Chapter2: A revealing evening
The rest of the trip continued without interest, their friends, and a few admirers, came to visit swapping holiday stories and gossip.
" Y'know we really got to get boyfriends this year," complained Nuna after hustling out some persistent Hufflepuff boys so they could change into their robes, " It'll encourage guys to leave us alone and I don't know about you guys but I DO NOT want another year of Leo Snape!"
That caused her sisters to laugh, last year Leo Snape had stalked Annuna from the start of term, always trying to help and basically being in the way. The whole school had known and when Professor Snape had tried to set 'Nuna up with his son at the Christmas ball she had screamed at him and stalked out; leaving the whole school shocked and speechless, if not amused.
Not that her sisters hadn't been spared such followers but the look on the professor's face when she had lost it was priceless; Snape didn't talk to the sisters anymore.
The girls had just finished getting changed into their robes when the train arrived and they bundled out and headed to the carriages that waited to take them up to the school; with dog, phoenix and dragon in tow.
The had just gotten onto the carriage when they heard voices hail them and before they could reply three guys had hopped into the carriage with them.
The first was a brown haired, blue eyed spunk, and he knew it as he sat next to Saz in the corner causing Nuna to fall onto the floor. The next two guys got the remaining seats grinning wickedly as the middle one leaned over and began whispering in Myst ear to his left.
"Here Nuna, I've got a spot for you!" cried the dark haired guy, pulling her onto his lap; she pulled the door shut with her toe.
Her sisters' giggles caused her to sigh, the mini-marauders, as they had nicknamed them, were the cutest guys in their grade but they had been best friends since the start of first year, JUST FRIENDS! And partners in crime against the Slytherins.
Looking across she noticed both guys had their arms around them and seemed very couple-ly, whispering in each other's ears. She smiled, matchmaking time!
Saz, after telling Darien off for knocking her sister to the floor, noticed Ashe seemingly close to Myst, 'No way Ashe likes Myst! OH MY GOD!' her eyes sparkled with glee.
She quickly whispered across to Darien, "Do Ashe and Myst seem to be a bit close to you?" not realizing she was in exactly the same position with Darien.
"He likes her, we brought truth potion in the holidays for a game of truth or dare, we got it out of him then…" They began to plot how to set them up, not realizing that Myst and Ashe were having the exact same conversation about them.
Annuna, raised an eyebrow at Llewellyn, he nodded, her eyes widened with shock. "You serious?" She whispered furiously, glancing over, "both of them?!" - He gave her his smug know all smile; and was replied with a gentle punch on the shoulder. "Match-making?" she queried, grinning evilly.
"You bet!" he replied and pulled her closer.
They plotted.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
The gang got out of the carriage and joined the flood of people heading towards the great hall to take their seats at the Gryffindor table. They sat down together at the front of the table with Harry and his friends, as demanded when they had received their prefect notices; and chatted as everyone awaited the sorting, or more correctly, the feast after.
The girls however were looking forward to the sorting, numerous meetings in Dumbledore's office, not always over positive points, meant that over the last year they had managed to 'persuade' the sorting hat to mention some more nasty aspects of Slytherin house, they were eager to see it play out.
Over to their right a door opened and Professor McGonagall strode in, with the sorting hat, stool and list in hand; the new first years trickled in behind her nervously and gazing at the ceiling in awe.
"Oh! They're sooo CUTE!" Annuna couldn't help but gush and was promptly hit on the head; But not before McGonagall flashed a small smile in their direction. (Yes, a great rarity at Hogwarts)
"Now before the first years are sorted into their houses I would ask that the Gryffindor prefects and quidditch team please meet me at the end of the feast in the entrance hall. Thank you." and she stepped back as the sorting hat stretched up and began its song:
'Welcome to Hogwarts,
Little students small;
Yet you must be sorted,
To your houses in this hall.
The founders of this school,
Had traits just like you,
Each took pride in certain ones,
And to morals that they held true.
All except Slytherin,
Who was a real prick;
He believed in evil,
That made the others sick.
A thousand years have past,
And just one thing has changed;
Instead of the founders sorting you,
By a hat you are arranged.
Maybe you're a Gryffindor,
Brave, stout and true;
Or a wise old Ravenclaw,
All decked out in blue.
Mayhap a trusty Hufflepuff,
Patient and steadfast;
Or an evil Slytherin,
Ambitious to the last.
So pop me on your head,
As I end this song;
I'll sort you to your houses,
I've never yet been wrong.'
The school sat astonished. The hat had never, ever, ever bagged out a house; the slytherins' look was priceless. The silence was broken by a chuckle from Dumbledore, who glanced at the triplets knowingly, and clapped. Slowly as they realized they wouldn't be placed in detention, or decapitated by Snape, smiles spread across the tables, except slytherins', and the hall applauded.
"Ahem." McGonagall cleared her throat as she regained her composure, "First years when I call your name sit on the stool, place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted."
"Adams, Sarah."
A small golden haired girl timidly moved over to the stool and put the hat on her head.
"Hufflepuff!"
She smiled and dashed over to the table.
"Brown, David."
"Ravenclaw."
"Crabbe, Selina" became the first Slytherin.
"Davis, Michelle."
The redhead who strongly resembled the Weasleys became Gryffindor's first new recruit.
And so it went on until the last "Willcock, May" became a Ravenclaw, and Dumbledore stood for his announcement.
