CHAPTER 4: The Arrival
When they finally reached Hogsmeade Station, Draco looked everywhere for Piper. Rachel had left him. Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, called her to come with him so she could get sorted before the beginning of the year feast started. He walked around for a couple more minutes; he couldn't find Crabbe and Goyle anywhere either so he just found a carriage to ride in to Hogwarts. The carriage was full of second year girls. Some of them screamed when it started to move.
After a good fifteen minutes of girls' giggling, staring, screaming, pointing and whispering, they had finally arrived. The horseless carriages each stopped to let everyone out. Draco got out, finally found Crabbe and Goyle; they were in the carriage behind the one he was sitting in. They all went up to the castle, and into the Great Hall where they sat down at the Slytherin table with the rest of the fifth years.
When everyone had came in, the double doors to the hall opened and Professor McGonagall led the scared little first years to the front of the Great Hall. Draco remembered four years ago when he was standing up there, dreading to be sorted into anything less than Slytherin. Professor McGonagall pulled up a three-legged stool and held up the Sorting Hat.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts everyone. Now, when I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be sorted into your houses." said Professor McGonagall.
"Ankara, John!"
A pale little boy with red hair walked up to the stool, sat down in it, and a couple of seconds later, the sorting hat had shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" The Ravenclaw table exploded with applause.
"Bellevue, Sheryl!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Bunts, Ashley!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Ashley Bunts was a stout girl. She went and sat down to a couple of third year girls. When they finished sorting, there were two Ravenclaws, seven Gryffindors, six Hufflepuffs and three Slytherins.
Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, stood up and waited until the noise from the crowd had died down.
"Now. This is a new year and I know all of you are excited." he paused and looked at the lot of them.
"There will be a number of occasions happening this year. First, I would like to announce that Quidditch will be in its normal season, the new captains had been picked. The captain for Gryffindor is none other than Harry Potter!" there was loud cheering at the Gryffindor table for Harry. Dumbledore waited for the noise to die down patiently.
"The new captain for Slytherin is Draco Malfoy!" The Slytherin table erupted with even louder cheering for Draco. He was so happy. Now he'll show that Potter what Quidditch is all about. Dumbledore continued.
"Sadly, we don't have Cedric Diggory with us anymore, due to the events of last year. So the position for Seeker for Hufflepuff will be filled. Auditions are going to be held at noon on the thirteenth of September. Quidditch will start a little later than usual this year, so I suggest you all to keep your eyes open for fliers hanging on the walls.
"Second, I would like to say that there will be a Yule Ball happening on the twenty fifth of December, which, of coarse is Christmas. The rules apply are the same. Anyone who wishes to go has to be in the fourth year and above. Which means that if you are in the years four, five, six and seven, you have the permission to invite a students below your year, so they have the opportunity to enjoy the ball as much as you do.
"Thirdly, I would like to say that there are five new students in two of the upper grades. Their names are Piper Haliwell, fifth year Slytherin, Rachel Malfoy, sixth year Slytherin, Aislinn Njass, fifth year Slytherin, Prudence Masengrea, fifth year Gryffindor and Peeper PouPea, fifth year Gyffindor. I trust you will all make them feel at home. That is all. Let the feast begin!"
As soon as he had said that, the plates in front of them all filled with different kinds of delicious food. The house ghosts all swooped in the Great Hall. The Bloody Baron, who was the Slytherin house ghost and covered with silver blood stains, swooped on top of the table and waved his sword, laughing.
"Look, it's the Bloody Baron!" some first years laughed, pointing.
When the feast ended, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle all went down to the dungeons to the Slytherin common room.
* * *
The next day, Draco felt extremely tired. He couldn't get to sleep last night, so he stayed up until three in the morning. His alarm clock rang at six o'clock. He got dressed in his uniform, and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Professor Snape, the head of Slytherin house, gave everyone in his house a piece of parchment, which had their schedules on it. Draco tried to find Rachel, but soon remembered that she was still in the common room with the rest of the new girls. Draco's schedule had three classes with the Gryffindors:
8:00-9:00 Care of Magical Creatures (Slytherin with Gryffindor)
9:10-10:40 Herbology (Slytherin with Hufflepuff)
10:50-11:50 Transfiguration (Slytherin with Gryffindor)
LUNCH
1:10-2:10 Divination (Slytherin with Hufflepuff)
2:20-3:20 Arithmancy (Slytherin with Ravenclaw)
BREAK
Double Potions (Slytherin with Gryffindor)
4:40-5:40 1st Hour
BREAK
6:00-7:00 2nd Hour
DINNER
Some of the Slytherin fifth years groaned when they read what they had. Draco did too.
