Sallie made it through the rest of the day, with a lot of help from
Hermione, Ron, and Harry. After
dinner, Harry told the gang he had to go see Hagrid. He asked Ron to join him, but he wanted to go
back to the dorm. He had challenged Dean to a round of wizard chess. Hermione was off to the
library. Ever since their charms class she had been talking about better charms that she could do. She
had to go find some of the harder ones that she could use to show up Sallie's. Sallie wanted to get
back to the dorms too. She was tired. Hogwarts was around four times the size of Salem. She wasn't
used to so much walking to get everywhere. They all said, "See you later." and Harry headed for the
forest, Hermione for the library, and Ron and Sallie walked together back to the Gryffindor common
room.
"So what do you think of Hogwarts so far?" Ron asked. Sallie smiled. She had a wide friendly
smile. "I love it. It's so big and old. There's so much history to it. Everyone's been really nice. I
guess it's all that British charm." Ron rolled his eyes, Sallie noticed but continued, "I think the best
part though, is the boys." Now Ron was blushing. "What? Salem was an all girls school. Witches
only. I hardly ever met any nice wizards or warlocks. It was terrible, but Hogwarts, oh yes.
Wonderfully co-ed Hogwarts is a new and exciting adventure, with a cute British accent."
Ron laughed. "You're a nut. You know, you're the one with the accent here. You and your
cute American accent. Remember, you're in Britain. You can't say we have accents. You do because
you're the foreigner."
"Ron, shut up. You're babbling." She said as they reached the portrait of the woman in the pink
dress. He blushed so much his cheeks were as red as his hair. "Sorry. I didn't mean to."
"It's ok though," she said, "'cause even babbling can sound cute with a British accent." Then she
turned and entered the common room. Inside, there was a lot of hustle and bustle. Dean and Seamus
had already started playing chess. Lavender was sitting near the fire braiding a younger girl's long red
hair. The younger girl smiled at Ron. "My sister." he said, waving back. Then Ron went to go join
Dean and Seamus. Sitting in the far corner of the room was Neville, the boy who Sallie talked to in
Charms. He sat with an open book in his lap. He was taking notes from it, and looking very
frustrated. Sallie decided to say hi. She sat in the chair besides his.
"Hi. Neville, right?" She smiled at him again and put out her hand. "You look like you could use a
break."
He took her hand and pumped it. "Hello, yes, I guess so." He looked a bit confused.
"I'm Sallie. Nice meeting you." Neville looked a bit more relaxed. "What are you working on?" she
asked.
"Charms. You were there. I have to figure out how to fix this daydream spell so Dean doesn't have
any more nightmares."
Sallie giggled a little. "It's a common mistake. I think I've done that a couple of times. I can
do it now though. If you want me to help you, I'd be glad to." By the time Ron had beaten Dean in
chess three times in a row, Neville had his daydream charm perfected. When they were finished,
Neville turned to Sallie.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You just did, but, go ahead."
"Why are you helping me? Actually, why are you even talking to me? No one talks to me." A hint
of sadness glistened in his eyes.
"Why not?" Sallie said. "I happen to think you are a very nice person, Neville. You were cool
today in Charms. I think you'd make a wonderful friend and since I'm new here, I might as well pick
out the wonderful friends before my welcome wears off." Neville smiled. The fire was slowly
burning away, and the two sat up, talking and laughing, quietly of course, but still very much into the
conversation.
When Sallie had finally gotten to her room, she was expecting to find the whole room asleep, but
Hermione, Lavender and Parvati were still wide-awake, giggling and chatting.
"Hey Sallie. What were you up to with Neville?" asked Lavender.
"Just talking to him. He's a real sweetie. Why?"
"Because Neville is... is... well, I don't know what he is. He's Neville," said Hermione.
Sallie laughed. "Ok. What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, we've all known Neville since first year, and he's always been kind of dorky," said Parvati.
"Actually girls, have you noticed that Neville kind of, grew over the summer?" said Lavender.
"Well, yeah, he is taller than last year," Hermione said.
"He got hotter too. He filled in very well. I like what he did with his hair. I wonder if anything else
happened" said Parvati with a mad glint in her eye.
"Parvati!" Sallie could only gape at Parvati's words.
"I'm just saying..."
"So Sallie, now that Neville's a hottie, you think you're going to have a thing with him?" asked
Lavender.
