Chapter Two
The Feast
As they walked into the castle Lara saw a very stern looking woman in emerald green robes walk over toward her.
"Ms. Katts, I need you to come with me. Mr. Malfloy, Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle, go on to the feast." She said, grabbing Lara by the arm and leading her to a room off to the left.
"Um.I hope you don't mind me asking, but, who are you?" Lara asked the woman as she closed the door.
"I am Professor McGonagall." Lara waited for the Professor to say more, like where they were going, but she didn't say anything else.
Professor McGonagall walked over to the corner of the room and picked up a four-legged stool and a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.
"Follow me." Professor McGonagall said as she went out another door.
When Lara emerged from the room she saw a wonderful sight. The ceiling looked like the night sky, there were floating candles and five tables, one set right in front of the door she just came out of and four set long ways pointing to the head table. She noticed Draco sitting at the last table on the left and smiled at him, he smiled back. When Lara looked back at Professor McGonagall she was setting down the four-legged stool and the old hat on top of the stool. Then an old man behind the head table stood up and started talking.
"Before we begin the sorting I have a surprise for everyone." He said grinning, "We have an exchange student from America, Ms. Lara Katts." The old man pointed at Lara and then sat back down.
Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and motioned for her to sit on the stool. When Lara sat down the Professor set the hat on her head and she heard a voice talking in her head.
"I see you have a great mind, and a thirst to prove yourself. You are also brave. Now what house should I put you in?" the hat said to her. Lara thought for a moment, 'Houses, what is he talking about? And what is this sorting thing all about?' the hat went on talking. "I think I'll put you in GRIFFINDOR!" the hat shouted the last word and the middle right table began to cheer. Professor McGonagall told Lara to go and sit with that table. Lara glanced over at Draco's table and saw that Draco was looking at her like her was mad at her for some reason. She looked away from him and walked over to a redheaded boy.
"Can I sit here?" Lara asked, pointing at the empty seat beside the boy.
"Sure." He said and she sat down and glanced once more at Draco, 'Why is he so mad at me?' she thought
"Thanks, I'm Lara Katts." She said and extended her hand for the boy to shake.
"I'm Ron Weasley." He said shaking her hand, "This is Hermione Granger." He pointed at a girl with bushy brown hair, "This is my sister, Ginny Weasley." He pointed to a girl with red hair and freckles, "And this is Harry Potter." He pointed at a boy with messy black hair, green eyes and glasses.
"Hello. Harry Potter, that sounds familiar, I think I read it in one of my textbooks. Are you named after him?" She said looking at Harry.
"No." said Harry, glad to have found someone that doesn't know him, "I'm him. The Harry Potter."
"Oh," Lara said shocked, "What did you do to get into our textbooks?"
Ron, Hermione and Harry's mouth dropped, 'Where'd this girl come from!' they all thought.
"I.um.Voldermort couldn't kill me when I was a baby." Harry said as Ron flinched at the name.
"Oh, Voldermort. Right. I remember him, he's the one who killed my parents." Lara said, holding back tears.
"I'm so sorry!" Hermione said
"Oh, it's okay, it wasn't your fault. They died fighting Voldermort, fighting pure evil. I'm proud of them!" Lara said as a tear ran down her cheek, she quickly brushed it away.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
After the feast was over they made their way out of the Great Hall. Lara saw Draco standing against a wall alone, she told Harry, Ron and Hermione that she'd catch up with them later. When they were out of sight she walked over to Draco.
"So, you're a Gryffindor now, huh?" Draco said, still looking a bit mad.
"Why are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, getting a little mad herself. Draco looked a bit shocked at her sudden burst of anger, and gave her a glare, as if to say 'Like you don't know!' and he started to walk off, Lara grabbed his arm and asked again.
"What did I do wrong?" This time she was extremely angry. Draco looked at her for a moment, then finally said,
"You became a Gryffindor and I don't like a Gryffindors!" He said, pulling his arm out of her grasp and he started to walk away again.
"You didn't seem to mind me on the train." Lara called after him. Draco turned around and walked straight up to her. They were so close that their noses almost touched.
"You weren't a Gryffindor then, were you." With that he left, going through the door that lead to the Dungeons. Lara went up the stairs that Harry, Hermione and Ron went up and started to look for the Gryffindor Common Room.
Upon going up her fifth set of stairs Lara was beginning to wonder if she was lost. She saw a Ghost just ahead and decided to ask him where the Common Room was.
"Excuse me, sir, can you tell me where the Gryffindor Common Room is, please." Lara asked, stepping up to the Ghost.
"Hello. You must be the exchange student. I'm Sir Nicholas De Mimsy- Porpington. But everyone calls me Nearly-Headless Nick." He said smiling at Lara.
"Yes, I am the exchange student, my name is Lara Katts." She said "Nearly headless, if you don't mind me asking, but how can someone be nearly headless?" Lara asked with a confused look on her face.
