Disclaimer: I do not own anything except Hazel, Haley, their parents, and
the plot.
In the last chapters I did incorporate things made entirely by J.K. Rowling and modified them to fit my story. I will continue to do so throughout the story.
A/N: Read and Review!
**************
Chapter 4: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
When she woke up Hazel couldn't remember where she was.
Oh, right. I'm in the Leaky Cauldron... wait, now I really remember – I'm a witch!
She sprang out of bed, pulled the covers off her still sleeping sister and started getting ready. "Come on, Haley! We need to go home, pack our new trunks, and go to Hogwarts in a few days!"
"All right, all right, I'm up," moaning Haley rose out of bed.
She looked around her at the bags stacked neatly next to the closet. Remembering last night brought all the questions that she wanted answered back to flood her mind. "Hazel, yesterday was odd," she said.
"Yeah, I know. But it's cool, I mean, we're almost at a school where we can learn how to do magic!" Haley responded, attempting to do her hair in a French braid.
"What if we don't fit in? What if we don't know anywhere near as much as everyone else going?"
"If we're behind I bet you that we'll catch up."
When the family was ready they paid Tom and left to go back into London. People looked at them strangely on the Underground with all their bags and carrying a snowy white owl in a cage with them. Finally they were home. The girls went up to their rooms and Haley took the owl they had decided to call Snowfall into her room.
Hazel took out her things and packed them in her trunk for school. Then she took out The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Gashawk and started reading.
(A/N: Hazel has a photographic mind. That's when you can remember anything and everything you see, hear, or read.)
**************
On September 1st, Haley and Hazel rushed to get their things into the car. They didn't want to be late getting to the train to go to Hogwarts. The letters said go to Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross. The train would leave at exactly 11 o'clock.
When they arrived they headed toward Platforms 9 and 10. A round faced boy walked by, clutching a toad. "Come on, Neville," said a formidable looking woman walking beside him. "We need to get onto the Platform so you don't miss the Hogwarts Express. And if you've forgotten anything again I'll be sure to send it along with our owl."
Hazel walked up to the boy and the old woman. "Excuse me," she said. "We're new to Hogwarts. How do you get onto Platform 9 ¾?"
"Oh, it's easy. Are your parents muggles? Well then, see that barrier there? Just walk straight through it, and don't worry about hitting it. If you're going to Hogwarts your whole family will be able to get through," she replied. "Oh, by the way, this is my grandson, Neville Longbottom. It's his second year at Hogwarts. Just watch him go through the barrier."
The boy took his trolley and started jogging toward the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. While Hazel was staring at him he disappeared. "Got it?" asked the woman. "I'll watch your family to make sure you get through all right."
Hazel and Haley started to walk toward the barrier. 'OK,' Hazel thought. 'This isn't so bad. Just don't think about hitting it. We're going through.' As they got closer and closer the girls broke into a jog. Hazel closed her eyes, waiting for the crash. It didn't come. Instead she heard owls hooting, cats meowing, and a single steam engine ahead. She opened her eyes to see a scarlet train resting in front of her. It was labeled Hogwarts Express. Hazel looked behind and saw her parents followed closely by the boy Neville's grandmother run through the barrier. "Amazing!" Haley whispered with awe.
They stowed their trunks and Snowfall on the train in a compartment then got off to say goodbye to their parents. "See you during Christmas break, mum," said Hazel. "Love you, Dad," said Haley. "We'll come back during Easter break as well."
As Hazel hugged her parents she saw the red-haired family from Diagon Alley rush through the barrier. She didn't see the youngest boy or the one called Harry Potter who had been with them.
The train blew a whistle. "You'd better go now," said Cay. "I'll miss you!"
The girls got on with everyone else before the train left. It blew the whistle again and started moving. People all along the corridors were waving out the windows to their families. The girls turned around and went into the compartment behind them. "Er, hello," said a timid voice from the door of the compartment a few minutes later. "Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."
Hazel looked up. A girl with brilliantly red hair was standing there. "My name is Ginny Weasley. It's my first year here," she said.
"Ours, too. I'm Hazel and this is my sister, Haley," Hazel replied.
