Chapter 2: The New Student
It was a girl, about their age, who had frizzy dark brown hair, which was done in a braid. She looked up at them with light brown eyes. Her trunk was opened, and her wand lit. She looked very strange.
"There's someone in here!" said Ron.
"Oh, well. She won't mind if we stay in here, will you?" said Hermione.
It took the girl a while to figure out who Hermione was talking to. "Oh, no, I don't mind."
"What are you doing?" asked Ron, noticing her lighted wand and open trunk.
"Oh! I was checking to see if I had everything," the girl said, sounding a bit nervous. She whispered, "Nox," to put her wand out, then put it in her jean pocket and closed the trunk.
"Oh," said Ron. "You looked kinda weird standing there like that."
She didn't say anything. Harry, Ron, and Hermione put their trunks away.
"What year are you in? I don't think I've seen you before. What house?" asked Harry.
"Uh, well I'm in the fifth year," she said, avoiding the other question.
"You are? So are we, but we've never seen you before."
"Well, I came from a different school. This is my first year at Hogwarts." Again, she talked a little nervously.
"Oh! That explains it! You'll be in our year then," said Hermione. "And by the way, I'm Hermione, that's Ron (she pointed to him), and of course, that's Harry."
"Right! Harry Potter!" The girl looked at the scar on his forehead. "I'm Lauren."
"So what school were you at before?" asked Harry.
"It was a really private school, you probably never heard of it before," Lauren said quickly.
"Hermione probably has," Ron muttered.
"It was called Oak Hill," she said.
"I haven't heard of that one!" exclaimed Hermione. "Where is it?"
"America."
"Oh, wow! You're American? Cool!" said Hermione.
The conversation was soon turned from Lauren and Ron said, "Harry, have you heard from…er…Snuffles lately?"
"Not all summer," said Harry, glumly.
"Don't worry," said Ron. "I'm sure he's just really busy. So, Harry, how come Dumbledore wouldn't let you come stay with us?" he said, changing the conversation.
"I don't know," said Harry, "but he did say something about being safer at the Dursley's."
"Well, you probably wouldn't have wanted to come anyway," Ron said, "Everyone was always in a bad mood."
"Oh, come on," said Hermione, "It can't have been that bad!"
"Well, Percy's now Head of the Department for International Magical Cooperation, don't ask me how. When he first started it, he loved it and never wanted to come home, but now he's just sick of it. Every day he works late and comes home in a bad mood. Plus he and Dad are still trying to convince the Ministry about You-Know-Who coming back." Lauren looked over at them as Ron said this, and Hermione gave him a look. In a lower voice, he continued, "No one will believe him, and that gets him mad. Then Fudge keeps sending owls and Howlers telling him not to go spreading untrue rumors around."
"Anything's better than the Dursleys," Harry growled.
"I'm not done yet!" said Ron. "Fred and George have started making things again in their room." Harry thought about giving Ron's older twin brothers his one thousand Galleon prize money on the train last year. "Then mum gets mad and starts yelling at them. Then she gets rid of whatever they're making, and that makes them mad. And Bill…"
"That's enough!" shouted Hermione. "Let's talk about something good for a change."
"Nothing good is happening!" argued Ron.
"At least we can play Quidditch again this year!" Harry said happily. "I wonder who will be the new captain, now that Wood's graduated."
They continued chatting about school Quidditch until a witch came with sweets. They each reached into their pocket, and pulled out some silver Sickles and bronze Knuts. They bought a few things, and they all shared with each other.
When the train stopped, they saw the lake where the giant squid lived, and where, last year, Harry and the rest of the champions in the Triwizard Tournament had to rescue a captive from under the water.
"Come with us," Hermione said, pulling Lauren into a horse-less carriage along with Ron and Harry.
Before they had shut the door behind them, a voice came, "All righ' Harry?" It was Hagrid, the large Hogwarts Gamekeeper, and teacher of Care of Magical Creatures. Harry, Ron, and Hermione waved back to Hagrid as he took the first years across the lake.
