center Chapter two center
"Best get in your robes, dears," the plump witch who manned the snack cart cackled at Rily and Mae, "We should arrive in just a few minutes."
Taking her advice, the two friends locked their compartment door and slipped on their robes with the Ravenclaw crest. It was the work of a second, and when they were done, the door was unlocked once again. They picked up their bags and headed to the front of the train so that they would be the first off. Slinky trotted behind the two girls, and Mae's frog Leaper lay in the blonde's pocket.
On their way out they passed the many New Girls who had been unable to fit inside Harry's compartment, and most of them were sulking. Rily noticed that quite a few of them had neglected to change into the customary robes, instead changing into ridiculously beautiful gowns that did not fit in at all. There were also quite a bit of strange animals; wolves in shades of blue, silver, jet black, white, and even one in a stunning mauve. There were also many white owls, a few black, some foxes, two or three phoenixes, many unicorns, at least one dragon (and many singed robes as a result), and;
"A green CHICKEN?" Rily exclaimed in disbelief. Mae, following her gaze, saw the unusual pet, and shrugged.
"There's a weird one in every batch," she said simply, not slowing her progress to the door. Rily followed her, but her eyes watched over her shoulder, still wide in amazement as the green chicken scratched at the floor, and, when no worms were produced, gave an angry squawk. Immediately there was a small puff of smoke, which soon dissipated to reveal a very large wart on the offending floor.
"Now, Smitty," Rily heard a voice reprimand, and a girl climbed over the dragon (nearly getting eaten) to pick up the strange magic chicken. She had long red-and-black vertically striped hair, and her eyes were an equally strange pairing of indigo and beige.
"Like I said," Mae commented from in front of Rily, "A weird one in every batch." Rily could not help but agree.
The train finally slowed to a stop, and the doors sprung open, letting Mae and Rily off first. As they made their way to the horseless carriages with a friendly Hufflepuff and a tolerable Slytherin in tow, they heard a commotion behind them.
"It would seem," the Slytherin (who was called Sara) observed coldly, "That our new girls are having a bit of trouble getting their pets out of the train."
Looking back, Rily and Mae saw that this was indeed true. The dragon had become stuck in the doorway, and his already distraught owner being reprimanded by Professor McGonagall.
"The letter CLEARLY stated, Ms. Riddle, that the allowed pets were owls, toads, or cats, with some small exceptions, such as rats or frogs. NO WHERE did it mention dragons. But come in anyway, five points to Griffindor for the bravery to handle a dragon."
Sara, half in and half out of the chosen carriage, rolled her eyes. "And people actually WONDER why we hate Griffindor." She remarked sarcastically, and the Hufflepuff (whose name was Chrissy) nodded vigorously.
"It's bad enough that they seem to break ALL of the rules and get away with it (here she sniffed disapprovingly) but to be REWARDED for it? As Harry is in the next book when he steals the championship from Cedric? And then, as if that is not bad enough, WINS the thing, when Cedric dies? It is very unfair."
"Quite," agreed Sara, "and the New Girls don't help the matter with all of their fawning over him."
"Oh, ease up a bit girls," Mae interjected, "It's not as if he can help it. He IS the hero, after all." Sara considered this for a moment, and then grudgingly nodded.
"I suppose so. That is why everyone loves him so much for no apparent reason. Except for us Slytherins, of course," She grinned, "We get to be the antagonists." Chrissy giggled agreeably as she ducked into the carriage after Sara, nearly tripping as Slinky, tired of waiting, jumped in under her.
Mae went in next, followed closely by Rily, who joined the conversation again.
"Well," She said thoughtfully, "We don't love him for no reason, really. I mean, there was that bit about him defeating some Dark Lord or another. You know, the one who should do something stupendously nasty soon, and be stopped by whichever group of New Girls are his daughters?"
"Yes, but honestly," Sara said sourly, "What is so great about that? They always come back, and more often than not stronger than they ever were. I say leave them be, and keep them as weak as possible." No one had time to comment on this, as everyone had boarded (although there was quite a delay to unpack all of the New Girl's cases and cases of beautiful clothing), and the carriages were off.
