Chapter 2
When September 1st finally came, Lisa was as excited as ever. She pulled her suitcase out from under her bed, dragged it downstairs, gobbled up her breakfast, and stood impatiently by the door.
Her parents, however, took their time and had no rush. They got to the train station 10 minutes before the train left.
"Platform nine and three quarters! Platform nine and three quarters!" she mumbled over and over.
"Where is platform nine and three quarters?" She stood by platforms nine and ten, waiting for another wizard to arrive.
Maybe the train left early, she thought. Maybe everyone's supposed to get here really early. Then she saw them; a family with an owl. Surely they wouldn't be muggles. She moved away from the platform to see what they would do.
"Jenny, you first, come on" A teenage girl walked in front of the platform with her trolley, started running toward it and-POOF! She had vanished. She went in the platform? Lisa wondered to herself.
She walked up to the lady and asked;
"Um, excuse me, but, could you show me how to—"She beckoned her head toward the platform.
"Why sure, just start running at it. You'll go right through. Don't be nervous now. By the way, this is Emma. It's her first year, too" The girl standing beside her smiled. She had long brown hair and pretty green eyes.
"Thank you" said Lisa. She turned toward the platform and started running toward it.
This isn't going to work. I'll make a fool of myself. BOOM! She made it. She looked up and saw a sign that read: Platform Nine and Three Quarters; The Hogwarts Express. Emma came running behind her.
"Do you want to sit together on the train?" she asked.
"Sure" said Lisa. They climbed up the steps and into a compartment. Emma slid the door closed behind them. Just then a girl with bushy hair and buck teeth opened the door, sat down, and said:
"You don't mind if I sit here do you? I mean, I don't exactly have any friends yet since my parents aren't witches and wizards. Oh, how rude of me! I'm Hermione Granger." Lisa smiled and Emma raised her eyebrows. Clearly she didn't like this girl.
Hermione kept babbling on about how she had read most of the books they needed and knew everything about them during the train ride. Emma just stared out the window and didn't say anything. A while later, a boy came in.
"Have any of you seen a toad? I lost mine."
"Oh dear, you lost your toad? I'll help you find him." Hermione stood up. "I'll be back in a jiffy." She added to Emma and Lisa.
"Take your time, really" said Emma.
When Hermione was looking for the toad, Emma and Lisa talked about everything, and Emma explained a little bit of magic to her.
When Hermione was back, she looked dissatisfied.
"Poor Neville." she said. "He lost his toad and we're not even there. OH!" she said so loudly that Emma and Lisa jumped. "I met Harry Potter! I'm so charmed. You know he def—"
"We know!" said Emma.
"Wait a minute, Harry Potter?"
"The one and only!" said Hermione. "Why?"
"He was my neighbor! Which compartment?" Hermione led her down the aisle and stopped at a compartment.
"This one" she said firmly. Lisa slid open the door.
"Harry?"
"Lisa!"
They both jumped up and hugged each other.
"Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're here!"
"Nice excuse, Smeltings, eh?"
"I'll see you when we get there! It was so good to even see you!"
"Bye, then!"
"Oh my god! I can't believe that Harry's coming to Hogwarts!" said Lisa when she and Hermione were back in the compartment.
"I think we should change into our school robes. We should be arriving any minute now." said Hermione.
Emma, Lisa, and Hermione quickly changed into their robes and sat down.
"I can't wait till we arrive, this is going to be absolutely amazing!" said Hermione.
"It's really great, magic and all. Mum's taught me a few spells, except I get them all wrong. It'll be great to learn how to do them correctly." said Emma.
"Oh my gosh there it is! There's Hogwarts!" Hermione pointed at a large castle.
Lisa's jaw dropped.
"That's much bigger than what I imagined." she said.
"Wow, it's just like what Jenny told me." said Emma.
When the train came to a full stop, everyone pushed their way to be the first one out.
"Firs' years!" called an unusually large man with a beard named Hagrid. "Firs' years over here! C'mon, follow me-- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now. Firs' years follow me!" All of the first years followed him down a very narrow and steep path.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' site o' Hogwarts in a sec," said Hagrid over his shoulder. "Jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
Then, they all got on boats (four to a boat) and were on their way to the magnificent castle. Lisa was on a boat with Emma and twins name Padma and Parvati.
"The headmasters supposed to be really old. His name's Dumbledore." said Parvati.