They walked into the Great Hall, and sat down at the Gryffindor table. Lauren stood uncomfortably. After all, she wasn't in a house yet.
"Sit-" Hermione started, but stopped. "We should go talk to Professor McGonagall." Hermione stood up and made a motion for Lauren to follow her as she walked back out of the Great Hall and into the entranceway they had just come through. Harry and Ron followed.
Professor McGonagall was standing in the corridor, trying to keep students from pushing each other. They had had a long train ride and were anxious to start the feast. She looked mean with funny looking glasses and a tight bun in the back of her head.
Hermione pushed her way past the crowds of people and said loudly, "Professor!" Professor McGonagall looked and she continued, "This is a new student, Lauren. She should be in fifth year, but she came from another school and doesn't know which house she's in. She'll look silly to get sorted with all those first years."
"Well, Miss Granger, the Sorting Hat is the one who decides in which house she should be placed. But, under the circumstances, I suppose it will be all right if she picks her own house. What house do you want to be in?"
Lauren paused, thinking hard.
"Well?" said McGonagall impatiently.
"Gryffindor," Lauren said.
"Ah! A fine selection! I am head of Gryffindor house! And Potter, Weasley, and Miss Granger, here, can show you up to the common room until you get the hang of things. Now hurry up and sit down! The first years will be sorted in just a few moments." Professor McGonagall hurried off.
Harry looked at the new girl. They hadn't talked about houses the whole train ride. How did she know to pick Gryffindor?
The group walked back into the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table. Lauren sat between Hermione and Ginny Weasley. The first years had begun to file into the room. They stood in alphabetical order in a single file line. "Good, he's made a friend," Lauren said, a little more loudly than she had intended to.
"Who?" asked Hermione.
"My brother. He's a first year," she explained.
"Is he the short one with brown hair that's talking to a little boy with blond hair?" asked Ginny.
"Uh…" Lauren looked up towards to front of the room. "Yes, that's him!" Lauren said.
Ginny smiled. Hermione gasped, "Wait! I haven't introduced you guys yet! Lauren this is Ginny Weasley, she's in the fourth year. Ginny this is Lauren. She's a fifth year, but she's new." Ginny and Lauren said hello to each other.
The sorting hat had begun to sing it's song, and the room went silent. All of a sudden, Ginny blurted out, in a whisper, "Hermione, isn't that the same song as last year?"
"I thought it sounded familiar," said Hermione.
"Me, too," said Harry, sitting on the other side of Hermione.
"What?" whispered Ron.
"Maybe it couldn't think of a new one this year," said Harry, ignoring Ron.
"I don't think so. It's had a whole year. I mean, what else does it have to do all year besides think of a song?" said Ginny. "Maybe it just thinks we won't notice."
"That seems like a pretty good idea. Anyway, we're probably the only ones who did notice," said Hermione.
After a few minutes, the repeat song ended. Professor McGonagall, who was standing by the first years, said, "Now, all of you will put on the hat and sit down on the stool when I call your name. After the hat has chosen your house, you will sit down at your table." She unrolled a piece of parchment and began with, "Armstrong, Gregory." A little boy walked nervously up to the hat and put it on. In an instant it had yelled out, "RAVENCLAW!" and Gregory went to the Ravenclaw table.
Everyone watched the Sorting closely. No one had become a Gryffindor yet. This ended when "Cooper, Jake," became one. They all clapped and cheered for him, as he sat down across from Hermione.
Several other students were placed, then finally Professor McGonagall called out, "Lee, Jackie," who became a Hufflepuff. The next person in line was Lauren's brother's new friend, and they were all anxious to hear what house he would be in.
Professor McGonagall boomed out, "Malfoy, Scott," and Hermione, Ron, and Harry almost fell out of their chairs.
