CHAPTER THREE: Settling in.
I took a big bite of my piece of Shepherds Pie, wondering who did the marvelous cooking here. I knew many large houses had house elves who did the cooking and housework (we didn't because my parents objected to the idea, as did Jenny's parents), and figured it must be something like that in a castle of Hogwarts size.
Suddenly I felt the eyes of someone on me, and I looked up to the teacher's table to see the cold eyes, of a dark-haired man on me. He was smirking slightly, and when his eyes met mine, his smirk intensified, and then he looked away. I leant over to Francine, and asked who it was?
"Professor Snape. The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He used to teach Potions here, and then he left about the same time as your parents did to work over at Azkaban. He has recently returned to teach DADA. Actually, there is a bit of history there with your Father, and Grandfather, although I don't know the details. Snape is not exactly a big fan of the Potter family Sam, so watch out for him." Francine explained.
I frowned. Not a big fan? Why?
As we were eating there was a commotion from the other end of the room. The first year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were all talking and pointing. I followed their gaze and gasped. Through the doors glided a number of ghosts, all of whom seemed to be busy talking and taking no notice of us students, nor the teachers.
"My dear Sir Nick" a fat monk was saying "I understand your point, but I still believe that once again we have to forgive Peeves."
"Friar you are too forgiving sometimes. Peeves has been giving us all trouble for years, and the Bloody Baron is the only one who can manage him!" The other ghost replied.
"Nevertheless everyone deserves forgiveness!" The Friar insisted, and then he seemed to realise that we were all watching. That is, the new students, the older ones were busy with their meal and taking no notice.
"Ah, new students!" The Friar said. The ghosts all stopped their conversations to say hello, and some swooped over us crying, "Welcome to Hogwarts!"
Jenny and I exchanged glances. Of course we'd all heard about the Hogwarts ghosts, but it was still strange seeing them in person.
The ghost who had been arguing with the Friar before came and floated above us. "New Gryffindoor students I am glad to see." He said. "I hope you'll make me proud."
"Who's he?" I whispered across to Greg.
"Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. He's the resident ghost of the Gryffindoor tower." Greg whispered back. "But we all call him Nearly- Headless Nick."
"Dare I ask why?" I whispered.
"He had his head chopped off, but the person who did it didn't do it properly. That's why he wears that ruff-to keep it from flopping back." Greg explained. I made a face at this grisly explanation.
Just then the deserts arrived, and we all began to tuck into tarts, cakes and muffins happily.
*****
After the feast we were lead up to the Gryffindoor tower by Paul Weasley. We all followed him dutifully up the marble staircase, apart from Alforth who was looking mutinous. The other first year Gryffindoor boys were Henry Longbottom, Martin Simms, and Alex Thomas and of course Alforth and I. There were also the five Gryffindoor first year girls; Jenny, Alana Hastings, Kathy Henderson, Amanda Wilson, and Michelle Simms (the twin of Martin).
"You have to be aware that the staircases are apt to change." Paul informed us, as we hurried to keep up with him.
"Change?" A girl repeated from somewhere near the back. "Staircases don't change."
"They do when they're magical ones." Paul replied.
Finally we reached the end of the corridor and stopped before a portrait of a very fat lady who was wearing a pink silk dress. She appeared to be sleeping, and when Paul cleared his throat she awoke with a start.
"Always waking me up when I need all the sleep I can get. You know it's the ball in the ballroom painting next week don't you?" She grumbled. The she sighed and asked "Password?"
"Fairy lights." Paul replied, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall. We all climbed through and found ourselves in the Gryffindoor common room. It was a nice, cosy room, full of comfortable looking armchairs.
"This is nothing like the Slytherin common room." Alforth muttered.
"How would you know?" Jenny demanded, overhearing. "Have you ever been in there?"
"Father told me all about it." Alforth replied. "He's going to be wild when he finds out I got stuck in Gryffindoor." He pronounced the word with distaste. "I should be in Slytherin with Carlos Crabb-he's my best friend."
"Or that we got stuck with you." Martin muttered, and I grinned while Alforth managed to look even more disgusted.
"Okay, enough. The dorms are up these stairs. Boys on one side. Girls on the other. You'll find you things are already up there." Paul said, sternly.
In our room we found the five four-poster beds hung with velvet curtains, and our things were at the end of the bed.
"I think it's awful that they changed the rule about first years bringing pets. My Dad was telling me he had a toad when he was here." Henry complained.
"My Dad had an owl. I vaguely remember her-Hedwig I think she was called. Dad loved that owl." I said.
Alforth chose not to participate in the conversation. Instead he got into his pajamas, yanked the curtains shut around his bed and was silent. Henry and Alex got into a conversation about quidditch teams, while Martin and I discussed our first impressions of the school.