"Like so." With that Nick took his head and let is hang off his what was left of his neck. Lara's mouth dropped and then turned into a smile,
"That is so cool!" She said smiling at Nick, "But is it okay if I call you Sir Nicholas instead of Nearly-Headless Nick?"
"Oh, yes, that would be just fine." He said, smiling and putting his head on right. "Now, I believe you asked me something, what was it again?"
"Oh, right. I was wondering if you could tell me where the Gryffindor Common Room is."
"Of course I can, I am the Gryffindor House Ghost after all!" Sir Nicholas said, puffing out his chest importantly.
"So, where is it?"
"Seventh floor behind the picture of the Fat Lady in the pink dress."
"Thank you. I don't need a password, do I?"
"Yes, you do need a password."
"Do you know what it is, Sir Nicholas?"
"Yes, of course I do."
"Can you tell me what it is, please?"
"Yes, it's 'Slytherins suck'."
"Thank you. Um.what is a Slytherin?"
"Slytherin is one of the four school houses."
"Oh." She said looking down and noticing for the first time that she was wearing a red and gold tie, then remembered that Draco was wearing a green and silver one. "What are the Slytherin House colors?' she asked suddenly, looking back up at Sir Nicholas.
"Green and silver. You better get to the Common Room before you get caught wondering the corridors after hours."
"Okay. Thanks for all your help, Sir Nicholas."
"Anytime, young Gryffindor, anytime."
Lara climbed the last two sets of stairs and finally found the Fat Lady in the Pink Dress.
"Password?" The Fat Lady said.
"Slytherins suck." Lara said, and the Fat Lady swung herself forward, reviling the Gryffindor Common Room.
When Lara stepped in side she saw Hermione, Ron and Harry on a couch by the fire. She walked over to them and sat down beside Ron.
"So you finally found the Common Room, uh?" Ron said to her.
"Yeah, if you didn't show up in a few minuets we were going to come and look for you." Harry added.
"Did you get lost?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, kind of. But I meet Sir Nicholas and he told me where the Common Room was and what the password is and all that."
"Oh, no! I forgot to tell you the password!" Hermione said, smacking herself in the head.
"No worries, like I said, I found Sir Nicholas." Lara said, smiling at Hermione, who was massaging her head. "He also told me that there are four school houses, one is Gryffindor and one is Slytherin, what's the other two?" she asked.
"Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw." Ron said, "You don't know much about Hogwarts do you?"
"Hey, I'm from America, I didn't even know Hogwarts existed till I moved here."
The Feast
As they walked into the castle Lara saw a very stern looking woman in emerald green robes walk over toward her.
"Ms. Katts, I need you to come with me. Mr. Malfloy, Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle, go on to the feast." She said, grabbing Lara by the arm and leading her to a room off to the left.
"Um.I hope you don't mind me asking, but, who are you?" Lara asked the woman as she closed the door.
"I am Professor McGonagall." Lara waited for the Professor to say more, like where they were going, but she didn't say anything else.
Professor McGonagall walked over to the corner of the room and picked up a four-legged stool and a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.
"Follow me." Professor McGonagall said as she went out another door.
When Lara emerged from the room she saw a wonderful sight. The ceiling looked like the night sky, there were floating candles and five tables, one set right in front of the door she just came out of and four set long ways pointing to the head table. She noticed Draco sitting at the last table on the left and smiled at him, he smiled back. When Lara looked back at Professor McGonagall she was setting down the four-legged stool and the old hat on top of the stool. Then an old man behind the head table stood up and started talking.
"Before we begin the sorting I have a surprise for everyone." He said grinning, "We have an exchange student from America, Ms. Lara Katts." The old man pointed at Lara and then sat back down.
Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and motioned for her to sit on the stool. When Lara sat down the Professor set the hat on her head and she heard a voice talking in her head.
"I see you have a great mind, and a thirst to prove yourself. You are also brave. Now what house should I put you in?" the hat said to her. Lara thought for a moment, 'Houses, what is he talking about? And what is this sorting thing all about?' the hat went on talking. "I think I'll put you in GRIFFINDOR!" the hat shouted the last word and the middle right table began to cheer. Professor McGonagall told Lara to go and sit with that table. Lara glanced over at Draco's table and saw that Draco was looking at her like her was mad at her for some reason. She looked away from him and walked over to a redheaded boy.
"Can I sit here?" Lara asked, pointing at the empty seat beside the boy.
"Sure." He said and she sat down and glanced once more at Draco, 'Why is he so mad at me?' she thought
"Thanks, I'm Lara Katts." She said and extended her hand for the boy to shake.
"I'm Ron Weasley." He said shaking her hand, "This is Hermione Granger." He pointed at a girl with bushy brown hair, "This is my sister, Ginny Weasley." He pointed to a girl with red hair and freckles, "And this is Harry Potter." He pointed at a boy with messy black hair, green eyes and glasses.
