"After you m'lady," Greg said as Frank, Candy, and he neared the boats.
Frank giggled like a schoolgirl, taking Greg's hand and stepping into the boat. "You're such a gentleman!" he said in a high-pitched voice.
Candy giggled and she met eyes with Greg, who smiled and said, "I was talking to you, you know."
"Of course," Candy said, taking his hand and stepping into the boat, sitting next to Frank. As soon as Greg sat down, the boats started moving towards a big castle on a hill.
"Wicked," whispered Frank, and from behind them both, Greg whispered his agreement. "Uncle Fred said there was a giant squid in this lake," Frank went on. "Only eats red-haired girls though."
When they reached the castle, they were lead into it, and up a huge flight of stairs. Frank and Greg pointed out pictures and told Candy stories about Snape and how he only loved red-haired girls. Candy didn't believe them for a second, but she found that she enjoyed their company and even their stories about red-haired girls.
Waiting at the top of the stairs stood a woman in a long black robe and a huge witches hat on her head, covering most of her face and her eyes. As they neared, she pushed up her head and revealed the faded blue eyes and wrinkled face of the famous Professor McGonagal, one of the teachers that her mum had talked greatly about. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said in her raspy voice, as the group stopped on the top stair. Frank and Greg stood in front of Candy, and she stood next to a smaller girl with dark skin, dark eyes, and dark hair. Candy thought for a moment how pretty she was. Then Professor McGonagal spoke again. "I am Professor McGonagal, head of Gryffindor house." She said that rather proudly, and Greg and Frank exchanged glances. Then she continued, "Behind these doors, you will be taken to the sorting ceremony. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. You each will be sorted into a house, and sit at the designated table. Your house is like your family; you will be awarded points for accomplishments, and points will be deducted for any rule braking." She looked among the first years before saying, "Wait here."
McGonagal disappeared behind the doors, and the twins turned around to talk to Candy.
"I heard Snape has these dungeons where he keeps all of his potions and poisons and such," said Greg, grinning.
"I heard that he only poisons the red-haired one though," said Frank, wearing an identical grin.
"That's not true!" the girl next to Candy, the dark haired one, said. "None of that is true."
"Why sure it is!" Frank protested, smiling.
"Snape has no such thing," she said. "You're just trying to scare her." She motioned to Candy. "It's not true," she assured her.
"Shut it, Jordan," Greg said. "We're just having a little fun."
"Some fun," said the girl. "And stop calling me Jordan. I do have a first name."
"Whatever your name is," Frank said, waving his hand and shrugged her off.
"Danielle," growled the girl.
"Stop sending spies over to us. We'll never tell our plans for the perfect prank."
"What are you going on about?" Danielle asked. "I have my own pranks, Longbottom. I don't need your pathetic excuses for them."
"Then explain her!" Frank said, pointing at Candy in protest. "She's your spy."
Danielle looked over at Candy, and then shouted. "She is not! I've never seen her in my life!"
"Right, well good!" Greg said, pulling Candy to his side, "because she's with us now."
Danielle looked at Candy. "I pity you." Shaking her head of dark hair, she scowled again at the twins, and then turned to her left to talk to some other first years.
Frank curled his lip. "Bloody git, that one," he said out loud, not talking to anyone in particular. "You listen to me Candy," he quickly turned on her. "You stay away from that girl, if you know what's good for you. You don't want to be getting mixed up with the wrong sort of witches or wizards." Candice nodded, not wanting to start another argument. Frank looked at her, searching her eyes, then turned away.
"Don't listen to him," Greg said under his breath. "Fact is, he's just jealous of Jordan because she's rumored to have the perfect prank already planned." He shrugged. "Frank wants to make a name for us here…he says we have a reputation to maintain. Don't mind him." Candy nodded again, and the crowd started moving.
Candy felt the sweat beading gently off her forehead. How long was it she's been sitting here? Four minutes? Five? All the while listening to this old hat whisper softly in her ear. "Slytherin?" it contemplated. After a moment of thought, it answered itself, "no, not cunning enough." The whole student body was staring at her, waiting for an answer. "Well," said the hat again, "it seems there really is only one house suitable for you…" another moment of silence. "GRYFFINDOR!"
Applause came from the middle table as Candy hopped off of the stool and sat at the designated table, getting pats on the back from fellow Gryffindors. Across the table, Danielle Jordan glanced at her. Her solemn expression slowly turned into a smile. From that moment, Danielle and Candy both knew they'd be the best of friends.
Candy fell back on her bed, totally exhausted from the day's activities. Danielle fell on the bed aside her and immediately started talking. "I don't understand those Longbottoms," she said right away, shaking her head "Thinking I would spy on them…I don't need their pranks to make a name for myself…"
"I think they're nice," Candy said, looking up at the ceiling.
Danielle snorted. "Yeah, real nice." She turned on her side and faced Candy. "You obviously don't know the real Frank and Greg Longbottom," she smirked. "They're nothing but trouble, the both of them. They think that just because their uncles were great pranksters, that will make them great, too. They've forgotten that my father was also a great prankster. He would've been the best if those Weasley's wouldn't have held him back…"
Candy looked at her. "Weasley…did you say?"
Danielle nodded. "The whole lot of them were nothing but trouble. That's what mother says anyway. Said that they had way too many kids to handle…she said she's surprised they could even afford to feed them." Danielle shook her head. "Lucky for us, we're only children."
Candy nodded, but was lost in her own thoughts. The name Weasley sounded so familiar…where had she heard it before?
A knock at the door broke her concentration. Both of the girls quickly turned towards the door and watched it fly open. A girl with short blonde hair stood in the doorway with a grim expression on her face. "I believe we're roommates," she said darkly. Candy and Danielle exchanged glances. The girl came into the room and looked at the two other girls. "What are you staring at?" she snapped. She crossed her arms and slumped down on the third bed.
"Who are you?" Danielle finally asked.
"What's it to you?" the girl snapped again. Danielle started to say something, but the girl broke her off. "That name's Finnigan…Leah Finnigan."
"I'm Candy Granger, this is Danielle--"
"I know who you are," Lead scowled. "No need for introductions." Leah eyed over the two of them before standing up and announcing that she was going down to the common room. She left, slamming the door behind her.
Danielle and Candy exchanged glances before getting a fit of giggles.
Leah managed to stay away from Danielle and Candy most of the time. They only saw her during before sleeping, during meals, and during some classes. "I'm glad she's ignoring us," Danielle mumbled one night, while Candy and she were doing homework. "She's not exactly the type of person we'd want to hang out with anyway. Her haircut looks like a boy's…she hangs around with all of the boys…and she's a nose picker."
"A nose picker!" Candy said, laughing. "How funny."
"I'm not joking," Danielle said matter-of-factly, and tuning back to her star chart. "I've seen it during Potions class." Though Danielle stated she wasn't interested in being friends with their third room mate, Candy knew she was just as curious to find out what she was like.