**************
The girls got to know Ginny on the train ride. Once in a while someone would go rushing past the compartment door, or a whole group would stroll by. Around noontime a witch came by with a food cart and the girls bought some food. Ginny had a sandwich so they shared with her. Ginny was the only girl in her family, who, incidentally, was the re-haired family in Flourish and Blotts. "Do you know Harry Potter then?" Haley asked.
Ginny blushed scarlet. "Er, yes. My brother, Ron, is his best friend. He came to our house this summer. The muggles he lives with are absolutely horrible."
"Do you like him?" inquired Haley.
Ginny blushed and even deeper scarlet. This made the girls squeal with excitement and let Ginny smile sheepishly. "It's sooo embarrassing when I'm around him though. I always drop things and do really stupid stuff. When he showed up in our house I was in my bathrobe getting ready to take a shower."
The girls burst into giggles. They had a lot of fun opening the food from the trolley. "Oooh, are these really frogs?" asked Hazel, looking at a package labeled "Chocolate Frogs."
"Oh, not really. They're just enchanted to move. They have Famous Witches and Wizards Cards inside though. Ron has a ton of them. Professor Dumbledore is on them." Ginny replied.
"Who's he?" asked Haley.
"Wow. I never thought I would meet someone who didn't know who Dumbledore was. He's really great. He's the headmaster." Ginny answered.
**************
Soon they were at a station and got off the train. When they got off a low voice called, "Firs' years, over here. Firs' years this way!"
Hazel, Haley, and Ginny migrated to where the voice was coming from the large man who was in the Leaky Cauldron and who broke up the fight in Flourish and Blotts. When Hazel mentioned this to Ginny she responded, "Oh, yes. Er, that was my dad and Lucious Malfoy fighting. The man is Hagrid. He's really nice, even though he looks so intimidating."
Hagrid led the group of children down to a large lake. There, they got into a boat with a boy with brown hair. 'He's good looking,' thought Hazel with a small smile toward the boy. 'He looks like he's nice too.'
When Hagrid said, "Let's go then!" the boats started moving across the lake.
"Whoa!" cried Haley. "Look at this! It's looking at me!"
Ginny and Hazel scooted over to the side of the boat where Haley was looking a little too quickly. The small boat capsized, sending the girls and boy into the inky blackness of the water. They "eyes" Haley had see moved up out of the water to reveal a green head with wild hair. More of these creatures swam up to meet them and held them with their heads above the surface of the water.
Hagrid came up in his boat and flipped theirs back right. He then leaned down and grabbed the kids and put them back in their boat. The boat started moving once they were back in. "Thanks," Hagrid said to the green people. They gave a piercing answer and dove back underwater to show scaly tails to the group.
"Mermaids," explained Hagrid. "Don't know what they said there, not sure if they knew what I said to 'em. They live in the lake."
The boats docked on shore and everyone got out and waited for Hagrid. He took off his large coat and gave it to the ones who fell in they lake. It was large enough for them to wrap it around all four of them with plenty of coat left over. "Alrigh' follow me now," said Hagrid.
The students followed Hagrid up to the looming castle. "Hogwarts," he said.
Inside he led them to a formidable looking witch with her hair in a tight bun on top of her head. She was wearing a forest green cloak. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid told her. "Oh, an' these four capsized their boat and fell in." He motioned to the ones in his overcoat.
"Thank you, Hagrid. Did everyone get out of the lake?" she replied.
"Yeah, the merpeople were right there, watching them. I guess that's why they fell off."
"We were looking at the eyes. It was staring at us," piped up Haley.
"Now that is all settled, in a moment I will lead you into the Great Hall where you are to be sorted into your houses. While you are here you can lose points with breaking rules and gain points for a job well done. At the end of the year the points will decide who has won the House Championship. Last year, Gryffindor won. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." She said the last with a bit of distaste in her tone.
"I'm going to be in Gryffindor, I know it. My whole family was in it," muttered Ginny. "Slytherin is supposed to be awful."
Professor McGonagall opened the great doors and led them into the hall. There were four tables with older students sitting at them, watching the first years enter. Hazel peered up at the ceiling. It showed the clear starry night outside. Ginny saw her looking and told her, "Ron said it was enchanted to show the sky outside. Amazing, isn't it? I don't see Ron or Harry anywhere"
The first years lined up in front of the staff table. There was an old man with long silver hair and an extremely long silver beard. He was wearing deep blue robes and looking fixedly at the new students. "When I call your name, you will come up here, sit on the stool, and I will put the sorting hat on your head," announced professor McGonagall. "Allo, Barbara."
