Chapter 2
"First Years."
The car arrived at the Institute within an hour or so, the girls really hadn't kept track of the time. They had spent the drive catching up on events and such. Tabitha noticed the sign that read "Coven Path" and informed her friend of it. This was the road that would take them to the school. All "muggles" or ordinary non-magic folk would never even see the road, and would continue on by. But since the girls were witches, it was no problem seeing the path.
Rory turned the car down the road and drove onward. Soon they arrived at an iron gate with the words etched above it, Salem Witches Institute. The school itself was an all female campus located in a vast valley, which was surrounded by high walls, these walls were also muggle-proofed, so that the school's teachings could never be discovered.
Rory stopped the car right at the gate and almost out of nowhere an old man named James Beagle appeared. Mr. Beagle was the gatekeeper of the school. The kindly old man stepped up to the car, speaking in a cheery voice "Hello girls, present your school identifications please." Rory had her ID hanging from a lanyard on the inside rear mirror. Tabitha had hers around her neck on a small chain. Rory took the IDs and handed them to Mr. Beagle who studied them and smiled. "Well, welcome back girls, how was your vacation?"
Rory smiled cheerily, "It was great sir, and how was yours?"
Mr. Beagle's blue eyes danced "Oh, not too eventful," he said. He stepped over to the gate, placing his hands upon the black iron, murmuring to the metal bars, and the gates opened slowly with a creak. He stepped aside and waved the girls onward. They continued to drive up the long path to the school, the iron gates slowly swinging closed behind them.
The Institute was full of bustling activity, there were first years being herded about, as they looked around in puzzlement and a bit of amazement at the campus. Rory pulled her car over to a student lot that was rarely used, and the two stepped out, stretching.
By now the day was about half over, it was around 3 o' clock. The two unloaded the car and dragged their things to the main hall. Since they were not first years, the girls did not have to wait to be assigned to a house; the two were already members of Swiftwing. So that is where they headed, deciding to get settled before the evening ceremonies would begin.
Upon arriving in the Swiftwing common room they were greeted by Professor Sarah Grenich. She taught Transfiguration and was also the staff representative of their house. She had hair that was raven black, and she always held herself up high, alert and ready to go at an instant. Professor Grenich was a modest but fun loving teacher, though she could not compare to the favorite teacher on campus, Professor Luke Pierce, who taught Spells and Enchantments. The girls moved onward, greeting friends within their house.
Finally after all the greetings, the girls pushed their way through the crowded common room and dashed up the stairs to their dorm. As she pushed the door opened, Rory released Caleum and flopped down onto her bed, and the cat hopped up to curl next to his owner.
"Tired already?" Tabitha asked as she neatly unloaded her clothing and belongings into the closet and bureaus.
"Nope!" Rory grinned and scooped up Caleum, hugging the black cat to her chest. He squirmed in her arms and then gave up, sitting in her lap and purring quietly.
Tabitha smiled and released the clasp on Malakai's cage, so the bat could have freedom if he so chose. The creature fluttered out flew to his old perch, a small cubbyhole in the wall of their room.
"Do you think we should be getting changed into our formal uniforms yet?" Tabitha asked, holding out her onyx [Editor's note: no one's gonna know what color "onyx" is, even the thesaurus doesn't!] colored cloak.
Rory looked to her friend, "Maybe." She set down the cat and started to unload her things, pausing to gently pick up a photo album and flip through it. It was a scrapbook of last year, when the junior world tournament had been hosted at their school. The pictures moved as always, and everyone was there. Tabitha's cousin Hermione, themselves of course, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ron's brothers Fred & George, Roger Davis, and most importantly (well to her at least) Oliver Wood.
That was the year the two had established themselves as a couple. They had a year or so between them, but age didn't really matter when love seemed to overwhelm. In the picture, she and Oliver were wrapped in each others arms. But soon, the images of Fred and George walked in on them and began poking at Wood teasingly. Rory smiled. Even in the photos, Oliver was so easily embarrassed. She set the book on a shelf by her bed, feeling a little sad that he was overseas once again.
There was a knock on the door and Tabitha went to answer it while Rory continued to unpack. Standing in the doorway was a small girl, a first year, juggling papers and bags. "Hello there" Tabitha said politely.
The girl looked up at the older Tabitha and stammered a bit "H- Hello."
Rory looked curiously over Tabitha's shoulder "Hey are you lost?"
The little girl shook her head, her pigtails bobbing back and forth; she couldn't have been any older than 11, as a first year. "I was told to come to Swiftwing's common room, but I can't seem to find my dorm."
Rory smiled, this girl brought back memories of their first days here at SWI. "I'll help you find your room," she volunteered.
"Thank you so much!" the girl said, eyes shining with relief and gratitude.
"I'll be back," Rory told Tabitha. Then she put an arm around the first year and headed down the hall.
After a moment of silence, the girl spoke up, "C-Can I ask your name?"
Rory grinned, "Sure, it's Rory McCullech."
The girl's eyes widened, "You're the captain of Swiftwing's Quidditch team!"
Rory gave a prideful smile "Yeah, do you like Quidditch?"
The girl nodded eagerly. "Yes, oh yes I do!"
"Well you'll have to try out, then," Rory said, "What's your name, by the way?" [Editor's note: "spoke", apparently, means "to be not at home".odd.]
"Rebecca, Rebecca Portner," she said excitedly.
"Alright Rebecca, I look foreword to seeing you try out." Rory looked at the door in front of them, checking its number with the number on Rebecca's registration papers. "Here you are, go get settled in. See ya around."
"Thank you!" Rebecca said cheerily as Rory headed back to her own room to get dressed for the evening ceremonies.