"Dumbledore," echoed Lisa.
"He's brilliant" said Emma.
They got off the boats and Hagrid knocked on the castle door.
A black-haired witch with green robes stood there.
"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."
Professor McGonagall led them into an empty chamber.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has an outstanding noble history and each has produced magnificent witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"The Sorting Ceremony will begin in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She left the chamber.
"What are we supposed to do in front of the whole school?" asked Lisa.
"It's no big deal, you just put on a hat and it tells you which house you're in. I hope I get Ravenclaw!" said Emma.
Just then, Professor McGonagall returned.
"Move along now, the Sorting Ceremony is about to begin. Form a line, and follow me." She pushed open a pair of double doors and there was the Great
Hall.
It was like something that was beyond Lisa's imagination; there were four tables, probably for the houses, millions of floating candles, and at the top, a long table where all the teachers were sitting.
Lisa's eyes darted around the table, trying to find an old man like Parvati had said. Then she found him; he was old, actually, very old. He had a long beard and half-moon shaped glasses. He was Professor Dumbledore.
She looked at the old patched hat sitting on a four-legged stool.
That must be the sorting hat she thought. Then it moved and began to sing:
Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished. It bowed to all the tables and froze again.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"
A girl with pigtails went up to the stool, put on the hat (which fell over her eyes) and sat down.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.
The table on the right cheered as Hannah went over to join them.
"Bones, Susan!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!" it shouted again, and Susan hurried over to sit next to Hannah.
"Boot, Terry!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
The table second from the left cheered and Lisa saw Jenny shake hands with Terry. Emma let out a squeak of delight.
"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Brown, Lavender!"
"GRYFFINDOR!" The table on the far left exploded with clapping and happy screams.
"Bulstrode, Millicent!"
"SLYTHERIN!" They all cheered loudly.
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Granger, Hermione!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Yes!" said Emma. "Now as long as we're in Ravenclaw, we don't have to worry about her!"
"Longbottom, Neville!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Malfoy, Draco!" A boy with white-blond hair went up, and before he even put on the hat, it said:
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Patil, Padma!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Patil, Parvati!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Potter, Harry!"
No one cheered. Instead, everyone was whispering:
"The Harry Potter?"
"Why is he so famous?" asked Lisa.
"Long story, I'll tell you later." said Emma.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Aw, man!" said Emma.
The Gryffindor table went mad. People were dancing around saying:
"We got Potter! We got Potter!" and Harry ran to sit next to Hermione.
"Thomas, Dean!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"Thomson, Emma!"
Emma gulped and pushed her way to the stool. She picked up the hat and put it on her head, which immediately fell over her green eyes.
"RAVENCLAW!" She took off the hat smiling, winked at Lisa, and ran to join her new house.
"Turpin, Lisa!" Lisa slowly walked up to the hat. She gave it an odd look and picked it up and put it on her head. Then it was black.
"Hmm, where to put you, where to put you?" The hat repeated.
"RAVENCLAW!" Lisa nearly fell off the stool, but she gained her balance and went to sit next to Emma.
"Congratulations!" she said. Harry smiled at her from the Gryffindor table.
"Weasley, Ron!" The red haired boy that was on the train with Harry stepped up and sat on the stool.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Lisa saw Harry burst into applause, and she clapped herself.
"Zabini, Blaise!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
The Slytherin table clapped as Blaise joined their table. Then everyone became quiet and looked at Dumbledore.
"Welcome!" he said, getting to his feet. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!
"Thank you!"
Everyone clapped. Lisa and Emma giggled. Then all of a sudden, the plates and goblets were filled with foods and drinks of different kinds, and Lisa and Emma's jaws dropped when they saw everything there was. There were pork chops, lamb chops, roast beef, roast chicken, sausages, bacon, steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and even peppermint humbugs.
Lisa ate all that she could from roast chicken, and all of the different kinds of potatoes (her favorite), and she even tried the peppermint humbugs (which she hated).
After everyone was finished with dinner, the desserts came. Ice cream in every flavor, apple pies, treacle tarts, jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding, and much, much more were filled in the plates that had appeared out of thin air.
Lisa only had some rice pudding; she was full from all the dinner. She saw Harry stuffing his mouth with ice cream and his friend Ron eating some apple pie. Emma didn't eat very much (no wonder she was so skinny). For dinner she had a piece of roast beef and for dessert 3 strawberries.