When he finished his breakfast, he got up and went outside to Care of Magical Creatures. It was extremely cold out; the sky looked like it was about to rain. Draco shivered; it was too early for them to be outside.
"Ah, there yeh are, Malfoy." Hagrid called to him. "Yeh're la'. Now pick a cage and stan' next to yer partner. She's over there." He pointed to a girl who looked very similar to Piper, except she didn't have freckles. Her hair was hanging in strands in front of her face. Piper was partnered off with Harry Potter.
Draco walked over to his partner; she was already standing next to a very large cage, which was covered up with a towel.
"What are we supposed to be doing this time?" he asked Hagrid.
"Yeh'll find out. Now wait until I call yer name and see if yeh're all here. Then take off the towels and yeh'll see what you will be takin' care of fer the year." He paused to see the look on the students' faces. "What do you mean? 'See what you will be taking care of'?" said Draco.
"Well, it's exactly what it sounds like. In these cages under the towels here, there are different kinds of birds. Each of yeh will be takin' care of the species yeh get. Each day, yeh will have homework to research what each of these creatures eat and how they live. Today, after I give the word, yeh will uncover the creature yeh will have to take care of fer the rest of the semester.
"Now. Today's home and class work will be fer yeh all ter write notes on yer creature. Yeh will discuss with yer partner what name yer creature will have and how yeh will take care of it." said Hagrid. He wrote something on the piece of parchment he was holding and then looked up at all of them.
"When I'm finished talkin', lift the cover and come here ter get the paper that includes what species yer creature is and what the best ways ter take care of it are. All right. Go ahead now." Hagrid finished and there was a hustle to uncover the cages and controversy over who would get the paper from Hagrid.
Draco uncovered the cage and inside was a large beautifully coloured bird. The body was ebony and it's eyes were scarlet.
The girl he was supposed to working with had gone to get the paper Hagrid was handing out. When she had come back she was clutching in her shivering hands.
"Wow." she muttered, staring at the bird.
"Yeah, I know. .What's your name?" said Draco.
"Aislinn Njass." she said.
"Oh, I'm Draco Malfoy." he said.
"Hi." said Aislinn.
"Hi. What type of bird is it?" said Draco.
"Oh, um.it's a Red Eyed Phoenix." said Aislinn. She looked back up at him. "It says here that it likes to eat nuts, Cornish Pixies and it hunts mongoose."
"Harsh, I thought Phoenix were supposed to be nice to other animals?" said Draco, standing up and facing Aislinn.
"So did I." said Aislinn, looking at the bird.
Towards the end of the class, Hagrid told them that their homework assignment was to write a couple facts on their bird and the name they had chosen for it. Aislinn had suggested Delfin to be its name, so Draco agreed, since he didn't really care what the bird's name was, as long as it had one.
The rest of his classes were about as boring as Care of Magical Creatures was. But when they were all over, Draco went back to the common room.
Draco said the password, "Priori Incatatem," and the door invisible door slid open to reveal a quite large lair.
Draco entered and when he did, he saw Piper sitting on the black leather couch in the room.
"Hi. Where'd to go, on the Hogwarts Express?" said Draco.
She looked up from the thing she was working and shrugged.
"Look, I know you went somewhere, so where'd you go?" he said as he walked over to where she was sitting.
She shrugged again, but this time gave a sly smile. Draco sat down on the couch across from her.
"Do you and Rachel have some kind of rival going on?" he asked her.
"Maybe." Said Piper.
"Yea, that's what she said. How come you transferred from Durmstrang? I hear it's a great school." said Draco.
"That, is something that you have to figure out on your own." said Piper. She got up, swooped up her books and parchment and walked off up to the girls' dormitories.
"Why won't any one answer my questions?" muttered Draco to himself.
