"What," I said, a bit rudely. But the night had been extremely
overwhelming, and I had to go to the girls' dorm to check my schedule. To
figure out what day I had Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Eek, maybe we should leave you alone for a bit," said Fred, making a face. "You seem a bit...tense..." I forced a smile. There were two other girls besides them, and they had obviously heard rumors about me. I didn't want to spur them to think I was a scary, grouchy person.
"Naw it's okay," I said, making my tone lighten. "What is it?" George grinned.
"Did you play Quidditch at your old school?" he asked innocently. I smiled, this time genuinely.
"Tough luck, Harry already asked me that," I said. "Honestly, I never really got into it. I don't know the rules or anything, and I've never seen it played." Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and the two girls all looked scandalized.
"Never?" asked one of the girls.
"Nooooo," I said slowly. "Is that a crime?" They all grinned.
"Yes," said Ron seriously. "Yes, it is!" He looked offended.
"We'll show you," said another of the girls. "You can come and watch practice tomorrow. Every incoming student is tested for Quidditch talent anyway, so you can do that then." I nodded. Quidditch talent? I thought. Um, okay. Whatever.
"I'm Angelina, by the way," she said, holding out a hand. "Angelina Johnson." I shook it.
"Charlie Porter," I replied.
"And I'm Katie Bell," said the other. We shook hands.
"Pleased to meet you both," I said.
"Angelina and Katie are Chasers," said George helpfully. I smiled at him.
"Oh, yes, because I know what that means," I said sarcastically. I felt my eyelids being pulled down. "Um, I think I'm going to go up to bed now. You can tell me what a 'chaser' is tomorrow. 'Night guys." I trekked up the stairs to the girls dorm with Hermione, who had decided to join me. ("Want to get a good night's sleep. Classes tomorrow, you know!") With a little trouble I found my new bed, trunk set at the end of it. I was right next to Hermione, and I couldn't help but think that Dumbledore had me put there specially. I pulled out some pajamas, grabbed my schedule from the night- table, then crept into my four-poster, closing the curtains for privacy. I changed my clothes, draped my robes over my trunk, and settled back into the squishy pillows, staring at my schedule. Oh man, I thought wearily. Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow, right off the bat.
I heard a slight tapping and felt my ears prick up. I slapped at my head irritably and opened my curtains. Hermione stood there shyly.
"Just wondering if you want to compare schedules," she said hesitantly. Suddenly, I wasn't tired at all. I pat the bed invitingly in front of me and she hopped on. I set my piece of parchment down and she did likewise. We basically had all the same classes, but she had some weird ones like Arithmancy, while I had decided to take Divination. I had started the class two years ago, and decided to just go through with it. My teacher at Salem had been a total quack, though, and I wasn't sure the one here would be any different.
"Ugh," said Hermione.
"What?" I said, looking at my schedule.
"Divination," she said simply, and left it at that. She went on down the list. "Ooh, you've got Muggle Studies, that was fun, of course, I had to drop it since my schedule was overloaded..." She went on, making little comments, but besides those two classes, ours were the same. "We usually have Double Potions with the Slytherins," she paused, making a nasty face, "Professor Snape, that's the teacher, he's the head of Slytherin house and completely favors them, treats us Gryffindors horribly.
"Gryffindors usually get along pretty well with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw," she remarked. "Professor Sprout is the head of Hufflepuff, and the Herbology teacher. We usually double with the Hufflepuffs there too." I sighed, and there was a silence.
"You're thinking of your stepfather?" she asked. I stared at the piece of paper, and nodded.
"We have the class tomorrow," I said. I felt slightly nauseated at the thought, but swallowed firmly. "I still don't know what I'm going to do. I think I'll just go to class like everything's normal. That's the easiest thing to do." She nodded, and there was a silence. Finally, Hermione got up. I faked a yawn.
"Well, I'm beat!" I said, with an enthusiasm I didn't feel. I put a hand up to close the curtains. "See you tomorrow, Hermione." I shut the curtain and collapsed on my bed. What a wonderful way to start off the year. I tried to think of the good things rather than the bad. I was in England. I was staying in a castle for the rest of the year. I was going to be learning magic. I had a group of friends I knew I was going to become closer to as time went on. I drifted off to sleep as happy as I could be, considering my current situation.