"It seems so big. I don't like the idea of the changing staircases." Martin said.
"I don't like the potions teacher. Apparently he has some history with my Dad, but I don't know what. He looks mean." I said.
Martin frowned. "Snape isn't it? I read about his appointment in the Daily Prophet. I think it was quite controversial, but I don't know why. I wonder why he wouldn't like your Dad-I thought everyone did!"
I started, and then remembered that the sorting hat had called my name out, so everyone knew I was the son of the "boy who lived" and the young man who had defeated Voldemort for a final time in his last year of school at Hogwarts.
"I'll have to send Dad an owl about it all." I decided.
"What class are you looking forward to the most?" Martin asked. "I can't wait for potions-how cool would it be to give your parents a sleeping potion, or a forgetfulness potion when you're in trouble?"
I shrugged. "I don't really get into trouble.." I admitted. Because Dad had endured such a terrible childhood he was very understanding in the way he treated me. I didn't really get into trouble for little things. "But I'm looking forward to Transfiguration!"
"Yeah, that will be wicked. Mum used to work for the Ministry and it was her job to keep the register of all Animagus' up to date. Some people pick some pretty cool things to turn into!" Martin agreed.
"Do you people mind being quiet? Some people are trying to sleep here!" Came the grumpy voice of Alforth from behind his curtains.
"Poor little baby wants his bed-bed. We better let the poor little baby sleep." Martin said. Clearly he wasn't impressed by Alforth's earlier comment. "I don't even know what he's doing here in Gryffindoor!" He added to me in an undertone. "Everyone knows that the Malfoy's are as bad as they come. They can deny it all they want but everyone knows they were in league with Voldemort, and they are still Dark wizards. Like leopards, wizards don't change their spots!"
"I met his father at the train station. He seemed a pretty mean person." I said, just as quietly.
"My Dad was the year below him, of course he was in Gryffindoor not Slytherin but he said Draco Malfoy was as bad as his father. He sure made it no great secret to hide his allegiances!" Martin replied.
"WOULD YOU SHUT UP?" Alforth yelled. "You heard the Weasley guy; we're all to go to bed now. We've got to get up early in the morning. I've got to get up extra early to sort some things out!"
We all went to bed, and I lay there awake for a little while. Even though I was tired the day had been pretty exciting, and I was busy thinking about it! Finally I drifted off to sleep.
I took a big bite of my piece of Shepherds Pie, wondering who did the marvelous cooking here. I knew many large houses had house elves who did the cooking and housework (we didn't because my parents objected to the idea, as did Jenny's parents), and figured it must be something like that in a castle of Hogwarts size.
Suddenly I felt the eyes of someone on me, and I looked up to the teacher's table to see the cold eyes, of a dark-haired man on me. He was smirking slightly, and when his eyes met mine, his smirk intensified, and then he looked away. I leant over to Francine, and asked who it was?
"Professor Snape. The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He used to teach Potions here, and then he left about the same time as your parents did to work over at Azkaban. He has recently returned to teach DADA. Actually, there is a bit of history there with your Father, and Grandfather, although I don't know the details. Snape is not exactly a big fan of the Potter family Sam, so watch out for him." Francine explained.
I frowned. Not a big fan? Why?
As we were eating there was a commotion from the other end of the room. The first year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were all talking and pointing. I followed their gaze and gasped. Through the doors glided a number of ghosts, all of whom seemed to be busy talking and taking no notice of us students, nor the teachers.
"My dear Sir Nick" a fat monk was saying "I understand your point, but I still believe that once again we have to forgive Peeves."
"Friar you are too forgiving sometimes. Peeves has been giving us all trouble for years, and the Bloody Baron is the only one who can manage him!" The other ghost replied.
"Nevertheless everyone deserves forgiveness!" The Friar insisted, and then he seemed to realise that we were all watching. That is, the new students, the older ones were busy with their meal and taking no notice.
"Ah, new students!" The Friar said. The ghosts all stopped their conversations to say hello, and some swooped over us crying, "Welcome to Hogwarts!"
Jenny and I exchanged glances. Of course we'd all heard about the Hogwarts ghosts, but it was still strange seeing them in person.
The ghost who had been arguing with the Friar before came and floated above us. "New Gryffindoor students I am glad to see." He said. "I hope you'll make me proud."
"Who's he?" I whispered across to Greg.
"Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. He's the resident ghost of the Gryffindoor tower." Greg whispered back. "But we all call him Nearly- Headless Nick."
"Dare I ask why?" I whispered.
"He had his head chopped off, but the person who did it didn't do it properly. That's why he wears that ruff-to keep it from flopping back." Greg explained. I made a face at this grisly explanation.