"Hello. Harry Potter, that sounds familiar, I think I read it in one of my textbooks. Are you named after him?" She said looking at Harry.
"No." said Harry, glad to have found someone that doesn't know him, "I'm him. The Harry Potter."
"Oh," Lara said shocked, "What did you do to get into our textbooks?"
Ron, Hermione and Harry's mouth dropped, 'Where'd this girl come from!' they all thought.
"I.um.Voldermort couldn't kill me when I was a baby." Harry said as Ron flinched at the name.
"Oh, Voldermort. Right. I remember him, he's the one who killed my parents." Lara said, holding back tears.
"I'm so sorry!" Hermione said
"Oh, it's okay, it wasn't your fault. They died fighting Voldermort, fighting pure evil. I'm proud of them!" Lara said as a tear ran down her cheek, she quickly brushed it away.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
After the feast was over they made their way out of the Great Hall. Lara saw Draco standing against a wall alone, she told Harry, Ron and Hermione that she'd catch up with them later. When they were out of sight she walked over to Draco.
"So, you're a Gryffindor now, huh?" Draco said, still looking a bit mad.
"Why are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, getting a little mad herself. Draco looked a bit shocked at her sudden burst of anger, and gave her a glare, as if to say 'Like you don't know!' and he started to walk off, Lara grabbed his arm and asked again.
"What did I do wrong?" This time she was extremely angry. Draco looked at her for a moment, then finally said,
"You became a Gryffindor and I don't like a Gryffindors!" He said, pulling his arm out of her grasp and he started to walk away again.
"You didn't seem to mind me on the train." Lara called after him. Draco turned around and walked straight up to her. They were so close that their noses almost touched.
"You weren't a Gryffindor then, were you." With that he left, going through the door that lead to the Dungeons. Lara went up the stairs that Harry, Hermione and Ron went up and started to look for the Gryffindor Common Room.
Upon going up her fifth set of stairs Lara was beginning to wonder if she was lost. She saw a Ghost just ahead and decided to ask him where the Common Room was.
"Excuse me, sir, can you tell me where the Gryffindor Common Room is, please." Lara asked, stepping up to the Ghost.
"Hello. You must be the exchange student. I'm Sir Nicholas De Mimsy- Porpington. But everyone calls me Nearly-Headless Nick." He said smiling at Lara.
"Yes, I am the exchange student, my name is Lara Katts." She said "Nearly headless, if you don't mind me asking, but how can someone be nearly headless?" Lara asked with a confused look on her face.
"Like so." With that Nick took his head and let is hang off his what was left of his neck. Lara's mouth dropped and then turned into a smile,
"That is so cool!" She said smiling at Nick, "But is it okay if I call you Sir Nicholas instead of Nearly-Headless Nick?"
"Oh, yes, that would be just fine." He said, smiling and putting his head on right. "Now, I believe you asked me something, what was it again?"
"Oh, right. I was wondering if you could tell me where the Gryffindor Common Room is."
"Of course I can, I am the Gryffindor House Ghost after all!" Sir Nicholas said, puffing out his chest importantly.
"So, where is it?"
"Seventh floor behind the picture of the Fat Lady in the pink dress."
"Thank you. I don't need a password, do I?"
"Yes, you do need a password."
"Do you know what it is, Sir Nicholas?"
"Yes, of course I do."
"Can you tell me what it is, please?"
"Yes, it's 'Slytherins suck'."
"Thank you. Um.what is a Slytherin?"
"Slytherin is one of the four school houses."
"Oh." She said looking down and noticing for the first time that she was wearing a red and gold tie, then remembered that Draco was wearing a green and silver one. "What are the Slytherin House colors?' she asked suddenly, looking back up at Sir Nicholas.
"Green and silver. You better get to the Common Room before you get caught wondering the corridors after hours."
"Okay. Thanks for all your help, Sir Nicholas."
"Anytime, young Gryffindor, anytime."
Lara climbed the last two sets of stairs and finally found the Fat Lady in the Pink Dress.
"Password?" The Fat Lady said.
"Slytherins suck." Lara said, and the Fat Lady swung herself forward, reviling the Gryffindor Common Room.
When Lara stepped in side she saw Hermione, Ron and Harry on a couch by the fire. She walked over to them and sat down beside Ron.
"So you finally found the Common Room, uh?" Ron said to her.
"Yeah, if you didn't show up in a few minuets we were going to come and look for you." Harry added.
"Did you get lost?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, kind of. But I meet Sir Nicholas and he told me where the Common Room was and what the password is and all that."
"Oh, no! I forgot to tell you the password!" Hermione said, smacking herself in the head.
"No worries, like I said, I found Sir Nicholas." Lara said, smiling at Hermione, who was massaging her head. "He also told me that there are four school houses, one is Gryffindor and one is Slytherin, what's the other two?" she asked.
"Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw." Ron said, "You don't know much about Hogwarts do you?"
"Hey, I'm from America, I didn't even know Hogwarts existed till I moved here."