Chapter 3 – First-Years
Emma hated Liz. It was clear from one glance in her eyes. The tiny blonde girl had been forced to deal with this hatred all summer long. Now that it was coming to a close, Liz rejoiced. At school, she could read her books in peace.
For the second year in a row, Mrs. Smith drove Liz to King's Cross Station. People were milling about, impatient for their rides, or waiting to pick up family members. Liz clambered out of the automobile, said goodbye, and watched as her mother drove off down the road. For a moment, Liz wished she wasn't a witch, that she could go home and not be at odds with Emma, and eat Mrs. Smith's delicious home-cooked meals all year round. The next, she set off to find Platform 9 ¾.
There it was. All she had to do was run at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Which she did, with great aplomb. She slid through easily, marveling at the flawless magic between realms.
Ten 'till eleven, she noticed. Almost time to leave. She'd better get going or she'd miss the train.
The scarlet Hogwarts Express stood before her. Struggling, she managed to get her trunk on the bottom step. That cost her a good few deep breaths. How would she ever get it all the way on?
"Need help?" someone asked from above her, on the train.
"Yes," she gushed. "Thank you."
He helped her pull her trunk up. "Thank you," she repeated, looking up. There she found John Peterson. It was a well-known fact among the first- years at Hogwarts that he liked her. He had taken her to the Valentine's Day Dance last year, and it had been the worst night of her life. Of course, it was barely any fault of his, but Liz felt good to assign blame to the most annoying person she knew.
"Hi, Liz," he said.
"Hi, John," she replied. "Um, I have to go. See you at school and stuff." She left hurriedly, slipping into an unoccupied compartment.
Moments later, Michael and Rachel came thundering in. "You should've seen your face!" Rachel burst out.
"You were there? Why didn't you help?"
Michael shrugged. "Nothing we could do. Besides, it was pretty funny."
Liz scowled while Rachel giggled. "Thanks for all your help," Liz said sarcastically.
"No problem," Rachel grinned. "I'm glad we're going back to school. Sort of."
"I'm glad. Emma was being a pain."
They sat and talked for a while. Finally, after it had become unbearably quiet, it was agreed that they would try to find some of the other second- year Gryffindors.
"But not," Liz added hastily, "John."
In the compartment next to theirs, they found the Gryffindor girls: Desiree Armstrong, Alberta Monroe, and Bettie Hess. Not one of them spared the trio a glance except for Bettie, who took the opportunity to glare at Liz. She had been the main receiver of misfortune during the dance fiasco last year. They were all three reading the same book, but with different copies: Secrets of the Mind, by Penny Nilworg.
"Oh, for crying out loud," Michael said, shutting the compartment door.
Liz pondered aloud. "What about that book could be so fascinating?"
"I guess we'll really never find out. Come on, let's go find the others."
But in almost every compartment, the same sight met their eyes: three or four people all reading Secrets of the Mind.
"I'll get Jessica to lend us her copy if it's the last thing I do!" Michael puffed furiously.
They finally agreed that their time was better spent in their compartment. Liz sat on her seat, Sunny purring in her lap, wondering about her mother.
At last it came time to change into their robes. They took turns in the compartment. While Rachel and Liz were outside waiting on Michael, Winnie Chen strode by.
Winnie had been Liz's enemy from the first word she said to Liz, a year ago on the Hogwarts Express. Her most dastardly act to date was causing Liz to fail a Potions exam. Liz expected her to pass a snide remark or something, but no. She just kept on walking, her head buried in Secrets of the Mind.
"Now there's something you don't see everyday," Rachel remarked. "Winnie passing up the chance to make a comment."
"But I wish I'd see it more often."
Michael let them in, and presently the train lurched to a halt. The three of them hurried to be the first ones off so they could see Chris.
"Over here!" he cried, waving his arms around. They raced to him as first- years began to pile into boats under Hagrid's instruction. "How were your summers? Did you get my owls?"
"Yes, did you get mine?" Liz asked.
"And mine?"
"And mine?"
"Chris! Time ter go!" Hagrid yelled. "Shove off!"
Chris grinned. "I guess I'll see you later. Bye, then."
They waved goodbye and found a horseless carriage among others to take them up to the castle. The ride was bumpy and jarring, and Liz ended up wanted to leave her breakfast outside.
Among other chattering students, they strolled in and took seats at the Gryffindor House table. "Where's the food, I'm starving," was Michael's outlook on things as the minutes ticked by and then the first-years still hadn't turned up for the Sorting.
Finally they showed, a mass of anxious faces in a swarm all together. Liz remembered when she got Sorted. At the sound of her well-known name, the entire Great Hall had buzzed like a swarm of bees until the Sorting Hat had pronounced her a Gryffindor. The rest was history.