A timid looking girl with long blonde hair walked up to the stool. Professor McGonagall put an ancient, frayed hat on her head. A moment passed and a rip in the hat opened wide and shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Professor McGonagall took the hat and Barbara Allo stood up and walked to a table where the students were wearing yellow badges with a badger on them, who were also clapping loudly.
More names were called when Professor McGonagall called, "Ire, Blake."
The boy unwrapped himself from Hagrid's cloak and, shivering, walked up. The Hat was placed upon his head and it was silent for a moment, then the rip opened up and shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"
"Janston, Riley" was called and so was "Karper, Lee."
Then Professor McGonagall said, "Larand, Haley." Haley walked up and sat down. Barely five seconds passed and the Hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Then it was Hazel's turn. Trembling, she left Ginny in Hagrid's coat and walked up to the stool. She turned and saw the whole school staring at her for a brief second before the Sorting Hat fell over her eyes.
'Hmmm, very good mind. Extremely bright, not much like your sister though, are you?'
'Not much,' thought Hazel. 'Can you hear my thoughts?'
'Yes, I can,' the Hat replied. 'Now, which house should you be in? You're quite brave when you need to be, and a bit quiet as well. Kind-hearted, muggle-born, well, that one rules out Slytherin of course. But where should you go? Gryffindor or Ravenclaw would be the best for you. Your sister is in Gryffindor, but I think that your mind outweighs your bravery by a considerable amount. How about, RAVENCLAW!"
The Hat shouted the last word to the whole school and Hazel got up and sat down next to Blake with a sad look toward her sister.
Finally, "Weasley, Ginny," was called and sorted into Gryffindor like she had thought. Professor McGonagall took the Hat and stool away and Dumbledore stood up. "I want to welcome our new students with a little speech, but this is not the time. Tuck in!"
At these words the plates on the tables filled up with food, the goblets with drinks and everyone started talking.
In the last chapters I did incorporate things made entirely by J.K. Rowling and modified them to fit my story. I will continue to do so throughout the story.
A/N: Read and Review!
**************
Chapter 4: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
When she woke up Hazel couldn't remember where she was.
Oh, right. I'm in the Leaky Cauldron... wait, now I really remember – I'm a witch!
She sprang out of bed, pulled the covers off her still sleeping sister and started getting ready. "Come on, Haley! We need to go home, pack our new trunks, and go to Hogwarts in a few days!"
"All right, all right, I'm up," moaning Haley rose out of bed.
She looked around her at the bags stacked neatly next to the closet. Remembering last night brought all the questions that she wanted answered back to flood her mind. "Hazel, yesterday was odd," she said.
"Yeah, I know. But it's cool, I mean, we're almost at a school where we can learn how to do magic!" Haley responded, attempting to do her hair in a French braid.
"What if we don't fit in? What if we don't know anywhere near as much as everyone else going?"
"If we're behind I bet you that we'll catch up."
When the family was ready they paid Tom and left to go back into London. People looked at them strangely on the Underground with all their bags and carrying a snowy white owl in a cage with them. Finally they were home. The girls went up to their rooms and Haley took the owl they had decided to call Snowfall into her room.
Hazel took out her things and packed them in her trunk for school. Then she took out The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Gashawk and started reading.
(A/N: Hazel has a photographic mind. That's when you can remember anything and everything you see, hear, or read.)
**************
On September 1st, Haley and Hazel rushed to get their things into the car. They didn't want to be late getting to the train to go to Hogwarts. The letters said go to Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross. The train would leave at exactly 11 o'clock.
When they arrived they headed toward Platforms 9 and 10. A round faced boy walked by, clutching a toad. "Come on, Neville," said a formidable looking woman walking beside him. "We need to get onto the Platform so you don't miss the Hogwarts Express. And if you've forgotten anything again I'll be sure to send it along with our owl."
Hazel walked up to the boy and the old woman. "Excuse me," she said. "We're new to Hogwarts. How do you get onto Platform 9 ¾?"
