Chapter 2: Housemates, and Prejudices, and Quidditch Oh My!

The Great Hall was filled with laughter and talking. At the Gryffindor table Parvati was telling a story to Seamus about some new styling boutique she found over the summer. Seamus really didn't seem to care, he would nod every now and then and then glance at her chest as it bounced up and down as she animatedly explained something Muggles use called a hair dryer.

Hermione giggled to herself, 'Always knew Seamus put up with her just to get some from her, terrible really. If it was anyone else I would say something about it, but I figure this is my revenge for all those nights her and Lavender forced those makeovers on me.' She glanced over to the new boy at her table. He was stuffing his face like everyone else there but he looked particularly famished. 'Don't the feed them at that school of theirs?'

"Hey 'Mione could you pass the gravy? We've run out down here." Ron managed to say without loosing the turkey he was trying to swallow. Harry and him had started to talk to the new boy about what else, Quidditch. Hermione passed the gravy and tried to keep herself occupied with anything else rather than hearing them chew this new kid's ear with stories of all the games they've played. She looked over to the Ravenclaw table and saw the new students there; they were stuffing their faces as well. 'Maybe Americans have also just been big eaters or pigs I don't know which?'

"So your name is Cyrus?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, but you can just call me Cy, it's easier and sounds less like some disease." Harry looked confused at this but didn't dwell on it too much. Cy continued, "You said you guys play Quidditch here. Is it like a club or what?"

Ron just about choked on his corn, "No way! Quidditch is probably one of the biggest things to ever be at Hogwarts! You can't tell me you never played?"

"Well no not really, I've heard of it but we never had much of a following at my old school."

"You've been missing out! Quidditch is this great game played on broomsticks and you get to fly around and run into people and beat people with balls and dodge other ones that come flying at you. It's wicked!"

"Maybe you can come out with Ron and me when we practice? Assuming you have the same schedule as us we can fit in some time before Transfiguration tomorrow. See Ron and I play for the house team, I'm seeker and Ron's a beater."

"Seeker? Beater? Sounds a bit rough to me? And what do you mean house team?"

"Well," Harry began, "there are four houses in Hogwarts. There's Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor that's us, and Slytherin. Slytherin is one nasty house though, I would try not to get involved with them too much." Harry motioned over to where Cy's friends were sitting at the Slytherin table, "See that boy with the almost white blonde hair, he's Draco Malfoy. Down right git he is."

"Yeah," Ron added "he is definitely never up to any good."

"But my friends were sorted into that house, and they're not all bad. Well maybe Noah is a little."

"I'm surprised you were able to be friends with a bunch of Snakes like them!" said Ron. "Rotten all of them, but that doesn't matter your with us Gryffies now. Come on if we hurry up we can show you around before curfew." Harry, Ron, and Cy, soon followed by Hermione, who had about five books she needed to grab before she could run out after them, went on up to the common room.

Draco Malfoy watched this, 'You think those three would have all gotten over each other but no they are just as close as ever, and they added a fourth one. It makes me sick!' He looked at the new recruits to Slytherin. 'Hmm, those two girls don't look too bad. I bet I'll have fun with them. Hey wait a minute that new guy is hitting on my Pansy. Will see how long that lasts.' Draco got up and stood right behind Noah and Pansy who was giggling insanely at something funny Noah had said. "Noah do you duel much?" Draco asked acidly.

"Well no, not really but I am sure I could take anything you'd be able to dish out!" Noah shot back defensively.

"Oh no you've got me all wrong, Noah," He gave a look to Pansy which said, 'I know exactly what you were doing you little slut.'

"Sorry I guess I've got to get ready for bed. Bye Noah," she leaned in real close giving Noah a good look at what she had hidden under her blouse, then she turned but before she left she whispered to Draco, "Getting our feathers all ruffled dear? I was just having some fun. Anyway you have those to little birds over there to play with." She pointed to Sarah and Shannon before sauntering off.

Draco took a moment to compose himself then took the seat Pansy had left, "So you think you would be pretty good at dueling, I'd like to see how good you really are?"

"You're on!"