Looking up, she was surprised to see Professor Longbottom of the Herbology department carrying a long list of names to Professor Weasley as the Sorting Hat waited patiently. "Oh," she said softly. "I missed the Sorting Hat's song."
"It was great," Michael told her. "It was like...nah, I can't remember it."
Professor Weasley took the list from blundering Professor Longbottom and called out the first name on it. "Angell, Grace!"
The name fit. A small, golden-haired girl with plump, cherubic cheeks trotted up to the stool and placed the Sorting Hat daintily on her head. It took a minute to say, "GRYFFINDOR!" to the eager students. Grace squealed with delight and went to her seat, not far from Liz.
"Bautista, Violet," Professor Weasley said.
"You know, that one has a build like a Quidditch player," Michael remarked to Liz and Rachel as the girl was made a Gryffindor, too.
"Maybe she will be on your team," Rachel said. Randy Bejarano became a Ravenclaw. "But not this year."
A few names later, people were getting restless. Keith Dircks complained of sharp hunger pains, but Liz knew better. When she had seen him on the train, he had been stuffing his face with chocolate frogs from the trolley.
"Heins, Frank!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Keenan, Samuel!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Kreiger, Howard!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Lovegood, Nora!"
Liz blinked. Lovegood? Her mother's maiden name? Lovegood! She looked up to see the girl, but the Sorting Hat had already called "HUFFLEPUFF!" and she had already taken her seat. All Liz saw was a flash of light brown hair.
It took a few moments to speak. "Lovegood!" she managed to squeak as "McGhee, Nathan," was made a Slytherin. "That was my mother's maiden name!"
"Really?" Rachel said, half-interested. She hadn't noticed the first-year that had aroused Liz's suspicions. Michael hadn't either. He was busy trying to make food appear on his plate, unsuccessfully.
There were six people with last names beginning with M, and it almost drove Liz mad. She wanted to get up and speak to this Nora Lovegood person. Renee Penny was made a Slytherin. Liz could barely stand it.
Finally, after Juanita Whiteley became a Slytherin, the Sorting was over. Professor McGonagall stood, and Liz wished fervently that she wouldn't make any pointless announcements. Thankfully, the headmistress just clapped her hands and said, "Enjoy!" as food appeared on the plates. But that wasn't Liz's focus. Her focus was one Nora Lovegood of Hufflepuff.
Emma hated Liz. It was clear from one glance in her eyes. The tiny blonde girl had been forced to deal with this hatred all summer long. Now that it was coming to a close, Liz rejoiced. At school, she could read her books in peace.
For the second year in a row, Mrs. Smith drove Liz to King's Cross Station. People were milling about, impatient for their rides, or waiting to pick up family members. Liz clambered out of the automobile, said goodbye, and watched as her mother drove off down the road. For a moment, Liz wished she wasn't a witch, that she could go home and not be at odds with Emma, and eat Mrs. Smith's delicious home-cooked meals all year round. The next, she set off to find Platform 9 ¾.
There it was. All she had to do was run at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Which she did, with great aplomb. She slid through easily, marveling at the flawless magic between realms.
Ten 'till eleven, she noticed. Almost time to leave. She'd better get going or she'd miss the train.
The scarlet Hogwarts Express stood before her. Struggling, she managed to get her trunk on the bottom step. That cost her a good few deep breaths. How would she ever get it all the way on?
"Need help?" someone asked from above her, on the train.
"Yes," she gushed. "Thank you."
He helped her pull her trunk up. "Thank you," she repeated, looking up. There she found John Peterson. It was a well-known fact among the first- years at Hogwarts that he liked her. He had taken her to the Valentine's Day Dance last year, and it had been the worst night of her life. Of course, it was barely any fault of his, but Liz felt good to assign blame to the most annoying person she knew.
"Hi, Liz," he said.
"Hi, John," she replied. "Um, I have to go. See you at school and stuff." She left hurriedly, slipping into an unoccupied compartment.
Moments later, Michael and Rachel came thundering in. "You should've seen your face!" Rachel burst out.
"You were there? Why didn't you help?"
Michael shrugged. "Nothing we could do. Besides, it was pretty funny."
Liz scowled while Rachel giggled. "Thanks for all your help," Liz said sarcastically.
"No problem," Rachel grinned. "I'm glad we're going back to school. Sort of."
"I'm glad. Emma was being a pain."
They sat and talked for a while. Finally, after it had become unbearably quiet, it was agreed that they would try to find some of the other second- year Gryffindors.
"But not," Liz added hastily, "John."