Just then the deserts arrived, and we all began to tuck into tarts, cakes and muffins happily.
*****
After the feast we were lead up to the Gryffindoor tower by Paul Weasley. We all followed him dutifully up the marble staircase, apart from Alforth who was looking mutinous. The other first year Gryffindoor boys were Henry Longbottom, Martin Simms, and Alex Thomas and of course Alforth and I. There were also the five Gryffindoor first year girls; Jenny, Alana Hastings, Kathy Henderson, Amanda Wilson, and Michelle Simms (the twin of Martin).
"You have to be aware that the staircases are apt to change." Paul informed us, as we hurried to keep up with him.
"Change?" A girl repeated from somewhere near the back. "Staircases don't change."
"They do when they're magical ones." Paul replied.
Finally we reached the end of the corridor and stopped before a portrait of a very fat lady who was wearing a pink silk dress. She appeared to be sleeping, and when Paul cleared his throat she awoke with a start.
"Always waking me up when I need all the sleep I can get. You know it's the ball in the ballroom painting next week don't you?" She grumbled. The she sighed and asked "Password?"
"Fairy lights." Paul replied, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall. We all climbed through and found ourselves in the Gryffindoor common room. It was a nice, cosy room, full of comfortable looking armchairs.
"This is nothing like the Slytherin common room." Alforth muttered.
"How would you know?" Jenny demanded, overhearing. "Have you ever been in there?"
"Father told me all about it." Alforth replied. "He's going to be wild when he finds out I got stuck in Gryffindoor." He pronounced the word with distaste. "I should be in Slytherin with Carlos Crabb-he's my best friend."
"Or that we got stuck with you." Martin muttered, and I grinned while Alforth managed to look even more disgusted.
"Okay, enough. The dorms are up these stairs. Boys on one side. Girls on the other. You'll find you things are already up there." Paul said, sternly.
In our room we found the five four-poster beds hung with velvet curtains, and our things were at the end of the bed.
"I think it's awful that they changed the rule about first years bringing pets. My Dad was telling me he had a toad when he was here." Henry complained.
"My Dad had an owl. I vaguely remember her-Hedwig I think she was called. Dad loved that owl." I said.
Alforth chose not to participate in the conversation. Instead he got into his pajamas, yanked the curtains shut around his bed and was silent. Henry and Alex got into a conversation about quidditch teams, while Martin and I discussed our first impressions of the school.
"It seems so big. I don't like the idea of the changing staircases." Martin said.
"I don't like the potions teacher. Apparently he has some history with my Dad, but I don't know what. He looks mean." I said.
Martin frowned. "Snape isn't it? I read about his appointment in the Daily Prophet. I think it was quite controversial, but I don't know why. I wonder why he wouldn't like your Dad-I thought everyone did!"
I started, and then remembered that the sorting hat had called my name out, so everyone knew I was the son of the "boy who lived" and the young man who had defeated Voldemort for a final time in his last year of school at Hogwarts.
"I'll have to send Dad an owl about it all." I decided.
"What class are you looking forward to the most?" Martin asked. "I can't wait for potions-how cool would it be to give your parents a sleeping potion, or a forgetfulness potion when you're in trouble?"
I shrugged. "I don't really get into trouble.." I admitted. Because Dad had endured such a terrible childhood he was very understanding in the way he treated me. I didn't really get into trouble for little things. "But I'm looking forward to Transfiguration!"
"Yeah, that will be wicked. Mum used to work for the Ministry and it was her job to keep the register of all Animagus' up to date. Some people pick some pretty cool things to turn into!" Martin agreed.
"Do you people mind being quiet? Some people are trying to sleep here!" Came the grumpy voice of Alforth from behind his curtains.
"Poor little baby wants his bed-bed. We better let the poor little baby sleep." Martin said. Clearly he wasn't impressed by Alforth's earlier comment. "I don't even know what he's doing here in Gryffindoor!" He added to me in an undertone. "Everyone knows that the Malfoy's are as bad as they come. They can deny it all they want but everyone knows they were in league with Voldemort, and they are still Dark wizards. Like leopards, wizards don't change their spots!"
"I met his father at the train station. He seemed a pretty mean person." I said, just as quietly.
"My Dad was the year below him, of course he was in Gryffindoor not Slytherin but he said Draco Malfoy was as bad as his father. He sure made it no great secret to hide his allegiances!" Martin replied.
"WOULD YOU SHUT UP?" Alforth yelled. "You heard the Weasley guy; we're all to go to bed now. We've got to get up early in the morning. I've got to get up extra early to sort some things out!"
We all went to bed, and I lay there awake for a little while. Even though I was tired the day had been pretty exciting, and I was busy thinking about it! Finally I drifted off to sleep.