"Eek, maybe we should leave you alone for a bit," said Fred, making a face. "You seem a bit...tense..." I forced a smile. There were two other girls besides them, and they had obviously heard rumors about me. I didn't want to spur them to think I was a scary, grouchy person.
"Naw it's okay," I said, making my tone lighten. "What is it?" George grinned.
"Did you play Quidditch at your old school?" he asked innocently. I smiled, this time genuinely.
"Tough luck, Harry already asked me that," I said. "Honestly, I never really got into it. I don't know the rules or anything, and I've never seen it played." Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and the two girls all looked scandalized.
"Never?" asked one of the girls.
"Nooooo," I said slowly. "Is that a crime?" They all grinned.
"Yes," said Ron seriously. "Yes, it is!" He looked offended.
"We'll show you," said another of the girls. "You can come and watch practice tomorrow. Every incoming student is tested for Quidditch talent anyway, so you can do that then." I nodded. Quidditch talent? I thought. Um, okay. Whatever.
"I'm Angelina, by the way," she said, holding out a hand. "Angelina Johnson." I shook it.
"Charlie Porter," I replied.
"And I'm Katie Bell," said the other. We shook hands.
"Pleased to meet you both," I said.
"Angelina and Katie are Chasers," said George helpfully. I smiled at him.
"Oh, yes, because I know what that means," I said sarcastically. I felt my eyelids being pulled down. "Um, I think I'm going to go up to bed now. You can tell me what a 'chaser' is tomorrow. 'Night guys." I trekked up the stairs to the girls dorm with Hermione, who had decided to join me. ("Want to get a good night's sleep. Classes tomorrow, you know!") With a little trouble I found my new bed, trunk set at the end of it. I was right next to Hermione, and I couldn't help but think that Dumbledore had me put there specially. I pulled out some pajamas, grabbed my schedule from the night- table, then crept into my four-poster, closing the curtains for privacy. I changed my clothes, draped my robes over my trunk, and settled back into the squishy pillows, staring at my schedule. Oh man, I thought wearily. Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow, right off the bat.
I heard a slight tapping and felt my ears prick up. I slapped at my head irritably and opened my curtains. Hermione stood there shyly.
"Just wondering if you want to compare schedules," she said hesitantly. Suddenly, I wasn't tired at all. I pat the bed invitingly in front of me and she hopped on. I set my piece of parchment down and she did likewise. We basically had all the same classes, but she had some weird ones like Arithmancy, while I had decided to take Divination. I had started the class two years ago, and decided to just go through with it. My teacher at Salem had been a total quack, though, and I wasn't sure the one here would be any different.
"Ugh," said Hermione.
"What?" I said, looking at my schedule.
"Divination," she said simply, and left it at that. She went on down the list. "Ooh, you've got Muggle Studies, that was fun, of course, I had to drop it since my schedule was overloaded..." She went on, making little comments, but besides those two classes, ours were the same. "We usually have Double Potions with the Slytherins," she paused, making a nasty face, "Professor Snape, that's the teacher, he's the head of Slytherin house and completely favors them, treats us Gryffindors horribly.
"Gryffindors usually get along pretty well with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw," she remarked. "Professor Sprout is the head of Hufflepuff, and the Herbology teacher. We usually double with the Hufflepuffs there too." I sighed, and there was a silence.
"You're thinking of your stepfather?" she asked. I stared at the piece of paper, and nodded.
"We have the class tomorrow," I said. I felt slightly nauseated at the thought, but swallowed firmly. "I still don't know what I'm going to do. I think I'll just go to class like everything's normal. That's the easiest thing to do." She nodded, and there was a silence. Finally, Hermione got up. I faked a yawn.
"Well, I'm beat!" I said, with an enthusiasm I didn't feel. I put a hand up to close the curtains. "See you tomorrow, Hermione." I shut the curtain and collapsed on my bed. What a wonderful way to start off the year. I tried to think of the good things rather than the bad. I was in England. I was staying in a castle for the rest of the year. I was going to be learning magic. I had a group of friends I knew I was going to become closer to as time went on. I drifted off to sleep as happy as I could be, considering my current situation.