"Alright then after classes tomorrow meet me in the common room, that is if your other friends," he looked over to the other house tables, "don't persuade you to chicken out."

"I'll be there." Noah said with confidence then watched him walk out after Pansy.

"Noah what do you think you are getting yourself into!" Sarah yelled. "You have never dueled before in your life, granted we know the spells but have you ever actually gone up against another wizard without a teacher around to bail you out if things got too hot?"

"Yeah you idiot! First day here and you are starting fights with people we don't even know. In our own house for that matter."

"Shannon," Noah said, "you don't even know the deal with these houses they could mean anything."

"I do know that all of our friends have been split up. And we probably shouldn't go around making enemies until we can talk to the others, find out about their houses."

"One thing I have noticed," Sarah observed, "is that whatever house we are in doesn't seem to be the well liked one. Look at the looks people are shooting our way and then how the rest of our house will just sneer back. Seems odd to me, and everyone here just talks about how they plan on outdoing someone else. Sound a bit ambitious to any of you?"

"Yeah, so we have been placed in the house of our dreams so what?"

"Noah don't you realize what I am getting at. That hat obviously places you in the house that has your characteristics." Sarah glanced up to Staff table where the headmaster was rising to speak again. She got the eye of that greasy haired teacher again. "Hey Shannon is it just me or does that Professor Snape keep looking over here?"

"Well meow, he apparently is our head of house. Weren't you listening? And they call me absent-minded."

Dumbledore had called for the end of the feast and the students were led up to their common rooms. The new students tried to seek each other out in crowd but there were to many people going in all directions.

~-~

In the Ravenclaw common room Jonnie, Nessa, and Laura tried to figure out what this school was going to be like for them. Nessa was pouting, Jonnie was paying more attention to some other wizards playing Wizard's chess, and Laura for once was actually having an intelligent thought that made her worthy to be in Ravenclaw.

"You know what guys? This house system isn't all that bad, look we get to be placed in like one big happy family with people just like us. See we were sorted here for a reason. The hat puts you in houses based on your characteristics."

"Then why the hell am I in the same house as you!" Jonnie whined. "I figure I should be as far away as I can be from an annoying bitch like you!"

"I think Jonnie is not so happy." Nessa squeaked.

"Nah you think?! And I get stuck with a total ditz like yourself!"

"Oh Jonnie calm down will you? You're gonna make Ness get all flustered err, something." Laura noticed Inessa almost about to lose it so she calmed her down quickly. "Nessa it's alright we'll still be able to see them and hang out with them. And we can deal with Jonnie, he'll lighten up you know that."

Nessa sniffled a bit before answering, "The real thing that has got me so worked up is," she dabbed her eyes, "I didn't get to be in the house with that cute blonde looking boy!" At this she started to cry.

"Jonnie she's hopeless."

"Yes, just as hopeless as the rest of my year is looking."

"What did you say?"

"Oh nothing, nothing." Jonnie looked around for something else to occupy his time with and his eyes fell on the game of Wizard's chess again. The game was almost ending so he figured he might have a chance at playing the winner. He wasn't all that bad at chess himself. 'Maybe they have a tournament here as well?'

"Hello may I play the winner?"

"Sure that would be me. I'm Padma Patil. What's your name?"

"I'm, uhh, Jonnie, uhh, Jonnie Rohrer." Jonnie fumbled with his words as he sat down and the pieces began to reassemble themselves. The girl had a dark complexion, and dark black hair. She looked exotic to Jonnie, like she was from India.

"Well Jonnie, uhh, Rohrer," she was obviously mocking him, "you're white so you get to move first."

"Oh yes of course, lemme see here Pawn to C4." And the game began. While they played Padma answered most of Jonnie's questions about Hogwarts. "So you're telling me that Quidditch is very popular here. Hmm, when is the first game played?"

"This Friday there is a small scrimmage match being scheduled. It's between Ravenclaw and Slytherin."

"Oh great, a few of our friends have been sorted into Slytherin-"

"Wait you have friends in Slytherin?"

"Well yeah, we all came from the same school it would only make sense that we were friends."