"I can't wait until Defense Against the Dark Arts." Terry Boot was saying. "I want to battle you-know-who one on one and win!"
"Yeah, like that's ever going to happen!" said Mandy Brocklehurst.
"It will!" protested Terry. "And when I beat him, I'll rub it in your face!"
Mandy rolled her eyes and helped herself to some vanilla ice cream.
"Do you think I can do it, Emma?" he asked.
"I guess, if you tried hard enough,"
"See?" he said to Mandy. Mandy ignored him.
"I'm rather excited about Herbology, I always helped mum in the garden. Although, it did get ruined by those pitiful gnomes" Mandy looked at the floor. "Those poor, beautiful petunias,"
Lisa winced. Nothing with the name 'Petunia' could pass as poor, and definitely not beautiful. They could be evil, or witty, or nosy, but never poor and beautiful. Lisa hated petunias because Harry's evil aunt's name was Petunia.
"I'm excited for transfiguration." said Emma. "It's fascinating, don't you think? To turn something into something else..."
"What are you excited for, Lisa?" asked Terry.
"Well, I've been thinking, and I really want to learn how to fly on a broomstick"
"Oh! That's so much fun! I have an old broomstick at home, a Shooting Star, but they have this really cool new broom the-"
"Nimbus Two Thousand" said Mandy and Padma Patil together.
"It's supposed to be the fastest broom ever!" squealed Mandy.
"It's supposed to be able to go higher than any other broom!" said Padma.
"Oh, listen to yourselves! It's just a ruddy old broom; it doesn't give you any knowledge at all!" said Emma.
"Who cares about knowledge," piped in Phil Moons. "when you've got the best broom in the world?!"
"I do!" snapped Emma. Then everyone became silent. Dumbledore had stood up once more and said:
"Ahem--just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for the house team should contact Madam Hooch.
"And finally, I must tell you that this year; the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."
A few people laughed; Lisa didn't. From all she had heard about Dumbledore, he didn't seem like the type that would joke like that in front of the whole school.
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore.
He waved his wand and a yellow ribbon flew out and formed words.
"Now pick your favorite tune," he said, "and off we go!"
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy, Warty, Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot."
Everyone finished the song at different times. Lisa didn't sing; she was just enjoying the horrible racket of people singing the same words in different tunes.
Dumbledore stood up.
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"
The Ravenclaw first years followed a girl named Penelope Clearwater, a prefect, to their house dormitory. Lisa admired the portraits of people moving and waving at them while Penelope led them up the marble stairs. Some of the first years were drowsy, and others, like Emma, were wide awake, making plans for the night.
"I started a transfiguration book yesterday, it's really very interesting. I'm almost finished with it, only 4 more lessons! When I grow up, I think I want to come here and take Professor McGonagall's job, it just interests me so!"
Lisa didn't listen to a word she said, though. She was becoming drowsy, too.
Penelope finally stopped at a statue of a tall grey knight.
"This is the entrance to the Ravenclaw dormitory. I will tell you when the password has changed, but for now, it's treacle tart! Just as she said that, the knight turned to its side, stepped to the left, revealing an open doorway, and faced the front again.
"Watch your heads, now" she said as she ducked to get through the narrow door. Everyone followed and they were soon inside of their house common room.
"Wow!" said Terry. "It's so...blue!" He was right. The couches in front of the fireplace were blue, the carpet was blue, the walls were blue, and the fire was even blue!
"So this is the common room..." said Lisa, looking around.
"Your beds are up those stairs." said Penelope. "Boys to the right, girls on the left. Have a good night's sleep, tomorrow we will be starting our classes."
Lisa and Emma ran up the steps and opened a brown door on their left. Their suitcases were already there, and in front of four-poster beds with blue sheets. Lisa's trunk was by the bed next to the window. She hopped on her bed and looked at Emma. She had all her books laid out on her bed and was putting them in the order of her schedule.
Then she screamed.
"What? What happened?" asked Lisa franticly. And to her surprise, Emma was smiling.
"Huh?"
"Oh, I'm so happy!" She screamed again. "We have transfiguration first! It's my first class at Hogwarts! That's something to remember." She opened her ink bottle, got out a quill and a book with a leather cover that said Memories, and jotted down; First class at Hogwarts: transfiguration ï
Lisa shook her head and changed into her pajamas. She crawled under the warm covers and closed her eyes.