"First of all I must welcome you all back to another year at Hogwarts." Dumbledore started in the silence that followed his standing, " I hope it be a profitable year for you all and that the school rules for once shall be followed." he glanced across at the girls and their friends with a twinkle in his eye. "I trust you will all look to your prefects and our new head boy and girl, Mr. Harry Potter and Miss Hermione Granger, for guidance. And please stay away from the forbidden forest." he glanced across at the Gryffindors who pretended keen interest in the furniture of the hall. "Now let us enjoy the feast." He gave a clap and the food appeared, much to the amusement of the first years.
"Now I wonder why the sorting hat acted so strangely." Harry probed the girls as they finished their Yorkshire puddings, they smiled mischievously.
"Perhaps it has A.D.D." Annuna suggested as started her fifth ice cream in 3 minutes.
"Maybe a Slytherin attacked it last year and it's out for revenge..." Saz suggested. (Nuna grabbed yet another ice cream.)
" Or maybe it just realized how much slytherins suck in general." added Myst as she reached for an apple pie, just dodging Annuna's frantic lunge for the last ice cream that had appeared in the center of the table.
"No!!! ICECREAM!!!" Annuna cried as Ginny snatched it away for a scared first year, "NO FAIR!" she sat and pouted.
"What! You've had SIX already!" Ginny replied in amazement as Annuna continued to pout.
"Look Nuna you can share mine so long as you don't guzzle it all like you did last time." Llewellyn offered to her left.
"YAY! Ice cream!" she cried, grabbed a spoon, bounced around and tucked in; much to the amusement of the entire table. "What?!?" she asked as everyone stared at her. " I..ike mm..ice.cr..Mmm!"She muffled.
Professor McGonagall stood as everyone finished eating, 'cept Annuna who was still looking to see if the there was any ice cream left in the Ravenclaw table or in the bottom of people's bowls, and beckoned them outside the hall.
"Good." Said the professor as everyone arrived, "I have to ask you boys to leave for just a moment as I tell the prefects the password to their common room and bathroom." The triplets' friends sulked away till they were out of earshot. "Now the password is 'pineapple quidditch'. I expect you all to set GOOD examples for the younger students." She looked sharply at the girls who were well known for their pranks, they immediately pretended shocked innocence. Then summoned the boys back over.
"The Gryffindor password this year is 'red roses', I'm afraid the fat lady was feeling a bit romantic when we picked passwords." She added at their look of distaste. "You'll have to live with it either way." she continued, "and would you PLEASE TRY to behave yourselves this year, it would be nice to have our 6th straight win in the house cup."
"Miss Granger, Mr. and Miss Weasley, if you could escort the younger students back to the common room; I would like a word with the quidditch team for a moment." With that, and a quick kiss from Harry on Ginny's part (AN. Awwwww), the others left.
"Now I hope you have all been practicing over the holidays, yes I realize you have been competing in the euro cup Mr. Potter, but I was referring to your team-mates."
"Of course we have!" they all chimed.
"We've been meeting once a week at the Wasps' pitch, Nuna, Myst and I were selected chasers for their summer league team so we've been sneaking the others onto the grounds." Saz put in.
"Congratulations, you three must be the youngest professional players in almost a century, though you should NOT be sneaking people onto the grounds. Anyway you must play your best against Slytherin, George Flyhard is scouting for the Jr. International team and I'd like to see you all do well; now you girls, and Harry, must go lead our house back and I have a staff meeting." and with that she left.
They stared at the professor for a second, Flyhard was scouting here! The girls squealed with excitement and ran back inside to tell the news to their friends, with the guys following quickly.
Once the gang met up with the last of the Gryffindors they led the rest of the house to the dorms and told everyone the password, no one hid their disgust.
Jumping onto their beds the girls screamed over the news about Flyhard, before their room mate, Alyssa Freed, wisely told them to quieten down, "or the seventh year girls will be in here exclaiming how silken his hair was, yet his nose held nothing to blah blah blah's, and how they would all 'luuv' to sit on his lap!"
"Eugh! Yucky Ducky Mushy Blah!" Annuna grimaced, wrinkling up her nose in disgust.
Alyssa knew what made them shut up.
"Not that you seemed to mind that when you were sitting in Llewellyn's lap in the carriage here." Saz put in wickedly, dodging a flying pillow aimed at her head.
"Admit it. You kinda like him," Myst dared to venture and was rewarded with Annuna's other pillow, a tirade of verbal threats to her head and a blush.
"You're blushing!" Alyssa squealed, hopping up and down on the bed as Annuna buried her head under the covers, "You DO like him!!"
"Shut up!" came Annuna's muffled reply from under the covers; she pulled her head out, getting angry, "I HAD to sit on his lap 'coz Saz's BOYFRIEND Darien pushed me off my seat and Myst's snogging partner Ashe stole my seat!"
"He is NOT my boyfriend!" both her sisters yelled simultaneously, blushing scarlet.
"AAhhh!" Alyssa cried with glee, " You've all got crushes! You've all got crushes!" and bounced up and down even more vigorously, if that was possible, as the girls shot death glares at her. "Now all we need to do is set you all up!"
"You are not setting us up!"
"I do NOT have a crush!"
"GROSS!!!!"
"Suuurrre I believe you." Alyssa answered slyly, an evil grin playing over her face.
The girls grabbed pillows and attacked until about an hour later, Annuna, having hit a clock, noticed it was 2am, "Um you guys perhaps we should go to bed." she suggested, indicating the time. "She seems to have repented." she added looking down at the huddled form of their room-mate.
"Yeah... but I'm still gonna set you guys up!" Alyssa replied smugly before retreating to her bed. The girls collected the pillows, before they said goodnight and collapsed onto their beds.