"Oh, it's easy. Are your parents muggles? Well then, see that barrier there? Just walk straight through it, and don't worry about hitting it. If you're going to Hogwarts your whole family will be able to get through," she replied. "Oh, by the way, this is my grandson, Neville Longbottom. It's his second year at Hogwarts. Just watch him go through the barrier."
The boy took his trolley and started jogging toward the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. While Hazel was staring at him he disappeared. "Got it?" asked the woman. "I'll watch your family to make sure you get through all right."
Hazel and Haley started to walk toward the barrier. 'OK,' Hazel thought. 'This isn't so bad. Just don't think about hitting it. We're going through.' As they got closer and closer the girls broke into a jog. Hazel closed her eyes, waiting for the crash. It didn't come. Instead she heard owls hooting, cats meowing, and a single steam engine ahead. She opened her eyes to see a scarlet train resting in front of her. It was labeled Hogwarts Express. Hazel looked behind and saw her parents followed closely by the boy Neville's grandmother run through the barrier. "Amazing!" Haley whispered with awe.
They stowed their trunks and Snowfall on the train in a compartment then got off to say goodbye to their parents. "See you during Christmas break, mum," said Hazel. "Love you, Dad," said Haley. "We'll come back during Easter break as well."
As Hazel hugged her parents she saw the red-haired family from Diagon Alley rush through the barrier. She didn't see the youngest boy or the one called Harry Potter who had been with them.
The train blew a whistle. "You'd better go now," said Cay. "I'll miss you!"
The girls got on with everyone else before the train left. It blew the whistle again and started moving. People all along the corridors were waving out the windows to their families. The girls turned around and went into the compartment behind them. "Er, hello," said a timid voice from the door of the compartment a few minutes later. "Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."
Hazel looked up. A girl with brilliantly red hair was standing there. "My name is Ginny Weasley. It's my first year here," she said.
"Ours, too. I'm Hazel and this is my sister, Haley," Hazel replied.
**************
The girls got to know Ginny on the train ride. Once in a while someone would go rushing past the compartment door, or a whole group would stroll by. Around noontime a witch came by with a food cart and the girls bought some food. Ginny had a sandwich so they shared with her. Ginny was the only girl in her family, who, incidentally, was the re-haired family in Flourish and Blotts. "Do you know Harry Potter then?" Haley asked.
Ginny blushed scarlet. "Er, yes. My brother, Ron, is his best friend. He came to our house this summer. The muggles he lives with are absolutely horrible."
"Do you like him?" inquired Haley.
Ginny blushed and even deeper scarlet. This made the girls squeal with excitement and let Ginny smile sheepishly. "It's sooo embarrassing when I'm around him though. I always drop things and do really stupid stuff. When he showed up in our house I was in my bathrobe getting ready to take a shower."
The girls burst into giggles. They had a lot of fun opening the food from the trolley. "Oooh, are these really frogs?" asked Hazel, looking at a package labeled "Chocolate Frogs."
"Oh, not really. They're just enchanted to move. They have Famous Witches and Wizards Cards inside though. Ron has a ton of them. Professor Dumbledore is on them." Ginny replied.
"Who's he?" asked Haley.
"Wow. I never thought I would meet someone who didn't know who Dumbledore was. He's really great. He's the headmaster." Ginny answered.
**************
Soon they were at a station and got off the train. When they got off a low voice called, "Firs' years, over here. Firs' years this way!"
Hazel, Haley, and Ginny migrated to where the voice was coming from the large man who was in the Leaky Cauldron and who broke up the fight in Flourish and Blotts. When Hazel mentioned this to Ginny she responded, "Oh, yes. Er, that was my dad and Lucious Malfoy fighting. The man is Hagrid. He's really nice, even though he looks so intimidating."
Hagrid led the group of children down to a large lake. There, they got into a boat with a boy with brown hair. 'He's good looking,' thought Hazel with a small smile toward the boy. 'He looks like he's nice too.'
When Hagrid said, "Let's go then!" the boats started moving across the lake.
"Whoa!" cried Haley. "Look at this! It's looking at me!"