"I just met him today!" Sallie shouted as she crawled into bed. "Whatever. We have Modern Muggle
Living and Potions tomorrow morning, remember? I don't know about you, but I could use some
sleep. Hogwarts is exhausting," Sallie yawned. "G'night everybody."
dinner, Harry told the gang he had to go see Hagrid. He asked Ron to join him, but he wanted to go
back to the dorm. He had challenged Dean to a round of wizard chess. Hermione was off to the
library. Ever since their charms class she had been talking about better charms that she could do. She
had to go find some of the harder ones that she could use to show up Sallie's. Sallie wanted to get
back to the dorms too. She was tired. Hogwarts was around four times the size of Salem. She wasn't
used to so much walking to get everywhere. They all said, "See you later." and Harry headed for the
forest, Hermione for the library, and Ron and Sallie walked together back to the Gryffindor common
room.
"So what do you think of Hogwarts so far?" Ron asked. Sallie smiled. She had a wide friendly
smile. "I love it. It's so big and old. There's so much history to it. Everyone's been really nice. I
guess it's all that British charm." Ron rolled his eyes, Sallie noticed but continued, "I think the best
part though, is the boys." Now Ron was blushing. "What? Salem was an all girls school. Witches
only. I hardly ever met any nice wizards or warlocks. It was terrible, but Hogwarts, oh yes.
Wonderfully co-ed Hogwarts is a new and exciting adventure, with a cute British accent."
Ron laughed. "You're a nut. You know, you're the one with the accent here. You and your
cute American accent. Remember, you're in Britain. You can't say we have accents. You do because
you're the foreigner."
"Ron, shut up. You're babbling." She said as they reached the portrait of the woman in the pink
dress. He blushed so much his cheeks were as red as his hair. "Sorry. I didn't mean to."
"It's ok though," she said, "'cause even babbling can sound cute with a British accent." Then she
turned and entered the common room. Inside, there was a lot of hustle and bustle. Dean and Seamus
had already started playing chess. Lavender was sitting near the fire braiding a younger girl's long red
hair. The younger girl smiled at Ron. "My sister." he said, waving back. Then Ron went to go join
Dean and Seamus. Sitting in the far corner of the room was Neville, the boy who Sallie talked to in
Charms. He sat with an open book in his lap. He was taking notes from it, and looking very
frustrated. Sallie decided to say hi. She sat in the chair besides his.
"Hi. Neville, right?" She smiled at him again and put out her hand. "You look like you could use a
break."
He took her hand and pumped it. "Hello, yes, I guess so." He looked a bit confused.
"I'm Sallie. Nice meeting you." Neville looked a bit more relaxed. "What are you working on?" she
asked.
"Charms. You were there. I have to figure out how to fix this daydream spell so Dean doesn't have
any more nightmares."
Sallie giggled a little. "It's a common mistake. I think I've done that a couple of times. I can
do it now though. If you want me to help you, I'd be glad to." By the time Ron had beaten Dean in
chess three times in a row, Neville had his daydream charm perfected. When they were finished,
Neville turned to Sallie.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You just did, but, go ahead."
"Why are you helping me? Actually, why are you even talking to me? No one talks to me." A hint
of sadness glistened in his eyes.
"Why not?" Sallie said. "I happen to think you are a very nice person, Neville. You were cool
today in Charms. I think you'd make a wonderful friend and since I'm new here, I might as well pick
out the wonderful friends before my welcome wears off." Neville smiled. The fire was slowly
burning away, and the two sat up, talking and laughing, quietly of course, but still very much into the
conversation.
When Sallie had finally gotten to her room, she was expecting to find the whole room asleep, but
Hermione, Lavender and Parvati were still wide-awake, giggling and chatting.
"Hey Sallie. What were you up to with Neville?" asked Lavender.
"Just talking to him. He's a real sweetie. Why?"
"Because Neville is... is... well, I don't know what he is. He's Neville," said Hermione.
Sallie laughed. "Ok. What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, we've all known Neville since first year, and he's always been kind of dorky," said Parvati.
"Actually girls, have you noticed that Neville kind of, grew over the summer?" said Lavender.
"Well, yeah, he is taller than last year," Hermione said.
"He got hotter too. He filled in very well. I like what he did with his hair. I wonder if anything else
happened" said Parvati with a mad glint in her eye.
"Parvati!" Sallie could only gape at Parvati's words.
"I'm just saying..."
"So Sallie, now that Neville's a hottie, you think you're going to have a thing with him?" asked
Lavender.
"I just met him today!" Sallie shouted as she crawled into bed. "Whatever. We have Modern Muggle
Living and Potions tomorrow morning, remember? I don't know about you, but I could use some
sleep. Hogwarts is exhausting," Sallie yawned. "G'night everybody."