The car arrived at the Institute within an hour or so, the girls really hadn't kept track of the time. They had spent the drive catching up on events and such. Tabitha noticed the sign that read "Coven Path" and informed her friend of it. This was the road that would take them to the school. All "muggles" or ordinary non-magic folk would never even see the road, and would continue on by. But since the girls were witches, it was no problem seeing the path.
Rory turned the car down the road and drove onward. Soon they arrived at an iron gate with the words etched above it, Salem Witches Institute. The school itself was an all female campus located in a vast valley, which was surrounded by high walls, these walls were also muggle-proofed, so that the school's teachings could never be discovered.
Rory stopped the car right at the gate and almost out of nowhere an old man named James Beagle appeared. Mr. Beagle was the gatekeeper of the school. The kindly old man stepped up to the car, speaking in a cheery voice "Hello girls, present your school identifications please." Rory had her ID hanging from a lanyard on the inside rear mirror. Tabitha had hers around her neck on a small chain. Rory took the IDs and handed them to Mr. Beagle who studied them and smiled. "Well, welcome back girls, how was your vacation?"
Rory smiled cheerily, "It was great sir, and how was yours?"
Mr. Beagle's blue eyes danced "Oh, not too eventful," he said. He stepped over to the gate, placing his hands upon the black iron, murmuring to the metal bars, and the gates opened slowly with a creak. He stepped aside and waved the girls onward. They continued to drive up the long path to the school, the iron gates slowly swinging closed behind them.
The Institute was full of bustling activity, there were first years being herded about, as they looked around in puzzlement and a bit of amazement at the campus. Rory pulled her car over to a student lot that was rarely used, and the two stepped out, stretching.
By now the day was about half over, it was around 3 o' clock. The two unloaded the car and dragged their things to the main hall. Since they were not first years, the girls did not have to wait to be assigned to a house; the two were already members of Swiftwing. So that is where they headed, deciding to get settled before the evening ceremonies would begin.
Upon arriving in the Swiftwing common room they were greeted by Professor Sarah Grenich. She taught Transfiguration and was also the staff representative of their house. She had hair that was raven black, and she always held herself up high, alert and ready to go at an instant. Professor Grenich was a modest but fun loving teacher, though she could not compare to the favorite teacher on campus, Professor Luke Pierce, who taught Spells and Enchantments. The girls moved onward, greeting friends within their house.
Finally after all the greetings, the girls pushed their way through the crowded common room and dashed up the stairs to their dorm. As she pushed the door opened, Rory released Caleum and flopped down onto her bed, and the cat hopped up to curl next to his owner.
"Tired already?" Tabitha asked as she neatly unloaded her clothing and belongings into the closet and bureaus.
"Nope!" Rory grinned and scooped up Caleum, hugging the black cat to her chest. He squirmed in her arms and then gave up, sitting in her lap and purring quietly.
Tabitha smiled and released the clasp on Malakai's cage, so the bat could have freedom if he so chose. The creature fluttered out flew to his old perch, a small cubbyhole in the wall of their room.
"Do you think we should be getting changed into our formal uniforms yet?" Tabitha asked, holding out her onyx [Editor's note: no one's gonna know what color "onyx" is, even the thesaurus doesn't!] colored cloak.
Rory looked to her friend, "Maybe." She set down the cat and started to unload her things, pausing to gently pick up a photo album and flip through it. It was a scrapbook of last year, when the junior world tournament had been hosted at their school. The pictures moved as always, and everyone was there. Tabitha's cousin Hermione, themselves of course, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ron's brothers Fred & George, Roger Davis, and most importantly (well to her at least) Oliver Wood.
That was the year the two had established themselves as a couple. They had a year or so between them, but age didn't really matter when love seemed to overwhelm. In the picture, she and Oliver were wrapped in each others arms. But soon, the images of Fred and George walked in on them and began poking at Wood teasingly. Rory smiled. Even in the photos, Oliver was so easily embarrassed. She set the book on a shelf by her bed, feeling a little sad that he was overseas once again.
There was a knock on the door and Tabitha went to answer it while Rory continued to unpack. Standing in the doorway was a small girl, a first year, juggling papers and bags. "Hello there" Tabitha said politely.
The girl looked up at the older Tabitha and stammered a bit "H- Hello."
Rory looked curiously over Tabitha's shoulder "Hey are you lost?"
The little girl shook her head, her pigtails bobbing back and forth; she couldn't have been any older than 11, as a first year. "I was told to come to Swiftwing's common room, but I can't seem to find my dorm."
Rory smiled, this girl brought back memories of their first days here at SWI. "I'll help you find your room," she volunteered.
"Thank you so much!" the girl said, eyes shining with relief and gratitude.
"I'll be back," Rory told Tabitha. Then she put an arm around the first year and headed down the hall.
After a moment of silence, the girl spoke up, "C-Can I ask your name?"
Rory grinned, "Sure, it's Rory McCullech."
The girl's eyes widened, "You're the captain of Swiftwing's Quidditch team!"
Rory gave a prideful smile "Yeah, do you like Quidditch?"
The girl nodded eagerly. "Yes, oh yes I do!"
"Well you'll have to try out, then," Rory said, "What's your name, by the way?" [Editor's note: "spoke", apparently, means "to be not at home".odd.]
"Rebecca, Rebecca Portner," she said excitedly.
"Alright Rebecca, I look foreword to seeing you try out." Rory looked at the door in front of them, checking its number with the number on Rebecca's registration papers. "Here you are, go get settled in. See ya around."
"Thank you!" Rebecca said cheerily as Rory headed back to her own room to get dressed for the evening ceremonies.