When they finally reached Hogsmeade Station, Draco looked everywhere for Piper. Rachel had left him. Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, called her to come with him so she could get sorted before the beginning of the year feast started. He walked around for a couple more minutes; he couldn't find Crabbe and Goyle anywhere either so he just found a carriage to ride in to Hogwarts. The carriage was full of second year girls. Some of them screamed when it started to move.
After a good fifteen minutes of girls' giggling, staring, screaming, pointing and whispering, they had finally arrived. The horseless carriages each stopped to let everyone out. Draco got out, finally found Crabbe and Goyle; they were in the carriage behind the one he was sitting in. They all went up to the castle, and into the Great Hall where they sat down at the Slytherin table with the rest of the fifth years.
When everyone had came in, the double doors to the hall opened and Professor McGonagall led the scared little first years to the front of the Great Hall. Draco remembered four years ago when he was standing up there, dreading to be sorted into anything less than Slytherin. Professor McGonagall pulled up a three-legged stool and held up the Sorting Hat.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts everyone. Now, when I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be sorted into your houses." said Professor McGonagall.
"Ankara, John!"
A pale little boy with red hair walked up to the stool, sat down in it, and a couple of seconds later, the sorting hat had shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" The Ravenclaw table exploded with applause.
"Bellevue, Sheryl!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Bunts, Ashley!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Ashley Bunts was a stout girl. She went and sat down to a couple of third year girls. When they finished sorting, there were two Ravenclaws, seven Gryffindors, six Hufflepuffs and three Slytherins.
Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, stood up and waited until the noise from the crowd had died down.
"Now. This is a new year and I know all of you are excited." he paused and looked at the lot of them.
"There will be a number of occasions happening this year. First, I would like to announce that Quidditch will be in its normal season, the new captains had been picked. The captain for Gryffindor is none other than Harry Potter!" there was loud cheering at the Gryffindor table for Harry. Dumbledore waited for the noise to die down patiently.
"The new captain for Slytherin is Draco Malfoy!" The Slytherin table erupted with even louder cheering for Draco. He was so happy. Now he'll show that Potter what Quidditch is all about. Dumbledore continued.
"Sadly, we don't have Cedric Diggory with us anymore, due to the events of last year. So the position for Seeker for Hufflepuff will be filled. Auditions are going to be held at noon on the thirteenth of September. Quidditch will start a little later than usual this year, so I suggest you all to keep your eyes open for fliers hanging on the walls.
"Second, I would like to say that there will be a Yule Ball happening on the twenty fifth of December, which, of coarse is Christmas. The rules apply are the same. Anyone who wishes to go has to be in the fourth year and above. Which means that if you are in the years four, five, six and seven, you have the permission to invite a students below your year, so they have the opportunity to enjoy the ball as much as you do.
"Thirdly, I would like to say that there are five new students in two of the upper grades. Their names are Piper Haliwell, fifth year Slytherin, Rachel Malfoy, sixth year Slytherin, Aislinn Njass, fifth year Slytherin, Prudence Masengrea, fifth year Gryffindor and Peeper PouPea, fifth year Gyffindor. I trust you will all make them feel at home. That is all. Let the feast begin!"
As soon as he had said that, the plates in front of them all filled with different kinds of delicious food. The house ghosts all swooped in the Great Hall. The Bloody Baron, who was the Slytherin house ghost and covered with silver blood stains, swooped on top of the table and waved his sword, laughing.
"Look, it's the Bloody Baron!" some first years laughed, pointing.
When the feast ended, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle all went down to the dungeons to the Slytherin common room.
* * *
The next day, Draco felt extremely tired. He couldn't get to sleep last night, so he stayed up until three in the morning. His alarm clock rang at six o'clock. He got dressed in his uniform, and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Professor Snape, the head of Slytherin house, gave everyone in his house a piece of parchment, which had their schedules on it. Draco tried to find Rachel, but soon remembered that she was still in the common room with the rest of the new girls. Draco's schedule had three classes with the Gryffindors:
8:00-9:00 Care of Magical Creatures (Slytherin with Gryffindor)
9:10-10:40 Herbology (Slytherin with Hufflepuff)
10:50-11:50 Transfiguration (Slytherin with Gryffindor)
LUNCH
1:10-2:10 Divination (Slytherin with Hufflepuff)
2:20-3:20 Arithmancy (Slytherin with Ravenclaw)
BREAK
Double Potions (Slytherin with Gryffindor)
4:40-5:40 1st Hour
BREAK
6:00-7:00 2nd Hour
DINNER
Some of the Slytherin fifth years groaned when they read what they had. Draco did too.