"Sorry to burst you bubble but you probably won't be hanging around them too much now. Being in these houses are meant to bring out the very characteristics for why you were sorted into them. For Slytherins that means being nasty. It is really all that can be expected from them; well that and they are guaranteed to beat Hufflepuff every year in Quidditch, which helps Ravenclaws' standing for the tournament. We only have to really worry about Gryffindor; they aren't too bad, a little foolish sometimes. My sister Parvati is in Gryffindor." But Jonnie wasn't listening anymore.

"You're kidding aren't you? You mean I can't talk to any of my friends anymore just because they were sorted into a different house. That's retarded!" By now the entire common room was listening in. "I don't get why this school even has houses!"

"Jonnie calm down you are making a scene. We have houses so that students with the same interest can get know each other, make a family away from home that sort of thing."

"I had-- I mean have a family alright. I don't need some stuffy old hat to tell me who I belong with!" Jonnie stood up and stormed to the door of the common room, "Thanks for the game." And with that he left. Laura and Ness could do nothing but gape at each other and run after him.

~-~

Colin was sitting in front of the fireplace in the Hufflepuff common room trying not to look so lost. The hat told him this house would accept him, but now he was starting to doubt it. It seemed that everyone here already knew each other, including the first years. Not wanting to be left there alone and awkward for the rest of the evening he slipped out of the common room and figured he would find the library. He always was a big reader and thought he had heard another student say earlier that Hogwarts had one of the best libraries. Colin found the place to be deserted, mostly. There was one girl all the way in the back near what must have been a section that was off limits. 'I wonder if she is supposed to be in there.'

"Excuse me, are you allowed in that section of the library?" The girl was startled and fell off the small ladder; Colin tried to catch her but was only able to break her fall slightly because he ended up falling as well. "Oh I am so sorry for making you fall like that, if I had known it would have startled you, uhh I'm sorry." The girl climbed off of Colin and stood up, then offered him her hand to help him up.

"No it's my fault I really should pay attention more. You're one of the new students from America aren't you?"

"Yeah I am, my name is Colin Studebaker." He shook her hand before the situation became too awkward and he let go.

"My name is Hermione Granger, I'm in Gryffindor." She bent down and began to pick up the book and papers she had dropped.

"Oh let me help you." He bent to help her out and as if on cue they knocked heads. "Oh jeez I seem to only be getting in your way."

"We seem to be a hazard to each other's health. Here just place that stuff on the desk over there."

"You said you were in Gryffindor? I'm in Hufflepuff, my friend Cy though he was sorted into Gryffindor."

"Yeah he was, he seems real nice. A little too much like all the other boys though. Kinda afraid all he'll be able to talk about soon is Quidditch." She laughed at this but looked a little forlorn, like she had been dealing with this for while.

"Honestly I know what you mean! I have never been all that involved in sports myself so I always feel kinda outed when people talk about Quidditch. In fact that is why I left my common room and came up here." The clock in the common room signaled 10:30, curfew was starting and they had to get back to the common rooms.

"Bugger, curfew. Do you want to meet me here tomorrow Colin?"

"Yeah sure when?"

"How about lunch, I know all the other guys will be out playing Quidditch or stuffing their faces so unless you don't want to miss out on that?"

"Oh no, I mean of course I'll meet you here, umm bye Hermione."

"Bye Colin!" she hollered as she left the library. Colin was almost floating on cloud nine, 'Hey it wasn't that hard to make a friend.'

"Curfew has begun young man, I believe you should be in your common room." Madam Pince glared over her spectacles.

"Of course Madam, I'm sorry." Colin ran out of the library and quickly to his common room that was if he could remember where it was. 'Well this hasn't been a total disaster, has it?'

~-~

A/N: Okay so what are you guys thinking so far? I tried to develop each character a little more, but I also tried to give some attention to each group in each house, which is hard to do in one chapter. Anyroads, I again ask for any replies, complaints, compliments, criticism? It is all welcome. Toodle-Loo!

Squashy Galoshes: thanks for being my first and only reviewer! Knowing that someone is actually reading your story makes you want to write it more!