Ginny and Hazel scooted over to the side of the boat where Haley was looking a little too quickly. The small boat capsized, sending the girls and boy into the inky blackness of the water. They "eyes" Haley had see moved up out of the water to reveal a green head with wild hair. More of these creatures swam up to meet them and held them with their heads above the surface of the water.
Hagrid came up in his boat and flipped theirs back right. He then leaned down and grabbed the kids and put them back in their boat. The boat started moving once they were back in. "Thanks," Hagrid said to the green people. They gave a piercing answer and dove back underwater to show scaly tails to the group.
"Mermaids," explained Hagrid. "Don't know what they said there, not sure if they knew what I said to 'em. They live in the lake."
The boats docked on shore and everyone got out and waited for Hagrid. He took off his large coat and gave it to the ones who fell in they lake. It was large enough for them to wrap it around all four of them with plenty of coat left over. "Alrigh' follow me now," said Hagrid.
The students followed Hagrid up to the looming castle. "Hogwarts," he said.
Inside he led them to a formidable looking witch with her hair in a tight bun on top of her head. She was wearing a forest green cloak. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid told her. "Oh, an' these four capsized their boat and fell in." He motioned to the ones in his overcoat.
"Thank you, Hagrid. Did everyone get out of the lake?" she replied.
"Yeah, the merpeople were right there, watching them. I guess that's why they fell off."
"We were looking at the eyes. It was staring at us," piped up Haley.
"Now that is all settled, in a moment I will lead you into the Great Hall where you are to be sorted into your houses. While you are here you can lose points with breaking rules and gain points for a job well done. At the end of the year the points will decide who has won the House Championship. Last year, Gryffindor won. The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." She said the last with a bit of distaste in her tone.
"I'm going to be in Gryffindor, I know it. My whole family was in it," muttered Ginny. "Slytherin is supposed to be awful."
Professor McGonagall opened the great doors and led them into the hall. There were four tables with older students sitting at them, watching the first years enter. Hazel peered up at the ceiling. It showed the clear starry night outside. Ginny saw her looking and told her, "Ron said it was enchanted to show the sky outside. Amazing, isn't it? I don't see Ron or Harry anywhere"
The first years lined up in front of the staff table. There was an old man with long silver hair and an extremely long silver beard. He was wearing deep blue robes and looking fixedly at the new students. "When I call your name, you will come up here, sit on the stool, and I will put the sorting hat on your head," announced professor McGonagall. "Allo, Barbara."
A timid looking girl with long blonde hair walked up to the stool. Professor McGonagall put an ancient, frayed hat on her head. A moment passed and a rip in the hat opened wide and shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Professor McGonagall took the hat and Barbara Allo stood up and walked to a table where the students were wearing yellow badges with a badger on them, who were also clapping loudly.
More names were called when Professor McGonagall called, "Ire, Blake."
The boy unwrapped himself from Hagrid's cloak and, shivering, walked up. The Hat was placed upon his head and it was silent for a moment, then the rip opened up and shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"
"Janston, Riley" was called and so was "Karper, Lee."
Then Professor McGonagall said, "Larand, Haley." Haley walked up and sat down. Barely five seconds passed and the Hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"
Then it was Hazel's turn. Trembling, she left Ginny in Hagrid's coat and walked up to the stool. She turned and saw the whole school staring at her for a brief second before the Sorting Hat fell over her eyes.
'Hmmm, very good mind. Extremely bright, not much like your sister though, are you?'
'Not much,' thought Hazel. 'Can you hear my thoughts?'
'Yes, I can,' the Hat replied. 'Now, which house should you be in? You're quite brave when you need to be, and a bit quiet as well. Kind-hearted, muggle-born, well, that one rules out Slytherin of course. But where should you go? Gryffindor or Ravenclaw would be the best for you. Your sister is in Gryffindor, but I think that your mind outweighs your bravery by a considerable amount. How about, RAVENCLAW!"
The Hat shouted the last word to the whole school and Hazel got up and sat down next to Blake with a sad look toward her sister.
Finally, "Weasley, Ginny," was called and sorted into Gryffindor like she had thought. Professor McGonagall took the Hat and stool away and Dumbledore stood up. "I want to welcome our new students with a little speech, but this is not the time. Tuck in!"
At these words the plates on the tables filled up with food, the goblets with drinks and everyone started talking.