A short (and very bumpy) ride later, all of the non-first-years stood in the main hall, and seated at the appropriate tables. The New Girls from the year before (all that had not died tragically to be deeply mourned, that is) sat at Griffindor (and two or three at Slytherin), and the Newest New Girls waited patiently in the shadows for the actual first-years to be sorted.
It was a matter of minutes before the First-Years filed nervously in, and the old hat brought out, and the Special Sorting Song Sung, ("Say THAT three times fast," Mae whispered) and the first years were sorted. Rily and Mae clapped politely for all of them, clapping particularly hard whenever a boy was sorted into Ravenclaw. Before long that was over, and Dumbledore stood up.
"Students," he announced, "as you may have already heard, we have fifty-three new students this year, fifty-two of them girls. All are third years. They have all, with the exception of one young lady from Guam, ("weird one in every batch," Mae repeated for the third time), come from America. You will find that they all have fascinating American accents, and mysterious pasts. ("Tell it like it is!" Rily heard Sara yell approvingly). So let the sorting of them begin."
Clearing her throat, Mrs. McGonagall stepped up beside the stool and unrolled the parchment with the list of names. The Sorting hat looked rather annoyed.
"Ahenys, Sairer!"
A stunningly attractive young girl with a long silken sheet of chocolate hair and silver eyes glided gracefully up to the stool, and placed the hat delicately on her head.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed after a minute, and the girl glided off happily amid the cheers.
"GoldMoon, Celestia!"
An angelically beautiful young girl with glowing golden hair and deep blue eyes strode loftily up to the stool, and placed the hat lightly on her head.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed after a few seconds, and the girl strode off happily amid the cheers.
"Hallow, Faith!"
A lovely young girl with long fiery red hair and warm brown eyes skipped up to the stool, and placed it gently on her head.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed almost as soon as she had placed it on her head, and the girl skipped off happily amid the cheers.
"King, Hunter!"
An attractive young man with short, curly, highlighted hair and flirty golden eyes sauntered up to the hat.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed as soon as he touched it, not even waiting to be placed on his head, and the boy sauntered off happily amid the squeals.
"Luna, Lily!"
A delicately beautiful young girl with silver-blonde hair and steely grey eyes crept up to the stool.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed before she had gotten within five feet of the stool, and the girl crept quietly off amid the cheers.
"Nightingale, Sapphire!"
A coldly beautiful girl with crystalline blue eyes and black hair with silver streaks stepped in the general direction of the stool.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed immediately after the name had been called, and the girl walked silently off amid the cheers.
"Riddle, (forty-five girls stood up) Hope! (ten sat down)"
Thirty-five girls headed for the stool in a wave of silver, chocolate, ebony, golden, and flame-red hair, mosaic of eyes flashing.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" the hat screamed, "I REFUSE to do this YEAR AFTER YEAR! I am sick of sorting these girls, all of which have mysterious pasts and secrets and nothing but being with Harry Potter on their minds! They already KNOW what house they will be put into! I've had enough of it! All of you, just go into Griffindor!"
The girls headed for the Griffindor tables amid the cheers.
"You too," the hat growled menacingly at the ten other Riddles, (One of which was the rainbow-haired MoonRose) and they did. Only two girls were left.
McGonagall, who had been in a sort of shocked silence for the past few seconds, cleared her throat and looked back at the list.
"Lets see," she said, looking at the first girl, "You would be."
"Serpenta, Ebony!"
An exotically beautiful girl with long obsidian hair and slanted green eyes slid up to the stool and put the hat silently on her head.
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat screamed, and the girl slid off amid the hisses and cheers (the latter from the Slytherin table). There was only one left; the strange girl Rily recognized as the owner of the green chicken.
"Young, Jennifer!"
The tie-dye girl stepped up to the stool, and jammed the hat on her head.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat roared in disbelief, and the girl walked off amid the confused silence.
Rily was stunned, but she did not have much time to remain so. Before she knew it, the magic words had been said, and the feast began but not after Mae could poke her in the side.
"I told you," she whispered to Rily, "There's a weird one..."
"'In every batch'; I KNOW!" Rily whispered back, and began to eat.
