will NOT post the following chapter at all! Sorry about that,
but I hope this can boost my inflow of reviews =^_^=. Just drop
by to have a read, and at the end, just type a short review of
what you think. Doesn't have to be long, if you don't want to
write so much! Anyway, I'm sure that this fic will have S+S and
E+T (with a little troublewhy do you think I put Kaho in?),
so keep your fingers crossed! Until next time, ja ne~! Domo arigato!
Japanese words:
Ano - Usually means "Uh" or "Er"
Oniichan - Big brother
Ne - Has two meanings. The first usually means 'hey!' and is placed at the beginning of the sentence/quotation. For example. Sakura might say "Ne, Li-kun". It can also mean 'right?' when placed at the end of a sentence.
Nani- What?
Oyasumi - The informal version of the greeting "Oyasumi nasai", which nevertheless, means 'good night'.
Gomen - Sorry
Minna - Everyone
Ja ne - Goodbye, or "Sayonara"
Domo arigato - Again, the informal version of "Domo Arigato Gozaimashita" or "Domo Arigato Gozaimasu" that nevertheless, means 'thank you'.
-chan - Honorific for someone of status lower to yourself, and term of endearment for family and friends. Used mostly for females and is very informal. Is to be added at the end of the name
-kun - Mr (junior), master, boy. Similar to chan,
but mostly applied to males. Is to be added at the end of the
name.