In the compartment next to theirs, they found the Gryffindor girls: Desiree Armstrong, Alberta Monroe, and Bettie Hess. Not one of them spared the trio a glance except for Bettie, who took the opportunity to glare at Liz. She had been the main receiver of misfortune during the dance fiasco last year. They were all three reading the same book, but with different copies: Secrets of the Mind, by Penny Nilworg.
"Oh, for crying out loud," Michael said, shutting the compartment door.
Liz pondered aloud. "What about that book could be so fascinating?"
"I guess we'll really never find out. Come on, let's go find the others."
But in almost every compartment, the same sight met their eyes: three or four people all reading Secrets of the Mind.
"I'll get Jessica to lend us her copy if it's the last thing I do!" Michael puffed furiously.
They finally agreed that their time was better spent in their compartment. Liz sat on her seat, Sunny purring in her lap, wondering about her mother.
At last it came time to change into their robes. They took turns in the compartment. While Rachel and Liz were outside waiting on Michael, Winnie Chen strode by.
Winnie had been Liz's enemy from the first word she said to Liz, a year ago on the Hogwarts Express. Her most dastardly act to date was causing Liz to fail a Potions exam. Liz expected her to pass a snide remark or something, but no. She just kept on walking, her head buried in Secrets of the Mind.
"Now there's something you don't see everyday," Rachel remarked. "Winnie passing up the chance to make a comment."
"But I wish I'd see it more often."
Michael let them in, and presently the train lurched to a halt. The three of them hurried to be the first ones off so they could see Chris.
"Over here!" he cried, waving his arms around. They raced to him as first- years began to pile into boats under Hagrid's instruction. "How were your summers? Did you get my owls?"
"Yes, did you get mine?" Liz asked.
"And mine?"
"And mine?"
"Chris! Time ter go!" Hagrid yelled. "Shove off!"
Chris grinned. "I guess I'll see you later. Bye, then."
They waved goodbye and found a horseless carriage among others to take them up to the castle. The ride was bumpy and jarring, and Liz ended up wanted to leave her breakfast outside.
Among other chattering students, they strolled in and took seats at the Gryffindor House table. "Where's the food, I'm starving," was Michael's outlook on things as the minutes ticked by and then the first-years still hadn't turned up for the Sorting.
Finally they showed, a mass of anxious faces in a swarm all together. Liz remembered when she got Sorted. At the sound of her well-known name, the entire Great Hall had buzzed like a swarm of bees until the Sorting Hat had pronounced her a Gryffindor. The rest was history.
Looking up, she was surprised to see Professor Longbottom of the Herbology department carrying a long list of names to Professor Weasley as the Sorting Hat waited patiently. "Oh," she said softly. "I missed the Sorting Hat's song."
"It was great," Michael told her. "It was like...nah, I can't remember it."
Professor Weasley took the list from blundering Professor Longbottom and called out the first name on it. "Angell, Grace!"
The name fit. A small, golden-haired girl with plump, cherubic cheeks trotted up to the stool and placed the Sorting Hat daintily on her head. It took a minute to say, "GRYFFINDOR!" to the eager students. Grace squealed with delight and went to her seat, not far from Liz.
"Bautista, Violet," Professor Weasley said.
"You know, that one has a build like a Quidditch player," Michael remarked to Liz and Rachel as the girl was made a Gryffindor, too.
"Maybe she will be on your team," Rachel said. Randy Bejarano became a Ravenclaw. "But not this year."
A few names later, people were getting restless. Keith Dircks complained of sharp hunger pains, but Liz knew better. When she had seen him on the train, he had been stuffing his face with chocolate frogs from the trolley.
"Heins, Frank!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Keenan, Samuel!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Kreiger, Howard!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Lovegood, Nora!"
Liz blinked. Lovegood? Her mother's maiden name? Lovegood! She looked up to see the girl, but the Sorting Hat had already called "HUFFLEPUFF!" and she had already taken her seat. All Liz saw was a flash of light brown hair.
It took a few moments to speak. "Lovegood!" she managed to squeak as "McGhee, Nathan," was made a Slytherin. "That was my mother's maiden name!"
"Really?" Rachel said, half-interested. She hadn't noticed the first-year that had aroused Liz's suspicions. Michael hadn't either. He was busy trying to make food appear on his plate, unsuccessfully.
There were six people with last names beginning with M, and it almost drove Liz mad. She wanted to get up and speak to this Nora Lovegood person. Renee Penny was made a Slytherin. Liz could barely stand it.
Finally, after Juanita Whiteley became a Slytherin, the Sorting was over. Professor McGonagall stood, and Liz wished fervently that she wouldn't make any pointless announcements. Thankfully, the headmistress just clapped her hands and said, "Enjoy!" as food appeared on the plates. But that wasn't Liz's focus. Her focus was one Nora Lovegood of Hufflepuff.