"Best get in your robes, dears," the plump witch who manned the snack cart cackled at Rily and Mae, "We should arrive in just a few minutes."
Taking her advice, the two friends locked their compartment door and slipped on their robes with the Ravenclaw crest. It was the work of a second, and when they were done, the door was unlocked once again. They picked up their bags and headed to the front of the train so that they would be the first off. Slinky trotted behind the two girls, and Mae's frog Leaper lay in the blonde's pocket.
On their way out they passed the many New Girls who had been unable to fit inside Harry's compartment, and most of them were sulking. Rily noticed that quite a few of them had neglected to change into the customary robes, instead changing into ridiculously beautiful gowns that did not fit in at all. There were also quite a bit of strange animals; wolves in shades of blue, silver, jet black, white, and even one in a stunning mauve. There were also many white owls, a few black, some foxes, two or three phoenixes, many unicorns, at least one dragon (and many singed robes as a result), and;
"A green CHICKEN?" Rily exclaimed in disbelief. Mae, following her gaze, saw the unusual pet, and shrugged.
"There's a weird one in every batch," she said simply, not slowing her progress to the door. Rily followed her, but her eyes watched over her shoulder, still wide in amazement as the green chicken scratched at the floor, and, when no worms were produced, gave an angry squawk. Immediately there was a small puff of smoke, which soon dissipated to reveal a very large wart on the offending floor.
"Now, Smitty," Rily heard a voice reprimand, and a girl climbed over the dragon (nearly getting eaten) to pick up the strange magic chicken. She had long red-and-black vertically striped hair, and her eyes were an equally strange pairing of indigo and beige.
"Like I said," Mae commented from in front of Rily, "A weird one in every batch." Rily could not help but agree.
The train finally slowed to a stop, and the doors sprung open, letting Mae and Rily off first. As they made their way to the horseless carriages with a friendly Hufflepuff and a tolerable Slytherin in tow, they heard a commotion behind them.
"It would seem," the Slytherin (who was called Sara) observed coldly, "That our new girls are having a bit of trouble getting their pets out of the train."
Looking back, Rily and Mae saw that this was indeed true. The dragon had become stuck in the doorway, and his already distraught owner being reprimanded by Professor McGonagall.
"The letter CLEARLY stated, Ms. Riddle, that the allowed pets were owls, toads, or cats, with some small exceptions, such as rats or frogs. NO WHERE did it mention dragons. But come in anyway, five points to Griffindor for the bravery to handle a dragon."
Sara, half in and half out of the chosen carriage, rolled her eyes. "And people actually WONDER why we hate Griffindor." She remarked sarcastically, and the Hufflepuff (whose name was Chrissy) nodded vigorously.
"It's bad enough that they seem to break ALL of the rules and get away with it (here she sniffed disapprovingly) but to be REWARDED for it? As Harry is in the next book when he steals the championship from Cedric? And then, as if that is not bad enough, WINS the thing, when Cedric dies? It is very unfair."
"Quite," agreed Sara, "and the New Girls don't help the matter with all of their fawning over him."
"Oh, ease up a bit girls," Mae interjected, "It's not as if he can help it. He IS the hero, after all." Sara considered this for a moment, and then grudgingly nodded.
"I suppose so. That is why everyone loves him so much for no apparent reason. Except for us Slytherins, of course," She grinned, "We get to be the antagonists." Chrissy giggled agreeably as she ducked into the carriage after Sara, nearly tripping as Slinky, tired of waiting, jumped in under her.
Mae went in next, followed closely by Rily, who joined the conversation again.
"Well," She said thoughtfully, "We don't love him for no reason, really. I mean, there was that bit about him defeating some Dark Lord or another. You know, the one who should do something stupendously nasty soon, and be stopped by whichever group of New Girls are his daughters?"
"Yes, but honestly," Sara said sourly, "What is so great about that? They always come back, and more often than not stronger than they ever were. I say leave them be, and keep them as weak as possible." No one had time to comment on this, as everyone had boarded (although there was quite a delay to unpack all of the New Girl's cases and cases of beautiful clothing), and the carriages were off.