When he finished his breakfast, he got up and went outside to Care of Magical Creatures. It was extremely cold out; the sky looked like it was about to rain. Draco shivered; it was too early for them to be outside.
"Ah, there yeh are, Malfoy." Hagrid called to him. "Yeh're la'. Now pick a cage and stan' next to yer partner. She's over there." He pointed to a girl who looked very similar to Piper, except she didn't have freckles. Her hair was hanging in strands in front of her face. Piper was partnered off with Harry Potter.
Draco walked over to his partner; she was already standing next to a very large cage, which was covered up with a towel.
"What are we supposed to be doing this time?" he asked Hagrid.
"Yeh'll find out. Now wait until I call yer name and see if yeh're all here. Then take off the towels and yeh'll see what you will be takin' care of fer the year." He paused to see the look on the students' faces. "What do you mean? 'See what you will be taking care of'?" said Draco.
"Well, it's exactly what it sounds like. In these cages under the towels here, there are different kinds of birds. Each of yeh will be takin' care of the species yeh get. Each day, yeh will have homework to research what each of these creatures eat and how they live. Today, after I give the word, yeh will uncover the creature yeh will have to take care of fer the rest of the semester.
"Now. Today's home and class work will be fer yeh all ter write notes on yer creature. Yeh will discuss with yer partner what name yer creature will have and how yeh will take care of it." said Hagrid. He wrote something on the piece of parchment he was holding and then looked up at all of them.
"When I'm finished talkin', lift the cover and come here ter get the paper that includes what species yer creature is and what the best ways ter take care of it are. All right. Go ahead now." Hagrid finished and there was a hustle to uncover the cages and controversy over who would get the paper from Hagrid.
Draco uncovered the cage and inside was a large beautifully coloured bird. The body was ebony and it's eyes were scarlet.
The girl he was supposed to working with had gone to get the paper Hagrid was handing out. When she had come back she was clutching in her shivering hands.
"Wow." she muttered, staring at the bird.
"Yeah, I know. .What's your name?" said Draco.
"Aislinn Njass." she said.
"Oh, I'm Draco Malfoy." he said.
"Hi." said Aislinn.
"Hi. What type of bird is it?" said Draco.
"Oh, um.it's a Red Eyed Phoenix." said Aislinn. She looked back up at him. "It says here that it likes to eat nuts, Cornish Pixies and it hunts mongoose."
"Harsh, I thought Phoenix were supposed to be nice to other animals?" said Draco, standing up and facing Aislinn.
"So did I." said Aislinn, looking at the bird.
Towards the end of the class, Hagrid told them that their homework assignment was to write a couple facts on their bird and the name they had chosen for it. Aislinn had suggested Delfin to be its name, so Draco agreed, since he didn't really care what the bird's name was, as long as it had one.
The rest of his classes were about as boring as Care of Magical Creatures was. But when they were all over, Draco went back to the common room.
Draco said the password, "Priori Incatatem," and the door invisible door slid open to reveal a quite large lair.
Draco entered and when he did, he saw Piper sitting on the black leather couch in the room.
"Hi. Where'd to go, on the Hogwarts Express?" said Draco.
She looked up from the thing she was working and shrugged.
"Look, I know you went somewhere, so where'd you go?" he said as he walked over to where she was sitting.
She shrugged again, but this time gave a sly smile. Draco sat down on the couch across from her.
"Do you and Rachel have some kind of rival going on?" he asked her.
"Maybe." Said Piper.
"Yea, that's what she said. How come you transferred from Durmstrang? I hear it's a great school." said Draco.
"That, is something that you have to figure out on your own." said Piper. She got up, swooped up her books and parchment and walked off up to the girls' dormitories.
"Why won't any one answer my questions?" muttered Draco to himself.