In the Entrance Hall during the second week of school all four houses were busy eating and talking during their lunch, before their next classes. The Great Hall doors were wide open and the ceiling was light blue with a few clouds above their heads. A girl came rushing in, unfamiliar looking to most everyone in the Great Hall. She came up the middle aisle.
"Uncle Albus!"
She ran up to the staff table, throwing her arms around Dumbledore.
"Lieren! I'm sorry, I forgot that you were coming in today. How are you?"
"Everything's great! But - "
"How is your mother?"
"Good, how - "
"And things in Canada?"
"They're fine! Uncle Albus, how are you?" Lieren was worried about her uncle and why he hadn't come to get her. He didn't look too well. But there were certain things the Headmaster didn't want to discuss in front of the whole school, and Lieren decided to drop it and inquire about it later.
"Lieren, sweetheart. I trust that Cyrus has taken you to get all of your things?"
"Yes, he has. We were delayed, but we made it here okay."
"Good, good. You need to be sorted into your house now, dear." Professor Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands.
"Students! We have a new student here, Lieren Waylen. She is in her fifth year, she needs to be sorted into her house, so I need you all to quite down and pay attention" Professor McGonagall brought out the old Sorting Hat and placed it on a stool.
"Lieren," her uncle looked down at her, "all you have to do is place the hat on your head and it will tell you where you ought to be."
Lieren looked somewhat confused but complied to her uncle's commands nevertheless. She put the hat on and heard a voice inside her head.
"A new student...much older than the average one. A fifth year....You are very smart, yes, yes...Very smart. You show the true makings of a Ravenclaw, but you have a bravery here that stands out more....Gryffindor...Yes, that's where you belong...in GRYFFINDOR!!"
The second table from the left cheered politely. They were still quite confused.
Lieren stepped down for the platform and walked towards the Gryffindor table. There was an empty seat and she sat down in it. A bushy haired brunette was to her left and a dark redhead was to her right. The brunette turned to her and politely stuck out her hand.
"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger."
"Hello. I'd tell you mine, but you already know it from the Headmaster." She refrained from saying the Headmaster was her Great Uncle.
"It's Lieren isn't it?" Lo nodded her head. "That's a very pretty name."
"Thank you, but you can call me Lo. Everyone else does."
"Alright, then you can call me Mione."
Hermione was the only one to talk to Lo. Hermione wasn't close-minded It seems the others were afraid of her or something.
Hermione has been the only one to talk to me. The others aren't even looking at me...Is it what I'm wearing?
Lo was wearing slightly baggy red pants with a shirt that said Canadian and packed with a full days supply of freaky.
But as soon as Lieren thought those thoughts, the dark redheaded girl turned to her and introduced herself.
Lieren took in the girl's appearance. She wore dark eyeliner and smokey eyeshadow that made her gray-blueish eyes stand out. She had a pale face and dark, curly red hair that fell to about the middle of her back.
"Hello, I would have introduced myself earlier, but you were talking with Hermione. My name is Gwendolyn, but you can call me Gwen. Your name is Lieren?"
"Yes, that's right, but you can call me Lo." (A/N: Is it just me, or does everyone in this story not go by their full names?)
"Aiight." Lieren noticed that the girl didn't have an English accent.
"Where are you from?" She inquired.
"Oh, I'm from Australia, I lived in Melbourne until my parents moved to Surrey when I was 10. When I was 11 I got my owl to come to Hogwarts."
"That's cool. I'm from Canada."
The two talked a lot and became quick friends. (A/N: See! I told you she was good at making friends...as long as they weren't close-minded!!)
As the bell signaled the end of lunch, Professor McGonagall walked towards Lieren.
"Here you are, Lieren. This is you course schedule. The Headmaster has already spoken to a student in your house, and you will be tutored by him before the rest of your classes - this is to help you to get up to speed. Your tutoring sessions will end at the end of the year. You start classes tomorrow. Gwen, if you would like to show Miss Waylen around the school, you are excused from the rest of today's classes."
"Thank-you, Professor."
Lieren looked down at her schedule.
Tutoring - 9:00 o'clock
Herbology - 10 o'clock
Advanced Charms - 11 o'clock
Lunch - 12 o'clock
Potions - 1 o'clock
Defense Against the Dark Arts - 2 o'clock
Transfiguration - 3 o'clock
Dinner - 6 o'clock
(A/N: Yeah, yeah - I know. She shouldn't be taking Advanced Charms when she's only just starting, but her Uncle has full faith in her and he knows she's smart!!)
Lieren showed her schedule to Gwen.
"Looks like we have Herbology and Advanced Charms together." Gwen said happily. "C'mon, I'll show you where our Common room is." The two left the Great Hall and preceded to their dormitories.
As they were walking upstairs, Gwen informed Lo about all of the things to watch out for in the school.
"You'll want to watch out for the staircases, they like to move. And some have a trick step that you'll learn to jump over....."
As they got to the portrait of the Fat Lady, Gwen introduced Lo to the painting.
"Catherine, this is Lieren - Lo for short. Lo, this is Catherine. You will hear her be called 'The Fat Lady' but in my third year when I was locked out of the common room I started up a conversation with her and found out her name is Catherine. Isn't that right, Catty?"
"That's right, Gwen. Dear," she looked down at Lo, "I change the passwords twice every month. Gwen - do you know what it is this time? You know I can only give out the passwords to the prefects."
Gwen pretended to look hurt. "You mean you forgot, Catty?!"
"Oh, dear. What have I forgotten now?"
"I'm a fifth year prefect!"
"Now I know I wouldn't have forgotten that, Gwen. I think you have forgotten this time and neglected to tell me."
Gwen seemed to be thinking, "Oh....well - anyway. The password is 'tiddly-winks'."
"Very good, dear. I will see you two later on!" Catty's frame swung forward and they entered the Common room.
Lieren was amazed at how gorgeous it was.
"Over there are the tables for students to do homework...and there are chairs for just lounging around...you know, its like a family room."
"This is amazing! Where are our rooms?"
"Up here, follow me."
Lieren and Gwen walked up to the girls 5th year dormitories. There was an added bed that had not been there that morning.
"I guess this is your bed. Is this your stuff?"
"Mmhmm..." Lieren nodded her head in reply.
"Aiight, well I'm going to go downstairs and work on some of my homework. I'll let you get settled in, and later on, before classes are over, I can take you through your schedule route. Y'know, show you all of your classes."
"That would be great. I've only seen a little bit of this school and it looks huge! I can just see myself now, wandering around the other side of the school, up one of the towers when my classroom is in the dungeons on the opposite side..." Lo and Gwen laughed.
"Aiight, well you know where I'll be if you need me!" And Gwen left the dormitories for Lo to get settled in.
She moved all of the clothes that she knew she would wear on a regular basis into her wardrobe along with her school uniform, and placed the things she knew she would only need on occasion in her trunk. She took a shower and dried her hair. She went back into her room and put on one of her school uniforms, and applied her makeup. Then she went back downstairs and saw Gwen sitting in one of the armchairs reading.
"Whatcha readin'?"
Gwen looked up, "Oh, it's a muggle story. It's called The Last Silk Dress I don't know how many times I've read it. I just love it though."
"Cool. Do you want to go walk around the school now?"
"Sure, just let me take my book upstairs and put on my makeup. I'll be down in about 5 minutes. What time is it anyway?" Lieren looked at her watch.
"It's....1:45."
"Alright, classes won't be ending for about another hour...." Lieren watched her walk upstairs.