A short (and very bumpy) ride later, all of the non-first-years stood in the main hall, and seated at the appropriate tables. The New Girls from the year before (all that had not died tragically to be deeply mourned, that is) sat at Griffindor (and two or three at Slytherin), and the Newest New Girls waited patiently in the shadows for the actual first-years to be sorted.
It was a matter of minutes before the First-Years filed nervously in, and the old hat brought out, and the Special Sorting Song Sung, ("Say THAT three times fast," Mae whispered) and the first years were sorted. Rily and Mae clapped politely for all of them, clapping particularly hard whenever a boy was sorted into Ravenclaw. Before long that was over, and Dumbledore stood up.
"Students," he announced, "as you may have already heard, we have fifty-three new students this year, fifty-two of them girls. All are third years. They have all, with the exception of one young lady from Guam, ("weird one in every batch," Mae repeated for the third time), come from America. You will find that they all have fascinating American accents, and mysterious pasts. ("Tell it like it is!" Rily heard Sara yell approvingly). So let the sorting of them begin."
Clearing her throat, Mrs. McGonagall stepped up beside the stool and unrolled the parchment with the list of names. The Sorting hat looked rather annoyed.
"Ahenys, Sairer!"
A stunningly attractive young girl with a long silken sheet of chocolate hair and silver eyes glided gracefully up to the stool, and placed the hat delicately on her head.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed after a minute, and the girl glided off happily amid the cheers.
"GoldMoon, Celestia!"
An angelically beautiful young girl with glowing golden hair and deep blue eyes strode loftily up to the stool, and placed the hat lightly on her head.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed after a few seconds, and the girl strode off happily amid the cheers.
"Hallow, Faith!"
A lovely young girl with long fiery red hair and warm brown eyes skipped up to the stool, and placed it gently on her head.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed almost as soon as she had placed it on her head, and the girl skipped off happily amid the cheers.
"King, Hunter!"
An attractive young man with short, curly, highlighted hair and flirty golden eyes sauntered up to the hat.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed as soon as he touched it, not even waiting to be placed on his head, and the boy sauntered off happily amid the squeals.
"Luna, Lily!"
A delicately beautiful young girl with silver-blonde hair and steely grey eyes crept up to the stool.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed before she had gotten within five feet of the stool, and the girl crept quietly off amid the cheers.
"Nightingale, Sapphire!"
A coldly beautiful girl with crystalline blue eyes and black hair with silver streaks stepped in the general direction of the stool.
"GRIFFINDOR!" the hat screamed immediately after the name had been called, and the girl walked silently off amid the cheers.
"Riddle, (forty-five girls stood up) Hope! (ten sat down)"
Thirty-five girls headed for the stool in a wave of silver, chocolate, ebony, golden, and flame-red hair, mosaic of eyes flashing.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" the hat screamed, "I REFUSE to do this YEAR AFTER YEAR! I am sick of sorting these girls, all of which have mysterious pasts and secrets and nothing but being with Harry Potter on their minds! They already KNOW what house they will be put into! I've had enough of it! All of you, just go into Griffindor!"
The girls headed for the Griffindor tables amid the cheers.
"You too," the hat growled menacingly at the ten other Riddles, (One of which was the rainbow-haired MoonRose) and they did. Only two girls were left.
McGonagall, who had been in a sort of shocked silence for the past few seconds, cleared her throat and looked back at the list.
"Lets see," she said, looking at the first girl, "You would be."
"Serpenta, Ebony!"
An exotically beautiful girl with long obsidian hair and slanted green eyes slid up to the stool and put the hat silently on her head.
"SLYTHERIN!" the hat screamed, and the girl slid off amid the hisses and cheers (the latter from the Slytherin table). There was only one left; the strange girl Rily recognized as the owner of the green chicken.
"Young, Jennifer!"
The tie-dye girl stepped up to the stool, and jammed the hat on her head.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat roared in disbelief, and the girl walked off amid the confused silence.
Rily was stunned, but she did not have much time to remain so. Before she knew it, the magic words had been said, and the feast began but not after Mae could poke her in the side.
"I told you," she whispered to Rily, "There's a weird one..."
"'In every batch'; I KNOW!" Rily whispered back, and began to eat.
